Earlier this month I came across a social media post from Kelsey Cook, one of my favorite comedians, talking about how she got into standup comedy.
She was reading a book called “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. The book asked the question, “If you had another life to lead, what would you do? Can you try it this week?” She wrote down “standup comedy”. Then later that week she performed at an open mic at her college. Then she did another show, and another one, and kept performing in her spare time until she got a message from Amy Schumer who needed an opening act. She decided to go full time in comedy and go on tour with Amy. The rest is history. 15 years later she has done pretty well for herself.
I think people assume that in order to pursue something they love, that they have to drop everything they were doing and start this completely new life. That’s why they take no action towards their goals, because they’re afraid they will fail. And why wouldn’t they be scared in that situation? They have no track record of success to work from.
In reality, success happens slowly, then all at once.
People who have had success pursuing their dream started by doing one thing towards accomplishing that goal. Then they did the next thing, and the next. For the most part, the rest of their life looks exactly the same. That is, until the sum of those previous efforts allowed them to step into their new life and lead the old one behind.
When I changed careers 11 years ago, I didn’t drop my business as an attorney to pursue real estate. I kept my law firm business open full time for 5 years. And I did the next thing. I got my broker license. Then I joined KW. Then I read the Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller. Then I made my first phone call about real estate. Then I went on my first appointment. Sold my first house. Had my first year in real estate. And my second. And my third. Working two mostly full time jobs the whole time.
Then at some point during that third year we looked up and realized that real estate funded our life now and we could step out into it full time, and leave our old life behind. So we wound down the firm over the course of the next two years and closed it in 2021. My wife joined me around that time as an admin then an agent. And our sales and investment business has grown exponentially since then.
Was it scary to close my law firm? Hell yes it was. Did I think I was going to fail? Absolutely not. Because I wasn’t jumping into a new life. I already had five years worth of daily success in real estate at that point.
What can you do today to pursue your dream life? Can you do that one thing today?
If you want to be a real estate investor for example, can you analyze one property? Can you call a lender and learn about their investment products? Can you read a book or take a class to learn about investing? Maybe show a property with an agent?
Now do it again tomorrow. And the next day. Then write your first offer. Buy your first deal. Buy the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Until you look back 5 years from now and realize you can step out of your old life and into your new one.
You just have to do one thing today.