So I LOVE the movie Tin Cup with Kevin Costner! It is a great analogy for life – know when you should quit, or at least try something else.
Basically the plot is a guy who is trying to qualify for the professional golf tour who has sabotaged himself throughtout his career and who gets his final chance at the last hole of the US Open. He could lay up or try for the green. He chooses to try, and try and try – rather than going for the safe shot.
Well this week I “tin cupped”. I have written a great ebook on branding and tried to upload a post that offered the book for free with a sign up form. Because of how my database works, the form “blows up” the wordpress form and I only get one chance to upload it with no changes. The first time I tried it was a total debacle. The second time I forgot to add catagories, the third time, I forget what happened but by this time I was just flailing away at it!
Luckily I had a function to attend and had to stop posting and deleting. The problem is that each time I post, my loyal email readers get a copy so at that point they were on email 3 with no actual post in sight! This is a great way to drive away your readers and I should have stopped after 1 and gone to plan B which is to post a webpage which bothers no one!
You NEED to know when you are fustrastrated and not being productive and stop. Step away from the computer and try another time. Stop making an ass of yourself and do something else until you can come back with a clear (and productive head).
Basically, what I am I am saying is sorry to my email readers and for the rest of you, there will be a great ebook soon BUT until I can post the link without imploding personally I am taking a break!
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It is so difficult to get that perspective sometimes. The pursuit of excellence isn’t found on a hamster wheel. We get in our own way and are dreadfully counter productive at times. This is SO a lesson for all of us to keep an ear out for the “squeak” in the critter cage and make sure that we are NOT getting nowhere fast and step out to get a sniff of sunshine! Thanks Tara!
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Outside? Is that the place where the other people are and the sun shines? Who goes out there?!?!?!?! Thanks for visiting!!!
This post woke me up out of my dysfunctional trance. I’d like to add that sometimes you may not only have to STEP away from the computer, but that it can be life changing to actually DRIVE away from it for a few days. Your Tin-Cup post last week hit me like a ton of bricks – and I read it after sending out an e-mail blast to my entire database that was really screwed up. That and about 4 other “tin-cups” within a 2-day window were an all-time record high for me. So, we headed for a spur of the moment Lido Key mini-vacation for 3 nights, and I’m happy to report that all is right with the world again. Thanks, I needed that!
I am SO glad to hear you got a break – I think we get so focused on a goal that we don’t realize we are making ourselves nuts to get there!!!!