Blog: Dress the Part: Three Ways To Stop Aspiring and Start Being

Everyone's heard the phrase, "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have." Obviously, it is more than the literal interpretation of the phrase. It means to prepare yourself and be ready for opportunity.

In terms of writing, this means to stop aspiring and start being. Here are 3 ways to do that – whether you goal is writing or scuba diving:

Do it. To quote my sister, "Write-write-write!" Or to quote Yoda from Star Wars, "Do or do not; there is no try." Writers write. Singers sing. Scuba divers dive. Stop aspiring and start doing it. If you write, you are a writer, whether you ever get published or not. Doing the act makes it so. Nothing else.
Start thinking like… a writer? a singer? a scuba diver? When people ask you who you are or what you do, what do you say? For a long time I considered myself an aspiring writer because writing doesn't pay my bills. But I came to realize that I was a writer because I wrote. When you identify yourself as a writer (or whatever your goal is) in your mind, you become more confident in your assessment of yourself. An aspiring person wants to be, but a (writer) is. I am a writer, and when I think of myself as a writer, it helps me act like a writer. Would a writer only aspire to write? No. Would a writer have business cards and a website? Yes. Present yourself as a professional and it will take you further towards your goal. Be the person today that you want to become tomorrow.
Join organizations. This helps show you are serious about your goal. Organizations also are a good source of inspiration, motivation, and resources when your journey gets rough. Others have likely been in a similar situation and may be able to help you out.

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