Our parents taught us that anything is possible. And the world says that we should think big if we want to do anything that’s worthwhile.
But I’m no longer convinced that thinking big is the answer if you want to make progress on a goal or see a dream become a reality.
Because when I wanted to write my second novel, I got stuck for a really long time. For weeks, I stared at the blank screen, trying to come up with the next adventure for my fictional hero, Blake Jordan.
What I eventually realized was that thinking big was the problem. I was focusing on the novel, on the end product being in the hands of readers. I thought about how great it would feel to finally be done and accomplish a really big goal.
In other words, I was focused on the wrong thing.
It’s good to plan, to know where you’re going and why you want to get there when you have a dream in your heart. But what we focus on matters. I know people who have been working on their novel for years. That’s just crazy, but I can understand why. They’re thinking too big. They’re focusing on what they want to have done tomorrow instead of what they can actually do today.
I realized that to accomplish something that mattered, I’d need to dream big, but think small.
So I got back to basics. I carefully planned an outline. Then I committed to writing at least one chapter a day. And I have the novel finished and ready to share with the world later this week.
If you’re on my mailing list, be on the lookout this week. I’ll be letting you know when your copy is ready to download free to your Kindle. Tell your friends to join if they read thrillers.