Don’t call it a comeback!

LL Cool J

In 1990, Rapper LL Cool J released his 4th studio album – Mama Said Knock You Out. It came on the heals of the disappointing album, Walking with a Panther. The title song from the Mama Said album begins with the line, “Don’t call it a comeback!”

Cool J was making a statement. This album will not only be great (which it was), but I was never gone or done…you just thought I was.

I’ve always loved that line – “Don’t call it a comeback!” I love to quote it anytime I’m coming back at anything – basketball, soccer, fantasy football, video games, ping pong, air hockey…you get the idea.

Don’t call it a comeback!

I’ve had these exact feelings lately. I’ve been gone, but I’ve never felt like I was done or out. I’m sure some around me were wondering or questioning if I was done writing. Maybe they wondered if it was a phase, a fad or a passing fancy. It wasn’t.

This weekend, I was asked a question on Facebook that made me stop and think. It was asked in regards to my statement that it feels good to begin writing again…

[quote]Could you maybe write about / share what changes you made to allow this?[/quote]

I admit, I had to stop and think for a moment about this question – which was a great one. As I allowed myself to ponder, it only took a moment to come to several conclusions. These  are not just about writing, but fulfilling any dream you might have.

I have  3 philosophical answers and 3 practical answers. I’ll start with the philosophical answers first.

3 life adjustments

1. Boredom.

My last year has been busy. I took a new job, Kia started a new business, we sold property, we spoke (together and Kia  alone) 5-6 times around the country, we sold our house, we moved, we started 2 new schools, we put more property on the market, Kia moved her studio location, I had surgery on my achilles tendon. Wow, that wore me out just writing it.

Amazingly, in the midst of all this transition, I actually got bored – not physically or spiritually, but mentally. This may sound even more odd, but I needed it. I needed to come to a place where I needed something to do.

I needed to need to write.

If you want a kick in the pants to get moving on your dream, I would challenge you to ask yourself if you need it. If you don’t you may never move forward with it.

Need is desperation, and desperation drives us like nothing else in life.

2. Say your dream…out loud.

I made the ‘mistake’ of not just stating my dream out loud to the universe, but in a room of hundreds of people. They heard me. They asked questions. They follow up with me.

That is accountability at it’s finest.

If you have some sort of dream, tell people. Don’t just tell God, the universe or your cat. Tell a person. Tell lots of people.

This will keep you motivated…because it will make you desperate to live up to your own words.

3. Fight FOR something.

Items 1 and 2 are really just lead-ins for this point. This is what drove me more than anything else.

It began with a conversation with my accountability partner. This friend has been doing research on what makes for great accountability, and he shared with me a key that kicked me in the pants. Here it is:

[quote]The best accountability happens when it’s based around fighting FOR something, not fighting against.[/quote]

In case you missed the point in bold letters, let me state it again. We are most effective when we are fighting FOR something and not fighting against.

If you call yourself a Christian, and you are truly attempting to follow Jesus, this point should hit you right between the eyes. Too often we base our lives around avoiding, fighting and deterring sin and it’s effect in our lives. While this sounds noble, it actually has the opposite of the desired effect.

We are so busy fighting against things, we have no idea what we are fighting for. When we don’t know what we are fighting for, we easily tire fighting against and simply give in.

My question for you is simple.

[quote]What are you fighting for?[/quote]

Until you know the answer to this question, you’ll be stuck going nowhere with your dreams.

I’m fighting for more than just writing a book, living a good life, and having a great family. I’m fighting for lasting significance.

I’m fighting to leave a legacy.

3 Practical adjustments.

I’m having a hard time following that awesome bit of wisdom with this, but it’s what I said I would do. So read this, then go back and read the above several points, and then click to your next Facebook friend. I’ll feel a lot better about the whole thing that way.

Here are 3 practical ways I’m churning out material.

1. Be accountable.

I referred to this several times above, but it’s truly what has helped me get this site up. Knowing that I have to answer to someone for not moving forward helps me tremendously.

I am an internally motivated person, but having external motivators is that much more helpful.

2. Sit at a desk or table.

Sounds weird, but Kia likes to work on her computer in bed, and it just doesn’t work for me. I need to be upright and somewhat uncomfortable. It helps me get going and get done.

I have less of a chance of continuing down the Facebook/YouTube/Twitter black hole when sitting in a less comfortable position.

3. Create a deadline.

The first point is setting up external motivators, but this is creating an internal motivator.

I have set a goal for myself to write a new post every 2 days. This means I need to write at least 2-3 times a week…probably more. My larger goal is to use this to help myself hone in on a topic to write a book.

A book will require a whole new set of deadlines.

Breaking rules.

I’ve broken all the rules about what it takes to write to be read in the blogosphere. Forgive me. I wrote too much, but it’s good. I know it is.

Don’t forget…it’s all about legacy.