If Alexander Graham Bell had been a professional electrician, he would never have invented the telephone. He would have know that it was impossible.
What aren’t you doing because you know it’s impossible?
If you’ve ever wondered why lawyers with half your intelligence and charm and none of your good looks seem to get more clients, make more money, and lead a charmed life, it may be because they don’t know what you know. They’re able to charge forward, unburdened by the knowledge that what they’re doing isn’t supposed to work.
Mark Twain said, “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”
So maybe you’re too smart for your own good.
You can’t unlearn what you know. You can’t ignore what you know can go wrong.
Or can you?
Sometimes, I put what I know in a mental lock box and charge ahead in self-imposed ignorance. I don’t think, I just do. I don’t edit, I just write. And I remind myself that it’s okay to make mistakes.
My motto: “progress, not perfection”. I give myself permission to write crap or mess up royally. Only when I’ve gotten far enough along do I stop and take a look at what I’ve done.
I’m often pleasantly surprised. But then, what do I know?
How to get more referrals without really trying
