Paul McCartney once said to John Lennon before writing a new song: “Let’s write a swimming pool!” What he meant is that as talented song artists they could decide in advance to easily generate enough money to build a swimming pool, buy a car, take a dream vacation, or pretty much anything else they wanted.
Does your talent translate into tangible things you’d like to have or give, or is there little connection between working, getting a paycheck and simply making a living? Do you see that new car, a family cruise or a swimming pool when you begin a project that uses your best skills?
Nick Pavlidis just wrote an important little book – Confessions of a Terrible Husband. It’s his story of working to become a husband that wives dream of. And guess what, the financial rewards will allow him to do some other cool things for his family. Emily Chase Smith is helping other entrepreneurs write their stories. She has 13 projects in process right now – but is currently in Spain taking a week-long class in Flamenco dancing (a lifelong dream).
I suspect it would help us frame our work if we were better able to “see” what that work was leading to. What if you sat down with a blank canvas and visualized an elegant European trip or building a school in Uganda, or being the total sponsor for a Habitat for Humanity house like my publisher friend David Hancock does. (Morgan James Publishing)
Paychecks that are deposited directly into our checking accounts where bills are paid automatically somehow lose their tangible connection to anything. I think that in our “paperless” culture perhaps we’ve lost the connection between writing well and a swimming pool. That’s why Dave Ramsey encourages us all to use “cash” when making purchases. It feels different than just swiping a card or even writing a check. To this day I still pay for cars with cash – I want the visceral connection between working hard and then giving up that stack of $100 bills for a chunk of metal and plastic.
Yeah we’ve all heard about “singing for your supper.” But that’s not a real connection for most of us. So what are you going to write, draw, hammer, sing, bake, build, mow, blog or talk for today? Connecting today’s activities with the image of a clear goal will help draw out your highest talents and skills.
Want a new swimming pool? A new car, a special vacation, or a newly remodeled kitchen? What work can you do that will lead directly to that?
If you want to use writing as your key tool – here’s a 48 step checklist to make your book produce a swimming pool – or something fitting your dream.
This is sooo spot on!
I agree 1000%!
Yes, our paperless culture has brought with it a lot of other things…some not so great.
Thanks again.
Thank you, Dan, for the shout out to Confessions of a Terrible Husband in such an important post.
It’s so true. My wife and I have talked and dreamed quite a bit about the good we can do for our family and others through telling our story. Technology has opened so many opportunities for people who are willing to put the work in. Just a handful of years ago, writing and distributing a book was thought to require permission from some big publishing house (yet the truly motivated made great use of Kinkos and some three-ring-binders!). These days, even the perceived barriers have been lifted, and anyone who is willing to put some work into it can write a book to sell for profit and position themselves for additional streams of income!
I downloaded the checklist, too. Thanks for that! Such a great resource!
Love your reference about using cash for purchases. Using Dave’s envelope system has given me a completely different perspective on saving and spending. I think twice before buying something new and “go shopping in my closet” first to see if I can improvise.