Sometimes, in this brutal mad-house writer’s life I’ve chosen, I need motivation.  I happened upon some motivating notes today, notes I took during a phone call with my best male friend, Michael Senn, who is one of the most creative and driven people I know. He has successfully created and initiated at least three businesses. Yes, I take notes when I’m on the phone, and in this case I’m glad I did. The phone call took place about a year ago just as I was thinking of cutting loose from teaching and plunging into the writing business I’m in now. Here are a few of the thoughts  and words of my friend that I wrote down. I think he found these ideas in a book by Jim Britt, entitled, Do This, Get Rich. My friend’s words are in italics:

1. Do a road map of your life, a money biography, looking especially at your last 12 years as a teacher. What has it done for you and what is it likely to do? Trying harder, working more is not the answer. You only have so much time and energy.  This was a jolt. All teaching had done was get me more in debt and NOTHING would change if I stayed the way I was. I learned that nothing changed unless I did.

2. Get ready for a wild ride. If it’s not scary, it’s not a challenge.  Boy, has this proved true!

3.  Conventional methods don’t work. It’s time to take massive action to change. However, know your mission of you will be spending time on what doesn’t matter.

4. Don’t be discouraged. Everything looks like a failure in the middle of it.

5. Imagine you had plenty of money. How would your day be different? 

6.  The person you become determines what you are handed next. Shape the plan of your life and create order out of the chaos.