Three Reasons Why People Don’t Take You Seriously

Had Enough of Just Talking the Talk?

It’s one thing to say what you are going to do and another thing to actually do it. I learned this lesson the hard way. I would also talk about what I would want to do and I never put the work in. Not once. I could dream about it all day. See myself at the end of the tunnel and bask in the ambience of the thought of it all. When it came down to actually doing I had more excuses then a little bit.

Something had to change. Either I would continue just dreaming or I would put the steps into motion and make it a reality. I have seen this countless times before where people share their dreams with others and when asked about it down the road those people are still at square one. Other cases those same people who have talked about what they would like to accomplish have picked up something else.

I realized that in order make the people around us a believer in what we are trying to achieve we have to put the work in.

Reason # 1: All Talk No Action

I had an interesting conversation with one of my producer friends a long time ago. He told me that there are three kinds producers out there, “Those that want to be about it, those that talk about being about it, and those you are about it.” The statement resonated with me so well and even to this day I still hold it true. It can easily be used in any career or aspect of our lives. During that time I had ventured into the music world and talked about being a music producer. I bought a bunch of equipment, did my research, and had everything that I needed to get started. I remember going back and forth to Guitar Center to look at all the equipment. I had everything I needed at home. There was no reason in the world for me to be there. I was just wasting time. The amount of time that it took me to get ready to go to that store, drive there, browse around, talk to the sales person, and drive all the way back home I could have put in a good hour and a half into my craft. I wasn’t serious enough about it and it was showing.

It came to a point where I had to separate myself from Guitar Center and start working on my music. I cut myself off from browsing the web and watching videos to actually put the time in. I saw improvements in my ability to make my own music, but it still was not enough. When I self assessed my progress in comparison to my peers I was way off the mark. I kept going because the last thing that I wanted to do was to look like a failure. The reality set in many years later that I was chasing the wrong dream.

I did a lot of talking and watching but if I had to be honest with myself I wasted more time dreaming the dream instead of pursuing the dream. Regardless of whether I wanted to be a music producer, a carpenter, lawyer, doctor, it didn’t matter, I had to put the work in. There’s no other way around. If I was going to tell the world my dreams I had better well be working on it just as hard.

Reason #2: You Skip From Dream to Dream

Today I want to be a singer. Tomorrow I want to be an artist. I may be good at both which isn’t unheard of but if I’m not giving both of these crafts the just due time that is needed to excel at them then I am just jumping from dream to dream. Next week I want to be a dancer. I saw one on TV, one of those talent shows I believe. I can do that. I used to dance in high school.

The people in your life that are truly genuine and have your best interest in heart may stand behind these dreams and aspirations that change like the wind. Eventually though they will stop believing in these farfetched dreams and expect you to settle in on a real job. A common mistake that people make when going after their dreams is that they tell too many people. When they do this and later on decide to change their dream those same people will have those first conversations still sitting in the back of their minds. We have woven up a conversation with these people and told them about how we would like to be the next great American Author and then five months down the road we tell them that we will be the next great movie director.

The point of this is that before telling the world what our dreams are, because yeah I know I’ve been there and it feels good to tell the world what we want to do and were we see ourselves down the road, we have to first assess whether that is what we should be doing. Self assessing may be the hardest thing that we have to do but it is also equally as important. It is a self criticism that will cataclysm our dreams into debris. By the end of it we will also know if this is what we should be doing with our lives.

It’s great to have all these big dreams but even in my personal life I had to be honest with myself and ask this question, “Am I willing to put the work in?” If I could answer yes to that question then another would surely follow, “What would I do when I fail?”

If my answer is I pick up my game controller then, well that may be ok for the time being but the real answer should be that I keep on going.

Reason #3: What Do You Have to Show for It?

The interesting this about all of this is that each of these reasons tie into one another in some way. From talking about our dreams, jumping from dream to dream, to having something tangible to show for it. This is where consistently getting after it matters so much. Having a a daily routine with a check list of goals that we are chipping away at.

Personally I use my phone to keep track of my daily goals and I can mark them off as I knock them out. I write every single day so I have something to show for my work. There are a catalogue of stories, blog posts, and journal entries that have been written. So when someone asked me what I like to do I can say that I enjoy writing and not have the faintest feeling of being a wanna be.

I do have to keep in mind that my consistent writing is only a small part of the spectrum. As crazy as that may sound this is only the build up to the big game which is putting my work out there. The defining moment that our dreams are built on very well may be harder than actually putting all of that time and effort in. It’s like practice a three point shot. We can work on it each and every day from the same exact spot but when the game comes and everything is on the line will we be able to deliver?