Save yourself time and energy by learning from others

I am the youngest of seven children. I’ve had the distinct advantage of watching six different people navigate school, jobs, marriage and kids. I’ve learned from their mistakes and their success and I saved myself a lot of heartache. Here are some steps to help you learn from others and make progress toward your dream. 

Identify people who are doing what you dream of doing. Be specific. Instead of “small business owner” look for “female-owned mechanic shop”. The internet is great for helping you find even the narrowest niche. 

Don’t be afraid to reach out. People love sharing their wisdom. At a recent book convention I made some new author friends and I was floored by their willingness to help me on my journey. After a panel on fight scenes I talked to an author about the lame fight scene in my romcom novel. She gave me her email address and told me to send it to her and she’d critique it. Just like that. 

After the convention I reached out to an author with a question and he said, “I’ve taught some workshops on this. Let’s set up a Zoom.” Friend, he spent two hours answering my questions and sharing his knowledge.

Be open to feedback and willing to apply what you learn. This may come easy to you or you might need to work at it. The critique of my fight scene was so well done I immediately applied all her suggestions. Some of the advice from my friend during our Zoom meeting was hard for me to accept and it took a few days of mulling it over before I realized he was right. 

No matter what dream you’re chasing, chances are good someone else has made it there. And if they’re like the people I’ve met in the writing community, they’ll be happy to show you the way.