Let's face it, working as an artist or even for yourself takes a lot of responsibility. There are a ton of things we all go through in every aspect of how we run our lives in the world of our careers and businesses. Experience teaches us time and again that there's always a new barrier to break through when we are willing to grow and change for the better. Mistakes and screw ups pop up regardless of how mature we become. It can be very easy to start fresh in a new endeavor and finish off fed up and depleted if we don't know how to handle situations in the right way.
Being a professional may not come easy for some but if we want to stay ahead of others and even our expectations of ourselves then the idea of what it means to be a pro has to be understood and applied. Improving your management systems, communications or simply a better attitude on life can be the element that sets things right again. So let's cover the aspects of what it takes to be a pro.
“It’s all on you” said the man in the mirror…
It can be pretty easy playing the blame game. It's due to bad clients, the economy, the internet, the younger generation, the government and the list can go on forever. The thing is if you start your own business guess what? It's all on you. Sure we can justify all the elements mentioned above but the reality is we all have a choice. Maybe not the system we've been born into or the people who show up at our doors but we do have the choice to participate in it or not.
How we respond is totally in our control if we maintain ourselves to be conscious and disciplined to act in a way that brings back to you and those we cherish the most. Sure I understand it's a tough thing to do day in day out but what would you rather have? The slow pain of feeling dissatisfied with it all or the gusto to make a real change?
Of course things will not happen over night. We are humans with different needs and emotional ups and downs but if we continue to look at ourselves for the catalyst of change then in no way will we be able to give that power away. If your reading this and not working in what you love then know that it's still possible. But it does require you to be smart. So build those habits and commit to whatever it takes. Become a professional in what your passionate about and practice it for the rest of your career.
Sure the art can maybe be 20% to 40% and the rest is all business but know that you can be just as creative in both camps. I'm so thrilled that it's the price to pay for expressing myself in exchange for a living. It keeps me focused and on top of things while hardly ever taking the gifts I have in my life for granted. If I had all the time in the world I would most probably leave it for tomorrow and honestly I think most of us would do the same. But business keeps our left brain in balance with the right. Grounding us in the daily tasks that need to be done in order to elevate the ideals we aspire to.
Here's a list of some of the practices I study and apply to stay pro not matter the industry:
Stress management
Habit Formation
Time Management
Education and Learning
Breaking Comfort Zones
Nutrition
Positive and Strategic Thinking
Law
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…The “Real World” reflects your perception he continued.
Being a pro in life is a never ending process but when you feel like you've got some footing on the basics then don't hesitate to get yourself out there to meet others. It's quite easy to be home and self disciplined but when we come in contact with hundreds of other people we tend to notice rather harshly that others have similar issues as well.
There's a league of millions out there not taking care of their bodies or improving their communication skills put still push forward and make things better from their current circumstances. It takes self confidence to be out there and not be influenced by all the potential distractions that can stray you away from your business growth and professionalism. That's why always coming back to self is the best first step when reevaluating your career progress.
We're all going to run into unfavorable clients or work projects that become overwhelming. With every mistake and problem there's also the opportunity to fix the hole in a system which simply proves itself to be not as full proof as we initially thought. What business does is helps us to develop a clearer way of performing tasks. So when you do get taken advantage of or fail at a goal, it's in your hands to make it better next time around. Making mistakes along the way is the hard and fastest way to improve in what you don't currently understand.
So whatever your level of life is and how much money you make know that working on yourself is the best step to take when becoming a professional in anything. Study those greater than you and apply the methods and principles in daily action. As you go out and gain the experience, adjust along the way and maintain that will power and discipline cultivated inside. Keep being a shining a example of how to be pro in all aspects of your life.
The road is definitely not easy at first but if you persist and commit, it will definitively be less of a hustle as you gain new levels in life. Just make sure to share and help others along the way. We all can help each other in making this a life worth enjoying and bringing out our greatest potential!
Keep Snappin'!
Chris From MKMI Photo