A dear friend of mine had been wanting to work as a full-time artist for more than 20 years. Up until recently, he chose the safe path, securing his monthly income by working as a freelance graphic designer.
Nothing wrong with that – except that his dream of making a living as an artist remained a dream. And since he really wanted to do something else, he also didn’t feel happy with his designer career.
For a long time, my friend kept on dreaming and dabbling with his art on a hobby level. The result: no production plan, no price strategy, no serious brand as an artist, no marketing – and not many buyers!
But then, something happened. Having reached a point of no return – either all in or nothing! – my friend made the decision: he was no longer going to refer to himself as a graphic designer but as an artist. He made a commitment to take his art seriously, giving himself one year to launch his art career, creating, marketing and selling his paintings.
Apart from the enormous sense of relief from having clarity and being in synch with himself, my friend has since then experienced a surge in creativity, productivity and confidence. Today, he easily communicates what he does and what he’s worth, building a stronger brand and more buzz around himself as an artist each day. His price point has gone up – and so have his sales!
I love this story – not only because it involves seeing someone close daring and succeeding – but also because I really believe that it holds so many important messages around the value of decision-making.
Decision-making is a truly powerful thing:
- It takes us from hoping that we’ll one day do something – to committing to doing it.
- We go from dreaming about achieving something to taking action to make that dream come true.
- Instead of trying, we put all our powers to use to make sure that whatever we’re aiming at will materialize.
Just think about that for a while.
I would love to be an artist.
I am an artist.
There’s a world of difference between these statements. And the difference lies in having made a decision. Everything else follows from that:
- Clarity on what’s required to succeed
- The energy to put in the work needed
- The determination to keep at it even during days when everything sucks!
In short: the positive consequences of decision-making are enormous!
