Do Something Scary Today!

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
–Vincent van Gogh, Painter

In Issue #168

Main Essay: Do Something Scary Today!

As I read Chris Allsop’s essay in CP Issue #167, I thought about the people I have mentored over the past year who have struggled with writing a self-promotion letter. I also thought about my own struggle with that very issue when I was starting out.

Why is promoting ourselves so incredibly hard for most of us?

I came up with easy answers within seconds. But rarely is the easy answer the real one, the one that will help you solve or at least accept the situation at hand.

So I thought about it a little longer and here’s what I came up with: We’re not comfortable with self-promotion because we’re still playing small.

Last December, I wrote to you about how we lie to ourselves when we play small. How it keeps us stuck in an okay, comfortable live rather than an adventurous, creative life.

But what does self-promotion have to do with playing small? When you’re afraid to put your name in the ring, everything.

You may think that you don’t like tooting your own horn. Or you might worry about what others will think of you if you go around saying how good you are. Or you might just be afraid that you’re not good enough to live up to your own promises or other people’s expectations. But the truth is, every one of those objections is just an excuse to stay inside of your comfort zone.

If you’re afraid of promoting yourself as a copywriter—as I have been in the past—I urge you to list the reasons you want to become a copywriter. If at least one of them is that you want to add value to others or you want to help others, consider this: You can’t help anyone by hiding.

To add value to others, to share your services with others, to earn money as a professional copywriter, you’re going to have to be willing to share your ideas about yourself and what you do with passion and enthusiasm.

One thing I’ve learned since striking out on my own is that since we are creatures of habit, we need to practice acting in spite of fear, doubt, worry, uncertainty, and inconvenience.

So do something today that you’re not currently doing. Something that scares you. It doesn’t even have to be related to copywriting…

I’m afraid of heights, so last summer I climbed Stone Mountain to force myself out of my comfort zone. That climb set the stage for my being more comfortable with uncertainty. And that has allowed me to open my life to new possibilities—including letting go of the B2B client I told you about last week.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone won’t be easy. But, the more frequently you do it, the more you will lessen the stronghold fear has on what you do and, perhaps more importantly, don’t do every day. And nothing but good things can come from that.

Resource Referral: Half Price Getting Clients Offer…for Your Eyes Only

Monica and I realize that your biggest need after you’ve learned how to write copy is getting clients. But the thought of spending time and money trying to come up with a winning strategy for attracting clients can be unnerving, particularly when money is tight.

That’s why I was very excited to hear that Monica was able to work out a very special deal with Scott Rempe at Accelerated Training Services (ATS) for Copy Protégé readers only. If you missed Friday’s CP issue, here’s the deal…

Scott has agreed to schedule a session of ATS’s signature Getting Clients program to give you a proven approach to finding clients and making money as soon as possible. The best part is, ATS is offering the program to Copy Protégé Readers for half the regular price!

So if you don’t have a tested strategy for getting clients, please don’t let this opportunity pass you by.  The offer is good for only two weeks – and you must sign up through the link below to get the deal, or if you call, tell them that you are a CP reader. Don’t worry when you see the price in the promotion. This was such a spur of the moment decision, the copy you’ll click to still has the regular price! You won’t see the new price (half off what the promotion says) until you click through to the order device.

Check out the ATS Getting Clients program. And then take Scott up on his generous offer. Following a proven system for getting clients can save you precious time, money, and frustration. Remember the offer won’t last for long, so don’t delay.

Quick Copy Tip: Create An A-HA Moment

Sometimes when I’m involved in a copy project, I get so mired in ideas that I can’t single out an approach for the copy. When that happens, I seek help.

I sit down with a friend and talk about the project, the audience, the promise, and the ways I’m considering going with the copy. I explain what I’m stuck on and before long the two of us are throwing out ideas and feeding off of each other’s energy. Nine times out of ten, I walk away with the epiphany I had hoped for.