Overcoming Procrastination and Fear

"Trying is lying. There is no such thing as trying. You do it or you don’t. You get results in life or you have excuses why you didn’t. When people say, ‘I’ll try,’ they usually mean, ‘I’m not going to do it now.’"
— Dick Sutphen

In Issue #235

Guest Essay: Overcoming Procrastination and Fear
by Jennie Cui

Do you procrastinate sometimes? I know I sure do …

I bought the AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting in 1997 and I officially started the program in 2006. Now that’s procrastination!

Then, I went through about two-thirds of the program and I got distracted again.

I was really interested in changing my career … working as a freelance copywriter … being my own boss … having the freedom to work anywhere and anytime I want … earning a six-figure income … but I never seemed to get around to finally finishing the program.

The truth is: I was consumed by fear …

I feared success, failure, and disapproval.

You see, I was born in China. After graduating from high school in Shanghai, I came to Europe to study Civil Engineering, and settled and worked as a civil engineer in Belgium. As a Chinese person living in Belgium, I use very little English.

So I wondered: How can someone like me make a living as a copywriter working mainly in English? What if I can’t find clients? What if I don’t have enough income to pay my bills? What would people think of me if I fail? Especially when I get “encouragements” from my family and friends like these …

“Don’t you dare quit your job!”

“Giving up your 9 to 5 and a secure paycheck to become a freelancer? Are you insane?”

“Have you lost your mind? Do you know how many people are out there looking for a job?”

“You want to be a what? What the heck is this copywriter thing?”

“C’mon, be realistic. Who do you think you are?”

“What dreams? When will you start to grow up and stop those silly dreams?”

Does any of that sound familiar?

Then, something happened for me that turned my life around.

In April 2008, I sent an email to Krista about my frustrations. A few days later she wrote back.

Here’s part of what she wrote: “I understand exactly what you’re feeling with regard to your job and your financial obligations. Trust me, I’ve been there … You have to persist, keep taking action … you have to decide. Once you decide that copywriting is what you’re going to do, things will start to move … ”

Her email shed a light into what seemed like a dark and doomed future of mine. I felt like a drowning woman who suddenly found a life-saving buoy. All my frustrations of not being understood by my family and friends, all my worries about money seem to disappear… All I could remember was her encouragement.

Taking her advice, I finally beat up my procrastination and finished the copywriting course. But even after that, I was still moving slowly with my new career. I was nowhere near starting to work as a copywriter.

So in December 2008, I made a decision. I started working with Krista through the CP Mentoring Program. Oh my, I’m so glad I made that choice.

Today, only four short months later, I not only landed my first copywriting client, but I also got a second assignment from them. Talk about a good start and a joyous feeling – I finally made it as a copywriter.

If you’re discouraged about your chances of making it as a copywriter, here are the top three things that turned things around for me:

  1. If you procrastinate, find a way to beat it. Once I decided to go for it, everything changed. Don’t just “try”, act upon it. Do something—no matter how small it may be—today.
  2. Get yourself a mentor. I honestly feel that if it wasn’t for all the tips, support, and encouragement I get from Krista that I would still be stuck in the middle of nowhere. Find a mentor that suits your style to guide you. It’s the easiest and surest way to shorten your learning curve and speed up your success.
  3. Don’t give up. If someone with my background can fulfill my dream of becoming a copywriter, so can you. Persistence is the key to success.

Resource Referral: The Ideal Spare-Time Business by Krista Jones

Last Friday Monica got on Craigslist to place an ad. While she was on the site, she noticed that there were oodles of people looking for resume writers. So I thought this would be the perfect time to remind you that writing resumes can be a great source of income while you’re getting your freelance business of the ground.

Right now, there are thousands of people in your area who need a resume – to get a new job  … to get a second job  … to get their first job  … to get a better job  … or even snatch up that dream job, against all odds. There’s never been a better opportunity to generate a tremendous part-time income while providing a good service.

You know that Monica and I are big fans of AWAI programs – and the AWAI Pro Resume Writer Program is no exception. It gives you everything you need to start and run a successful spare-time resume service.

Here’s just one of the many good things people have had to say about the program:

"AWAI’s Resume Writing Program is great. The templates take away so much of the guesswork when it comes to formatting. I have more than enough work, because everyone needs a job. And they need a resume to get that job." — Leisa G., Front Royal, VA

You can be helping people get back to work in only 6 hours and 35 minutes. I don’t know of any other professional, in-demand business with a shorter learning curve.

Learn more about becoming a freelance resume writer.

Update on Virtual Mentoring …

Last week I was just as surprised as you were when I read about Virtual Mentor in CP Issue No. 234.

Not because I didn’t know about it, of course, but because I thought Monica and I were going to keep it under our hats for a bit longer. So, yeah, Monica’s right, she is terrible at keeping a secret!

But now that the word is out, I’m thrilled that I can talk about it. I’ll start by giving a big thanks to all the people who wrote to tell us they’re just as excited about Virtual Mentor as we are. We really appreciate your feedback for two reasons. First, it encourages us to keep working hard to get it launched as quickly as possible. And most important, it lets us know what challenges you face and how we can best serve you. So keep your emails coming!

I know you want to know more about the program, but we’re honestly still firming up some of the details. I will confirm, however, that the price will be less than $50 a month, you can quit anytime you want, and it’s coming in weeks, not months.

If we haven’t heard from you and you’d be interested in getting a complete coaching program – with all the information you would get in a personal one-on-one or group coaching program – but access it all online, at your convenience  … for less than $50 a month  … Drop us a line at admin@copyprotege.com and let us know.

And while you’re writing, let us know the specific topics/issues you’d like us to cover. The more we hear from you, the more targeted we can make the program.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts  … we’ll share more of ours soon.