Do you look around and see opportunities to make things better? Do you have an idea that you just KNOW will make a difference in your life or someone else’s life?
What’s stopping you from doing something about it?
Seth Godin’s manifesto on becoming a starter, Poke the Box, is a kick in ass to become the difference-maker that the world wants you to be.
Laying the Groundwork – What is starting?
If you don’t ship, you actually haven’t started anything at all.” – Seth Godin
I’m guessing this is NOT how most people will define starting. There is a subtle, but significant difference with Seth Godin’s idea of starting–shipping. Starting something meaningful has to include getting that something out the door and into the hands of other people. You can’t make a difference if no one sees what you are working on.
What if Michael Jackson made music and kept it to himself?
What if Dr. Oz went to medical school but never treated any patients and didn’t write books?
What if your favorite author/artist/hero/singer/etc. decided that he or she would rather stay home instead of going to work?
Absolutely nothing would have happened. Thousands, and probably millions, of people would have lost out and would have not benefited from their talent.
Why should you be a starter?
“Wasting the opportunity [to start] both degrades your own ability to contribute and, more urgently, takes something away from the rest of us…If you hid your spark, bury your ideas, keep your questions and notions from the team, you have hurt them as badly as if you had stolen a laptop and fenced it on eBay.”
Using fear as an excuse not to start is often, oddly enough, a selfish excuse. Fear of failing and criticism focuses your energy on those who may not benefit from your contributions rather than those who can really benefit from your work.
Rather, think about the people who WILL appreciate your work. Get your work out there and you are bound to find people who will be grateful you did.
Read this book if:
- Fear is keeping you from doing something you know will benefit others.
- You feel stuck and want to improve your current situation.
- You don’t believe you have what it takes to be a starter (you are more capable than you might think).
Now go read Poke the Box and get to work. The world is counting on you. You can thank me later.