It’s Friday. I suppose I have work to do but…you know…it’s Friday.
So I posted about my interview with Ape on the Moon earlier in the week and there was a lot of lovely feedback! A consistent point of discussion was regarding my thoughts on how results of your efforts relate to each other. I wasn’t expecting such a response but hey, internets.
Because of this I figured I’d share it here as well (with new and improved visuals! Procrastinating from real work oh ho ho). Before I get into it I would like to stress that this is not gospel. This is simply what I, Andrew Kolb, have experienced upon getting into doing what it is that I do.
So let’s do this.
I don’t claim to know all that much about the world, but early on I did think that as you put in effort, results would follow (the above chart). Now I don’t want to dwell on what really defines “effort” or even “results”. What I do want to communicate is that my motto is that you really only get out what you put in. I think Newton’s law of physics is kinda on my side on this.
Anyways, I figured that as you continued to put in effort, you would consistently (albeit slowly and steadily) see the results of what you’re doing.
To me, this is wrong.
Here me out.
Instead I offer this revised graphic. What I’ve come to see (and again, completely personal…allow for variation), is that the results don’t change at a steady pace but instead have blips and jumps. I’ve realized that you continue to put in effort and you may see results, but not necessarily proportionate to what you’re trying to do.
Very important. I want to stress this: DON’T GIVE UP! The reality is that the true jump in results is somewhat out of your control.
I say it’s magic and it’s out of your control but in reality, I’m kinda lying. The only reason this jump happened is still because of you. Maybe you were featured on a website or an image/song/photo (I think this applies to all creatives) caught on social media! Whatever it is, it’s broken you from that slow incline and taken you to another level. So in a way it’s out of your control (with whomever features you and so on) but it was still because of what YOU did that brought them to you.
Just keep in mind that the job is not done.
Now that you’ve made that leap to the next stage of where ever you’re heading, you’ll still have to keep putting in work. Now you will have to do as much as you did before if you want to keep going.
Remember when I stressed that you shouldn’t give up? (It was like 2 minutes ago, stay with me.) Here’s another reason why. The hardest part of this creative gig you’re in will come right before the next jump. You’ve been putting in all this effort and seen a little increase (and be sure to appreciate this, great and small) but it feels like spinning wheels in the mud. You may think that this is as far as you’ll get and that there’s no more magic.
Well when you stop believing in fairies they surely die.
What I’ve learned is that you have to keep going because if you stop putting in effort you won’t see results. If you stop creating work then there’s nothing to feature on a blog or there’s nothing to be shared around online or off. And if you DO stop, there won’t be anything to hook on to and take you to that next stage.
KEEP AT IT AND THE MAGIC WILL HAPPEN. BELIEVE.
To recap (because this bit helps me make sure I covered everything I wanted to say):
• Results are rarely (if ever) a steady incline
• Results may be slow, but are still happening
• Keep doing what you love and magic will happen
• That magic will push you to the next level
• The last two steps keep repeating so long as you don’t give up
• The hardest part of it all is right before the magic - push through this
• I think you’re super rad
And that’s it (I think). Yeah.
