Compass in Your Gut
2007-08-18
When I do my 1-2 hour talk to a crowd, I leave this point until the end, because I consider this the most important lesson I ever learned.
For YEARS I let smart people talk me into things that just weren't right for me. I'll bet you have, too. I went down wrong paths, doing things I wasn't excited about, because someone or something convinced me it was what I “should” be doing.
Then I finally figured out something that's made all the difference, and I've been happier and more successful since:
There's a compass in your gut that points two directions : EXCITING and DRAINING.
No matter what advice anyone gives you - no matter how smart the person telling you what to do - you need to let this compass override your other decisions.
Whatever excites you, go do it.
Whatever drains you, stop doing it.
I've seen too many musicians get into music because they LOVE playing drums, for example. They love it so much they want to do it for a living. But then the world says, “If you're going to be in the music business, you have to understand cross-collaterization! You have to read this book on music business law. And you need a great website. So you have to learn HTML. And Flash. And how to stream audio files on the web. And you need to understand marketing, and accounting, and blah blah blah....”
Soon this drummer is spending all his time doing everything BUT play the drums, and decides it's not worth it! He gets a job at a bank and loses interest in his drums, because a career in music now seems like the most awful thing ever.
Yes, the people who said he should know all that stuff meant well, but nothing is worth losing your enthusiasm. NOTHING!
You have to pay close attention to that compass, even in little day-to-day decisions. You get offered a gig - they're on the phone waiting for an answer - is it exciting you or draining you? To make a new website is going to take about 10 hours of work. Does that excite you or drain you?
If it doesn't excite you, don't do it.
There's almost nothing that you MUST do. Someone somewhere is excited to do the things that drain you. Find them and let them do it.
Work towards this ideal, and soon you'll be doing only what excites you the most, all day. Then you'll find that doors open for you, opportunities come your way, life seems to go easier, because you're doing what you're meant to do.
Derek,
This is exactly what I've been working on for myself this year. I love CD Baby and really appreciate all the work you put into it and the money I've received from the sale of my cds and digital downloads.
You are a genius!
Love, Light and Music
Diva Joan Cartwright
Derek,
You are right on the money about the gut feelings about doing my music
on CD Baby the whole band laughed at me said no one will buy your CD!
I just put my CD out with hot guitar player that I met at on line Jam site
http://harmonicajam.com/index.php where most the songs where born!
I play Blues Harp wrote the songs and sang them, so I went CD Baby
put them up with lot help from the CD Baby crew, got it going with out
any promotion they are selling out the gate! when I promote lot more
the sky is the limit!
I'm glad I fellowed that gut feeling took chance went with CD Baby I'm
living the dream of my life and I owe it all to CD Baby; thank you so much!
Bro.Bob
A lifetime of playing music and have met many people but none likeDerek Sivers I have enjoyed reading about your life and now understand ---somewhat .why you are so sucessful.Thank you so much for everything you have done and are doing.Flo Dreyer
Total truth. Put this together with the idea of 'now living' and you have all you need. Thanks Derek
thanx for the inspiration
Derek
Thank you so much
Your advises help me to go deeper to my soul
and find the real energy to do the work with happiness and good vibes
all the very best
Your friend from Jerusalem -Israel
Yehuda Glantz
Thanks Derek! this is so true! and the encouragement to really listen to it so valuable.
Happy New Year 2009, I hope all is well with you,
Rae M. Taylor
Derek,
I just wanted to say that I have been up all night on this website. There are very many sites that I go to for information and inspiration, and I believe that this, for me is number 1: the reason being: it put's together the creative and the practical in such a way that I wish I had read this 10 years ago, but thank god I'm reading it now. You have helped me so much and I just wanted to say Thank You!
Like I said in a previous post. I'm an internet marketer. I love what I do. I've just recently decided that this is what I'm going to do with myself for the time being. I used to work for a company that made me hate what I did. Then I worked crap jobs, then I got fired over a pair of pants. Instead of getting upset I looked at it as a swift kick in the ass to do what I'm meant to. I love music, but don't have the ability or drive to be a musician so I promote them instead. I believe this page right here shows a valuable life lesson in general. Love what you do and the world will love you.
This is a great reminder for us to be enthusiastic about and love everything we do. Whenever I am in the joy of the moment when I go to call a club owner to get a booking, or contact a promoter for consideration for a spot on their music festival, or call another guitarist to see what they are doing, something good always happens. We really have to feel good in our gut during all our activities to be successful.
Thanks Derek for your continued inspiration!
Hi Friends,
I was just reading a great book, 'Divine Intuition' by Lynn A. Robinson. Derek's blog (this one) flashed in my mind when I was reading chapter 4 'Intuitive Nudges', especially pages 27 and 28.
I can't suggest this book enough!
Amazon has used copies for next to nothing...
http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Intuition-Lynn-Robinson/dp/0789467682
Take care,
Pete
Very True. I Like This..
Amazinnggg post Derek..Thanks a lot.
Derek,
I love you.
-Booda
That's very true. I just wish I knew what my compass was telling me....
Great advice... for the "find them and let them do it" part, it helps to either be very rich, or have lots of friends :D
excellent advise as always Derek!
Thank you so much for this post... it's exactly what I needed today. I've been bracing myself for a very difficult and financially risky proposition—leaving my job—precisely because it is draining me and preventing me from focusing on what excites me: music.
Thanks for everything you do, Derek, you're an inspiration.
Very well put- any specific suggestions on increasing focus so u can work on what excites you?
Pura Vida
Jose
Amazing article. And one day I hope to start living by that. Maybe just for an hour tonight. I wonder what it would feel like, throwing ought and should out the window?!
I love this from artist Richard Stine:
Title: WOMAN TRAVERSING OBSTACLES BY FAITHFULLY FOLLOWING HER OWN COMPASS. (See image here)
http://thumbs.imagekind.com/member/2f8b8db4-7536-473a-95a5-c15bd86c0acf/uploadedartwork/450X450/115ece22-3a0b-40dd-ac1d-bfd34b0d2ef4.jpg
great article, there is indeed a lot of bad advice in the DIY movement in music.
I couldn't possibly agree more. I've been going through this lately and know that it's hard to listen to that compass, but you must! I think not listening to it comes from a fear of failure, making the wrong move. But it IS possible to make money at what you're good at, so keep doing it!
Very true. I see it all the time in university, I consistently do much better in courses I am actually interested in.
There are even times when I wish I could just pick whatever courses I want to do and assemble my own degree. Who knows what future that might lead to?
In the mean time its back to management accounting for me.. :(
Derek. I can't agree more and thank you for this brilliant reminder. I graduated as an electrical engineer but I discovered a passion in me while programming my homework in my hand held HP calculator and decided to become a programmer. After 27 years of punching the keyboard I've never got tired of it. I've been having a happy life because I followed my passion.
"Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sometimes the Compass in Your Gut is a curse that torments you.
Sometimes reality can't be reconciled with whatever grandiose idea your compass might be pointing towards. For example, your compass says be an artist...but you're well-compensated for a mind-numbingly boring gig slinging code for soul-less corporations and you have a spouse and two college-aged children depending on that income. Just saying.
Derek...I love it. All your posts are well thought out and always share some of "your" experience. Thanks again for so many great posts and such enthusiasm, it is contagious. Your insight is valuable and I am glad to receive it and smile. Thanks and peace, and congrats on the nuptials.
Thanks for this, Derek.
You're the real deal
I think I'm starting to listen to that compass... I climbed two mountains with my family this week!
Awesome. I loved reading this & re-reading this. Thank you.
~ de Vie