Playing The Long Game
This past Saturday, I ran the DC half marathon. I have family in the area, so we decided to stay a few extra days. That means I'm writing this from a coffee shop in Virginia.
This happens to be the same coffee shop I went to eight years ago when I was working on my book and going back and forth with my editor on revisions.
I wasn’t making any money back then. To quote Biggie, “It was all a dream.”
But here I am years later, making a living doing what I love.
I “made it”
Do you know what the reward for making it is?
More moments like this.
Spending mornings writing at a coffee shop is all I ever wanted to do.
The work is the reward.
Yes, I still have goals.
It will be nice to grow and make more money.
It will be great to have a bestselling book and do all the things authors and creators want to do.
It will all be nice—but it is the effect, not the cause.
I’m not doing what I’m doing in order to get something down the road.
I’m doing what I love because the journey is fulfilling in itself.
When you do things for their own sake, the outer successes are just mile markers, showing you how far you’ve come.
I surpassed my goal of running 8:00/minute miles in the half marathon by 40 seconds a mile. I was thrilled.
Now what?
I get to do it again.
The process of training and seeing progress is the reward.
I only became more intentional about running this year. I’m excited about what that looks like five years down the road.
When doing your Soul’s work, be willing to be in it for the LONG GAME.
You may have to try many things, but if it's something you want to do 20, 30, or 40 years later, then 5-10 years of figuring it out ain’t so bad.
This is why my number #1 advice to anyone attempting to make a living doing what they love is:
STAY IN THE GAME.
That’s it!
Stay. In. The. Game.
The problem is most people don’t have that patience. They want their work to replace their corporate salary in the first year.
It’s unreasonable and antithetical to the whole point of doing fulfilling work, which is to do fulfilling work.
If you don’t see yourself in it for the long game, you won’t make it.
That might sound harsh, but it’s true.
You have to love the process because if you don’t, it will be easy to give up when it’s not working for a few years.
For me, being around others who were doing similar things was crucial to staying in the game.
Soul work can be isolating. The energy of being around others who understand can inspire and energize the path forward.
We become like those we surround ourselves with.
It’s why I started a mastermind for meditation teachers, coaches, creators, spiritual guides, wellness practitioners, and artists.
Meraki Mastermind helps people bring their soul gifts to life and be financially supported doing so.
If you're looking for a community of like-hearted spiritual entrepreneurs, you will love it.
The next cohort starts in May.
If you’re interested—AND—you want to do your Soul work for the long game:
Shoot me an email.
Testimonial From Kate, Mindfulness Teacher & Educator:
I feel so lucky to be a part of the Meraki Mastermind group. Lou has created an incredibly supportive and safe space where I can sound out new ideas and build my confidence with a community who truly understand the challenges of starting a new wellbeing business.
Since joining the group I have managed to grow my presence on Insight Timer and have learnt a range of tools that I know will help me to grow my business in the future.
--
It’s a small curated group, so if you’re interested, send me an email, and we’ll see if it’s a good fit.