The Year of Let 'Er Rip
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Have you hit a rut and want to shake up your life? Thinking about changing jobs, but don't know about the timing? Dying to try something creative, but worried about the results?
Here is my advice for launching your own Year of Let 'Er Rip:
Saying Yes Is as Easy as Saying No
In the past, I've said no to many professional opportunities for all the right reasons. I wanted to spend more time with my family. I needed some work-life balance. I was overcommitted at the kids' school so I couldn't possible attend the conference that would be really good for my career. All of my excuses seemed totally legit at the time. But, in order to jump-start the Year of Let 'Er Rip, I said yes to everything that might move my career forward. Auditions I was never going to get. Meetings about projects that would never pan out? Lunch with complete strangers in vaguely related industries? Yes, yes, yes. I learned that once I started to say yes a lot, hearing no occasionally doesn't matter that much.
Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You
Yes, I stole this from Eleanor Roosevelt. I used to do maybe one thing every six months that made me a touch nervous. But, I could no longer be passive; I had to force myself to be more aggressive. When a devastating call came from an agent who had changed her mind about representing my book, I put my head down on my keyboard and sobbed. It was my lowest point of the year. That afternoon, I picked up the phone and called a publisher myself. The old me would have spent the afternoon eating Triscuits and cheese, watching Sweet Home Alabama. The new me did the scary thing. An offer for my book came in three days later.
It's Okay to Talk to Yourself
Every morning, I've said to myself, "Let 'er rip." In the beginning, I felt like an idiot. Once I got over my self-consciousness, I used my catchphrase to focus myself before picking up the receiver to make a cold call to a potential client or contact. I've used it to psych up my writing partner when we were about to pitch a TV show idea. Guess what? It worked. Yes, it's goofy, but it's good.
Today Is as Good a Time as Any
As a mother and wife, I had tendency to overthink the timing of everything. Phrases like "When the kids are older" or "After we get through this school year" determined my career path. But really, there is no perfect time to start a new job or go back to school or reach out to a colleague. I realized I could wait around forever and never find the exact right moment to take a risk. Today is as good a time as any if you want to make this your year. I wish you luck. Eat well, stay rested and let 'er rip!
Lian Dolan is a mother, wife, sister, friend, and daughter. She is also a writer, novelist, producer and talk show host. Her first novel, Helen of Pasadena (Prospect Park Books, November 2010), a romantic comedy about a modern mother in transition, is a Los Angeles Times best-seller. In addition to fiction, Lian writes and talks about her adventures in modern motherhood for her website and her weekly podcast, The Chaos Chronicles. She is known for her humorous take on the day-to-day issues that face women everywhere. Lian is currently developing The Chaos Chronicles as a half-hour comedy for Nickelodeon.
She spent a decade hosting Satellite Sisters, an award-winning talk show that she created with her four real sisters. Her writing has been featured in many national magazines, including regular columns in O, The Oprah Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. Lian has appeared numerous TV shows, including The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She lives in Pasadena, California, with her husband and two sons. Her dream is to ride on a Rose Parade float.
Here is my advice for launching your own Year of Let 'Er Rip:
Saying Yes Is as Easy as Saying No
In the past, I've said no to many professional opportunities for all the right reasons. I wanted to spend more time with my family. I needed some work-life balance. I was overcommitted at the kids' school so I couldn't possible attend the conference that would be really good for my career. All of my excuses seemed totally legit at the time. But, in order to jump-start the Year of Let 'Er Rip, I said yes to everything that might move my career forward. Auditions I was never going to get. Meetings about projects that would never pan out? Lunch with complete strangers in vaguely related industries? Yes, yes, yes. I learned that once I started to say yes a lot, hearing no occasionally doesn't matter that much.
Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You
Yes, I stole this from Eleanor Roosevelt. I used to do maybe one thing every six months that made me a touch nervous. But, I could no longer be passive; I had to force myself to be more aggressive. When a devastating call came from an agent who had changed her mind about representing my book, I put my head down on my keyboard and sobbed. It was my lowest point of the year. That afternoon, I picked up the phone and called a publisher myself. The old me would have spent the afternoon eating Triscuits and cheese, watching Sweet Home Alabama. The new me did the scary thing. An offer for my book came in three days later.
It's Okay to Talk to Yourself
Every morning, I've said to myself, "Let 'er rip." In the beginning, I felt like an idiot. Once I got over my self-consciousness, I used my catchphrase to focus myself before picking up the receiver to make a cold call to a potential client or contact. I've used it to psych up my writing partner when we were about to pitch a TV show idea. Guess what? It worked. Yes, it's goofy, but it's good.
Today Is as Good a Time as Any
As a mother and wife, I had tendency to overthink the timing of everything. Phrases like "When the kids are older" or "After we get through this school year" determined my career path. But really, there is no perfect time to start a new job or go back to school or reach out to a colleague. I realized I could wait around forever and never find the exact right moment to take a risk. Today is as good a time as any if you want to make this your year. I wish you luck. Eat well, stay rested and let 'er rip!
Lian Dolan is a mother, wife, sister, friend, and daughter. She is also a writer, novelist, producer and talk show host. Her first novel, Helen of Pasadena (Prospect Park Books, November 2010), a romantic comedy about a modern mother in transition, is a Los Angeles Times best-seller. In addition to fiction, Lian writes and talks about her adventures in modern motherhood for her website and her weekly podcast, The Chaos Chronicles. She is known for her humorous take on the day-to-day issues that face women everywhere. Lian is currently developing The Chaos Chronicles as a half-hour comedy for Nickelodeon.
She spent a decade hosting Satellite Sisters, an award-winning talk show that she created with her four real sisters. Her writing has been featured in many national magazines, including regular columns in O, The Oprah Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. Lian has appeared numerous TV shows, including The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She lives in Pasadena, California, with her husband and two sons. Her dream is to ride on a Rose Parade float.
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