Why A Lack of Patience, Just Ain't Gonna Cut the Mustard!

You know what? With most things,  I am NOT what you might call,  a patient person. I hate waiting. I don't like standing in lines. I hate stop lights. (Don't even get me started on the stop lights in the town where I live, we could have an entire blog on that...) I go nuts when I want to eat (that's basically always), and I'm trying to open a new bottle or jar and there is one of those stupid plastic unbreakable seals and once you slice that bastard off there's another stupid seal under the lid. "Sealed for Your Protection," they always boast. Look, I'm at the point where I'd rather risk contracting incurable venereal diseases than fight with this stupid plastic. Therefore I'd rather you protected me just a TAD less, and let me have some damn mustard, or the one that's going to need protection is YOU, French's.

NIGHTMARES

I lose my cool over packages that take 304959 years to deliver. What, is this thing coming from Mars, or New Jersey?  I, like many people in today's society, want what I want and I want it now. But at the same token, I've noticed I'm able to shut my impatience off for a couple of things in my life. I realized just how important that ability IS, and how it really can help a person achieve long term goals. Impatience, like so many things we deal with is just an emotion. Control that, and you will have a much easier time finding success in all areas of your life. Trouble is, most people don't seem to know how! It can be learned though, by changing how you think about your big goals.

Most people who read this probably know, I am an NPC Bikini Competitor, and I had a competition this past weekend. I took second in that competition, and I made so much improvement over last year where I took dead last in this same show. More important than that, was that I was absolutely floored by the amount of texts, messages, and well wishes and congratulations that I got on that competition. I have never really been motivating to anyone that I was aware of, and to have so many people tell me that, literally blew me away! So humbled and grateful! So I wanted to thank everyone for that, as a side note! Fitness however, is one example of something in my life, where impatience is NOT a factor for me. Building a killer physique is NOT going to ever be a fast process. IT TAKES YEARS. You all see how I look on that stage and yeah, that's great, but you must know, it has taken me upwards of FIVE YEARS to even get this far!!

I still remember my 19th birthday, it was also Father's Day, so the entire family went for a hike to the Heublein Tower in Farmington CT. It's basically straight uphill to the top for a good 20-30 minutes. I. Was. DYING. I was wheezing and sweating and it was just miserable. My mom said "I worry about you, you NEVER get any exercise!" She was right. Ever since I'd started dating my other half, we had sunken into a happy place of french fries and ice cream dates and nights on the sofa. For the first time in my life that summer, I was putting on some pudge. And I knew it. I remember I vowed on that day to do SOMETHING, no matter how little, to get some exercise, and stop eating so much crap. That began my love affair with research via the internet. I tried so many things you have no idea. I tried 100% squeaky clean eating and "jogging". God I HATE running. The shin splints killed me. It was so boring. I didn't get any leaner. What abs? I then started lifting weights. Along with the iron, I lifted every piece of food I saw that was "clean" into my mouth, under the excuse that I lifted, I could have it. I gained weight and NOTHING fit. I told myself it was all muscle. I still didn't have any abs. I decided it MUST be carbs that were keeping me from my dream body. I proceeded to stop eating them. I mean STOP. I didn't eat a single piece of fruit, bread, potato or candy for over a YEAR. Ill tell you what I did eat though. JARS of nut butter and cans of mixed nuts. There were barely any carbs so it was ok right? WRONG. I weighed more than ever! All that jogging wasn't even working. So I did more research, and took a totally new approach to everything, and slowly, got it right. I learned a lot of what didn't work the hard way. I don't run anymore. EVER. I HATE IT! I eat carbs. I DON'T eat uncontrolled handfuls of nuts anymore ( hmm probably the giant amount of calories in 309845 handfuls of nuts a day couldddd be why I wasn't getting lean!) The point here is, the end result you see there, took me YEARS. I have YEARS to go on those goals too. If that didn't teach long term goal patience.....I don't think anything can.

The same mindset I had with fitness, is how I am able to start and run and continue to develop my design business. I started design back in MIDDLE SCHOOL. I took my first class in eighth grade and I actually won an award at the end of the year for something I made, I think it was a box for golf balls, hah! That was 13....YES THIRTEEN years ago. I was 13 years old and I'm now 26. I've been working on honing that passion for HALF OF MY LIFE. I went down a long and mistake riddled road on the way to where I am here now, just as I did with fitness. I got caught up in what everyone else was doing in high school, I stopped designing and started Facebooking. My parents encouraged me to pursue design and a business/freelance career, I just wanted to do what everyone else was doing and go to four year college and be a "corporate person" or something, and work in a nice office with nice heels and skirts and my name on some cube. Yes, at one point, I WANTED that. I wanted to do what I thought adulthood meant. And so, I got myself an office job or two and well, you know the rest. You know I hated it. The free spirit kid I'd always been was still in there somewhere and she wanted out.

The point of these stories is, that these are two big, giant areas of my life where patience wins. And I'm OK with that. Here's why: Because the way I look at it is in terms of the big picture. I am NOT going to be an IFBB Pro athlete tomorrow. Or next year, or next week. I am NOT going to be a millionaire with a thriving business either. Not now. But, the biggest thing that keeps me going to bed so happy every night,, is knowing I made a chip in those goals, every single day. Forget being rich, or a pro, or all the glory. The road is so long, you can't see the end. ACCEPT THAT. Forget the end. That's the biggest secret I have to getting somewhere. Forget the end. Everyday just drive another mile down that road. DO NOT STOP. Do not stay inside and sleep. Get in the car and get on that road. So what you didn't make $10203 today. Did you talk to one more person who might give you some work? Did you respond to another few emails from prospects? Did you call someone with their estimate? Yes? Ok then you did not waste this day. You did not. Did you instead sit there and think about the cigarette boat you're going to buy when when General Mills asks you, personally, to redesign their entire line of cereals, while simultaneously watching Friends reruns saying you'll start tomorrow? Then sorry, you wasted that day. You will never succeed. 

So the take away here? Patience is an emotion and YOU have control. Part of that control, is breaking your big aspirations down into actual small goals that you can focus on TODAY. You will not meet that big goal today. Or next year. But you will eventually get there, IF you keep moving in smaller steps. I NEVER thought I'd actually HAVE a full time business, or step on a physique stage. Then one day it happened. There's still so much to do, but its progress. You can't ask for more. Stop asking yourself for more than little steps. Let that expectation go. Sleep at night with your big goal still un-achieved (!) But, DO SOMETHING even if its TINY. Let that be enough for today. Repeat tomorrow, and the next day and the next. Like dirty socks, you just add a couple to the pile a day and before you know it, its rolling out of the hamper and you can't even contain it anymore! Of course no ones ultimate life goal is doing laundry (again) but, LITTLE THINGS ADD UP OVER TIME!!

I still hate those damn plastic food seals. But, if I just calm down and remove the label in a human manner instead of that of a rabid chipmunk, I would probably still hit my goal of mustard covered bliss, with a lot less trouble. Pshhh who are we kidding, can't always be patient.....time to eat........!

"I Think There's Been a Mistake..." "Did You Say STEAK?!?" "No, MIStake!"

You know what I could go for right this second? A burger. Like one of those big juicy ones, totally still mooing on the inside, grill charred on the outside. On top, Id like mushrooms and onions, but not raw onions, because I'll burp those up until July 4th. I'd also like some cheese. Cheddar. Lots of serious ketchup. And mustard. No bun, and a pickle.

FOODPORN!!!

Ok ok, I'm totally dreaming of what I will have after I walk the stage this weekend to compete in my first NPC Bikini show this season. If you know me (or if ya don't) you know I have been preparing for this thing for basically a year, when I did terrible in my last show, for many reasons. I could have chosen to run and hide and never give it another shot, but dammit I just love to lift weights too much and if so many other people could get into stage shape, why not me? I decided this time, I would do it my way, or no way. I'm not one for following direction. Never was. For me, its never enough to have just listened to someone and done something, I need to know the WHY and the HOW. If someone tells me what to do with no reasoning behind it, I struggle to even bother to DO it!! Plus, I've learned I need to say I did something MYSELF, or it's a nearly worthless accomplishment in my mind. That's my independent streak talking I suppose. Anyhow,  I decided I would learn this getting shredded things for myself, and if I looked decent come show season, I'd give it a go.

I ended up turning out an OK product over the past year, so this weekend that's just what I'm going to do. I've had some great help and support along the way, those people know who they are. But ultimately, this is me and me alone. My project, my product, my work.

Now, I don't believe in turning away good advice and help, and hearing it and processing it alone can teach you so very much. Listen to what people who have been in your shoes before you say, and then do what you will with it, but always LISTEN!!! It's all part of your path, and even bad or wrong advice, can show you what is RIGHT when you may not have seen it before.

Fitness, is so much like business. I may elaborate on that in another post some time. But, even Sir Richard Branson, who started over 400 companies under Virgin Group, said the secret to success? "Work out."

Why? I think, because it requires a certain mentality. The external after all, is a manifestation of the internal. Yeah, your grey matter. Your brain. Its more powerful than your physical being. So if you can grasp the mentality it takes to create an elite physique (or even a better than average one, which isn't a crazy aspiration in America) what the $*#& else can you do?!?!

I'm not here now to tell you entirely how to get into that mindset. Some of it is probably personality type. I'm a little OCD about details, but I am THE LEAST organized person ever. Do you want to see my kitchen right now? No, no you don't. (Sorry mom and dad!!) But, when I design, I measure to the millimeter to center things. I count my diet like one extra mushroom will result in needing to ride one of those scooters around the Wal-Mart. I pay disgustingly close attention to artistic detail. But I can't see how dirty the shower is. Probably a little bit sick in the head. :P

At any rate, the point here today is, no matter what goal you are pursuing, you're chicken shit scared and you probably aren't going for it as much as you could be. What are you scared of most? Mistakes. Messing up. More importantly, public mistakes. Because you care what people think. Look back at old posts where I already told you that.

Last year on that stage, I kinda looked terrible. I did two shows last year, but I only really ever talk about one. Because the second one, I was dead last. I was unprepared. My diet was a mess and I was hardly following one anymore. My hair was barely done. I looked unkempt and brought a half assed package to that stage. I messed up. It was public. Everyone saw. It was my fault for not taking control of my situation and being responsible for myself that day.

I see the same in business. Recently, I made a mistake there too. I messed up. I missed an error. I had 1000 of something printed up and they were all incorrect. It happened. It's going to happen. Because despite my detail orientation, I am human. I make mistakes. I miss things. And when it happens, it will be public. People will see. People will hear. Sometimes, in other unfortunate cases recently, things blow up and mistakes even make the news.

At first, I was disturbed. I didn't want a bad reputation, I was honestly questioning my own abilities, and wondering if I even DESERVED to work with anyone else if I was just going to disappoint them or make more mistakes. You can always be more careful. But you have to realize there's ALWAYS a risk of mistakes. ALWAYS ALWAYS. Why the hell would I let that risk set me back, TAKE RISKS or you simply cannot progress.

Then I thought about that physique show. Yeah I publicly messed up. But NO ONE REMEMBERS. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps after that blunder and I didn't quit. I found another way. I kept doing it because I love it. And I ignored the failure of last time. I blocked it out. I moved on. This weekend a lot of people, probably you if you are reading this and you know me, are going to be watching me to see how I do in this show. You've maybe been watching me work on my self project for a while now. And I may totally lose and bomb out again. Might make a mistake. Might fail. And hundreds of people will see. But I'm not scared of that because no matter the outcome, I know that journey was worth it, not for the end result but for the other 364 days I worked to get there. And there will be 364 more to follow, because I love to train and I'm not doing this to prove anything to anyone.

People ask how I get up there and I'm not nervous. Because why should I be? It's nothing in the end. Its 30 seconds. It's 30 seconds out of millions of seconds of my life, for a purely physical sport. There will be years of shows ahead of me if I so choose to participate in them.

And in my business, there will be years ahead to progress in that, as well. I will certainly make more mistakes. 100% freakin guaranteed. But I can't let that fear hold me back from showing you and everyone else exactly what I'm capable of and how I can help you. Handle mistakes with honor. Don't ignore them or run from them, but instead apologize, face them, fix them, work around them, and most importantly, learn from them! They, like all those people who offer advice, are the best teachers on your path. Everything and everyone you encounter brings you where you need to go. Let it. Risk it. Don't fear opinions. Fail and fail publicly. Let everyone see you do it. Hell, give them binoculars. What of it? You'll still wake up tomorrow and you'll still find happiness in the things you love. Let that fear of MISTAKES go and instead, strive to make as many damn mistakes as it takes to learn enough to be very successful. The only mistake you should stop making, is inaction. That one is the ultimate blunder that simply cannot be overcome. So get off your asses now and go screw something up with enthusiasm!

On the upside, this writing took just long enough, that its almost dinner time! No burger or steak yet, (or chocolate, I realllllly want some fudge covered peanut butter, or peanut butter covered fudge) but
I do get some pretty tasty eats. Somewhere, someone gets none tonight. Somewhere, some cow is settling in for his last evening before becoming my post show refeed. Ok, that was a little depressing. Sorry! Keep the vibes positive people! Until next time!

If you want to risk an awesome encounter for you next design or tshirt project, check me out at www.tamaramorrisongraphics.com . Mistakes not guaranteed ;)

Travlin' Tam, Fancy Hotels, and Why YOU Need a Graphic Designer!

Happy Saturday everyone! Time for a little update from TMG and some more insight into what I do and why design is really so crucial!

Life isn't bad here....TMG  was based in the Sunshine State this past week. That's the cool thing about working for yourself....in some cases you can take your work with you. The other half had a business trip to Orlando, all expenses paid, staying at the Waldorf Astoria, sooooo why not?! I packed up the laptop and off we went. I found a nice place to set up office, and pretty much did what I'd do from CT, calls, emails, design work! Pretty sweet!

My Office Last Week!

And let me tell you, this hotel was something else. It was for the fancy schmancy rich. As is they open your car doors for you and there's lemon water and cucumber water in the water coolers. I was in for a shock one night when I came back to the room and there was jazz music on the TV, slippers laid out in front of the bed, chocolates on the pillow and the lights turned on and dimmed. Now I'm just a little carefree gym rat. I don't really own more than one dress, I walk around with my cell phone jammed in my sports bra half the time, and its not unusual to see me with my tongue in a Tupperware licking the last bits of Meal 3 out. So the whole thing weirded me out. I don't think I'd want "star treatment" even if I was a billionaire. I'd rather just be left to my own wonderfully sloppy devices. Although the luggage carrying service was great. I might be able to dead lift over 225 lbs for a few reps, but something about carrying luggage...I HATE IT. If they could just invent a motorized suitcase, I'd be all over that.

It was definitely a little piece of "the dream" to be able to work under the palm trees. But that doesn't mean its all fun and games, I had a lot to do! Running the biz is a lot more than just design! But a lot of people wonder, why is design important in the first place? Why even bother hiring a designer? I mean, most people have Publisher. Isn't that just as good? Well.....no. Not quite.

Say you have this crazy dream like mine. You wanna be your own boss, and you want to do it in real estate. You're all licenced up, you're set to go. I don't know much about real estate, but I do know that people dream of starting and running real estate companies. So you might be one of them, you're starting up. If you're like me, you aren't made of money. And start up gets pricey. You have legal mumbo jumbo, probably a building, office equipment to buy. You're going crazy putting all the "important stuff" together to start up. Then you realize you probably should have some kind of logo. But that's easy, who cares, you can do that later, you have Publisher.

Later comes pretty freaking soon, and you crack open Publisher. Your last name is Swan. You'll call your venture "Swan Real Estate". You bang out a logo. Good enough. You have so much else to do still!

Here's what you come up with: (NOTE!: These are REAL LOGOS that I pulled off  of Google by looking up "swan real estate". I didn't alter anything, and I DID NOT CREATE EITHER OF THESE EXAMPLES! These are real world examples!)

Hmmmm. How does that look? It's pretty simple. Self explanatory. Anddd totally obviously done in Publisher! Now this example seems pretty extreme, most logos aren't THIS bad.....but we can all think of some that ARE, seriously. This logo kind of says, you rushed. You didn't want to invest any of your start up capital into logo design, it wasn't really top priority. It looks thrown together. It looks hurried. It looks careless. It looks elementary. I could go on and on. Simply put, it looks bad. And you know what? Its the first thing people are going to see when they "meet" your business.

We all judge. Instantly. "Oh that lady is a lazy slob because her hair is frizzy and her pants are wrinkled." "Oh that man must be a real stuck up ahole, hes standing there in dockers and a cardigan sweater with a side part in his hair." "Oh that guy/girl is on steroids, he has muscles" (a personal fave ;) )

We all do it. Let's just not even try to deny it. Its the same thing with  your new business. All those things I said above about this logo? Hurried, rushed, cheap, careless, elementary. THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. I don't care if you are the best businessperson on earth. I don't care if your plan is perfect. Your office spotless. You have every licence under the sun. I don't respect you. I don't respect you, because your logo sucks. Its like those judgements. It doesn't matter if slob lady is a millionaire and the nicest person you ever met. Looking at her, because she presents herself poorly, you assume shes about as lazy and smart as a log. Is it right? No. But it's true.

Now lets say, you understood all that already. You understood that your new business was going to need a seriously awesome logo. You know that it's the face of your organization, its going to speak to thousands of people for you before you ever open your mouth with any kind of pitch. You know people are judging EVERYTHING YOU DO based on that one logo. My gosh, it's even more important than having an office.

Because  you see that creating your public persona comes first, you invest in a designer. You leave Publisher closed. You know that this logo will go on everything you do. FOR YEARS. Even if you change it, this one will always be out there. People will remember it and associate it with you. They forgot your name in three seconds.....but that logo, they see it every time they pass your building or see your ads or someone wearing it. And it sticks. We are visual creatures. Everyone knows swoosh means Nike. Everyone knows that dinky yellow flower thing means Wal-Mart.

So anyhow, you pay a graphic designer to create a logo for you. After a few rounds of revisions, you end up with this: (AGAIN pulled off Google when looking up simply "swan real estate" as a fun experiment!)

When I see this one, it doesn't take long for me to notice that this one wasn't whipped up in ten minutes. Thought went into it. And I KNOW hours and hours of thought went into your new business. This one isn't overly crazy or busy, but its clean. It's got a couple catch phrases to show what you do, and make you stand out from the 4950 other companies like yours. Its got a sophisticated aire to it, just like the image you want to project for your company. You can pull the catchphrases out for a simpler look for some publications if you want to. It has options. It looks professional.

Now YOU look professional. So what if I walk into your office, and theres papers everywhere, a day old ham sandwich between files with mayo adhering your invoices together. So what if you don't even HAVE your real estate licence?! (Please don't be that stupid......!) Point is, your logo speaks to me before I know whats underneath. And it's telling me you put time and a little coin into it. You made an investment. You care. You think things out. You're professional. You will do all those things for me, if I become your client. I go with you. I trust you. Yup. TRUST. That's the main point here is to build that impression, build that trust.

It's so easy to get so lost in what you think is important when you start (or even continue!) your business. It probably IS all important stuff. But you hate to be judged for your look, your clothes, your "impression". I know you do. I do. So why let your business be judged poorly for its logo? Your logo is your business or organization's "clothes". Dress up!!

It's like the fancy Waldorf Astoria. Their cucumber water and fake smiley people are trying to impress me. And it does. Granted, its over the top. Maybe a nice Hilton would hit me just right. But let me tell you, Joe's Motel with the front gutter hanging upside down and rust stains and peeling paint isn't going to give me a lot of confidence that I can sleep there in comfort......Or without catching crabs.

So, as a designer, that's what I do. I make Joe's Motel a place you want to stay. Because even if he hasn't washed the bedsheets since Clinton was in office and the only cucumbers on the property are in the form of Vlasic jarred pickles, hes gonna have a damn good logo on the front of that thing. And that just might be enough to make you check on in, and fork over some green for a 48 year old mattress and a couple stray crabs.

If you want to revamp YOUR existing logo, (weather you made it in Publisher or worse....Paint!) I'm always available to help! Visit me at www.tamaramorrisongraphics.com or email me at tamaramorrisongraphics@gmail.com for a free consult!!