So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star

“I like progress, but I hate change. And I think that counts for something in this day and age. I think it also has helped my career . . . You just stay the course, and do what it is that you do, and grow while you’re doing it. Eventually, it will either come full circle, or at least you’ll go to bed at night happy.” – Jon Bon Jovi

This quote is intriguing, and it appears to come down to this question: are there parts of your life that you are willing to live in an apparent “rut” so you can disproportionately focus your creative energy in areas that are most important to you? In Bon Jovi’s case, he points to having the same band members and a long-term marriage (18+ years) as constants that allow him to concentrate progress on the work that his band produces.

The idea resonates with me because I make similar trade-offs, keeping some long term constants (where I live, my car & employer, clothing choices) so that I can save up creative energy to pour into things I really love (what I do and create at work, speaking, writing, cartooning, etc.).

While this approach isn’t for everyone (one of my incredibly creative strategic mentors keeps most things in life in a state of flux), if it sounds like you, embrace putting parts of your life on idle so that you can be a rock star in the areas of greatest creative interest to you.

Today’s Get ‘Er Written Approach – Breaking apart an overly ambitious idea and keeping only part of it.