Why It’s OK to Be Naïve

Naive Chaos by Dr. Motte
Dr. Motte / Flickr

Today’s guest post is by writer Nick Thacker.


Many “normal people” ultimately fail to achieve what they set out to achieve. They’ll struggle for years subsisting on a 9-5 dead-end job, keeping that unfinished manuscript in a drawer—socking away 10% of their income until their blissful-yet-underwhelming retirement. It’s not very encouraging, is it?

Let me tell you what is encouraging, though: Most of the people who are “successful,” either in your eyes or their own, are just like you—“normal” people.

They’re not geniuses, ninjas, or savants. Some get lucky; some have the right connections.

When I wrote my book, I wasn’t focused on sales, or even on crafting the next Great American Novel. Instead, I said to myself, “I’ll bet I can write something that’s at least as good as the stuff I read.”

If I had done my research first—uncovering what it would take to “break in” to book publishing, I would have quit before I started. 

If you let the fear of the unknown (“could I make it in this world?”) stop you from even starting, you won’t start.

Instead, choose to be naïve.

Focus on a personal, fulfilling goal of shipping your dreams (in Seth Godin’s words).

“Successful” people often have one thing in common: They refuse to maintain the status quo, adhere to the world’s rules, or follow the norm. 

If you will allow yourself to “be naïve” and not let the huge world of expectations get to you, opportunities will arise.

Your initial efforts probably won’t be the pinnacle of achievement—but they’re complete. That should be your goal. You’ll learn more going through the processes than you ever will in a school (and I do have a music degree, so I can speak to that!).

If you truly want to achieve personal success—in whatever area—try these “rule-breaking” rules.

  • If it’s writing a book, well—write a book or three!
  • If it’s getting an awesome author mentor, start by asking your favorite author. Yeah, they’ll probably be too busy—but then ask them for their recommendation for a good mentor!
  • If it’s a better/improved/different lifestyle, stop reading about it—go find the people who are doing it, and ask them what they did to get there.

“But what if I fail?”

If you define an achievable and responsible goal, and fail while reaching for it, you’ve most likely gotten way ahead of the competition already:

Our fear of failure leads us toward procrastination, lack of motivation, and, well, failure. But by being naïve and reaching for the most out-of-reach goals and successes we’ll at least be motivated by the fact that we’re part of the few who can say we’ve tried it.

Let’s get specific: what things are you reaching for? In what ways have you succeeded (or failed miserably)? And in what ways can you be more naïve? Leave a note in the comments.

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Turndog Millionaire

Great post, nick

I keep reading very relevant pieces at the moment, or is it just my eyes are a little more open to them at the minute? hmmm, i can’t decide. Either way, the advice always seems to be the same…

Be brave and show some balls and work hard, and hell, who knows, you may just become something great

One thing i know is great doesn’t happen to those that strive for ok too often

Matt (Turndog Millionaire)

Nick Thacker

True that, Matt!

Work smart, not JUST hard, willpower is a muscle (you have to work it out), and self-discipline is a combination of hunger, desire, and know-how. 

Those are my “unscientific” self-help mantras, and yours is exactly right. You might not ever “get there,” but you DEFINITELY won’t if you strive for mediocrity. 

Shoot for the stars and accept the moon!

Cheers, 
Nick 

Jnbeverett

Just the right message at the right moment.  Thank you.

Nick Thacker

Glad it hit the spot! Thanks for stopping by!

Joanne Guidoccio

Excellent advice, Nick. 

Brandi M Lynch

Thanks for the boost! Sometimes we all need a little encouragement to try. It’s like the lottery; if you don’t play, you won’t win. So, I’m playing!

The big thing, I think, is to ignore the statistics. The statistics of landing an agent and then getting published really can kill the mood if you dwell on them too long.

Nick Thacker

Haha, well, I’d hope that the odds of “winning” in life are a little better than the odds of winning the lottery!

And yes, for the most part, I ignore statistics. There’s always a stat that can disprove what you’re doing, and there’s always one to prove it. I use stats to measure what I’ve done, NOT what I’m about to do!

It’s good to be mindful, though–be naive, not ignorant!

Thanks for stopping by, Brandi!
Nick 

J L Huspek

What a great post! I’m going to print it out and hang it by my computer.

Nick Thacker

Feel free! I’d be flattered! Also, check out the Freebies page on my site–there’s a cool How to Fail/How to Succeed poster you can download and print as well!

Leanne Sype

“Your initial efforts probably won’t be the pinnacle of achievement—but they’re complete. That should be your goal.” This is the perfect message for me right now!  Thank you so much.  I am in the midst of learning what “prosper” really means… reaping results from my efforts (and I don’t necessarily mean financially).  Perhaps the “prosper” does not always come after the effort, but instead comes during the process of “doing”… of completing the process. 
Thanks for the perspective!

Nick Thacker

I’ve found that prosper, like “success,” means only what we define it to mean. 

That said, “failure” does as well. So we can redefine our “failures” as “sidetracks to inevitable success” and just add them to the “things we’ve learned” toolbelt!

Amanda Rooker

Thanks for the inspiration, Nick – glad to have discovered your writing via the inestimable curator Jane Friedman. Particularly appreciated the idea to approach the one actually living your goals as a mentor (instead of looking at them starry-eyed from afar) – think I’ll go do that right now!

Patti Mallett

Thanks for the encouragement that my plan is correct! We need that every once in awhile. (You are Bookmarked, Nick!)

Deborah Lucas

Nick,
You really hit the nail on the head for me. I’m always telling people that I’m just crazy enough or naive enough to believe I can do things other people say they wouldn’t even consider trying. It works for me. I wish more people would try it.

Thanks for the tip on finding a mentor. I’ll try that too. A writer friend tells me “Don’t try–do.” I guess we get our modern philosophers from the movies, buy hey, it works for me.

Nick Thacker

There’s a reason there are stereotypes, status quos, and “norms.” If you aim high and miss, most likely you’ll land somewhere above the line of mediocrity. 

Every time I miss, though, I’m noticing that I’m “missing” higher and higher above my last attempt… maybe that’s the key to it all!

Thanks for the comment–talk to you soon!

shirleyhs

Yes! I’ve been taking imperfect action all my life. It’s led me into many adventures in career and life. I’ve lived in Haiti and the Ivory Coast, read and taught the books I have loved, been the president of a college, a foundation executive, and now I am finally writing a book. All along, I’ve been a “babe in the woods.” And that, along with a little help from my friends, and many blessings from God, has helped me live my dreams. May you continue doing the same and sharing the secrets. It helps a lot if you are willing to be laughed at once in a while and can laugh at yourself.

Nick Thacker

Shirley, thanks for the comment! I’m reading through your story right now (btw, I LOVE your blog–anyone reading this, go visit Shirley’s site to get an idea for how modern design that appeals to readers should look!). 

“And that, along with a little help from my friends, and many blessings from God, has helped me live my dreams. May you continue doing the same and sharing the secrets. It helps a lot if you are willing to be laughed at once in a while and can laugh at yourself.” 

I might need to repost that somewhere or hang it on a wall–thanks for writing it. 

I completely understand the benefits of being able to laugh at ourselves: I’m not even a year into marriage…

Nice of you to stop by–I’ll be around your site; thanks for the great comment!
Nick 

shirleyhs

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