“80 percent of success is just showing up.” –Woody Allen

It is amazing how true the above quote is… and how often ignored… especially by Creatives.  (I’m not talking out of turn here, because I am both a Creative AND an offender.)

To me, this ties in with Seth Godin’s 10,000 hours to mastery, Isaac Asimov’s “the first million words are for practice”, and Earl Nightengale’s (I think) “study a subject for an hour a day for 3 years and become an authority, for 5 years and become the world’s top expert”.

I think it also ties in with Edison’s “Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.”

Here’s why I think all those things are basically talking about the same thing.  They are all about persisting when the going gets difficult… or boring… or time crunches come… or our attention wanders… or we would rather go play.

As a writer (at least some of the time), I appreciate the success formula for writing that I came across years ago.  I can’t even remember who said it, but it was an accomplished writer/author/journalist.  His formula for writing success?  BIC X 8 = Success.

That’s “Butt in Chair for 8 hours a day in front of typewriter will result in success.” He had the same problem most of us do — talking about doing (or even wishing it were done) instead of doing.  I remember hearing of one author who went so far as actually strapping himself in his writing chair so he couldn’t get up until he had completed his requisite number of pages.

Notice that nothing in the above paragraphs talks about quality.  Quality in creative endeavors is an on again, off again thing.   However, if you persistently practice, you will get better and the trend will be higher quality.

If you are not a writer, then you are NOT off the hook.  While I used writing examples a lot, it touches every one of us, whatever our chosen method of expression is.  It doesn’t matter whether it is art; or cake decorating; or interior design or software design; leather working or armor working; the lesson is the same:  practice persistently… even when you don’t always feel like it.

Keep showing up.  After a bit, you’ll be amazed at the results.

Do you have tricks or tips you use to keep showing up?  Add a comment and share them with us!