Planning and Shopping are not Doing
I see a lot of people are writing about how they are NOT doing New Years Resolutions this year. That’s ok. It is easy to get swept up in things and pledge to change a whole lot of things only to end up failing at them all. Just being, and taking it easy are good things.
That said, I am a goal oriented person and I like the New Years vibe for starting new projects. A few years ago I made a video about Goal setting and the four types of “crap goals” that magicians fall into. Recently someone who viewed the video on YouTube asked me a simple question “What’s Next?”
Whats next is doing that thing. Get from Goal setting to Doing as fast as you can. Do not dawdle. Get the taste of what it is like immediately. Most importantly do not plan and do not shop: just DO.
I mention these two things because over the last few months I have been pivy to no less than five people in my life that made a goal, spent weeks planning and or shopping, only to not make any action at all towards that goal.
Don’t get me wrong, I love planning, this is Strategic Sorcery after all, but we must not make planning a major thing, It must not be an event unto itself. Three of the people I am talking about actually told me that they had scheduled out time to sit and plan out their strategy. They planned to make a plan! Unless you are landing a Mars Rover or taking over a small country in secret you should never plan to plan.
Shopping is also important. I love shopping. I think its great to have the right tool for the right job but shopping is something you do AS you go. Many people try to get the most expensive gear before they even do the task enough to really understand what gear will do the job best for them. You CAN buy a 200 knife from Korin Trading to learn to cook with, but a $8 Rada Chef Dicer will do the job until you can figure out what you actually need.
Both planning and shopping are things that should happen along your journey, not be completed before you even take the first step.
- If you are trying to lose weight, do not wait until you have read every diet book and website in the world and planned your next month of food consumption. Instead, at your very next meal, ask yourself how to eat something based on how good it is for you rather than how it tastes. Keep doing that and read and plan along the way. BAM! You are dieting!
- If you are trying to run, don’t buy spandex runing clothes with special pouches for keys. Don’t spend a week making a mix for your ipod either. Just put on the most suitable thing in your closet and go running. BAM! Now you are a runner!
- If you are trying to summon an Archangel don’t wait until you have the ebony wand and perfect crystal. Download a copy of Modern Angelic Grimoire, and use paper seals and that dowel in the garage. BAM! You are a practicing magician!
Do it poorly equipped. Do it poorly educated. Do it half-assed. Just get to it.
IMPORTANT CAVEAT: Do it safely. If your goal is to skydive, don’t jump off a building with a bed sheet parachute. Get the proper training and equipment. For most things though, you can start with much less than you think.
By all means take time to learn as much about nutrition and your body as possible. By all means purchase the best excercise clothing and equipment that you can. By all means create and purchase the best magical tools you can manage. Just do it all AS you are working towards your goal, not as a prerequisite.
