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Why You SHOULDN’T Attempt to Reach Goals with 100% Effort


Instead of using power to achieve your goals, you should use THIS instead -- and you’ll be successful every time!

“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its PERSISTENCE.”
— James N. Watkins

So many of us focus on BLASTING toward our goals at full speed.

Yet I wonder… how many of us will stall out within three months? How many will end up right where they were before?

I’ve been there. At first, it feels turbocharged, like nothing can stop me. Like I have powerful engines behind me.

Power is, well, POWERFUL… it’s exciting, motivating, and it absolutely can get you started, but it isn’t sustainable for the long haul. At least not for most of us.

The amount of effort that goes into being 100% “on” or “all in” all the time becomes exhausting and irritating. You can’t keep going on power alone. It just won’t last. We aren’t cut out for that, anyway.

There’s something else you can do, though: persist.

Abandoning power and transitioning instead to persistence will, by its very nature, keep you going — and get you results. Results that LAST.

Why Do We Stall Out on Our Goals?

We’ve got the secret on how to reach your goals no matter what.So why do so many of us stall out when the power fails — instead of just switching to persistence?

The answer is simple: Transitioning to persistence is scary when we start out relying on power because it feels smaller somehow… like failure. By cranking down to a manageable rate instead of blasting day in and day out, it feels like a downgrade. We’re afraid if we scale back or don’t do things at a constant full throttle, then we won’t get results.

This is the “all or nothing” mentality. And it’ll bite you in the butt every time!

Doing something — anything — at 25% or even 10% every day is better than going 100% for a short time and then quitting. Back in my personal training days, it was shocking how many folks would rather do nothing than something. They felt if they couldn’t work out six days a week, four days was unacceptable, and it was somehow better not to do anything at all than not “do it right.”

I’m not knockin’ my former clients, though — I’ve been there, too! I battle with thoughts like, “If I can’t complete this ENTIRE blog post in one sitting, then I’m not going to start at all,” and “If I can’t fit in a 30-minute workout, why bother with a 15-minute one?”

I sabotage myself! We all do it. No one is immune. The key is to catch yourself when you get into that mindset, and then work your way into persistence.

Get Over the Desire to Be “Done”

Another reason relying on power over persistence leads to failure is because the reliance on power is usually based on the idea that you’ll be “done” quicker.

Guess what? You’ll never be done. If you ever think you’re “done,” you’re actually quitting.

Even if you finish a course, you’re not done with that subject matter. You’ll always be learning; you’ll never be perfect at that thing. Never.

Even if you lose the weight, it won’t stay off unless you’ve built sustainable habits and a positive relationship with food.

Even if you pay off the debt, more will take its place unless you stay vigilant with your spending.

Fear and Doubt Never Go Away

Confession: I’ve been struggling a lot lately to keep going when I feel I’m not getting anywhere.

And here’s the kicker: Even if I am getting somewhere, I feel like I’m not. And once I’m done with the Fear of X, the Fear of Y steps in to take its place. There’s always a new way to self-sabotage and throw in the towel instead of keeping up the forward motion. But there’s always a way to improve yourself, too.

Nobody is immune to fear and doubt. No matter how mindful you are, no matter how much work you do to conquer your fears, no matter how many mantras and affirmations and visualization exercises you do… fear and doubt will always be there.

Fear never goes away; it just changes its face. Change and fear are both inevitable. They’re also completely out of your hands.

The only thing you can control is the action you take every minute of every day. Despite the fear. Despite the intimidation. And despite the lack of motivation.

This is your life — the only life you get. Achieving goals, making money, creating your identity… none of this stuff is supposed to feel easy, and you’re never going to feel ready to tackle it. You’ll never have the power to propel yourself forward. Commit to what actually works, and you’ll soon find yourself loving the progress you make.

Progress is the keyword here. Rome wasn’t built in a day, the next great American novel won’t be written in a day, and a better, smarter, healthier, happier you that makes more money won’t happen in a day, either. Move beyond the way you feel. Show up every day anyway. Embrace the action and enjoy the journey — even the crappy parts — because without those rainy days, we’d never appreciate the sunny ones.

Fall in LOVE with the journey of becoming the best version of you. I promise you’ll be much happier when you do 🙂


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  1. Yes, you are so right! I want to be able to earn from home and want to take the classes from you but do not have the money yet. So, I got some elementary proofreading practice exercise books to do at work. I am a nanny and my nanny toddler naps 2 times a day still. I just put him down for the nap, grab a snack and do the exercises then. It isn’t much but a few steps closer to what i want to do.
    Thanks for this!

  2. “If you wait until all the lights are green before you leave home, you’ll never get started on your trip to the top.” So true!! I’m going to print out this quote from our email blast and stick it on my computer screen so that I can see it every day. It really hit home for me.

    Also, this was a nice, little push to start my day! I’ve been wanting to do this for over a year and I finally took the plunge. I’m still terrified that it won’t work out but, had I just went for it when I first wanted to, I’d be making money right now instead of spending it on the courses, a website, and the resource materials. I’m excited to be able to look back on all of this, a year from now, and see how far I have come.

    No more envying others and wishing I could be one of the success stories! It’s time to do this!!

    1. Yes!! Love this. Remember, you’re *investing* — not spending 😉 There’s also no such thing as failure. Only learning! You’re already a success having made these mindset shifts.

    2. Wow, I like how real and positive these posts are! These feelings and thoughts like “If I can’t fit in a 30-minute workout, why bother with a 15-minute one?” and the struggles of fear of failure and the "all or nothing mentality" are very relatable. I need to keep access to this as motivation and as a reminder to myself that it's okay to make SOME kind of progress rather than doing nothing. I really get caught up in this idea that even if I get some things completed or partially completed, it's not really that great or worth celebrating compared to all of the things that I didn't get to accomplish. I like the more positive frame of mind that Caitlin poses here 🙂

  3. Great post! One of my mantras (usually about housework) is: do it, do it now, do it anyway. I’ve also been working on the all or nothing approach. I found that I struggled with this a lot with my “me time”, mostly in craft projects. I felt like if I didn’t have a whole day/afternoon to complete something, I would put it off until I did. Guess how often that happens? Breaking the projects down means I can make PROGRESS.

    1. Ahh; it’s so funny you mention housework. I’ve been working through things in that same area. I read the book “Simply Clean” by Becky Rapinchuk which taught me how to clean in a way that doesn’t overwhelm or exhaust me… and even makes it fun. Highly recommended.

      I hear you on the projects too!! When I’ve got only an hour to work on something and decide not to wait till I’ve got more than that, I’m always surprised at how much I get done in an hour!! Haha.

      Thanks for reading 🙂

      1. “Simply Clean”? Oh how I need that book! My main problem is time management though. I am behind on so many things.

  4. Caitlin,
    Wow! What a great article. Thank you so much for writing this! I have been trying to start my own blog for the past year and I gave up. It just seemed like on road block after another. This article has encouraged me to start again and DO SOMETHING every day to make it towards my goal. Every person I have told about my blog thinks its a good idea so I know I shouldn’t stop.

    1. Whoohoo!! So glad it reached you at such a great time for you. YES — get going on that blog. Do a little something every day.

  5. What an awesome, inspiring post as usual, Caitlin! This was just what I needed today as I put the final touches on my website and order business cards. I told myself this morning that I need to do at least one hard or difficult thing each day. The sense of accomplishment that comes after completing one difficult task can sometimes outweigh any feelings of accomplishment that follow the completion of a whole list of easier tasks.

    1. Achievement drives happiness!! I think that sense of accomplishment we get is nothing other than bona fide happiness in all its glory!! A lot of people fall into the trap of thinking zero problems, a perfect life, a better X or a better Y will make them happy, but it won’t… solving problems and achieving things makes us happy. When we stop doing that, we get bored and, well… unhappy! 🙂

  6. This was just what I needed. I’ve been feeling very uninspired lately. It doesn’t help that my family of five was hit with the stomach bug twice in four weeks. I plan on signing up this summer and in the meantime, I will practice my proofreading skills. Thank you so much for this, Caitlin. I feel a lot better.

  7. I can’t begin to say how much I needed to read this today. I’m in a pain flare and have been inching through my college school work. On a similar note, I have a journal entry due for a Psych course and I’ve chosen to title my journal entry; Talent versus Persistence. I grew up with a parent who firmly believed that talents were a matter of birth and if you didn’t have talent, you should not even try. I have been working on a theory about this for some time. A person with a grain of talent who applies hard work and persistence will usually go much further than a person with a bushel of talent who doesn’t work on developing the skills.

    This is a scary topic for me because I am battling my inner critic and the decrees of a godlike parent. I’ve, historically, been very good at persistence. However, after I developed Fibromyalgia I have struggled more with breaking things down into manageable chunks.

    The reminders today, from you and Ben, were greatly needed!

  8. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing article with us, Caitlin. I am forever grateful. So many things I have put off and could be much further along in life. You have come into my life at the perfect time. God bless you.

  9. Very inspirational post Caitlin! Made me take a second look at my 7 online microstock illustration portfolios, and what I thought were kind of anemic sales were actually not that bad. Even though it’s a slow process, I’ve had over 7,000 sales in about 4 years and they are ticking up slowly. I’ve been persistent in adding at least 2 per week and am finally about to reach the magic short term goal of 500. Thanks for the reminder to just keep plugging away.

  10. I’ve been trying to implement this tactic in my life but I seem to lose focus to often. After reading this I realized that I do this with my savings account so why can’t I do this with my goals in life. Thank you for helping me regain focus and motivation!

  11. Caitlin,
    Thank you for this post. I have no actual formal experience in anything anymore. I have been a homeschool mom for over 20 years and now my is in private high school. I am in great need to get work, but how do I give myself that kick in the butt to get over that hump of fear?
    Noelle

  12. It's very encouraging to hear about your struggles. I really appreciate your honesty!! Thanks for the GREAT reminder about being persistent and showing up everyday.

  13. Thank you, Caitlin, for the pep talk! I really needed it. I am a recovering perfectionist. There are many things I've learned to only do at 80 or 90 percent, so I can pace myself and last for the long haul. However, when I started this course, I was turbocharged. Not only that, but I really believed I knew most of this stuff! Wow! I have officially been humbled.

    I appreciate all the details of this course. I never dreamed it would be this in-depth. I've had to come to a standstill and reconsider how I will work to absorb all the information that is new to me. I have decided to approach this course the same as I have approached all formal learning courses. Yesterday, I took action! I got out the three- by five-inch cards and markers and I made flashcards for myself. This way, I'll be able to review the challenging words, the spelling, and the punctuation that are different from the way I originally learned them. Time-consuming? Yes, but I consider it an investment in my success! Besides, I'm only making cards for the things that are new, or difficult to recall.

    My reason for taking this course is that I will celebrate my seventieth birthday in November, and I don't want my mind to become mushy! Also, ever since I was a secretary (back in the '70s), I have held an affinity for proofreading. My family and friends call me "word nerd" or "grammar nazi." Of course, these terms are both spoken in love!

    When I complete this course, whenever that is, I will start my fourth career. First, as I said, I was a secretary. Next, I was a stay-at-home mom. After that, I spent ten years getting an education. I never knew how far I would make it, so celebrated every milestone on my way to becoming a professional counselor. I have an AA in Psychology, a BA in Psychology (with a minor in family studies), and an MC (Masters in Counseling).

    I know I can do this. I just need to slow down remember all the things you are teaching us about mindset. Thank you for the exuberance of your youth (yes, to me you are young) and your energy. You are very good at what you do!
    Thank you,
    Rita

    1. Hi, Rita!! Thanks so much for your kind words. It sounds like you are well on your way already with that background. I’m so glad you found the course to be more than what you expected, too. I’m in the middle of moving it to a brand-new platform and, with that, lots of reorganizing and expansion is happening too. Exciting stuff!! And I, too, am a recovering perfectionist. HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!!!

  14. This is just what I needed to read today.
    It is so true and helpful.
    Thank you 🙂

  15. Good afternoon to you. I am currently working the exercises for the proof reading program. I thought I could breeze right through the
    " apostrophes" then the "hyphens" sections.
    Nope.
    I will be rereading those sections & retaking the quizzes. Once my scores are higher then I will move on to the next sections.
    😉
    April

  16. Excellent article, reminds me to do some work every day even if I can't power through a whole section.

  17. When I stumbled upon this message from you, I was in the process of cleaning up my emails and unsubscribing from all of the "noise" that is constantly smothering me. I started to unsubscribe from your emails, not because I don't find value in them, but because I'm exhausted from all of the noise, even the valuable ones. But I knew that there was something about THIS message that I really needed to hear… and I surely did need to hear it. This message was written for me. I am that person – the one with the all or nothing mentality. The one who has lost and regained the same 30 – 50 pounds over and over. The one who procrastinates and stalls and thinks that if I can't do something perfectly, then I can't do it all all or must wait until all the conditions are optimal. Of course, I know the truth of "progress over perfection", I even have that written on the white board in my office as a daily reminder. Yet here I sit, thinking my way through life rather than doing life. I'm constantly reading and learning and dabbling here and there, spreading little seeds of hope for a better future everywhere but not coming back to water any of it and let it take root. There's something about the way you communicate your messages that really resonates. As a "thank you" for your efforts, I will commit to taking one module of your course every week until it is complete. I started to say that I would commit to taking one module every day, but that's the "full throttle" mentality that just is not sustainable and will make me feel like a failure and quit when I cannot sustain it because life happens and I have a lot going on. So once a week – that is realistic and doable and will still be that consistent action necessary to truly do it "right".
    With every fiber of my being, THANK YOU! If ever you question whether what you're doing is worth your time, energy and effort – know that it most certainly is. I appreciate you. Hugs!

    1. Chelsea, THANK YOU! I am undergoing a lot of life changes at the moment, and I found your message so encouraging. The all-or-nothing mentality struggle is REAL. It’s so hard to take the first step sometimes; we want to see the entire pathway ahead and be certain of a particular outcome, but we end up wasting a lot of time in the process with all the “waiting.” One day, one step, one thing at a time. Much love to you!

  18. Thanks for this posting, I needed those motivating words today.

  19. I really needed this right now! I am definitely one of those people that thinks I need to be able to do it all at once. If I can't do it all right now, then why even start? I've been working on this. Today I wasn't going to work on the PA course at all. I then decided that I was almost done with a module, so I would work on it for 15 minutes and at least finish that. Here I am almost 30 minutes later, which may not be a lot of time, but it is the time that I would have normally spent scrolling through Facebook on my phone. I still have a long way to go. But my improvement is showing through and I am proud of myself for what I have accomplished so far.

  20. Thank you! Reaffirms and reinforces some of the lessons I’ve learned in life. Mistakes made; lessons learned.

  21. That read hit me bang on! It's "all or nothing". Very hard habit to break! I have to start with smaller steps. I think even my health is telling me that! Thank you for this!

  22. Are you sure you're only a youngster because this post sounds like it was written by a very knowledgeable 78 year old. Thank you for this. I'd never thought of it in these terms but it surely makes sense. As I continue, I'll try to remember this.

    1. Hah 🙂 I was 30 when I wrote this originally, so I guess that makes me a youngster! 😉 I’m so glad you found it valuable!

  23. A beautifully written essay expressing a subtle truth of life – thank you for sharing.

  24. Thank you for this reminder to focus on being persistent in making progress instead of pushing to get it all done and over with or not doing anything if we can't do it all at once. Being persistent has helped me during some tough times, so I will focus on being persistent in completing this course. Some progress is better no progress!

  25. Thank you so much for this! I've felt stuck for a while, and I am trying to get back into the groove. This changes my approach completely!

    1. Sometimes changing the way we look at things is all we need to do to find our groove again! Easier said than done, I know 🙂

  26. I printed out the last paragraph of this post. It is taped on the wall of my desk. I've had a habit in the past of not finishing anything because I wanted to be the best and give all my time and if I could not then I would stop to keep from failing. A fear of failure is what it is. I hope to nip this in the bud. Like you said, persistence is the key. Just showing up when we don't feel like we are going to make it and just do the job. Little by little we will see our progress. I can see myself sitting in a beach chair with my tablet in hand and the ocean for my view as I work. Doing the work I love and being my own boss. I can live anywhere I want. I will keep all this in my mind as I push through. Thank you for loving what you do and sharing that with us.

  27. I appreciate these motivational emails. They keep me going. Thank you. So many proofreading exercises to do; I’m doing a few everyday, and not stopping

  28. You are reading my mail……….this is EXACTLY what I've done over and over and over all my life.
    If I'm working outside the home for someone else, it's different. Must be because I'm pushed. But I hate it and often the job too.

    I so needed this article! Can't thank you enough. I feel worthy again and it's OK to plug along and not finish quickly.

  29. I never thought of this! There have been so many occasions where I start something "full steam ahead" and then taper off after a few days. when I taper off, I feel like I am failing and I think I need to start over. I start over, again with "full steam ahead" and then taper off in a few days, feeling I failed, never getting anywhere. Then I start over, well, you get the picture.

  30. Yes! My new habit this year is that instead of planning out my day in my day planner, I sit down at the end of the day and write down what I accomplished that day. That way, whenever I open the book, all I see are accomplishments — not things I didn't get done. It's been a game changer and is helping me see that every little bit every day gets me to where I want to be!

  31. Thank you for the inspiring words….TODAY is the best day of my life! ???? Sue

  32. This is just the kick in the butt that I needed and a reminder to continue the proofreading course. I kind of stopped pursuing because I couldn’t do it 110%. Now that I can change my mindset to this, I am going to start again tonight.

    Thank you so much for taking the time to write this for us! Take good care,
    ~Antonio

  33. I feel like I will never get started with the iPad mini 2 I got after 5 weeks I had to get a lawyer to talk to the carrier I am using for the internet. Now I cannot figure out how to use the iPad at all. I cannot even hook an email to the apple wanted books on how to use iPad cannot even I feel I will be dead before I get that figured out. Should never have started this, too hard for me.

    1. Change that frame of mind Nancy! YouTube is great resource for tutorials.

  34. Oh my goodness Caitlin! This post nailed it for me! Thank you!

  35. I am very grateful for this post. I have been stalled for about two weeks now.

    Thank you for the push.

  36. Thank you – and perfect timing. I had just told myself that if I wasn't being forced to do this (my current job is being phased out) I probably wouldn't. And there was your post with the how. A little bit every day. By the time my job disappears I can be up and running and already earning. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Slow and steady does win the race.

  37. This idea of persistence rather than power to make accomplishments is really profound. I think I already knew that, but had just never focused on it. It means something to me now. I know. I'm at a stalling point right now. The power runs out and the fear sets in. I have to replace it (power) with persistence. You're right. Thank you.

  38. Catlin, I appreciated this at this particular time. I have been working pretty consistently at the proofreading curriculum and at times I feel I will never be good enough at this! As you point out it is a steady progression. The course is great and I enjoy the challenge. So sometimes a day off is helpful, then I get back on track! I needed to hear I am normal with thinking I will never be perfect at this. Giving myself credit for getting through over 25 lessons so far. Of course I need to review certain areas again. Then a few areas I had ease with the information. Thank you.

  39. Absolutely amazing read. I have been struggling to make sense of my life and this has assisted me. I have to move forward and not look back.

    Love is definately a journey like this too – especially these days with the internet but I need to fall over someone in the street or have them find me in the real world and not online to build a permanent connection with them. It doesn't mean I did not trust before or never will again, but that I now need more.

  40. Wow, did I need this now! I thought I'd be through this course and flying high by now. I've been discouraged lately because my essay results (even on second try) are less than stellar. My husband keeps telling me that it's not a race – and you've just confirmed that, AND my commitment. Thank you!

  41. I just loved your messages above, that I guess I tripped myself– from being too excited to want to share those –by asking permission to do so. So please kindly disregard the request. Just happy I found your course and learning so much.

  42. Thanks. I've been trying to work on the course every day and felt like I just haven't been doing enough. Your article removes some of the stress.

  43. Another great and very (personally) timely article. Thanks for posting this.

  44. Great article that arrived in my inbox at just the right time! Thank you for not just selling the course and disappearing, but staying in touch. Your care and interest in others is really felt and appreciated.

  45. yes, its true we are just think like this. thanks for sharring this to us.

  46. Good advice! I’ve been a go-getter, peddle to the metal guy all my life. When I was younger and had tons more energy, I could do that. Now, at 74 years, I’m finding that while I still have many goals and ambitions, I simply don’t have the “get up and go,” as my sweet grandmother used to say, “…it got up and went.” As I began to tackle this new project of proofreading, I quickly realized that after a couple of hours of study, I was losing focus.

    I’m glad to see this commentary on a moderated approach, it’s just the assurance I needed.

    Thanks,

    Jack

  47. Thank you so much for this article and the advice given. This really makes me understand the reason why I have a hard time finishing things.

  48. very encouraging and inspiring. I give piano lessons and I know persistence is key to mastery. Five to ten minutes a day makes such a difference!

  49. Having transitioned through several different careers in my lifetime, I'm with you 100% on the persistence factor holds very true. At the present time I'm gradually increasing my writing skills. Short articles on subjects I'm well versed in; mixed with plunging off the cliff on subjects I have minimum knowledge about.

  50. “Move beyond the way you feel.” That is one my biggest struggles. I really lean into my feelings when I feel discouraged or unmotivated. Suddenly everything is pointless.

  51. Hi. I don’t know who will be reading this, but you are so right! It took me ten years to complete my novel. It wasn’t until the tenth year that I stopped fooling around and got it really finished. This was a finite project—once complete, it was finished.
    I have yet to start this program because I don’t want to incur any more debt. Hedging my bets, as it were. I’m looking forward to the albeit brief 100% part and the eventual settling back into a slower pace.
    I have read a few comments, though, that align more with a 100 per-center than a 50 per-center. I know I’ll have to hustle a bit to get work, but those posts that I’ve read make it appear as though the hustle is more in the 100% range than the 50% range.
    If this is a dog-eat-dog thing, then I’m pretty sure it’s not for me. Acting fast when a situation arises I understand is very important. But the thought of waiting for an email notification of possible available work that has to be acted upon within an hour is off-putting.
    Could you address this concern?

    1. Turning on your email notifications and addressing them when you receive them is part of actively marketing yourself when you’re first starting out looking for jobs in order to start attaining loyal clients. The thing about working online is that the internet has no business hours. It’s 24/7, and people are in different time zones, and some people work late so you have to make your availability somewhat conducive to that round-the-clock climate and answer the notifications for the jobs you applied for when a prospective client shows interest. As long as you reply to them, they’ll know that you received their email and that you’re interested in the job as well.

      You can create an email template auto-reply on Gmail that says something like: “I’m away from my computer presently, but I would love to write a proposal for you for this job! Please expect my reply with my proposal by (insert time and date), and we can correspond from there.” I wouldn’t tell them any later than before the end of the next business day because there are probably other proofreaders competing for the job that are ready to reply and write their proposal right now instead of later. The amount of active marketing you do depends on your motivation and the amount of time you have to commit to it. We go over other ways to market yourself besides doing it online, but using online resources is proven to work time and time again when you apply the tools we give you in the course.

  52. I've tried to take things on a little at a time and I still get overwhelmed and feel like quitting. But I do find myself often lookin at the whole project and thinking, "But there's so much!" I'm really a self-sabotager.

  53. This is so true! I have so much on my plate right now that I've been very overwhelmed, and when I made a few mistakes, I found myself feeling like giving up and I knew I was struggling with that old enemy, self-sabotage. Reading this, I felt proud of myself, because I realized that I have been imperfectly, but successfully pushing forward. Every day that I wake up feeling anxious and wish I could stay in bed and hide from my problems, I still get up and get dressed and keep crossing things off of those endless to-do lists. It is so important to be patient and forgiving with ourselves. It's ok to have bad days, days where you don't accomplish a lot. The little bit that you are able to do, over time it brings results.

    1. Stay motivated and keep up your positive energy! You really can do anything you set your mind to do!????

  54. Thank you! I always have to remind myself that this is not a race, but a marathon. Love your inspiration and I’m enjoying your class.

    Suzanne.

    1. That’s right! Take your time so you can absorb and enjoy all of the little things everyone misses when they rush to get done!

  55. I am a retired psychologist who reads a book a day…and have often proofread documents including doctoral theses. What does it cost me to do this ? How many hours a day ? Do I earn money ? What rates ?

  56. I really needed to hear this today with how I've been feeling. Thank you!!!

  57. Love it. " Move beyond the way you feel. show up every day anyway." Great stuff. Glad I ran into you out here in this world !!!

  58. I just "came on board" a few days ago. Thank you for the push I needed to get me headed in the right direction. I am currently employed full time and have a husband who is recovering from losing his leg to infection. He is in a rehab facility and my goal is to be able to work from home to be there for him. Almost losing him to sepsis really made be reevaluate my priorities. With much prayer, I took the "plunge" and hope to reach my goal to be a "stay-at-home" caregiver. Having the title of word nerd or grammar gestapo is totally a badge of honor.

    There is a little chorus I used to sing with my kids when they were small, "Little by little, inch by inch. By the yard, it is hard; by the inch, what a cinch! Don't stare up the stairs, just step up the steps. Little by little, inch by inch." Thanks, Caitlin, for your great attitude.

  59. I enjoyed this post. It seemed to reflect problems I've faced.

    BTW: I'm most interested in finding out the cost of the Transcript Proofreading course. Thanks!

  60. How should a person that is wanting to get started in the proofreading field when they don't have the money to shell out to get started? What sort of free material is available for someone that is looking to accomplish such? How did you get started? What is it you're bringing to the table? I'm sure that persistence pays off otherwise you wouldn't email me so often. In the book of Luke from the Bible there is the Parable of the Persistent Widow

    Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

    For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men, yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’ ”

    So I know persistence works. Eventually you may just get me, when I have the money to spare.

    1. There is no “quick fix” when it comes to the training involved for proofreading. It takes a lot of study and practice to become an excellent proofreader. There are years of research behind what is provided in the course to teach students how to start their freelance proofreading business and run it successfully. We give you EVERYTHING you need in order to become an excellent, online, freelance proofreader. Here is a free gift you can use to study what’s needed for freelance proofreading: https://convertkit.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/documents/24882/329730/THE_KICKSTART_GUIDE_TO_PROOFREADING_12_21_2016_FINAL_v3.pdf?utm_source=email-automated&utm_campaign=P-L-Optin-Kickstart-Guide&utm_medium=email&utm_content=01-Welcome-to-Proofread-Anywhere-Guide-Inside&utm_term=existing-list&fbclid=IwAR3bsh11bv-rEc6HxUiCMy0EKgwumzhHUwGLvHJjgbFQdre–HTgBJgn1Lg
      Enjoy!

  61. I've trained in this area over 30 years. It affects every part of my life.

  62. So true! Just this morning I was having a similar conversation with myself, except the analogy I used was termites eating wood (don’t ask me why)! I’ll commit to 10% a day! 😀

  63. I just now read this while having my 1st cup of coffee. This is exactly what I needed to hear.

    I signed up for this program because I have always wanted to be a proofreader, but instead of jumping right into it, I froze up.

    1. We’re here if you have questions, Sarah! Please write to us at [email protected] and someone from our PA Support team will be happy to help you! And don’t forget about our Facebook student support group for any questions about the course content in Modules 2-7! ????

  64. Oh my, I really needed this today! It's like you knew right where I'm at. I guess you did! I felt myself running out of steam, you know, life happens. Thank you for your encouragement and enlightenment.

  65. What about chat GPT & other apps that do the same job as a proofreader? Isn’t the proofreader occupation going out of business? I’m scared of that. Can you talk about that?

    1. When our viewers mention AI here or ask questions about AI, this is the answer I’ve researched and created to explain why we human proofreaders will still be needed: AI is definitely evolving and technology is changing how we do things in the world, but human proofreaders will not be replaced by AI. Algorithms built into a machine can only catch so much without understanding the context, tone, and voice of a piece of writing. Human proofreaders will also be needed for more complex tasks that require critical thinking like contextual errors, the homophones and homonyms that get mixed up, and all of the more difficult punctuation rules that require extra research.

      People like to work with people who understand what they’re really saying with the meaning behind their words. AI can’t do this yet, but it can help in other ways. Using AI tools to aid in your proofreading work can be helpful, but proofreaders can’t depend on these tools to be 100% correct all of the time. We tested this theory by running our exam through ChatGPT and PerfectIt–which is supposed to be the best AI program where writing is concerned because CMOS created it–but both of these AI tools failed our course exam!

      We have added a new, six-unit module to our course about AI tools and how to use them (at no additional fee) so that our students have first-hand knowledge about this new technology and its uses in relation to proofreading work.

  66. Wow, that was so helpful. I put that James N. Watkins quote on my background screen. She who is the last one standing, wins!

  67. This is very helpful. I want so much to be done with my 8-5 job, but I know it'll take time to get going with Proofreading. You';ve given me permission to just plugging away and doing the best I can! I will get there!
    Thanks!

    Peggy

  68. I made this shift recently when I heard an IG contact share she only has 2 hours a day to work on her business she is building outside of her law firm work. It dawned on me that getting full days to do the Proofread Anywhere course and some other education I am pursuing done was blocking me because I NEVER have full days to devote. What if i just committed to doing at least 30 mins – 2 hours a day? What if I broke it up? How would that feel to be getting a little done every day? I decided it would feel sensational, inspirational and less intimidating…and keep me excited to keep going since I am loving the course and getting back into my "word nerd" self. And now that the holidays are over – I am sitting down and starting back in!

  69. Thank you for this article; I need to read it every morning! I am so guilty of the exact routine, starting at 100% and then not finishing. I have a million unfinished courses and projects that linger in the 'one day I'll finish that' category. I know that fear and doubt are the main reasons that I don't complete the tasks, but this idea of measuring progress instead of completion is super valuable.

  70. So far the class has been great–fun almost. Breezed through the final exam. (How can people have trouble with it when the most glaring errors are already flagged?) Any high school senior pulling A's in English could do this. I suspect someone would have to be a real hustler to break into this field without any connections. But I definitely intend to finish the course. Right now I am stuck trying to get the required fifteen practice exercises from my email to Microsoft Word for the editing. I am not in to computer geekery! Until now I have used public/library computers for any printing needs. This is my first home computer. I am 74 years old. But I am persistent.

    1. We’re glad you’re enjoying the course! You can go to the Facebook student support group if you have questions about grammar and punctuation or if you need some help with using the editing tools in the different software programs in Module 6 Proofreading Methods. You can also write to us at [email protected] if you have any questions!

  71. Simple, persistent steps get us to our goals more surely than a rush, exhaustion, and stopping.
    Breathing, taking in the information as we travel, and stay traveling is what will get us to our goals.

  72. Progress IS the key to accomplishment and success. And progress doesn't have to be 100% per day. It can't be and get the personal involvement and satisfaction and PLEASURE out of the progressing experience. Knowing you can take small steps and still succeed is total PROFESSIONAL HEALTH!

  73. Thanks. Just what I needed when I hit a wall, not performing up to what I expected of myself. Especially when I texted over a week ago, asking for a little reassurance about what I was experiencing and got no answer.

  74. Many thanks, Cait, for this reflection. it has been a great great great eye opener and a great great help. You are a true life-proofreader.

    May God bless you.

  75. Good advice. Even though you can't see from your end, that's what I am doing, a little bit every day. I am hoping to do the word test next week, and then start worksheets (as many as I can find). What is your policy on test-taking? Is it a one-and done? Your answer will determine when I take the test. Thank you.

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