I had a thousand thoughts flood through my head after listening to this talk this morning with Marie Forleo and Seth Godin.

Seth Godin is a prolific author with huge breadth of work. I have been a fan for a long time, and clearly he knows what he is talking about. He emphasizes ‘Shipping early and often’ and says that failing is never a bad thing, it’s just part of the process. In other words, don’t wait until your ideas have been perfected to share them with the world.

Some other nuggets from this talk that strike me as brilliant… 

It’s not about finding your ‘calling’ as we say it, it’s about getting on and finding something that works, that is sufficient. That is how you will learn and hone a skill.

Hilariously we all think we need to be original with our business ideas and careers, but everything is a remix, and as Godin says, “there is no prize for originality.” Don’t use the excuse of waiting for the PERFECT PURPOSE to arrive on your doorstep before you take action. Choose instead to focus on what aligns with who you are and what you want to be.

Godin has some interesting thoughts about making choices on how to spend your time, too. He blogs every day. Why? So he can leave a trail of thoughts and ideas along the way, again honing his skills. If people choose to listen and follow him then that is built on trust. It is how you gain permission to talk to people.

In his words, “You have to show up how people want you to show up.” For them, not for you. It’s about giving, not receiving. Write like you talk, be genuine and authentic in all that you do then your voice and tone will always match because it is your own.

Last, I think his most important point is that the long way is the short cut. Very poignant. You can’t skip steps, you can’t always succeed and you can’t wait for the perfect opportunity to smack you in the face. You need to just get on the carousel and go for a ride! Learn the rest as you go. Smart advice.