Often when you’re following your passion — particularly if you’re making it up as you go — there isn’t a road map. Or a timetable. You take action and then you wait to see the results.

You start a blog and wait for people to discover it. You advertise your class and wait for people to register. You invite people to your events and then wait for them to accept.

That’s where patience comes in. Or as a friend of mine calls it — quiet tenacity.

…

Patience (and commitment!) keeps you doing your thing even when it seems like no one’s paying attention.

That is why it’s crucial to pick something you are passionate about. You need to love what you are doing so much that you will do it even when there’s no recognition, audience or money.

…

I began hosting monthly Songtaneous sessions in 2006. I’ve held nearly 40 sessions to date. Sometimes I’ve been tired, or busy or only one person came, but I keep this commitment because I want a spontaneous singing space and I want to be a member of a diverse singing community.

(In fact, I’m passionate about both of these things. *wink*)

…

When I worked in publishing, we identified three years as a common timetable for our customers to adopt a new program or product we created.

(I know you’re thinking THREE YEARS?!? It’s not as long as it sounds. Here’s why.)

Three years is the time it takes for you to  …

1. figure out what you’re doing (in business speak, we call it “product development”)
2. figure out how to explain what you’re doing — and why it’s awesome — to other people (a.k.a. your message)
3. widely share information about what you’re doing — and why it’s awesome — with interested people (a.k.a. marketing)

Depending on what type of person you are, these three steps might take three years (*smile*). But after these steps, you enter a part of the process over which you have no control. (Sorry.)

It’s the chunk of time you spend waiting for your audience to decide they want your thing.

That might take six months or a year. Or two years.

(As the songs says, “You can’t hurry love.“)

…

Be patient.

You don’t know what’s happening out there.

I can’t tell you the number of times someone who comes to Songtaneous tells me that they’ve been getting my emails for months. Or how often someone misses Songtaneous for months and then emails me about a blog post or shows up at a singing session.

Or take the time I ran into a woman at a concert who excitedly announced — “You’re that singing lady! I’m so glad I bumped into you. I lost your info and having been trying to find you!”

…

Long story short? People are busy.

People have lives and jobs and relationships and kids. People lose business cards and phone numbers. People have things that they’re passionate about. And it might not be your thing. (S’ok, the reason you talk about your thing is to find the people who are.)

…

Sure, it can be frustrating (disheartening, exhausting, discouraging, etc.) to keep putting energy out there and feel like nothing is happening.

But if you are genuinely and passionately going about doing your thing, people will notice. And care. And show up.

Just be patient.

…

Remember Songtaneous is THIS Saturday, December 5 at 2pm.

We talked last week about asking for things — money, time, help, advice, referrals, etc. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, it makes sense to talk about thanking this week.

…

Your parents were right to council you to say thank you. Thanking people is important.

For one thing, I’m much more likely to help someone again who obviously appreciated my help in the past. (Maybe not the most altruistic response, but, hey, it’s true. And I don’t think I’m the only one.)

For another thing, it provides an opportunity to quantify just what someone did to help you and how it helped. And if the help wasn’t exactly what you asked for, that’s a good thing to figure out, too. Maybe you got more (or better stuff) than you asked for. Maybe you learned that your requests could be clearer.

…

I have a friend who hand writes and mails (or hand delivers) wonderful thank you notes. She sent me one when she graduated from school. In fact, she sent them to everyone she felt had helped her earn her degree — her teachers, her friends, her family.

She was genuinely surprised at how touched people were by the gesture. She said to me “Don’t people thank people anymore?” “Not like that, ” I replied.

Think about how many hand-written thank you notes you’ve received. Now, think about how you feel about the people who’ve taken the time to thank you in that way.

…

Try to thank people before, during and after they’ve helped you. It keeps you tapped in to the help people (or the Universe) is providing. So even if there is no specific person to thank, take time to appreciate and express gratitude for the progress you’ve made.

…

Thank you for reading my blog, forwarding my posts to your friends, and for sharing your emails, ideas and comments. I value your support and your interest.

…

Note: I won’t be sending a post this Friday due to the holiday. See you next Monday! ~sg

More on asking:

“You create your opportunities by asking for them.”
— Shakti Gawain

“If there is something to gain and nothing to lose by asking, by all means ask!”
— W. Clement Stone

“Anything that’s worth having is worth asking for. Some say yes and some say no.”
— Melba Colgrove

…

I also like what my friend J had to say: “Asking for help is actually giving a gift. You are giving someone the opportunity to give … or to practice saying no.”