Regardless of what you are creating - a product, a service, an amazing experience for others, art, anything - we are all creators in some form or another.

Let’s all get real honest for a sec. As creators, it’s difficult not to hear the applause and get a solid pat on the back after a job well done. What separates the determined from the curious is consistency and persistence.

What makes people stop or quit too early? It’s not easy. It’s really not. The daily practice of continuing, refining and creating some more is when real traction happens and you begin to produce the work that you are most proud of. It starts with us and the determination to continue putting one foot in front of the other.

I love the book The Dip by Seth Godin. A friend shared it with me while I needed a bit of a boost and some clarity. What I took away was that if you’re going to quit, do it early BUT if not, you better be prepared to give it your all and be the very best. Now, that doesn’t mean you need to be the best EVER or best to everyone, it means being the best in the eyes of your ideal audience. To me, it means getting specialized and focused on what you love and do really well.

Keep doing it, keep finding how to be YOUR best for the people who - as Seth would say - would miss you if you were gone.

Written by Arica Rosenthal