IV. Pragmatism

Knowing what you want and making the choice to pursue that goal are two great qualities to develop. However, you must also take into consideration various other factors, both known and unknown, when conducting this exercise. The primary element you must deal with is reality. And in this you must be realistic when deciding what you want. What this means is that you must decide to do something that can reasonably be accomplished. For instance, if you do not have a voice that can produce harmonic notes, then it would not be wise try and become a vocal singer (at least not for public display).
However, if your desire is to truly make great music, then you may be able to write music, play music, or even try some software that could help. The point is you must know fully well your capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. There is always a way to live your dreams. You have to comprehend and understand fully all the elements involved including your own self and abilities. Then you must make a choice consistent with the data derived from this analysis. There is something for everyone. You should take a moment and look to find your own niche in the crooks of the world.
The following are a short, and certainly not limitedly defined, set of steps to consider and follow when engaging in this process. You can always make your own determinations and decisions when developing a method that helps in the creative process. Everyone has their own method of doing things. Whether another agrees or disagrees with it doesn’t matter. If it works for you, doesn’t hurt anyone else, and produces the results you are looking for then by all means do what works best for you.
First you must look at your health. Are you capable, physically, of carrying out the task you sought for your-self? Second, how is your mental health? I am not talking about whether you have a psychological deficiency (If you do it should greatly be taken into consideration when deciding on the matter), but whether your mind is clear enough now to focus on the task you set out for your-self.
If your mind is full of thoughts of ill things from the past or personal problems that draw your attention away from what you should be focused on, then it is highly recommended you sort out all personal issues that may muddle your mind. Your mind must be free of all negative content. Otherwise the imaginative and rational processes needed to map out your life’s plan will be hindered. It’s like when your phone or Desktop has too much information, and not enough memory to store or manage all the data, the computers start to run slow. Programs stall, and even shut down not allowing you to continue with the task you had to do. The same thing happens when you have too much bad stuff on your mind. It slows it down. Thus, preventing it from functioning well.
Third, take a moment and truly get to know your-self. Are you industrious, Creative, Dependable? Or, on the other hand are you lazy, un-imaginative, and un-reliable? Make a list of your weaknesses and your strengths, as well as your known traits and habits. Include any other aspect of your-self that others may tell you that either helps or hurts. Both are equally valuable in discovering who you are. The choice made should align with your strengths, with weaknesses kept in mind. Always be realistic with your-self. Do not try to be something you are not strong at or cannot become strong at. If your weaknesses become too much, then you must begin to engage in a process of turning your weaknesses into strengths. If you are still unable to, find something else you can do.
Fourth, you must determine what you are willing to do. Know what you are willing to sacrifice, learn, pay for, and even struggle for. Nothing in life is free. Everything has its price. The greater the thing desired, the higher the price. The price isn’t always a financial one. Sometimes it requires an extraordinary amount of effort and will to obtain. Sometimes it requires a personal sacrifice, and sometimes it is about money. The age-old aphorism “it takes money to make money” is just as true now as it was in the past.
At this point you should know who you are, what you want to do, what you’re willing to do, and what you can do. Half the task is done. A pragmatic approach is the most realistic approach in getting your desires to match your abilities. This is one more step to your path to accomplishment. Now for the next step.