100 rejection letters - an update & a vow of imperfection
Monday, January 30, 2012 I've been so encouraged by everyone's response to my plan to collect 100 rejection letters in 2012!
People are intrigued by this project…I’m guessing that 1 of 2 things is happening:
1. People like watching someone else experience rejection
OR
2. You’re also craving some action in your life/business/passion/art and are ready to make some things happen. You’re also ready to stop letting fear stand in your way.
Who’s with me on #2? (That's what I thought!)
So here I am, 2 weeks in, and I've only been rejected once. It wasn't even an outright rejection; it was more a lack of response. *sigh* This is going to be a challenge, and y'all know I LOVE a challenge!
Last week, I raised my hand for 3 things: a contest for free business coaching from Laura Simms, a call for contributors on designlovefest, and an essay contest on Stratejoy.
I never heard back from Bri about the contributor call out (sweet! My first rejection of the year!) and can't say I was surprised since her blog is almost entirely design-focused. The key is that I did it anyway!
But...I am thrilled to say that I won (YAY!) 2 free Cultivate business coaching sessions from Laura Simms at Create as Folk. Wanna see the video I submitted?
Create as Folk winning contest entry *wink* from tiffany moore on Vimeo.
Did you notice that the lighting wasn't great and the sound was all wonky? Did you notice that I won anyway? Yay for imperfection being okay! (Full disclosure: The deadline was Tuesday, but I thought it was Friday. I found out it was Tuesday on Tuesday morning, so I had to do what I could to get the video done.)
It's the energy, it's all about the energy!
I haven't heard back from Molly about the Stratejoy essay, but I'm definitely expecting to be in the top 20, so I'll keep y'all posted!
So far, I'm at 1 in the rejection category. I'm going to need to hustle to get to 100 rejection letters before the end of the year!
My learnings so far:
- Go for it even if you have doubts. Responding to Bri's call for contributors gave me some great ideas even though I knew it was a longshot. Just because I didn't get picked doesn't mean those ideas have to be tossed.
- Pay attention to every opportunity. When you see something that catches your eye, pay attention and follow the flow. You never know if it could be your big break.
- chutzpah counts! I found out about Laura's contest on twitter and replied immediately letting her know I was going to win. At that point, I had no plan, but I know that enthusiasm counts. A lot.
- Action overrules perfection. Every single time.
- It's much easier to respond to a solicitation than it is to put yourself out there unsolicited. This is going to be something I'll have to work on more as I get into this project.
Reader Comments (5)
"Action overrules perfection. Every single time." That sound be the mantra for 2012. LOVE IT.
LOVE.
Thanks Mere & Rachel...love you both! I appreciate you both being such huge supports in my life. xoxo
I hear you! I absolutely adore your enthusiasm! You and your fierceness are such an inspiration! Go get 'em!
I've been rejected by something you weren't rejected for!! Ha ha, I also submitted to be a contributer to DFM. I got a reply - but then was led to a rejection down the road. But I'm so glad I did it! It felt good just to try =) And I'm quite happy for you that you are on there!