Success Is In The Doing, Not Waiting Around

Some time ago a local art teacher found himself in charge of a pottery class. The tutor had to grade the students and so he split the class into two equal groups.

The first group were instructed to create as many items of pottery as they could within a set time period. The students were told that they would then be marked depending upon the quantity of items they were able to produce.

The second group were told to concentrate on creating just one piece. They were instructed to produce an item of their choice, but it was to be as near to perfect as possible, and they would be judged and marked according to the quality of their work.

The end result was very telling. The first group immediately set to and turned out piece after piece, each one improving as they went along. The second group, however, pondered for a long while, waiting for ‘creative inspiration’ and to get the ‘feel’ for the clay. Alas, before they knew it, time ran out with the second group having barely made a start. The result: still a lifeless lump of clay.

The moral here is this: If you sit around waiting for inspiration, or waiting for the right time or opportunity, or until everything is just so before you begin, then you will end up being disappointed. Remember, success comes in the doing, not in the waiting around.