point of making a career out of your art? Didn’t people have
to know who you were? Apparently not. In fact, for my new
friend, fame was more of a distraction than an ally.
“Yep,” he answered. “I stopped trying to be famous and
focused instead on trying to be successful.”
I asked him what that word—success—meant to him and
if he thought every musician should chase the money or
become a millionaire.
“Of course not,” he said. “Success isn’t about money.
It’s about setting a goal—and then achieving it.”
The Millionaire Musician had believed, as many do, that
fame would one day lead to success, and he was
disappointed. He thought he would eventually be able to
take care of his family or not have to worry about touring
two hundred days a year once he became famous, but that
never happened. So he reset his expectations and focused
on a different goal. Only then did he begin to see the results
he had hoped for. For my friend, this meant more time with
family, greater financial freedom, and a legacy for his
children—those were his goals. The money that followed
was a by-product.
What Is Work For?
Something strange happened to me on the road to my life’s
work. When I quit my job to become a full-time writer, with