I want to be...

There is a concept that I've thought about for a long time....long before I started playing EVE, but I see it being played out here just as frequently as in RL.

The basic theory is:

There are people who want to "BE" something, but are not willing to "BECOME" something.

I freely admit that I'm just as much a user of that philosophy as anyone else.  I picked up a cheap drum set when I was 19 because I wanted to BE a drummer.  After putting in one hour a week for three whole weeks I decided it was too hard.  I asked a drummer friend of mine to tell me the 'secret' to being a drummer and he said, "Well, start drumming five years ago three hours a day and you'll be pretty good."  Thanks.

EVE applications of this theory abound.  Lots of new capsuleers want to "BE" a pirate.  Taking on T3 cruisers in their T1 frigate and crushing them.  Taking their gang of three and bringing down a carrier.  The stuff legends are made of.  So they hop in their Rifter and head to lowsec.  And they get popped.  They grumble and try again.  This time making it through three gates before getting popped again.  They decide that there is some secret to being a pirate and start trolling message boards and guides and pirate corps to learn what that one little secret is that will make them the Dread Pirate Roberts of EVE.  There is a secret...but I'll wait to divulge it.

I read a posting this morning on the MD forums at EVE-O about someone who wants to "BE" a trusted third party for large value item sales.  He was mocked for a page and a half before he started getting the message that it's not just  a job you apply for and start doing.  You have to "BECOME" a trusted third party. 

Of course, in a lot of these situations players run into the age-old Catch-22 that you need experience to BE something.  But you need to BE something to get experience.  A lot of people quit trying at that point throwing their hands up as saying "it's impossible."  And yet, there are many other pilots that ARE doing it.

The "secret" to BEING something is...BECOME something.  Start small.  Get experience. Practice.  Learn from your mistakes.  Eventually you will BECOME what you want to BE.  You may not even realize it when you get there.  The first time you get an evemail from some guy you managed to pop in a fight that says "hey, GF.  Interested in joining our pirate corp?"

There really is no 'magic bullet' to make things easy...in EVE or in life.  Buying ISK with GTCs isn't going to make you a better pirate.  Winning the lottery isn't going to make you a successful entrepreneur.  Set a big goal.  Then set intermediate goals.  Then set some metrics to measure your progress.

Example:

I want to be a successful contributor to a respected pirate corp.
   --Read pirating guides and fitting guides
   --Take a PvP class with one of the many in-game schools
   --Setup five rifters for PvP
   --Set a route through 10 lowsec systems
   --When you can get three ships in a row through the systems, consider yourself trained at 'the getaway'
   --Go looking for some 'fair' fights.  Find a target, kill it, and get away regularly.
   --Start targetting specific pilots.  Maybe you're reading a blog by a pirate.  He/she probably regularly posts where they hunt.  Head there and hang out and start looking for a fight. 
   --Keep repeating.  Along the way you may join various smaller pirate corp/gangs, keeping in mind the one you really want to join.

The above plan could take 2-3 months to complete.  Be ready to spend the time.  Be ready to lose those ships.  Keep a good attitude.  Try to learn from your mistakes (Hint: some of your opponents might actually tell you what your mistakes were...listen to them...they beat you).

This went a little long, but hopefully it hits home with some people.  Work on BECOMING something, not just BEING something.