Defining Success in Writing: Sept. 1st Blog Hop Topic
- jvquay
- Sep 1, 2021
- 1 min read
Kind of a meta topic for a blog for insecure writers, yes?
For most writers I know, this is not a team sport. More like a singular pursuit with coaches along the way. All the more reason a group like this is so helpful. We all have similar goals, but take different paths to get there. Hearing my own writing mentor express her frustration about not being able to write much this month gave me such hope. Not because I felt more productive than her, but because even the most successful writer struggles on the journey.
My biggest pitfall with feeling successful is playing Let's Compare. It's so easy for me to hop around all these amazing blogs and feel like the most inept participant on this list. You all have so many impressive accomplishments under your belt, slick online presentations, and scads of followers. But feeling comparatively unsuccessful is bad for business. Instead, I need to focus on learning something new every blog hop day. God knows I have much to learn from this group. Thanks!
My best measure for success at this point is the doing. Keeping a regular log of how much I write, setting achievable goals, and ticking them off every day. It feels great. And when I finally do achieve something of note? I send out a YouTube link to Chuck Mangione's 'Feels So Good' to all my closest supporters. That's our inside message that..Yeah! It's a tiny accomplishment, but I did it!
Oh the "comparison" game. Yikes! I play it much too often. And lose every time. Love the Chuck Mangione soundtrack. All best to you!
Setting those achievable goals make a whole lot of difference.
We're all just throwing our two cents in, but we all get MORE than two cents back out. It's a very sneaky thing for us to do, and our math teachers don't approve. Happy IWSG Day!
I have always had an internal loci of focus, so comparing myself to others has never really been an issue. However the last few years I have been able to understand a bit better how you must feel as I have had a health issue that has restricted my ability to achieve as much as I used to so my "always be better than I was yesterday" growth strategy often leaves me sad and frustrated.
But I love your suggestion of just working towards those goals and steps and celebrating every win. It doesn't matter if I experienced that win before, doing it again is still a win!
Glad to be a part of this fantastic community!
Comparisons to other writers is deadly. I did it before, when I started writing. My every trip to a book store inspired sadness: they all managed to get their published books on these shelves, but not me, alas. Such thinking is detrimental to creativity. Now, that I've stopped comparing, I feel much better, and every trip to a bookstore (what is left of them) is a treat. Better on all counts.