What does writing success mean to you? In this revamp of an article I wrote several years ago I explore failing your way to writing success.
You may be shocked to discover that you're more successful than you think you are: success often comes as a result of a string of "failures".
Let's start by defining what success means to you. Write a page. Begin with these words: "To me, success means ____________"
Now let's look at five ways to fail your way to success.
1. See success clearly - you can't get there if you don't know your destination
Remember the old saying: "Everyone wants to get to heaven, but no one wants to die"? We all want success, but we don’t necessarily want all the accouterments. Success means:
* more responsibility;
* more work;
* more demands from others; and
* a LOT OF CHANGE.
It is worth it? Only you know. If you haven’t written your page of what success means to you, do it now. Unless you know what success means, you're stalled – you don’t know where you're going, so it's impossible to chart a course.
2. You're closest, when you think you're furthest away
Countless writers have said something like: "the day I got my first offer of publication, I'd already quit. I emptied my filing cabinets into garbage bags, and deleted all my writing-related files from my computer. I was done. Then the envelope/ phone call/ email message arrived."
You're always closer than you think. Keep failing. The very indication that you're ready to quit means that you've given it everything you have. When you're ready to quit: pause. You're almost there.
3. You have to want success
You've got to stay hungry. How much do you want to succeed? Be honest with yourself. Many people want to write, but they really mean that they would like to live a writer's life. The glamorous version, that is. The version where you sit in a book-lined study, musing, sipping the occasional cocktail. Literary luncheons with your editor.
A writer's life is nothing like that. A writer's life is writing. That's all.
Is that what you want? If you desire success in your chosen field beyond anything else, you will succeed.
4. Shut up already: keep your own counsel
Shush! Don’t talk about your writing. Just do it. If you want advice, ask someone who is doing what you want to do. Don't ask people who can’t help you.
Remember that as much as your friends and relatives love you, they may not be thrilled at your success. It means change, and we all distrust change. They know the you that you are right now. They worry that they may not like the you that you want to be. Is it surprising that they try, often unconsciously, to sabotage you?
5. Success is messy: expect chaos
When you're on your way to success, you're out of your comfort zone. You're confused. This confusion is good - it means that you don't know. Think about it. If you knew what success was like, you'd be there, wouldn't you? So the closer you get to success, the more bewildered you feel.
Great stuff. Relax, try to enjoy the mess. You don't need to know anything, just keep writing.
You have two brains in one: a left, and right brain. Your right (intuitive) brain, sees patterns and wholes. It will nudge you in the directions in which you need to go to reach your view of success. Trust it. Just take the next step.
You CAN fail your way to success. It's the only way to get there.
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