Level Up As A Writer — WNP 094
*NOTE: This episode originally appeared on www.sarahwerner.com on September 30, 2020.
As a writer, it is hard to see past what we know, what we feel comfortable with, and what we are willing to take on. Many times, we find other things that keep us busy that are labeled as “progressive” activities that will one day pay off.
The truth lies in the fact that nothing can pay off the way we expect it unless we take action in the most fulfilling activities. For example, we cannot become a well-known writer without work that has been created, put out there, torn apart, worked on a little more, and completed. With this, it is important to take the steps necessary to level up as a writer and ultimately gain momentum to our vision of success.
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Leveling Up as a Writer
It is important to understand that there are different levels of achievement. However, it is easier to assess your levels if you have a vision of your “end result”. Knowing what you truly want helps in knowing what actions need to be taken.
Understand that there is a false sense of work — not the true work that aids in your growth — which can seem to be necessary. It is important to understand that the true work is that of honing your craft and bringing your creativity to life.
Another important factor — get rid of that self-sabotage. Taking on that unnecessary task, or putting something that seems more important in front of your true work keeps you from achieving your view of what success is in your life.
Do Not Work with Assumptions
Assumptions come from what we do not know. We assume something is going to look a certain way if we have never seen it before. We assume we know what steps are needed to achieve what we want, or we assume what work we “should” be doing.
We sometimes assume falsehoods, and can easily fall into thinking that we cannot achieve true writer-hood until we win the lottery or a grant. We base our ideas of success on some external factor that, in most cases, is not likely to happen. This then brings us to, “this will never happen for me” — another form of self-sabotage.
Get Uncomfortable
One of the largest dream killers is comfort. Fear and uncertainty are not things we necessarily want for ourselves when we first wake up in the morning. However, the only way we are going to be able to level up in writing is to make ourselves feel uncomfortable. There is no growth, no leveling up, absolutely nothing aside from comfort within the bounds of comfort. Our craft will never get better and we will never achieve our views of success if we are resolute in staying within our comfort zone.
Understanding these steps can help you level up as a writer and achieve your version of success. Taking accountability and putting into place true work, without the assumptions, without the busy work, and without any other roadblocks that can keep you from your success.
What action do you need to take? What risk do you need to take? What momentary comfort do you need to sacrifice? What bounds of safety are you willing to step out of? What is it you need to do to level up as a writer?
Tell me your thoughts.
How do you stick to your writing goals? Shout it out in the comments below!
Originally published at www.sarahwerner.com on September 30, 2020.
