This world is filled with gifted writers. Some are extraordinary, full of promise, skill, and creativity. But only a few are unstoppable. Only a few take their talents and invest the time, discipline, and energy necessary to make them something truly remarkable and fulfilling. Only a few are brave enough and bold enough to pursue their writing with a relentless passion, a passion which lifts them out of the crowded ranks of mediocrity and carries them into the company of excellence.
Unstoppable writers are in their own world, or should I say worlds since most of us write about multiple universes :-).
They don’t compete with anyone but themselves.
They aren’t robots; no one can predict what they will write or where their ideas will take them next.
They follow their hearts, not current trends.
They don’t see rejection or criticism as evidence of failure, but of progress.
Each hurdle makes them stronger.
Every obstacle spurs them on.
They’re never done learning. They voraciously read, watch, and listen to material that will hone their craft and
They never see a finish line, no matter the amount of books they’ve written, praise they’ve received, or awards they’ve won. They keep writing, because writing is like breathing.
Are you unstoppable? It’s my hope that after you read this series, you will be.
I. Establish Clear Goals
“All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible.” -Orison Swett Marden
There is a ton of psychology research out there showing that the most motivating goals are clearly defined and time-bound (I know we don’t like the word “deadlines,” but they are undeniably effective when it comes to yielding results!).
Goals can either be geared toward your behaviors, such as writing a certain number of words per day, or on a particular outcome, like getting an agent to represent you.
Most of us will find behaviorally focused goals the more motivating of the two. However, there’s nothing more powerful than a strong Why driving you, so always keep the desired outcome in mind.
I have a whiteboard here in my office with my 2017 goals listed on it. The most important part of the board are the dates beside each goal because without a deadline, the goals lose their urgency and risk becoming swallowed by the whale of procrastination. My phone’s calendar is where I record my day-to-day “behaviors” that propel me toward those goals, things like writing 1,000 words a day, editing a chapter in my novel, emailing my beta readers, researching agents to query, etc.
Having specific, well-defined goals and daily, actionable steps to reach them is critical to becoming an unstoppable writer who follows through on his or her ideas rather than simply thinking about them.
II. Don’t Just Think – Take Action
“The path to success is to take massive, determined actions.” -Tony Robbins
I believe writers have a sixth sense of sorts. Something that makes us feel a little more deeply and discern things with a bit more ease. We have a killer gut instinct, and we should use it to our advantage.
To be unstoppable means to be dynamic. It means staying attuned to our intuition, to listen to our gut instinct, and to trust it enough to see where it leads. It means refusing to over-analyze and look for ways an idea might fail. So many wrong decisions happen when we reject our instincts in favor of going the safe route or listening to others’ opinions.
The Muse, your subconscious, your inner voice…whatever you want to call it, it rewards writers who take action and dive head first into uncharted waters that promise adventure, reward, satisfaction, and yes, a smidgen of risk as well.
If your next move doesn’t scare you a bit, it’s probably not big enough.
III. Don’t Be Driven by External Things
Nice cars, big TVs, designer handbags, exotic vacations…. Those things are great. But for the unstoppable, they’re small potatoes.
We don’t do what we do to acquire material possessions. And if we ever do make a fortune with our writing, it won’t change us. We will still be setting and smashing goals, pushing our limits, crashing out of our comfort zones, and giving 110 percent.
Money and fame are never the objective for unstoppable people. They are motivated by their intrinsic desire to be their best selves. The relish challenging themselves, exploring, learning, and creating, not in purchasing things that offer only momentary pleasure.
I hope you’ve found this post helpful! I’ll be back soon with more tips on how you and your art can be even more unstoppable! Now, get back to writing!