Dedicating yourself to writing or a writing career starts with goals. Those goals might include publishing a novel, entering competition or just finishing a piece of work. In order to move forward, you will probably experience a mindset shift. It might be moving from writing as a hobby to writing as a career or perhaps … Continue reading "Episode 69 – From Goal Setter to Dedicated Writer"

Diving into Writing

Episode 69 – From Goal Setter to Dedicated Writer

“Research shows that perfectionism hampers success” (Brene Brown). Perfectionism can show up in many aspects of your life. It can stop a writer from getting past the first page or prevent them from pressing publish. In this episode, Mariëlle and I talk about overcoming our tendencies to lean towards perfectionism. In striving to be perfect, … Continue reading "Episode 68 – Perfectionism and Goal Setting"

Episode 68 – Perfectionism and Goal Setting

In this episode, we continue our theme of setting effective goals to turn you into a successful author. There are times when it is natural to compare ourselves to others. Having a role model who inspires us can help us to identify what we want to achieve. Comparisonitis can be dangerous because it is about … Continue reading "Episode 67 – How Comparisonitis Affects Goals"

Episode 67 – How Comparisonitis Affects Goals

In this episode, we continue the theme of effective goal setting to help you become a successful author. Have your writing plans ever gone off track because of a significant life event? What did you do? Mariëlle and I talk about our experience and what helped. We consider strategies, but first, it’s essential to recognise … Continue reading "Episode 66 – Achieving Goals when the Sh*t Hits the Fan"

Episode 66 – Achieving Goals when the Sh*t Hits the Fan

 In this episode, we continue setting practical goals that can turn you into a successful author.Be honest about what you want and how much time you have available. It’s easy to take on too much. Women especially have to be everything, super-fit, a wonderful mother while holding down a job and running a home.Routine and creating writing habits can go a long way to ensuring you work on your fiction, but life happens. When it does, prioritise and consider the cost of letting some things go. Most people experience stressful times when life is challenging, but think about what else might be happening if this becomes the norm. Where are your boundaries? Can anyone help? Is there anything you could give up?How quickly do you bounce back from disruption? 

Episode 65 – Goal Setting Around the Rest of Your Life

 In this episode, we dive into the subject of short-term goal setting, which is much more complex than it initially appears.Studies have shown that choosing a goal and setting a time limit increases the odds of achieving that goal. Partly because it keeps you focused on what you want, but goals should evolve and change as your life changes.While long-term goals are powerful tools to help reach your potential, short-term goals keep you on track, but they are more than the building blocks to achieving larger goals. It’s the process of identifying manageable, achievable steps that increases your awareness of what you want and where you are going. In turn, it allows you to make decisions that are aligned with who you are. For example, everyone’s definition of success is different, and it’s worth considering what you want your career to look like when you look back. That way, you can commit to your belief and set goals that align with who you are. The process of reviewing goals and considering whether they have been achieved, and scaling their difficulty level helps identify and challenge unconscious conditioning and other issues that get in the way of writing.Some people find one type of goal setting easier than the other. What comes more accessible to you long-term or short-term goal setting? Why do you think this might be the case? 

Episode 65 – Short-Term Goal Setting

 Why bother to set long-term goals as surely short-term goals will be enough? Goals are tools that help you keep on the path. They tell you what you are aiming for and what success will look like when you get there. They identify gaps in your knowledge and experience, which you can plan to address.Just because you have written your goals down, it doesn’t mean you cannot change them. The key to setting effective goals is to review them constantly and change them in line with new priorities. There will always be aspects of your life that is out of your control.Consider the bigger picture. At the end of your career, what do you want to look back on?Joanna Penn; The Successful Author Mindset: A Handbook for Surviving the Writer’s Journey. 

Episode 63 – Long-Term Goal Setting

Lucinda and Mariëlle record their experience of setting writing-related goals. They examine their own goals, which they set at the beginning of the year and discuss why goals need to be individual and flexible. Goal setting should be different for everyone. One person can feel motivated by attempting to achieve the unattainable or ‘stretch’ goals, … Continue reading "Episode 62 – Realistic Goal Setting"

Episode 62 – Realistic Goal Setting

Setting goals is complicated. There are different types of goals and different types of people, each needing an individual strategy that works for them. In this episode, we introduce our next series of podcasts where we examine goal setting in depth. Achieving goals can be like life. Unexpected obstacles can trip us, leading us to … Continue reading "Episode 61 – Goal Setting for Writers"

Episode 61 – Goal Setting for Writers

In the last few episodes of Diving into Writing, we focus on the overarching theme of imposter syndrome. One of the many ways imposter syndrome can impact you is that it can make you reluctant to claim the title of writer or author. Mariëlle and I talk about our experience of claiming the title of … Continue reading "Episode 60 – When is it time to call yourself a writer?"

Episode 60 – When is it time to call yourself a writer?

 The Difference between Comparing and Comparisonitis When we compare ourselves with others, it can inspire us to do better, to recognise that a goal is achievable. At the same time, comparisonitis leads to negative emotions of jealousy and shame. It makes us want to give up because we aren’t good enough, and there’s no point trying. It results in us focusing on what we don’t have and makes us question our self-worth. Counteracting Comparisonitis Awareness of the issue is the first step to tackling the problem.Recognise that most people have to put the work in before achieving success, even if you are not there to witness it.Share your feelings with someone you trust.Consider what’s essential in life — everyone will die.Perhaps you are exactly where you need to be.Try to get away from thinking with a scarcity mindset. Success is not a pie! It is not divided into finite pieces. This Episode’s Question Think about the last time you experience comparisonitis. How did it make you feel? How could you have done or thought things differently? 

Episode 59 – Dealing with Comparisonitis

‘As I interpret the Course, “our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.” We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You … Continue reading "Episode 58 – The Fear of Success"

Episode 58 – The Fear of Success

 Whether it’s a blank page or the terror of publishing, writing can be scary. At the heart of the problem could be a deep-rooted fear of failure. The effect can stop progress and induce a reluctance to experiment. It can manifests in different ways despite the commonly held belief that it results in paralysis. The truth is that it drives some people to work harder. However, failure as the driving force increases stress, which sucks the joy out of a potentially positive experience.Understanding what drives you places you in control, allowing you to seek a balance that enhances your writing life. Consider a world where failure was feedback and curiosity drives experimentation.How does a fear of failure affect your writing?Are you afraid of failure or afraid of success?Mariëlle mentioned Elizabeth Gilbert in the podcast. The book Big Magic: How to Live a Creative Life and Let Go of Your Fear is widely available. 

Episode 57 – Fear of Failure

Do you know what is holding you back from a successful writing career? It could be something as simple as your deep-rooted beliefs about success formed in childhood or as a result of life experiences that have convinced you that it’s safer to pass through life unnoticed and unrecognised. There are three stages to addressing … Continue reading "Episode 56 – The Effect of Limiting Beliefs on Writing"

Episode 56 – The Effect of Limiting Beliefs on Writing

People who struggle with imposter syndrome believe that they are undeserving of their achievements. They feel that they aren’t as competent or intelligent as others, and someone will discover the truth about them. It’s that nagging feeling that you aren’t good enough or that you fall short compared to those around you. People in the … Continue reading "Episode 55 – How Does Imposter Syndrome Affect Your Writing?"

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Diving into Writing

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