“To believe something is an act of will” – I've said this before and I'll say it again - “to be anything worth having, you must put in the work”. I've also been thinking about how we, as writers, are conditioned to work hard and then fail to see results because of our negative mindset.
In this article, I'm going to be covering how I went from a writer that was constantly complaining about her lack of success to someone who started getting more work. I won't lie: it wasn't easy and I had to learn a lot about myself and my creative process to get there, but I'm confident that this approach can help you transform your mindset too.
In a previous article, I shared the story of how I got started writing as a profession. After struggling to find my place in the publishing industry for years, I finally found a home with the self-publishing space. I was so excited to get back into freelance writing that I wanted to make a change. But when I looked at my finances, I realized that the best thing I could do was to become an even more skilled writer.
This is the part where I need to mention that my journey has not been without struggle. In fact, there have been so many challenges that I almost quit writing altogether.
I kept thinking to myself that I had no idea how to market my services or how to get leads. I knew I had to start somewhere. So I started sending out a ton of emails to contacts I had made online, and I landed a couple of gigs.
But I couldn't stop thinking that I just wasn't writing the way I thought I should. I was just sending out emails and getting rejected left and right. I was frustrated, stressed, and my confidence had dropped.
A few months later, after learning the ins and outs of the self-publishing industry, I finally felt like I was writing the way that felt most natural. I was putting my heart and soul into my writing and I was getting better every day.
Today, I want to share with you why I think writing positive affirmations daily can be so helpful. When you constantly read and tell yourself that you're awesome and you can do better, it starts to sink into your subconscious. This, in turn, has an incredible impact on your mindset.
STEP 1: Find Something That Helps You
For me, this meant I needed to find some affirmations that helped me stay motivated. A lot of people struggle with this because they're scared to look at the negative side of life. And that's okay - everyone has stuff that makes them feel down, sad, or anxious. I've been dealing with anxiety for years and have learned to control my mood by staying positive. I don't have time to focus on the bad, so I'm not going to waste time thinking about that. My favorite positive affirmations are ones that motivate me to accomplish my goals.