What if I think I’m a good writer but I’m really not? There’s a question that pops into my head periodically, temporarily bringing me to a screeching halt. It’s my inner self telling my outer self I’m no good. We all have an inner self but each of ours has a different voice. Those with giant egos have an inner self whose mouths they’ve duct taped. Others have inner selves that try to slow them down. Your job is to get your inner self on your side without letting it go to your head. Set and meet goals and you’re confidence will grow.
I would love to earn my income online. I don’t today, but I have ideas and I’m doing all the research I can to help me. But what if I’m not good enough to earn my keep this way? I suppose it depends on how much I hope to make as much as how good I might be.
How about $10,000,000 a year from writing? Sound impossible?
That’s a “dream” goal, by the way. Everyone should have one. It’s what keeps us going when things get difficult. Don’t forget, though, that dreams drift to the nether regions of our brains once we wake. That’s where “real” goals step in. You should have both. Your “real” goals are the stepping stones to your “dream” goal.
I know you’ve got your own dream goal. Want to start writing again? Write about that goal. Make it as big and amazing as you want – it’s your dream. (Mine involves earning enough to buy Necker Island from Richard Branson. He’s got to get bored with it at some point, right? Someday, I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse. Oh, and a house cleaning service. What I wouldn’t do to hand off that chore!)
Now, file your dream goal someplace safe for those days you’re feeling a little beat up, a little afraid you’re walking down an endless path, worried that you’re no good at all.
Pull out a fresh piece of paper or a clean, white screen – whichever your writing instrument of choice. It’s time to get real.
You cannot get to the dream goal without planning some real goals to get you on your way. You can’t start writing by not writing. You have to write. That’s step one. Steps two through five are a little harder:
2. Write down why you want to start writing.
3. Write down what you want to do with your writing (create a blog, write a book, become a freelance writer, etc.).
4. Write down just three things you need to know before you can complete step #3.
5. Write down five things you're going to do this week to learn what you need to know from step #4.
Not too difficult, right? The results of step #5 are your goals for this week. Short, bite-size, doable goals. Time to get started.