Happy Friday, inklings!
I hope your week’s been full of delicious, creativity-boosting coffee and plenty of epic writing sessions! (Not to be confused with “epic-writing sessions.” If you are writing an epic, definitely let me know!)
Two weeks ago I shared a few of my top tips on how to be an unstoppable writer, and this week I’m back with three more! But first, let me recap what’s been established thus far:
To be unstoppable…
- Establish Clear Goals
- Don’t Just Think – Take Action
- Don’t Be Driven By External Things
While it’s okaaaaay to stop the “unstoppable” lesson with the three aforementioned imperatives, why not go a bit further? After all, another excellent way to ensure nothing stops you is to…
Never Stop Learning
Let’s face it. Most people today seek entertainment. In fact, that’s what many live for. “What are we going to do this weekend?” “Are there any concerts in town?” “What movies are playing?” “Who’s throwing a party?” “What’s on Netflix?” (my favorite ;-))
One of the things that separates stoppable people with unstoppable people is the latter’s passion for education over entertainment.
When you want to become better at what you do, you never stop learning. You are always on the hunt for ways to optimize and improve your skills while increasing your knowledge.
Fortunately, we live in a time (aptly called The Information Age) when knowledge is quite literally at our fingertips. From books such as the bestselling For Dummies series to YouTube tutorials and web-based academies like Udemy, there are loads of resources just waiting for us to access them.
Unstoppable writers know that education doesn’t necessarily stop when we earn our diploma. It stops when we shut it and let ourselves grow lazy.
Never Arrive
“Winning is fun… Sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point.” – Pat Summitt
While that quote is from a women’s college basketball coach, I think it applies to us writers, too, and actually any professional field.
Winning, for us, represents accomplishing whatever goal we’re presently pursuing. For some, it may be traditionally publishing a book and seeing it on the shelf at Barnes and Noble one day. For others, it could be earning a literary award, making enough money to quit their day job, or simply writing the novel that’s been floating around in their head for decades.
Whatever the unstoppable writer’s goal, meeting it is not their destination. It’s merely one win, the end of one journey and the beginning of another.
Just as unstoppable writers aren’t driven by external things, neither are they satisfied by external merits, outside validation, nor impressive sums. They use the momentum of the last triumph to launch themselves even higher. They let previously achieved goals inspire them to dream bigger and hustle harder.
Unstoppable writers are more interested in climbing than lingering too long to enjoy the view. This doesn’t mean they don’t take time to express their gratitude, relax, and recharge their batteries. It just means they refuse to grow complacent or dwell safely inside their comfort zones.
They know the magic happens when they’re chasing something new, something uncomfortable, and just a little bit scary.
Be True to Yourself
A 2014 Gallup poll found that 70% of employees hate their job and only one in three Americans report being happy. First of all, if you’re a writer, I’m assuming you write because you love it with every fiber of your being. However, some writers (of the stoppable variety) often fall into the trap of trying to please and/or imitate others.
[Tweet “Being an unstoppable writer means having the confidence to write on your terms.”]
If a podcast host says it’s best to write first thing in the morning, but you’re a night owl who feels the most creative at half past midnight, then by golly, write by moonlight!
If a blogger (even this one), tells you that if you don’t outline your novel then you’re sure to write rubbish, and yet you love the thrill of plotting as you go, stay true to your process. There’s no perfect, one-size-fits-all way to develop your story. Remember that.
If a popular marketing book says you should be active everyday on Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram and yet you absolutely despise social media, find perhaps just one platform you can warm up to and focus on connecting with readers and fellow writers there.
Bottom line: Life’s too short to do what you hate. You’re already doing what you love by writing (that’s obvious because you’re reading this now), but protect the way that you write, when you write, what you write, and for whom you write.
Unstoppable writers embrace their quirks and preferences and stick up for them.
I hope you’ve found this week’s post helpful! What are you going to change this week to make yourself more unstoppable? Tweet me at @dandersontyler and let me know! I’d love to hear from you!