What Supports Your Success?
by Rochelle Melander
Have you been to a big box store lately? All the school supplies have been set out like a big, beautiful writer’s smorgasbord. Who can resist the thick, colorful notebooks and the shiny new pens? Not me. Despite my stacks of unused journals and buckets of pens, I want new supplies.
Why? I imagine they’ll help me write more, write better. That pristine notebook and fine point pen will guarantee my writing success. Right? Well, yes and no.
Yes, it helps to set up our lives for success. But it isn’t the fancy new journal or even that snazzy writing program that will help us.
Here’s another example. A year ago, I did the Whole30—a program where you give up carbs and dig into protein and veggies for thirty days. It was a big pain, and I hated almost every moment of it, but it did help me eat more vegetables. What I learned from the whole experience, besides the fact that I love bread, was this: if I could load up my kitchen with healthy options, I ate better.
It’s a reminder that we can design our lives to support the habits we want to create. I’ve found that I’m more successful at writing regularly when I have an environment and practices that support my writing life. These include:
- quiet environment
- no social media or email before/during writing
- scheduled writing time
- knowing what projects to focus on
- using mind mapping or journaling to organize my ideas
- tracking what works in a writing journal
- weekly accountability
Are you ready to set yourself up for success? Here’s how:
Define your aspirations
When it comes to writing, it’s easier to sort out the day-to-day practice if you know what you’re aiming for. What are your aspirations? What are you hoping to accomplish in the last months of this year? What do you want to accomplish by the end of this school year?
List your success cues and habits
Make a list of the environmental cues and personal practices that support you and your writing aspirations. This might mean having a quiet space to work, creating a playlist for your book, or keeping a notebook handy for mind mapping.
Plan your success
Here’s the fun part. Just like getting ready to return to school, it helps to prep our environment. Look at your writing space and your list of cues and habits. What do you need to do to set yourself up for success? Are there any supplies you need to get? Is there stuff you need to get rid of? (Having a tidy environment can help you stay more focused.)
Just do it
Yes, in the end, writing success comes down to the small daily habit of writing and reflecting. When you’re done with your writing for the day, note in your writing journal what worked and what didn’t.
What if you need more help?
Come to one of my workshops this fall.
If you are still wondering WHY you should keep writing and what to write about and how to make it marketable, come to my Write Your Book, Boost Your Business Class on September 4.
You might help people change their attitude, or even change their lives. Consider coming to my workshop, “Write a Book, Boost Your Business” You’ll learn:
- How a book can support your work and help you earn money and connect with influential people.
- What you need to include in your book to make it competitive in this market.
- Creative ways to use your book to boost your business.
And here’s some good news: it only costs $10 to reserve your space. Sign up on the workshop page.
Write Now! Coach Rochelle Melander is an ADHD-trained professional certified coach who has helped hundreds of people write and publish books. She’s available to help you create a plan for your writing project, overcome distraction and procrastination to start and finish your writing, and navigate publishing and marketing your book. Book a private consultation: https://writenowcoach.com/consultation/
