The 3 Things Writers Should Remember On Those Days We Wonder Why We're Doing This

Day one. 

There is always a day one.

From the moments we go from crawl to walk…

From picking up a bat to a hit…

To first holding a pen then to publish…

There is always a day one.

It's what happens between day one and day 467 that matters the most though. Those are the weeks, days, hours, minutes, and moments where we rise or fall. That's the proverbial chasm or gap or whatever you choose to call it, where winners are made.

And it's also the void where mediocrity is forged.

So riddle me this. How many of you have set goals so lofty that it's a challenge, or even difficult to stay motivated and on track? You know, the proverbial "aim for the stars" mentality that feels so incredible and righteous on day one, but damn is a fella tired and worn out by day seven. You know what I mean, right?

Look, lofty goals are great. We need them. We crave the end result. There's not a darn thing wrong with being ambitious and hungry.

But nobody really tells us or shares with us the things we should feel each day to keep that fire stoked.

Cue the trumpets…your boy Ricky (that's me), has just the thing for you. Consider these my best motivational "feel" hacks to keep you invigorated. Think of these as that proverbial "one more step" when all you want to do is sit down.

There are plenty of ways to make it easier on yourself, your dreams, or your immediate family, in order to maintain that drive to create. All you have to do is:

• Figure out what your big, hairy, audacious, long-term goal is (this is the "shoot for the stars part")…
• Then chop them up into little mini-goals with specific measurements (this is the "how do I stay motivated each day part)…

When you reach a mini-goal, it's like reaching for a high bar in gymnastics. Once you get over it, you want to keep reaching for higher and further. But I'm not here to give you another list of ways to achieve success.

No. I'm here to tell you that this is what you will know and feel at each stage of the journey.

Steal these. Use them. Share them with the world when you feel it and they work.

You don't have to live in a trailer, however…

"A year from now you may wish you had started today." Karen Lamb

Lore has it that Stephen King was broke, married, and living in a trailer by the time he sold his first story for $35.

Thirty-five dollars.

I can only imagine the elation he felt not only when he found out it was accepted, but received that very first bit of change.

Remember how good it felt to publish that very first piece. Or deliver your very first article? It feels good when you hit that mark, doesn't it?

Almost literally like a million bucks; even if it is just $35.

It's powerful and invigorating. Like pumping your fist in the air awesome. It's internal positive reinforcement.

Cheer yourself on and get your juices flowing. Take advantage of that incredible feeling of success at every darn stage of your journey to reach your big, hairy, audacious, goal.

Set those mini-goals, nail them, celebrate each and every one.

Real life:

I publish on Vocal.Media. Been hammering away with all I got and this month it paid off. A micro pay-off but nevertheless it felt freaking fantastic. The amount will be enough for my wife and me to have a little date night out and a couple of cold IPA's. It was $71. 89. HELL YEAH!!

You might not be able to see the finish line yet, but…

"Progress is not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be." Khalil Gibran

Reaching each mini-goal also means you're a step closer to your end goal. It's a tell-tale sign that you are moving forward and making inroads.

Often times when our nose is to the literary grindstone, we lose sight of the end. Of the finish line. And then there are times when we're "nose to the grindstone" for so long, that by the time we do lift our heads to peek, your nose is gone.

We blow right through those mini successes and we lose faith, hope, drive, and motivation.

I get it.

Been there, done that. Rather than stop to celebrate a success we keep pushing through knowing we're closer but that kind of behavior is truly just self-sabotage. At the time it may feel good to push through.

When in fact all we're doing is setting ourselves up for flame out.

Real life:

This article you're reading now…like this actual one, is number 5 of 30. I'm in a 30-day writing challenge and while I know I still have 25 to go, as soon as I'm done with this one I'm cracking a cold beer. Set goals. Hit them. Celebrate and then get back to it fresh, the next day.

There's no such thing as lightning in a bottle, nonetheless…

"Stop thinking you're doing it all wrong. Your path doesn't look like anybody else's because it can't, it shouldn't, and it won't." - Eleanor Brownn

Successes, progress, each and every step you take towards that big ole goal gives you a jolt. It's a rush. It's almost as if they figured out how to put lightning in a bottle and you took a swig.

And you deserve it, rightfully so.

You're putting in the sweat and you are seeing the results now. You have every right to be proud of yourself. Don't keep it in a bottle, put that confidence and energy to use.

You've got this.

I'm going to compel you to take it one step further. Don't just share the win and the ensuing confidence with your inner circle or spouse. Share it with the world. Pop it into a meme, or a Tweet; share it on your profile. Whatever you do, foster that energy and let it amplify.

Real life:

Go back and read the beginning. I shared my monetary win and what I'm gonna do with it. My goal is that 100's, perhaps 1,000's of folks will see this, find some confidence in it, and do the damn same. So go, now, and win.

The final word

Your journey to reach your goals is where the real work happens. It's what you do on day 3, day 48, and all the way to day 467 that will make all of the difference in your life. So don't be discouraged by how hard it can seem right now or let yourself feel like giving up because today wasn't as good as yesterday was.

You're so much closer than you might think and with every step forward, a little bit more light shines through to show you the way home again.

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>> Actionable tips and inspiring words to move your freelancer needle. Join other thoughtful folks here, or heck, just buy Ricky a cup of coffee.