You’re ready to be a successful writer.
You’ve got a great idea.
But the idea is still a bit fuzzy and uncertain.
So you go online and search. Maybe even watch a little Youtube and Netflix for inspiration. (These are not necessarily bad things when done in moderation.)
But there’s one important question that you must answer.
What? Just one question?
That’s right. The question is…
Do you have clarity?
What do I mean by that?
Here’s what I mean. If you’re writing a book, you have to know the genre.
If you’re running a business, you have to have an ideal customer or niche. (No, everyone is not your customer.)
If your blog is about a wide variety of topics, it likely won’t be a successful blog because the readers have no idea what to expect (or have a reason to revisit).
You cannot really move forward until you have clarity.
So again I ask…
Do you have clarity?
Let’s dig deeper with two different scenarios.
- Starting a blog “to make money” is probably the fuzziest goal in the world. You have to get more specific than that. No one is going to rush up and hand you money because you started a blog without any focus. You have to have to fill a specific need before you’ll get paid for something. It doesn’t have to be tricky either. You just have to be interesting and stay on topic. That’s it. Great timing helps too, but that takes care of itself as you create more content over time.
- Saying that you want to write a book is a good thing. But saying that you want to write a spy novel, a memoir or business book is GREAT. That additional level of clarity separates you from the millions of people who have said in passing that they want to write a book. One of the best steps you can take is to read some of your favorite books in the same genre. Take notes pointing out what parts really resonate with you. Post-it notes or labels FANTASTIC for this kind of thing.
When you dig deeper, you’ll give your project some boundaries. You’ve got a specific target in your sights, and you know what fits (and doesn’t).
Most importantly, you’ll have clarity.
Indecision kills dreams.
And procrastination is really just long-term indecision.
Dig deeper. Define and then redefine what it is you are doing and who you are doing it for.
Clarity requires action.
Clarity requires real work, that means CREATING things and doing things and not being online.
Yes, learning from others is important. It is great to learn.
But you must take action. This is why I haven’t been writing as much on this blog honestly. I want to take action and have some first-hand experience with something before I just write about it.
The Takeaway
- Figure out what it is you actually want to do. Be 100% honest with yourself. It is REALLY easy to lie to yourself and fool yourself into thinking something that is not true.
- Fear is a huge part of all of this. Fear can totally hold you up. If you don’t think you have a fear problem, that’s great. The truth is that you’re either fooling yourself or the fear is going to pop up again soon. Fear says things like: You’re not good enough. You can’t do this. You’re not smart enough, etc.
- It’s time to focus. This doesn’t happen on Facebook. It doesn’t happen on Twitter either. Yet that’s what we all try to do, right? That one inspirational quote on Instagram isn’t going to do the hard work for you. Hard work is hard work because it’s um… hard. Shocking right? I say this not to discourage you but to tell you to buckle down and do it anyways.
What does being a successful writer look like to you?
