Are you familiar with the concept of a success journal?
If not, hang onto your hat, because I’m about to throw something at you that could completely transform the way you approach writing—and your day-to-day life.
Please read this to the end, because I’d love to hear your comments.
Far too easily, we as writers can fall into a thought pattern of negativity, sometimes without even realizing it.
Here’s how it happens: you’re riding high, feeling really good about what you’re writing, and enjoying a long string of productive days.
And then.
You hit a bump in the road. You discover a plot hole that you’re not sure how to fix, someone says something that brings you down, or you just have a bad day.
Suddenly the negative thoughts come flooding in: I’m never going to finish this. It was a stupid idea to begin with. Come to think of it, my writing isn’t all that good.
This is normal, in that it happens to all of us. But it’s an incredibly destructive thought pattern, and your goal should be to break out of it as quickly as possible.
That’s where the success journal comes in: it’s the simple—but powerful—idea of sitting down in the evening and writing out what you achieved during the day.
What does this do? It completely flips your internal narrative: suddenly you’re focusing on the positive, instead of dwelling on the negative.
At this point you may be thinking, But I don’t have that many things to celebrate each day!
I beg to differ. Remember, it’s the little stuff.
Maybe you had a flash of inspiration about how to end a chapter. Maybe a family member complimented your work. Or maybe you simply showed up in your writing nook this morning even though you were tempted to sleep in.
All of these are successes! And that’s exactly what I’m talking about.
I became a success junkie when I started doing this. Writing in my success journal became like a hit of a drug: I had to have it. So I started going around doing things just so I could write them down later. When they say that success begets more success, they’re not kidding!
Ready to start your success journal? Here’s how.
This could be done with a small notebook, locked away in a desk drawer for your eyes only.
Or…
It can be shared with a group!
Specifically, the (brand new) Better Writers Club. Yesterday, I talked about how something as simple as a Daily Action Calendar can help you plan out the entire novel writing and publishing process.
Today, I want to drive home the importance of not just taking action, but recognizing how incredibly powerful each small step is, and allowing yourself to feel pride in what you accomplish each day, even if it seems insignificant at the time.
Great achievements, after all, are made up entirely of the smallest, most “insignificant” steps.
What’s more, when you share, your success will inspire others, creating an upward spiral of positivity.
Jump on this opportunity to supercharge your novel-writing efforts, and inject new excitement into your writing life. The new Club launches June 1st!
Here’s where to get your invite code:
eepurl.com/dfXnAP (it’s a MailChimp form)
Now, let’s hear your comments…
Have you ever kept a success journal and seen positive results? Thinking about starting one now? Let us know!
Even if you’ve tried keeping a success journal before, this is a good time to start up again. Get your invite code here for the (brand new) Better Writers Club, and buckle up for an exciting journey!
I’m Timothy Pike, self-publishing and productivity coach specializing in helping you publish beautiful books on Amazon and in your local bookstore. The (brand new) Better Writers Club launches June 1st, and you’ll be able to pre-enroll soon with an invite code, which you can request here.
What Inspires Your Writing? 