Put one foot in front of the other

One of my favorite inspirational authors and speakers, Doreen Virtue, had a post on her Facebook page awhile ago. "Every goal and change is accomplished one step at a time. Keep your focus centered on the current step that you’re taking. Don’t worry about the ones that you’ll take next week, month, or year". Isn't this so true, especially for writers? But are we all really doing this?

When it comes to writing, it's all we can and should do. Maybe it's the first class we take, or the first writing group we go to, or the first time we let others read our pages out loud. We don't know how long the journey will take till we reach success. But it's not about that. It's about being a writer. Getting our words on the page. That's all we can control. Looking far into the future of when success will hit, that's not our concern. If we worry about that, we may never succeed.

Does a famous athlete worry about how he'll perform in the Super Bowl or any big game? Nope. If he does, he won't succeed. In fact, just the opposite will happen. What makes a good athlete is doing what he does best. Not worrying about the outcome. And I think as writers, we need to do the same thing. I've seen too many writers disappear from their dreams because they focus on the final outcome of success. And when they don't see it happen in the schedule or timeline they hoped, they drop out. But what if they were on the verge of reaching that success? Or what if success would have been greater than they imagined, but it would take 15 years, instead of two? Don't worry about the timeline. Just know that you're always becoming a better writer. You're finding your voice. You're stumbling upon new stories all the time. Meeting new people that can help you achieve your dream. When all that lines up, you will succeed. But for now, just put one foot in front of the other. That's all we have. Now. Worry about what to do now. Which is write. Then go do it. The rest will happen when it's time.