How to Show Gratitude in Business

It’s the time of year to reflect on what we’re grateful for. Although we often focus on gratitude for the holidays, we should practice gratitude more than once a year because it will help our businesses grow. 

Yes, showing gratitude can help your business grow.

It’s one of the easiest things to do but somehow always gets forgotten. People start to feel resentful, unvalued, disrespected, and unappreciated, which leads to an unhappy workplace with high turnover - unappreciated customers who don’t return to purchase from your business. 

Establishing a culture of gratitude is an easy way to set yourself up for success.

Why Gratitude is Important for Business

Are you more likely to do business with someone who takes your money and runs, or someone who shows genuine appreciation for your business? I’m guessing the latter (let’s face it, we all want to be appreciated). Showing appreciation for “your people” greatly improves the amount of business you receive and builds your loyal customer base. People will keep coming back to you when they feel truly appreciated and valued. 

On the other hand, employees and employers need to feel appreciated, too. An excerpt from Intelligent Change reveals something interesting about U.S. workplaces: 

“Recent research conducted by the John Templeton Foundation revealed that for Americans, the workplace is the least likely place to express gratitude. Although as many as 93% of the respondents agreed that a grateful boss is more likely to succeed, and almost all of them agreed that a simple ‘thank you’ at work made them feel valued and respected, only 10% were actually prone to express gratefulness. The majority, or 60% of the respondents, have never expressed gratitude at work, or have only done so once a year!”

That’s pretty sad! How does showing gratitude once a year foster a positive work environment? It doesn’t. Employees and bosses need positive affirmation, encouragement, and to feel respected and appreciated to be their best selves in the workplace. It will make work more enjoyable for everyone, which is important since we spend so much of our one life doing it. 

How to Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude

It takes a conscious effort to choose an attitude of gratitude. It’s not something that happens overnight, and even for those who practice gratitude regularly, it can be harder on difficult days. Adopting a gratitude mindset and intentionally practicing gratitude every day will get you there, though. And it’s definitely worth it.

Mindset

I like this definition of a gratitude mindset from Lucemi Consulting: 

“When you have a gratitude mindset, you focus on the limitless opportunities available in business and life because you already appreciate what you have. When you are grateful, you choose to focus on the positive things rather than the negative things.”

Mindset is key when adopting an attitude of gratitude. You can see opportunity everywhere, but you’re aware of and thankful for where you are and what you have today. No one can take away your choice to be grateful for the life you have or the opportunities you’ve been given.

Attract What You Put Out in the World

You attract what you put out in the world. (Yes, it’s the law of attraction - you knew it was coming.) If you’re constantly throwing negativity into the world, you’re going to get negativity back. If you switch that mindset and start putting positivity into the world, you will attract it back to you. If you constantly show gratitude to people, they will return the favor. 

Another aspect of this is that whatever you’re putting out in the world, you notice more in your own life. In the case of gratitude, when you constantly praise people for the work they’ve done, you notice when people do the same in return. Sometimes small notes of praise can go unnoticed, but when you make that a core value of your business, you notice when people are expressing gratitude towards yourself and others. 

4 Ideas for Showing Gratitude in Your Business

Obviously showing gratitude is important to growing your business, but how do you go about actually doing that? Here are a few ideas of how to start.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

I like to practice gratitude journaling in the morning. It sets me on the right foot for the day. I make a list of 10-15 things that I’m grateful for. I try to be really specific, too. Not just “food” (which, of course, I am grateful for). Instead, I would write something like, “I am grateful that I have the means to purchase food I want.” Be specific when you fill out a gratitude journal. It will be fun to look back after a few months or even years to see how much you’ve grown and developed as a human. 

Be Grateful for Small Things that Happen Every Day

Do you know how many small things happening every day that you can be grateful for? Probably hundreds. During your gratitude journaling, identify small things that have happened to you in the last day or two that you can be grateful for. In addition (or alternatively), you can log your gratitude each night in a journal or app like Pixels. 

Send Gifts to Clients or Customers

Client gifts aren’t just for the holidays. You can send thank you letters when they sign with you, a quick birthday message, or a small gift of congratulations when they hit a milestone in their business. It’s always nice to receive “fun mail,” as I like to call it. It makes clients feel special and appreciated. 

Show appreciation to employees

We’ve all been part of the corporate world and felt unappreciated. If you haven’t, you’re one of the lucky few. It makes you dread work every day, resentful toward the company, and often straight-up miserable. Create a culture of gratitude and appreciation among employees. Give them positive affirmations, small gifts or thank you cards, and encourage employees to show gratitude among themselves, too. An appreciated employee is happier and has a higher job performance. Who doesn’t want that for the people who work with them?

P.S. Freelancers and contractors who do work for you count, too! 

I encourage you to practice showing gratitude daily. Start a daily gratitude journal, send gifts to clients or customers, and create a culture of gratitude by regularly showing employee appreciation. Not only will your business flourish, but you and everyone around you will be happier and more grateful people. We need more of those people in the world, don’t you agree?

Overcome Your Writing Fears with These 9 Simple Strategies

Beginning, or even continuing, a writing project can be a daunting task. There are many factors to consider before you dive in - and many fears that may arise.

Today we wanted to share some fears that we see often, and how to overcome them so you can keep working on your next masterpiece!

All the Writing Fears (or at Least a Lot of Them)

Picture this: you’ve got a brilliant idea (or at least an idea) and you’re ready to write. BUT, and this is a big one, you haven’t really planned anything out. You may not even know much about the characters or the world, but dang it! You want to write the thing. Worrying about fully developing an idea can hold you back, especially if/when you feel like if you don’t plan more it may not be any good. 

The good news is that as long as you have an idea, you can start writing. Maybe you just have a couple of characters who keep coming to mind, or you’re picturing one certain scene. If that’s what you’ve got, go for it! Focus on writing and developing those bits first - then you can work on planning and writing more when you have a better feel for where you see the story going. 

Amidst your thoughts about developing your idea enough, you may worry if people will even “get it.” What if they don’t understand? What if you can’t find the right words to express the image in your mind? Unfortunately, you can’t control what other people understand of your work. You can do your best to make sure your writing is as clear and precise as possible, and get feedback as you go along, but that’s about it. There’s no way to connect with everyone, and that’s okay! You don’t need to. 

Along these same lines, writers often fear that people won’t “buy in” or be interested in what you have to say. For non-fiction writers, it may be about not being persuasive enough. For fiction writers, it may be about readers not relating enough to your characters and story. Either way, the only thing you need to worry about is reaching your ideal audience - the readers you know will love your book. 

Audience is a funny thing: it can both thrill and terrify you, especially when it comes to your writing! Many writers, especially new writers, are especially worried about not having a big enough following or a wide enough audience. It’s a lot of work to build a social media following, and an audience of loyal readers. And actually, having an audience is a big part of being successful as a writer because that’s the way you reach “your” people! The key is that it takes time - the more effort you put in interacting with people and sharing your ideas, the easier (and more natural) it will feel to grow your following. 

Probably the most common, and sometimes the most debilitating, fear is being compared to others. While it’s not always a bad thing to be compared to other writers (hello, who doesn’t want to be compared to someone great?!), it doesn’t feel good when the comments are about you not being as “good” as other writers. This is especially true if you’ve been inspired by someone you love and are trying to write something similar. 

Then the worry becomes a fear that your idea isn’t original. While we hate to be the bearer of bad news, you probably aren’t going to have a ground-breaking, never-been-done-before idea. It’s natural to get ideas from what you read and see in the world! You just need to make sure that whatever you’re working on doesn’t copy anyone directly (that’s plagiarism). Sometimes we take ideas from what we’ve read and it morphs into our own unique thing, and that’s great - just make sure you’re not copying from someone else directly. Put your spin on it. After all, that’s what will excite people! 

9 Ways to Overcome Writing Fear

While there may be quite a few fears, there are some pretty simple and effective ways to fight back. 

1. Figure out the ultimate outcome. If you figure out what you want to happen in the big picture, it will help dispel the fear that your idea won’t be developed enough. 

2. Think about yourself. What do you enjoy reading and writing about? What are your favorite genres, tropes, archetypes, etc.? What are you writing: a novel, poem, short story, something else? All of this info factors into how your idea will play out.  If you know where your story is headed, it’s easier to see the bigger picture and work your way towards that outcome. 

3. Take the free 10 Day Organize Your Book course. During these 10 days, you’ll plot your book (or whip your Work in Progress back into shape), organize your ideas, technology, and space and just feel good about your writing.  

4. Imagine your ideal audience. Who are you writing for? Consider age groups, genre types, niche groups, or whomever you think would enjoy your writing the most. Once you have an ideal audience, you can write with them in mind. If you’re stuck on audience (it happens to all of us sometimes!), read this, it will help.

5. Find other authors in the same genre on social media and follow them. It helps to know that you’re not alone no matter what type of writing you do. There’s an audience for all topics, you just need to make sure you’re a part of that community so when you share your work, it’ll be found by people who’ll be excited to read it. 

6. Set a timer for your writing sessions. Also called writing sprints, having a timer can be helpful to push past fear of writer's block. Read the older part of your writing first if you’ve already started, then set a timer and focus on a tiny section. Give yourself the freedom to be as sloppy as you want (& DO NOT edit as you’re writing). If, in the end, it doesn’t make the cut, at least you’ll make progress and get next part in your writing. 

7. Get the failure workbook. It’s called “How to Stop Feeling Like a Failure in 5 Simple Steps” - we clearly like keeping things simple around here! The workbook walks you through widespread myths about writing (that are totally not true), the mindset you’ll need to be successful, and exercises about how to get there. Super helpful. You’ll be writing with confidence in no time!

8. Practice. Write as much as you can and as often as you can. This will help you improve your writing and help to dispel the fear of not being good enough. 

9. Don’t show anyone, at least at first. One of our favorite strategies is to keep your writing to yourself until you decide it’s ready enough to share. A first draft is never perfect, and will need a lot of edits before it’s ready for readers. You don’t want your unfinished, unpolished work being compared to other writer’s final drafts, it's not fair to yourself or your writing! While we always encourage feedback, don’t feel pressured to show your writing to anyone while it’s still brand new, even if they mean well. 

My challenge to you is to push past your fears and write!

What fears have been holding you back? Do you have an idea that you need help developing? Have you had success overcoming similar fears? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media or drop a comment below

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing. 

7 Unexpected Ways Meditation Helps My Writing

Meditation, like self-care, is a hot topic right now. Or maybe it’s always been a hot topic and I just never noticed until I started doing it. 

I didn’t believe it would work, at least not at first. I took a yoga class in college (because my college required a physical education class...gross), and I loved the yoga part. 

We would also do meditations at the end of class each day, which was super uncomfortable the first few weeks. I mean, who really wants to lay on a yoga mat in an exercise studio with a bunch of people they don’t know and try to get zen? 

It also freaked me out to seemingly give up control of my body for a little bit and actually relax. At the time, I hadn’t yet taken any steps to control my anxiety, so you can probably imagine how tense it was. 

Just as I started to get used to it, though (and actually enjoy it), the class ended. Of course. 

I didn’t pick it back up until early 2020 when the proverbial shit hit the fan and I HAD to figure out how to deal with my anxiety. There was so much going on, and although napping does help me (I’m super open about it - such a creative boost!), it was getting into the nap that was the problem. 

Relaxing enough to shut my mind down even for 15 minutes was a huge problem, so I wracked my poor stressed out brain to figure out what to do. I was willing to try pretty much anything. 

Enter: meditation. 

What Do I Mean by Meditation?

Real quick, before we get to how meditation is pretty much a life (and business) saver for me, I wanted to touch on what I mean because there are different kinds of meditation. When I first learned about it, I kind of thought that only monks meditated - and maybe those who were hardcore yoga practitioners who were in it for the spiritual aspects. It was a super stereotypical assumption, and I’m happy to report that I was wrong! 

Spiritual meditation is a popular practice, and there are a ton of great resources about it. That’s not the kind of meditation I do, though. I use guided imagery meditation. I also don’t meditate at 5 am before anyone is awake - I do it in the afternoon, typically after lunch or mid-afternoon when I look up from whatever project I’m working on and realize that my brain needs a break or a reset. 

I have a couple of apps that I love, and there are lots of free audios to choose from. My favorite is Insight Timer, and I use it both for afternoon meditation and sleep stories at night before I go to bed. I don’t have the premium membership ($59.99/year), but that’s probably something I will purchase next year because I use and enjoy it so much.

Why I Meditate 3-4 Afternoons a Week

So here’s the fun part: all the reasons I meditate on the regular. My goal for August is actually to meditate 4 times a week, which is lofty. As you probably know, being busy makes your schedule a little unpredictable! 

But this particular part of my day is SO worth it. 

Part of my meditation practice is selfish...it helps puppy Maxwell take a nap in the afternoon. I don’t know if you have furry friends at home with you, but with 2 fur babies and myself at home almost all the time (because I work remotely), we NEED naptime in my house. By the afternoon, he’s ready, but fighting it because he has serious FOMO (which I’ve come to realize most little creatures do, human or animal) and he thinks that even though I’ve been massively boring to him and Charlie all day so far, I’m going to jump up and party without him or something. I’m not, but he doesn’t realize that. So when I get ready to meditate, I put him in his sleeping area and I lay in bed for about 15 minutes and get up while he’s still snoozing. 

Amidst the quiet house, because Charlie is always willing to take a snooze no matter what time of day, I get up feeling refreshed and ready to create. The meditations that I do often involve an element of intentional breathing and mindfulness, so any kind of worry or anxiety that has crept into my subconscious is cleared out.

Sometimes this is a bigger deal than others, especially if I’ve been working on a tight deadline or stressful project. Meditation essentially offers me a reset button for my mind. When you weigh 15 minutes of refresh vs. 15 minutes of barely pushing yourself to write another paragraph, the refresh is obviously the better (and more logical choice). 

When I’ve reset my mind and cleared out any worries, I’m always amazed at how clearly I can figure out what I need to do next. Also, it makes me hella creative because I don’t have to create past all that other crap - it’s almost like starting a brand new day halfway through the current day. 

It’s a nice way to break things up, and I’m almost always excited to dive back into projects. The times I’m not, I can at least handle it maturely instead of sitting down to binge-watch nature documentaries on Disney+ for the rest of the day. 

One of the best things about meditation is that it makes me excited about my own writing. If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that there have been a couple of rough patches with my personal writing in the last year (if you don’t, let’s connect!). As it turns out, when you write so much for other people, it can leave you drained of creative energy for your own projects no matter how much you love them. That’s also not great when you’re supposed to be helping other people write creatively. 

“When I amped up my meditation practice this spring, I was surprised at how much of a boost it gave me. And how much clarity for what parts of my creativity I can lean into right now.”

So when I amped up my meditation practice this spring, I was surprised at how much of a boost it gave me. And how much clarity for what parts of my creativity I can lean into right now. I’m pleased to say that I actually have multiple creative projects going on right now, and I have a standing writing date with myself on Friday afternoons. That would be decidedly impossible without meditation and clearing my mind so much throughout the week. 

I feel like I could talk about meditation all day long - I DO talk about it a lot! It’s made such a big impact on my life and creativity, and I think it could help you, too. You may not “get it” the first time or two. I definitely didn’t! But if you stick with it for a little while, I’m willing to bet you’ll start seeing some of these benefits, too. 

My challenge to you is to try meditation - more than once because it’s a habit - and see how it could help you. 

Do you meditate? What do you use for your meditations? How has meditation helped you? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

Why a Little Fear Isn’t Just Normal, It’s Good

My mouse hovered over the “Send” button. 

Palms sweating, heart racing, I knew I had to send the email, but fear (& imposter syndrome) invaded my mind. 

After a deep breath, I closed my eyes, clicked, and it was done. 

The draft was sent. 

For better or worse, my client had the article, and it was out of my hands as to how they would react.

Have you ever had a moment of fear like this in your professional life?

One where you’ve worked your ass off, but aren’t quite sure what the receiver will think? Or maybe one where you made a bold move without asking first and wondered if the risk would pay off, hoping whoever you’re doing the work for loves your moxie? 

As a writer, I have these experiences frequently. 

It’s certainly not every project, and the more and varied kinds of projects I do, the farther apart they are. But, fear is a part of creative life, and as far as I can tell, there’s no way around it. 

It feels almost like being the new kid in school, hoping the other kids will see how awesome you are before they realize you’re too tall, you’ve got braces, and your sense of humor is still too grown up for you. 

Or walking into a brand new office full of people knowing they’ve all been working together for the last decade and you’re the first new person in years. Yikes.  

We talk about being professional in a way that implies that once we’re the “expert” we’ll never be scared again. Or once we’ve done what we do best for a long time, we’ll just magically become fearless - hence the term “fearless leader,” right? 

That’s patently false. 

No matter how long you’ve been doing something, or how far up you get in the professional food chain, there will always be an element of fear. But who says that’s a bad thing? 

I guess a good majority of the world does often say that fear is a weakness - that’s how we’re taught to think. Being fearless and overcoming fear are seen as praiseworthy accomplishments, and in a sense they are. No one should have to live their entire lives paralyzed by fear. 

But fear doesn’t always have to be the bad guy! I mean, it’s always there anyway (even if you’re good at compartmentalizing it to the back of your mind), so you might as well accept it and figure out why it’s there - and what the heck it’s going to do, right? 

Fear will always be part of our professional lives. Here’s why:

No matter how much you accomplish, there will always be things you don’t know and/or haven’t done.

Plain and simple, you can’t know everything (and you don’t need to). You can be as expert as expert can be and still not know as much as someone else about a topic outside of your area. 

You can study and know something back and forth and still accidentally leave a hole in your knowledge. Those holes, no matter how small, will probably leave you feeling inept because you “should have known” whatever it is you missed.

No one wants to leave that vulnerability open in the professional world - the not knowing everything bit - because they feel like it makes them seem less of an expert. Less trustworthy. Less professional.

It doesn’t, though. It makes you human! 

We’re not robots or computers. We’re people! And people sometimes miss or forget things, which is okay. 

What it really comes down to is a fear of not being respected or accepted. You bring a unique wealth of experience and knowledge to the table, and that’s enough. 

Your fear is trying to protect you from embarrassment or judgement, which is a nice thought, in theory. That being said, fear doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t, run your professional life. 

There have been and will continue to be people telling you that you’re not good enough or don’t “meet the mark.”

I know you’ve had an experience at work or in school where someone told you that your best wasn’t good enough. Even if it was supposed to be “nice” or “polite” or labeled as “constructive criticism” (that was actually just regular criticism in disguise).  

We’ve ALL been there, and it sucks. No sugar, spice, or something nice about it. Being rejected hurts, especially when you’ve poured yourself into the project. The unfortunate thing about it is that it will keep happening. 

So our fear kicks in and warns us “Watch out! You love this thing, better be careful who you share it with.” Totally legit. You should be careful who you send your heartfelt work to. 

BUT, you won’t always be rejected! In fact, as you learn and grow, experience will show you how to improve so you get rejected less. You become better at tasks you struggle with and learn to adapt when you do get rejected so it hurts a little less than the last time. 

In the business world, a lot of rejection isn’t personal, even when it feels that way (and believe me, it really really does sometimes). Your project may be one of a hundred the person looks at and has to pick one. That doesn’t mean your project is bad! It just means that someone else fits their needs better this time. 

Growing is pretty much always scary because you have to get uncomfortable.

I’m gonna be honest: I’m a creature of comfort. I think most of us are. We like knowing what we know & we feel really good when we can help others with what we know. That’s pretty much the basis of business, with some money tossed into the mix. 

But if we want to be our best selves and grow professionally, we have to commit to it. We have to want to grow, and if you’ve ever been the person learning a new skill (likely), you’ll know that it can be really uncomfortable. 

You know the kind of discomfort I mean - feeling like you don’t know anything, so how could you possibly do the thing? Even crazier if you don’t know how to do the thing (or you’re terrible at it) and you want to start a business with it. Laughable! 

Or so we tell ourselves. But is it actually crazy to think we could learn a new skill and implement it? Is it actually so unbelievable that a smart person could leverage their strengths and create a career based on what they love instead of doing something mind-numbingly boring that they know backwards and forwards for the next 40 years? 

I don’t think so, and I don’t think you do either. But your fear probably does. 

Mine definitely did! Who am I to run a business? And enjoy it? And be good at it? WTF? 

But, you know what? I did it anyway (because I’m stubborn as hell - much more so than my fear). And I am good at it. And it is awesome. The fear is still there, and you know what? I like it. It keeps me honest because truly, there is a lot I don’t know.

I don’t pretend to know it all about business - the basics, sure, but that’s what other experts are for, to help me learn! That’s not why people work with me either. They work with me because I’m exceptional at stories and storytelling and working with words in a way that most people can’t (or won’t learn how to do).

So when I hesitate for a moment before sending an article (not terribly uncommon), my fear hovers for a moment, I acknowledge it’s there, and then I click send and go on about my day. Because my best is enough, and it’s good - yours is, too.

The feedback I got on the sweaty palm, heart racing article? “This is the best work you've done so far. You're like a fine wine... just getting better with time. Awesome work!” 

I get emails like this probably 95% (or more) of the time I’m nervous about client work. The fear? Almost entirely unfounded - but it’s part of putting so much of yourself into the work you do. Even when it’s there, I never let it stop me. 

If you’ve had, or are still having, fears in your professional life, take a breath, acknowledge them, and move forward. Whether that’s clicking send on an important email, asking for a raise, suggesting an organizational change, or even finding a new career - one you love - go for it. 

You can do it. You’ll be scared, but that’s okay, be bold and do it anyway.

Are You Making These 2 Deadly Mistakes with Your Next Book?

Being a writer comes with a lot of different expectations and perceptions. Everyone has an idea of what they think a writer should or shouldn’t do. It can be overwhelming and sometimes disheartening reading all of the differing opinions. 

Let's ignore all those other voices and focus on what’s important: writing your book. 

In order to do that, it’s important that you keep two things in mind - and avoid them at all costs. Do that, and being a writer will be much more straightforward.

The First Deadly Mistake & How to Avoid It

As a writer, there are plenty of reasons and excuses to avoid starting a new book. Sometimes the task is too daunting, or I feel too busy. Thinking this way will only lead to putting off that book over and over again, though. This leads to the first and most critical deadly mistake you can make as a writer which is to not start.

Writing a book is daunting, and will take a lot of time and effort, but you can’t let that deter you from starting your project! The only way that your book will ever get written, is if you write it. 

So, first things first - when you have an idea for a book write it down! Keep a notebook, Word Doc, or sticky notes handy so whenever you have an idea for a book, you can jot it down for later. This will help ensure you don’t forget what the heck you were thinking about when you actually sit down to write. If there are certain details that jump out at you for this idea, make sure to write those down too. You can always change your mind later.

You don’t have to dive right in and start writing the book. If it’s easier, plotting and planning is always a great way to begin. Make lists, character charts, outlines, timelines, or whatever else will help your book take form. These are all great tools to use and come back to if you get lost in your writing down the line (trust me, it happens all the time!). 

If you want to create a writing notebook that will include all of these helpful tools, read about 5 pieces to include in your writing notebook - it’ll help you get started. 

Once you’ve started, don’t stop! Taking breaks is essential, or you’ll get burned out. However, don’t take too long of breaks in between writing sessions or it will make it much harder for your writing to be cohesive. It can also be hard to get back into the story flow if you’re away for a while.

When I take too long of a break and I come back to my story, I have to take time to remind myself what’s going on, where I left off, and where I planned to go from there. It uses a lot of precious time that could be spent actually writing.

As writers, we’ve all experienced at one point or another a “writing slump.” This is normal! Don’t let it keep you from writing, though. If you’re stuck in a certain scene, skip it (for now). Write the next scene, or one you’re excited about instead. You can always go back to the other scene later when you have a better idea of what you want to happen. 

If you need a break from writing your book, but still want to write, try a short story! Writing prompts are a fun way to come up with new ideas and try new forms of writing. If you want to learn more about how to use writing prompts, check this out.

The Second Deadly Mistake & Why You Don’t Need to Worry So Much

Without sounding like a buzzkill, no matter what your idea is, chances are, someone has already written something similar. This isn’t to say that your idea isn’t good, or unique! The second deadly mistake that you can make as a writer: feeling as if you need to write something completely new. It’s almost impossible to come up with a completely original story line, but what no one else has done is write it as you. You are what makes the idea unique. 

For example, look how many Disney story retellings there are. I’ve read almost half a dozen Beauty and the Beast retellings and every one has a host of different characters, plots, and outcomes. It’s how you write the story and the details you choose to pull out that matter. 

That being said, you definitely can’t plagiarize someone else’s work. But you don’t have to worry so much about whether your idea is original or not. If you’re excited about it and think it will be a great story, then write it!

The Moral of the Story: It’s Better to Start and Suck Than Not Start At All

If you’re worried about your writing not being your best work (or making you look like someone who can barely hold a thought, let alone write a book) - don’t be! That’s what editing and editors are for. 

Don’t let the fear of sucking hold you back. Editing & rewriting come after you finish your first draft and can do wonders for your words. You can do a lot of these edits yourself, and/or you can hire professionals to help you. 

It’s best to have more than one set of eyes on your work to ensure someone is catching things you miss, and that you aren’t accidentally overlooking your own biases.

Wondering how the heck to get started?

• Remember - write down your ideas - get them on paper so you don’t forget them. 

• Take this free 10 day course to help organize your book (in less than 2 weeks). You don’t even have to have a work in progress yet!

• Write the book. Do whatever you need to get that book started, whether that’s planning or jumping right in. 

My challenge to you is to start writing or planning your book. 

Have you been putting off writing? Do you have a book idea you’ve been wanting to write? What helps you get started on a new idea? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

A Message to Struggling Writers

Hi, 

Today I’m struck simultaneously by how grateful I am for the life I lead, and also how much I’m still struggling. It’s not just about the pandemic, or having been unemployed for 8 months last year (during which I started a business). It’s also not about the fact that there’s been so much social and political upheaval in the past 6 months, although that definitely hasn’t been easy either. 

No, the primary struggle for me is me. 

It’s about mindset and creativity and overwhelm and priorities. My creative writing has definitely felt the impact of all these things, and not in a good way. 

So today I wanted to share a message for other writers, like me, who are struggling: 

It’s okay to struggle. 

Likewise, it’s okay that not every day is a productive day. While it would be nice if all of us could crank out chapter after chapter of our dream novel, it’s okay that it doesn’t happen like that. Writing doesn’t have to be a game of who’s most prolific or who can write the most. It’s not a competition!

It’s one thing to have goals and celebrate achievements, but it’s another thing entirely to live and breath so much by the metrics that you feel stuck. You feel scared to “get behind” in your creative projects. This mindset can pretty effectively block creative thoughts from coming to us in the first place, which feels even worse! 

There’s too much pressure for writers to mimic the bestsellers in both pace and style. I’m over it, and I’m over it for you, too. Audience is important to think about as your writing, but creative ventures are also about their creators. If you’re not writing about what you love, or you don’t like what you’re writing, your specially picked audience will read right through it..

Editing doesn’t put passion back into flat writing. 

It’s also okay to walk away and take a break. It can be tricky to tell if you’re stuck in a rut or if you need to transition to a new project. It’s also really hard to walk away from something you love doing, even when you know it will help you be at your best for the next writing session. It’s okay, though. 

Taking a few days, or even a few weeks, off of your writing project doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It merely means you’re giving yourself a chance to breathe and create on your own terms. 

When you come back to your project after a break, or even before taking a break, it’s also okay to not know what’s next. Even if you have a detailed outline it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what would be the best piece to write next. For those of us who work a little more abstractly, sometimes we’re pulled in a clear direction of where to go and sometimes we’re not. It doesn’t mean our work is a lost cause, it just means we need to sit with our characters and get in their heads in a new way. 

Most of all, know that you are not alone. 

There are days where I wake up full of energy and creativity that goes straight to my novel. There are also days where I can barely do the writing I’m getting paid to do, let alone trying to have any conversations or think about my main character, Callie. 

No matter what the reasons are for your struggle, it’s okay. You’re not the only one, and it’s not forever. 

If you need help, or just want someone to chat with about the struggle (and just how real it is), reach out. Let’s chat. No strings attached or money involved. I find that often, after talking to other writers, I am not only bolstered about writing, but also just happier in general because we’ve talked about something we both love. 

It’s pretty cool. 

Let’s connect, okay? 

Yours in Struggle,

How to Know When to Walk Away from a Writing Idea

As writers, we know that ideas come and go, and are never predictable. Whenever a good idea comes along, we have to latch onto it so it doesn’t escape us! However, sometimes, even after a lot of time and hard work, we may need to make the decision to walk away from a writing idea. The real question is: how do we decide if we need to walk away?

Why People Don’t Want to Walk Away

When we’ve spent hours upon hours working on a project or a writing idea, it can be hard to walk away from it, even if we know it’s the right thing to do. 

Here are some excuses we may be using to justify continuing a project that’s run its course:

I’ve been working on it a long time

When you have a lot of time invested in any project, writing related or not, it's easy to feel as if it was time wasted if you decide to walk away. It’s important to know that any time spent on writing is never wasted time. In every moment spent writing, you are improving your skills and learning new techniques.

I’ve already written so much

Awesome! Now you have material you can either repurpose, or rewrite for another idea! When working on a writing idea, we always have the option of pulling from our previous projects. If you’re letting this hold you back from moving on, don’t worry! This writing is not wasted material: we can always come back to it or use it for writing ideas in the future. 

I love it but I can’t figure out how to make it a priority

We can enjoy something and sometimes do it, but not make it a priority. If you have too much on your plate, you can take a break from whatever isn’t the most important. For example, I have a new puppy, so she is my main priority right now, and writing has to come second. 

If I don’t have time to write for a day, or a week, I don’t beat myself up about it. I know I can always go back to my writing. It’s okay if you can’t make something a priority. When it’s something we love, we can make small amounts of time for it with the realization that we need to focus on our most important tasks first. 

Won’t I be a “failure” if I switch topics?

There is a lot of fear of failure as a writer. We have to worry about people criticizing our writing, rejecting our submissions, or our work just falling flat. Fear of failure doesn’t have to keep us from moving on to bigger and better ideas. Switching topics just means you have enough self-awareness to know when a project isn’t working out any more.

I’m not a  “real writer” if I can’t finish an idea

If you write, you’re a real writer. Don’t let anyone else define that for you, and don’t let your perceived failures dictate it either. Real writers write. If you decide halfway through a project that your idea isn’t as good as you once thought, or you just don’t have the same passion for it as before, it’s better for you and your readers to walk away from that idea. 

How to Know When it’s Better to Walk Away

The hard part of all of this is how to know when it’s time to walk away. Sometimes it may be an obvious decision, other times not so much. It’s important to remember that we don’t have to walk away from an idea forever. We can always go back to an idea later, or reuse some or all of what we’ve already written. 

Here are 3 ways to know when we need to walk away or take a break: 

1. You’re no longer interested in or passionate about your idea

   If you’ve lost interest in an idea, or lost your passion for it, it may be time to walk away. It might still be a great idea, but maybe it would be better suited to someone else. If we no longer feel the same passion we did when we started, it’s going to be hard to finish the project. It will also show in our writing if we are trying to force interest in our ideas just to finish them.

2. The idea is not serving you/helping you grow & get better

   Writing is a lot of work and usually takes a lot of time. If an idea isn’t doing anything for you, or helping you grow in some way, it may be time to walk away. It’s important that our writing has a purpose, whether that’s to better ourselves, or to help better others. It’s important to keep sight of our “why.” 

   Once a writing idea loses its usefulness, it’s hard to justify continuing work on it. People pick up a book or read an article with the idea that they are going to get something out of it. Make sure to keep that in mind. Whatever we’re trying to convey in our writing reflects our vision and communicates our message. 

3. The idea feels like work

   If you’re no longer having fun with a writing idea, it may be time to walk away. If it feels like work, it’s going to be that much harder for us to finish because all we’ll be able to think about is how much we’d rather be doing something else. Take a break or find a new idea that brings you joy.

Next Steps

There are many different reasons we may have for walking away from a writing idea, and some may be more pressing than others. In any case, it’s important to remember, whether you see it through or walk away, you are or can still be, an accomplished writer! Don’t let self-doubt and fear hold you back from new ideas, or from walking away from an unfinished project. 

1. Review what you have. Take a look at what you have for your writing idea so far. Do you still have passion for or interest in the idea? Does it have a purpose or goal? Is it still enjoyable?

2. Decide whether it’s worth continuing the idea. If you said “no” to any of the above questions, then it may be time to walk away or take a break. 

3. Get help working on your idea or starting a new one. Sometimes all we need is another set of eyes to help us decide whether it’s time to walk away from an idea. Click here to read more about working with Rachel & Holly.

My challenge to you is to have the courage to walk away from a writing idea that isn’t benefiting you. 

Do you think you need to reevaluate a writing idea? Have you had to walk away from a project? If so, what helped you make the decision to walk away? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find us on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.