The Wrong Self-Talk

Whatever it is that got you here I have to believe you have some kind of interest in writing. Journaling, blogging, articles, short stories, maybe even a novel. You’re the one who knows why, right?

If you are anything like me, you love to write but there is this massive roadblock in front of you and it is preventing you from reaching all of your writing goals. You are just one of the hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of writers who just can’t get to the point where you will believe in yourself.

You have actually told yourself time and again that what you have to write is just not good enough. You have said too many times, what you have to write is not anything anyone would ever be interested in. You are a believer there is at least one more article out there you have yet to read which is going to make you a better writer. Just one more article, just a little more practice.

Stop it!

Indeed! Stop all of this self-talk preventing you from doing what you love. You know the saying, “if it walks like a duck, smells like a duck, then it must be a duck!” You are a duck! Get used to it! You are a duck with a pen and paper in hand and you are going to write. There is no one out there in the world of the internet who is going to judge whether or not you think of yourself as a writer.

Stop thinking your family will disown you if they find out you are sharing your writing with the world. Stop telling yourself your writing is nothing anyone would ever be interested in. Stop beating yourself up, telling yourself you suck. Stop all of the negative self-talk and start writing! You are a writer, believe it. You don’t have to write the next great article on writing. You can continue to learn as you go, we all do.

Start a New Habit

You are always going to find a reason to tell yourself your writing is not good enough. In fact, you have turned this negative self-talk into a habit, a bad habit. Well, don’t let this come as a shocker, you can turn positive self-talk into a good habit just as easy. Probably even easier! Document all of the steps and processes that go into your writing style. You do things, we all do things. Share the things you do with the world. What do you think everyone else is doing?

No one is a better expert at you than, YOU! Each and everyone of us has something to share with the world. Find your niche, produce good content, keep it fresh and then share it with the world. Tell us how you go about doing what you do.

I have a couple, a few favorites actually, of people and things I have used along the way to make me feel better about my writing. First and foremost though, I write for me! Yes, I write for me! I love to write, and the way it makes me feel is unmatched by any of the next “great” articles about writing. Remember this, you don’t need anyone but yourself to tell you, you are a writer. Turn your self-talk into a habit of telling yourself you ARE good enough.

Favorites

For starters, I love to use the, “Day One” app for all of my daily writing. I have been a fan and a user almost from its onset. There is no doubt about “Day One” being my absolute go to app for everyday writing. I can easily sync across any device and of course there are so many new features now. You can even publish books from inside the app.

Another of my absolute favorites is best selling author and speaker, Austin Kleon. He has a few published books, “Steal Like an Artist”, and “Show Your Work”, are two of my favorites. In the simplest of terms he puts it all out there in a most inspiring way. Telling you straight out, you have what it takes to be the writer or artist you know you are. Austin pushes us all further along with his newest book, “Keep Going.”

He also writes a weekly newsletter, a must for me and it should be for you as well. I love the lists he puts together, they are always so thought provoking and filled with valuable information and inspiring tidbits that are going to make you believe in you.

In one of Austin’s recent weekly newsletters, I found a new favorite, “Ali Abdaal.” Ali is a medical student who has turned to writing and YouTube. In a recent video he speaks of Austin’s influence on self promotion in his book, “Show Your Work.” The book played a big part making Ali a believer in himself and like many if not all of us, it allowed him to stop thinking the world was out to judge him.

Ali has a growing selection of YouTube videos as well as some links to other great content that will help you with your own journey.

Walk The Walk…Like a Duck Of Course!

Let today be the day you stop telling yourself your writing is not good enough. Let today be the day you begin the new habit of telling yourself you are a writer, you are good enough and you believe once and for all the world is not going to judge what you say, or even what you don’t say. If not now, then when? Quack, quack!

Talk soon!

G