Category: Fearless

Five Things to Give Up to Become a Fearless Writer
Updated January 19, 2022

Since launching my writing business in 2018, I have learned a lot. I have attended writing conferences, dialed into countless webinars, taken courses, and listened to many speakers and authors. But the most important thing I’ve learned over the last four years is how to be a fearless writer.

Starting, I didn’t immediately see myself as a writer. Yes, I was writing my first book. But I didn’t stop to tell anyone I was a writer. I didn’t immediately change my LinkedIn profile. I just focused on writing my book.

But once I published my book, reality set in, and I had to admit: I am an author. I am a writer.

From there, I started showing up where writers and authors hang out – conferences, Facebook groups, webinars, NaNoWriMo, book fairs, and writing groups. Listening to other writers talk about their experiences and ask questions was exciting. But no matter where I went, there was a constant vibe in all these places – self-doubt and fear.

Lots of writers were talking about whether their writing was:
- good enough,
- clear enough,
- making a difference,
- worthy of recognition or
- connecting with readers.
While I had no reason to question the other writers’ feelings, I had to come clean about how I felt moving forward with my newfound identity. On my journey to becoming a fearless writer, I had to identify the things I would give up to succeed as a writer. Below is a list of things I decided to give up. If you’re a writer or creative entrepreneur, let me know what you choose to give up to be fearless.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost, if you purchase using the links.

1. I gave up self-doubt

We all have an inner voice that tells us what we want to do with our lives. Unfortunately, this little voice is often pushed aside by self-doubt. Like many writers, my initial thoughts were, “How am I going to make money as a writer?” “What will people think of my writing?” and “What if I fail?” To deal with these thoughts, I had to trust in God. I had to trust that I would end up where I needed to be, even if I didn’t know how I would get there.

2. I gave up fear

I am a firm believer in making lemonade when life gives you lemons. So when my unexpected layoff stormed into my life and shook up my carefully constructed plans, I wasn’t about to cower in fear. Instead, I decided to rise and face life’s challenges head-on, including starting my new writing career.

3. I gave up the urge to compare myself to other writers

I know how easy it is to look at the success of other writers and wonder if you’re on the right track. So, I decided early on to celebrate other writers’ accomplishments but never waste time comparing myself to other writers. While I think it’s OK to listen to other writers and share stories, I try to stay focused on the race I’m running.

When I published my second book, Time to Reset, I attended the 2019 EBC Women’s Conference, where I met Stephanie Helms Pickett, author of This Book Right Here: A 40-week Devotional to Manifesting Your Purpose.

4. I gave up being a perfectionist

I love to proofread my material to ensure everything is perfect and in place. However, I had to resist the urge to apply endless edits so that I could hold on to my work longer. Eventually, I learned to determine how many revisions my writing would go through. Once I reach my magic number, I hit publish. To become a fearless writer, I learned when to let go.

5. I gave up my comfort zone

We all have a comfort zone. My comfort zone was back in corporate America. However I realized that my comfort zone might not be where I will have the most significant impact. So I decided to do something I hadn’t done before in my writing life like publish a book. Once I reached my goal, I knew I would have to go outside my comfort zone again. So, every opportunity I get, I look for ways to take my writing to the next level.

What are you willing to give up?

Now, it’s your turn. The next time you think:
- What if my writing isn’t good enough? Say to yourself, what if it is?
- What if no one wants to read anything I write? Say to yourself, what if they do?
- What if my book proposal gets rejected? Say to yourself, what if it doesn’t?
Writing is a journey filled with trials. Be kind to yourself. Say goodbye to doubt and fear. Don’t be afraid to embrace your role as a writer in this world. Instead, let this be the year you start looking at your writing life differently.

Be fearless.
January 19, 2022
5 Daily Habits to Help Boost Your Creative Confidence
If you had all the creative self-confidence in the world, what would you do? As creative entrepreneurs, we face a lot of obstacles, including confidence in our creative abilities.

Unfortunately, when it comes to mindset as creative entrepreneurs, we sometimes do things that limit our growth. Self-doubt, negative self-talk, and fear are some of the obstacles that block our path.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I say, ‘Enough already.’

Whether you run a full-time or part-time creative business or write, paint, blog, make music or videos, we don’t have time to let self-doubt, negative thoughts, or fear hold us back from reaching our goals.

To help me stay on track, I rely on Isaiah 41:10:

Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.

In today’s post, I’m sharing five daily habits to help boost your creative confidence.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase using the links.

What is a habit?

A habit is a learned behavior that becomes automatic over time. A specific setting often triggers the behavior. For example, you may automatically brush your teeth before going to bed as part of your nighttime routine.

Habits can be healthy, unhealthy, or neutral. For example, a healthy habit might be stretching for ten minutes a day or writing in your journal at the end of the day. An unhealthy habit could be biting your fingernails or texting while driving. An example of a neutral habit would be eating the same things for breakfast every morning or taking the same route to work every day.

How to break a habit?

To break a habit, especially an unhealthy habit affecting creative self-confidence, it’s important to:
- First, pay attention to the triggers that feed into the bad habit.
- Then, replace the unhealthy habit with a positive one.
- Finally, get help from friends, family, and other professionals as needed.
5 Daily habits to help boost creative confidence

Start the day with a journal

At the start of my day, I like to write in my journal or idea notebook. This has helped clear my mind before I start working on my client assignments. I like to write for at least 30 minutes. If you don’t have much time, write a few sentences. Carry your journal or notebook with you throughout the day. If you need a break or if new ideas come to mind that you don’t want to forget, write them down.

Set daily goals

Every day I like to write down the three most important tasks for the day in my productivity notebook. Each task is associated with one of my goals. When you set a goal, it’s important to review your plan for achieving that dream. You may find yourself forgetting about what was most important because life gets busy, and new things are always coming up. Setting aside time every day can help remind us of our dreams, so we don’t lose focus or motivation when faced with challenges along the way. Once I accomplish my three most important tasks for the day, I feel inspired to keep moving forward.

Use time-blocking to manage your daily schedule

Nothing kills your confidence like losing track of time. Have you ever sat down to work but had no idea where to start? I have, and it can be frustrating. However, I save a lot of mental energy by planning out what I need to work on ahead of time. I like this technique called “time blocking.” Time block everything on your list and see how much progress (in hours) might happen during each specific timeframe; don’t forget about any important deadlines or events either–they need attention too. Through time-blocking, I feel confident and in control of my day.

Set phone boundaries

Do you ever find yourself checking your phone every few minutes? While working on my second book, I fell into the habit of constantly checking my phone. I was checking email, answering text messages, or reading my USA Today app. Before I knew it, my focus and flow were shot. To get back on track to finish the book, I started to limit the time I spent on my phone by setting boundaries. First, I only looked at my emails at scheduled times throughout the day. Next, I dedicated one-hour time blocks to work on projects before taking a break. Finally, I put my phone in a separate room during work hours.

Finish the day with a review

As part of my evening routine, I review the day and plan for tomorrow using a notebook. This 5-minute process helps me to prepare for what’s ahead in an organized manner. After reviewing what I accomplished and understanding what needs to be done, I feel productive and more confident to start again the next day.

As creative entrepreneurs, it’s easy to lose confidence from time to time. But trust the process. Establish a few habits that work for you and help you stay on track. Give yourself permission to learn, make mistakes, and try again. You never know whose life your work with touch. Build your confidence day by day, and keep moving forward.
October 21, 2021