“Many people fail not so much because of their mistakes; they fail because they are afraid to try.”
George Foreman
As a writer, you fight. You fight procrastination. You fight writer’s block. You fight with the fear of failure and the fear of success.
Your writing career may not be too different than a boxing ring, and the way your mind works will determine how the fight goes. The good news is that you can win every fight by changing your mindset.
For years, I wanted to write books but always fell short of my goal. Until I decided to shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset to write my first book, Time to Refresh.
A growth mindset will help you look beyond the obstacles and find opportunities to take you closer to your writing dreams. For that reason, here’s a list of eight absolutely achievable mindset shifts you need as a writer.
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.
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Building a Growth Mindset—The Problem
When you look at best-selling authors, famous writers, and successful bloggers, you feel intimidated by their expertise and accomplishments. Looking at their masterpieces, reading their ravishing reviews, and seeing their name everywhere makes you doubt your abilities.
The more you question your skills, the less you grow.
Remember: Your mindset determines your failures. Your mindset determines your success. A mindset shift is important in reaching your goal.
Building a Growth Mindset—8 Absolutely Achievable Mindset Shifts, You Need to Write
1. Inspiration instead of Intimidation
Imagine you are a thirty-year-old guy or girl, sitting in a lonely room, reading about best-selling authors who wrote their debut novels when they were in high school or an author who has won dozens of awards.
You may feel envy and intimidation.
Let every success story you read inspire you. No matter how late or early you start your writing career, your beginning and your circumstances are different from others. Likewise, your failures and successes will be different from others.
2. Action instead of Procrastination
Procrastination is every writer’s enemy. When it comes to procrastination, most people associate it with poor time management. However, it is a deep-rooted problem that triggers several psychological, neurophysiological, and social factors. Twenty percent of Americans deal with procrastination.
You cannot fully get rid of it; however, you can see a visible difference when you make actionable plans and set sustainable writing routines. Keeping track of your progress also helps in dealing with procrastination.
3. Persistence instead of Exhilaration
You were happy today, and in your excitement, you finished writing two chapters. Good? Yes and No!
You can indeed work more when you feel happier and more energetic. But, this can slow you down in the long run. There will be days when you don’t feel exhilarated or inspired. Depending on your mood and feelings will limit your progress.
To make your writing dreams come true, you need persistence instead of exhilaration. Make writing a routine you follow irrespective of what happens around you.
4. Change instead of Disappointment
If you cannot follow the routine you made or cannot complete your assigned tasks, don’t be hard on yourself. Most people feel disappointed and start doubting their attitude or abilities.
It would be best if you accepted these little failures as reminders, motivating you to change. A mindset shift involves making changes as needed.
5. Lesson instead of Fear
The fear of failure can stop you from trying. Likewise, the fear of success can make you self-sabotage your success.
Your fears can bring anxiety, feelings of guilt, and depression.
Don’t let your fears control you. Fight them. Learn lessons from your failures and don’t deviate from your path. Stop beating yourself up for your mistakes and find ways to overcome the obstacles.
6. Self-Affirmation instead of Self-Doubt
Don’t rely solely on receiving affirmation from others. As part of your mindset shift, practice self-affirmation by writing positive reminders or statements to encourage or motivate yourself.
Here are a few affirmations you can use on your journey. Use the ones that resonate with you or write your own to support your current writing project.
- I am confident in my ability to write.
- I permit myself to learn more about writing as I go.
- I give myself time and space to write.
- I am proud of myself when I finish writing, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
- I allow myself to grow into the writer I want to be.
- I will not judge my writing or myself harshly.
- I will not hold on to feelings of doubt or fear.
- I take time to love and care for myself as a writer.
- My mind is full of creative and bright ideas to support my writing.
- I am at peace with who I am as a writer.
7. Credit instead of Criticism
When you work as a writer, be prepared to receive criticism from others. The truth is no one likes negative comments. However, different people react to critique in different ways.
When you are still struggling to be a writer or failing to write as well as you imagined, negative feedback can make you feel disheartened and want to give up. It may also lead to Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome is a psychological pattern that makes you doubt your abilities and think of yourself as a fraud.
As part of your mindset shift, think of criticism as feedback to help you work harder, write better, and become more successful.
8. Now instead of Later
The biggest growth mindset shift you need is to take action. Now.
It is not easy to change your mindset. It takes time and effort. Take small steps to move away from things that discourage you. So you can move closer to the things that inspire you. When you stay focused on your goal, you can overlook your failures and start a successful journey with a growth mindset.
In Summary
I hope this post inspires you to apply these eight absolutely achievable mindset shifts you need as a writer. More importantly, I hope you see you are not alone in your struggles with mindset. I used to let my mindset hold me back from accomplishing my writing goals. Until one day, I made a mindset shift. One I did, I never looked back. This week, I’m proud to say that I launched my second book, Time to Reset: A 21-Day Devotional to Renew Your Mind After Being Sidelined, Disappointed, or Knocked Off Course. And, as I tell my students, ‘If I can do it, so can you.’
