It can be hard to be a writer, small business owner or a parent, but the secret to success comes down to one pretty simple idea. It's simple, not easy, and it involves...
Showing up and doing the work!
Constant effort is what will lead to your success. Give up and the game is over. Fail to do the work and you're guaranteed to fail. If you keep at it, then one day you will succeed. Everyone defines success differently, so what your success looks like is up to you, but if you don't keep striving for it then it will never happen.
I recently read Robert Wager's autobiography Pieces of My Heart: A Life . You probably know Robert Wagner as Number 2 in Austin Powers, but he's an actor who's been working for over sixty years in a very competitive and constantly changing business. Near the end of his book, he offers an observation that really spoke to me.
Here's what he said:
"I've been very fortunate, and I think largely because I was determined to be a working actor, emphasis on working. I just kept going to the plate and swinging. It didn't matter whether the reviews were great or terrible, whether the films and shows were successful or unsuccessful.
I kept showing up."
I may not have hit a bestseller list (yet!), and I'm not making J.K. Rowling kind of money (yet!) but I keep writing. I work towards fulfilling my contract by finishing my novel, all the while thinking about the next one, and the next. I may not be an actor like Robert Wager, but I'm determined to be a working writer, and I am. I keep showing up and because of it I have over ten published books and novellas to my name with more and better things to come.
What kind of success will you achieve if you keep showing up and doing the work?
6 comments:
It's funny how some things come along right when you need them and that is what your post just did for me. :) Thank you for sharing at Ravenwould!
I love you attitude. It's so important to persevere and keep going. I doubt myself a lot but posts like this and connecting with awesome bloggers like you keep me going. Thanks so much for linking up! #fridayfrivolity
Thank you for sharing this at The Really Crafty Link Party. This is exactly what I needed to hear this week. And thank you for mentioning Robert Wagner's biography, I love biographies and I've added it to me reading list.
Thanks everyone for stopping by and commenting. I'm glad this post inspired you!
This inspires me to keep pushing too! I'm a single mom, working from home (sort of), writing, and making jewelry to sell, so I have my hands full, but if I didn't I'd go nuts! Lol
Thanks for sharing a word of encouragement at the Healthy Living Link Party, Georgie! Good luck with your novel!
Blessings, Leigh
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