10 Things You Need to Give Up Before You Can Succeed as an Expert Author

It’s Time to Let Go

Does it seem like there’s a wall between you and your ability to succeed? Are you sure it’s not you?

When it comes to success, we can be our own worst enemy.

Today, I want you to read this list and truly consider, “am I doing this to myself?”

For each point that you are, I want you to write down the last three words of each point that applies to you:
“Let _____ go.”

Post each phrase in a location where you will (consciously and unconsciously) see it as a daily reminder. Rewrite it every time you start feeling procrastination creep in or those negative thoughts niggle at the back of your brain. Look at your note and say it out loud – use it as a mantra to reframe your thinking and begin working positively on your writing goals.

You can do this. Ready? Of course you are! Let’s begin.

10 Things You Need to Give Up Before You Can Succeed

1. Letting the criticism of others get to you.

“You’re no Shakespeare” or perhaps you’re not the best writer in your niche. So what? You know the progress you’ve made and everything you had to do to get to this point. Those critics don’t. Don’t let the negative opinion of others stop you from doing exactly what’s best for you. Keep on writing! Let criticism go.

2. Thinking failure is a bad thing.

“F” isn’t something we want on our reports and writing portfolios, so I don’t blame you. No one wants to fail, but isn’t failure an indication of having tried? Let go of any shame you perceive in your failures. They do not equal your future. It’s your willingness to try and dare to fail that allows you to achieve success. Let failure go.

3. Vacillating on a decision.

Indecision – in business, relationships, and our writing – can lead to any number of problems (like writer’s block or 0 article views). Know what you want by setting a goal and using it as a compass in making decisions moving forward. Ask yourself, “Does this help or hinder my ability to achieve my goal?” Let indecision go.

4. Putting off things that are important.

Procrastination will get you nowhere. Waiting for “the best time to come around,” like making resolutions on New Year’s Day or waiting for the perfect circumstances (such as a quiet home or office), may never happen. If the best time to begin writing was yesterday, then the second best time is now. Let procrastination go.

5. Giving up on things you can actually control.

Take personal accountability and don’t give up because everything isn’t under your command. Sure, you can’t control everything in your personal and professional life, but you can choose to do something proactively about it that will influence positive change. For example: You may not be able to control incoming calls while you’re trying to write, but you can choose whether to answer that call. Every day presents a new opportunity to make an entirely different set of positive choices. Let unaccountability go.

6. Needing to be right all of the time.

No one is perfect. It’s okay to admit that you’re wrong. It humanizes you. If you’ve changed your stance on a particular issue you’ve already written about, it’s okay to publish a new article on your new stance and explain why. It will help you and your readers grow. Let perfection go.

7. Hiding from problems.

Have a strong flight reflex? No one gets poor marks for actively seeking solutions to a problem, so stop running from your personal and professional problems. Fight. Chances are that your readers are facing the same problems. Why not seek out solutions, test them, and share the results (good or bad) with your readers? Let hiding go.

8. Making excuses.

“I couldn’t” write that article because … “I have kids,” “I was so tired,” “I had a meeting,” etc. We hear a lot of excuses and some of them are valid! But here’s the crux: How often are you going to excuse yourself from making progress toward achieving your goals? Little by little (7 minutes here, 2 hours there), you can start taking steps toward achieving your goals today. Let excuses go.

9. Overlooking positive points.

“I only got 100 views. This is taking too long; I’ll never succeed.” Building exposure takes time. Remember that even the smallest wins are still wins. Lose this fantasy that you will be an overnight success – that’s left to the likes of Grumpy Cat – and begin building toward long-term success. Let negativity go.

10. Forgetting about your current audience.

Looking too long into that crystal ball of the future, you might envision new audiences, completely different forms of content, and much more. In your haste to attain that future, you may forget about your current audience. Marginalizing those who helped you get to where you are today will not help you succeed. Never forget to appreciate your present audience and continue to meet their needs while you expand to other areas. Let exclusion go.

What do you think should be added to this list? What else should you let go to be successful in your efforts?