This is a guest post by Lorraine Reguly
“I want to be an author/freelancer/writer, but I’m not sure my writing is good enough.”
“I’m trying to improve my writing, but I don’t think it is working.”
“I’m an author, but no one is buying my books.”
Recognize any of these?
Perhaps this is more you:
“I’m a writer, but I’m unknown. How is anyone ever going to discover my talents?”
Regardless of which scenario you most identify with, I’m here to help you gain some confidence and move your writing career forward.
Breathe a sigh of relief. You’re about to be saved. 😉
Today’s Writer
Being a writer in today’s world involves so much more than writing; it is an entrepreneurial venture that entails knowing how to market your work to the right audience, establishing an online presence (which includes blogging and guest-posting), being active on social media and engaging with others, selling your services/books/ebooks, participating in promotional giveaways, being interviewed and reviewed, and a gazillion other things that are too numerous to mention here.
Many writers and freelancers struggle with these aspects and, with so much to do, we often become overwhelmed and begin to doubt our abilities.
So what are we to do?
The short answer: gain confidence in ourselves. The long answer: combine changing our beliefs with having some type of a plan, and put in the time and work needed to be successful.
Change Your Attitudes With Positive Affirmations: The First Solution
We need to believe in our abilities. We need to trust that we can do it all. We must raise our negative levels of self-esteem. We need to find our footing.
How can we do this?
One solution is to use specific, positive affirmations to kick-start your writing success.
Maybe you have heard of this concept before; maybe you haven’t. If so, how do you use your affirmations? How have they helped you? (Drop me a line in the comment section and let me know.)
If you haven’t heard of this concept, you’re not alone. In fact, I was not made aware of it until mid-June 2013. (Yes, I’ve been living under a rock, too.) Since then, I’ve been using a specialized set of affirmations on a weekly basis. (Ideally, you’re supposed to use them daily, but sometimes I forget. I admit it.)
Affirmations: Definition + a Theory
Affirmations are positive statements that are repeated on a daily basis that alter your current (usually negative) beliefs by sinking into your subconscious. While they initially may not be true, the constant repetition of them eventually makes them a reality – or so the theory goes.
What’s surprising is that this theory holds true. Don’t believe me? Not a problem. I didn’t expect you to. 😉
Like you, I was initially skeptical when this theory was introduced to me, but I figured I’d give it a shot, since I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. So I tested out this theory by following the recommended steps to creating affirmations of my own, which are:
- Identify the areas of your life you want to change
- Write out specific statements that are opposite of your negative beliefs and negative self-talk
- Begin and end each day by reading these affirmations, saying them aloud for added impact
Some sample affirmations to get you started
*Today I am going to take one step towards kick-starting my success.
*I am a talented writer and I’m constantly improving my craft.
*I expect success.
*I love blogging and am getting better at it.
*I love writing fictional stories because it unleashes my creativity.
Some of the affirmations I use (which you can use, too) were given to me by Ralph Quintero, founder of Happy Someone, and are as follows:
- Today I am concentrating on moving my writing forward.
- A successful business person lives within me, and today that person is running my business!
- I am competent, confident, and calm.
- Doors of opportunity and abundance open to me NOW!
- New opportunities come easily to me!
- There are NO LIMITS to what I can achieve!
- Today, I am optimistic. I remember that my thoughts create my reality. I think positively and surround myself with positive energy!
- I feel strong, excited, passionate, and powerful!
- I expect GREAT things from myself!
- My financial abundance overflows today!
- Amazing opportunities constantly come my way!
- I ask for it, visualize it, claim it, expect it, and receive it!
- Success and achievement are natural outcomes for me!
- There are no limits to what I can and will achieve today!
- I can have what I want!
- I am a published author!
- I’m enjoying my writing success!
- I am driving my new car! (NOTE: I’m not, but this is something I want to do in the future.)
- I am shopping for my own house and pool! (Side note: I’m not doing this yet, either. But one day I hope to be!)
- I can do whatever I set my mind to!
- I am confident that I have great writing and creative abilities!
- I am awesome!
Affirmations Will Change Your Life and Kick-start Your Writing Success
As time passes, your thought processes will change in positive ways. When you write you affirmations, then read them, say them, and hear them, you will begin to believe them. They will plant themselves deep in your subconscious. You will see and feel their effects. You will know that choosing to use affirmations is one of the best choices you have ever made. Your life will change.
Still don’t believe me? That’s okay. You don’t have to.
But let me tell you this: Before using affirmations, my blog had no real direction, I had only guest-posted twice, I lacked confidence in myself, and I wasn’t sure I could make it as a writer, despite the fact that I’m an English teacher.
Since I started using these affirmations, I devised a theme for my old blog (Lorraine Reguly’s Life) of True Tales Tuesdays and Featured Fridays, I moved this blog to my own self-hosted site (Wording Well), I have had over a dozen guest posts published on various niche blogs (two were on blogs that had not previously allowed guest posts!), I wrote an ebook, I’ve earned money from both writing and editing, I’ve had a short story published in an anthology, I won a short story writing contest (which will also be published in an anthology), and I have many more positive projects on the go. I also interviewed a blind man and obtained answers to questions most of us are too afraid to ask but have always contemplated.
Using positive affirmations has definitely given me confidence to pursue my dreams and has kick-started my writing success! The best part? It didn’t cost me a thing.
Of course, I put in the work required, too, which brings me to the second part of the solution I mentioned earlier and the other component involved in kick-starting your success.
Have a Plan and Put it to Work: The Second Solution
I used to dislike planning, but then I started blogging. I learned how important it was to publish posts regularly, and I discovered that scheduling my blog posts helped me plan my personal life, which, at the time, seriously needed a change.
In my never-ending quest for improving my life and attaining my goals, I realized that planning, coupled with hard work, was the key to success.
Having a plan or roadmap for reaching your goals is better than simply “winging it” and provides you with a concrete outline to achieving success. I think we all know this. But do we always use one?
If you’re in need of a planner to help keep you on track, I’ve created a free one that you can use and modify to suit your own specific needs. You have my permission to copy and paste it, then adapt it or use “as is.” The choice is yours.
I’ve been using this planner to help me in 2014. I hope you find it useful to kick-starting your writing success. You’ll then have no problem getting your elevator pitch ready, finding a gig on Craigslist, writing awesome content, breaking out of the peanuts-per-word market on bidding sites, starting a novel or finishing that ebook you’ve begun! Heck, you might even be able to land that guest post you wanted.
Now that you know what affirmations are, do you think you are going to use them to kick-start your writing success? Or do you use them already? Share your thoughts and/or experiences in the comment section!
Image #1 Credit: Original Image courtesy of stockphotos / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image #2 Credit: Image courtesy of watiporn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Lorraine Reguly is a Canadian-based English teacher who offers both writing and editing services. She blogs on various websites and, if you subscribe to her newsletter, she will send you a copy of her ebook, 20 Blog Post Must-Haves.
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Francesca, I want to thank you for contributing to my freelance success. 🙂
I still remember when I guest posted on Credible Copywriting last year, when I was a newbie blogger. Since then, I have “come a long way, baby!”
Don’t you agree?
You’re very welcome, Lorraine! Thank you for the great post. And I agree 100%. You have definitely come a long way, and I’m sure you’ll go far. 🙂
Oh, good news. As of last month, my affirmation of “I am a published author!” has been realized.
Risky Issues, my first self-published book, is now for sale on Amazon and Google Play (aka Google Books).
YAY!
Ii use the Coue method. Émile Coué de la Châtaigneraie (French: [emil kue də la ʃɑtɛɲʁɛ]; February 26, 1857 – July 2, 1926) was a French psychologist and pharmacist who introduced a popular method of psychotherapy and self-improvement based on optimistic autosuggestion. – Wikipedia
The application of his mantra-like conscious autosuggestion, “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better”. I saw this in the film the “Pink Panther” and tried it. It works!
I’ve never heard of that method, Jo Ann. But I like it, and I can see that it works. You’ve come a long way since the day we first met! I’m so proud of you and your accomplishments, too.
And I still can’t believe that you published your book, Everyone Evelon, before I published a book! (My book, Risky Issues, a book of short stories, should be out this month!)
Congratulations!
I can’ wait to read your book! You are such a fascinating person with a good sense of creativity, so I know, it will be a joy to read.
Aw, thanks. (*she says, blushing*)
Affirmations can do wonders! I think I encountered the concept five or six years ago, and I have been practicing it ever since. The great thing about turning negative beliefs into positive affirmations is it will eventually become automatic and natural. When you find yourself in difficult or challenging situations, you will always find a way to find something positive about it. Thank you for this post, Lorraine. This is a good reminder that I should specifically create affirmations for my freelance writing business. Btw, I downloaded your planner. 🙂 It is simiilar to what I’m already doing. But I create my planner and to-do lists on Evernote. I think it’s a must-have tool for every writer.
Irene, it’s great to hear that you already use affirmations! Every so often, they need to be “updated” so that they remain relevant to what we are doing in our lives.
I’m still adapting to the technology age. I have Evernote on my laptop, but I confess that I don’t use it. Yet. Of course, I have an “old” cell phone, so that may be why!
Thanks for your comment, Irene. It’s nice to meet you.
hi lorraine; thanks for sending me this link. I trust you so would have read anyway. but it was so cool to find a link to our interview in here. glad to have been part of that with you. Just wish it had received even more views and comments than it did. I really thought it might launch your new site like a bottle of dom on th prow of a new ship. finally got my indiegogo campaign going. am going to do some coaching or mentoring as we discussed. just yesterday while speaking with the owner of a rental company he commented on my interview post i did with another party hire company owner last year. Its so cool when people not only ar reading your stuff but remember it to you. 😀 the affirmations are great. keep up the wonderful posts, max
Max, I hope the affirmations help you to create some of your own. It’s a good idea to start telling yourself what all of your blogging friends are telling you: you can achieve anything you want; you can succeed at your business; you are an inspiration to others; you have helped many people; etcetera!
I’m blessed to know you, Max. And I still cannot believe that a blind man is on Pinterest. Wow.
Now go create some affirmations to repeat to yourself each time you turn on your computer!
And thanks for visiting Francesca’s blog, Max. I appreciate your continued support!
Thanks for this Lorraine. I love affirmations because the boost in confidence and other positive feelings would drive you forward to doing the next steps towards your goals. But like you, I’ve only known affirmations existed just a year ago! There are other things we can do to achieve writing success and when you believe they will work, they often do. Thanks for the freebie! 🙂
Jovell, it’s amazing how much we “don’t” know, isn’t it?
I hope the planner helps you, in some way.
How have affirmations helped you already?
My daily affirmation: I’m a million dollar copywriter! I have a long list of clients who can’t wait to work with me. I have more than enough money to pay for the things I need, as well as on the extras that make life worth living.
Halona, those are wonderful affirmations! They are brimming with positivity! I love them! I might have to borrow a few, too. 😉
Can you think of any more?
hi lorraine; You should know I believe in supporting my friends, so reading the post and sharing was the least I could do. yes its good to use affirmations you find in books or blog posts but I can see how its even better to create your own. Kind of reminds me of when i was in school learning the multiplication tables. Instead of telling us to buy flash cards or have us use ones provided by the school they gave us the supplies and had us make our own flash cards. and i actually got a comment on a pin a couple weeks back from someone wondering why a blind person would want to be on Pinterest. last night i was sharing my crowd sourcing campaign link on face book and someone said let me get this straight you are blind and want to make videos and make money. I had to tell him yes i am blind but already making money just not enough to fund traveling the country and i have already made videos i want to make better ones on location. thanks to friends like you I understand that I am doing a lot of cool things, its just on a day to day basis I have to remind myself how awesome a lot of it is. and if you check out my indiegogo page you will see i put in options for online and in person sharing my experience in the amusement industry and as a blind person building a business. I even put in there that they would be inspired and motivated by it. the prices ar crazy but its crowd sourcing. so we’ll see. thanks so much for the love and support of me the website and whoever I am going to be when I get all the way there. take care my friend. xoxo max
Max, you have come such a long way – much like me! – and I am so proud of you. You are truly an inspiration. Now just think of how far you’ll go once you start using positive affirmations! 🙂
Feel free to use some of the affirmations from this post. Then add a few of your own, tailored to your personal situation.
And don’t forget me when you’re rich and famous. 😉
Great article Lorraine!
As to your skepticism about positive affirmations, it really works! I’m taking a psychology class right now as part of my communications studies, and one section about attitudes really stuck:
Let me have Robert Abelson say it. “We are very well trained and very good at finding reasons for what we do, but not very good at doing what we find reasons for.”
In other words, if we first ACT, we will then change our attitudes, but changing our attitudes first does not lead us to act. (Seriously, how many people have the attitude that being healthy is a good idea yet never take the steps toward improving their health?)
So if you start acting like you’re a good writer and that you can do it, you’ll start believing it.
You make an excellent point, Alicia. I understand what you are saying, too.
If you tell yourself something often enough, you’ll eventually start to believe it.
I’m actually a true believer in positive affirmations now!
Thanks for your comment. It was good to encounter you again online, Alicia. 🙂
hi lorraine; you too have come a long way and i’m proud of you. how about this one i am a positive outgoing person who attracts friends and colleagues who wish to help by supporting me emotionally and providing their skills and talents. and check this out. I was listening to the brian the hammer show the one i go on most friday’s. I had sent them the link to my indiegogo campaign. they played the video live, they encourage people to donate, and they ar offering a special on their own merchandise to anyone that helps me with my goal. they were most impressed with my decision to offer coaching or a public appearance as possible inducements. and brian agreed with you saying i need to b speaking in schools. 🙂 working on another sale. also continuing to work on the book. well, if i start talking about writing it, then people are going to ask about it and encourage me to finish it. 😉 thanks so much and take care, max
Max, I highly encourage you to work on your book. It’s been a fascinating read so far!
But do start with the affirmations; you’ll be surprised at the power you will unleash.
And thanks for being proud of me, too, my friend.
A good article, does highlight some important points. I do believe that its important to show your advocacy in your field. Its important to engage in blogs, articles etc. and contribute something extra. Creating a social presence is also important in the field of freelancing. Lets not forget that the freelancing market is growing by the day and the competition is getting tougher..
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Thank you, and thanks for sharing the link, David.
Hey Lorraine, what a great share here on Francesca’s blog.
I’m happy that you’ve learned how powerful law of attraction is and here is just one more person who is living proof that it works. Now I don’t necessarily speak affirmations everyday but I have a vision statement that I wrote out how I want my life to be and of course I put it in present tense. I read it out loud every day with conviction and it has really helped me as well.
As for attracting the right clients to me as I mentioned in my post I just started saying that to myself each day and they did start showing up so I think however we want to go about this as long as we believe it, know it and remain positive about it how can it not!
I love how you’ve been able to make all of this happen and are now sharing with others how they can do the same. Thank you for sharing your own experience with us and best of luck to you moving forward. The world is yours young lady!
~Adrienne
Adrienne, one thing I learned that I didn’t mention in this post (but which you mentioned in yours – which is why it struck a chord with me) is to surround yourself with positive people (the kind of people you want in your life). People who are similar to you in terms of their hopes and dreams (to be successful, to work hard, to provide moral support, etc.) are much more pleasant to be around than negative people (or people who don’t have the “moving-forward vision”).
I guess that’s one of the reasons I like the group “Bloggers Helping Blogger” on LinkedIn. 😉
Bloggers are a wonderful lot, aren’t they? They are helpful, ready and willing to share their information and experiences, and support you in whatever you are trying to do – regardless of niche. Of course, niche experts are also people that you want to surround yourself with, too!
Since writing this post, I’ve also published my ebook… so that’s one more thing I can add to my list of accomplishments as proof that positive affirmations DO WORK!
Thanks for dropping by and reading and commenting on this, Adrienne.
And congratulations on your many successes, too! I think it’s wonderful that you’ve nailed down a vision statement for yourself and have attracted clients as well.
Leading by example is awesome! Plus, it also gives one more credibility in the eyes of others.
Onward and upward, my friend!
Really enjoyed this post. You’re right, copywriting isn’t just writing, it’s a whole business that requires a vastly diverse set of skills.