How to Develop a Powerful Writing Mindset
Photo by Merrilee Schultz on Unsplash
Most of us have heard by now about the power of having a positive, growth-oriented mindset. But if you are a writer, it can be very difficult to maintain this ideal. Most of what we’re doing is alone in a room, with no idea whether we’ll reach an audience or not. We endure tons of rejection. If we do publish, we risk our work being ignored or harshly criticized.
The creative life ain’t easy.
Also, it’s fine to say “Have a positive mindset,” but what does that really mean? How do we do that in practical terms, so that we become more resilient toward the inevitable knocks, but don’t lose the sensitivity that helps us create art in the first place?
It is possible to develop this as a skill. It’s not magical thinking. It’s not pretending everything’s fine when it isn’t. There are specific things you can do to encourage this growth and resilience. They take practice, commitment, and perseverance. In the end you may feel like writing more often, since you have the tools to reframe your experience and deeply understand what is driving you to procrastinate or otherwise sabotage yourself.
Have faith in the process and the experience. The creative process is not linear. It doesn’t follow logic. It relies on intuitive leaps, fallow periods, and other uncomfortable things.
Focus on the feeling you want to have – not the external reward. We all love being in flow, simply writing without paying attention to the outside world. We love the joy of having written a gorgeous sentence, or a satisfying twist. The sheer joy of invention.
The corollary here is that you cannot force your way into flow. Trying too hard will prevent it from ever occurring. Allow yourself to write badly. Tell yourself: “I don’t have to write the best thing in the world right now. I know I can figure this out.”
When you’re negative-spiraling (I’m a terrible writer, I will never get published, etc.),or you’re filled with self-doubt, you will have the urge to procrastinate- to leave the discomfort. Don’t just try to push through. What we resist persists. Take a deep breath, connect with what you’re feeling in your body and with your thoughts and emotions. Refocus. Ask yourself “Is this really true?”
Affirmations get a bad rap, but they do work to rewire your brain. The trick is to create ones that really work for you and inspire you. They should be positive, of course, and meaningful. Just choosing one to repeat to yourself before you start a writing session can put you in the right frame of mind.
There are other ways to “prime the pump” as well. Ask yourself: What would make it easy? How do I want to show up today? What ritual could you put into place to make it more likely that you’ll start? I love coffee. Making my coffee before I start writing links something I look forward to with writing.
I’ve said this before, but allowing yourself to embrace the smallest minimum goal is another way to outwit the negative gremlins. The brain doesn’t know the difference between a real threat to your life, and the discomfort of the creative process. Starting small can help. And once you start, you may be more likely to keep going.
Quit while you’re ahead. Even if you feel like you could write more, just stop when you’ve reached your goal for the day. Whether it’s a word count goal, or a time goal. Stop when you told yourself you will. This way, you learn to trust the promises you make to yourself.
You can also benefit from keeping an evidence journal. Write down the tough things you’ve done that made you feel accomplished, no matter how small. Recognize the brain has a negativity bias. We need to remind ourselves of the times we showed up for ourselves.
Prioritize consistency over intensity. Show up even on the “bad” days. Just get something in, no matter how small. Realize you will feel discomfort even with that small thing. Discomfort is just a signal that you’re doing something that stretches you.
Just start. Use Mel Robbins’ 5-4-3-2-1 Rule to count down, and then– just start. Soon the discomfort will fade. This builds your “discomfort muscle.”
That leads to the power of momentum. It took about 25 days for my 100 Day Writing Challenge group to feel “in the flow” and the power of practice every day. There isn’t one specific amount of days that is the “magic number,” but consistency will lead to momentum, and that will help carry you through the tougher days.
Don’t forget the stuff you do outside of writing. Paradoxically, having too much of a singular focus hinders you in achieving your goals. Artist Dates are important!
We’re storytellers – what are the stories we tell ourselves? Are they about growth and improvement? Or about how hard it is, how you never feel good enough, how you’ll never succeed…?
As writers, we may have little control over our “muse” - but we do have control over our mindset. And we can stretch and grow our mental resilience to overcome blocks and procrastination. It’s part of the “artist’s mystique” to suffer for our art, but we have to move beyond that and realize our brains are more capable than we ever thought.
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