The Radical Secret to Success
Eight months and 38 posts. That’s what I currently have to show for Primrose Ponderings. That might not seem like much and, I’ll admit that compared to what others have accomplished in their writing, it truly isn’t much. But it is an accomplishment and I hope it will inspire you to pursue a dream that sits in your head, as yet unrealized.
For those of you who don’t know my full story, a little background is in order…
Several years ago, my friend Jim began writing his blog Thursday! (which he cleverly publishes every Wednesday). Jim and I are old friends who share a love of music and, in our younger years, we performed together on stage at The Alexandria Singers. Jim is a “true” writer (meaning he knows what he’s doing, unlike me1, who makes stuff up as I go along), so when he started his blog in late 2020, I took note and followed his progress.
Jim’s writing was interesting and inspiring, so it was easy for me to pay attention to his work. But something happened along the way that I hadn’t expected: the seed inside of me that thought maybe I should write something myself began to grow.
I had been dipping my toe in the water with regard to writing at my now-defunct website tinadsouza.com, but I hadn’t yet come to the point where I had direction or focus for a “real” blog. I wasn’t sure that I could stay on any topic long enough to keep a blog going consistently. In addition to my occasional random blog post, I would write random thoughts on my Facebook page.
This continued for quite some time until one day (all the best stories have “until one day…” in them!) the compulsion to begin writing a “real” blog took hold and I couldn’t shake it. By that time, I’d already decided what the blog would be about (happiness, healing, and well-being) but I didn’t know what to call it or what my tagline would be.
Suddenly, out of the blue, the name “Primrose Ponderings” appeared in my mind, along with the tagline “Random thoughts on happiness and well-being.” I wrote it down but subsequently forgot about it. Months later, I found the note I’d written and that simple note captured my heart in a way that inspired me to finally start writing.
I was smart enough to realize that if I wanted to be a writer, I needed to actually write something. But that consistency thing tugged at me and terrified me.
Does that sound familiar? Perhaps consistency is not your issue but maybe you think your work isn’t good enough. Or maybe you fear what others might say about your work. Or maybe you have a generic, overwhelming fear of failure that keeps you stuck. What holds you back from doing what you really want to do?
I made all sorts of excuses to myself like “I don’t know what platform to use” and “I don’t know how to get subscribers” and even “I don’t know if this is something I really want to spend time doing.” Looking back, though, I can see that most of my excuses were simply my fears wrapped in a nice-sounding narrative.
Eventually I decided to just do something. Anything. Even if I failed miserably, I’d learn about the business of writing. I could restart my blog or change direction at any time. My work wouldn’t be wasted if I viewed it as a learning experience. But I still had to get past some of my internal objections.
Where to write? I chose Substack as my platform because that’s what my friend Jim was using at the time. Was that a silly reason to choose it? Perhaps, but it removed one decision from my already-overwhelmed mind. And, not knowing much about the writing business, it seemed “good enough” for a first-time writer like myself.
I didn’t worry about getting followers at first. I didn’t worry about writing perfect posts. I didn’t worry about anything except finishing one blog post a week.
Those initial few weeks were exciting, scary, and challenging. I committed extra time in the beginning so I could lay a foundation of work to share with my readers. I also wanted to try to get some momentum going because I knew that I’d be more likely to keep writing if I could find a stride with it.
I was delighted to find that my initial push did result in the effect I’d hoped for myself. But the thing that kept me writing — and still keeps me writing —was my vision of building a community of people who want to be happier, healthier, and more productive. As my readership grew, I felt an increasing sense of responsibility to my readers. I couldn’t just put out crap. I needed to give you something of value.
Each week when I write or as I think about what this week’s post might inspire in others, I see your faces.2 The faces of real people who need inspiration and encouragement to make their lives happier. I don’t get much feedback on my work yet3 so I still depend on my gut to tell me what to write about. But here is the most important point I learned about Primrose Ponderings:
I keep writing, even when it’s difficult.
Does that seem too simple to be inspiring? The radical thing that my friend Jim did that inspired me was that he was consistent in his writing. Despite having a full-time job, a wife, and a church to serve (not to mention his many other interests and hobbies), Jim wrote something every week. I was in awe that he could do that. I was envious of his ability to do that (in the best possible way!). Could I do it, too?
Eight months and now 39 posts later, I’ve proved to myself that I can. The secret was even more simple than I though it would be: I have to put on my big-girl pants and write, even when I don’t feel like it. I know that Jim had to do that, as well. He and I had conversations in which he told me of his similar struggles, especially when the ideas dried up.
Struggling is normal. Feeling defeated is normal. Not giving up isn’t normal. Look around you. Most people give up when life gets hard. Ask them about their dreams and they’ll describe them to you, but ask them what they are doing about their dreams and they’ll give you 100 excuses about why they haven’t pursued them.
What separates the successful from the not-so-successful is that successful folks never give up. They do the hard work and don’t make excuses. This key to success is so simple that it’s almost ridiculous. But it’s also so difficult that most people never achieve anything close to their dreams.
What about you? Are you making excuses? Are you giving up?
Do something TODAY that will move you toward your dreams. Excuses are for the masses. You can be more than average. You will see your dreams fulfilled if you decide to never give up.
Is the correct word “I” or “me” here? Sometimes I struggle with grammar but I decided not to spend too much time worrying about whether I use the exact, right word. Perfect is the enemy of getting things done. ;)
Well, the faces of those I know personally. I imagine the faces of those of you whom I’ve yet to met. :)
I haven’t turned on comments because I don’t want to manage them (yet), but if you reply to the email you receive in your email inbox, you can tell me your thoughts privately. I’d love to hear your thoughts!