#ChroniclesOfAWriter – Be prepared to go the extra mile

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi

Since this is the first #ChronicesOfAWriter post for 2017, allow me to say “Happy New Year!”

I hope you are excited about 2017 just as I am. Many of the writers that I coach have grand plans this year; booksto be written and published, blogs soon to be launched, opportunities to be explored both nationally and internationally. I am excited because for a lot of them, they never knew they could achieve all that they’re achieving today. In fact, one of the most common things I hear in my first coaching session with writers is, “I don’t think what I write is good enough.”

That statement always makes me laugh. Always.

Who told you that your written words are not enough?

Tell me who said you do not have what it takes to write a book or start a blog?

I can tell you this; those are all lies.

You can and you will achieve anything that you want this year if you choose to go the extra mile.

Let me tell you about one of the writers I coached last year.

She started off being unsure of her talent. She just knew that she had a burden to help people.

She would send me random articles on BBM to review before she posted on social media. I obliged in the beginning but after a while I stopped. “Don’t be afraid of criticism,” I said to her. That was the first time I refused to read what she had written. The comments will make you better. They will make you stronger; you’ll learn how to develop thick skin. She really didn’t find it funny.

After our first session, we had a roadmap of the steps she needed to take to make the impact she desired. The first thing was to begin to take her blog more seriously and post more frequently on it. She was afraid but she did it, running several series around sensitive topics and just pouring out her heart for people to read.

Starting off with two readers, more people began to click on her blog and eventually, a speaking opportunity came for her because she used her voice to talk about sensitive issues. An opportunity to work on a book collaboration project arose from this too.

Things were looking great but this ambitious writer didn’t stop there. She explored various platforms to make her work more visible. She sent articles to blogs and posted links to her blog on selected Facebook groups. She did this every day.

Did it pay off?

It sure did. She now has international freelance writing opportunities lined up for her simply because she moved beyond the comfort zone of her blog.

From starting 2016 being unsure about whether she had what it takes to become a writer to ending the year with great opportunities lined up for her, she definitely got more than she bargained for.

I believe that no writing goal is too big for you to achieve. In fact, I challenge my writers to set bigger goals for themselves. They are usually amazed when they meet and surpass these bigger goals. That’s essentially the power of focus and being able to go the extra mile to achieve your dreams.

Don’t set goals that are too comfortable. Don’t use your talent to test the waters. You must be certain of what you want to achieve this year as a writer. When you decide what you want to achieve, please create a plan.

Draft a book calendar for the book you want to write this year. Decide which platforms you want your work to be featured on and begin to look for ways to contact on. Whatever your goal is, act and act now.

I wish you a rewarding 2017 and I look forward to seeing all that you will achieve this year from your writing.

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