Recently I was reading three financial tips from Tony Robbins and they really resonated in all areas of my life. I reworded the first one so it fit my writing and career a little better:

What do you tend to focus on more—
what you’ve accomplished or what you haven’t accomplished?

Here’s what my mean ol’ inner critic was saying on Monday:

• You didn’t work on FADE AWAY at all last week. You’re never going to finish! Remember the surprise on some people’s faces at your critique meeting when you mentioned you were still working on the same novel you’ve been working on for four years? What’s wrong with you?
• You haven’t published a book since 2012. How can you call this a career?
• You have so much still to do on the online course—you’ll never launch it!
• Is that new picture book really as good as you think it is? Maybe it sucks.

I even had to fight myself over writing this post—was I just using it to procrastinate? Egads.

Putting on the Brakes

Scrreeeccchhh. I haven’t let my Inner Jerk go on like that unchecked in a very long time and I couldn’t believe the filth she was spewing. I quickly looked back over my week and saw how filled it was with wonderful experiences I love and feel privileged to be a part of:

• A Downton Abbey date with my mom and two of my sisters—awesome!
• Telling my critique group it was the same book, feeling a little embarrassed, but then knowing—and saying out loud to all of them—that FADE AWAY is taking this long for a reason. I know that deep in my soul. Each new development is another step toward a better, deeper, more powerful story. There is no external yardstick, no outside deadline I must adhere to. The story is what matters and how I experience the process of writing it. So take that, Inner Critic!
• Teaching a workshop on Saturday to a group of talented and enthusiastic writers—such fun and such a gift!
• Reading manuscripts and writing critiques of other writers’ work, where I not only got to enjoy good stories, but also give back in a way I hope is helpful
• Making good progress on my online course–it will get done and be something I’m very proud of
• Getting a decent draft finished on a new picture book manuscript. If it ends up not being a viable idea, so what? I had a blast writing it and coming up with each new phase so SHUT UP ALREADY

I’m now focused on what I’ve accomplished and I feel oodles better 🙂 . I then set out action steps to accomplish even more and I’m doing very well—at accomplishing and relishing the moment.

What about you?