Overcome the thought of quitting content creation every other day by practicing 5 simple techniques.
As a content creator, publishing new content regularly is no joke. It’s creatively hard work.
It’s hard enough for me that I think about quitting every other day. Yet, I am here writing this article and more in the future.
Why does the thought of quitting come?
As a professional Agile Coach, I like to perform root cause analysis of unwanted outcomes.
Thus, I used the “Five why” method to get to the heart of the problem. I came up with two findings.
# Self-Doubt
I do not think that I am the best writer this world has to offer. Nor do I think I am the worst writer ever born on earth.
I consider myself an average writer who can succeed by putting the necessary work in the right direction.
But, I ask myself, why am I writing every day? What if I do not succeed after writing regularly for 2 years.
Is it worth spending hours every day writing? Would it be better to spend that time doing hundreds of other things?
All these questions anchor me down into the depths of the sea called “self-doubt.” And if you are under self-doubt long enough, you will lose all your oxygen.
# It’s damn slow in the start
It is a cold dark night during the early days. There are no signs of views on your articles, subscribers, or revenue.
There might be exceptions who make it after writing a few articles. But, unfortunately, I am not among that 1%.
I come under the other 99% of the crowd who has one foot in their job and the other in writing. For us, writing is a hobby or a way to earn a few bucks on the side.
Unfortunately, the slow process of achieving success in blogging, combined with the above mindset, makes most writers quit within the first 6 months.
How did I overcome it?
After understanding the root cause, it became easier to fix it. So here are 5 things I practice to suppress the thought of “Quitting.”
#1 Reminding myself to write every day for 2 years with no questions asked
Starting a blog or writing on Medium is a 2 minutes process. But, being successful in writing takes 2 years.
You cannot reach the event, i.e., a successful writer, by skipping the process of writing 100s of articles.
Thus, I committed to writing every day for at least 2 years with no questions asked.
I told myself that I would earn the right to self-doubt after writing for 2 years.
This simple commitment cuts me free from the anchor of self-doubt. Instead, it acts as a wind, pushing my ship forward.
#2 Following the principle: Show up every day
I learned from Tony Horton the power of showing up every day. He is one of the most influential men in health and fitness.
He said, Rome is not built in a day nor gonna be your body. Just show up every day.
Try your best and forget the rest. — Tony Horton
I apply the above principle in “writing” also. I remind myself that showing up every day is the superpower to reach my goals.
It is not important how many words you write. Showing up on the day you feel sick to your bones and still writing a single sentence is.
#3 Reading the success stories of other content creators
The success of other content creators is a reality and not a dream. If they can do it, so can I or anyone else.
Thus, you are not chasing an unrealistic goal. It is within your grasp.
Reading the success stories of fellow content creators cements that mindset. Moreover, it inspires me to continue learning and publishing content online.
#4 Looking back, I can see the progress clearly
I have been writing every day for 3 months now. When I look back, I can see the progress.
- My content’s quality is better than before.
- I now need less time to write 1000 words.
- I make fewer grammatical mistakes.
- Publications on Medium started to accept my articles.
- Other metrics like views, followers, claps, etc., are also improving.
Of course, I am not earning anything yet, but the progress in other areas is real. It encourages me to continue on the path of writing every day.
#5 Imagining myself living my dream
Our desires motivate us to take steps to fulfill them.
Thus, visualizing yourself living the dream is the Absinthe of motivation you can give yourself.
Whenever the old friend “self-doubt” visits me, I show him our dream. After watching the dream, he happily leaves me to focus on the work required to achieve it.