Few writers would disagree that overcoming doubt and fear is half the battle to success.
Insecurity, comparisons, and negative self-talk can sabotage your efforts and delay your dreams.
In the best-selling book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, the author states: “Resolve to throw off the influences of any unfortunate environment and build your own life to order. Taking inventory of mental assets and liabilities, you may discover that your greatest weakness is lack of self-confidence.”
Fear, doubt, and feelings of inadequacy don’t have to serve as your “life script.”
You can retrain your brain to elevate your thoughts.
And there’s no better time for a paradigm shift than the present moment.
If you want to increase your net worth in the future, begins by increasing your
self-confidence now. In fact, Research from the Harvard Business Review shows that confidence is more important than competence.
With this in mind, here are some timely tips to help you improve your confidence as a blogger.
1. Celebrate small victories.
Don’t wait for a big publishing contract to validate your worth as a writer and blogger. Celebrate and embrace small successes along the way.
For instance, I just had a new business client “find me” from a guest post I published six years ago. He hired me almost immediately.
It was an unexpected joy and a source of pride. I purchased myself a special trinket to reward myself.
Perhaps your success might be an ebook you recently self-published, a spike in new website visitors, a positive comment from a blog reader, or stepping out of your comfort zone by creating your first product based on your blog content.
Use each small victory to boost your confidence. You can do this; you are doing this!
Every little bit of confidence—and the results that follow—counts. Give yourself a pat on the back.
2. Use visual reminders.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember just how much you’ve accomplished in the face of editors’ rejections, unmet goals, unengaged blog readers, and low bank account balances. When you focus on the negative, you deplete your confidence reserves.
That’s why you need to have visual reminders of what you have accomplished to keep moving forward and maintaining momentum. These reminders are confidence boosters.
Keep “success symbols” around to remind you to continue being confident. They can be things like blog readers’ thank you letters or testimonials, check stubs from paid blog posts, blogging or writing award plaques, a success journal, or positive affirmations. Hang them on your office wall, around your computer screen, and on your bathroom mirror. Be sure you look at them regularly.
3. Read books and blogs on positivity and personal growth.
You are what you read. Feed your mind content that helps raise your confidence level.
Here are a few resources I highly recommend:
SITES
BOOKS
- Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
- Don’t Worry, Make Money, Richard Carlson, Ph.D.
4. Be mindful of what you tell yourself.
Is your self-talk positive and uplifting? Or is it a narrative of insults and put downs?
The Bible tells us that “As a man thinketh, so it is.” James Allen wrote a fabulous book called As a Man Thinketh on this topic.
You can’t achieve more if you don’t believe you can have and do more or if you don‘t feel worthy. Train your mind on what you want to achieve and on even small accomplishments that help you believe you are worthy of the results you desire.
5. Don’t personalize rejections.
When a blogger, editor or agent turns down your work, see it as an opportunity to learn more about your creative strengths and weaknesses and to develop skills of resilience and patience.
Don’t let the experience sap your confidence. Instead, allow it to increase your tenacity. Confidently move forward again toward your goal.
Keep going. The more you publish blog posts, the more successful your blog becomes. The more you submit your proposals to agents, the greater your odds of acceptance. The more you publish, the greater your ability to impact other people’s lives. And with each step forward, your confidence grows.
Make 2017 your year to use confidence as the key to blogging success. Follow these five tips, and let me know how your confidence increases.
About the Author
Jennifer Brown Banks is a veteran freelance writer, relationship columnist, ghost writer, award-winning blogger and author. Her work has appeared in various online and print publications including: ProBlogger, Men With Pens, Write to Done, Tiny Buddha, Women on Writing and the Well-Fed Writer E-zine.
Banks is the managing editor of Coffeehouseforwriters.com, where she also teaches creative writing classes. When she’s not at the keyboard, she loves cooking, reading, “Jeopardy,” music, and shopping.
Find out more about Jennifer here: Penandprosper.blogspot.com/
Photo courtesy of marigranula / 123RF.com
I started blogging last year in summer as a hobby and as I got more invested in it I started getting more insecure as people were now actually reading it! Celebrating small victories and avoiding overthinking certainly helped me!