Six Tips to Help You Push Through Fear

 

By Cindy K. Sproles

I wondered where my writing was going. With three successful novels and now a fourth on the way, could I possibly turn out another work that met the mark? I sat frozen in front of my computer screen as fear rose and my self-confidence hit rock bottom. How could I come up with another story? Other writer friends pumped out story after story and me … I struggled to refine the next idea.

It’s scary when you experience success, and then the pressure builds not to disappoint. The truth is talent doesn’t change. It’s our self-confidence and fear that jump in to send us reeling.

This age-old problem attacks anyone who experiences success, but it’s all in how they choose to handle it. Here are six tips to help you ride the way of success and hop over poor self-confidence and fear.

The talent doesn’t change – You’ve been gifted with a unique talent to write, and that doesn’t change. You still have wonderful ideas and fantastic ways to phrase things. You just let your head get in the way. When you start to feel as though you are unworthy of managing success again—stop. Recognize your gifts and acknowledge them. Embrace them. They are yours, and others cannot steal them from you. Use them.

Read your work – Take time to step back and re-read a past book or article you’ve written. Sometimes we need to back up and find the magic in what we’ve done. Many authors say they will never read their books once they’re in print. To each his own, but when you begin to question your ability, a step back in time helps revive you. When you read your work, you see what attracted the publisher to you. You find your phrasing and descriptions. It’s a great reminder of your abilities and why your work was chosen. Re-read your work. It’s a great place to rediscover yourself.

Make a list – Sometimes, simply taking time to reassess your strengths and weaknesses helps put things in perspective. When we can look over our strengths, it reassures us of our abilities. Seeing our weaknesses enables us to remember our determination to succeed.

Pray – We never go wrong when we pray. Laying our fears and lack of self-confidence at the feet of our Father, the One who gifted us the talents we have, allows us to give control back to Him. Remember, our gifts are precious, but when we allow God to lead us in our work, then things run smoother. You have ideas. Put them on paper and then ask God to guide you through the writing process. Give the work to Him and let him speak inspiration into your words.

Write – Keep writing even when it’s hard. Pushing through is good for us. It’s movement, activity, determination to attain the goal.  There are days when we need self-care but not self-pity. Learn the difference and then refuse to let self-pity take hold. It can and will paralyze you. The more you write encourages your efforts and strengthens your desire to write.

Never give up – Pretty self-explanatory, huh? Quitters never succeed, so don’t quit. Giving in to your fears and frustrations only leads you to other issues. If you let fear stop you from writing, it will prevent you from doing other things. Never give up. You have a dream, and it’s worth the effort.

When you feel like you can’t move ahead in your writing … hold on. I have great faith in you. You are a good writer. You’re recognized, and if you aren’t yet, you will be with practice. Be patient. Stand firm. Keep it up. Success will follow again.

(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and tigger11th.)

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Cindy Sproles gives us six tips to push through fear as writers. via @cindydevoted (Click to tweet.)

Cindy K. Sproles is proud of her Appalachian Mountain heritage and loves to share it with others. She is an author, speaker, and conference teacher, teaching across the country. Cindy is the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries, and she has served as a managing editor for two publishing houses. Cindy is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference, held each February at the Cove, Asheville, NC. She is married and has four adult sons and two grands.