“Death of a Salesman” tells the story of the last 24 hours in the life of Willy Loman, a salesman who never quite achieves the success he always dreamed of. He has a faithful yet disappointed wife and two sons who are equally as lost as he is.

By the end of the play, you come to understand Willy’s main downfall: he is unable to truly be himself. He has spent his whole career trying to manufacture a winning personality and measuring his success by how much money he makes.

It’s tempting to criticize Willy Loman for being misguided and superficial. But this character isn’t just confined to the stage. The ghost of Willy Loman is alive and well in each one of us.

Every day, you are tempted to play by other people’s rules and conform to their definitions of success. That’s why you need the courage to carve out your own identity as a writer.

And isn’t that one of the defining qualities of a writer, anyway? You have a voice that is unique, and you must have the courage to share it.

The actress Lily Tomlin once said, “I always wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should’ve been more specific.”

Of course, you want to be somebody. We all do. But you’re not just somebody or anybody. There is only one person who can be uniquely you… and that’s YOU.

Don’t settle for the death of a salesman. That’s a sad, depressing story. Instead, embrace the life of a writer, sharing your own story so you can, in turn, give life to others.

Today’s Challenge: Get a copy of “The Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. You can find copies of the stage play online or in used bookstores. If you’ve never read it, you might be surprised at how much of yourself you see in Willy Loman… and you’ll be motivated to strive for something different in your life.

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The truth is that you’re not competing with other authors. You’re not in a race with them. There is no finish line, no referee, no prize at the end.

Yes, there are bestseller lists and literary awards, but those don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. For one thing, traditional bestseller lists are never 100% accurate. Did you know that the New York Times bestseller list is a ranking of books put together by an editorial team, and not a reflection of actual book sales?

And when it comes to Amazon bestsellers, we all know that it’s easy to make a few sales in an obscure category over a couple of hours and technically become an “Amazon bestseller.”

When it comes to literary awards, the truth is that the average reader could care less which books won which awards. Few people outside of authors and publishers care about those. Plus, literary awards are just a reflection of people’s opinions.

No, those things do not reflect your real competitors. Your only real competition is yourself.

Who were you ten years ago? A year ago? A month ago? A week ago?

Have you grown? Changed? Learned some things? Improved your writing craft? Grown your business? Made some mistakes and then course-corrected?

If you’re better than you were before, you’re winning. You’re doing just fine. Don’t worry about the “competition.” Just focus on improving yourself day after day, year after year.

Today’s Challenge: Take thirty seconds and write down three ways you have improved over the last year. Then give yourself a pat on the back. You’re doing great!

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It also has a downside: jealousy and bad feelings from seeing all the wins that other writers are having. We don’t see the struggle, failure, or heartaches that went into creating those wins.

That’s why you need to celebrate every inch of progress you’re making as a writer.

Did you write some words today? That’s a win.

Did you learn something about publishing? That’s a win.

Did you attend a session for your writing group? That’s a win.

Did you have lunch or set up a chat with another writer? That’s a win.

Did you talk to an editor or graphic designer about your next book project? That’s a win.

Did you spend some time marketing? That’s a win.

Whatever you did today to further your writing and author business, you won. Remember the fable about the tortoise and the hare? The tortoise won because he kept plodding along, making constant progress.

Slow and steady wins the race. The only person you need to keep score against is the person you were yesterday. All progress is progress!

Today’s Challenge: Find an author who has recently posted a win on social media and congratulate them on making consistent progress and getting a cool win. Then, see what you can learn from them.

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So far, we’ve talked about some big goals that can change your life, and the lives of others as well. We’ve mentioned writing a book, joining a writing group, making more money, and mentoring another writer.

Today, on this final episode in the series, I’m challenging you to stop settling for average in 2023.

What do I mean by this?

Most writers settle for average: an average-quality book, average marketing, average energy, average success, an average peer group, and so on. We settle for average because we get used to it. It takes a lot of energy to recognize how average your life is and then be willing to change elements of it in order to be more successful.

I’m not suggesting that you burn down your whole life. It’s actually much simpler, and it starts with one decision: to get around the right type of people who are dreaming, thinking, planning, and executing on a higher level.

It’s pretty hard to manufacture enthusiasm and energy on your own. It’s much easier to do it when you’re “running with the horses,” to use a phrase from the Bible.

As you might have guessed, I’m going to mention the Daily Writer Club, a group that is designed to help you achieve more as a writer and build your writing-based business. We have a remarkable group of people there, and we’d love to have you join us. You can check it out at https://dailywriterclub.com.

When you settle for average, you get average results. Will 2023 be the year you finally start to pursue your writing dreams and reach for something higher?

Today’s Challenge: Stop accepting average and commit to growing more than you thought possible this year.

The post New Year’s Goal: Stop Settling for Average in 2023 appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Those are all fantastic goals that will increase your impact and income!

But today, let’s turn the focus elsewhere. It’s great to think about your own success—in fact, it’s vital! However, I want you to think about how you can also serve and mentor other writers.

It doesn’t matter where you are on your writing journey. You might be a full-time writer with twenty books published. Or you might be relatively new to the writing world and are just trying to gain some confidence.

Whatever level of experience you have with writing, there is always someone who needs to learn what you know. They need someone to help them, believe in them, and show them the way.

So, take a look around at your social media friends or your personal network. Who is one person you can help? Maybe they need someone to give them feedback about their writing. Maybe they need help setting up their blog. Maybe they need an introduction to people you know who could help them in some other way.

Whatever the case, be intentional about reaching out to others and finding ways to help them. It doesn’t need to take a lot of time. Somebody in your network needs your wisdom, knowledge, and connections.

Today’s Challenge: Take three minutes to brainstorm a few people whom you can help. Then, get in touch with one to ask how you can help them.

The post New Year’s Goal: Mentor Another Writer in 2023 appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll recall the basic plot. The main character, George Bailey, feels like a failure because he’s spent his life working at his father’s Building & Loan, and never getting to achieve his dreams of traveling the world and being involved in what he perceives as a more successful career.

One day, it all comes crashing down when his Uncle Henry misplaces $8,000, which sends the business’s finances into a downward spiral. The only way George sees out of the mess is to take his own life by jumping into the river. Clarence the Angel saves George and gives him the priceless gift of seeing what the world would be like without him. As a result, George comes to realize what a difference he’s truly made in countless people’s lives.

The final scene shows the townspeople coming to George’s rescue, donating more than enough to make up the $8,000 loss. On the pile of money, George finds a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, miraculously placed there by Clarence. The inscription reads, “Dear George, Remember no man is a failure who has friends.”

What a powerful reminder during this season when so many people struggle with depression and sadness. Although Christmas is a time of joy and giving, the honest truth is that many people listening to this episode are struggling just to make it through this season.

Maybe this year, your expectations have been dashed or you’ve experienced failure of some kind. Maybe you’re struggling to get out of bed each morning, wondering why you should continue putting in the effort. Maybe you, like George Bailey, mistakenly think the world would be a better place without you.

I’m here to tell you that you can’t begin to imagine all the good you’ve done in the world.

Book sales, business, client contracts, social media metrics, podcast downloads, and income can all go up and down. But if you have friends, you’re indeed a rich man or woman. Don’t ever believe for one second that you’re a failure. We need your gifts, your talent, and your writing in the world.

So, if you’re going through a hard time, keep your chin up. Keep pressing on. Even on your worst day, remember that your friend Kent Sanders is here on the Daily Writer Podcast, cheering for your success and rooting you on!

Question: If you had the same chance George Bailey did, to see what the world would be like without you, would you take it?

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Most people are passive observers to their own lives. They accept the choices that life hands to them. They assume what they see other people doing is what they should be doing also. They go along with the crowd, never rock the boat, and never achieve their dreams.

On the other hand, successful writers know that life is not a multiple-choice test. If they don’t like the options in front of them, they create new ones.

How do we do this? We do this by taking advantage of all the amazing opportunities we have today as writers. There is an almost unlimited number of opportunities for you to get your work in front of readers and make a good living while doing it. In fact, we just finished a series on making money as a writer. I encourage you to go back and listen to it if you want a few tangible ways to start making income with your skills.

Is it hard to strike out on your own pathway while everyone around you is conforming to social norms? While everyone else is doing what other people expect? While everyone else is not writing books or putting in the work to build their own writing business?

Of course, it’s challenging. Nobody said this would be easy. But if you are going to make something happen, this is not the time to be passive. This is not the time to limit your options. The world is a giant buffet of opportunity. Will you take advantage of it?

Question: Are you ready to start making the most of your opportunities and create your own success as a writer?

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One of them is knowledge. It seems like we should know what we are getting ourselves into, right? Who respects a writer who seems aloof and doesn’t know what’s going on?

Another quality we prize is humility. Surely we don’t want to become one of those writers who have a pretty high opinion of themselves, right?

There is some truth in that. But there is also something to be said for going ahead and doing the work even though we don’t have it all figured out. There is something to be said for having a pretty good amount of confidence in who we are and what we have to say.

It’s a balance, to be sure. But so many writers are timid and unsure that perhaps a good old-fashioned attitude of “I don’t know and I don’t care” would do us some good now and then.

Or as Steven Pressfield wrote in his fantastic little book, Do the Work: “Ignorance and arrogance are the artist and entrepreneur’s indispensable allies. She must be clueless enough to have no idea how difficult her enterprise is going to be—and cocky enough to believe she can pull it off anyway.”

It’s OK not to have everything figured out. It’s OK to be confident and courageous. You’re good enough. You’re smart enough. And if you stick with it, you’re gonna make it.

The post I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

After you have prepared by tilling the soil of your mind, planted by keeping track of your ideas, watered your mind by reading, pruned the dead weight from your schedule, and harvested your creativity by getting your writing done, it’s important to celebrate by enjoying your success.

For some reason, writers have a hard time being content with their success. Maybe it’s jealousy or a mentality that says whatever they have achieved, it’s not enough. Maybe it’s an attitude they inherited from their family that they can never measure up.

Whatever the case, it’s vital to recognize that when you write, you have done something worth celebrating. It doesn’t need to be a giant ego boost. You can celebrate in a way that inspires others and doesn’t put yourself in the spotlight.

When you accomplish something worthwhile, take a moment to stop and recognize the value of what you’ve done. Take pride in your work. Enjoy your success.

If you don’t develop this habit of celebration, you will never be happy with your achievements. How sad would it be to work so hard but never feel satisfied?

Question: Are you taking time to celebrate your success?

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When I was a kid back in the 1980s, I listened to a lot of Christian music. My favorite album during that period was “The Big Picture” by an artist named Michael W. Smith. One of the best songs on the album was titled Pursuit of the Dream, which contained one of my favorite lyrics ever: “Never forget your roots as you head for something new.”

That lyric has stuck with me for decades as I have gone through various periods in my life and made a lot of changes. It has particularly stuck with me over the last year since I quit my job as a college professor and became a full-time ghostwriter and author.

I have gotten a little bit of attention from people in my network because I’ve released a few books over the last year, built a successful business from scratch, and also have my first book coming out next month with a traditional New York publisher.

Yes, I’m proud of my accomplishments from the last couple of years. But the truth is that I had a lot of help getting here and I will continue to need a lot of help as I go forward. None of these good things would’ve happened without the support of my amazing wife and son, and mentors like Honoreé Corder, Dan Miller, and Nick Pavlidis.

At the end of the day, I’m just a kid from a small southern Missouri town of Potosi. I grew up in a double-wide trailer out in the country. But I had the good fortune of having amazing parents, a lot of good teachers, and so many people who have helped me along the way.

Whatever level of success you achieve in your life or business, don’t ever forget where you came from. We were all born the same way and we will all leave this life one day. Keep your success in perspective and remember that it’s all pretty pointless if you don’t use your success to help other people.

Question: How did your roots shape you into the person you are today?

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