How I Am Suffering on My Journey From a Wannabe to a Full-Time Writer

These days I would find myself scrolling through Twitter and Medium and Substack feeds and feel like I could have made it as well. Only if I had tried.

Well, there is no one stopping me now. I can make it even now. But ‘The Resistance” in one form or the other comes up and I find myself stuck in the same old rut.

Wake up late, run the 9–6, come back home exhausted, listen to podcasts and watch Youtube videos to get inspiration, have dinner, talk to my wife about going through a mid-life crisis, and journal and sleep. And repeat.

But the silver lining is that I have identified a few of the roadblocks and some solutions. I (we) need to just walk the path now.

Lot of Intakes but no Output

I have been watching a lot of videos, reading books, and listening to podcasts on how to be a good writer, how to make money writing online, and how to earn financial freedom through writing.

I have taken courses on succeeding on some writing platforms. But the problem is I have never taken action. I have never actually sat down and do the one thing required to become a writer: writing!

While I do write in my journal but I have not written something for the readers. The resistance comes up in the form of myriad excuses. You can name them.

Just Knowing the Solution isn’t Enough

While I know what path I need to walk on. And I am sure I will learn other important lessons along the way.

The problem is I am not actually walking the path. I know being consistent help, I know improving the content diet helps, and I know practicing helps but just knowing is not enough. I need to do it.

Self-Doubt

Am I good enough? Will people take me seriously?

Well, it’s true I don’t have any original thoughts or ideas that readers will be dying to read from me. And it’s also true that on most days I feel like an impostor.

But isn’t my uniqueness enough to attract an audience of my kind, my type of people?

So, why not just write that goddamn article and forget about the rest.

Lack of Discipline

I need time to write like everyone else. I am working a full-time job so I need to balance my professional life and passions. And if I am serious about making a full-time living off of writing I need to start now and build momentum before quitting my job. It is simple.

All I need to do is allocate 2 hours of time writing daily. Daily.

Wake up 2 hours earlier before going to Office and write during that time, no?

No!

I am too lazy to wake up earlier. Even if I do wake up early I feel too drowsy to write coherently. It hasn’t worked.

Now I need to find that time when I could be in a flow state, be it late at night (the case now). I shall do what works for me.

And be disciplined, don’t give in to distractions.

Lack of Grit

While the passion is there, it is not enough.

As anyone could see by visiting my profile, I have given writing a go for a few months and upon seeing no results (read no real money) I quit. This is loathsome at the very least.

Besides that, I had a few setbacks in my personal life that threw me off the writing path. And instead of resuming it after recovering and bouncing back even stronger, I gave up. This is not how it is going to work.

I need to be gritty & full of perseverance. And take it one tiny story, one tiny article at a time.

Takeaway

So, what is the takeaway for me?

• Don’t just consume, create as well.
• Just keep practicing and polishing your craft.
• Don’t doubt yourself, no one is an original thinker.
• Be disciplined, it will help in other walks of life as well.
• When knocked down by life, don’t give up and bounce back stronger.