Success. One of the most frequent subjects of books, workshops, presentations, and blogs. As an educator, I am often reading articles and research on success for insights, approaches, and strategies that I can bring into the classroom to ultimately help my students become successful. I also admit to being a bit of a self-serving junkie. I hope these insights will help me with my roles outside the classroom as well- my life as a writer, speaker, and presenter. I love those lists you can find on a Google search. 15 Things to Do Every Morning to be Successful 10 Ways to Have a Successful Career. To Reach All Your Goals, Do These 12 Things. I read them all. I jot the lists down in my journal.
My favorite though, is the simplest. The study, (the 2013 Russell Sage Foundation study of comprehensive data on success rates of ethnic groups within the USA), found three distinct traits that set someone up for success in life:
- A superiority complex
- An overwhelming sense of insecurity
- Impulse control—the ability to delay gratification
I believe this may very well be the recipe for success for writers!
A superiority complex.
As writers we really do need to have a superiority complex of sorts. We must believe that we alone can tell the story, create the poem, or write the memoir. We must believe that we have insights and observations to share that no one else has yet thought of, or looked at in quite the same way. We must believe that people will read, and love, our words!
An overwhelming sense of insecurity.
This is easy for most of us as writers. We doubt ourselves. We doubt the words we chose, the story line we create, the ideas we share. As soon as we send something off, whether to an agent, an editor, or a fellow writer for critique, we are overwhelmed with doubts. When rereading our own writing, we sometimes can’t believe how awful it is. We are always revising and revising, because we always think it can be better.
The ability to delay gratification.
If you do not have it when you begin the journey of being a writer, you will be forced to develop it, for the wheels of publishing work slowly. Waiting months to hear from an agent after submitting a manuscript, or waiting a year after signing a publishing contract before you see your book in print is not unusual. Writers must be patient with the process.
While there is so much out there on success that delves into the psychology and complexity of successful people, I love the simplicity of this list. So to all my fellow writers out there: Nurture your superiority complex, embrace your insecurities, and be patient with the process! May success surround you and fill up your life!!!
Phyllis Kuehnl-Walters
I absolutely needed this post today! You would never think a superiority complex would be found in a person who has an overwhelming sense of insecurity! Thank you Judith!
Roslyn Farhi
Friday, June 29, 2018
I agree with some of the ideas presented but isn’t there an element of timing and luck that might be factored in too? So let’s all be lucky and hopeful that the time is right for our wisdom and words.
Karen Coody Cooper
Now I understand why I think my way of thinking is spot on while at the same time I suffer such doubts about getting before a crowd and shouting out my theories. I do get to write them in Point of View submissions. I write history, so I do know patience because of all the tedious searching for facts. Thank you for inspiring us.
James Whitehead
These three psychological constructs must be moderated in time and intensity, They are basic to achieving the writers identity and self-esteem. Without a concern for the reader, however, they can become a slippery slope to relationship problems,
Joni M Fisher
No kidding about the delayed gratification! That urge to publish as soon as possible has hampered many writers from producing their best work. Only God gets it right on the first draft.