Don’t answer for me. Answer for yourself.
If you want to grow as a writer, a moment of reflection can dramatically improve the hours you pour into your writing. Ask yourself this—how is my writing?—and you will find ways to conquer problems you’ve been ignoring, you will realize the depth of your achievements, and you will renew your writing momentum, which will spur you to finish your best work.
When I reflect, I ask myself:
- What recent achievements, no matter how small, can I celebrate right now? What should I be proud of?
- Did I fail any goals recently? What did I do that held me back?
- How can I make improvements? What can I do to change my future?
- What is a struggle for me right now?
- How do I feel about my writing and my goals right now? Should I adjust my expectations?
And the most important question: do I feel like I have improved in my writing recently? How did I improve?
I try to open and close my reflections with positive questions because I want to build a joyful writing life. I love writing, and I want to keep loving it.
But I also try to dig into my feelings, particularly the ones I hide from myself. A diagnosis is usually better than ignorance. Then, I try to shift my perspective, and look at my failures from a problem solver’s angle. Dream, I tell myself, and imagine how to improve yourself. It can be hard, it can make painful emotions bubble up to the surface, but I do this to claim a proactive role in my growth. Growth doesn’t happen to me, I choose to grow.
Sometimes, upon reflecting, you’ll discover you need a rest, or sustenance, or just a mental pause. Discovering this is good—better to realize it immediately than to waste hours staring at a blank page, burning your energy to nothing and getting nothing for it.
Otherwise, reflection will inspire you. It will help you see where you are, and give you a blazing urge to keep writing. Either way, I never regret reflecting.
So, how is your writing?