The coming new year provides us with a great opportunity for self-reflection and reinvention. Look at the past year, where you started as a writer and where you stand now. If things have not been looking too good, why despair? Think of this new year as a blessing, a fresh opportunity to reinvent yourself as a writer. Here is how!
How To Reinvent Yourself As A Writer This New Year?
1. Take Time for Self-Reflection
The first step is to take a momentary pause and reflect on yourself. Build a clear understanding of what you hope to achieve as a writer. Does it bring you joy and fulfillment? Is this the path you want to go down? Get clear answers and build on what your inner self is telling you so you can be fully focused on your personal transformation this year.
2. Fall In Love with Your Craft
Confucius has so aptly put it, “Do what you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Like most art forms, writing is about expressing your thoughts, ideas, and emotions. One of the main reasons writers lose interest quickly is because they begin to look to writing as a chore. Build love for your craft and it will eventually transform into mastery of your craft.
3. Read More & Reinvent Yourself!
Becoming a better writer means having to read a lot more. This coming year, build a habit of reading more often and reading more diverse samples. Reading helps expose your different writing styles, adapt to new grammar, improve your vocabulary, and sometimes even provide inspiration for your work. With an improved vocabulary, you will effortlessly find the right words to tell your stories.
4. Set SMART Goals
With a whole new year ahead of you, think of it as working with a clean slate. Find clarity in what you hope to achieve. Now, think of the minor milestones you will have to cross to get there. This could be anywhere from writing your first chapter to compiling your first draft or even self-publishing your work. Set SMART goals for you to follow. This means goals that are specific, measurable, attainable/achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Make these goals easier to achieve by further breaking them down into smaller manageable tasks. We like this approach because smaller tasks are easier to achieve. Smaller accomplishments will also give you reason for celebration and contribute to your motivation. They also show that you are making legitimate progress on your journey.
5. Create A Healthy Balance in Your Creative Life
Don’t be the tortured artist. Give yourself a healthy balance in your creative life and your personal life. At times, you may need to take a break from writing, get some fresh air, or focus on revitalizing the body, mind and soul. These healthy habits will help you strike a healthy balance so you can stop that future meltdown in its tracks. This is far better than building up pressure and stress until you reach your breaking point. This year, let’s be kinder to ourselves!
6. Set Up A Community
You are a seasoned writer or a beginner in the field, never underestimate the power of community. This could be a few known and trusted writers, an online group, or even a smaller writers’ club in your vicinity. Find a safe space where you can enjoy discussing your craft with like-minded individuals. Writing is more of a solitary activity, so it is good to go out and stretch your legs. It will surely help you reinvent yourself as a writer but you will also love the additional support and encouragement you receive.
7. Don’t Wait to Start!
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on,” says Louis L’Amour. Don’t wait this year; procrastination is the greatest enemy of productivity. Once you have gained clarity and have an idea of what goal you hope to achieve this year, why delay your journey? Start writing even a few sentences a day to get started. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. You do not have to write exceptionally well on the go-get. Focus on just writing for now.
Final Thoughts
So, now you know how to reinvent yourself. The 7 steps we have outlined above should help you progress in your journey of reinventing yourself. Just remember, like all things, progress takes time. Do not stop midway and stay committed to your journey so you can see legitimate results!
