Become Your Own Cheerleader: 5 Tips To Support Yourself When Writing Online

Get, set, go…

The problem is: Writers want to become like Stephen king but end up becoming like Keanu Reeves.

… yes, exactly, [he is not a writer.]

You can wear a hat like “Rosy” or mimic the stalker “Annie Wilkes” from “Misery.” But practicing these acts never promises you to evolve like Stephen King. The question remains:

Why do you want to become like Stephen’s King?

Comparing your writing journey to someone who started decades before you is not a healthy comparison.

Stephen King started writing 53 years ago
Nicholas Sparks began writing 22 years ago
Colleen’s first book, published in 2014 — Ugly Love
JK Rowling’s first book was published 25 years back.

Let me assure you: Numerous publishing houses denied the drafts of Jk Rowling. You see, they were their own “cheerleaders.”

Whether you wear pompoms, skirts, or hair bands, you’re a cheerleader if you stand yourself as a writer. If you want to enhance your cheerleading career as a writer, below are 5 tips to guide you.

Let’s get started

1. Take it as a baby

If we could rename “writing,” then “baby” would be the most suitable word.

A baby goes through different stages of life, but only once. A writer takes each article through different stages. It’s like a rebirth of thousands of articles in a month.

And don’t get me started on the rebirth of an article when we’ve almost given up on editing. That’s a miracle, isn’t it?

Thousands of articles die daily. And what brings them to life? The one that killed them — the writer.

Taking it as a baby allows writers to play with words, drop good stories, bounce from one topic to another, embrace mistakes, and much more. Many people call new hobby as:

A beginner stage
You may call it “baby” too

How to apply?

Taking baby steps means appreciating your work, taking care of it, not listening to any complaints, and denying any school’s detention signature because it’s a baby.

Apply the “baby method” to your article, which, in short, translates to:

Taking care of your articles
Denying any negative feedback
No shouting at your articles, never
No abusive bringing up
Give em rewards

Also, pat them on the back once in a while when they choke or make mistakes. It’s fine. Every kid in the neighborhood does that.

2. Identify flute patterns

Have you ever seen a flute?

A basic flute has 6 holes.

Being the best flute singer in my high school, I was deeply saddened as I couldn’t learn when to alternate fingers, take a breath, and pause. Then, our coach taught us patterns.

He uttered a statement: “Rehearse correct patterns, so you don’t have to spend too much time unlearning them.”

He is right.

Writing requires hard work. I know readers don’t appreciate us as they should. Will that make you stop?

How to apply?

Have faith in your work. You’re your competition. There’s no need to compare yourself to people who started when you weren’t even born. This is simply unfair.

Here are a few tips from Anne Ichikawa, a writer to acknowledge your work like a professional:

Acknowledge it: Share whatever you write and how bad it may seem. Websites like Twitter, Linkedin, and Instagram make sharing your stories painless.
Connect with like-minded people: My social media is filled with Medium writers. I like to be around people who understand me and give me similar vibes.
Don’t hesitate: When sending your first draft or a story as a sample, never hesitate. With AI writes roaming like mice in the market, own your hard work like a charm.

3. Practice self-compassion

Employ a growth mindset.

Things happen — a lot of things will happen. I am not petrifying you — it’s the beautiful truth of life. Stop punishing yourself for mistakes you didn’t make. Stop over-editing your work.

Instead, do this:

Look at some books like “4-hour-work-week,” “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” and “Meditation” You’ll notice a similar pattern in them. Guess what?

“New and revised.”
“Revised and updated.”

These words are enveloped in a circle at the bottom of the book. Have you seen it?

… I am waiting. Check it out.

How to apply?

You see:

Everything in this life can be: updated, revised, and edited.

The old example of bow departing from arrow worked in war times. Now, it’s a tired cliche. To exercise self-compassion, believe that mistakes are part of our life. Also, this does not mean pulling in less effort. Change is only to remind you to stop worrying.

Employ a growth mindset that you can put at their disposal if changes are needed. To who?

Your editor, employee, anyone.

If you ever feel the writing career is eating you up, maybe your editor, here are a few things to do:

Write a letter to dear diary
Stay positive
Give yourself encouragement
Forgive yourself

Believe in “growing,” and nothing can ever stop you.

4. Celebrate success

In my review of Good habits and Bad Habits, I highlighted:

“The reward is the easiest way to build a practice.”

To celebrate your success, offer yourself a present at the end of each task. Sure, you can mix and match your gift ideas by making them valuable. Some suggestions are:

Give yourself a diary
New productivity gadgets
Yoga mat
[Insert one here]

Wendy Wood presses great importance on the reward culture. Besides, with rewards, we work in momentum. Though we’re not kids, we must select a suitable reward.

The above list can help you choose the best reward possible.

How to apply?

If you look closely at the above points, you’ll realize:

A reward must be beneficial for the type of work you’re doing.

For example, it’s inappropriate to gift yourself a piece of Lava Brownie on the eve of losing 2 kgs. Don’t become a curl in your effort. Instead, opt for rewards to help you hit the gym the other day.

For writers, the best rewards are:

Productive gadgets (maybe buying a subscription for a to-do list)
Purchasing a new desk
[Insert one here]

The possibilities are endless. Keep exploring. If you wish to buy an expensive reward, make sure you increase the intensity of the effort. Meaning, the streak method:

Offer yourself a paid subscription after one month of writing articles without a break.

5. Make healthy competitors

Develop healthy competitions. Unlike with:

Stephen King
Timothy Ferris
Dale Carnegie
Colleen Hoover
Ryan Holiday

The above names are “ideals.” You can designate these people as your future goals, but they’re not your competitors.

Timothy Ferris says: your goals should be rational.

Meaning that when you’re competing with someone, you should have a common ground. If not, then you should at least leverage your output twofold.

Create challenges that are possible. If you do not, that misuses Parkinson’s law. Parkinson’s law indicates that you make deadlines for your tasks.

Too irrational tasks and setting incorrect deadlines will make them impossible to achieve.

How to apply?

Forbes.com suggest a framework to find and make healthy competitions.

Find your likings: The quickest way to improve your qualities is to find your competition. You can find inspiration in the form of fellow writers and buddies.
Analyze if they inspire you: Choosing healthy competition is necessary. Find the right people who evoke a sense of responsibility and inspiration in you.
Keep the spirit alive: Healthy struggle depends on your work nature, like getting help from an invisible source. No one can know you’re using people to set coals for your true potential. Keep the spirit alive by competing quite often.

When trying to find healthy competition, I always recall the quote by Denzel Washington:

“If you hang around 5 confident people,you will be the 6th

If you hang around 5 intelligent people,you will be the 6th

If you hang around 5 millionaires,you will be the 6th

If you hang around 5 idiots,you will be the 6th

You are average of the 5 people you spend most time with”

To choose your future, choose your competition.

Final thoughts:

Becoming a cheerleader comes with benefits: you’re famous, stand up for yourself, and appear instantly beautiful.

Put on a “cheerleader” costume every time you write. Drape your outfit with a silver moon necklace and be prepared to shine your way.

Stand up for yourself when the audience is sitting down and watching you — It’s all that matters.