Challenge Yourself to Be the Boss of Your Writing Career

31-Day Ninja Writer Challenge 2019: Day Fourteen

“The professional keeps his eye on the doughnut and not on the hole. He reminds himself it’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.” — Steven Pressfield, The War of Art.

So, today’s post is a little more esoteric than most of the others in this series. It’s kind of a thought exercise, I guess.

I want you to understand something on a bone-deep level.

You are the Boss of your writing career. The Boss, capital B.

That means that you set goals for yourself and keep them. If you wouldn’t tell your day-job boss that you can’t come into work because you’re too busy or your kids that you can’t make dinner because your muse didn’t show up today — then don’t pull that shit on your writing career.

Set a goal for yourself. Write it in your planner. In ink.

And show up. Expect yourself to behave like a professional writer.

It’s okay if your goal is ten minutes of writing a day. You can write the first draft of a novel in a year that way, if you are diligent. But you have to show up and be all in for those ten minutes.

If you wouldn’t call up any other boss and give them the excuses you’re giving yourself, then don’t give them to yourself.

Here’s what I’d like you think about doing today. Get yourself some business cards. You can order a hundred cards for less than $10 on Vistaprint. (I like Moo.com as well. Vistaprint is cheaper, but maybe a little less cool.)

Or, make your own. That’s what I do. I ordered a stamp from Vistaprint with my business card info on the back and made cards out of album covers. They’re artsy and cool and I love them.

It might seem silly, but I promise just having those cards in your pocket will help you feel like what you are: the CEO of your writing business.

ASSIGNMENT FOURTEEN:

Head over to Vistaprint or another business card printer and get some made up. Or make your own. It’s a small investment, but it will make a difference.

When your cards come in, come share a picture in our Facebook group! In the meantime, you can share your design and get some feedback.

Come by and visit my new website!

Read all of the challenges in this series here:

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Shaunta Grimes is a writer and teacher. She is an out-of-place Nevadan living in Northwestern PA with her husband, three superstar kids, two dementia patients, a good friend, Alfred the cat, and a yellow rescue dog named Maybelline Scout. She’s on Twitter @shauntagrimes and is the original Ninja Writer.