Success Secrets
The secret is...each success is as individual as each person is unique.
I've switched posting days with E because she's still recovering from "vacation". But we all know a vacation with the kids isn't really a vacation for the parents, right?
So onto the topic of success...
I have a different view of achievement and risk than most other people I know. And I think it comes from years of falling through the cracks, which could also be translated into perseverance against all odds.
I'm all for information and research, in fact I do quite a bit of it before I take on any endeavor, and continue learning along the path. But I tend to filter out the bad stuff and emphasize the good. I figure if someone else has done it, I can do it, too, despite what anyone else tells me.
I was told the college of my choice had high G.P.A requirements and low acceptance rates. I applied even though I didn't meet the requirements, was accepted and enjoyed a successful college career.
I was told there were few summer jobs in my field of study, that none of my fellow design students were able to find one. I doubled my efforts and landed a great summer job in a commercial firm, which lead to a permanent job offer after graduation.
My parents said I'd never make a living with an art degree. I knew my strengths and followed my gut. Of the nine careers I've ventured into since graduation, five of them have been art/design related. One of those was more lucrative than a beginning physician's salary. All the others have been, or still are, successful endeavors.
Others in the medical field told me I'd never get a job in ultrasound without going through x-ray training first. They said the school I was going to was worthless. I eventually landed a job at a premier institution working hand in hand with some of the most brilliant Radiologists in the country...unarguably, the greatest level of success in my professional life.
And...
When every writer seemed to harp on how hard it is to get an agent, I tried harder, casting a wide net and sending out hundreds of queries and collecting hundreds of rejections. My efforts lead me to my current agent.
One of my CPs has researched the numbers regarding how difficult it is to get published in today's market--a very smart thing to do. But I told her I didn't want to know anything about those numbers, didn't want to see the wall I'm up against, because, for me, ignorance is bliss.
Call it stubbornness, perseverance, or just dumb luck, but focusing on and planning for success instead of worrying about roadblocks and failure has brought me a long way in whatever adventure I've chosen to embark on over the path of my life so far.
My secret to success: Ignore the bullshit, believe in yourself and just keep on going.
Here's another great article on the topic: http://www.lorraineheath.com/articles/hadIknown.htm
I've switched posting days with E because she's still recovering from "vacation". But we all know a vacation with the kids isn't really a vacation for the parents, right?
So onto the topic of success...
I have a different view of achievement and risk than most other people I know. And I think it comes from years of falling through the cracks, which could also be translated into perseverance against all odds.
I'm all for information and research, in fact I do quite a bit of it before I take on any endeavor, and continue learning along the path. But I tend to filter out the bad stuff and emphasize the good. I figure if someone else has done it, I can do it, too, despite what anyone else tells me.
I was told the college of my choice had high G.P.A requirements and low acceptance rates. I applied even though I didn't meet the requirements, was accepted and enjoyed a successful college career.
I was told there were few summer jobs in my field of study, that none of my fellow design students were able to find one. I doubled my efforts and landed a great summer job in a commercial firm, which lead to a permanent job offer after graduation.
My parents said I'd never make a living with an art degree. I knew my strengths and followed my gut. Of the nine careers I've ventured into since graduation, five of them have been art/design related. One of those was more lucrative than a beginning physician's salary. All the others have been, or still are, successful endeavors.
Others in the medical field told me I'd never get a job in ultrasound without going through x-ray training first. They said the school I was going to was worthless. I eventually landed a job at a premier institution working hand in hand with some of the most brilliant Radiologists in the country...unarguably, the greatest level of success in my professional life.
And...
When every writer seemed to harp on how hard it is to get an agent, I tried harder, casting a wide net and sending out hundreds of queries and collecting hundreds of rejections. My efforts lead me to my current agent.
One of my CPs has researched the numbers regarding how difficult it is to get published in today's market--a very smart thing to do. But I told her I didn't want to know anything about those numbers, didn't want to see the wall I'm up against, because, for me, ignorance is bliss.
Call it stubbornness, perseverance, or just dumb luck, but focusing on and planning for success instead of worrying about roadblocks and failure has brought me a long way in whatever adventure I've chosen to embark on over the path of my life so far.
My secret to success: Ignore the bullshit, believe in yourself and just keep on going.
Here's another great article on the topic: http://www.lorraineheath.com/articles/hadIknown.htm
- What successes have you had in spite of the odds, in writing or any other area of your life?
- How do negative and unsubstantiated rumors like 'you'll never get published in romance with a manuscript over 100k' affect you?
- What are your secrets to success?
posted by Joan Swan at 8:07 PM
4Comments:
I guess my greatest success was getting my adoptive son through school and him receiving a diploma. He started school in an IEP program and if you don't know how hard it is to get a child out of that - you've never had your fingernails ripped out with pliers! But we succeeded.
I know trying to get published in Romance is hard.There are some much better writers out there than me, but there's also some much worse who are being published. I've set my goal to be published, and when I set my mind to something I work as hard as I can and make it happen.
If nothing else, I am persistant and. that my friends, is one of the ways I plan to break into the publishing world of Romance! Besides being a damn good storyteller!
Bravo, Paty. Great attitude.
Great post, J! I guess this is where I admit I'm the CP who looks at all the statistics? ;-)
I think it's just something in me that I have to have all the information about something I can before I proceed. It's that whole obsessive thing. :-D Gotta know what I'm up against.
Paty, love your attitude!
When I got married after my freshman year of college, everyone told me it was a mistake and would never last. The odds were against us. I didn't listen. My DH and I (same guy!) have now been married 14+ years and are very happy. I call that success.
When I applied for graduate school I was told by the interviewing professor to "choose another profession". She said I didn't have what it takes to make it in education. I didn't listen. I applied elsewhere, got in, graduated with a 3.9 GPA, got a job my first year out (unlike several other grad school friends), taught for nine years and had the most well-prepared kids going into our high school from any of the surrounding schools. I call that success.
Like Paty, when someone tells me I can't do something, I have an internal drive to prove them wrong. Or maybe to prove to myself I really can do it. I'm not sure which.
For me, perseverance is the key. When I set my sights on a goal, I shoot for it and forget about all the odds out there saying I'll never make it. But I'm also a "glass is half full" kind of girl, and I tend to look at the positives when faced with a situation.
I like your secret, J: Ignore the bullshit, believe in yourself and keep on going. I'd say that pretty much works for me, too.
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