When the Writing Gets Tough: from Amateur to Professional Pushing Through the Resistance. 

Hola Fierce Friends,

When the writing gets tough, nothing in life is easy, right? Once we decide on a goal or a vision for our life, in my case creating Fierce Feminina, the excitement to do the thing is so motivating and exciting that it propels us forward day after day. 

However, if we don’t see the expected results, it can be difficult to continue the work. This is when mental strength comes into play.

It's moments like this when we’re tired or exhausted or feel as if we have failed in the pursuit of our goal, that we have to dig deep, tap into our resilience, and push against the resistance to develop our mental strength. 

We need to take a deep breath, pause, reevaluate our next steps, and readjust our expectations before getting back into the game of life and trying again. 

Often, though, we don’t always learn the lessons we were supposed to the first time around and find ourselves having to relearn the same thing over and over. I tend to think of it as my practice time in my pursuit of becoming a professional. 

It’s easy to spot the amateur soccer player or the amateur playwright, but what does it take to develop the skills of a professional vs an amateur in your given career field? 

Let’s look at this a little more closely. 

In bestselling author Steven Presfileds's book, Turing Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work, he tackles this very topic based on his own experiences of trying to become a professional writer. 

He wrote this book because while on book tours many of his fans would ask what does it take to “Turn Pro.” 

These are some of the differences between the amateur and professional that I found most helpful. 

The amateur isn't predictable.

The professional is intentional.

The amateur practices when she feels like it. 

The professional creates a plan and a schedule for their work. 

The amateur needs motivation or inspiration to create. 

The professional knows when she sits down to do her art the creativity will flow. 

The amateur often self-sabotages. 

The professional pushes past their fear and resistance and creates anyway. 

There is a significant difference between the amateur and the professional. When looking at this list we get a good sense of whether or not we are being an amateur or a professional. 

I, too, see my misunderstandings of how creativity works. Though creating from a place of spontaneity is fun, it will not yield the desired results of becoming a professional. 

I’m reminded of the quote, “Carry the water and chop the wood.” It’s the continuous, sometimes mundane tasks that propel us forward. 

So when the writing gets tough, or the posting on Facebook to promote your business, or the networking starts to feel a little overwhelming. Push past the fear and the resistance say no to your amateur self and become the professional. 

Don’t let your amateur self win! 

Are you treating your work, art, or craft like an amateur or a professional? 

Only you can answer this one. 

Remember: mentally strong leaders “carry the water and chop the wood.” 

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