Focusing on the Process, Not the Product

Hanging my success on outcomes

I have a hard time not focusing on the end product of my writing. I often think about its outcome — an outcome that I have determined as the hallmark for my success as a writer — publication.

But wait, don’t I publish already? Of course I do, but it is on my own accord, and for some reason I have told my Self that my writing is only as good as the literary professionals who want to publish it. Only when I have a book published with my name on it will I truly be a writer.

I’m giving away my power

I’m attaching my personal success or failure to the outcome of publication, thus setting my Self up to be continually looking into the future and judging my present actions against this idealized outcome.

Writing because I want to

Sure, I want to communicate with others. And sure, I want to connect but the reality is before I created Rise of the Innerpreneur as avenue for me to do this, I still wrote alone in my room, for no reason other than that is what I needed to do.

I’m growing to understand that our art – whatever it may be – is not a task to be accomplished, it is a relationship to nurtured and cultivated throughout our lives. And this idea is especially important to grasp – process over product – when your art is your career.

Practicing for the love of it

My energy is best channeled into the consistent practice of writing rather than constant seeking into where the act and the art will take me. It is what I do now that will allow me to have the future I seek.

I’ve realized it’s okay if the goal of publication gets me in the chair and writing, but once I’m there, if I don’t let go of the goal, it can only hold me back. I need to just be with the work. I need to keep it free from expectations.

Managing my desires

I’m learning to manage my desire to be published – to identify and accept that it is there, understand how it drives me and then let it go.

It’s there to keep me showing up, nothing more. But that in itself will take me to places I never thought possible.

photo credit: soartsyithurts

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Michael Yanakiev

Tara,
Thanks for hosting me back in your blog.It is a honor for me to be able once again to participate in what is going on in the discussions. Since you asked me to explain more explicitly what it means to be able to become bigger than your project? So I am supposed to answer something that obvious to one of God's finest creations? This
is my answer: "You are always participating with a tiny little part of you that temporally quits its human form
to take to your spirit in the human world and even then you still remain your own self entirely." It is strange but true,for truth is stranger than any fiction. Satisfied?
Tara Joyce

That's beautiful, Mike. Thank you. I feel honoured and humbled by the
suggestion.
Michael Yanakiev

Tara,
I can't but fully agree with what you are saying and reasoning. I notice that you are strongly building on your
amazing talent for writing which is a very sound policy indeed. I am enchanted by your relatively new to me
style of clarifying your ideas,goals, tasks and purposes. You are blessed with a rare talent to become bigger than your project and the ability to generate sparks that facilitate creativity. What more can such a charming young lady like you wish for? Just practice your art and keep on developing this "relationship to be nurtured and cultivated throughout our lives" - it will pay back,since this is the best investment I can think of.
Your' s forever: Mike.
Tara Joyce

Thank you, Mike. It is so nice to see you around the blog once again.
I am intrigued by your comment that I have the ability to become
bigger than my project... can you explain further? I'd love to hear
your perspective.
samantha_everydaywitch

I'm adding this to my own Aha! moments of the week about writing and why I write .... thank you for the added insight, Tara {I wrote about it here, just yesterday ..... http://theeverydaywitch.blogspot.com/2009/09/plundering-soul.html}

I've been falling into the same trap: pushing myself to be published and therefore declared "a Writer" ! I think it's also to do with how we seek outside ourselves for approval and validation too often.

For me, I've realized that I have to ask myself why am I writing? In order to nurture my art, I need to be writing because I need to be writing, not because I need to be published or need validation. We have to love what we're doing, the actual process of it, right? Being attached to the outcome can really intefere with that.

I love what you're doing here. Thank you.
Tara Joyce

Samantha, it's so cool that we shared this discovery together this
week. Oh what fun it is to learn about the world!