{"id":9377,"date":"2025-05-27T11:11:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T15:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/?p=9377"},"modified":"2025-05-27T11:11:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T15:11:26","slug":"when-you-try-your-best-but-feel-like-you-dont-succeed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/27\/when-you-try-your-best-but-feel-like-you-dont-succeed\/","title":{"rendered":"When You Try Your Best But (Feel Like) You Don\u2019t Succeed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is an old post from my Substack, but it felt relevant so I wanted to add it here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once or twice every month or so, I start to feel down about my writing life. There are so many things I want to accomplish and yet, it feels like a lot of the time I\u2019m spinning my wheels, getting nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of wallowing in it, I decided it\u2019s time to figure out WHY and HOW I can deal with these emotions when they rear their ugly little heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Name Is\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I might not be a household name when it comes to horror\/dark fiction, but I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s even my goal. Of course, I want people to read my work. But I\u2019m not looking for awards or accolades. I only want to connect and share my writing with readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But to do that, it feels like we have to constantly be churning out content. And for a slower writer like me, one who has started going about publishing in a different way (aka not subbing to markets as much and instead, self-publishing my stories in my zine), getting eyes on that work is hard. When they don\u2019t show up, it makes it all feel a little fruitless. It kind of takes the wind out of my sails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying Motivated<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when staying motivated gets really hard. If no one is reading my work, who am I writing for? Myself, of course. But the act of writing alone isn\u2019t enough, is it? Otherwise, I\u2019d simply be journaling and not putting my words out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After feeling pretty low the last few weeks, I decided to look for solutions to these feelings, and I came across this article<\/a>. I took to my journal to see how it fit my situation, and came up with a few reasons for these feelings, and maybe a few things that might help me. Because I know, even if I overcome them, they\u2019ll come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go read it<\/a>, then come back so we can discuss!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Visually<\/strong>\u00a0seeing my progress is a necessity. I can check off as many deadlines as I want in my calendar. But maybe having\u00a0visual milestones<\/strong>\u00a0(like a project worksheet where I can physically check off a completed task) will help me see my progress\n
      \n
    1. I\u2019m going to try\u00a0this template on ClickUp<\/a>\u00a0– since I think it will be easier to add new tasks to instead of a paper worksheet. We\u2019ll see! I do like the idea of giving myself a gold star when I finish something, though \ud83d\ude00<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Creating more\u00a0reasonable goals<\/strong>\u00a0will help me to avoid feeling like I\u2019m tying to do to much all at once, and not starting any of it because it feels overwhelming\n
        \n
      1. Scheduling only one big project (aka only 1 book) at a time!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Using the\u00a0Pomodoro technique\u00a0<\/strong>(to focus on one task at a time) and\u00a0LeechBlock<\/strong>\u00a0(to avoid mindless social media scrolling when I\u2019m bored\/unmotivated)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Revamping my writing space<\/strong>\u00a0is key! I only have a small corner of the bedroom for my Writing Nook, but it needs some serious TLC. I need to figure out how I can make it a more inspiring place to work, especially for those days when I just can\u2019t bear sitting at my desk (I\u2019m sure you can relate!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Taking breaks – and\u00a0not feeling guilty for it<\/strong>! Health breaks (when I feel ill, have a headache or backache). Mental health breaks (to do FUN things – journaling, watching a movie, reading, napping, baking, playing video games, using my Oracle cards). These are all GOOD THINGS and I shouldn’t feel bad for needing to refill the well.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Morning Pages<\/strong>! My beloved friend Cina has been talking about how the practice of Morning Pages from The Artist\u2019s Way has helped her. I\u2019ve done TAW a few times when I\u2019ve felt creatively stuck or unmotivated. I\u2019m not sure I need to do the entire workbook, but at the very least, I think reintroducing Morning Pages will help me clear my head and stay on track with my goals\n
          \n
        1. Read Cina\u2019s Substack!<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Moving Forward<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          So, this article really helped me to see what\u2019s working for me and and what isn\u2019t. Because I don\u2019t want to feel like I\u2019m failing myself. I don\u2019t want to feel invisible or like I\u2019ll never achieve my dreams. I know there\u2019s a place for me. I just have to find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          What About You?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Did this article ring true for you? What do you do when you feel unmotivated<\/strong> or like you\u2019re spinning your wheels, going nowhere? I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts! And I hope this helped!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          I think we all like to share our accomplishments. But I also feel like the struggles help those who are in the same boat<\/strong>. I\u2019m here to admit that I <\/strong>do<\/strong><\/em> struggle<\/strong>\u2026and that\u2019s okay. Hopefully taking steps to figure out why will help me to overcome these feelings of inadequacy. I\u2019m here to talk if you feel that way, too!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Deciphering feelings of failure and trying to find a way to quash them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":9378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-on-writing"],"yoast_head":"\nWhen You Try Your Best But (Feel Like) You Don\u2019t Succeed - 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