Three Gifts to Give Yourself Right Now

The gift-giving season is almost upon us! In all the planning for others, don’t forget yourself. I strongly encourage that writers regularly give themselves rewards, whether material or intangible. Like those gel pens and cute journals, I can think of a few necessary gifts all writers should give themselves.

Patience

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to myself, “When I get through with this edit, my book will be finished.”

And then there’s more work to be done.

Shortly thereafter, I get frustrated and run out of patience with myself. Being patient is easier said than done. The goal posts keep moving as I develop as a writer, which is both discouraging and encouraging.

Discouraging, because I feel like I will never get done, and encouraging, because it shows me I am evolving as a writer. Practicing patience and kindness is something we strive to practice when dealing with other people, but there are times when we need to give the same grace to ourselves.

Give yourself patience to navigate the process. You deserve it!

Besides, if you rush into things too quickly, you might wish you had waited a little while. Although don’t wait too long!

I’ve heard it said that almost everyone queries too soon, but that’s okay. Sometimes an author wishes they hadn’t published quite so soon, or hadn’t taken that first deal. It’s a learning process. If you think you’ve made a mistake by rushing things, then have patience with yourself about jumping the gun.

Writing is hard work. Be as kind to yourself as you are to others.

Wisdom and Knowledge

One of the best gifts you can give yourselves as a writer is knowledge. This can come in the form of how-to books, workshops, classes, or writing mentors.

Because writing is an art, some may feel that it doesn’t require much study and skill building, but this is not the case. Whether writing for enjoyment or as an income-generating career, the task requires a certain level of knowledge.

If it seems difficult to justify spending money on learning to write when you’re not gaining an income from creative efforts, consider looking at it as a gift for yourself to learn about something you truly love and enjoy doing.

Reality Checks

I almost didn’t include this as a gift. Honestly, who wants a reality check? Those can be hard to deal with.  

Reality checks can sometimes be unpleasant, but without accurate assessments, I can remain in a stagnant state and that’s not good.

Tempered with kindness, truth will point to the right direction. It might sting a little, but in the end, it’s better to know. Assessing where you are, what can be reasonably obtained, and which goals are realistic can help you find the pathway to success. And isn’t that a wonderful gift?

What gifts would you add to this list?

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.