Clarity Is How Authors Move Ahead in Turbulent Times
This works for non-authors, too
Part I of a Five-Part Series
The online author community is very good at panic.
I don’t mean that cruelly. I’m part of the community. I understand why it happens.
Amazon changes something about reviews, visibility, ads, rankings, categories, whatever the outrage of the week happens to be, and suddenly everyone is in the same emotional weather system.
Screenshots circulate. Speculation hardens into fact. People who don’t know any more than you do begin speaking with great authority. And before long, half the day is gone and nothing has actually changed except your blood pressure.
There may be real problems underneath the noise. Often there are.
But here’s the question I keep coming back to:
What can I do with this? And yeah, I ask myself about this regarding life in general.
Not what can I complain about. Not what can I catastrophize. Not what can I rehearse until I’ve made myself useless for the day.
What can I actually do?
Because a sustainable career as an author is not built on having perfect conditions. And life in general precludes perfection, right?
The best path forward is built on clarity.
Clarity of purpose. Clarity of action. Clarity of information. Clarity about what is mine to fix and what is not.
And clarity is not a personality trait. It is a practice.
Especially in turbulent times
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1. Stop action: don’t strike until you slow down and breathe
The first rule is the least glamorous and the most necessary.
Stop.
Before you send the email. Before you post the rant. Before you yell at that loved one. Before you decide Amazon has destroyed your career. Before you conclude that one person’s reaction is the truth about you.
Stop.
Breathe.
Not because breathing solves the problem.
Because panic is a terrible strategist.
When authors (people) are scared, we want motion. Any motion. We want to tweak covers, slash prices, abandon a series, start a new genre, rewrite our entire business plan, or join the loudest conversation in the room.
But motion is not the same as progress.
Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is pause long enough for your nervous system to stop pretending it is your board of directors.
A breath creates a little space.
And in that space, you can ask the question that matters:
What is actually happening here?
Not what am I afraid is happening. Not what is everyone saying is happening, Not what story have I already attached to this.
What is actually happening?
That is where clarity begins.
Next Monday, I’ll share more of these tips. I think you’ll enjoy them. Trust me, they are hard-won.
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Deals and Steals
You’ll need a nice box set to get you through this weekend, right? Here are plenty to choose from! And they are all free—
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In Personal News—
Today’s the birthday of my LEETLE SEESTER, Jane. I love her to pieces! Happy Birthday, Jane! Please join me in wishing her health and happiness!
And love to all of you! Joanna
Love the animals!