The Success Indicator

 

I was on Facebook the other day and came across this great photo that Lauren Wave's special events posted.

 

This was sort of a wake up call. I'm not saying that my first year as an Indie wasn't pretty successful, but looking at this was sort of a wake up call as to what I really need to stop doing and can prove for an even more successful 2013.

 

Secretly hope others fail- Yes, I know, bad Magan. But don't you hate it when someone screws you over and you just think "Man I hope you fall off a bridge." If you've never felt something like that, you are a much better person than I. In this new year I vow to stop thinking like that, even secretly. What does it do for me to think that about others? Am I any better than that person that screwed me over?

 

Have a sense of entitlement- This is horrible and I've done it. I felt that since I put the work into indie publishing that I deserved as much success as everyone else. No. I don't. If your first book doesn't sell, you aren't entitled to have great sales, you have to work for it. Instead of complaining on facebook that I should have great sales, I need to go out there and earn those sales, keep writing, and keep putting out an awesome product.

 

Horde information and data- I've gotten better about this, especially since joining groups like The Indelibles. I used to not share information because I always thought "I can't share my secrets, I need the success!" That's not true. I do believe in some aspects that self-publishing is more of an individual thing than a team sport, but without others sharing their information, I would still be sitting with a bunch of unfinished manuscripts on my computer, so I have to pay it forward.

 

There are way too many others that I can relate to on the "unsuccessful" side and now I feel like a huge Dbag, but you know what? Success doesn't always happen overnight and for 2013 I vow to change all my bad habits, stop holding grudges, and move forward. And with a little help from my friends, I know that I'll get to relating more to the "successful" side.

 

Do you find yourself relating to the unsuccessful side? What are you doing to change that?

Hey Jealousy

I hate to admit it, but I need to.

I am a very jealous person.

I don’t know if it has something to do with my low self-esteem and comparing myself to others, or if it’s just the Social Media culture of my generation that has put all the world’s braggings out there for everyone to see.

Every time someone gets an agent or book deal – I get jealous

Every time someone gets more comments on a picture of their new baby on Facebook – I get jealous

Every time someone gets more comments on their blog than me – I get jealous.

Jealousy is such an ugly thing and I really hate it, but it’s SO hard to hide that green eyed monster.  Sometimes we all just have to stop, put down the computer, and just be thankful for what we have.  I’m not saying that Social Media is making this whole jealousy thing worse, or that I’m narcissistic whenever something that I think people should be envious of happens.  But I do think sometimes it’s best just to step away from it all and then really look at what you have.  We have to stop looking at what we don’t have or what we really want and look at all the things that we have accomplished.

I have finished two manuscripts

I have a beautiful daughter and loving husband

I have a great job that pays the bills so that I can continue writing

These are what we should all focus on instead of the jealous aspects of our lives.  And slowly…I need to learn to practice what I preach.

Do you get jealous?  How do you deal with jealousy?