Enjoy The Ride To The Top

What happens when you have struggled mightily to achieve your goals and suddenly make it? How long does the satisfaction last? Where do you go next? Do you set another goal and keep climbing or do you sit on your throne and wait for others to join your court? 

Maybe the happiness truly does come in reaching mini-goals on your way to the top. Growth certainly occurs as you move from one small goal to another. I think we need to learn to be happy with those little bits of success along the way to the bigtime. It doesn't mean you must give up your aim at the top goal. Not at all. Instead, savor those successes along your path to the top. 

Only a handful of writers are going to have instant name reognition across the literary world and even in the world of those who only read occasionally. What a thrill if a writer reaches that status. But what about the rest of us? Our writing might be known in our local community or even within our state. Maybe that's all the farther it goes. Once we get published in an anthology series like Chicken Soup for the Soul several times, our name is going to be known in other states, even other countries. Still, it's only one more step up that proverbial ladder of success. 

John Grisham's story of attaining fame is pretty well known. He pedaled his first novel to something close to 26 publishers before one took a chance and bought it. He soared to the top of the charts with The Firm and we all know what happened next. He didn't take the money and sit on his laurels. On the contrary, he has written many more novels. He hit the top and he obvioulsly wanted to stay there. The only way to do that was to continue writing best-sellers. 

Look at Harper Lee who wrote To Kill A Mockingbird. Her book is still read today by readers of all ages, used in school literature classes and has been deemed a classic. She never published another book. There are many reasons for that, no doubt, but perhaps one of them was that she'd reached her goal and was completely satisfied, felt no need to continue. 

Take time to enjoy the growth and positives in your writing journey. The inchworm eventually gets to his destination and so will you if you savor the journey.