January 13

The Anniversary of My First Significant Failure

As I typed "January 13th" into my journaling software, I was trying to recall why this date was significant. Twenty-six years ago today I failed for the first time at something I cared about.


The endless hours of practice, the feedback from the best teacher I ever had, and missing all-state band by one chair were all preparation for my writing life. 


What I learned from the process has been far more instrumental to my work as an author than what I, learned from the outcome. The process taught me:


  • How to show up every day
  • How to do my best work
  • The value of great teachers
  • How to get back up after I fall
  • How to recover from unmet expectations

If you look for it, the process in any creative endeavor or goal will benefit you more than the outcome. The process will make you a professional and teach you how to reap the joy in creating for an Audience of One.

Tags

You may also like

>