Next-Level Writer – Have You Emerged at the Next Level? (Ep 201)

[Ep 201]

In the first episode of this series, I described a hypothetical character in a hypothetical game—a little dragon that gains power or abilities after playing the game for a while. This dragon demonstrated what it means to level up in a video game.

Depending on the rules of this hypothetical game, the dragon might gather certain tokens, interact with key players, or conquer a small castle, and by completing the tasks and achieving the goals, he gains enough experience and skills to level up.

And leveling up transforms him and empowers him with bigger flames, broader wings, better aim. As he emerges at the next level, he then plays in that evolved state with more powerful skills to gain even more experience and level up yet again!

You are that dragon.

Where Are You Now?

You’ve been at this writing game, so to speak, for a while, working the plan you made to level up.

For the past few weeks, you’ve awakened each morning with more intention about your writing. You’ve implemented your plan intentionally, faithfully, relentlessly. You’ve broken down goals into smaller goals and tasks, scheduled the work, completed tasks, and made progress. You’ve evaluated how things are going and adjusted the plan as needed.

It’s been about a month. After this purposeful effort, where are you now?

• Have you leveled up to where you thought you’d be?
• Did you exceed your goal?
• Did you fall short but realize you’re closer than you were before?

You Leveled Up

Let’s start with leveling up. Did you level up to where you thought you’d be in a month? Did you achieve your goal?

If so, congratulations! This is why you made a plan and set out with goals that you’ve chipped away at, one after another, with grit and determination. Look back to see where you’ve been compared with where you are now, and celebrate.You, my friend, are on fire!

You Exceeded Your Goal

Some people double-down on areas showing promise or take advantage of an opportunity that arises. In doing so, they exceed their goal.

Is that you? Did you level up beyond what you expected? If so, wow! Make that a double-congratulations! Roll with that momentum and keep doing what works. Lock in your routine, because it’s working for you. At this pace, you may level up again before you know it!

You Fell Short of Your Goal

It’s possible you got blown off track and fell short of your goal. You wouldn’t describe your current state as having leveled up.

If that’s where you find yourself, take heart. You can press restart and try again. I know you can, because I’ve been there and pressed that button myself. You can always start again.

Celebrate Progress

And yet, you don’t have to return to square one. If you consider where you were with where you are now, you’ll see that you’ve made progress. Even if you’ve inched forward, you’re closer to the next level than you were when you started!

That’s progress! Be glad you set off with that original plan and celebrate that progress. Then decide if you want to revise the plan before you relaunch.

You’ve Grown as a Writer

At all levels of achievement, you’ve changed as a writer—you’ve gained experience and grown—all because you made a plan to level up and faithfully did the work.

You wrote, polished, and shipped out content. You surged forward with a big effort to complete something challenging. You followed through with daily tasks in a constant drip that added up over time. You realized what didn’t work for you and felt energized by what did.

Questions for the Next-Level Writer

When you first started this next-level writer process, you set one-month and three-month goals. As you head toward that third month, ask those same questions along the way to determine where you are now:

• Have you leveled up to where you thought you’d be?
• Did you exceed your goal?
• Did you fall short but realize you’re closer than you were before?

At the three-month mark, my friend, you’ll find you’ve come a long way. And imagine where you’ll be in a year!

Revisit Your One-Year Goal

In fact, as you continue to relentlessly implement your plan, you may need to revisit your one-year goal and decide if it’s still relevant. The skills and confidence you rapidly developed likely opened up opportunities you couldn’t even imagine when you started. At this rate, your original one-year goal may be obsolete.

Once you emerge at the next level, you can do more than ever! What could you aim for now?

Pause at This Plateau

If you’ve gained traction and feel the momentum, you may want to take advantage of this energy and barrel ahead.

But if you need a break, you can certainly pause at this level. Think of it as a plateau. A chance to:

• catch your breath
• settle into your new normal
• lock in new habits and routines
• fully embrace your new roles

Form a New Plan to Level Up Again

At some point, having emerged as this new level, you’ll realize you’re ready to assess where you’re at—just as you did weeks ago—and form a new plan.

That’s the thing about this next-level process. You can cycle through it at any time and level up again and again.

How Can You Help?

One more thought: Before you leave one level behind and forget what it took to get there, look around you at other writers.

At one time, you turned to writers who served as models for where you wanted to be. You studied them to see how they got to that level, and from them you gained ideas and inspiration.

Now you’re likely a model for someone else. How can you help them out?

This is not a zero sum game. If you level up it doesn’t mean others have to drop down. As you emerge at the next level, you show others what’s possible and as long as there are readers in this world who want to be inspired, entertained, or informed, there can be more writers at any level creating all kinds of projects.

Encourage, Teach, Train Other Writers

You could teach a new skill one-on-one or lead a workshop at your local library. You could introduce a writer to an editor at a conference. You could take a few minutes on social media to encourage others who are working hard to share their message and tell their stories each day.

Hold out your hand. Introduce yourself. Let them know you applaud their efforts and cheer for their success. Let them know that they, too, can emerge at the next level and celebrate.

You’ve worked hard to get here, and any writer hoping for similar results should understand what it takes. Perhaps that’s the most realistic and encouraging message of all you can share with others.

You’re a Next-Level Writer

If you’re nowhere near leveling up because you just got started working your plan, you know what to do.

Keep it up and give it time, and before long you’ll see that you are indeed a next-level writer.

Resources

• No Time to Write? Do This Every Day (Ep 125)
• Is the Wind Blowing You This Way and That? It’s Time for a Plan (Ep 71)
• Progress, Not Perfection (Ep 14)
• Celebrate What’s Done (Ep 34)
• Next-Level Writer series
• Write to Discover series
• All podcast episodes