The simple A-B-C rule of confidence...

Once you know it, you can start and keep using it any time! July 18, 2024 [The Writer’ s Life]( "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." — Dale Carnegie Hi {NAME}! It's a catch-22. A conundrum. A quandary. A predicament, a pickle, a puzzle that seems to have no easy solution. It's something nearly all the writers I've mentored have asked me at some point and in some fashion … How is it possible to have confidence that you can do something … when you haven't actually done it yet?!? For writers, the question is "How can I be confident that I can write copy that a client will pay me for before I actually get paid to write copy?" Or it may be "How can I be confident I'll land a client when I haven't yet?" It's a great question … And it comes from a common belief: You must have confidence before you do something. But that's not true. In fact, it's the other way around … You don't need confidence to take action. You must take action to build confidence. Remember it this way … A-B-C: Action Builds Confidence Confidence is having the belief — the certainty — in your ability to do something. So, it follows that you have to do the thing before you can have confidence in doing it. But confidence isn't a prerequisite to taking action. Instead of confidence, you need courage to take action. Trying new things … doing new things … can be scary. But as Mark Twain said, "Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it." So how do you develop that courage? In my experience, courage comes from three primary sources: - Faith that everything happens the way it should for your greater good. You either win or you learn, but you never lose. - Being prepared with practice and planning. - Past experience that proves you can figure things out and do new, hard things. [When one of my Circle of Success mentees]( is particularly struggling with the courage to take action, I have them list all the things they've successfully done … when they didn't have any prior experience doing them. For example, some of those things for me are driving a car, buying a house, running a half marathon, landing a client as a freelance writer, having a $10,000 month as a freelance writer, and more. Having done those things in the past not only proves that I can do them, but also that I can do other new things like them. And your past experience proves the same to you … if you let it. If you believe it to be true. So, make your own list of past experiences that prove you have what it takes to [take action now as you build your own version of the writer's life](. Let your past action build your confidence in your current ability. Let it fuel your courage to take action now that will build additional confidence for your future. Speaking of the future, be sure to join me again tomorrow, when I'll be sharing a final truth/tip that comes up often in my mentoring sessions with writers. This last one's about getting and working with clients. You won't want to miss it. Until then, as always … Cheering you on! Michele Michele Peterson COS Mentor and Direct-Response Copywriter P.S. If you're like most writers I know, including those I mentor through [AWAI's Circle of Success](, you may be waiting to take action until you feel "ready" or confident enough to do so. Yes, you have to plan, practice, and prepare. But at some point, you have to have the courage to go for it. Don't keep waiting and putting off your writer's life. Take action now. Trust me, confidence will come. P.P.S. Enrollment in [Rebecca's article writing workshop]( closes today … If you'd like to learn her process for writing articles that get published … and possibly get a byline and a paycheck … [You owe it to yourself to check it out.]( Inside this issue: - [Writer Confidence from Three Little Letters]( - "[Creating a Winning Mindset for Your Writing Career" — Inside AWAI]( - [Monday Morning Jumpstart: Confidence]( - [From "I Can't" to "I Can!" 5 Easy Ways to Gain Confidence as an Aspiring Copywriter]( - [College Student Exceeds Top Income Levels in Her Home Country with New Copywriting Career]( Writer Confidence from Three Little Letters By Katie Yeakle "This is the day I'm going to do a full-arm balance" (aka a handstand). I'll say this out loud tomorrow morning … just like I have most Tuesday and Thursday mornings recently. I'll mention it to my husband as he's making his coffee and I'm brewing my tea. I'll think about it while I'm driving to the yoga class where this feat will occur. I'll picture myself going up into this pose of grace and strength as I climb the stairs to the studio, walk in, and get situated on my mat. My confidence will grow as my teacher leads us through the series of poses that all support doing full-arm balance. And, even though in my mind this should have happened already … it hasn't. Or, actually … let me rephrase that … It hasn't happened … YET. [Continue reading here.]( Last Day Don't miss your chance to enroll in the upcoming two-hour workshop Get Published, Get Paid. This is where I will personally show you my own process and give you my template I use to write content for AWAI, Copyblogger, Writer's Digest, and others. I want you to USE it, so you can get PAID as early as next week. Not just by me and AWAI … But companies everywhere. [Watch this video for details before the clock winds down, and save your spot.]( Inside AWAI Webinar and Q&A: Creating a Winning Mindset for Your Writing Career When it comes to a successful writing career, the right mindset is key … It can be the difference between making great money doing work that you love … and dreaming of living your writer's life "one day." Join us for this free Inside AWAI session, "Creating a Winning Mindset for Your Writing Career," where AWAI Chief Success Officer Ted Capshaw, along with Katie Yeakle and Pam Foster, coaches you through creating a mindset that will help you combat fear, take action, and gain clarity, so that you achieve the freedom you want from your writing in the coming year. [Watch it here.]( Turn $1 Into $2,500 as a Writer Using This Blueprint This blueprint will show you how you can start making $2,500 per month as a writer — even if you're just starting out. And if you decide to give it a shot, you'll gain access to every resource you'll need to execute that blueprint for just a dollar. All the roadmaps … All the articles … All the how-to videos … All the training webinars … The member forum, the job board, the tutorials, the tools … PLUS, three more valuable resources … It's all there — everything you need to get started making money as a writer. [Check it out for yourself for free right now.]( Confidence Do you wish you were more confident? Director of Training Jade Trueblood and special guest Ilise Benun talk about what confidence is, and dive into the two different types of confidence you can have. Ilise gives advice on how to become more confident in your personal and professional life. [Watch it here]( From "I Can't" to "I Can!" 5 Easy Ways to Gain Confidence as an Aspiring Copywriter By Guillermo Rubio No doubt, starting out as a copywriter can be downright frightening. And chances are you've had a few of these thoughts run through your head … (I know I have.) - Is my work good enough? - What will my client think? - How on earth do I convince a client I'm worth $3,000–$5,000 for eight pages of text!? - What if I get an assignment and my promo bombs? - These top-level copywriters write so well. I'll never get that good. - Am I picking the "right" big idea for this promo? The good news is, you can calm these fears down and become a competent, confident copywriter in no time flat. Just follow one (or more!) of these five confidence boosters: [Continue reading here.]( College Student Exceeds Top Income Levels in Her Home Country with New Copywriting Career Following her instincts that college wasn't where she was meant to be, Lynelle Suan has built a successful copywriting business that has given her financial security and allows her to be charitable in her community and help support those she loves. [Read the rest of her story here.]( Featured Writing Jobs You can find these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](: Grant Writer – Accessible Space Full time, Saint Paul, MN In this position you will manage relationships with potential funders to assure that proposals are submitted on a timely basis and that requests fall within established funder priorities and limitations. Research and seek new funding opportunities for ASI general operations. --------------------------------------------------------------- UXUI Copywriter – Dice Full time, Orlando, FL The Senior UXUI Copywriter will be responsible for crafting clear, concise, and compelling copy for our digital products, digital touchpoints, and interfaces. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bilingual Copywriter – myGwork Full time, New York, NY Deliver high-quality, targeted messaging for a wide variety of projects including paid media ads, lifecycle communications, brand campaigns, key art taglines, in-app and dotcom messaging, social scripts, and more. Trouble viewing this email? [View in your browser, here](. For questions or requests: [contact us online](. --------------------------------------------------------------- ©2024 American Writers & Artists Institute Do you know of someone who would benefit from reading The Writer's Life? 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