I’ve always had this Big, Brave, Slightly Ridiculous Dream of one day being on the New York Times Bestseller list. When I was younger, that just meant being able to do what I love full-time or until the characters in my head got the better of me. I used to think all I needed was to “get shit done”. Which I’ve found is a super unhelpful thing to saddle yourself with.

Let me get into that a little bit.

“Getting shit done” has a kick-yourself-into-gear attitude that, let’s be honest, we all need from time to time. Just looking at myself: writing doesn’t always happen in a burst of inspiration or enthusiasm, and for every time I dance through the pages, there are two times I’m lucky to squeeze out a word an hour. It’s good to sometimes just have butt-in-seat time as a writer. 

But getting shit done also implies that all you need to succeed is to push yourself, which can cause everything from hair-pulling to self-doubt to serious burn-out. Especially when you’re younger and you have a smaller basis for comparison, that can truly drive you crazy.

For instance, when I was younger, I felt like I needed to have succeeded by the time I was twenty-five. Why? Because my teenage idol, Stephen King, had his big break around that age. What I never saw back then was that Stephen King, while undoubtedly an excellent writer, has always had a massively supportive partner that should be credited for a lot of the space he had to write. But I only saw the end goal.

(Also, there’s a lot of King’s journey to success I’d rather not repeat.)

I have very little clue how people achieve success.

I mean that most sincerely. But I do think there is a common factor to most successes I’ve seen and most I’ve had: consistency.

A big dream is a pie in the sky. Consistency is that boring thing we keep doing just because. It’s the small steps to reach the sky. Over a long period of time, consistency brings more success than one big random burst of inspiration.

Let’s break down my big crazy pie in the sky dream into manageable chunks. To be a NYT bestselling writer:

• I’d have to sell books. A lot of them. 
• Which means I need some way to sell books (either through a traditional publishing deal or through self-publishing) and have readers willing to read the books (so make sure people know who I am by submitting short stories to magazines, entering and winning contests, and finding my people through a Patreon account – check the link!)
• But before I get to any of that, I need a finished manuscript. (Check. For any agents reading along.)
• And to finish a manuscript, I need to write regularly. Find my routine and stick to it. And stay on top of my craft to find the best ways to write the stories that are in my head. 

The lowest rung on that ladder is where I start moving toward that ridiculous goal.

Consistently. Slowly, but surely. And I will celebrate hitting each and every one of those smaller milestones, instead of lamenting not having had a book on the NYT bestseller list yet. Because I do what I can, when I can.

(For the record: I would be more than happy to reach the Sunday Times Bestseller list. Or any bestseller list. I’m open to all.)

What’s your crazy, possibly unattainable goal?

Let me know in the comments.