tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post5580220638813334043..comments2024-03-28T07:00:43.256-06:00Comments on Author Elana Johnson: Defining SuccessElana Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877856005992028912noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-57505026926519337592011-12-14T11:39:39.339-07:002011-12-14T11:39:39.339-07:00I say, "Screw success."
Focus on goals. ...I say, "Screw success."<br />Focus on goals. Make a list and cross the mofos off when you achieve them.<br />Confucius say, "You have achieved success when you no long give a rat's ass about it."<br /><br />Seriously. He said that.Mindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13135126013861689478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-30152230111854949512011-12-14T09:37:30.410-07:002011-12-14T09:37:30.410-07:00Great post! I think success for me is not quitting...Great post! I think success for me is not quitting. If you're doing something - working for something - then you are in a sense being successful.Stacy Henriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03303383087338174942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-46617233960452786152011-12-13T18:06:10.569-07:002011-12-13T18:06:10.569-07:00Great post. I think the smaller stuff like followe...Great post. I think the smaller stuff like followers/fans etc.. comes from while you're shoot'n for the pie in the sky, it's nice to enjoy the lower hanging fruit. Any little bit helps so that you feel like you're accomplishing something, right?Mina Burrowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14483363743530076604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-19344230123805289682011-12-13T17:12:07.549-07:002011-12-13T17:12:07.549-07:00It's so easy to get caught up in the official ...It's so easy to get caught up in the official signs of success, but so much of real success is internal, as you are discovering. It's an important breakthrough and one we're constantly revising. Thanks for the thought-provoking post. :)Roxane B. Salonenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01459456545891720716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-30438330459599474032011-12-13T16:14:07.672-07:002011-12-13T16:14:07.672-07:00I'm not sure I believe there IS a definition t...I'm not sure I believe there IS a definition to success because it's always such a moving target. For me, it's more, "Do I feel I'm moving forward, making progress? Do I feel good about it? Do I feel I'm doing all I can do right now in this moment."<br /><br />If the answer to those questions is 'yes' then I guess I'm okay.<br /><br />Great question!Julie Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04477115458570906449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-12353452560046362342011-12-13T14:24:25.793-07:002011-12-13T14:24:25.793-07:00It's funny how when we started blogging it was...It's funny how when we started blogging it was about the numbers. Now that we've gained the success we initailly strived for, we've moved on to other goals and discovered what really matters. It's always been about our writing first, we just didn't realise it before.Lynda R Young as Elle Cardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975442291393246148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-85627126769846956382011-12-13T12:46:04.253-07:002011-12-13T12:46:04.253-07:00I wrote a similar post not long ago on my blog aft...I wrote a similar post not long ago on my blog after my son played his championship football game and his team lost by one touchdown. He was really bummed about it, but I asked him if it meant they were losers or not successful because they won most of their games that season and made it to the championship and only lost by one touchdown. I consider that a pretty big success.Alicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09210398194494998143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-29444736608641305672011-12-13T12:42:58.666-07:002011-12-13T12:42:58.666-07:00Nice post. In my last freshman lit class today, on...Nice post. In my last freshman lit class today, one of my students came up to me, beaming. He said that reading The Stranger changed him, and that Meursault was now somewhat his existential guru. The fact that I have been able to ignite a student is highly gratifying! That's a success. I feel the same about a reader who comes away from my novel, saying it inspired him or her. About ten years ago, I walked away from a painting career when I was at a really good place, in order to write. It was torture. But I was getting way too obsessed about reviews and sales. I learned much from that. Enjoy the various successes, yet the core heart one is the thrill of writing a really transforming tale that a reader can relate to.Catherine Stinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131569196977321229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-28398337361299142162011-12-13T00:42:24.701-07:002011-12-13T00:42:24.701-07:00I wonder what it is about this job that makes it s...I wonder what it is about this job that makes it so difficult to define success. <br /><br />Lots of professions define success as just existing in them. No one compares accountants or college professors. <br /><br />Yet somehow, there's no universal definition of success for writers. On the one hand, I suppose that means we can keep pushing ourselves. But on the other hadn we can drive ourselves crazy not being enough.Claire Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14354840714847021685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-1112810169631458302011-12-12T19:41:36.588-07:002011-12-12T19:41:36.588-07:00I think real success comes when you just don't...I think real success comes when you just don't care WHAT people think. I believe it's when you're comfortable and happy that you did your best in whatever you endeavor to do. It's when you're at peace with yourself and you're not stressing out.<br /><br />Do I have that? Sometimes, but I'm working on making it last a lot longer! :-)June Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08570382577796763370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-40793061009391686862011-12-12T19:36:31.378-07:002011-12-12T19:36:31.378-07:00It's a tough one. I actually try hard not to t...It's a tough one. I actually try hard not to think about success and failure too often. Instead I try to focus on the next step - whatever it happens to be at the moment. :)Jemi Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214408467456320167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-54245947623303783912011-12-12T18:39:14.573-07:002011-12-12T18:39:14.573-07:00So spooky! I just posted something about my writin...So spooky! I just posted something about my writing targets a few minutes ago and now I find this.<br /><br />Success is so tricky, and I think it has to be personal. I commented elsewhere recently that all the widely-held measures of success would dismiss 99.99% of the human population as failures. And that can't be right.Botanisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12098709722475364465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-67251884648678083542011-12-12T16:50:00.140-07:002011-12-12T16:50:00.140-07:00I don't care about numbers or stats. You'v...I don't care about numbers or stats. You've always been a success to me. You're a good person who gives back, who does their best, who never gives up. THAT'S successful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-69611477402597671982011-12-12T15:03:25.734-07:002011-12-12T15:03:25.734-07:00It sounds like you're focusing on the right th...It sounds like you're focusing on the right things for personal success, by the things you can control in your words/pages and not what we're unable to control.<br /><br />Myself, for my successes - I make a list of things I want to focus on every year. I put at least one goal for my health, spiritual, mental, professional, and a personal goal. And then I focus on getting those done every year. IT's a good thing, and I can track my progress on bettering myself, in a balanced way.M. Dunhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00624479956106759407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-75433619739639462782011-12-12T14:52:37.764-07:002011-12-12T14:52:37.764-07:00What a healthy mindset, Elana! I guess I don't...What a healthy mindset, Elana! I guess I don't have a definition of success, because I'm not really acquainted with it. *grins* Someday, maybe.Carrie Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01540590799406170410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-10431586678641910192011-12-12T14:14:38.192-07:002011-12-12T14:14:38.192-07:00I'll feel like a successful mom when I see my ...I'll feel like a successful mom when I see my kids as productive, kind adults.<br />I'll feel like I'm a successful author, when I finally publish a book. (whatever way it happens) But maybe my thoughts on this will change.<br />I have felt success in teaching because you see growth in every individual and that is so rewarding.Kelly Polarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968381456100611120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-79122727941949059282011-12-12T14:13:53.803-07:002011-12-12T14:13:53.803-07:00I think this is such a hard question to answer! Bu...I think this is such a hard question to answer! But for me, as long as I keep trying, that is success. Numbers are numbers and they don't mean as much as we tend to think they do. But still, I'm not quite where you are yet. :)Janet Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-15222055767296262682011-12-12T13:58:04.305-07:002011-12-12T13:58:04.305-07:00I think how you measure success changes once you r...I think how you measure success changes once you reach that goal. Once you get there, you focus on something else.Pattihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00685341739870191402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-14558802718769097252011-12-12T12:41:01.167-07:002011-12-12T12:41:01.167-07:00A 4th grade teacher I work with read my book to he...A 4th grade teacher I work with read my book to her class toward the end of the school year last year. I was outside at recess with those same kids, and two came up to me and told me about the game they had been playing. The game was my book! And they were the main characters! At that moment, I thought, If this book never goes anywhere, I will still consider myself a success based on the fact that those kids liked my book enough to play it as a game. That was the cake. Everything beyond that is icing.Peggy Eddlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10241451940725996650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-71175235651824974962011-12-12T12:37:40.516-07:002011-12-12T12:37:40.516-07:00I am exactly where you are right now, Elana, with ...I am exactly where you are right now, Elana, with all of this.<br /><br />I no longer look at my widget follower icon either. I AM grateful that before I died I got a book published that I feel very good about. But even if I hadn't....How well I take care of my disabled daughter and my relationship with my other children and grandchildren are the most important things for me now. To be able to keep writing is just the icing on the cake, and if that had to go...well, in the eternal scheme of things....<br /><br />You've stated everything I've been thinking about lately. And I think where you're heading is awesome!<br /><a href="http://annbestblog.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow"><i>Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs</i></a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-20562668711297071392011-12-12T12:23:25.532-07:002011-12-12T12:23:25.532-07:00Loved this post. :)
I have been going through a s...Loved this post. :)<br /><br />I have been going through a stressful time right now, not feeling very successful overall. I decided that feeling sorry for myself was stupid, and set some goals. Achieving those goals, to me is proof that I can be successful. You have to get your focus on what's important. As writers, its the words on the page that everything comes down too. Doesn't matter how many blog followers you have if your book isn't great. <br /><br />Sounds like you are headed in a wonderful direction!!Joy D. Fanninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03137620068225840732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-91735045535174032632011-12-12T11:10:49.652-07:002011-12-12T11:10:49.652-07:00There are people who have more followers than you?...There are people who have more followers than you? Not many.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-1121747082657047482011-12-12T10:59:04.261-07:002011-12-12T10:59:04.261-07:00I think success is definitely what you make of it,...I think success is definitely what you make of it, and I think focusing on the words is more personally satisfying than other numbers for success. So I think you've got a healthy outlook on all of this.Krispyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492607213249874138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-7025597909436293082011-12-12T10:46:34.664-07:002011-12-12T10:46:34.664-07:00I think that's brilliant. It should be about t...I think that's brilliant. It should be about the words on the page, how they make you feel, how much you love them. You are wise beyond your years my dear.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130733681254163610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-20563749036052172792011-12-12T10:38:42.665-07:002011-12-12T10:38:42.665-07:00Success is a personal journey - for me, just to fi...Success is a personal journey - for me, just to finish a story and have other people enjoy it - now that's my success.LM Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16624508396760965680noreply@blogger.com