In Praise of the Slow-Growth Model
Learning to think long-range is the magic ingredient
Sometimes I have a microwave mindset when what I need is slow-cooker thinking. Chop, chop! Get it done! You know, the “right away” philosophy. Thankfully, I’ve developed an appreciation for the slow-growth model in recent years.
Not only is slow growth a more reliable path to success, it’s a more reliable path to peace of mind.
When I rediscovered my love for writing in 2016, it felt good to be creative again. After a two-decade creative drought, I started a blog as a hobby after a running injury. It provided a way to work through physical and emotional pain.
The writing bug bit me hard that year. My passion grew, and the prospect of someday becoming a full-time writer excited me. I wanted it all, and I wanted it now.
Early into my writerly reawakening, I became unrealistic and moody. I resented my full-time job as something in the way of my writing goals. The sting of middle age dredged up regrets about wasted years I could have been using to write.
I became restless, longing to break onto the writing scene and take the world by storm. Surely my passion was enough. And I wasn’t getting any younger.
As sensible, grown woman who should have known better, I’d fallen prey to folly. Seeing other people’s success stories made it feel possible. Rags to riches! Overnight sensation! After all, social media showed how it happened to other people.
But I was kidding myself. Realistically, overnight success is one-in-million.
Since my restless early days back in the writer’s chair, I’ve learned some lessons about slow growth. Good things take time. Patience is king. After all, a great cup of tea needs to steep awhile before you drink it.
Lesson One: We Need Practice
There may be a few good enough to make it big right away. Of course, many variables apply. Some people are in the right place at the right time. Meanhwile, others who are far more talented may continue to live in obscurity. There’s no predictable formula for a writer’s immediate success.
The formula we should concern ourselves with is how to practice, reflect, and repeat. Whatever we do, whether it’s writing, painting, running, or public speaking, we must practice diligently. Over and over again.
The little things we do every day are more impactful than big things we do only occasionally. Consistency and careful reflection pave the path to improvement and success.
Lesson Two: We Need Mentors
Growth and improvement don’t happen in a vacuum. Having good mentors is important. We can find mentors in social media groups or attend local writers’ gatherings. Books and podcasts also serve as mentor material.
The most important thing when looking for mentors? Find people who are doing what you want to do and are already good at it. Those who have been down the path we long to travel are the best teachers.
Mentors help us approach our work with clarity and insight. Feedback from more experienced people promotes growth. Good mentors inform my practice and reflection by challenging me. If I’m not challenged, I’m not improving.
Lesson Three: We Need a Plan
Without a good plan, all the practice, reflection, and repetition in the world are pointless. Determine your goals. How do they relate to improving at whatever it is you're doing? What is it you really want? Understand your desired end result. Then allow your goals to inform your methods.
Decide if you want to be flexible or need the discipline of a schedule. I’m working on developing a schedule for my writing. Work and family responsibilities demand I budget my time wisely. Without a plan, I won’t get as much done. A painful lesson indeed.
If you’re doing something just for fun, enjoy it. Don’t worry about the pressure to perform or produce. Having fun and seeing where it leads counts as a plan.
As you plan your creative approach, anticipate difficulty. If you want growth, be open to discomfort. Discomfort is a great motivator and an even better teacher.
Lesson Four: We Need Tunnel Vision
Comparing ourselves to others sometimes feels irresistible. Don’t give in to it. Develop tunnel vision. Focus on your growth and goals. Distracting ourselves with others’ success or failure inflates or deflates us when what we really need is equanimity and focus.
Dopamine resulting from personal accomplishment can replace the rush we get from scrolling mindlessly or chasing likes. I want to measure my progress by what I produce and how I grow, not by external affirmation. Admittedly, this is difficult to do.
The good news? Slow-growth mindset helps banish the desire for outside praise. Becoming sharply focused on who I’m becoming and how I’m growing feels so much more fulfilling than how many likes or reposts I get.
Lesson Five: We Need Endurance
A few months of practicing, reflecting, and repeating is something to be proud of. It’s just a start though. Developing a long-haul attitude provides strength to persevere.
We can’t expect to work at something for several weeks, a few months, or even a year and suddenly be our best. It’s a long road.
If I can write 500 words a week on my novel, it slowly adds up to thousands of words in a year’s time. Though my new Substack’s audience is small and I’m not making money, I’m getting my work out there. I’m making connections with great people and learning from them. Building community matters.
In time, the payoff will come. My audience will grow. I’ll finish my novel. All things in good time.
Learning to adopt a long-range perspective has helped me in many ways. It was key in eliminating the resentment I was feeling. I began thinking about growth rather than success. Patient progress and focusing on the journey will make the destination all the sweeter. I’ll see you when I get there.
Community Garden:
Join in the conversation by leaving a comment. Let’s get to know one another better as we continue on the writer’s journey.
Do you have a firm plan and goals for your creative life, or do you enjoy discovery/fluidity, allowing your practice to unfold?
Which of the five lessons in this article resonated most with you and why?
Solid encouraging advice! Thanks for sharing!