Half way through the year is a good time to reflect on your efforts. I recently spoke to an aspiring author who had been excited about all that she planned to accomplish this year. Namely finishing her book. I asked her how many pages she had written. She sputtered for a moment then quietly said, “Six.”

Six.

Six pages.

That’s one page a month. Hmmm…and you wanted to finish your novel when?

But professional writers also fall into this trap. There is an author who keeps telling me about the fabulous science fiction mystery series she wants to start. After four years she has a title. Hmmm….

Ah, but all joking aside. I understand. It’s easy to let goals slide. We’re all busy, but more often than not we fill up our time with busy work that doesn’t get us any closer to accomplishing what we want. That’s why it’s time to take a step back and look at where you are now.

How many submissions have you made to agents or editors? Do you have a list?
How is your article or book project coming?
Have you tried to increase your skill by reading books, attending seminars, writing?

If you’re published, don’t think you can skip this step. A reflection on career progress is crucial to your survival.

How many contracts are in the works?
How do your royalty statements look?
Is your career progressing as you would like it to (no, this is not the time to compare yourself to someone else’s career that’s just silly)? Where do you plan to see it go? How do you plan to get there?

If you’re not making progress, check your excuse meter. How many excuses are you letting stand in the way? How can you get rid of them?

Please remember that this is not the time to beat yourself up (that’s just another form of procrastination). Now is the time to create steps so that the rest of the year won’t look like the beginning. Dust off that manuscript, research that agent, submit to that editor, come up with new ideas to impress your editor, try to work with your marketing department so your books will get noticed.

If you have done the work and still haven’t made significant progress, don’t let obstacles get you down. For example, perhaps you’ve completed the novel, but it feels dull (or your critique partners look at you with pity); you’ve submitted your work but have only received rejections; you’re a published author, but can’t get an agent. I know this feels awful, but first congratulate yourself, you’re working that’s good. Now ask yourself a few questions.

What’s working? Keep doing that.
What’s not working? Reflect on why.
How can you change that? If you can’t, what else can you do?

Are you really sending your work to the right markets?
Are you getting any feedback from the rejections that might prove useful?
Are you trying to be a novelist when you’re better with articles?
Are you writing in a genre that is saturated? How can you make your work standout? Should you switch?
Are you having any fun?

Yes, somewhere in this crazy writing life you should have fun. Especially when it comes to writing don’t let anything or anyone take that from you.

Breathe. I know the writing life isn’t easy, but it’s also easy to let it fall by the wayside or eat up your life. There’s no need for that when you give yourself an opportunity to step back and take a break.

Do it, you won’t regret it.