Do you ever feel as though your life is like being in a boat without a rudder and at the mercy of the winds? Being unemployed or underemployed does not help.

You must keep your head above water. Stay away from the rocky shoreline and keep the boat afloat with your powerful story, even if you have tried all the traditional advice and still cannot find work or clients. You are losing your confidence and unsure if this is the right path for you. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, even if you feel as if your ship is sinking fast. Keep bailing and hang on. If you feel like grabbing a life vest and want to take a grab at getting a ‘real’job – DON’T.

This is the moment of truth. This choice, whether to hang in there and stick it out or hang your head and sell out, is crucial. Get your sorry rear in gear and paddly your boat if you have to. Let it fuel you. Go ahead, get mad. Life is not fair, I know. And you are not the only one out there in the turbulent sea. Others, before you have come through the storms of life, battered but intact. They captained their ships with the believe that they would survive and make it to paradise. You can do it, too.

What sinks ships? The “if they find me out”syndrome. Feeling like a fraud is one way to capsize a creative career. You must believe you deserve good things, and enjoy them when they come. “The greater the artist, the greater the doubt; perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize” –  Robert Hughes. It does not have to be that way.

Maybe you are on course but moving a little slower than you would like. Maybe you should change course and head for a different destination. It is not easy, but you must change to grow. You can do it. You must do it. Cut out the castrophizing and what-if-ing and get on with the work at hand. Everything will be fine. It almost always is. Stop freaking out, make a plan, and start putting your plans into action. Pay attention to where you are now and where you want to go. That is what is important.

Kill the Inner Critic

Whereever you are in your Heroine’s Journey for creating the career (and life) you want, you must stay positive to stay afloat.  Fall in love with yourself. What you believe to be yourself, you are.

Trust yourself. You will remember your lines, you will perform well., you will do a good job. You must believe that.

It is not called self – esteem for nothing. You , and you alone, are in charge of your story you tell yourself – about yourself. Positive people have positive stories, and prosperous people have prosperous stories. It is really that simple.

Full esteem ahead.  It does take time to undo the negative thoughts you have had all your life. But the past i the past, and all you can concern yourself with is the present. From this time forward, make an effort to see yourself as successful. Speak kindly of yourself.

Get out of your own way.

Doń be a junkie. Being a natural born risk – taker (and adrenaline junkie) you may be the one putting yourself in peril. The life on the edge, fly by the seat of your pants approach works only until you OD on anxiety and pressure. Give yourself some time to ‘dry out’and kick back between big projects.

Right brain, wrong problem. The right brainer loves to grapple with problems, and sometimes sees things that need to be better when good enough is good enough. You don’t have to save the world. You are the only one who wants or expects you to be perfect. Know your limits.

Self employ your self-esteem. If you decide to go the route of the self – employed, there will be constant challenges and you will hae to deal with occupational hazards like setbacks, rejections and mistakes. This is the trade – off to being in business with yourself. The secret is in how you deal with these challenges – and learning to love dealing with them.

Your time will come. Everybody has their share of tough times. The ones you see who are getting ahead have put the past behind them and are creating a better future.  You look around and see others (far less talented) with juicier jobs, fatter paychecks, better connections, bigger deals and  choice gigs and you say, “How did that happen”? Hang in there, your time will come.

No matter where you are, there will always be people with more than you, and others with less. That is not important. Real success is inside you. Appreciate where you are.