Goals are the cornerstones of modern living.
You’re told you must have goals. That striving toward goals, making choices that would further them, will lead to success. Your goals are supposed to define you.
Coincidentally, the Insecure Writers Support Group post for this month is in answer to this question: if you could be anyone, who would you like to be?
To quote :
If for one day you could be anyone or *thing* in the world, what would it be? Describe, tell why, and any themes, goals, or values they/it inspire in you.
Goals are often external, but internal goals make more sense to me.
We live such brief lives upon this earth, and (many of us) strive so hard to be someone extraordinary, but the more years I spend upon this earth I’m convinced more that ever of my ordinariness, and of that being a good thing. An ordinary human, with ordinary wishes, dreams and goals, living an ordinary life and hoping to die an ordinary death.
Some days when I look at this world, I do wish to be an immense dragon burning away all this world’s sadness, its corruption, its greed–but then I wonder: who am I to judge humanity’s foibles? I’m a drop in the ocean, and all I can do is try and leave the planet a little better than I found it. Tell a story, help in the community without an agenda. Plant a tree. Ordinary actions by an ordinary person, in short.
The only real internal ambition I have is to be able to write a line, a story, a book that I can return to ten years later, and fall in love with. My work from ten years or even ten months ago induces more nausea than ecstasy, so I’m very far away from that milestone.
My small, non-dramatic response to the question is: I’d like to be a writer who loves the work she’s done ten years ago.
My book written two years ago, The Blue Bar isn’t something that makes me go: wow, I wrote that. It’s doing all right, has even been shortlisted for a tiny award: my Indian publisher Jaico is very active. It’s also been picked up for a March Kindle Deal in the U.K. so it might reach a few more readers. It earned out its advance, went on to be an Amazon bestseller, and received so much love from readers, including someone who wanted to make me a blue-sequinned dress.
That’s all externals, though. Had the book gone on to do even better, I still don’t think it would have made me go wow. It was the best I could do with my art and craft in that moment, and it taught me a lot about both. Hopefully, I’ve improved since then. And may I continue to improve for as long as I can still write. If that makes the journey my destination, so be it.
My goal is to write a book that would make me go wow years after I’ve written it. Seems impossible, but what’s the point in being able to become anyone at all (for a day), and not aim high, right?
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What about you? If you could be anyone or anything at all for a day, who or what would you rather be?
This is the first Wednesday of the month post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. (It’s late, because that’s how I roll these days). Founded by the Ninja Cap’n Alex J. Cavanaugh, the purpose of the group is to offer a safe space where writers can share their fears and insecurities without being judged.
The awesome co-hosts for the posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse Van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Liza @ Middle Passages! Please go and visit them and show your support.
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My Amazon-bestselling literary crime novels, The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon are on Kindle Unlimited now. Add to Goodreads or snag a copy to make my day ! And if you’d like to read a book outside the series, you can check out You Beneath Your Skin. Find all info about my books on my Amazon page or Linktree.
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If I could be anyone for a day, I’d want to be someone who goes to bed feeling proud and content with how she spent that day. 😊
I truly believe that 10 years from now, you’ll look back at your current work and feel a big ‘wow’—that’s a sure sign of growth, and with all the writing you’re doing, I can’t imagine it any other way, Damyanti
Hi Damyanti – long long ago in September 2011 … I wrote I’d like to be Mary Wollstonecraft … don’t think I’d match up … but it was a fun post to write. Now – I probably haven’t changed much in my thoughts … I’m an eclectic blogger, who just enjoys where she’s at. You’ve set examples for us – and I’m grateful you’re around in this blogosphere – we can learn so much from each other … I have no claims to fame but so be it – just to be me is enough without hurting anyone along the way – just be you – we’re happy – cheers Hilary
Sounds like you need to cuddle with a furbaby or two while writing — they make everything worth it 🙂
Ronel visiting for IWSG day Tips For Author Success in 2025
Hi,
First, congratlations on your book, THE BLUE BAR, being selected as one of the top three contenders. I have that book on my iPad but haven’t read it yet. I will read it in April when I take a week of vacation and write a review.
Secondly, to be an authentic person is beautiful inner desire , and I love that that is what you want to be. So, do I.
Shalom shalom
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I agree that it can be good to be ordinary. Congratulations on the shortlist. I can relate to your goal as a writer and wish you well on your journey to meet that goal.
Who knows how you’ll feel in ten years? We change so much in that little amount of time. I love your dragon answer. If only…
Damyanti, you are an amazing writer. Never forget that. As writers, we all grow and change and improve. And yes, it would be great to become a dragon and burn away the world’s sadness. Have a great week!
I appreciate you saying that, Victoria! Reading our old writing can be such an interesting way of understanding how we’ve changed over the years, and how we might change again in the future. Wishing you a wonderful week, too!
To answer your question – I really don’t know what I would be, there are too many options, too many possibilities. I do love your answer though. It’s wonderful to read your writing after years and to still go Wow!. Cheers to that thought.
I’m still on my way to that point, but it’s worth reaching! One day, I hope. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on the post!
Hi Damyanti. This reflection resonates deeply, there’s something profoundly beautiful in embracing ordinariness while striving for personal growth. Your goal of writing a book that wows you years later is inspiring. Wishing you continued joy in the journey of creation! Cheers!
Thank you so much, Shilpa! It’s an honor to hear that the post had such an impact on you, and you summed it up so beautifully.
I commented on your latest post by Reply from the email to which you sent the post – which has been a reliable way to comment on most blog posts – but a week later it hasn’t shown up. Your spam file?
Also, your Contact form stopped accepting text after the above lines – and then had an error when I sent it to you.
We should all set such a lofty goal for ourself. If ten years from now, we like what we wrote this year, that would be wonderful, indeed. Not sure it is realistic, though. Do you think Shakespeare liked what he wrote ten years after the fact? I think all of us, writers, always strive for more, we all constantly want to do better. We wouldn’t be human otherwise.
Absolutely, the desire for personal and professional growth can be such a motivating factor, pushing us along our journeys as writers and individuals. At the same time, I feel that we can continue to appreciate and admire our past work despite any character development we may have undergone along the way.
Beautiful, articulate post, Damyanti. I, too, am perfectly happy to be an ordinary person. Belated happy IWSG Day!
Thank you so much, and happy belated IWSG Day! This month’s question really got me thinking, and I liked what I had to say. I’m glad you enjoyed it, too.
I think my answer would be the same as yours. I just want to be a writer who will love the stories she created for others to enjoy, to escape into. 🌻
I’m so happy the post resonated with you, Nicole!
We see our stories hundreds of times in the revision process that it’s easy to not be amused with them when we look back. There’s even a story I’m revising right now that I’m already sick of in one part. But we can only do the best we can in a given moment and so that’s what counts.
Absolutely. That’s such good advice for all writers, no matter if they’re just starting out or if they’ve been writing for years. It can feel so disheartening or even shameful (speaking from personal experience) when we fall out of love with a part of our stories. But it’s not the end of the world, or of the story. And it definitely doesn’t reflect on our capabilities as writers. Like you said, all we can do is our best.
I’ve always known you are a great person.
That’s so sweet of you to say, Jemima!
I love your answer–“I’d like to be a writer who loves the work she’s done ten years ago.”
Thank you, Jacqui! Whenever I’m feeling lost in my writing, I think of that goal and my path gets a little clearer.
I want to create and inspire people to think or belive things are beautiful and can be better.
That’s so lovely, Simon! We need more joy and light to draw hope from.
We do 🙂
Like Liz, I want to be my best self.
Thank you for sharing, Audrey!
Great question, Damyanti. A lifetime formed me, and that’s who I am. Goals serve me, never my master.
A beautiful way of putting it, Grant. It’s so easy to let our goals control us, to keep us tied to an unwavering path, never stopping to wonder whether we might be heading the wrong way. Once I realized that my goals are meant to be stepping stones instead of shackles, I realized how much further I can go.
The success of my books made me go wow only because I thought I’d be lucky to sell three figures, not almost six. That is humbling.
I just want to be me, the best me I can.
The success is well-deserved, Alex! The feeling of surpassing our expectations and reaching further than we could ever have imagined is overwhelming, in the best possible way. And staying true to ourselves in the process feels even better.
I would like to be that person who reviews his life just before passing on and come to the realization I’ve contributed to the welfare and advancement of others and tried my best to minimize the negative traits people are born with, so I’ve not left behind any legacy of hurt.
I admire that, Ian! You set yourself such a meaningful goal, and the idea of not leaving behind a legacy of hurt is something that I hope to accomplish, too.
I checked out the Blue Bar on Amazon and you have almost 5,000 reviews on both US Amazon and UK Amazon. You are probably the most successful author I’ve come across in the blogosphere. No matter how you feel about your books I think that is amazing.
Thank you for saying that, Thomas! I’m so grateful for the support, and it’s lovely that you checked up on The Blue Bar.
I just want to be my best self, in whatever form that takes.
A beautiful motivation. I’m learning to love, or at least accept myself through all phases of life.
Self acceptance can be tough at certain times.