success

I was getting what I wanted right? Oh no. I convinced myself that I would only be a "real" writer when I wrote a book. The problem was I didn't have a book in me, I didn't have a single book idea. Even though I was making progress, my expectation that any good writer could write a book led to my frustration with writing altogether. I stopped writing altogether and didn't try again for nearly 10 years.
In those years I shifted my perspective about writing as well as about life. I put less pressure on getting exactly what I wanted and emphasized enjoying the things that developed.
As time went by, I expected less and started getting more of the things that I wanted. Often times before even knowing I wanted them. After I quit writing, my life led me to the military, to television production, to training, to voice-overs, to speaking, and then to coaching. And wouldn't you know it, coaching led me right back to writing, when my goal was simply to find ways to coach as many people as possible.
Don't misunderstand me -- I'm not talking about giving up on goals or not creating plans about how you will achieve them, only in not tying yourself down to a specific outcome.