Pursuit 365 Day 270: Marilyn R. Wilson

Marilyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer, published author, budding poet and speaker who began her career in writing at the age of 50 by taking a leap of faith – answering a Craigslist ad for which she had no experience. What followed was a wild ride that led to her co-owning a magazine and writing for others, publishing two books (so far!) and sharing her message on stage.

Do you have a mantra or phrase you live by?

I love this question, but mantra should be plural. I keep stumbling across old ones I have forgotten and discovering new ones. Here are two handed to me by friends/mentors who profoundly touched my life.

“One step, one moment, one breath at a time” – This first from my mentor Sue Dumais of Heart Led Living has helped me become more productive and less overwhelmed. When you look at everything you need to get done, you often become stressed and distracted, which slows your progress. When you turn your focus to one single item, with no distractions, you can finish that task so much faster. I was shocked how more relaxed and productive I became when I began to work on just one task until done, then moved on to the next.

“There is no secret, just do and be brave” – This gem came from Canadian Tap icon William Orlowski. I interviewed him a few times, and every time I asked a question about how to deal with a road bump in my life or how he faced a difficulty of his own, this was his answer. All I need to do is simply dare to keep putting one foot in front of the other and believe that I will get where I want to go.

What is your favourite thing about what you do in your career and why?

All my life I have been intrigued by the differences in how people think. As a young girl, I was often called “nosy” as I tried to satisfy my curiosity. When I stumbled into interviewing at the age of 50, it was an “aha” moment. Clarity came. Interviewing was my passion. My love of writing developed later after a lot of hard word and intense practice – and a few tears of frustration. Now I love both equally.

Seventeen years, over 150 face-to-face interviews and probably another 100 email or video interviews later, that passion has not changed. I am so glad things are opening up again to meet people in person. I can’t wait to start connecting. I learn something new from every single person I interview, and even after all these years, there are still goosebumps moments.

What makes you motivated on a daily basis?

Daily motivation is a myth in some ways, especially if you work from home in isolation – and even more so if you are writer. Yes, there are days I am 100% motivated. My muse whispers a delicious idea in my ear, or a cool writing project falls in my lap. Those days I can’t wait to start and work feverishly for hours. Then there are the rest of the days, where what carries me forward is simply a habit of showing up and working.

Instead of motivation, I suggest entrepreneurs, writers, artists and others in charge of their own schedule create a habit of showing up a set time each day. What you accomplish when you show up is up to you. I also recommend connecting with at least one or more groups where others in your field come together for support.

After playing around with my schedule a lot, I’ve discovered that the best time for me to work is after my first cuppa. I get up, I make a latte, I read the paper and I connect with friends on social media. When I go to make my second latte, it’s time to begin my day. Work for me includes writing, editing and creating social media posts for blogs that just went live. I may work an hour, or I may work three to four hours. It all depends on how the writing flows that day.

What is your number one business goal this year?

Publish. I wanted to finish a new full print book, but I have had to adjust that goal as my year ended up being filled with lots of travel and company. There just wasn’t enough time. So, I went to plan B. I have been writing on my blog – Olio by Marilyn – since 2010, and I decided to create a series of smaller ebooks featuring a curated collection of posts. The first, called Olio by Marilyn: A Bit of Everything, is due to release this fall. Once that goal is reached, I hope to begin developing a podcast where people come to share a story from their life.

(Note – I will be having a free download day for my first ebook. If you’d like to get a copy, please follow me on my Instagram and Facebook pages, or send me your email and I’ll let you know personally).