Today is the ending of my latest Inspired 2 Write challenge on Facebook. The group has been a great place for women to find their writing voice. It’s also been a place for me to do more writing.

Because we were ending I asked everyone to write about their successes. That’s something I’ve found hard to do in the past. Often due to judging myself and feeling like I hadn’t done well enough. I feel it’s a lot harder for women to be comfortable with claiming success. Not just because success is often framed as winning a competition. But often because women prefer to collaborate. So success is shared. Or attributed more easily to others. There is also an inference that women have to be modest too. No blowing of our own trumpets. It’s an old hangover of social,conditioning. But it can be very hard to change.

I have to say it’s taken me a while to be able to write or talk about my successes comfortably. Do I claim too much? Are others thinking I’m a big head? Will they think I’m boasting? Yet why should I be judgemental of my achievements? Ending another writing challenge, having written every day for 28 days in addition to my daily blog, is a great success. It’s my personal success. It’s also true that other participants enjoyed the challenge and felt the group was what they needed. Another success for me in running the group. But also a shared success for everyone who contributed. That’s what I like. Finishing a challenge can be a personal and a collaborative success.

Completing a challenge ending up with collaboration and support is fantastic. Because a challenge can easily descend into a competition.

I have been challenging myself all my life because I feel that challenges are important. It’s what gets me up and moving every day. Challenges have pushed me a long way outside my comfort zone. For that reason alone they are a great success. But they have provided so much more in my life. I have stamina developed with testing myself or being tested. My curiosity to see just what I can do is due to trials I’ve attempted. I’m not afraid to try something new. When faced with a problem I will keep on generating solutions because I’m used to working my way through challenges. And I can motivate myself even when my energy is flat as I want to complete the tasks I’ve set myself.

Alongside this I’ve learned not to compete for success. I enjoy the feeling that a true collaboration brings. Sharing the success means all of us have achieved. Being the only one getting the praise can be a lonely place. Because solo success is never really that. Everyone contributes to the successes of everyone. We offer encouragement, praise, suggestions and practical help to those who are tackling a challenge. And we love to do so. Then hopefully the same is returned when we are working at a challenge. I wish all of the people who joined Inspired 2 Write more successes. I hope that they have found enough curiosity and stamina to kept testing their writing voices. Most of all, with this ending it means I can look forward to a new beginning. Time to think about Inspired 2 Write challenge 4!

Day 518 of my blogging challenge