While hard work will yield success, there'll probably be far more disappointment to come instead. This goes for any art, hell, anything in life we try and especially if it's something we really want. So how do you avoid this pitfall? Well, here is the main way:

Don't put all your eggs (happiness) in one basket.

If I compared my writing now to that of two years ago, I can see the vast improvements and acknowledge that I've come a long way. It's still not quite there yet, but there's something going on with each passing month. With everything that we do, if there are no milestones being met, no sense of achievements and no wins, frustration comes into play.

Therefore, don't put all your happiness into one basket. Set more than one goals.

I believe strongly in exercising (be it walking or a run), not only to get the creative juices flowing and stay fit, but to get some wins. Having multiple hobbies increases your chances of gaining some achievements. It's getting harder and harder to get exposure, and as such, that means there's a lot of head-banging.

In the summer, I started feeling the urge to quit writing--or at least to try quitting. By then, I'd already started jogging to keep the ideas coming. So when I'd found out I made the watty's shortlist with not one but two titles, it was the same day I'd ran a full 45 minutes nonstop. I felt I was winning on both fronts. Upon not getting a final watty's win, though it stung, it was also the night I made a 50 minute run nonstop.

And since I'd finally seen physical changes that I'm happy with, all my eggs weren't in one basket and I could be a bit more open to gaining ground in one way but losing it in another.

So don't allow all your happiness to hang on one thing (or in one area), because that's where disappointment lies. Open yourself up to achieving something else--something equally as important to you.