Step 7. Wow (The Reward)
The best reward is when someone says: "Wow. I love what you did."
You won't get better if you can't handle critique. Everybody has the right to form hor own opinion, which includes that others don't always love what you do and don't always agree with your point of view.
You write for those who love you. All the others, you divide into two groups: there are people who like to help you with their critique (you can learn from them) and there are the chronic negative good-for-nothings (simply ignore them; their opinion only says something about them, and nothing about you).
Writing is fun. The reward is in the act, not in the final result. It's a luxury too; those who fight for their lives or struggle for survival don't have time and energy for art and beauty. Writing costs nothing and everyone can do it.
Don't focus on numbers. Number of readers, sold copies, generated royalties, ranking in the New Joke Times Bestseller List… It's tempting to give a value to art, but numbers say nothing about your quality and everything about your marketing effort.
You're a writer. Focus on words, on getting better, on never giving up, on beauty and purpose, on love and fun.
What others think is completely irrelevant. In the end, the best reward is when you read your own work and think: "WOW! I love what I did."