Easiest part of a writing a book? Actually writing the book! Part 1

I was super excited when I finished writing the manuscript of my book, The MECE Muse: 100+ selected practices, unwritten rules, and habits of great consultants.    I was thinking about writing my book for over 10 years...but I made all types of excuses as to why I didn't:

• I needed more years of experience  (I didn't)
• My life conditions needed to somehow meet a set of unrealistic expectations that magically align "perfectly"  (didn't happen)
• I had to have more free time (I have less time in my life now)

And when I started actually writing something....I had no real structure.  I just wrote whatever came to mind and in the beginning, had no idea what the book was going to be about.  I just started writing.  Sometimes it made sense, other times it was jibberish. or redundant.   I did that for about 1 year.

Then - when I actually started to gain some confidence and my jibberish started to have be of consistent quality, I began to guest blog. A post here. A post there. But nothing substantial.  That was another year.

While on vacation last summer, I actually had an epiphany and suddenly, the book's purpose and content became clear.  I attended a Tony Robbins event and my internal engine took off, making my book's vision crystal clear. With that clarity, purpose, and motivation,  I got laser focused and took massive action.  I finished the manuscript in less than 4 months' time.

If you are counting, it took me about 12.5 years to muster up the courage, stop making excuses, and really push myself to write the book.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when finally finished.   But what happens now?
 

Then I googled "how to self publish a book"

 






there is an entirely other process to becoming an author. Who knew???  I was on the other side of the fence for so long, I didn't realize there was a whole new world of information, experiences, and processes awaiting me.  

I am currently going through 4 layers of editing, making business decisions on how the book will be marketed, distributed, etc... in preparation for release.

It has been a fascinating process.    Instead of being frustrated or discouraged, I have rolled my sleeves up and delved in face first. Going through the editing process as we speak and am learning everyday.

My biggest lessons learned with this experience is to stay the course, particularly when you are doing something for the first time.

It took me this long to go from thought to action to concept, what is a couple of additional months to make sure the world embraces the book as I originally envisioned?

I've put on some good music, threw on some shades, and have gone into cruise control mode.

I've got this!

Have you published a book in the  past or in the process like me?  Share your thoughts in the comments below, I could use all of the help and support I can get.  Thanks everyone!

21 things that immediately happen when you start authentically showing up

Sometimes an individual can go throughout life without ever realizing why (or remembering how) they made certain choices. Time passes, life happens, and before you know it, you’re not even sure how you got to where you arrived and with whom.

 Good example: have you ever heard yourself on a recording, took a look at yourself in a video or a picture and wondered,

“Wow, this is what I look like now? sound like? Is this how people are seeing or experiencing me? But this is not who I really am! Or is it…?” 

It’s a tough reality check, but sometimes it is exactly what we need to create a breakthrough. What if you took a moment to reflect and show up in your own life in a way that you could become the person you want to be?

“To think is to become.” What you think of is what you become. 

Have you ever thought about what would happen if you actually let go of doubts and insecurities and begin showing up in your life authentically? Or another, more common way of asking this: if money and time was not a problem, what would you do?

• What type of life would you create? 
• What organization would you work for? 
• What type of business would you own? 
• How would you spend your days? 
• What type of work would you be doing? 
• Who would be your clients? 
• What kind of professional and personal relationships would you have? 
• How would you feel every day when you wake up in the morning? or on Sunday evening? 
• What type of experiences would you create with your team? 
• Who would be in your peer group? 
• How would you give back to the community? 
• What type of impact would you be able to make? 

 Take a moment and jot down the answers to this question.

 Note: This exercise should make you feel good. If you are not feeling good after answering these questions, then go back and redo the exercise…because you didn’t thinking about your dream life. Your dream life should make you feel awesome! 

Then take a look at your life now – how closely aligned are you in compared to your dream life? The beauty about life is that you can begin to make any necessary changes in this very moment. The moment you take a decision, you begin to put the wheels in motion. The key to living your best life is to begin showing up differently. You might think to yourself, “That’s it? Yes, it is that simple. Nothing else, nothing more.

Give yourself permission to be freed by stripping away layers of fear, excuses, and insecurity. When you start showing up authentically:

1. The real you begins to emerge and your creativity starts to flow 
2. You begin to attract the right people, right resources, and experiences you need 
3. You smile more and have a more positive outlook on life 
4. You make decisions with more certainty because you have less limiting beliefs 
5. You strengthen your capability and willpower to solve complex problems 
6. You stop second guessing yourself 
7. You reinvigorate enough energy to strengthen existing skills, build new skills, or finish a project you started previously 
8. You go the extra mile in various areas of life 
9. You naturally exude more confidence and executive presence 
10. You start spending more of your free time in value creation activities (i.e., more planning, prevention, and thinking) 
11. You sleep better and wake up with purpose 
12.  You further create a persona of trust and reliability; people seek you out for grounded guidance 
13. You start to notice traits that you may have forgot you possessed or didn’t realize you even had 
14. Because your decisions begin coming from a different perspective, you start to notice other minor details in your career, relationships, family, everyday routines, etc… you didn’t see before 
15. Your stress and anxiety levels begin to decrease; your overall health and well-being improves 
16. You actively work on further strengthening your relationships 
17. Problems and daily stressors appear less amplified 
18. You start to challenge yourself to take your performance to the next level 
19. You start to think about the legacy you want to create 
20. The noise and distractions of the outside world begin to quiet down in your own mind 
21. Begin to accept and trust your life’s path 

 Imagine the impact you would make in your life and the life of those around you in this state.

How do you start to authentically show up?  

The first step is by making the decision to ground yourself in you….being unapologetic about it. Simply think, plan, and problem solve from a place of your own truth, core values, and beliefs that conveys respect and honor to the world around you.

Do not worry about what others will say because people are attracted to authenticity and want to work for you, work with you.

You just authentically communicate how you can contribute and they either want you, or they don’t. But either way, it’s standing in your own power.

Showing up authentically doesn’t happen overnight initially – you must first create it as a habit that you focus and build over time until it becomes second nature.

 What are some ways that you build on your authentic self? Share your thoughts and comments below. #whatinspiresme #soulbusiness #inspiration #motivation #leadership 

Also read:
Make better decisions and overcome FOMO in 3 easy steps
Stop focusing on goals – start focusing on habits