How To Organize Your Life To Write A Book
My new friend and gracious host, Carlos, lounged in a rooftop hammock opposite of mine. We were sipping tequila while listening to the waves crashing to the beach shore in Mexico.
“Eight thousand pesos,“ he announced proudly.
Good at writing but not so much with math, I punched the numbers into the currency converter app on my phone to confirm.
Wait...whaaaat?!
The rent for an apartment with a beachfront view was 400 US Dollars?!
In that moment, I decided, I too, was going to live in Mexico.
I had no idea exactly how to do it with my current work schedule and responsibilities. But, I'd always dreamed of living in another country AND near a beach.
Fast forward three months later:
I'm eating street tacos and walking a block and a half from the beach to my own place in Mexico...
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I have a lot of practice venturing into the unknown.
Yes, there's planning involved along with a bit of figuring it out along the way. Whether it's writing a book or moving to Mexico, the mental journey for navigating the "how" of new experiences is similar.
It starts with making a firm decision to do it.
Once you’ve made the decision about a goal, what’s next? How do you organize your life to support a big decision.
Here are three important steps as it relates to writing a book (or moving to Mexico...):
Let go the notion that there’s not enough time or money. Scarcity of time and/or money is a limiting belief that many individuals have which often prevents them from doing the things they really want to do. Such a belief is based on assumptions or limited experiences. For example, “I don’t have time to write a book” is often based on the assumption that you need an insane amount of time and brain power to write a book which is not always the case.
Get in communication. There’s power in the written AND spoken word. Rather than keeping your desire to write a book a secret, start sharing your goal with others. Share the challenges in order to discover opportunities and solutions. You’ll be amazed at the amount of support, encouragement and even new resources you recieve when you talk about your intentions. If you’re nervous about what people will think, or say, or even doubting yourself, start by sharing your goal with close friends. As you develop your personal confidence and belief in yourself that you can actually write a book, talk about your ideas with experts who can mentor and coach you on the process.
Get in community. The act of writing does not have to be something that takes place in solitude. You don’t have to get away from your life or go to a cabin by the lake to write your bestseller. In fact, if you’re a first-time author, I don’t recommend it. Instead, consider joining a weekly Meetup group for writers to learn about best practices and find writing partners. Having community for accountability and feedback makes a difference in getting it done.
If you’re looking for more details on the nuts and bolts of getting your book done, click here to request a free copy, of "Finally Getting Your Book Done: 5 Steps To Finding the Time, Focus and Clarity"
