AND HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Are you a coach, consultant, therapist, healer, or speaker who wants to write a book, but every time you think of writing, you find yourself at the crossroads of “Where do I begin? And how do I start?”
These words should be forbidden! They’re like the ‘Voldemort’ of the writing world!
Yet, every week, I hear at least one new person say the above words to me.
And you know what amazes me the most?
They’re not stuck because they don’t know what to do.
They’re stuck because they’re doing a lot of things – especially the ones they shouldn’t be doing.
And that’s where they’ve been investing most of their time, money and efforts – simply because they’re following some raw untested hypotheses or half-baked advice.
That’s what I want to address in this blog.
I’m going to uncover, the 5 things (and a bonus) that you need to immediately STOP doing in order to get that book of yours written. And what to do instead!
1) STOP FIGHTING WITH YOURSELF! FIGHT FOR YOUR DREAMS INSTEAD!
Believe its possible.
You have the power to choose, how the story will end.
Stop giving your power away to DRAMA!
Stop fighting for your limitations.
Stop telling everyone, why you can’t!
If you have nothing legitimately positive, uplifting or empowering to tell about yourself, then say nothing. Just stay mum. Stay shut. Even if that means you have to be mute – for the next how many ever hours or days. The silence will help you realise how much of an enemy you’re being to yourself. Don’t give your tongue the permission to vocalise your limitations.
Be willing to comply to your own resolutions.
Be willing to partner with your dreams.
Be willing to be your own salvation.
Value yourself and your journey.
And the fact that you have a story worth telling.
And that story can make a difference!
2) STOP TRYING TO OVER-CREATE. COMPLY WITH STRUCTURE INSTEAD!
Creativity thrives in structure.
And we’re not talking of writing the most romantic-comedic-thriller-suspense novel.
Why then is the need to create imaginary concepts that will definitely please the reader’s senses, but not give them much actionable clarity or tangible result? Absolute self-sabotage.
We’re looking at writing a business book which should be having its foundations in facts and real life stories – of you and your clients.
You don’t have to create a character. You are the protagonist. So just write your own true journey.
- What you wanted to achieve —>
- Where you got stuck —>
- Your quest for answers —>
- What worked best —>
- And how you made it your own!
That’s your unique system and your USP!
Writing your book is your ultimate opportunity to step back, look at the bigger picture and convert your expertise into a system that gives repeatable results.
Parkinson’s law states that ‘work expands to fill the time available for its completion’.
This couldn’t be truer in the case of creating your book map or content plan.
Lock the structure of your book before you start to flesh it out. As much as the whole world is working towards creating a life of freedom, when it comes to your book content, flexibility is a TRAP.
For a change, stop being creative.
Lock the plan. Then act it out.
3) STOP TALKING WHAT YOU THINK YOU SHOULD. START SHARING YOUR EXPERIENTIAL TRUTH INSTEAD!
You might know a lot of things to be true in your niche.
If someone writes a blog about 50 ways to sell a $5k coaching package, intuitively you know it’s not necessarily true that they have tried and tested each of those 50 strategies themselves.
Some of these strategies are what worked for others, while a lot of those would just be intellectually thought up.
Also remember, the ultimate equation that combines Math and Karma:
Knowing + Not Doing = Not Knowing.
If you know Yoga and meditation are good for all humans, but you don’t practice it yourself, then do not preach it.
You might think no one will ever find out, but the energy that’s created is that of misalignment. And how much ever you try to cover it up, your sub-conscious knows the truth, will not 100% back your message, and you’ll feel like an imposter when promoting your book or your message.
So truly, there’s no alternative to living in alignment.
If you say it, make sure you’re already doing it.
And if you’re not doing it yet, but want to say it, then, simply start doing it.
4) STOP READING A MILLION BOOKS! WRITE ONE OF YOURS INSTEAD!
We all have one if not ten voices inside of us.
Yet, instead of going within, and sorting the chaos that’s inside of us, we constantly keep adding newer voices to our already crowded mental chatter – Fish-Market – as we call it in India!
If you keep reading every book there is, in your niche, or even in the general PD genre, instead of becoming a master of your trade, you’ll end up sounding like a mash-up of those ten voices, while having completely lost your own.
The best way to find your unique voice, is to go on a reading fast. Do it for a month.
And during this month, write your own book.
PD is a never-ending maze. The more you read, the lesser you know.
So learn to draw a line where required and take back your power.
Trust yourself, retreat in silence, and give your own voice the chance to be heard. You’ll be amazed at how unique you already are, and how you hadn’t noticed.
“But what if others do this to my book, too?”, you ask.
They better do it I’d say. And they will. But then again, that’s none of our business.
Stop reading books which you’re not acting upon, just so you can expect others to read your book too.
Then again, I’d rather have someone read my book when they’re in the need of that specific solution, and act instantly on what I teach, than for them to keep on consuming information that gives them pleasure, intellectual certainty, but it all ends up into a constipated mind! Eew!
And this leads me into the next thing….
5) STOP BEING A GENERALIST! START BEING SPECIFIC INSTEAD!
Stop playing safe. Start taking a stand.
Get rid of the maybes. Exceptions are not the rule. Stop playing the what-if game.
Don’t be afraid to turn-off a few people on the way.
People-pleasing is the worst kind of cancer you could ever contract.
Be willing to face: “What if I’m wrong? What if I fail?” Will you still be alive? That’s good enough, then!
Be willing to ignore: “What will they think?” That’s none of your business.
Identify who’s the one kind of avatar you’re writing this book for.
Write your book, not to show-off how much you know, but to educate your people on what they most need to know.
As potent as it sounds, the market is saturated with : 12-steps to live your best life.
Pick a specific problem. Offer a specific solution. Write a specific book.
Break it down. 3-steps. 12-steps. 37 steps. How many ever.
As long as you keep it simple, actionable and truthful, its legitimate!
And last but not the least…
6) STOP AIMING FOR DIVINE. WRITE A BOOK THAT’S HUMAN INSTEAD.
I agree gramar and spelings (now, sit with that!) have an important place in our expression, especially when in written form. But what I don’t get is placing unreal expectations on yourself to the extent that you feel worn out by the thought itself, way before you’ve started any writing.
Instead, what if you just showed up expressing yourself in the simple English (or your language of choice) that you know?
Someone might just read the book, not get confused at all, and really, really ‘get it’!
They might end up DOING all the work because it was so simple to follow, and get some good results in their life?
“Stop it, Shlipa! You meen MY book can do that? Im horibble at sppellings and even somewat byslexic. Aaand you still THink MY book can get dem ressults?”
Yes! Let’s map out your book-business-blueprint and see where we can take it from there!
Connect with SHILPA:
Facebook: Shilpa Agarwal – Book Coach
Instagram: @ShilpaBookCoach
Website: www.wantsolutionthebook.com
ARTICLE BY
Shilpa Agarwal,
Want Solution