Have you been “working” on an idea for a book for years now, vowing to finish it someday?
So many people I talk to have real, deep creative ideas within them, yet are not able to manifest those ideas into the tangible product they want to create.
I know how frustrating it can be when you have something meaningful and valuable you feel like you are meant to put out there in the world, yet can’t seem to get to the finish line with it.
Or maybe you don’t even get too much past the starting point of the idea?
When you try and pinpoint the reason, the top billboard chart hit parade of excuses start playing in stereo:
1. With all my other responsibilities (fill in the blank with one or all—job, family, kids, activities, working-out, house-keeping, etc.) I just don’t have enough time…
2. I have to be in the “flow” of inspiration to be able to write/create.
3. I’m not sure if my writing/project/idea is good
4. I wonder if my writing/project/idea is original enough—it has probably already been said/done.
5. Others might hate it.
6. It’s probably dumb/amateur/irrelevant.
7. I’m scared of being exposed/too vulnerable.
8. Who do I think I am to think I can do this? I’m not famous/a writer/a professional, etc.
9. I’m blanking out at the details—I have the idea but I don’t know what to write/say/do.
10. I have another idea—maybe I should start on this idea instead?
Do any of these sound familiar?
I am here to tell you that you are not alone. Not only have I experienced this hit parade of excuses myself, I have heard others play it over and over again in conversations or coaching sessions over the years.
Here’s the crux of it:
Thinking of an idea for a book or other creative project is a whole lot easier than actually executing on it. Ideas are a dime a dozen—the world and most people are full of them.
So what separates those who actualize their ideas into a tangible product (like a book) from those who just think about them?
How can you materialize the book you have been trying/wanting to write or finish?
When I finally broke past the hit parade of excuses and focused on two simple secrets—I was able to:
- Write and publish my first book in a little over 8 months—while working full-time
- Create, write, and publish a regular, weekly blog for the past three years
- Write another book (soon to be published) two years later (while still working full-time)
THE TWO MUST-HAVE INGREDIENTS
There are two key ingredients that must be present to achieve any goal or intention you have for yourself. Without them, nothing else you do will move your forward in its’ achievement.
Ingredient #1: AN INTENSE DESIRE FUELED BY VISION
In order to achieve something, you have to really want it.
By want it–I mean really, really want it. Not just say you want it. Not just be lukewarm about it or think you want it. Not want it because others say you should want it or because others do it. You have to feel an intense desire in the core of your being. You have to know and buy into why you want it and have a deep-rooted longing that is satisfied only by attaining it.
You also have to be able to imagine achieving it. You have to see yourself getting to the end goal—almost like a vision of the future. You have to clearly see the finished copy of your book in your mind’s eye. You have to see yourself having succeeded and picture yourself there.
There is no substitute for desire fueled by vision. Others can’t give that to you, or convince you to have it. It’s something that has to take root inside of you.
But here’s the thing. While it is a key ingredient to help you accomplish your goal—it is not enough. All the desire and vision in the world will remain a nice daydream unless you have the next ingredient to create your desire and vision into reality.
Ingredient #2: COMMITTED ACTION
You can have an immense amount of talent.
You can have an intense amount of desire to do something.
You can see a spectacular vision of what you want.
But without committed action—none of these things will translate into a tangible creation in the world.
Commitment is the bridge that takes you from desire to action.
Commitment is what fuels you to take action to maximize your talents and make your vision a tangible reality.
Commitment is a vow to follow through with repeated actions to get you where you want to get.
Commitment is a promise you make to yourself that you will do what you said you would do to serve your desired intention, even when you don’t feel like it.
Even when it is hard.
Even when you aren’t getting any validation.
Even when you are discouraged or not getting immediate results.
Commitment glued onto repeated actions move you forward. Without committed action, you stand still. You stay in the same place. You are stuck with your deep desire and spectacular vision but without a tangible form. In order to manifest something intangible into the world of form so you and others can see it, touch it, hear it, and feel it as part of something real—you must create it. To create it—you must take repeated, committed actions to move it out of your head into tangible reality.
Repeatedly taking action, which means actually doing something or a series of things over and over again over time, is the only way to get somewhere you want to go. Taking something without form, like an idea, and turning it into a concept is one thing. Actually taking the concept and making it a tangible reality is quite another.
Let’s take something we all are probably familiar with. Let’s say you want to become physically fit and trim. You have a burning desire to do so for a myriad of reasons, and can actually imagine the way you want to look and feel if you had achieved your goal. You have read about what it takes to get where you want to be, and know everything you need to do. You have all the knowledge necessary to get you there, and have a membership at a great gym along with a detailed plan of how you intend to get to your goal.
Thumbs up—all good so far.
So now comes the hard part. This is where the rubber meets the road. Without committed action—the image or concept in your head and the well-intentioned plan never takes a tangible form. The creation is in your imagination—but has not manifested into reality. You cannot get fit and trim by thinking about it. You have to take repeated, committed actions over time to get you there. You may have to adjust your plan or try different approaches, but nothing— I repeat—NOTHING—will spare you from the reality of the hard work you have to invest.
There are no short-cuts. We may spend our time and energy looking for them—trying to find a crash diet or a five-minute work-out that will get us there with minimal effort—but in the end we all know that these quick fixes are not real.
You have to commit. You have to take repeated action to get anywhere.
So if you really want to write a book, ask yourself these simple questions:
Do I really, really want it and can I envision it?
Am I committed to take consistent action to achieve that vision?
Here’s to your completed book!
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