If you are planning to change direction, there are many reasons why you should write your book first. Life, like careers and businesses, do not always go to plan. However, when you write your book, you will find a plan forming if you allow things to flow.
One of my regrets is that I didn’t have the foresight to write a book and build a brand before I left the corporate world. One of the problems was that as I grew restless, my mind was foggy and I felt lost. As providence would have it, I didn’t have time anyway, as I was made redundant and therefore flung into a different way of life without a safety net. I suspected it was coming, but only weeks before, as the directors ‘suddenly’ announced that they were off to pastures new. Not even I can write a book, a business plan and build a website in two weeks.
It didn’t take me long to write a few books and build a personal brand, however, it would have been far easier to have started long before said flinging into the strange world of entrepreneurship.
Currently, I find myself a writing a book which is vastly different to the ones that I have written before. This book is very personal and shares my story of waking up several times and how I found my way and myself. I always knew that writing books had a way of weedling stuff out of you, but never in the ways that I have recently experienced.
Going from let’s write it, to what the **** am I writing this for to aha, that’s why has been an interesting experience. Now that I have said clarity, this book will serve two purposes. One it will be used to demonstrate how to write a compelling personal story and how to use your words to enable others to change and grow. Two I can also use it to coach my lifestyle clients.
While it may seem odd that a book writing coach would also coach lifestyle, to me it makes perfect sense. I have, it seems always written and at the same time nutrition and health have been a strong driving force. I used to think that you couldn’t do two things together, but you can.
Questions to ask when contemplating if you want to write your book
Ask yourself:-
- Is there a tug that is pulling you in a new direction?
- How would that change your life and others?
- Which part of your personal story will create an impact on others lives?
- Why haven’t you answered the call?
- What would make your heart sing?
- What is the impact that you want to make in your world?
- What would your book be about?
- What process could you share?
- What else could you use your book for?
- What is stopping you?
Why you should write your book now
What is important is not what you are doing, but what you came here to achieve and the impact you create in doing so
What do I mean by that?
I believe that we all have a divine purpose, and eventually, it finds us. It calls us and when it does it can be quite unsettling. I’ve found in accepting, relinquishing control and allowing what I desire to come to me it’s easier to take action to make it happen.
Depending on the type of person you are, you might just want to do a crash, bang, wallop – this is the new me – yeehaaarrr I have arrived. Let me stop you; it takes time to write a book and while you write it, you will get fantastic clarity of purpose and direction. So as John Wayne might say ‘hold your horse’s cowboy.’
At times it is going to seem tough. Getting to first draft may be a breeze or it might feel like pulling hen’s teeth. You’ll get over that, and you’ll need to settle down to the big edit and finally the big push through to final publication. It will be worth it I promise. You will get an amazing sense of achievement when you write your book.
By writing it now:
- You have the opportunity to clarify your thoughts and find your true purpose and passion
- Your outline will allow you to see how to create a process, a coaching methodology, a way of developing a workshop/online course and your key messages
- You can nail your inspirational message
- You have time to rebrand
- You can share parts of your book in a blog and get valuable feedback from your potential readers
- You can blog your book, so that as you blog it your thoughts and ideas get clearer
- You can work out how to market it
- You can join groups and find conversations to be a part of
- You can find people to connect with who could be JV partners, clients or advocate
- You can find the right people to outsource the stuff you don’t want to do to
Writing a book is never just about the book. It is a process that connects you to your inner wisdom, helps you to discover your voice and inspirational message. A book helps you to grow as a person and gives you a great personal branding vehicle. It provides material for other services and products.
More than anything else it will challenge your personal growth and the direction of your life in ways that you could never have anticipated.
So, stick with what you are doing, slowly make changes as you write and share. When your book is launched it will be seamless and just a part of who you are.
Just make sure you market it so that you reap the rewards of your efforts.
