Rather than a nutrition or fat loss tip, I wanted to share a few lessons from my recent endeavor of writing a book. Before you check out, I think these lessons will be completely applicable to you and your goals.
Not sure if this will surprise you but this wasn’t my first attempt at authoring a book. In fact, I have a file cabinet full of outlines, notes, and content from previous attempts. So how was it different this time? There were a bunch of factors. Let’s see how those can relate to you.
The Decision
It’s something I’ll never forget. I’ve had a bunch of people over the years tell me I should write a book. Like I mentioned, I’d even started a few times but was never able to finish. This frustrated me as I usually finish what I set out to do. One of the reasons I fell short in the past was because I never really decided that I would do it. I wanted to do it and I even started working on it but I never drew a line in the sand and 100%committed to making it happen. I’ll never forget the day I decided I was going to publish a book. I was sitting in a mastermind meeting and my coach, Pat Rigsby mentioned the value of being an author. Something about the way he said it just hit me. It was that moment that I knew I would not only begin but I would finish writing a book. And I was going to do whatever it took. What is it that you want to do but haven’t really decided? It could be writing your own book as it’s at the top of the list for the things people say they want to do but don’t. Or maybe it’s a health, weight loss, or other personal development goal.
Priorities
Another reason why I didn’t finished the book in the past is because I didn’t make it a priority. The book writing process is a good example of delayed gratification. A lot of work has to be done before the payoff is experienced. Once it’s done though, hopefully people will be inspired for years to come by the words and stories it contains.
In the past, I would get started on a book but then something more pressing would come up. The book was important but not urgent. These are the most valuable tasks we can perform. They are the ones that will move the ball down the field. You know what else falls into this category? That’s right. Pretty much all self-development including reading, praying, working out, going to seminars, martial arts, shopping for healthy food, and investing in relationships. These are the kinds of things we should be doing in order to have a good life. Unfortunately, they often lose out to urgent tasks, whether they’re important or not.
Accountability
Another thing that held me back in the past was a lack of accountability. My pride made it difficult to accept the reality that I needed accountability in order to achieve this monumental goal. After all, I usually just push though and get things done. This was different though. I couldn’t just push through. It was too much for me. Overwhelm, insecurity, self-doubt, and a lack of experience caused me to quit on my dream. This time was different. I was willing to do whatever it took. I knew there were people somewhere that needed my help. That’s why I hired a writing coach. It shouldn’t have taken me so long to realize I needed a coach. That’s what I do, coach people. I encourage, guide, and hold my clients accountable so they can achieve more – And that’s exactly what my coach did. Each 2-3 weeks, I had an action plan I knew I had to follow.
The thing about coaches is we all need them. Don’t kid yourself and think you can maximize your potential without a little help. A good coach will give you the push and guidance you need. There are plenty of people in your life that will help you. They know you, care about you, and want the best for you. Just ask.
Small steps
I always thought writing a book was such a huge task. It is so that’s why you do what you do with all big goals. You chunk them down. When you look at it as a whole it can be overwhelming but when you break it down into smaller steps it becomes much more manageable. First I made an outline. Then I wrote one chapter. Then another and then another. Eventually, after many mini-goals were completed, I had a finished manuscript in my hands – And then finally I had the completed hard copy. Losing 30 pounds might seem like an impossible task but what about losing one pound 30 times? Much more doable. Any large goal can be broken down. The one thing you can’t do is slow down time. The future is coming whether we like it or not. We can only control what we do with the time we’ve been given. I think it’s our responsibility to make it count. We owe it to our friends, family, and ourselves!
Billy Hofacker – Owner and Transformation Coach at Total Body Boot Camp