I’m having all sorts of anxiety with my book draft. It’s near the finish line and I’m stressing that, after 3 years, it’s still not any good. This was just the article I needed to read today. Thank you!
You got this! I thought every single one of my drafts sucked at some point. And truth be told…you never can predict what resonates. Just feel good about it and eventually put it out there!
That it wasn’t your day job is an underrated factor. As Liz Gilbert wrote, asking your creativity to make money for you is a bit like yelling at a cat.
The longer I’m a full time writer the harder it becomes to discern between writing something because I need to write it or because I need to make money.
Absolutely. But I think that’s the point. COnventional wisdom says go all in. I think that makes us fragile.
Even now, with writing as my full time gig. I have skills and other things I do, so if writing didn’t work, I’m okay. I actually think that’s part of what allows you to do your best work.
Thanks for this post, Steve. As others have mentioned in the comments below, it was well-timed for me as well. As an author working on her first book, the encouragement to write the book I need is a message that I need to hear again and again. Thanks for the reminder and the encouragement.
This totally sums up that life is a single player game and play it in your own terms. I still remember you decision to leave PHD mid way because you thought it won't be worth it to trade off time for it and by writing and coaching you would make a larger impact as you wanted to pursue this. As Steven Pressfield says- Put your Ass where your Heart wants to be.
All of life revolves around Micro & Macro Pivots in life. We can't get stuck on our goals that we intended to achieve. A lot of the times we need to adapt and maneuver because time waits for no one. it is like a ticking bomb. So better make the best use of it.
Everybody has to go through rejection an dit can be of different sorts and one has to go through in their lifetime-multiple rejections and the point is not let it faze out our uptempo for our own lives. The zest we should possess has to be high and it is all about getting back on the saddle after falling off the horse. 100% of the shots not taken are missed, so better take a shot at what you want to.
I am in this cycle brother of just getting stuck to a path or whatever path I chose but it is also some sort of because of the environment I live in. I am not blaming the environment rather if one needs to unlearn & rewire things on cognitive level, one needs to be pretty much aware of the cues behind those patterns and then only we would be able to break them. I am learning to do it and also on the cross roads of making some hefty decisions that don't align with my family. Also I am professionally in the shambles ate the age of 28.5 but the only way things can get better is my taking ownership of all the things happening in my life and being okay with micro & macro pivots in life.
I have personally seen & experienced that these pivots be it small or big take a lot of time not before the change but mostly after as we weren't expecting this and then we stuck on the loop of what we wanted and not accept the reality as it is. It eats up a lot of time, energy & effort which prevents us from making changes & do better with the things happening in the present.
Thanks for the encouragement and sharing your experience with writing. I'm in the thick of it now and some days are hard. The reminder that I'm writing this book to help people, not just sell books to sell books really hits. Because you're right - that is the point.
Great timing, Steve — thank you for sharing your experience. I finished writing my first two chapters — and tore them up. Your comments strengthen my resolve to write the book that I want to write.
Every so often there’s an article or book that feels perfectly timed for me. This is one of those. Loved this, Steve!
So glad it hit the spot!
I’m having all sorts of anxiety with my book draft. It’s near the finish line and I’m stressing that, after 3 years, it’s still not any good. This was just the article I needed to read today. Thank you!
You got this! I thought every single one of my drafts sucked at some point. And truth be told…you never can predict what resonates. Just feel good about it and eventually put it out there!
Thank you!
Shared in the notes here. Good stuff.
That it wasn’t your day job is an underrated factor. As Liz Gilbert wrote, asking your creativity to make money for you is a bit like yelling at a cat.
The longer I’m a full time writer the harder it becomes to discern between writing something because I need to write it or because I need to make money.
Absolutely. But I think that’s the point. COnventional wisdom says go all in. I think that makes us fragile.
Even now, with writing as my full time gig. I have skills and other things I do, so if writing didn’t work, I’m okay. I actually think that’s part of what allows you to do your best work.
Thanks for this post, Steve. As others have mentioned in the comments below, it was well-timed for me as well. As an author working on her first book, the encouragement to write the book I need is a message that I need to hear again and again. Thanks for the reminder and the encouragement.
This totally sums up that life is a single player game and play it in your own terms. I still remember you decision to leave PHD mid way because you thought it won't be worth it to trade off time for it and by writing and coaching you would make a larger impact as you wanted to pursue this. As Steven Pressfield says- Put your Ass where your Heart wants to be.
All of life revolves around Micro & Macro Pivots in life. We can't get stuck on our goals that we intended to achieve. A lot of the times we need to adapt and maneuver because time waits for no one. it is like a ticking bomb. So better make the best use of it.
Everybody has to go through rejection an dit can be of different sorts and one has to go through in their lifetime-multiple rejections and the point is not let it faze out our uptempo for our own lives. The zest we should possess has to be high and it is all about getting back on the saddle after falling off the horse. 100% of the shots not taken are missed, so better take a shot at what you want to.
I am in this cycle brother of just getting stuck to a path or whatever path I chose but it is also some sort of because of the environment I live in. I am not blaming the environment rather if one needs to unlearn & rewire things on cognitive level, one needs to be pretty much aware of the cues behind those patterns and then only we would be able to break them. I am learning to do it and also on the cross roads of making some hefty decisions that don't align with my family. Also I am professionally in the shambles ate the age of 28.5 but the only way things can get better is my taking ownership of all the things happening in my life and being okay with micro & macro pivots in life.
I have personally seen & experienced that these pivots be it small or big take a lot of time not before the change but mostly after as we weren't expecting this and then we stuck on the loop of what we wanted and not accept the reality as it is. It eats up a lot of time, energy & effort which prevents us from making changes & do better with the things happening in the present.
Thanks for the encouragement and sharing your experience with writing. I'm in the thick of it now and some days are hard. The reminder that I'm writing this book to help people, not just sell books to sell books really hits. Because you're right - that is the point.
Great timing, Steve — thank you for sharing your experience. I finished writing my first two chapters — and tore them up. Your comments strengthen my resolve to write the book that I want to write.
What did you use to self publish?