Book-writing is a marathon: How to sustain your writing energy

You thought it was as simple as butt in chair. Au contraire, my friends.

I am here to make writing easier. Let me share a peek into how this might go for you, and how to stay on track to the finish line.

You’ll be super excited about your book at the beginning.

Rookie mistake we ALL make: You won’t realize you need to let something go to make space to write.

Despite wanting to do this book thing forever, you won’t use a clear and compelling inner motivation to stay on track.

Within a few weeks, you will be surprised by and despair at the work involved with writing a book.

You’ll try to force yourself to write by setting up external accountability.

That will work for a couple of weeks.

Then, life will throw something at you that will demand your focus.

It won’t be your fault! The book will get pushed aside.

A month later, you will try to get back into the groove, full of self-recrimination about the lapse.

You’ll be into it. Finally! You are writing your book. You eke out a few chapters. Then, an undeniably good opportunity will arrive. A TEDx talk. A new role at work. A cross-country move.

Of course you have to take it. No one is waiting for your book, after all.

And on and on. We will fall off the writing wagon time and again. The real trick to finish your book is to learn how to get back into the ink zone easily and without beating yourself up.

Writing a book is a marathon. You will write your book while dodging all the other things that pop up in your life. Trust that you will finish it - if you return to it after something else shows up.