Action to words. My friend’s daughter published a book. She is 16. And she made the Amazon Bestseller List. The book is powerful and engaging; truly a unique concept. While the words on the page are impressive, it is actually the time from concept to publication that truly inspired me.
Two 16-year-old friends decide they want to write a book – and they do. A little bit of brainstorming, post a TikTok, build a website, solicit and assemble submissions, edit (all in a short period of time) and publish. It seems like I am underestimating the amount of work (and I am) but not by much. Their TikTok has over 3 million views and they received over 500,000 submissions for their concept. One hiccup was having to establish an LLC so they don’t run afoul of any age restrictions for Amazon royalties. Their accomplishment has me thinking a lot about how they were able to get from start to finish, and I have yet to get started. I have known the book I want to write for almost four years. I know the name, the concept, most of the chapters, I own the domain, but I am held back by 3 things that these young women didn’t let stop them:
Fear
Confidence
Time
Fear. I suffer from the ‘what if’s’: all of the negatives that circle around in my head keeping me from getting started. What if the concept doesn’t resonate? What if it isn’t successful? When it comes to the book, I spend a lot of time throwing every roadblock in my own path. Yet, these women didn’t care about the outcome – sales, success, or acceptance. They wanted to publish a book and they released attachment to whatever came next. They focused on the task and not a metric of success.
Confidence. Why would anyone want to read a book that I author? Am I good enough, smart enough; do I have a unique point of view? Maybe; or maybe not. Maybe it doesn’t matter. If the goal is to write and publish a book, can I disassociate myself from my negative self-talk and take my unique voice and point of view, the experience that I use daily in my business, a business that is thriving, and organize those thoughts into a book. Can I learn from the Book of Anonymous Letters and approach this endeavor with confidence that I can and therefore I should?
Time. This is my biggest hurdle. It shouldn’t be. It isn’t that I don’t have the time to write a book, it is that I have prioritized everything else ahead of this opportunity. I am ‘busy’ only because I have made choices that make me too busy to get started and see my desire through to conclusion. When I heard about the book from my friend, I sent some research that I had done on how best to self-publish, how to promote the book to launch as a bestseller, and offered my assistance in a variety of areas. The girls instead ‘just wanted to get it done’ and submitted it later that day. No hesitation, no delay, check the task off the to-do list. They set out to publish a book; no time like the present.
I am inspired by their focus and drive, their ability to set a goal and achieve it. And I pine for the time in my life where I could leap without a parachute and take chances. The question is why do I long for something in my past, rather than make it happen in the present: overcome the fear of other’s judgement, be confident in my talent, and make the time to put pen to paper, action to words. I actually might do it now that I have seen what can await me on the other side.