I was talking to a colleague of mine the other day about writing books. The discussion went from "how do you write a book" to "how do you discipline yourself to write a book".
You see, the fear most entrepreneurs have when thinking about writing a book is the fear of discipline. In other words, they feel it's going to be painful. And this feeling of pain (though imaginary) stops them before they get started.
Listen. Discipline isn't painful. Discipline is just taking control of your emotions and doing what you need to do. There is no pain involved. Here's how to be disciplined in everything you do, whether it's writing a book, sending out thank you notes, or practicing the piano:
Step 1: Take out a sheet of paper and write down what you want to do at the very top in BIG bold letters. For example: WRITE A BOOK.
Step 2: Write down all the reasons you want to do this. For example, if you want to write a book, write down reasons like: to become an author, to be recognized, to leave a legacy, to make more money. Whatever your reasons are, write them down.
Step 3: Draw a line under these reasons and write down the reasons behind these reasons. Ask yourself, "Why did I say this; Why do I want this; and Why do I feel this way?" You see, your initial reasons are what I call surface answers. You have to dig deeper if you want to get to the core. You may have to do this several times to find your REAL reasons.
Step 4: Re-read your list aloud and see how you feel. If your reasons don't make you feel all tingly inside, complete steps 1-3 again. You have to drill down past the surface and find your core reasons for wanting to write a book. These reasons are your driving force.
Step 5: Once you have the reasons written down that make you feel all tingly and excited inside, review this list on a regular basis. Read what you wrote down and FEEL your heart beat faster. FEEL your stomach float up like you're going down a huge hill. FEEL the excitement building inside you.
Now, the only thing left to do is read this list whenever you're getting ready to complete what you want done. So, if you're getting ready to sit down and write a portion of your book, grab this sheet of paper and get re-excited. Again, discipline has nothing to do with pain. It's all about controlling your emotions and doing what needs done (based on what you want and desire).
You see, the fear most entrepreneurs have when thinking about writing a book is the fear of discipline. In other words, they feel it's going to be painful. And this feeling of pain (though imaginary) stops them before they get started.
Listen. Discipline isn't painful. Discipline is just taking control of your emotions and doing what you need to do. There is no pain involved. Here's how to be disciplined in everything you do, whether it's writing a book, sending out thank you notes, or practicing the piano:
Step 1: Take out a sheet of paper and write down what you want to do at the very top in BIG bold letters. For example: WRITE A BOOK.
Step 2: Write down all the reasons you want to do this. For example, if you want to write a book, write down reasons like: to become an author, to be recognized, to leave a legacy, to make more money. Whatever your reasons are, write them down.
Step 3: Draw a line under these reasons and write down the reasons behind these reasons. Ask yourself, "Why did I say this; Why do I want this; and Why do I feel this way?" You see, your initial reasons are what I call surface answers. You have to dig deeper if you want to get to the core. You may have to do this several times to find your REAL reasons.
Step 4: Re-read your list aloud and see how you feel. If your reasons don't make you feel all tingly inside, complete steps 1-3 again. You have to drill down past the surface and find your core reasons for wanting to write a book. These reasons are your driving force.
Step 5: Once you have the reasons written down that make you feel all tingly and excited inside, review this list on a regular basis. Read what you wrote down and FEEL your heart beat faster. FEEL your stomach float up like you're going down a huge hill. FEEL the excitement building inside you.
Now, the only thing left to do is read this list whenever you're getting ready to complete what you want done. So, if you're getting ready to sit down and write a portion of your book, grab this sheet of paper and get re-excited. Again, discipline has nothing to do with pain. It's all about controlling your emotions and doing what needs done (based on what you want and desire).