Finally! I just sent my 211 page manuscript to Amazon for publication! This book has been over two years in the making and now it’s DONE! I’m excited, I’m celebrating and I want to share the biggest lesson I learned along the way with you (as well as the biggest mistake I almost made).
To me, the saddest thing that we can do in our lifetime is give up on our dreams. Too often we bury the gifts that we’ve been given, shy away from what our heart compels us to do and we fail to pursue what it is that we really, really want. This results in a lot of regret later in life and dullness in the present moment.
My biggest lesson learned in this process? Don’t quit.
I almost gave up on this book.
“How hard can it be to write a book?” I thought when I started the process two years ago. I have written the equivalent of multiple books via articles and blog posts in recent years.
But a book is a whole different beast. That I now Know. For. Sure. (Exhale)!
After thankless nights of solitude writing, re-writing, editing, re-editing, panicked re-writes, skipping out on fun social plans and sitting amongst A4 pages that littered my apartment like a snowstorm (and heck – even some tears, I’m not ashamed!) I thought to myself, “Why am I doing this anyway? No-one will care if I don’t publish a book!”
But that’s not true. I would care. And whatever universal source that inspired me to write this book would care. And that’s enough. And that kept me going.
Now that my book’s complete it’s even clearer to me why I wrote it. Because doing the work matters. Finishing matters. Doing what’s important to you matters. Truly happy people push themselves. They understand that pushing our boundaries and making real progress in our lives is the pinnacle of joy. There is no other experience like it. As author Jamie Magee says, “The end is not the reward; the path you take, the emotions that course through you as you grasp life – that is the reward.”
Are you struggling with finishing (or even starting) something right now? Hang in there! I am here to support you. Please share your challenges with me in the comments below!
