Mission Accomplished?

I have read back over the blog entries I've done since last year. 95% of that time I was also working on a book on women's leadership. I often thought, throughout the process, that there was a possibility that the book would never see the light of day! I perservered through a lot of life issues and self-doubt, as the time for completion got closer. Self-Publishing a book and becoming an independent author is extremely scary! All of the self-doubt you would imagine DID creep into my head and I would second guess myself.

As the process became more solidified, I became more confident. I would repeatedly say to myself, "Nobody any where will believe in me more than me." Other constant questions included: What risks am I actually willing to

take to pursue this goal completion?

So what if every reader or critic doesn't have the same personal love I have about the book! It is a kin to me thinking my baby is the most beautiful baby ever to be born in the history of babies being born 🤣🤣🤣. Surely someone out there would have exception about that and argue relentlessly that I'm wrong and in fact, their baby is the best. Lol...but only half way laughing!

I learned some things through my path to publishing process that I think will be helpful for anyone that is trying to accomplish any goal.

While my book focuses on women leaders, I have been told (by readers of the book) that it resonates for different populations and is generally a "how to reach attainable success for yourself". With that in mind, here are key factors that helped me stay focused to see this book come to life AND things you should note if goal achievement matters to you.

1. Know your subject matter. If you are going to spend time working on any goal, take the time to make sure you can be credible about the subject at hand. This is about preperation. Prepared people are more credible. (Shameless book plug as there is an entire chapter dedicated to preperation)

2. Prioritize your goals and actvities. I get very limited sleep without a sleep aid when I have a lot of balls in the air. My brain just is constantly rapidly firing info....EVEN IN MY SLEEP. It does not have an on/off switch so it just keeps on running! Creative, focused, driven people are more likely to share this unwanted experience with me. The cure is to relieve your brain of being the keeper of ALL of your ideas. Give your brain a break and let it do its magic on the 1 or 2 (max) things that have the highest priority. If not you will become a jack of all trades and master none.

3. Be flexible. I had a snafu after I initially published my book. I was DISTRAUGHT that my process was being slowed down and I had limited control. I whoo-sah'd a LOT for days before I got to resolution. I learned even more about being adaptable - more than I thought I already knew. I had to be flexible against my will, and I didn't die from it!

4. Be SURE about your end game. Or in other words have a vision that is executable, realistic and one that you have the literal space or capacity to take on. People are asking me when did I find the time to write a book? My response is the same.....people make room for the things they are passionate about. PeriodT.

5. Be ready for the up feeling and prepared for the down feeling. I have come out the indie author gate blazing! But I know this will be an up and down phenomenon. Every week will not feel like this and I'm ok with that, because it encourages me to make sure I am prepared. See number 1 above. I am not chasing perfection. I know my goals and will not allow anyone to distract me from reaching them. In order for this to happen, I have to be clear about the vision. With ANY goal, there will be high points and lows. Be mentally prepared to accommodate both of these realities.

6. It will take however long it takes. There is not a required rule of how long you are allowed to work on a goal. We impose these rules on ourselves. I say, screw the self-imposed rules....focus on your goal, have a plan and execute. If that means a delay by 1 year, so be it! But when that year is up you will feel amazing and accomplished.

6. Surround yourself with a cheer team. You will need encouragement. But more importantly than that, you will need a honest team that tells you what you need to hear. Having "yes" people is a temporary ego stroker. This is very different than people who push you to think about what you can actually do vs what you want to do. Every parent (or family member) thinks their kid is special or talented. You already have those bases covered. Find truth tellers to help you hone in on your unique talents and strengths.

Ya'll gotta read the book for the rest of the tea! 😊💋

Be empowered - MJ


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