Can Authors Live Their Ideal Life?

 

“You deserve to live your ideal life.”

This is the opening line to a book by bestselling author Gino Wickman. 

It’s such a powerful line. Somewhere between “bullshit” and “absolutely” is my response. Maybe we have to work with both responses.  

It is “bullshit” if you: (a) don’t believe in yourself or (b) understand that nothing just comes to you without hard work. But it is “absolutely” if you believe in yourself and are prepared to make your life unfold the way you want it to.  

Notice the author of the EOS Life: How To Love Your Ideal Entrepreneurial Life says “your ideal life” and not “the ideal life.” There is a difference. Truthfully, there’s no one singular standard for an ideal life.  If there were, I suspect, the standard would keep shifting for life and the world is not stagnant. We customize our lives to fit our targeted goals, or at least we should, as opposed to customizing our goals to fit our lives. Why? 

The latter means setting goals based on where we are at or have come from. The former says: aim high and find a way to get there. Both will still be solid paths to improvement, maybe even riches, but they do differ in their potential degrees of success.  

So, let’s apply this to you: You deserve to live your ideal author life.  

Question: How?  

How will you do this? First define what it is that you want to accomplish as a writer. Be specific. Believe you are worthy and that this is achievable.   

If you do what you love (write) with people who support what you love (editors, publicists, literary agents, publishers, friends, fans), getting compensated for your work, and your writings begin to make a difference in the lives of others, you are living a great life.   

So, what does Wickman believe we each need to do to attain our ideal life? 

1.      Develop 10-Year Thinking

Do not just think short-term or day-to-day. Don’t overestimate what you can do in a year nor underestimate what you can accomplish in a decade. Think big and beyond today. 

2.      Take Time Off

That’s right, to work hard and smart, take a break. Rest, reflect, and rejuvenate yourself. 

3.      Know Thyself

You can’t really be yourself until you first truly know yourself. Get in touch with who you are --your style and approach to things, your strengths and weaknesses, and your attitude, seek a coach, therapist, or mentor to help you focus on you.  

4.      Quiet Time 

Spend at least 10 minutes a day in silence and solitude. Meditation, prayer, silence, or yoga breathing can be transformative and bring you clarity. 

5. Know Your Limits

Setting limits is as important as setting goals. Know your boundaries and breaking points. How many hours per day and week will you commit to working -- and how many to not working? 

6.      Say No, Often

Walk away from something that is not the best fit. Do not commit to people or projects that are not worth your time or sanity.   

7.      Don’t Do Lower-Paying Work

If you want to make good money, pay others to do lower-wage tasks while you focus on things that have bigger pay-offs. 

8.      Prepare Nightly

Lay out your next day’s schedule and plan it on the night before. Write it down, map it, and visualize it. 

9.      Put Things In One Spot

Be organized and stick everything in a giant folder, notebook or area. Or store everything in a few key digital files. Make it so that you can’t waste time looking for things or information that should be readily accessible.  

10.  Be Humble.

Have a healthy, positive, empowering view of yourself but don’t put others down, underestimate them, or dismiss them.  Be thankful, appreciative, and less arrogant.  

Identify what your ideal writer’s life could be. Then take steps to achieve and make it materialize. If you can see it, it’s now possible.  If you don’t love to see what is possible, too much seems impossible, when it really isn’t.   

“Where the talents and the needs of the world cross, lies your calling, vocation, purpose.”

-Aristotle  

 

  Did You Know?

  One-third of all states have at least one-third of each state’s population that is obese.
  No state two decades ago was above 25% of its population having obesity.

Need Book PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in helping thousands of authors in all genres.

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2021. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.