Should Authors Avoid Making Resolutions?

 

 

When something needs to get done, like the writing or marketing of your book, how do you handle it? 

Do you avoid it completely, stall and procrastinate, do busy work but not get to the heart of the matter, lament that the stars are not fully lined up, make excuses, or get distracted by other things?

You are not alone.

But it is time to change your ways and re-set your clock so that you ACT and not merely be in the forever phase of saying you need to do something.

Your thoughts tend to build up inside of you. Finally, bubbling to the surface, is your promise or commitment to do something. You make a resolution and vow with all of your heart and might to get it done. Then… you fall short. Failure finds you.

I know you are tempted, like someone with OCD who counts and arranges steps that never get taken, to follow your prior path of inaction and useless thinking. Failure is habit-forming. Rewrite your DNA for getting stuff done. Simply stop defaulting to what often won’t work.

I know, I know. An idea pops into your head. It becomes a desire. That desire stalks you and now it is a need that must be fulfilled. But wait, something is holding you back. It is you!

To get what you truly want, you will have to speed up the processing of the steps below — or avoid many of them. They may give you comfort or be a part of your avoidance ritual, but that shit has to stop now. Right here.

Will your next step be to ACT, or will you:

* Write down your goal.
* Prepare for it mentally.
* Analyze and debate internally over it.
* Make to-do lists.
* Talk to everyone about it.
* Visualize succeeding.
* Dream of accomplishing it.
* Meditate on it.
* Endlessly research options.
* Creatively ponder.

* Wait for the Law of Attraction to miraculously take over.
* Think every little detail through.
* Pray for a breakthrough.
* Devise elaborate plans and strategies.
* Hope to get lucky.

* Take a break to reflect further.

Or…

Will you just do it? 

I know, it sounds revolutionary. Act.  Make it happen. Do something. Be in motion. 

I resolve to no longer make New Year’s Resolutions.  

This may not get fulfilled. It is much easier to make vows and pontificate than it is to actually do what needs to be done. I implore you: take a step today and two more tomorrow. Rise up from the sidelines and be an active participant in your own drama.  

Don’t resolve to do anything. Just do it!

 

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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 over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts over the past dozen years, it 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 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.