By Sophfronia Scott
I have finishing on the brain these days. I just finished a large project with another close to completion. I'm also working on urging clients to finish reviewing and editing their own manuscripts so they can move on to the publishing process. But I reached a new level of thinking about this while listening to a recording of performance coach Lee Milteer where she talked about finishing. A friend of hers had been working on a book for several years, but he passed away before finishing it.
"Why does that happen?" I wondered. Why do some people finish books and others don't? I began to look closely at my own process and what I observed in others. I considered all sorts of projects large and small--because I believe our thinking is similar no matter what the size. Here's what I learned. I hope these tips will help you finish.
What Happens When You've Finished?
When I look at what motivated the most, I noticed the big dream was pretty enticing: the vision of leaving a legacy, wanting to communicate to a bigger audience, wanting to have a presence in the world as an author. All these are nice goals, but they're missing one thing: they're not immediate. Think about it. When you had to pull an all-nighter in college to finish a paper, were you thinking about the overall message of the paper? No! You just knew you had to finish it or get a poor grade! There was an immediacy to the situation!
I finished my project recently because it was part of a bigger picture--and I couldn't proceed until I had finished this part of the picture. With a deadline approaching, there was an immediacy I couldn't ignore.
Now, think about your book. What will happen when you're done with it? Do you really have plans for your book, or will it be a "Wow, I finally did it, that's great and that's all" kind of thing? I'm willing to bet just completing the book will not be enough for you. How can you make your situation immediate so you MUST finish?
What Happens If You Don't Finish?
Of course that means there must be consequences of your not finishing. Will your business not grow? Will you lose money? How will you feel? Really focus on this. If you don't have a consequence big enough to motivate you, create one! Make a deal with a friend, so you have accountability, that if you don't finish your book you will do something that would be absolutely horrifying for you. Maybe it's making a donation to an organization you dislike, or giving away a favorite gadget or keepsake.
How Will You Feel If You Don't Finish?
Once you figure out that consequence, I want you to really connect with the feeling of that consequence. How uncomfortable would you really be? A little or a lot? Does it really matter to you, or is it discomfort you think you can live with? After all, life has its disappointments, right? It's that kind of thinking that will sabotage you when you least expect it!
Is What You're Feeling Enough to Get You to Finish?
If what you're feeling isn't bad enough to make you finish, then you'll have to come up with a different consequence. If that doesn't work, find another one. If that doesn't work, you may have to be honest with yourself and decide whether writing a book is truly important to you. It's okay if it isn't. Just because writing a book means something to a lot of people, that doesn't mean it must hold the same importance to you. In fact, coming to the realization that it isn't your thing will free up your time, emotions and energy to pursue a goal more in line with who you are. And I'll be the first to say, "Go for it!"
© 2008 Sophfronia Scott
Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Sophfronia is also author of the bestselling novel, All I Need to Get By. If you liked today's issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully.
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