"What simple action could you take today
to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?"
-Anthony Robbins
to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?"
-Anthony Robbins
Yesterday's act of typing up my story's manuscript, making sure everything was properly formatted and spaced, seems to have set the dominoes into motion.
Highlighter and Post-It notes in hand, I spent a couple of hours thumbing through my Writer's Marketplace dog-earring, highlight and flagging any page with a potential publisher. It wasn't a very big or time-consuming step, but the size of a step doesn't mean it's exempt from its own group of gremlins.
Really? You're highlighting that publisher. Did you miss the fact that only 15% of the books they publish come from new authors?
That publisher is located in New York City. Only "real" authors get picked up by publishers in New York. Maybe you should look someplace smaller.
Do you really think your manuscript is ready?
It would've been easy for me to give in, put down the highlighter and close the book. "You're right. Who am I kidding," I could say, handing over my power and dream to the group of gremlins. Or...I could flip the negative comments on their head, reclaiming the momentum to move forward a little bit more.
Yes, I did see they only publish 15%. How awesome would that be among them?
Um...I am a real author. And did you forget that I dream in two sizes and two sizes only: big and BIGGER?
It's as ready as it can be for right now. I'm not sending the publishers a solid story that embodies perfection. I'm sending the publishers a solid story with potential they can't resist.
Minor adjustments, just a quick flip of the gremlins' negative statements, was enough to fuel the desire to take another step. There's still more to do—tomorrow will consist of further research of the publishers I marked—but the momentum is set. To paraphrase Anthony Robbins, right now, the most important thing you can is to make sure you begin to create momentum.
Highlighter and Post-It notes in hand, I spent a couple of hours thumbing through my Writer's Marketplace dog-earring, highlight and flagging any page with a potential publisher. It wasn't a very big or time-consuming step, but the size of a step doesn't mean it's exempt from its own group of gremlins.
Really? You're highlighting that publisher. Did you miss the fact that only 15% of the books they publish come from new authors?
That publisher is located in New York City. Only "real" authors get picked up by publishers in New York. Maybe you should look someplace smaller.
Do you really think your manuscript is ready?
It would've been easy for me to give in, put down the highlighter and close the book. "You're right. Who am I kidding," I could say, handing over my power and dream to the group of gremlins. Or...I could flip the negative comments on their head, reclaiming the momentum to move forward a little bit more.
Yes, I did see they only publish 15%. How awesome would that be among them?
Um...I am a real author. And did you forget that I dream in two sizes and two sizes only: big and BIGGER?
It's as ready as it can be for right now. I'm not sending the publishers a solid story that embodies perfection. I'm sending the publishers a solid story with potential they can't resist.
Minor adjustments, just a quick flip of the gremlins' negative statements, was enough to fuel the desire to take another step. There's still more to do—tomorrow will consist of further research of the publishers I marked—but the momentum is set. To paraphrase Anthony Robbins, right now, the most important thing you can is to make sure you begin to create momentum.
Your One Step:
When you're working on a new dream, especially one that's a little tender, it's easy to let the negativity of our inner gremlins squelch our momentum. To stop any negative self-talk the next time you're working on your dream, come prepared to fight it with a hefty dose of positivity.
As soon as a negative thought challenges your dream...
1) Get out a few blank index cards and something to write with.
2) Whenever you run into one of your Gremlins, stop and write down the negative message your self-doubt is sending you.
3) Now, under that negative message write the opposite, which is your truth, plus a few pieces of evidence to back it up. For example:
Gremlin: You're not really a writer.
You: I am a writer. I am a writer because I am writing right now. I am a writer because I have a story inside me that needs to be told.
Remember, as you think, so you are. So who will you believe? The gremlins or your own beautiful truth?
As soon as a negative thought challenges your dream...
1) Get out a few blank index cards and something to write with.
2) Whenever you run into one of your Gremlins, stop and write down the negative message your self-doubt is sending you.
3) Now, under that negative message write the opposite, which is your truth, plus a few pieces of evidence to back it up. For example:
Gremlin: You're not really a writer.
You: I am a writer. I am a writer because I am writing right now. I am a writer because I have a story inside me that needs to be told.
Remember, as you think, so you are. So who will you believe? The gremlins or your own beautiful truth?