I discovered my purpose after I went through a transformation from living in sheer anxiety to finding peace and happiness. I never thought I could experience such a dramatic shift, but it happened. My life changed after I stumbled on the life-changing habit of intentionally feeling gratitude. Within just a few days of that miraculous discovery, I felt like a different person – a person I hadn’t seen in a long time. And I was magically in the flow again. That experience was so profound that I did what came naturally to me. I was a life coach at the time, so I shared it with my clients, and they were seeing similar changes. Since I’ve always processed things through writing, I also started journaling about it. 

Not Knowing HOW Shouldn’t Stop You

Even though I had been a professional writer and editor for years, I didn’t know how to write a book about my vulnerable mental health perspective and in my own voice. That was definitely not the kind of writing I had been doing for work! I was a technical writer.

But I wrote anyway. And I kept writing, knowing that someday it would all gel into something. Finally, I realized that it had to become a book, and it took on a life of its own. That book kept knocking on the inside of my head, ready to come out. I felt an urgency, a need to share what I absolutely knew would help people. This was not just a book, it was an essential part of my purpose. 

What Exactly Was My Purpose?

When it came to me, in meditation, I knew it was true. “To help raise the positive vibration of the planet.” It felt right, but it also sounded ridiculous to say out loud. I can’t say that to people, can I?

I confided in a few close friends, and they reacted as if I had said something obvious. It just wasn’t so obvious to me yet! 

The problem with knowing your purpose is that you might not know how to express it yet. It might seem a bit too lofty for everyday use. Once you know your purpose, how do you live it? What exactly do you DO?

It’s different for everyone. But for many of us, writing a book is a natural progression. We tend to want to share and to impact others with the fantastic “aha” experience we’ve had. People who love your book will recommend it to their friends, and your influence can spread quickly. 

Who Am I to Write a Book?

Like many of the people I’ve worked with to write their books, I was used to being behind the scenes. My comfort zone was training people on how to use software or teaching them about scientific research breakthroughs. I was never the one front and center talking about my purpose or even my experience. How was I supposed to write my own book and overcome the fears that kept popping up in my head? Who am I to write a book? Am I an expert? I don’t have a Ph.D. Where will I find the time? 

My purpose kept driving me. Writing my book was a personal dream, so I had to figure it out. 

I wrote The Gratitude Connection in a few short months because I knew people were hurting just as I had been, and I was compelled to get my book into their hands. For me, creating my book was a huge part of my purpose and a key aspect of my legacy. 

Cracking the Code

After a bad first experience with a publishing company, I assembled my own team of editors and designers to create a world-class book I was proud of. After I figured out how to do it all, people started approaching me with their manuscripts. I was happy to help them because I didn’t want anyone to go through what I did on the road to becoming an author. The problem was that these books needed A LOT of work because the writers also did not know how to write their books. It took so much work to clarify and reorganize their work that the authors essentially had to rewrite them. My aha moment, after realizing I was using my life coaching skills during manuscript evaluations, was that I wanted to work with new authors BEFORE they started writing their books!

That just made sense. Instead of writing their books without support and then needing to rewrite them, I could provide the guidance they need all along the journey. 

Time and again, I saw that first-time authors had not clearly defined the essential elements.

Essential Elements

• Understand the purpose or vision of your message. Discover WHY this message is so important to you and perhaps to others as well.
• Who do you most want to serve with your message? Who will it most appeal to? These are (your ideal readers or “soulmate circle”)
• What does the idea of becoming an author feel like for you? Is it comfortable or uncomfortable, and why?
• Focus on your message. Create a coherent, consistent structure that supports what you are trying to say. What do you want readers to know, to hear, and to take away?

4 Steps to Writing Your Book Without Fear

1. Purpose/Vision: Knowing how you want to impact your readers helps you focus on delivering your content and stories in a way that will benefit  them most profoundly. 
2. Soulmate Circle: While a broad spectrum of people may benefit from your book, your soulmate circle will be the most inspired, motivated, touched, or transformed by your unique perspective. Knowing exactly who they are helps you reach them more effectively.
3. Author Desires: Understanding what you want from the process of becoming an author deepens your commitment to this life-changing project. Knowing how it complements your brand also keeps you focused on building your business, speaking career, or legacy. 
4. Inviting Roadmap: Every new adventure needs a roadmap. Having a clearly defined structure helps you know what to write at every phase. The structure also gives your readers confidence in your leadership as you guide them through transformation. Reading your story ultimately helps them understand themselves. 

Gaining crystal clarity on these elements before beginning to write makes creating the book so much easier than floundering through the process with no guidance. Using this system, the result for first-time authors is a finished book that requires only minor tweaks rather than a massive rewrite. 

A Book Writing Coach

Naturally, I recommend you seek a professional book coach to help you through this process. Keep in mind not all book coaches understand or implement this sort of process. It is possible to go it alone, but there are pitfalls like imposter syndrome, procrastination, and writer’s block that may be difficult to navigate on your own.

The important thing is that you express that compelling feeling you have to share your message. So many people could use the unique experiences you have had in a format they can digest and utilize in their own lives. 

Don’t put it off. You owe this to yourself! Maybe writing a book is part of your purpose, too.