Why I won't shut up about my book

Because it's that important to me.

Hey friend!

Welcome to the 10th edition of the Inward Ventures Newsletter, my weekly share of what I’m working on and fiddling around with. I share thoughts and ideas I come across in my continuing quest for self-improvement, productivity, and education. I strive to excel in my writing, creativity, and, well… LIFE. Thanks for being here ~ ok, let’s get down to brass tacks.

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Not that you asked, but…

If you don’t know by now and the title didn’t tip you off ~ I’m writing a book!

I mention it frequently. I share my daily word counts online. I happily indulge when friends ask, hey ~ how’s the book coming? I mention it in blog posts, FB posts, and comments, phone and text conversations. I’ll fill you in on my progress, even if you don’t ask, haha.

I’m NOT doing this to brag, humble or otherwise, to folks about my grand plans. I do it because it’s so top of mind for me. I’ve made this my number one priority in life now. It’s that important.

Yes, it’s my number one priority. And by talking about it all the time, I’ve created what’s called a “forcing function.”

Fancy talk

“A forcing function is a catalyst that changes your default behavior in the future by aligning your short term incentives with your long term goals.”

A forcing function is something that holds you to your goals. By sharing with people that I am continuing to make progress on the book, I remind myself that I am making progress. By letting others know about my deadline and progress, I create expectations ~ not just from them, but from me.

I create accountability. I have a BFF who is also a coach and writer; we trade messages every day with our daily word count and the streak of consecutive writing days. Knowing that he’s awaiting my numbers keeps me on point; I hate disappointing people. I’ve parked my butt down to write at 9 pm just so that I could reply to him and not feel like a loser. I can’t break a 77-day streak, ugh. Just sit and write!

It gives me externalization. Before 11/18/20, my book was (mostly) inside my head. I had on murmured a few words here and there about it. By talking about it, I was committing to a real, tangible product that I’ll hold in my hands one day. Goals that remain internalized are rarely achieved.

Then, there’s my reputation on the line. By continually talking about this long term commitment I’ve made, I put myself out there. People are going to expect me to follow through with this. GOOD. They should, and I will.

Lastly, (why does that not seem like a real word when typed out?) it gives my goal importance. Writing a book isn’t an urgent goal, so it would be easy to let it slide, push it off to another day or month. Hell, I could (and have been) pushing it off for YEARS.

I love writing, but I don’t always want to do it. By labeling it IMPORTANT, I create a priority. I drafted a writing plan, and I follow through with it every day.

The stakes are high

I can either rise or fall to the demands of my situation. In creating a high demand situation with my forcing functions, I keep myself on track and delivering. I rise to the occasion.

Don’t rise to the occasion, rise above it. ~ CrossFit Rising slogan (the gym I used to own!)

I remind myself of what I need to do, what I want to achieve, and what I will have when all is said and done. I have my daily word count goals on my phone, fridge, and bathroom mirror.

Good for you, A. WHAT ABOUT ME?!

Ok, Maxwell, glad you asked.

Where can you create some forcing functions in your life? And how?

• diet ~ share your MyFitnessPal diary, hire a nutrition coach (ahem!)

• exercise/fitness - step count challenges*, 75 Hard challenges on social media, signing up for classes with someone

• new business venture - again sharing with family and friends,

• personal debt - using graph paper, create a visual chart for tracking

• Writing/art/music - get buddies, post online

Whatever it is that you want to work on, you HAVE to make it important. You must then develop a plan and figure out HOW to create demands on yourself for that situation.

Feeling unsure? Of course! You’re human. That’s normal. But that doesn’t mean don’t do it.

It means think. Think about what you really want ➡ WHY you want it ➡ How important is it ➡ devise a plan that holds your feet to the fire.

I promise ~ by putting your goals out there, by making a verbal, written, visual commitment to yourself and others, you end up showing up and doing the work. Trust me.

*if you have a Garmin device, find me @ nicebeanst in Houston, TX. I welcome all step challenges. Be forewarned; my daily count is 12-15K 🤷‍♀️

Need some guidance? If you’re open-minded, send me an email, I’ll give ya some suggestions to get you started.

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So what’dja think? If you’re so inclined, leave a comment here or hit REPLY and shoot me an email with your thoughts. No lie; I am TICKLED to get reader mail. If you write, I always respond.

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Have a great week ~ talk soon!

xoxo

Aileen