When you first read that headline, you probably thought I was going to say I'm doing it because I'm dying and want to rush and get my books out there before I kick the bucket. And well, you wouldn't be totally wrong.
I am dying.
But so are you.
And that's what I realized a few months ago. I was sitting around, dreaming about the success I want to achieve as a self-published author.
Dreaming, not doing.
That's not to say I'm not an action-taker. I am. Always have been. I'm one of those high achievers who thrives having way too much on my plate. Most people would never be able to handle the volume at which I write and create.
But I wasn't seeing the success I dreamed of.
Sure, I had five books published (4 eBooks and 1 novel). My books were selling OK. I was making like $30-40 a month on Amazon.
Except that wasn't enough for me. Not even close.
'Cause I want the big time. I want a huge catalog of self-published books, nonfiction and novels. I want a massive, raving fanbase full of ideal readers who buy all my books. I want a traditional publisher to come to me with a million-dollar book deal. I want Hollywood knocking down my door for the movie rights.
So I had to take a hard look at where I was at and where I wanted to be. When I did that, I realized I didn't have the success I wanted, because I wasn't aligned with it.
I was playing small. Publishing maybe one book a year, if I got around to it. Acting like I have a million more years to live my life as me.
Except I don't. And neither do you.
Which is why I decided to totally overhaul my writing life -- including my habits and my mindset -- so that I could finally align with the success I wanted to create. And in doing that, an idea hit me...
Write and publish MORE books. All of the ones that have been dancing in my head and my heart for months and YEARS of my life.
I could write and publish them. All of them. Right now, this year.
What the hell was I waiting for?
So in April, I made a decision and then I publicly announced it: I'm going to write and publish one book a month for the rest of the year.
And since making that decision, everything changed, and lightning fast.
I've already written and published two new books. The third comes out tomorrow and I'm already working on the fouth.
You'd think that would be enough. To just write and publish and get my damn books out there finally. But the crazy part is, by getting aligned with the success I wanted to create, incredible magic has happened.
In May, my eBook, Align Your Writing Habits to Success, hit number one in multiple categories on Amazon over multiple days. (And it's still hanging out in the top five of its category.) I became an Amazon Best-Selling author. In June, I sold 1,007 books. In a 30-day period.
And it's not because I'm doing anything different than I was before, other than writing and publishing more books.
I created this kind of success because I decided to. Plain and simple.
Anything you want to create for your writing life is totally possible. But you have to decide that it's a done deal. That it's non-negotiable and you're not willing to accept anything else.
I've now skyrocketed up the ladder of successful self-published authors. I've smashed the limits of what most people say is the potential a self-published author has (which, in the opinion of most, is not much). I'm making a big splash.
And people are taking notice.
Since I've stepped up, my entire writing community has stepped up. I've seen writers who've been asleep for years finally wake up to the fact that they have what it takes and they want to make it happen.
I've watched on-the-fence writers finally go all-in and self-publish and launch their books. Success. Happiness. Fulfilment. It's happening all around me now.
All because I was willing to get out of my own way, step outside my comfort zone and take control of my writing destiny. Which then inspired others to do the same.
And you can too.
I'm no different than you. I've just given up my bullshit excuses and stopped sabotaging myself with bad writing habits.
It was a choice I made, to follow my dreams and not let the limiting beliefs of the outside world (or in my head) get in my way anymore.
That choice is available to all of us. But you've gotta choose it.
What can you do, right now, TODAY to step up and fully go after the writing life you dream of?