Change your belief system to achieve your goals

I have always wanted to write a book.

…and just a couple of weeks ago, I finally accomplished it.  

It took me a LONG time to write the book. For the past 18 months I have been almost done, but haven’t let myself finish. I told myself it was because I enjoyed mulling over the ideas, refining them, and seeing how they could be continually improved.

That was part of the reason…a small part. The larger reason? I was scared to finish it.

What was I scared of? A bunch of things:

I was afraid that:

•  People won’t like what I’ve written or will find it stupid.
•  I’ll forget something, and as a result, what I’ve written won’t make sense.
• I will have made a mistake, and everyone will see it.
• The reviews will be negative.

And the list goes on.

For as long as I’ve been writing this book, I’ve also been questioning myself, saying, “Who am I to write a book? What do I know? Who will listen to me?”  

So, although my outward desire was to write a book, my inner beliefs were battling with that desire. And I remained stuck.

Now I’m sitting here, after years of this stuck feeling and fear, having finished the book.

What changed?

Two things-  I started meditating. For real. Twice a day for 20 minutes and I discovered/read a book called The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent by Jerry and Esther Hicks.

I took a 15-day online class from Ziva Meditation to learn how to do it properly, that is, moving beyond simply listening to guided meditations and taking the occasional deep breath. Initially skeptical, I have found meditation plugs me into a power socket to recharge, much like one would do with a phone. It has been that powerful for me. I pictured myself on a TEDx stage wearing a beautiful outfit, feeling great in my body, and sharing the message from my book with an enthusiastic audience.

The Amazing Power of Intent introduced me to “the art of allowing” and the concept of “vibrational alignment.” Although my desire was to write a book, I learned that my inner beliefs were not in vibrational alignment with my desire; therefore, it was not coming together for me.  The solution, according to the authors, was to elevate my inner beliefs to be in vibrational alignment with what I wanted: in this case, my book written.

So, instead of the negative things I was telling myself, I started using more positive language, saying things like:

• Those who have read an excerpt really enjoyed it and are hungry for more.
• The clients I profiled enthusiastically signed off after reading my stories about them.
• People keep telling me they are looking forward to the book coming out.
• If I miss something, it is easier than ever to publish  a new edition.
• Even as it is, the book allows me to reach individuals who may never have a chance to meet or work with me.

I have improved the ideas a lot and it’s time to road test them in this new format (a book), vs. the coaching where I’ve used these same strategies for nearly 20 years

This new way of talking to myself shifted my beliefs to be more positive and in alignment with my desire, therefore unblocking the way forward to let it flow into my life and become my reality. 

I didn’t even have to completely accept these new beliefs as true! I simply needed to start talking to myself in this kinder, gentler way.

A short time later my book is finished, named, professionally proofed, and ready to begin the indie publishing process. My first book, Your Finest Work: Career Fulfillment in a Complicated World, will come out later this year.

I find myself not quite believing that I have finally finished. It’s not perfect, but it’s enough, and it’s time for me to let it go. I’m so glad to be finished, but even more to have discovered such a profound strategy for having more of what I want. Now, what else can I apply it to? How about the publishing process?