Cultivating Self-Trust to Overcome Writer's Block

I know what it feels like to be stuck.

Before publishing my first book, I spent years writing it.

When I finally got motivated to sit down and write, it felt like I was writing in circles. I would start, get distracted by other “more important” things, put it on the back burner, lose momentum, time would pass, and I'd start all over again. The whole experience was incredibly frustrating.

Until one morning when everything changed.

I had woken up in bed from a vivid dream. In the dream, I was holding my book in my hands. I could see the colorful cover design and book title and feel the weight of it in my hands. I heard the words, “Now is the time.”

Before I stepped out of bed that morning, I knew I would commit to finding the support I needed to get it done that year. It was time to get out of my own way.

No. More. Excuses.

In the years since I wrote and published my first book, I have coached dozens of aspiring authors in successfully writing and publishing their books.

The obstacles I faced in finishing my book are obstacles faced by most first-time authors and likely have kept many great books from ever being written. So, it’s become my mission to share what I’ve learned to help other first-time book authors get unstuck.

Getting Unstuck

How do you find the motivation and inspiration to prioritize finishing your book amidst other seemingly important obligations?

How do you recognize the thoughts and beliefs running through your mind that are holding you back yet sound pretty legitimate?

From everything I’ve learned about getting unstuck (in many areas of my life), I've found the answer lies in cultivating more self-trust.

What does self-trust have to do with writing a book?

Well, everything. Writing is an inner experience. We can often get hung up in our heads, overthinking, swimming in self-doubt, picking things apart with our perfectionism, or procrastinating by prioritizing other “more important” things—a.k.a. writer's block.

Self-trust stops all of that.

And it starts when we slow down our busy minds and seek out the voice of our intuition. By listening to it, we access our inner wisdom and can trust its guidance.

How do we do this?

Our intuition speaks to us in quieter moments and is something we can all access.

Think of it as the voice of your heart versus your head. It’s sometimes referred to as a “gut instinct” -- that niggling feeling or internal voice that helps us stay on track and align with our higher purpose and calling.

Practices like meditation, quiet time in nature, and journaling are great ways to hear our intuitive voice and receive its guidance.

That voice from my dream was my intuitive voice. In my experience, sometimes it’s loud and clear, like someone is speaking in my head, and other times it’s more of a feeling sense that seems to come from deep within. A knowing. A full-body “Yes”.

This is why encouraging and listening to it can be an excellent tool to overcome obstacles like writer’s block (and underlying confusion, doubt, or fear).

Your intuitive voice is likely what’s calling you to write your book. It’s the inspiration that won’t go away, no matter how hard you try to keep putting it off.

Trusting our intuitive voice and acting upon its guidance unlocks our creative flow and can bring our authentic self-expression onto the page.

If you are stuck in the process of writing your book, your intuitive voice is an ally waiting for you to slow down and tune in to its wisdom.

Writing a transformational book that positively changes your readers' lives is no small feat. If we're truly committed to our calling, we must be willing to examine the obstacles in our way and uncover the subconscious fears and patterns at their root.

When you see that gestating and birthing your book into the world is an inner journey equally as crucial as the outer one, you’ll embark upon a powerful opportunity for transformation— both for yourself and your readers.

If you're ready to take the next step in awakening your intuition, check out our Jumpstart Your Book Journey free practice, including a guided visualization, journaling prompts, and video lesson.