Lesson Two: 

Overcoming the Excuse of Not Having Enough Time

Obstacle: “I don’t have enough time to write a book right now.” Or “I’ll have more time later to focus on finishing my book.”

In this lesson, you’ll learn how subconscious beliefs, doubts and fears can be the underlying reason you haven’t prioritized the time to finish your book.

Lesson Two:

Not having enough time is one of the most common obstacles shared by entrepreneurs who want to write a book. This obstacle can feel very real for most entrepreneurs! We are busy and have a long list of responsibilities and commitments. We think we need months away from work and responsibility, perhaps a long retreat to a cabin, to have the time to focus on writing and finishing our book.

The Truth About Time

Yes, writing a book certainly takes time, focus, and dedication, but don’t let the obstacle of not having enough time hold you back. Our roster of authors, who are all successful entrepreneurs, have birthed their books into the world in as little as six months, with an average of 2-4 hours of work per week.

The truth is, we will make time for whatever feels the most important to us!

So the story we tell about not having enough time is usually a way for us to keep putting off our calling to write a book. Why do we do this if we really want to write a book? This excuse is most likely masking something deeper, usually a subconscious belief or fear we have about the process of becoming a published author and putting ourselves “out there”.

Mind Games

Subconscious fears and beliefs are the drivers of what’s commonly called “writer’s block”. Writing a book that will transform your readers lives is no small feat. It takes confidence, courage and a commitment to overcome our own personal fears and self-sabotaging beliefs to be able step into our power as a published author.

Some common subconscious fears include the fear of failure, the fear of success or what’s commonly known as ‘impostor syndrome’.

A fear of failure might sound like: What if I make time to write a book and nobody buys it? Or what if it gets terrible reviews?

Or maybe you have a subconscious fear of success. If you are not already in the public eye, the fear of being seen as an authority or “expert” on a topic might feel daunting: What will others think or expect of me if I become a published author? I’m already overwhelmed by all that’s on my plate, how could I manage more? As an introverted empath, this one held me back from writing my own book for years!

And then there’s ‘impostor syndrome’, which most of us will experience on the journey of writing a book to some degree or another. Impostor syndrome is the fear that no matter the years of experience or level of expertise or knowledge we have, deep down we don’t feel smart enough, credentialed enough or good enough to become a published author and we worry we’ll be judged or discovered a fraud. This might show up sounding like: Who am I to write a book? There are already so many books out there on this topic written by well-known authors, so why does my book matter?

Let’s Get Real

Do any of these above scenarios resonate for you? If so, you are not alone. You see, no matter where you are on the journey to becoming a published author, your subconscious beliefs and mindset matter and can impact your ability to succeed in accomplishing this dream. The logical, egoic driven part of the brain believes that if you’re safe now, it’s a good idea not to change a thing. Your mind will create all kinds of obstacles and fears designed to “keep you safe”. This is likely why only one percent of aspiring authors ever finish and publish their books!

Exercise: 

Take some time now to answer the following journaling prompts to begin exploring the subconscious beliefs or fears that may be keeping you stuck in starting or finishing your book. This type of personal exploration is vital on the path to becoming a published author, and it’s a core pillar of our work with authors to keep writer’s block at bay and keep them moving forward towards the goal of getting their book done.

Journaling Prompts:

1. Do I resonate with any of the subconscious fears mentioned above? (If so, write them down.)

2. Are there other beliefs, fears or reasons I have for not prioritizing the time to finish my book? (Name those here.)

3. Which fear or subconscious belief feels the strongest to me?

4. Has this fear or belief held me back in my life in the past?

5. How have I moved through this obstacle before?

6. Why do I feel called to write this book?

7. If I don’t write and publish my book, what will happen?  

When you become willing to honestly look at your internal experience and question your mindset and beliefs along the way, you become empowered to move through obstacles much more easily so that you can finish your book and start transforming more lives with it, including your own!