When I wrote my first book I didn’t have a vision of myself as an author. I definitely saw myself a writer – I’d worked as a journalist, a government communicator a corporate communicator and a marketing copywriter. I knew I knew how to write well. But it was impossible for me to comfortably see myself as an Author.

And that’s part of what kept me from finishing and publishing my first book.

As far as I was concerned, an author was brilliant, wise, accomplished, and publicly polished.
They spoke to large audiences, appeared in the media, and generally swanned around looking important and doing important things. When I started my first book I was pregnant, tired, chronically short of cash, and anxious. About almost everything. There was no way I could live up to my imaginary concept of what an author was. And I didn’t have a vision for myself that would help me bootstrap my way to publication.

Five books and a decade later, I’ve realized that an important part of writing a book is to establish a compelling and inspiring Vision for yourself. After the publication of that first book, I realized I actually could be an author—in fact, I WAS an author—and it was significantly easier for me to “wear” my “author-ity.” I now have a vision of who I am as an author and who I am becoming. I dream bigger than I used to.

And that’s what I encourage my book coaching and editing clients to do as well.

Having a vision makes it considerably easier for us to march through the day-to-day commitments we need to make to our book projects in order to get our book manuscripts completed, edited, and off for publication. Among my clients, those who have a strong vision for themselves as an author find it much easier to complete their book manuscripts than the people who struggle to see themselves as an author.

I work with my friend, Simone Usselman-Tod and her powerful Dynamic Visioning Process to create and hold a vision for all the good things I desire in life. Simone helps motivated heart-centred people turn their visions into Reality. She helps people eliminate emotional triggers and unproductive habits so they can increase their productivity and create more inspired outcomes. And she helps people simply dream bigger. A Certified Neurolinguistic Programming Master Practitioner and a Certified Life Coach and Business Coach, Simone Helps people with their internal game.

She lives for the moments that take your breath away and I encourage anyone who feels there is more available to them than they are currently experiencing to check out what she offers.

But you can also create an Author Vision through:

• Meditation
• Journaling
• Focusing on your goal and
• Creating a Success Team of other people who are willing to see you as an author

Anyway, you choose to go about it, I strongly recommend that if you are working on a book right now you invest some time and energy in feeling what it’s going to be like to hold that book in your hand. Imagine what your life is going to be like once you’ve added the adjective “author” to your name. And more than anything, create a vision for your future self as an author that is compelling and exciting.

Only you can know what aspects of becoming an author are going to be satisfying and rewarding. So, lean in, and enjoy the ride! But first make sure you have a sustaining vision to carry you across the finish line.

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