I’ve been in writer’s jail for nine weeks. This past Sunday at precisely 8:25am, I completed the 41st and final chapter of my new book on networking. The title is Networking Ahead: your GPS for driving business and professional success.

The book is due out in September. If you want to reserve a copy of the book now, email me at Kathy@MarketingMotivator.net

The truth be told, I’ve been thinking about and talking about writing a book for several years now (you too?). I finally pulled it out of my head and on to paper.

Are you curious as to how I got it done?

How I actually got my manuscript completed: A story of collaboration, encouragement, accountability and daily discipline.

1. Collaboration. I created a collaborative partnership with Eitan and Stacey Battat of Kiwi Publishing. We have been meeting face to face for two hours every two weeks for the past six months, helping each other on our projects. I’ve been providing marketing consultation on their cool new project Thin Threads. Check it out. They have been consulting with me on my book.
2. Encouragement. I shared my goal and enlisted the support of others who care about me and my success. This milestone would not have been achievable without the help and push from close family and business associates. I am grateful for my husband Byron, my mastermind friends, Rahna, D’vorah, Marge and Tonya, and my publishers Eitan and Stacey Battat of Kiwi Publishing.
3. Accountability. About 3 months into the project, I found myself in an acute state of writer’s procrastination. With the deadline looming, I reached out to my publisher and friend, Eitan Battat and humbly asked for his help. I begged him to hold me accountable for writing this darn thing. He asked me if I preferred the carrot or the stick. (here’s a good related article I wrote last year: http://marketingmotivator.net/motivating-yourself-in-challenging-times/) While I loved the idea of rewards, I knew that a penalty would be far more motivating for me. He then asked me to take out my credit card and hand it over to him. We agreed that if I did not submit 5 chapters every Monday at noon, he would charge my credit card $55. Then he and Stacey would go out to their favorite restaurant and enjoy lunch together…at my expense. If I made ALL of my weekly deadlines (9 in total), he and Stacey would take me and my husband Byron out to dinner at our favorite restaurant. We shook hands and now my money was where my mouth was. This was a powerful incentive. As a result, I made ALL nine deadlines. Which leads me to the daily discipline…
4. Daily Discipline. In order to write 5 chapters a week, I made a plan to complete one chapter per day Monday through Friday, with some extra time on the weekends to finish up. I set my alarm clock for 5:30am and got up and commenced writing at 6am everyday – including Saturdays and Sundays. Some weeks, I was done by Friday. Other weeks were harder and I was burdened with writing all five chapters in one day – Sunday (hardly the day of rest!). That was not my best writing. It was torture. A little bit each day was far more enjoyable and resulted in fresher thinking and better writing. The benefits of daily discipline.

“A year from now you may wish that you started today.”

This motivating quote from Karen Lamb is so true. Time passes quickly and we have dreams, hopes and goals that we all want to accomplish. But there is just too much talking and not enough action. Get motivated and start taking action on your dreams. Find the people in your network who will collaborate with you, encourage you, hold you accountable. The daily discipline part is up to you.

I look forward to reading YOUR book!

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