Today – How to succeed at anything in six lessons

Opportunity is missed by people because it is dressed in overalls and called work

Thomas Edison

Principles of success boil down to a few smart lessons. This is what I learned in relation to publishing but I think the lessons can be applied to all goals.

 

How to succeed at anything in six lessons

When I wrote my book How to afford time off with your baby in 2009 I pitched it to FORTY agents before one said yes. I knew it was useful, relevant and a good read so I persisted after every rejection.  I believed in my product and I was prepared to work hard. It took me many hours to contact forty agents and parcel up my few chapters again and again. It took me many hours to write my few chapters and it probably wasn’t an ideal time  (baby number 2 was just 10 weeks old when I got a publishing deal with Random House) But I kept on working through the Writers and Artists yearbook and I kept on believing and persisting.

Lesson 1: Be persistant and work hard

 

I recall telling my new ante natal group I had written a book (before I got it published) I got a few disbelieveing looks. I didn’t care. I am a writer. I know and value that. I wasn’t being showy. I had written a book and that made me an author. Not somebody else publishing it or validating it. You have to believe in yourself.

Lesson 2:  Be confident (or at very least appear so)

 

I thought once I had a book out and an agent it would be easy to publish a second book. That’s not always the case .. so I explored ebooks and I began blogging and a whole other world of writing opened up to me.

Lesson 3: Think outside the box and be creative. There is always another path

 

I have just spent this past weekend talking at a blogging conference about writing books. On the panel with me was Rachael Lucas, author of the self published amazing successful chick lit ebook  Sealed with a Kiss

Racheal worked really  hard. She invested in her project in terms of time and creativity.  She went out on a limb and had the most amazing cover designed for her book. She believed in her project so much she self published. She was smart and thought strategically about how best to promote her book. It is FLYING. It is regularly in the top 30 of all books downloaded onto kindle, it is in the US top 100 on Amazon and will be in the stores by the end of this year for sure. She was persistent, creative and hard-working. She is so inspiring.

Lesson 4: Be inspired by others and learn from them

 

Racheal talked about an enthusiastic friend who told her to go for it! I had my mum who completely and utterly believed in me. Find  friends and family who build you up, not knock you down and keep those people close.

Lesson 5: Surround yourself with  cheerleaders

 

And last but not least carve out the time you need. For me early morning with a strong coffee and no one up is my time to be really productive. I am up for 6 each morning ..it was hard at first but it is now a good habit and I am up even on a weekend. Your dreams are precious. Social media can be a real time thief; games, facebook, twitter, can steal you from your focus. Focus first on your dreams

Lesson 6 :Find the time and focus you and your dreams are worth it.

 

Good luck and may you enjoy your journey as much as your destination.