When I was a full time business coach, I used to tell my customers, you must be easy to start and hard to stop. Everyone thinks they start from way behind the curve. They've procrastinated and now when they have to start, they have to work through all the debilitating emotions of frustration and discouragement, before they can even begin their project.
And then there were those who wanted it all today, wanted to catch up in one sitting, who were so anxious to make headway, they too had to battle the range of emotions and frustrations that they felt held them back, due to their impatience. I often have that form of "startitis" - in fact, it used to plague me whenever I'd start a new diet. And the worrying over whether or not I would stick to it long enough to have results would overcome me and by 10 o'clock, the diet was blown. And then it makes it harder to start again.
But starting is just that, starting all over. My opinion is that it's 80% of the battle, just beginning. If I can put out of my mind all the other little self-talk that is unproductive and just plain not true in many cases, I can get that big locomotive fired up and begin my new project. By "new" it could mean writing new or editing. Whatever the project.
I used to use the illustration of getting a big locomotive running. It doesn't matter how hard we press on the pedal on that big engine. The thing will accelerate at a certain speed no matter what. If we've floored it and really jumped on the pedal (they probably don't even have one, but I use it for illustration), that big machine would only go so fast in such a period of time. The extra effort on our part is irrelevant.
On the other hand, there's this little thing called Momentum that begins once we are sailing down the rails. The weight of the machine and the forward motion help propel us further, even if we should temporarily take our foot off the pedal.
And that's where people have the hardest time. After they start, they get some success, and do happy dancing all over the room, and then forget to get back to work. I'd have business leaders achieve a windfall month of profits and then take the rest of the year off, and wind up behind what they did the year before. We used to say that earning a huge commission check was the surest detriment to many people succeeding. Just ask lottery winners. They'll tell you.
The magic happens in the not stopping. Notice there is no mention of talent. We all want to be so talented someone will come along and give us millions of dollars for that screen play, that novel, but in fact, the world doesn't operate like that. Somehow, even though others have struggled, our path will be smooth and easy.
You will have a ten times better chance of dying in a commercial plane crash than winning the lottery. Chances someone will pay you $1M for your book? I'd say even less.
What about you? What do you do to get yourself started? How do you keep your momentum fired up?
Sharon Hamilton lives in Sonoma County, California, with her husband, 60 chickens, 100 koi and the 2 Dobermans who want to eat them all. An organic gardener for over 35 years, Sharon tends her vegetable and flower gardens when she is not writing or going to RWA meetings. She’s a member of 4 local chapters, as well as numerous online groups.
She writes paranormal romance, about angels, dark angels and some vamps, even some new species: Upogenie. Her stories follow the rocky road to redemption, but not exactly what you’ve been taught in Sunday School. Like, did you know angels don’t wear panties and have sex?
Sharon's first novel, Angel, is newly released. Here's the blurb:
An unconventional and fiercely independent Guardian angel, Claire, is sent to save the life of a talented but tormented Brazilian-born painter, Daniel DePalma, preyed upon by a powerful Dark angel. Although warned , this Dark angel has a special appetite for Guardians, and when Claire and Daniel become lovers, violating all of Heaven’s rules, he offers the pair a chance to stay together forever by turning to the dark side. Will their love succumb to temptation to make a deal with the devil or spend eternity forever separated?
Here's an excerpt for Angel:
Truth was, she usually liked to shower with her charges, but it was not the recommended way. She would give him a little more distance tonight; let him show her his dreams and the true source of his torment. Her instincts told her to be cautious. Something in her internal radar was bleeping off the charts.
She inched her way closer so she could smell the shower gel he used. She leaned against the wall, letting the lemony steam cover her invisible but sensitive angel flesh. She closed her eyes and listened to him reprimanding himself in Portuguese. It wasn’t important to have a word-for-word translation; she understood perfectly what he was saying. The way the sounds rolled off his tongue and the deep resonance of his voice was soothing. She knew in that instant that she could save him. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to live. He was fighting with himself, and right now that was a good thing.
She was still daydreaming when the water stopped and he reached for the towel located on the wall Claire was leaning against. His hands went through her shoulders to grip the blue terrycloth hanging there. She didn’t move as he pulled the fluffy cotton to his face, buried his face in it, and then reached behind him to towel dry his hair with one muscled arm as he arched backwards, giving her a first class view of his chiseled abs, and more.
Sharon's special love is writing hot Navy SEAL stories, which have won her some contest kudos.
She writes from close personal family experience with authenticity only a family member would know. It is her way of saying thank you to the men and women who put their lives on the line so we can do all the crazy things we do everyday.
Agented, Sharon is looking for the right outlet for her work.
Blog: http://sharonhamiltonauthor.blogspot.com
Email: sharonhamilton2001@gmail.com
Sharon also writes under the pen name of Angela Love. She has two fun, erotic short stories out.
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4 comments:
Sounds exciting! Lots of conflict--I like that. Thanks for being here and good luck with your book. :)
Wonderful post! I like to start with inspiration, then continue at a steady pace.
Hi Sharon,
Angel is definitely on my TBR, since I've already enjoyed your 2 shorts. I can't wait to see one of the hot SEALs published!
Thanks, ladies. It is truly a pleasure to be here!
Cameo, it was a challenge to make sure I got enough conflict in Angel. I wanted them to have sex all the time! LOL.
Nicole, starting with inspiration is the best way to have a long career, and a successful one. We don't have to be the fastest, but we can be the most driven, and least likely to stop. It helps that we get to write such wonderful stories, too!
Thank you, Carly. Can't wait to hear how you liked Angel too. And yes, with my son coming after RWA, I'm going to pump him full of questions, or he won't get a meal!
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