Day Twenty-Four: Believe in your Ability to Write your Book #BYBin30

photography by Robert FyfeDon't let self-doubt keep you from writing your book.

This post might seem like one better suited to earlier in the month (or earlier in the book), but I know from experience that the further along you get in writing your book the stronger that critical inner voice can become, telling you that you aren't good enough, that you'll never make it as a writer, that you are fooling yourself if you think you can write a book. But to think this way, you are neglecting your dreams. If you feel the pull to write and act on it by actually writing, then you are already a writer, whether you are published or not. The only thing that will ensure your failure is if you decide not to write. You are the one with the power to make your dream of writing a book into a reality.

You need to reject the idea of being powerless about making changes in your life. You have dreams and you are the one who has the say in whether or not you can make those dreams a reality. If you dream of writing a successful book, don't ever believe that it is impossible; you can do it.

Get rid of any thinking that begins with, “I wish...”, “I can’t...”, and “If only...” and replace it with positive phrases such as “I will...”, “I can...”, and “I am...” By speaking and thinking in negatives, you are, in fact, ignoring any power you have over your own situation. In not even considering the chance that you have the power to change things, you are making yourself helpless. But you are the one with the power to reach for your dream. You are the only person who can write YOUR book.

What is it you want from life? Is it to write the next blockbuster novel? Nothing is out of your reach! What do you dream about doing? Tell yourself that you are going to do it! Wouldn’t it be great to empower yourself? Wouldn’t it be great to feel strong and capable and in control of where your life is heading? Wouldn’t it be great not just to have the courage to dream but to have the courage to grab for those dreams too? The only things that stand in the way of your dreams becoming a reality are the limits you place on yourself. And you can remove those limits with nothing more than a thought!

The first step is to have the courage to dream. Make a list of the things that you really want in life. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Write it down! Think about why you want to be a writer. How do you see your life changing once your book is published? What are your reasons for wanting to write this particular book? Who do you want to reach with your book? Is this book your only dream or do you dream of writing more than just this one book?

The second step is to believe that you are capable of achieving that dream. Sounds simple, right? The good news is that it really is that simple. Believe in yourself. Believe in your abilities. Tell yourself you are strong, capable and even fearless if the need arises. You can do this. You will do this. You will make your dreams come true. Get rid of that negative little voice in your head that whispers to you that you can’t do it, you’re not strong enough, it’s too hard and all of the other negative words. Just ignore it. You know, deep down, that you can achieve your dreams, so follow that deeper inner voice and believe in yourself.

The third and final step is to decide what steps you need to do to achieve your dreams, to write your book, and then take those steps. If you’re dreaming of becoming a novelist, then you need to start writing. You need to set aside time every day to write. Maybe you need to fine tune some of your writing skills so taking a class would help. For whatever your dream is, you need to start working in the direction of making that dream a reality. Stop defeating yourself with negative thoughts and empower yourself, not just with positive thinking but with your actions.