The language of good book writing habits starts with eliminating limiting language and replacing it with a single empowering word.
“You have as many options as you give yourself.”
Kasie West
Are you putting limits on yourself through the language you use, whether out loud or in your head?
Reality check – you probably are. We all are. It’s one of the unfortunate side effects of being humans, partially governed by lizard brains that haven’t been our primary operating systems for a long time. Yet our silly brains automatically generate fearful messages designed to protect us and keep us alive, not realizing that the messages they’re transmitting are like, draft 1.0, and we’re on draft 200.0.
Today let’s look at two specific examples of self limiting language that could be holding you back from reaching those “maybe someday” goals you’ve been carrying around with you – like writing that book you can’t stop thinking about and building good book writing habits in the process.
#1: “But” (ruling out available options in life)
“I really want to write a book but I don’t have enough time.”
#2: “If/then” (placing conditions on your available options)
“If I didn’t have a day job [etc.] then I could write my novel.”
How is this type of language serving your life and goals so far?
Where are these words – if, then, but – showing up in your writing goals? Where are they showing up in other areas of your life where you find yourself blocking or placing conditions on all that is available to you?
“If X happens, then I can do what I really want….”
And a Rewrite…
Imagine what might happen if you replaced your limiting language with one simple 3 letter word – AND.
“I really want to write a book and I’m committed to finding the time in my schedule to do it, even if it means moving some lesser priorities off my schedule.”
“I have a day job and I also have an hour in the evenings available to work on my novel.”
If it can happen in quantum physics*, if a particle can exist in more than one place or time, if it can be here and there at the SAME time – maybe it can apply to our everyday lives too.
How can we use and to break out of our but and if/then conditions we’re using to limit our lives? But & if/then cut off options, pathways, and potential. And opens our lives up to the potential of magic.
As authors, don’t we need all the magic we can conjure?
PS: “Yes, Christine, I want to learn how to build the good book writing habits needed to write and finish writing my book – but where do I start???” Let’s chat about how my author coaching program does exactly that!
Related Stories:
A Self Awareness Strategy for Authors
Best Time to Write Your Book – Now or Next Year?
*Apologies to individuals with actual deep knowledge in this area for my massively oversimplified and probably comical analogy.
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