The lizard trying to make you quit writing your book, how he operates, and how to ignore him and keep writing.
If you’re going through hell, keep going.
Winston Churchill
A quote like this seems physically counterintuitive since, as human beings, we are programmed to avoid pain, not “keep going” through discomfort. That’s why this is a mindset tip. Because mindset tips are for the most evolved, executive part of our brain. This part often runs in direct conflict with the stuff that was input into our lizard brains, a long, long time ago.
Does it seem like this clash of evolutionary instincts, to avoid discomfort vs. growing by pushing through obstacles, is a big part of daily life?
Writing, publishing, and promoting a book can feel like physical discomfort. It’s an extra thing in life. It’s beyond food, water, shelter, and safety. It’s way higher up the triangle than that. Therefore, it requires effort by the newer, executive part of the brain, the “thriving” part rather than the “surviving” part.
You intentionally activate the executive “thriving” part of your brain when you decide to do the extra life things – like writing a book.
The other parts of your brain, like the lizard trying to make you quit, are going to be of no use to you in this situation. Your lizard is busy trying to keep you alive and in doing so, it’s actively resisting the idea of writing a book. From its cute little survivalist point of view – “Who has time to write a book when you have to go out and hunt and kill dinner and then build shelter for the night???”
Getting through the book creation process means acknowledging this outdated software in your brain as a source of false messages like – you can’t do this, you’re not a writer, it’s not the right time, you have more important things to do, it’s too hard.
By the time you’re ready to publish, the lizard trying to make you quit is having an all out amphibious hissy fit. Why are you putting yourself through all this author stuff that clearly has nothing to do with food, water, shelter, or survival??
Remember this the next time you’re feeling challenged (despondent, frustrated, angry, questioning your existence and life goals) by the book writing, publishing, and promotion process.
It’s not you telling you to quit. It’s the damn lizard. Keep going.
P.S. Need help silencing the lizard and getting on with writing your book? I got you.
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Don’t Quit On Your Book – 3 Author Coaching Tips
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