7 Limiting Beliefs Holding You Back From Writing A Book

If it were easy, everyone would do it. I'm sure you've heard that saying before. The fact you're even thinking about writing a book puts you in the upper percentile of ambitious, high-achieving individuals. There are many complex challenges you would have already faced in life that you've come out thriving on the other side, for instance:

• If building a business was easy, everyone would do it.
• If becoming an athlete was easy, everyone would do it. 
• If being a leader was easy, everyone would do it
• If developing a chosen skill was easy, everyone would do it. 

Before you start creating your book, aside from defining your 'Why', one of the best internal processes you can do is identify the false beliefs about why you can't write a book. Instead of revelling in the doubts likely to occur later, addressing them now becomes a powerful way to navigate the book-writing process.

Limiting Belief #1. Who am I to write a book?

Imposter syndrome is rife in the publishing world. When you go into a bookstore and look at all the authors on the shelf, I would bet that 99% of those authors had the same thought when writing their first book. We all have unique perspectives, writing styles, ideas and creative ways to express our knowledge. Remember that writing a book is not just about the final product. It's a journey of growth and enjoyment and allows you to explore your thoughts and feelings in depth as you translate what's in your mind into the minds of others. Everybody has a story to tell - you just need to create your idea. 

Limiting Belief #2 - I don't have the time.

Saying 'I don't have time' is another way of telling yourself the timing isn't right. In my early twenties, I worked at a centrally located gym in the city of Perth. I found that most significant perceived barrier holding back new members was they didn't have time to exercise. The fact that they enquired about joining the gym meant they were looking for guidance and a change in lifestyle. We would work through a schedule, meaning they would exercise before work, after work or at lunchtime. They created the time for something they wanted after acknowledging their limiting belief and fear of getting started.

Writing a book is no different. Instead of telling yourself, how about you ask yourself? Rather than saying, "I don't have time", turn your thoughts into "How can I create the time?".

Limiting Belief #3 - I'm not a writer.

What makes a good writer? Is it the ability to tell stories? Maybe. Is it being able to think and type at a high speed? Perhaps. 

A good writer gets words on a page down consistently, and it all comes down to preparation. I used to fail miserably at stringing together paragraphs. Some days I'd have many ideas, struggling to get words down; others, I'd have no ideas and lose direction in my book. When I had structure to my stories and topics, there was an added ability to write continuously and often effortlessly. Before you tell yourself you're not a writer, understand that preparation makes your book shine (that and a decent editor). 

Limiting Belief #4 - I'm not ready.

This false belief is closely linked to the "I don't have time" assumption. "I'm not ready" is what we say when we haven't confronted a challenge head-on. In truth, you don't need a writing course to become ready, you don't need more time to become prepared, and you certainly don't need approval from others before you're ready to write a book. Take the first step because you'll be more prepared than you know. 

Limiting Belief #5 - What if my book is a flop?

The fear of failure stops many of us from writing a book. It's why defining your success is an essential strategy before you write. Rather than think about how many books you aim to sell, consider how a book will make a personal and professional impact. 

Limiting Belief #6 - I don't know what I would write about. 

When unsure what to write about, think about where your knowledge lies. Your topic may already be covered, which will likely be the case. But what you have to say is relevant because it's in your voice. You've already got the ideas in your head. You just need clarity. When I work with clients, I see a typical pattern, and it looks like this: they believe their idea isn't enough to create a whole book. I then teach them how to make bring clarity in their book idea. Once they discover the newfound clarity, they're excited to write and turn their vision into an asset that makes an impact. They're ready to write with confidence and conviction. Don't overthink your idea. Learn to bring out your voice in the knowledge you have.

Limiting Belief #7 - I can't afford to write and publish a book.

For most of us, money will always be a factor when writing and publishing a book. The misconception in the self-publishing industry is that you must buy hundreds of books simultaneously with the pressure of having them sit in a spare room, collecting dust. But it's not the case. Your costs are only for the production and marketing of the book. With the new Print On Demand business model, distributors like Amazon, Ingram Spark and other retailers will organise the printing and shipping to your readers. The distributor will take a small percentage and deliver your royalties every month. 

Two of the most significant investments you can make when publishing your book will be hiring an editor and finding the right cover designer. You don't have to spend several thousands of dollars to produce a high quality book.

When I coach others how to write and publish their books, I'm sure to stress the impact a book can make financially in their business as they use it as leverage to generate more sales. 

Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs

Overcoming your limiting beliefs can be challenging, but remember, there's beauty in the unknown. When you write a book for the first time, you're navigating through the weeds as you dig deeper into the trenches of book writing. I'm all about giving you the tools to write and publish your book. It's up to you to use those tools and turn an idea into something as powerful as a book.