
wow. These last four months have been such a whirlwind--an unbelievably overwhelming process of publishing with endless lists and emails; starting my own "limited liability company", obtaining a federal tax ID number, buying barcodes and ISBN's, and registering my copyright. I've been working with copyeditors and graphic designers while editing my book, working on my website, editing my book and then editing some more. Get up early and work, then go to work, then go home in the evening with a take-out dinner and go back to work until I fall asleep on my over-worked and over-heated computer.
I suppose I knew it was coming, and I've tackled the lists and the to-do's the way I knew I would...but I lost myself a bit in the process. I became exhausted and found myself looking at the obligations and lists with resentment. Publishing a book is a full-time job. It can take over your entire life and since I've never done it before, it became overwhelming to a point where I considered giving up.
So, when you're tackling your dream and find yourself overwhelmed, what do you do? What did I do?
I suppose I knew it was coming, and I've tackled the lists and the to-do's the way I knew I would...but I lost myself a bit in the process. I became exhausted and found myself looking at the obligations and lists with resentment. Publishing a book is a full-time job. It can take over your entire life and since I've never done it before, it became overwhelming to a point where I considered giving up.
So, when you're tackling your dream and find yourself overwhelmed, what do you do? What did I do?
I took a deep breath and remembered why I am here--what it was that brought me here in the first place. Passion. Love. All those months, all those years, carrying this dream and keeping it alive when I had no idea what would ever become of it. But I believed in the words, I believed in the story--I still do, with all my heart. I've been telling loved ones I don't care if anything becomes of it, because I followed my passion and wrote a book I can be proud of.
That's all that matters.
I'm at the end of this four-year journey, and I did it. I made it. And in just six short weeks (March 31st), a whole new adventure will begin and life will change all over again. How exciting. And terrifying. Just like everything else, I'll keep figuring it out and I won't give up, even when times get tough.
I came across this YouTube video on Twitter, and I must re-post it. I'm passing it on as inspiration to the artists out there, the go-getters, the fighters and the dreamers. Hold on, keep kicking, and one day in the not-so-distant future, you may look back and be glad you did.
That's all that matters.
I'm at the end of this four-year journey, and I did it. I made it. And in just six short weeks (March 31st), a whole new adventure will begin and life will change all over again. How exciting. And terrifying. Just like everything else, I'll keep figuring it out and I won't give up, even when times get tough.
I came across this YouTube video on Twitter, and I must re-post it. I'm passing it on as inspiration to the artists out there, the go-getters, the fighters and the dreamers. Hold on, keep kicking, and one day in the not-so-distant future, you may look back and be glad you did.