Desk drawers filled with old notepads and sunscreen. A refrigerator with half-consumed drink bottles and miso soup containers. A company name on the front window. And bathroom shelves overflowing with miscellaneous office supplies, hardware pieces, and watered down cleaning supplies.

This is what my husband and his team left behind when they relocated their office 30 miles south to Manhattan. (No offense, guys!)

When I arrived to work this week, to the office I now call my own, I felt itchy. Unfocused. Squirrely. Distracted.

“Why can’t I focus?” I said out loud (to no one).

“Because all I want to do is declutter and purge.”

Ahh.

I crossed out my to-do list and spent the next two days cleaning, sorting, and purging. I scrubbed the old letters off the front window and rearranged furniture. I sprayed the surfaces with lavender cleaner, let in the Hudson River breeze, and lit a candle for good measure.

By obsessively organizing and cleaning, I was making space for my new business.

Even though I have worked in this office all along, the type of work I am doing here has changed. This practice of making space helped me connect to it in a new way. It helped me establish a presence that wasn’t there before.

It’s now the end of my first week. I’m at my desk and the words are flowing. The door is open, the fan is on, surfaces are clear. The frantic keyboard clicks from the writer across the room keep me focused.

Although my vision for how I will use all this uncluttered space is still blurry, I am ready. I can’t wait to see what magic begins to fill it.

Writing prompt

What cobwebs and gum wrappers are getting in the way of your writing?

You feel like you can’t start writing your book until you track down all the notes you’ve been collecting.
Track down the notes.

You can’t get started on your ebook until you can picture the format.
Give yourself one week to figure out the format.

Your computer constantly asks you to update its software, which you can’t do because you’re almost out of room.
Backup, purge, tune up, or upgrade. A writer doesn’t have many expenses. Your computer is worth the investment.

You’re afraid write your story because it’s nonfiction and you’re worried what the other characters involved will think.
Release that fear. Get the first draft down, privately. There will be plenty of time in future drafts to alter identities.

Release what’s holding you back or distracting you or getting in your way.

All of this non-writing related work is part of the writing.

Learn more about making space with this quietly powerful program.

New coaching packages

Whether you’re working on a book, blog series, e-program, or mini e-book, I can help you get clear on your message, work more efficiently, and bring more depth to your work.

Check out my updated, simplified packages.

When I launched this business in May, there was fear. But it was fast heart-beating giddy fear. Fun fear. Holy shit I’m really doing this fear. Adrenaline fear.

Now, four months later, there’s a different kind of fear. It’s a more solitary fear. It’s Oh no, what if this doesn’t work?  How long will it take? What if no one shows up? fear.

Not too different from being a few months into a writing project, right?

What if I don’t finish? Do I really have enough to say? This isn’t very much fun. What will my family think?  Am I even going to make any money doing this?

In Finding Your Own North Star, Martha Beck calls this stage Square Three: The Hero’s Saga.

This means you’ve already been through Square 1: Death and Rebirth and Square 2: Dreaming and Scheming. You’ve already shed the work you don’t want to do and dreamed up the work you do want to do. You’ve announced it to everyone and anyone. You’ve started living life on your new path, or with your new commitment.

And now here you are, faced with doing the work.

This will be the hardest part. There will be dark forests and fire breathing dragons. At times you will wonder if you’ll ever make it through.

This is normal. This is the good stuff. This means you are really doing it.

So together, let’s replace the fear with trust and keep each other company on our journey. Dragons and all.

(In case you are wondering, there is a Square 4 in Martha Beck’s book. It’s called The Promised Land, which you’ll get to enjoy briefly before starting all over at Square One.)

It’s a paralyzing thought: Does the world need another book? Another spiritual memoir, another business guide, another living your best life manual, another inspirational journey, another health how-to?

(And for that matter, does the world need another writing coach?)

Maybe, maybe not.

But this is not the right question to ask.

Do you have a calling? Do you know that you must write a book? Is the discomfort of not trying greater than the discomfort of the fear? Do you know there’s a tribe out there, however large or small, who will receive your words and hold them close?

Will it be a profound loss if you don’t at least try?

When I was dreaming up my book coaching business, these thoughts almost held me back. After all, aren’t there enough out of work book editors who could help authors do their best work?

I found great inspiration in these words from my coach, Hannah Marcotti:

“Find your voice, love up your tribe, dance in your purpose and it all comes together.” 

She added:

“Nobody has my voice, my style, my unique point of view. My story has brought me to this place and is unique and needs to be shared.”

“It can feel intimidating starting a blog when there are so many others clamoring for attention online, but just like any other party, all you need do is find your corner, get comfortable, and start making conversation.”