The Reality of Becoming a Two-Time Author

People often assume that writing comes naturally to me. After all, I’ve authored two books, and write a weekly blog so I must be brimming with confidence, right? 

In reality, writing has never been easy for me, and when my books go to market, I feel anything but invincible. The truth is, my journey as an author isn’t defined by inherent confidence or effortless creativity. It’s defined by one thing: making empowered choices.

One of the key lessons from my book, You Always Have a Choice, is that life is a series of choices—big or small.

The idea that we are in control of our choices, even when it feels like we aren’t, is what keeps me moving forward as a writer.

 Writing a book is filled with moments of doubt, moments where the words won’t come, and moments where imposter syndrome creeps in. What drives me to keep going is the conscious choice to commit to producing the best possible work, regardless of those doubts.

Empowered Choices Over Confidence

The idea that confidence comes first before you can achieve anything significant is one of the greatest myths. Confidence often doesn’t arrive until much later in the process, if it ever does. In Busy?, I talked about the illusion of control that busyness creates and how we can easily confuse being busy with being productive. When it comes to writing—or any creative process—it’s not about being "ready" or feeling perfectly confident. It’s about making the empowered choice to start, to commit, and to move forward regardless of the noise.

Surround Yourself with the Right Support

One of the most powerful choices I make during the writing process is to surround myself with people who inspire and support me. In You Always Have a Choice and Busy?, I emphasise the importance of choosing who you surround yourself with, as they shape your mindset and influence your progress. Writing isn’t a solo effort, and I’ve learned the hard way that having the right people around me is essential. I engage with mentors, editors, and peers who challenge me, provide valuable feedback, and keep me on track when doubt starts to creep in.

If you’re thinking about writing a book or tackling any type of project, ask yourself: Who is in your corner? Are they pushing you to grow, or are they feeding your insecurities? The people you choose to keep close have the power to elevate you or hold you back. Choose wisely.

Focus on the Process, Not the End Result

In both You Always Have a Choice and Busy?, I explore the concept of focusing on the journey rather than the destination. When you write a book, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by thoughts of how it will be received, what people will think, and whether it will be successful. These thoughts can paralyse you if you let them. Instead, I choose to focus on the process (with a lot of help from my book coach Kath Walters 📚 !)—the day-to-day work of writing, editing, and improving my craft.

I commit to showing up every day, no matter how small the progress seems. This approach allows me to break down what could feel like an overwhelming task into manageable steps. It’s not about doing it all perfectly—it’s about doing it consistently.

Overcoming the Fear of Judgment

One of the most difficult parts of putting a book out into the world is the fear of judgment.

In Busy?, I touched on the idea that many of us stay busy to avoid confronting our deeper fears—fear of failure, fear of judgment, and fear of not being good enough.

When I release a book, these fears inevitably show up. But rather than letting them control me, I choose to acknowledge them and keep going anyway. And I totally understand, it's not as easy as it sounds!

Writing isn’t about being fearless. It’s about understanding that fear is part of the process and making the empowered choice to move through it. If I let the fear of what people might think dictate my actions, I’d never get anything done.

The Power of Choice in Every Step

Ultimately, being an author isn’t about confidence—it’s about making empowered choices at every step of the way. From the decision to start writing to the commitment to finish, and even the decision to face criticism with grace, writing is an exercise in self-leadership. 

As I say in You Always Have a Choice, life is full of unexpected turns and challenges, but you always have control over how you respond.

The same goes for writing. The act of putting your words into the world is an ongoing practice of embracing choice and showing up for yourself.

If you’ve been holding off on writing; whether it be posting on LinkedIn, starting a blog, writing a book, because you’re waiting for confidence to show up, I challenge you to change your approach.

 Don’t wait for the perfect moment or the perfect mindset. Make the empowered choice to start, surround yourself with the right support, and commit to the process. The rest will fall into place.

I swore after Busy? that I would never write another book. I feel the same after You Always Have a Choice. Never say never I suppose! 😉

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If you are holding yourself back from achieving a goal, reach out and let's have a chat. Sometimes that's all you need to move forward.