“The only purpose of starting is to finish, and while the projects we do are never really finished, they must ship.” Seth Godin
When you are scared to put your book, your course or any other project out into the world, that’s how you know it’s time. Time to let go of the flaws that it will still have(every project has something that could have been done differently). Time to have faith in what you’ve created.
All your hard work – it may be awesome or it may have a ton flaws. But it’s time. Time to get your work out into the world… to hit publish.
It’s only when you choose to ship your work that you’ll be able to forge ahead to new adventures.
*Photo created with Canva
Letting Go
As I finish up the last details of this online course, I’m at the point where I’m sick of it. It’s been really long days for the last months or so, some 14 – 15 hour days, and feeling exhausted makes me want to give up. I feel like throwing in the towel and just cancelling the class. Problem is, I recognize this feeling of wanting to quit just before something goes out into the world. I had that same feeling just before I was about to hit publish on my first book and then more recently on my second book.
Problem is, if I wouldn’t have shipped my work, I would never had known how good it feels to have something I created – that I love to do and help other with – out into the world. And with the second non-fiction book, if I would have held back from publishing it, I would never have had the chance to have this moment…
So Don’t Quit
Most of the time the desire to quit means that you’re close to something great. Something unexpected and awesome that you never thought would happen to you, is about to emerge from all your hard work.
So don’t quit. Don’t give up when you’re so close to your finish line.
I know when I’m near the end I stick with working on a few more painful details that need to be fixed. I want it to be just right. I usually feel the urgency swell and I can sense the need to get this project out and to touch more people’s lives. After I review it a few more times, I tell the voices of self-doubt and procrastination to go away, and I ship.
Getting rid of voices of self-doubt and wanting to quit, is what I’ve needed to push through as I worked on this Free Video Training series(and Free Book) and as I’ve been finishing up the New Write and Publish Your First Book online course. The Free videos are available here… and if you want to learn more about writing and self-publishing, the doors open up for the course on Oct. 28th.
I’ve learned that the secret to finishing your project is pushing through fear and not quitting.
What happens after you hit publish, is not up to you. You’ve done your work. You’ve written the best book, or created the best course or other project, that you can. The next part is a little mysterious. Will this be useful and touch people, or will it flop and fail? Will you regret that you created this project, or be happy you did?
You wait… because only time will tell.
In the end, you will be happy that you put your art into the world. That you didn’t stay quiet and hold back the creativity that was in you.
Finishing something is the only way to keep getting better and to develop more courage as a creative.
So choose to push through the fear, finish your project and put your art into the world. It won’t be perfect, but it will be published. And you’ll learn a lot along the way.
What’s your secret to finishing your project? Share in the comments below.
*Photo created with Canva; 2nd photo by Lorna
