Most book ideas never grow into a manuscript, and most bloggers slowly lose interest. Writing is one of the most meaningful things you can do with your time, but one of the hardest to start…and continue.
This is an ideal moment in time to start writing. In fact, I think the timing has never been better. Here’s why…
People need your thoughts. People are searching for practical ideas right now more than ever. New possibilities for our lives and careers have skyrocketed. We need purposeful and experienced thought leaders to help us navigate these layers of choices.
Your idea will slip away. Writing ideas disappear into oblivion unless they’re wrestled to the ground. People often come to me with great ideas, they just need to be developed. Passion for writing will ebb and flow. Cultivate a writing routine or you’ll quit. I promise.
Share-ability is insane right now. For good or for ill, every idea has the ability to go viral. One teeny blog post can be shared thousands of times and get picked up by the New York Times. Social media has created a sharing monster where remarkable (Seth’s Godin’s definition; something you simply have to remark about) content is exploding. Self publishing has become a viable option and Ebook PDFs are delivering tangible value.
Writing helps you lead and live well. The adage “the unexamined life is not worth living” has never been more true. Our world is scattered. Writing helps leaders slow down to examine thoughts and actions. That narrowing leads to focus, sometimes breakthrough. Writing is what Stephen Covey calls “important, but not urgent”. It won’t bark at you like emails, meetings or work projects do, but it’s crucial to your development.
The idea economy is rich. People are hungry for ideas. Recent explosions of podcasting, online courses and poetry are just a few indicators. We no longer look to magazines and networks to curate and package ideas for us; we do it ourselves. We now create channels to consume content, which has produced entrepreneurial learners hunting for life-altering ideas.
It multiplies your time. People are desperate for time management solutions and productivity tips, but we actually need to seek ways to multiply our time. Capturing thoughts and sharing them can impact people across the globe in less time than explaining them to a coworker. Writers shape people without having to get on a plane and meet with them.
I will go beyond the WHY of writing and develop the HOW in the coming months. If you want to kickstart your writing I’ve developed A Busy Bum’s Blueprint for Writing; a process for taking the leap.