I was walking around an indoor track. This wasn’t a normal track, but rather, a 1/16th mile track on the top level of an LA Fitness in Chicago. I had my headphones in and was listening to this guy, Chandler Bolt, talk about how writing and publishing a book changed his life. BS I thought, this guy is just trying to sell something. I listened for a bit longer, but ultimately turned it off.
When you walk around a 1/16th mile track, it becomes even more monotonous than a regular track. You see the same sights 4 times as often, you turn the corner 4 times as fast, yet it feels like time is actually moving 4 times slower. On this day in 2016, as I circled the track and passed by the stretching area, Chandler Bolt’s voice popped into my head 4 times more than it should have.
“Writing a book changed my life.” I tried to shake it off for the remainder of the lap, but as soon as I passed that stretching area, it wiggled its way back in. “Writing a book changed my life.” On my mile walk, having passed that stretching area 16 times, the phrase was cemented in my thoughts. “Writing a book changed my life.”
I began to write, read, review, and revisit whatever I was creating for the next 2 years. I was building Getting COMFY: Your Morning Guide to Daily Happiness, and the physical product would be the end result, but something much more profound was going on.
It was the unthinkable.
My mindset started to change; my daily habits started to change; my life started to change, just like Chandler had said.
I can’t fully explain how exactly it was changing, or what exactly changed, but there are 3 noticeable, gut responses that stick out like babies at a business meeting.
1. You have a 100+ page resume
No matter what your next move is, no matter if this is your calling or a side gig, no matter if you don’t even have a resume or are looking to build one, writing a book gives everyone else exactly what they need to know about you. It is an outpouring of your most introspective thoughts, ideas, and experiences. Even for writing fiction, it is a representation of what makes you, you. It’s the method in which you communicate and the way that you tell a story.
People write about what they know. In some way, shape, or form, there will be a part of you in your book. Something from your childhood, something from school, something from your job will spark an idea and provide you the inspiration you need to write the next chapter.
2. You connect with EVERYBODY
This is more for the marketing and publishing side of the book writing process, but the rekindling, rebuilding, and strengthening of relationships has been absolutely life changing. It may be intimidating, but putting yourself out there gets others on your side. The support I have received has been unbelievable, and you truly cannot succeed in this process without the help of others.
3. You constantly have something to look forward to
Writing a book is going to be a conscious decision you choose to make. It’s not one somebody else will make for you, or force you to do. It is going to be challenging, and it is going to be daunting, but it is oh so rewarding. Writing a little bit each day is such a delight. It’s an uninterrupted period of time for you to express without judgment, and it feels fantastic.
This goes for the publishing and marketing process too! It is a constant adrenaline rush asking for feedback, getting reviews, and hearing from others. It’s such an exciting time, and gives you a sense of reason and purpose that is difficult to find elsewhere.
It really is an experience unlike anything I could have ever imagined.
I went on to use Chandler Bolt’s Self-Publishing School to bring this book to fruition (I highly recommend this program if you do decide to write a book).
I have since moved on to a full-sized track. My thoughts are clearer, and the time flies. And every so often, as I turn the corner or sprint the straightaway, I can hear that voice say, “Writing a book changed my life.” Except now I am in total agreement.
Getting COMFY, specifically, is a 5-step morning routine to energize the body and soothe the mind.
Getting COMFY, more broadly, is a movement based on Getting COMFY waking up in the morning, Getting COMFY in your own skin, and Getting COMFY with the rest of your life.
Call to Action
Download the eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079DX26HS
Become a part of the community at: http://getting-comfy.com/
Originally published at medium.com