Publishing a Book: A Microcosm of Life and How to Live It
In October 2018, I had a crazy notion to write a book about wellness and apply the wisdom to my life. Six-and-a-half invigorating years later, I published The Wellness Ethic—How to Thrive in an Unpredictable World (Where Stupid Things Can Happen).
Now that the book is out in the wild, I have been reflecting on the experience of becoming a published author. How did I pull this off? Not just getting the book published—that was hard enough—but also enjoying the writing journey, despite the daily frustrations, and being fulfilled with the outcome of sharing my perfectly imperfect book with the world?
This is the wisdom that guided me throughout my publishing journey:
(1) Live Your Life On Purpose
This is my purpose in life: I exist to improve people’s lives through my spirit to serve, creativity, sense of humor, and ability to simplify the complex.
I planned to write a book that simplified wellness to make it accessible and actionable. I would use humor and creative writing to make it an engaging reading experience. Through it all, I aspired to improve people’s lives (including my own) by helping them achieve breakthroughs with their well-being. Writing a book about wellness was a vision of service that perfectly aligned to my life purpose. It had the “wow” factor.
So, I would wake up at 4:00 am on weekdays to squeeze in two hours of writing before my corporate work. Writing would dominate my weekends and vacations. That was my life for four years. Then I took a sabbatical from corporate America for two years to focus my full-time efforts on finishing The Wellness Ethic. I rewrote over and over and over again until I was fully satisfied that my writing reached its promise.
There was never a single day that I considered quitting. How could I? I was inspired and energized by my noble purpose. I felt alive, that my time on earth was well spent. I wasn’t willing to give up that wonderful feeling.
(2) Set Objectives Within Your Control
When I thought about what I wanted to achieve with The Wellness Ethic, I was very intentional not to make it about book sales. I can’t control how many copies I sell. I can dream about it, but I won’t put my happiness in the hands of fate. What I could control was to write a book that:
Fully reflected my talent and potential as a writer
Provided a roadmap for wellness that I applied to my own life
Created a legacy for my children so they could tap into my wisdom long after I was gone
Checked off one of the most important dreams on my bucket list: publish a book and have the satisfaction of placing it on my bookshelf
Those became my objectives, and I achieved all of them because they were in my control. As far as book sales are concerned, who knows? Becoming a bestselling author would be nice, but it’s not required for me to be satisfied. I made sure of that.
(3) Take Life One Step at a Time
When I look back at what it took to publish The Wellness Ethic, I’m blown away. I edited every sentence in the 380-page book at least a hundred times. I’m not exaggerating. My brain became mush in the process.
Then I think about all of the research, developing wellness models to simplify the concepts, crafting engaging stories, infusing humor, nurturing my writing voice, and partnering with over a dozen professionals to bring this book to life. It was the most challenging undertaking of fifty-six years on this planet.
Looking back, it’s overwhelming to think about what it took to publish The Wellness Ethic. But, while I was writing my book, it wasn’t intimidating because I took it step by step. I focused on the task at hand, got it done, and then tackled the next challenge. Before I knew it, I finished a chapter, and then another one. Then, I had a first draft of the book. And a second. A third. Step by step as I marched to publication.
(4) Excuses Lead to Unfulfilled Dreams
I encountered obstacles every step of my journey that could have derailed my dream. I needed to develop as a writer to take my writing to the professional level. My muse regularly abandoned me. Some experts I hired fell short of my expectations. Corporate America was stubborn about monopolizing my time.
I overcame those obstacles because I viewed myself as ultimately accountable for my dream. I took responsibility for every aspect of my book project. I had to find a way to raise the bar to meet my standards. If an expert fell short, I would close the gap myself or hire another expert. If my own skills were lacking, I would apply my growth mindset and put in the work to improve. I would do whatever was required. No excuses.
The gap between dreaming and doing is filled with excuses.
(5) Never Compromise Your Authenticity
When you read The Wellness Ethic, be prepared for a lot of humor and storytelling. I had a blast with creative writing. Also expect vulnerability. I screwed up many times in my life, and I lay that bare in the book so we can both learn from my failings. Above all else, expect truth. Truth about life.
When I decided to write The Wellness Ethic, I vowed to be authentic to myself and my readers. If that translated to critical success, that would be a bonus. But I refused to compromise authenticity to try to appeal to the masses. The way I looked at it, acceptance by others holds no currency if I don’t accept myself.
(6) You Have Unlimited Potential
I wrote The Wellness Ethic, all 380 pages, despite having never written anything longer than a 12-page paper in college. When I started, my writing wasn’t at the professional level. I struggled with basic grammar. Sometimes I labored for hours trying to find an articulate way to express a single sentence.
I also never published a book before. I had no idea how that worked. I had no contacts in the publishing industry, so I didn’t know who to go to for editing, proofreading, and other support I would need.
I was starting at ground zero when I decided to write and publish a book. But I figured it out. I elevated my game. I found ways to close the gaps. And before long, I realized I can do this. I can write at a professional level. I can learn how to publish a book.
If I can write The Wellness Ethic, I am confident you can do practically whatever you set your mind to. You just need a growth mindset. You need to put in the work. You need to seek help. You need to be resilient and resourceful. You need to move forward.
(7) Life Success Is a Team Sport
To publish The Wellness Ethic, I partnered with three editors, an illustrator, eight subject matter experts, fourteen beta readers, three proofreaders, two videographers, and a self-publishing company.
Each person who touched this project contributed in a meaningful way to the final result. The Wellness Ethic would not have been possible without that support. I am very grateful.
When I look back on The Wellness Ethic experience, it is a microcosm of life and how to live it. The lessons learned revealed universal wisdom that can help you thrive in an unpredictable world (where stupid things can happen).
