Pointers to Publishing | Break out of that mental block

I write this article because so many persons have been writing to me saying that they want to write. They have so much to share, but they get distracted, they procrastinate and find all types of excuses as to why they haven't started yet. These are all part of the old habits keeping you in a place of no progress.

It happens to me, too. Sometimes even a simple thing like clicking on a button because I am not sure what will happen next and I am afraid that I may not be able to undo the action is all part of that fear that holds me back, but I talk to myself, and sometimes, I talk out loud. If you catch me on the street having a conversation with myself, it's ok. Feel free to say hi. I will answer you with a smile.

It doesn't matter how you may try to convince yourself that everything else is holding you back rather than facing the truth that you are holding yourself back.

It's easier to point fingers at others until you look into the mirror and face the real reason. It is hard to do this because it means having to accept responsibility for not taking action, and that's not a good feeling, and no one likes to feel bad or be made to feel bad. But here's the thing. Accept it, find the positive in it, meaning, learn what can you from it and move on.

I read somewhere that humans are the only species that beat themselves up over and over again for the mistakes they make. Even if we don't do it, we have people in our lives who constantly remind us for the rest of our lives.

How does that help you? And we do this with everything, and so we carry so much deadweight that our lives are unresponsive to the things that are supposed to bring a smile because we see nothing positive about it.

GET STARTED

If you always wanted to write a book and haven't yet, then get started today! Don't worry about what happened before, today, yesterday, or years gone by. The past is in the past. The present is what counts. What you do today can make a difference later, tomorrow, and next year!

All those things that you feel are holding you back are all in your mind. Please note: your mind is not your brain. Yes, there is a distinction, just in case you didn't know or hadn't thought about it.

"The mind is a powerful thing" and "old habits die hard". These two statements refer to the mind. While powerful, the old thoughts that keep coming back stir up trouble and find ways of using your conscious mind to prove to you otherwise when you try to do something different or make a change because the mind does not like change. It likes comfort, hence the phrase, 'comfort zone'. It's not a place to get comfortable with at all! Procrastination resides there, in the mind, in the comfort zone. It's that place that ensures that you go back to all the things that make you comfortable that are taking you nowhere! Hmm, interesting, isn't it?

So if you are to move forward, that only means you need to get uncomfortable. Not a nice suggestion. I know. It takes some practice and some serious will power and overcoming the self-talk. When people see or hear you talking to yourself, they say, "Stop doing that! You gone crazy! Only mad people talk to and answer themselves!" Well, that's what you need to do. Go mad and start talking and answering yourself more because the more you speak out loud and you hear how stupid the conversation is, the more you will soon realise that what you really need to do, which goes against the comfort zone and puts procrastination in place. Makes sense!

- Corine La Font is a speaker, coach, author, and self publishing consultant. Check out her website at http://www.helpdeskja.com and contact her at corinelaf@gmail.com.