I wish I was a quitter...

I walked out of my office into the room where my husband was and said, “I WISH I was a quitter. I just want to quit. Really. I just wish I could quit.” He looked at me with the eyes of someone who deeply knows me and asked me what was going on. I told him I was writing my book and struggling. (Oh yea, spoiler alert, I’m writing my FIRST book.) I shared how I didn’t know if I could do this because I am feeling overwhelmed and “who the hell was going to read this book anyways?!”

My husband is a published author and speaker so he has some expertise in this area. More importantly, he is my soulmate and knows how best to respond to me. He helped me review my approach and checked-in on my “PERFECTION” default mode. Yep, that’s where I was attached. I was trying to make it a “one-and-done” process and had put a ton of EXPECTATIONS and PRESSURE on myself. (Anyone else on a book writing journey experiencing this?) I expected myself to write the book in the order of the chapters I had listed. Instead, he told me to follow my heart and go where it led me in the book.

Ahhhh, there it is. Follow my heart. This book means so much to me and if I’m going to write it for myself and others then it definitely needs to come from a place of alignment. When I am ONLY in my head; I generate a LONG tactical list and expect myself to get things done in a certain way and with perfection. There’s nothing wrong with strategy, but if we leave out our HEART; where is the value?

So, I have now put my UNSTOPPABLE tools and support in place to help me keep going. I have friends and family supporting my book journey and holding me accountable. I have a reminder on my phone that “I am enough.” I have a visual affirmation clip I made for myself that inspires and motivates me. I have my letter of courage. I walk away and take a break when I need to and I acknowledge that I have GRIT. You might be wondering why I have so many tools and support in place. It's what I need. This is my BIG rock to climb!

When you are working towards something that is big and has deep meaning for you; what do you put in place to keep going? How do you protect yourself from quitting? How do you become unstoppable? A big part of is your tools and the attitude of grit. The dictionary defines grit* as a noun, “firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck”

For me, I use GRIT as an acronym. Here’s how I define it for me:

• Grounded and centered in who I came here to be,
• Resilient in my mindset
• Innovative in my approach, and
• Tenaciously committed to my dreams

There are days that you’re going to want to quit. I get it. I’ve visited that spot many times over the last month. Make a list of things that will help you “click” back into the work and focus to keep going. Then surround yourself with your customized support so you can reach your summit.

“Grit is the stubborn refusal to quit.” – Anonymous

Put your unstoppable gear on, gather your support, and stay focused on your climb!

Janet

(*https://www.dictionary.com/browse/grit)