A Mini Guide
Hi everyone,
In
addition to the main book, I have added a short guide to help
folks who will later try to turn their project into a book. These pointers from my
experience of how to do that.
Yet speaking of turning experiences into actionable reading material, I
believe the challenge of doing that, packaging it all for someone
else, is a great experience everyone should try at least once.
Here's a sample out of that guide.
Personally, I love projects for their ‘seasonal’ nature — you start them, create something out of it (value), and then sit back and consider what the next one will be. That opportunity it provides to finish and take a breather is crucial, and I value it greatly.
Why? Even God himself rested a bit after His work, and also designed days to have nights when we all turn in for a rest and wake to a new day. Projects are like days — we finish them, rest up, and wake up to a new or related one, with a renewed energy and with time taken to collect the lessons of the past one and apply them to the upcoming one. I am not one for the forever project — without an end, draining you of all creativity, and leaving no room for reflection.
Towards the end of last year, I was in the middle of a difficult time, working a job I didn’t like. It took a toll on me, and made me think long and hard about how to create a change. I sat down and collected my thoughts on what I liked, loved, and could do, and put it all together. Out of this gathering, I created a 21-Day project of venturing out there to see how I could be useful to small business owners in my community.
After a few considerations, I decided to simply have conversations with them. Initially, I was hoping it could turn into some sort of side gig where I will be able to solve a few problems for small business owners for a fee, and possibly grow from there. But after a few considerations, I decided to hear their stories instead, sort of a long term thinking approach to create relationships instead of a one and done deal, or a touch and go thing.
This led a to a number of interviews with some of the finest small businesses in the city of Austin, Texas. Also, I came away with and gained greater insight into some essential skills in blogging, writing, communication skills, and dealing with people in general.
After the project, I realized what a useful project it is to challenge myself and step into the unknown, while using my skills. In that spirit, I decided to share it. Why? This happened in my local community, and realizing there are local communities everywhere, and so the opportunity for others to do something similar is all over, I decided to package it all into an actionable guide/book that shares my story and teaches at the same time.
First thing to think about is this: The earth is full of value, or things that are useful. Whatever good thing that you set out to do, it always leads you to take on challenges, and in taking on challenges, you figure out how to do something that probably has never been done, been done by a few people, or has never been done the way you did it, or intend to do it. That’s value.
So how you see something, and how you do it, how it helps you solve a problem, and how well you solve it are all unique forms of value. Value in the end is perspective.
But like all things, they are never as bad as they first seem. With thought, planning, and with a one thing at a time approach, you’ll see it coming together. Do the first thing, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and then the sixth, and you’ll see your courage growing to match the task. And with a rise in courage, an elephant could soon become a fly. But you have to start first.
For example, let’s say you are done with your project, and want to package it all, and you sit down to start. You could start with the end in mind: The book. Okay with that, let’s start with the first thing you did to work on your project, write that down. How did you end it, or what did you achieve? Write it down. What happened and what did you learn? Write those down, too.
With those 3 you have the basic pieces of any journey: A beginning, what happened along the journey, and how you got to your destination. Same way with a book — An introduction, a body, and conclusion. This is the same 3 things in life itself — birth, life’s work, and value created. The great 3.
Now, with this start, the elephant is now laid on a table, the butchers table, and ready to be sliced into various pieces. These very pieces are what we are going to eat one bite at a time to finish this elephant and give birth to the book. Now, we have perspective, right? Good.
As the saying goes, “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” — Marie Curie.
Now, what’s a book, really? Okay, a book is a written material that contains chapters that express thoughts on different things or recounts an experience, fiction or non-fiction. Now, what are chapters? You probably know chapters are most simply one, two, or three short essays that breakdown an idea. So they are short essays, right? Okay, what, then, are essays if not short 3, 4, 5, or 6 paragraphs that make a point or flesh out an idea? And on and on, till you realize that it all starts with a single letter, an a, b, c…
This is what writing is, at heart. A few letters become a word; words are strung together to make single statement. A group of words become a paragraph expressing more on an idea. Like this one you are reading. And then paragraphs become essays, and then put together into chapters. The book is on the way.
How do you build a skyscraper, if not a brick at a time? Got it, right?(Note: This is not to belittle the art of writing, but I write it with the understanding that anyone who has finished a worthwhile project or thinking of starting one has a decent writing ability, or a fair understanding of what makes up a book.)
No. Have you seen those books that are written by the author and someone else? No, not the one that both authors wrote together, like co-writers. But the one that says, By Mary Beth with John Grisham — meaning Mary Beth worked with or hired John Grisham to put the whole thing into written words. Yeah, that one. There you go: There’s almost a way around the mountain, and the value of your project should live on.)
Also, for personal reasons, it’s good for that nostalgic feeling we all have when we look through our personal journal or diaries after a few years and realize how far we have come or have grown. That look-back often leaves most people with tears, and surely that good smile and head-shake that says how thankful we are for what we did, went through, what we overcame, or what we learned. Whatever is not recorded is almost surely lost.
Sure, a book is not a diary, but it’s a way not only to share with others, but the day may come when you may sit and pick up your own book a few years later and see what you wrote. Also, if your book is published and distributed, there’s no way it will be lost — even if a storm comes through your town, pulls up trees, washes away homes, takes people’s belongings with it, and damages your one and only personal manuscript or laptop that has your book file.
Yes, we all have something to say, but have limited hours in a day, and can only speak for so long.
This is where a book comes in — It can speak and go where you cannot, it takes over and carries your message when your limits come into play. This is exactly what I talk about in the book itself, when I talk about Warren Buffett’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal.
This ultimately led to a mentor-ship and friendship that Warren Buffet credits much of his understanding of value investing. What does all of this mean, the principles of value investing in a book is what has contributed to the making of one of the smartest investors on earth.
I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen to you, but there’s a chance a book you write will connect you to some important people that could help you and you them.
What’s fear, doubt, and uncertainty’s great nemesis? Knowledge. While an interview may be a good way to present your abilities, it’s too strict and formal a process that may not reveal much about who you really are. Neither can a written resume, which has space for only a few things, and often is only one page.
Folks looking to hire are above all interested in your thinking process, how you approach problems, how you present things, and your communication skills. And writing a book on your project shows all that without you having to say a word. It’s all in there in the book.
A diligent recruiter will take a few days, and quietly go through your book and find out what you really know about the topic, how you approach problem solving, and how you communicate in teaching through words.
So in that case, while you are asleep, your book is talking.
Also, projects have stories in them, besides just technical how-tos. How? Every project that involves people definitely has a story. We are all walking stories, and whatever we set out to accomplish automatically sets a story in motion.
A book is simply a gathering of that content into a single manuscript.
- After
the project: Write all about it in after the project. This can be
done through a writing project of 14 days, 21 days, or 30 days after
the project is done. This is what I call the pour down.
So in the same way, at this stage, just pour your thoughts on to a page. Don’t even think about editing, just pour out. Don’t let perfectionism get in the way. There’s a a reason we say “ I will improve upon it,” but you can’t improve upon nothing. So get something onto the paper. Write with your pen, pencil, or simply punch the keys.
Afterwards you can correct it all, but now just unload. Don’t even think about the final reader. You have a vague idea in your head, and just work with that. All things evolve, and so are books, they evolve, and as you work on it, you’ll come up with ways to add to it.
