(Photo Credit: Amazon.com)
Writing a book is tough and it can take a really long time. Publishing a book can also be hard and take a long time if you have no idea where to start. That was me a year ago. I had the workbook done and people interested in buying it if it were made into a full length book but I had no clue where to start.
I knew having a published book would change my business for the better and that was certainly a change I wanted so I started doing research. Yikes! There’s so much information and so many different methods of achieving the goal of having a published book. I felt overwhelmed and discouraged by the sheer amount of information I’d found. So I did what I always do when I get so overwhelmed that my brain gears lock up: I went for a run.
Running somehow opens up my mind to thoughts that are lingering in the background noise of daily life routine. Several thoughts came to me but one stood out and I brought it to the front of my mind for closer examination. “Who in your network has written a book that you could talk to?” was the question I heard being replayed in my mind.
Of course!!!! My network is my greatest resource in any change and it’s the same for you. I explored the list of people I knew in my mind during the remainder of my run and came up with four people I knew who’d written books recently. I reached out to all of them to get more insight and ultimately decided to walk the same publishing path my former colleague, Ty, had walked when he wrote his book 23 Miles & Running.
A whole chapter of All About Change is dedicated to networking because it really is your biggest resource as you make life changes of all sizes. Here is a brief excerpt from that chapter:
You are networking whenever you are meeting people, therefore every person you have met is part of your network. Bonus points if you have remained in contact with these people in some way because those are the people you will draw from as you harness your change. Your network is your greatest resource!
It isn't just about staying in touch, though. It's about how you stay in touch and how often. What mediums are you using to actively connect with key players in your network? How often are you reaching them? Being active in staying connected to those in your network is so important. It’s not enough to have people as just a connection on LinkedIn or Facebook. You have to keep that relationship going. As you examine your network, make note of which connections you need to reestablish. Set dates, times, and locations for these re-connections. Treat them the same way you treat goal setting. Making them SMART (remember the acronym from chapter six? Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Bound) will ensure you do actually reconnect.
A common misconception about networking is it’s cheating, asking for favors, or somehow disingenuous. Quiet that voice, if it is in your mind, because it is not right. If that voice is in your head telling you networking is like haggling with your neighbor at a yard sale over the price of some vintage Tupperware, then odds are that voice comes from an experience where someone “networked” with you and used you. Networking done right is creating authentic connections that are mutually beneficial.
In this article series, I share excerpts, insights and stories from my book, All About Change: How to Successfully Make Personal Life Changes. I hope you enjoyed this post — if you enjoyed it and want to connect you can reach me here via email sarah@inwiththenewyou.com or connect with me on social: Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. Also, you can also find my book on Amazon — here is the link to buy it: Amazon Kindle