Q: 'How is the book writing going?'

A: Well, it's going...

In April this year I took the terrifying decision to commit to writing a book - a venture I have dreamed of doing for most of my life.

Being cognisant of my excellent and carefully honed skills in self-sabotage, most notably procrastination, I knew the best way to ensure I actually wrote the book (having finally decided to do so) was to employ some assistance.

I duly signed up to an author accelerator programme with a US-based company which a dear friend of mine recently completed in order to publish her amazing book, Conscious Grief (check it out here), and committed financially to receive assistance in the form of editors and marketing support throughout the process.

I also committed to completing the whole book writing, editing and publishing process in just ONE YEAR.

Fortunately I’ve always been a better under pressure, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of person (pantser?), you know, the kind who crams last minute for exams and types the last word of an essay moments before the deadline. So in that respect, at least, the pressure has been exactly what the doctor ordered.

I’m currently 30,000 words into my first draft and have been ‘green lit’ to proceed to the next stages of editing and publishing, which I’m delighted about.

But I cannot tell you what a struggle it has been to push past imposter syndrome.

It’s been a bedfellow all my life, but the book writing process has exacerbated it ten-fold. It’s only now that I can see the finish line of my ‘messy’ first draft that I am able to start appreciating there is actually value in the content - that parts of it might even border on ‘good’ and could even achieve my goal of positively impacting mothers’ well-being.

That’s a pretty amazing feeling, and one I am clinging to as validation for taking on this project, which has not come without its sacrifices (primarily financial).

It’s hard to believe I’ve got this far in a little over three months. I know there is a LOT more work ahead of me, and that editing and revisions will likely be a greater feat than the writing has been.

But I’m too invested now to stop - too fired up about the content and the potential it has to improve mothers’ relationship with guilt and clear the path to flourishing in life and work.

I am passionate about my book topic of maternal guilt and determined to make it something that is more widely understood and talked about - because, right now, too many women are experiencing it and staying small as a result.

If you would like to know more about this project I am always happy to discuss and connect - in fact, I adore the opportunity to talk about it!

So please feel free to reach out.

Belinda x