The 2 Step Formula for Inspired Writing

Your book could really make an impact and serve the world. Imagine that. Think about the readers you want to reach and the difference you want to make.

Now all you have to do is write it. That´s all.

Forgive the sarcasm, I only mean it playfully. Over and over, people come to me with a great deal of inspiration, but the plan, the structure, the execution… all of that gets a little blurry.

If you have an idea for a book that lights you up inside, trust me, you have everything you need to put it into the world. However, you need to convert it from a vague idea into a real vision with true clarity.

Little-known fact that there are two kinds of clarity. There’s regular clarity, which I refer to simply as “clarity,” and it consists of writing down a goal and hanging it up somewhere you can see it. Done. Nice work. But that’s only the beginning. The other kind of clarity is called “nerd clarity” and it’s exclusively for those who aren’t satisfied with daydreaming and actually want to make things happen. I talk more about this in my book, The Meaning Method.

We can stumble around with an idea in our head for ages and not get anything done, or we can try and force ourselves to write write write with all the discipline in the world, and come out of the experience blocked or burned out.

Neither of these work.

That´s where Nerd Clarity comes in. Think about it. Nerds get the best of both words, curiosity, inspiration to the point of obsession and lots and lots of action. Nerds can see things the rest of us don´t see (I know this because I’ve always been one). They can get lost in their imagination to the point where they really feel and believe what’s possible. This is timeless wisdom.

Nerd clarity comes about when you really engage your power of visualization and follow it up with inspired action. I’m going to give you the formula here.

First, you’ve got to feel it to seal it. Visualization teaches your brain how to reach your goal in a way that planning can’t do on its own. This is a nice wind-down activity before you go to bed.

Sit with a straight spine, relax your shoulders, let your tongue float in your mouth, and take some slow cleansing breaths. You want to send a signal to your body that you’re not running around anymore and you’re ready to go deep. Below are a series of questions working from the big picture, down to the objectives you need to accomplish this week. Don’t answer them verbally but close your eyes and allow your brain to bring up images and emotions. Open your eyes only to read each question and try to stay relaxed.

• How will you feel when you finish this project and put it out into the world?

• How will you celebrate?

• What do you enjoy most about the process of reaching that goal?

• What needs to happen this week to meet that goal?

• How and when are you going to do it?

• What will be the rewards of taking those actions?

Get lost in the vision for three to five minutes.

When you come out of your reverie, you’ll be far more able to scribble down some concrete actions. If you plan out actions and get into motion, you're better able to spot opportunities that come your way. Sometimes we blur our dreams in order to protect ourselves from accountability, and as a result we protect ourselves from getting what we really want. Even if you’re not a planner, dig in and do it anyway, because it’s usually those that show the most resistance who end up reaping the most benefits.

Just take this process step by step, one day at a time. The more you practice, the better you get and pretty soon, you´ll notice the world around you is drastically changing.