Karen Nixon's Blog

To Be Coached or Not Be Coached? That is the Question.

I have just had a session with my new coach. I must admit I am impressed. 

I have wanted to write for some time but it hasn't happened. I know I help my clients and some would like my techniques in written form. I have promised to write a book explaining how it works. But I have felt blocked. I start and then get overwhelmed with all of the information I have to manage. I loose confidence in my ability to have it all make sense in an easy to read but elegant way.

I was offered an opportunity to work with a coach. I signed up even thought I was not sure how he could help me. I have had my doubts about coaching. I am sure I have been biased. I think it is necessary to do the deep emotional work to remove blocks. That is what my book is going to be about - explaining and demonstrating how to remove these emotional blocks. 

Well, of course, there are other blocks too. Ultimately it is all about knowledge, knowing what step to take next. 

I know what specific step each client needs to take next. Does that mean I have enough clarity about what I am doing to know what step I need to take next? No. Of course I don't. I am too close. I have my agendas that get in the way. I cannot do it all by myself. My dear clients are smart enough to know that and seek me out. So why wouldn't I be the same when I am tackling something that is unfamilar to me such as writing a book?

My coach has written a book, a successful book that was published is a number of languages. He knows what is needed. It is a relief to have some guidence. I just need to submit and follow his directions. I am confident it will come out well. 

He wrote my mission statement after our first interview. It was so apt, so perfectly reflecting what I wanted and so inspiring, I cried when I read it. 

I trust my coach. 

He has changed my mind about the value of having a coach. I can see after just a couple of weeks how much value it is adding and the freedom and confidence I feel. So much that I wanted to share these thoughts with you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A is for Success

Writing a book that is accepted for publication by a reputable publishing company is not easy. Many authors think it is as difficult as winning the lottery.

There are stories about the ledgendary slush pile. One can imagine it being as monumental as  Mt Fuji or Mount Rainier made up of all the rejected manuscripts and soliciting letters. Then there are the dismaying odds of getting published. Most estimates give you a chance of one in five hundred and, then, only after recieving dozens of rejection slips. But getting published isn't a lottery. It's about quality, timeliness and lots of other difficult-to-define characteristics. Here is an example I came across recently.

At a birthday party, I met Mary Groves. Mary is a sixties-something woman who lived a hard life on the land. Mary presented to the person celebrating her birthday, a signed copy of the book Mary had written and that had been recently published.

Mary told me how she managed this feat. She had lived forty years on the land. She had been neighbours with Sarah Henderson up in the Northern Territory. Her life on the land had been full of struggle and diversity and she thought she should write it down.

A critic was not impressed with her first attempt and described it as an editorial. Mary was not discouraged. She thought, "Well if I am going to do this, I better do it properly." She wrote it all again but much more personally.

Once done, she wondered what she should do to get it published. Someone suggested a bibliography of publishers. She bought one. Being of a practical bent, Mary decided to work through the book alphabetically, so she started with "a": Allen and Unwin. 

Guess who is the publisher of Mary's book with an initial run of 12,000 copies?

Allen and Unwin. They loved the book and signed her to a two-book deal.

I was curious. Mary had lived on the land and raised four children. How did she learn to write, I wondered. She explained that her father gave her good advice as a young child. Never use any more words than you need to, he said. She had faithfully followed that advice all through school and life, and especially while writing the book.

An initial print run of 12,000 is unusal for a first time author but the book is selling so well that another 12,000 are scheduled to be printed in 2012.

Mary didn't read about the slush pile. She didn't think about the miniscule chance of getting published. She is not a woman who is wracked with doubt. If she was, she would have never survived her amazing life.

If you want to read her popular book, An Outback Life, here is the link. Mary Groves' Official Site