How to Find a Meaningful Life through Writing a Book
“I had no idea how much a book changes and shapes your business overall. The clarity that writing the book has given to my own business and what my message is and who I want to serve and who I want to help is just phenomenal.” —Teresa McCloy
In this time of hustle, sometimes it takes certain events to show us that we need to slow down and focus on what is really important. In Teresa McCloy’s life, it was her son’s drug addiction and death and her own workaholic addiction that forced her to reevaluate her life and how she was living it. She now intentionally lives a deeper and more meaningful life, slowing down and learning new behaviors.
In this episode of “Authors Who Lead,” I talk with Teresa about the inspiration and desire to change her life and her journey in writing her book, “Do What Matters: Live from Rest, Not Rush, Using the REALIFE Process.”
We Need to Slow Down
As Teresa shows us with her story, it isn’t healthy to live like our “hair is on fire.” Driving ourselves past exhaustion both mentally and physically isn’t healthy or enough of a reason to achieve success, especially when traumatic events happen in our lives.
A lot of us are taught that accomplishments are what we need for validation. But when something happens in life and we are barely surviving, let alone succeeding at something, that is a sign that we need to slow down and figure out what’s really important. We need to ask ourselves questions such as: What is necessary right now? What really is meaningful in our life? How much space do I really need?
Easier Said Than Done
Once we are at the point in our lives where we’ve figured out that we need to slow down, it can be a lot harder to do. Our body and mind benefit from slowing down, but it won’t happen overnight. Teresa shares with us three ways that she has found success in slowing down while still succeeding in life and business.
First, we need to learn new behaviors, rhythms, and routines. Sometimes it doesn’t feel natural to do these things. This leads to the second step where we need to practice them. When we do something new and healthy over and over again it will eventually feel comfortable. Third, we need to stop doing some things. These may be things you actually enjoy but that keep you busy or at full speed, wearing you out. Teresa is an inspiring example that we can still be successful and productive even though we are slowing down and learning new behaviors.
In this podcast, Teresa also shares with us:
- It’s not wrong to be driven to success; you just need internal healthy motivations, not external motivations
- Why “living with our hair on fire” is not a healthy form of productivity
- How community can benefit all entrepreneurs
- How she took her processes and systems and put them in book form
- That having a book coach and community can help you write your book
- How she decided how much of her personal story to include in her book
What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Are you an entrepreneur thinking about writing a book? Share in the comments below!
That’s all for this week. If you have a message inside of you that needs to be written, today is the day to start. Don’t delay—take action.
Episode Resource:
Connect with Teresa here:
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Get a copy of Teresa’s book here:
Do What Matters: Live From Rest, Not Rush, Using The REALIFE Process
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