What else can you do?
In less than a month, I wrote and published my latest book, The Youth Book. I just recorded this in a video, here it is.
I had no plan on writing this book, at all. It was in a coaching session with my coaching partner Roger Fairhead that the idea was born. Roger and I are in a Coaching Partnership through The John Maxwell Team and take turns every week in coaching each other. That particular day, Friday, September 1st, it was my turn to be coached.
I told Roger I wanted to focus on how I can maximize the experience for every young person attending my free self-esteem workshops for youth during the Global Youth Initiative week, taking place the second week of October. We brainstormed ideas, Roger asked me questions and served as my thinking partner. He kept asking me “what else can you do”?
After half an hour I felt like I had really given my all, and I had a whole page full of ideas to make the workshops spectacular and even life-changing. It felt good! And I felt tired, like an idea machine that’s done more than enough for a day. I thought, please don’t ask me one more time… And then he said it:
What else can you do to optimize the experience for youth?
Nope, no, there’s nothing else I can do. I have no more ideas. That’s it. That’s really my best. I’m done! I thought… and then the idea came, just like that. The same instant I had the idea I thought “no, no Annica, don’t say that out loud”, knowing that I would not be able NOT to go ahead if I spoke the words. And what did I do? Of course, I said it out loud:
I can write a book for them. I want to write a book for them!
The Youth Book idea went from an idea to a real project in a matter of seconds, just a month ago. And now I sit here, with the printed proof in my hand. Laughing. Crying. Smiling. Laughing again… Some pretty powerful feelings going on here! The moment when you’ve pushed yourself way beyond what you thought you were capable of, far, far, far away from wherever that comfort zone is (haven’t felt it in years).
Working with a coach is just that; making you reach your full potential, and keep empowering and enabling yourself to do and be more. I have not yet quite realized that this is now a reality, The Youth Book is a book, as of today. Yesterday it was still a blurr of long working hours, writing, interviews, collecting answers from surveys, interior editing, reviews, more interior editing, change of image, add a new statement, online proof reading, uploading to Createspace (the publishing platform of Amazon), ordering of printed proof, waiting, waiting, waiting, and … it’s here! I am holding The Youth Book in my hand, in my arms, pressing it to my heart.
Coaching is an extraordinary relationship when you commit to it. I must admit that I have now lost count of all the dreams I have managed to turn into reality thanks to working with a coach. Best investment of my life!
Roger, THANK YOU! I am so very happy that you are part of this. I appreciate you as a person, a friend and my coach.
I was always a high achiever, very competitive with myself, high performance … you know, all those words. I’ll tell you exactly why I think coaching is the best thing in the world; 1) because my “old” best performance is nothing compared to what I am capable of when I have a coach, it’s non-comparable, and 2) when you fulfill dreams that mean SO much to you, it is wonderful to have a person who has followed your journey through challenges and doubts, from an idea to a dream come true. Working with a coach to achieve, be, do, have and experience more is a VERY fulfilling experience. But don’t take my word for it; try it!
Email me when you’re ready to start working on taking some MASSIVE steps forward on your growth journey!
