Obstacles Make You Better

When I decided to write my first book, Rich Habits, I had never written a book before. I faced so many obstacles:

• How do I write a book? What’s the process?
• What format I should use? Fiction, Non-Fiction?
• How do I develop characters? How do I describe each character?
• How do I get a book published?
• How do I promote my book, once it’s published?
• How do I get media exposure for my book?
• How do I do a media interview? Are radio, TV, Print, Internet media interviews all the same or are they different?

There were so many obstacles. I had to learn so much. I had to fix so many structural problems with my publisher on the initial manuscript. I had to overcome so much disinterest from the media.

But, all of the obstacles. all the Hell and discomfort I had to endure, made me better.

I became a very good writer.

I became an expert at pitching the media.

I became expert at doing radio interviews, TV interviews, Newspaper interviews, Magazine interviews and Internet-Sourced interviews.

I even mastered the most recent form of media – podcasts.

Now, imagine you’re a famous celebrity who decides to write a book.

The publisher knows you already have a Brand and that that Brand alone will sell many books. If a celebrity does not use a Ghost Writer, the publisher will do all of the heavy lifting, in order to make the book good enough for sale.

They’ll take away most of the obstacles and help the celebrity write the book, because the publisher knows it will be worth their time and effort. The publisher will also use their marketing team to line up all of the media for your media interviews in promotion of the book. The celebrity will not have to cold-call or pitch the media.

The celebrity will never have to overcome all of the obstacles that most authors have to slog through. And, the celebrity will never learn what it takes to be a good author.

Obstacles are the adversity every successful person must endure. Obstacles force you to learn what to do and what not to do. Obstacles make you better.

Tom Corley is an accountant, financial planner and author of “Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life”, Effort-Less Wealth, Change Your Habits Change Your Life, Rich Habits Poor Habits and “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.”