Do you feel the call to write your book but can’t seem to get any writing done?

Do you know it’s the right thing to do for your business, but you haven’t made much progress?

As a book coach, I see two big reasons people struggle with doing the writing they KNOW will make a difference, not to mention alleviate all the guilt they feel at not getting it done.

Here are the top two reasons people say they’re struggling with writing:

1. Sitting down to write
2. Finding time in a busy schedule

Today, I want to share with you what I do to get past the first of these struggles.

How in the world do you get yourself to just sit down and write?

(And why the heck is this even an issue in the first place?) 

If you know that a book will…

1. Help you become a thought leader in your space
2. Attract your ideal clients (automatically, if you have the right strategy)
3. And make a lasting difference in people’s lives

…then why isn’t that knowledge enough to...

You’re a business owner, right? I am too. I know what it’s like to funnel most of your time, recourses, and energy toward earning an income. When you think about creating that thing that will take you to the next level, you feel overwhelmed.

As a wife and a mother, I also know what it’s like to live day-to-day, juggling responsibilities and family obligations.

You've got a LOT going on.

• Earning income
• Day-to-day business needs
• Service commitments
• Family obligations
• Household responsibilities
• Creativity, calling, purpose 

But I also know the high price we pay as human beings when we deny that sacred part of ourselves – our creative selves, our calling, our purpose in this world. It can make us feel like our lives have less meaning.

At the end of the day, when your head hits the pillow, ALL the accomplishments of your day still don’t seem like enough compared to all that you’re NOT doing.

Have you ever felt that way?

But what if you...

What happens when you interview online marketing and high performance expert Brendon Burchard? 

Ping-pong, white board jokes, snack breaks, and loads of hugs. 

If you're not familiar with Brendon, let me give you a few stats that might give you an idea of his impact in the world: Over 5 million people follow him on Facebook. He's a NYT Bestselling author and a trainer for over 2 million students. And his YouTube videos have over 100 million views. He's the creator of High Performance Academy and author of the new book High Performance Habits.

I had the lovely privilege of meeting Brendon in his new office in Portland this summer. Our interview for his cover story in the October issue of SUCCESS magazine lasted an hour and a half. 

It was his first-ever magazine interview, if you can believe that! He's built this huge biz without a PR campaign. The guy knows his stuff.

In person, Brendon is easy-going and quick to smile. When the photographer wanted some...

How the jewelry designer melded family, fashion and philanthropy into an empire of bling

Kendra Scott turned out the lights.

For the last time, she flipped over the sign in the window of her failed retail hat store that read, “Sorry, We’re Closed.” Then she shut the door and locked it.

It was 1998. She had lost her life’s savings—and those of her stepfather, whose battle with cancer had inspired her to start the Austin, Texas, business.

As if on cue, it started raining. “I just sat there and cried like a baby on the steps,” Scott says, “feeling like I was the biggest failure on the planet. I had let everybody down.”

Then something amazing happened. “I heard steps behind me,” and when she looked up, the sign was flipped over and read, “Yes, We’re Open.”

“It was a literal sign.” She laughs. “It was a sign! I looked and I just started laughing because I’m like, Is this some...

Turn your activity into achievement.

What three projects, tasks or priorities will most contribute to the accomplishment of your biggest and most important goal? Write them on a notecard, and then spend 90 percent of your day on those tasks. Spend the other 10 percent delegating, Productivity is not an accident. It’s a decision.

Legendary coach John Wooden said, “Don’t mistake activity for achievement.” You may be busy from the moment your alarm goes off in the morning until the time your head hits the pillow at night, but are you accomplishing anything meaningful toward the fulfillment of your goals? Are you making forward progress, or are you just running in place?

Make a decision today to stop wasting time—or just spending time—and, instead, invest some time in learning how you can be more productive in the areas of your life that really matter.

Keep reading on SUCCESS.com...

In December 2006, I sat in a Borders bookstore, typed an article that would pay a penny per word, and despaired of ever getting a national magazine-writing gig. I had pitched editors with all my best ideas (I thought), and no one seemed to be open to new submissions from inexperienced writers (go figure).

I had landed a remote position as the associate editor for a regional magazine, a couple of copywriting jobs, and a steady gig writing these low-paying bulk articles. But the higher-paying and higher-profile work I coveted was in national newsstand magazines.

That cold day, the windows of Borders were fogged near the base. I stared at the droplets as they trailed down the glass and longed to stop working on the article about wedding gifts and just wander the bookstore for a few hours. I had taken a huge risk a couple years earlier by leaving my full-time job and going freelance. Days like this, I wondered if I had made a mistake.

The Approach

Two women sat nearby. As they laughed...

What is the most critical skill business owners need to master in order to thrive today?

This was my favorite question asked by Onward Nation host Stephen Woessner, and I’ll tell you why.

Because the one skill that I believe every entrepreneur must have to not only survive but THRIVE in business and in life is completely teachable.

Most people believe this skill is something you’re either born with or not. But I’ve discovered, through countless trials and errors, that it’s something you can learn. I don’t care where you are in your business journey right now—you can learn this vital, make-or-break skill.

Listen now to get my 4-Step Process to harness your inner reserves and develop this critical skill. 

How the clothing and shoe designer continues to raise eyebrows--and consciousness.

The offices of Kenneth Cole Productions are decorated with shoes. Antique lace-up boots, old metal roller skates, long brown Oxfords that have seen one too many sidewalks. The shoes sit on coffee tables, in display cases and on window sills overlooking Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. And they serve as a constant reminder of the connection between present and past, between success and the journey it took to get there. Kenneth Cole has made that journey, as an entrepreneur, as a designer and as a man with a message.

“Do you like this tie… or this one?” he asks, holding up an alternative to the necktie he already wears. He says, “Thanks,” and folds the alternative neatly into his jacket pocket. Yes, his jacket pocket.

He’s outfitted head to toe in his own designs. His company, Kenneth Cole Productions, has been making shoes, clothes and accessories for almost...