When I wrote my first real book, nearly 14 years ago now, it was off the back of 10 years … 15 years … a lifetime, prior to that, of longing to be a writer and yet – not.
Sure, I’d managed to follow through on writing and having published some pretty decent articles, even getting some headline status in some major magazines, and I’d also co-authored a few books, plus published some ebooks (goin’ back nearly 20 years now!), but BOOK books?
Insurmountable, even.
Or really – it felt like something somebody better than me, more grown-up than me, more organised than me, and with special secret powers and know-how which I didn’t have, would do.
Until I read an article which changed my life.
It was written by a writer who I loved at the time, and it was about why you should aspire to be a mediocre writer.
Even though I – probably like you! – am not exactly the girl who responds to a call to be … erm … MEDIOCRE … it got my interest from the get go.
Maybe because I was desperate for a solution to why I repeatedly just didn’t end up DOING the thing, the thing I felt I more than any other thing came here to do, which was to be a real writer!
The premise she was sharing was simple:
Write for an average amount of time each day. And watch what happens. I think she gave examples, of how much you could write in a year by following that principle. And of how, in the end, a daily consistent habit of writing for just an average amount of time … could create excellence.
Do you know that in the 4-5 years following that I personally authored and published over 60 books? (I’ve since deleted many as I now longer agree with what I wrote, spiritually).
What was really cool is I wrote and published my first ‘real’ book (The Secret Life of a Binge Eater, still on Amazon, and still my best-selling!) within months after that. It didn’t even take the year I estimated I could ‘surely’ write a book in.
Really what Ali was writing about was discipline, something I’ve been a big fan of long before and long since reading that article.
In fact, when I read the article about mediocrity as a writer, I was at the time about 5 years in to my online journey, which pretty much began (2006) as a blogger.
I don’t know if you know this about me – depending how new you are here – but I have made over 30 million dollars in online business. Produced hundreds of successful courses. Coached the best entrepreneurs in the world for years. And probably published thousands of blogs. Also thousands of videos, podcasts, and so on. I am pretty certain I have created more content online than just about anyone else in the coaching world … since before that world even existed.
And yet.
I never set out to build an online empire.
I never wrote a business plan to make millions.
And I didn’t follow through on many of the things I told myself I’d do, or which I began.
Wanna know what I followed through on?
Showing up when I said I would. (Mostly!)
Wanna know what the real ‘decision’ was to make money online?
It was about 2008. Couple years in to my online journey. I was blogging 3x a week; that was my then rule. Had never heard of internet marketing. And I said to myself, as I sat writing in the window of a cafe near the gym, before I went to work (as a personal trainer) –
“I have no idea what this internet thing is all about. But I’m pretty sure that if I just keep showing up, it’s going to go somewhere”.
YALL.
THAT WAS MY FREAKING PLAN.
And .. it worked.
Sometimes I needed an extra nudge along the way like with the article about mediocrity as a writer. Seems I need the extra reminder of things I already know anytime it comes to something I really have up on a pedestal!! But either way –
it’s always just been because I did the basic daily thing.
Today I began probably the most average workout of my last 12 months.
I ended up incredibly sick yesterday, actually wondered if the C-word had hit me again. I haven’t been that unwell since then!
After shaking and freezing my way through parts of the night, I felt mediocre enough this morning to sweat a little, well a little more, and I WANTED to. I wanted to feel like me.
But I said to myself “no hero activity. Just get through it. Just a nice little average slow workout”.
Funny / not funny I still hit my current max for reps on my squats.
And the rest of the workout was probably a smooth 85% or so of norm.
Result? Workout done. Virus pushed through. PB & honey toast time because that is childhood sick food. lol.
But actual result?
I remembered something that has changed my life on repeat, which is that really?
You just need to show up for average each day.
Hey hey –
If you think I’m recommending BEING average, well. Seems you need to remember who it is I’m talking to. Because gals like us?
When we show up for average we end up changing the world with what God put inside of us.
But sometimes the thing just never gets off the ground because you were still waiting for the bit where you were gonna be perfect.
Now don’t forget –
Life is Now. Press Play.
Kat
PS
Right Assignment for 2025 is still open for you to join! It’s my current free challenge, and the first day video is a POWERHOUSE of stripping back to and revealing what God is leading in YOU!
https://katrinaruthministries.com/rightassignment
PPS
The Secret Garden is open! It’s 25% off and I just added in 15 new bonus courses. Which means you receive a total of 18 bonus courses alongside your membership. For a beautiful $4,670 value as my gift bundle to you!
More importantly … it is the place God gave me for us (my membership) and one where we sit in rest in ALL that He has for us and is doing through us, now.
Is it time to be in?
And to say yes?
NO, not to perfect, or ‘always’ being the ALL in gal.
But maybe,
just maybe,
to simply doing today’s work today.
And in that?
Watching all He has for you in business. Money. Ministry. LIFE.
Come through.
your place,
at https://katrinaruthministries.com/thesecretgarden
