The Timing of Everything
A-ha Moment Right Between the Eyes
I love a good a-ha moment. I had one the other day after a conversation I have often.
A-ha moments are not new information.
It’s usually something you’ve heard a million times or have already understood. But for some reason, maybe it’s the way you are told or how it is said, the information hits you right between the eyes.
And suddenly, everything makes sense.
I work at a publishing house, and I was emailing with an author. He’s a bit anxious about not knowing when his book might be released.
While a manuscript is still in production, we don’t set release dates or deadlines. Further into the technical stages of production, I can forecast a target release window.
Based on where his manuscript is in the process, I let him know it might be a late Summer 2024 or early Fall 2024 release.
Not all authors, but some authors like this one, are disappointed by how long things take. Especially when it looks like their book won’t be released for another 9 months to a year.
And I completely understand this reaction. Not only has this author been working with us as their publisher for some time now, they put months or years of work into their manuscript before they signed with us.
I told the author, “You’re going to have to take me at my word here, but the time will absolutely fly by, especially once we enter into pre-launch activities.”
We will one day, very soon, be 30 days out from the release of his book, and most likely he will think to himself, “Where did the time go?”
This happens nearly every time without fail.
Or the author still has a chip on their shoulder but is just happy the book is finally out in the world.
This anxiety about the timing comes from a place of urgency. Another repetitive topic for me is telling an author not to deny themselves an opportunity just because the book hasn’t been released yet or isn’t available for pre-order.
Somewhere in their minds, an author thinks, “When this happens, then everything else can happen.”
I sent off my final bit of encouragement to this author for the time being. I will stand firm on the front of support and reassurance.
You know, I’m not sure why this time was a little different, but for whatever reason it got me thinking—how often am I giving this reassurance, this affirmation that yes, it is inevitable and don’t worry about the timing or how long it will take because it will happen!
And it just got me thinking about how shitty I am at taking my own advice.
How ironic for me to be this rock for others on this topic, for me to be the one saying “You have time and the time will fly by before you know it!” in the face of my author’s anxiety and uncertainty when the roaring theme of my early 20s was nothing but anxiety about time.
Still, I struggle in the mental pool of wondering how long it will take me to do something or be someone or get somewhere. How often do I lament over all the time I already spent getting here when here isn’t even the finish line?
Oh, yes, great irony and a teeth kick of an a-ha moment: If I can tell others not to stress about something inevitable, guaranteed to come to pass, why can’t I do that for myself?
Leave it to me to make a connection between publishing a book and law of attraction.