Many of us have dreams. Turning those dreams into goals and then having a process to take consistent action is what turns those dreams into reality. All are important and contribute to the outcome!

Here I share how my dream of writing a book became a goal. Over the past several months, I have embraced my creativity and ensured I curated and cultivated my life.

But that was not enough, I needed processes too in order to write my first novel, Avoiding the Friend Zone and am thrilled to announce that it is now published!

The importance of dreams, goals and processes

Dreams are essential

Dreams are essential, especially as adults. We need to hang onto them because they keep us motivated. That certainly has been the case for me. For many years, I’d dreamed of writing and publishing a book. I’ve written a few drafts, but something held me back each time. Either it felt too hard, or I wasn’t sure how to take it from 75% done to completion.

This time, though, I gave myself the same support I provide my clients, with accountability and cheerleading, to hold onto my dream and use it as motivation.

Goals are key

Like any other goal, taking regular, small steps in the right direction ultimately pays off. For you, your goal might be different. Not everybody wants or needs to write a book! But if your goal is something big, like writing a book, then a small-step approach can be an excellent way to do it. Indeed, a small-step process is a proven way to build momentum and make progress.

Goals should also be something that inspire you and bring joy. My goal of writing and publishing a book has done both. For the first couple of months, when I started writing, the ideas flowed out of me, and my fingers could barely keep up with the words coming from my mind. This was a fun problem to have!

Processes are necessary

Friends and family have told me that writing a book is a lengthy process, and many people take years to do what I have done in a matter of months. And I understand that!

Even with the relatively fast pace that I have undertaken this project, it has been a process. It started as fun, but I quickly realised that I needed to develop a habit, routine or process to make any real progress. And by that, I mean consistent effort made every day. Some writers swear by a particular location, time of day or word count target. Based on the day, I found a mixture of these worked for me!

Learning any new skill is challenging, whether in our career or life. We start learning from the moment we are born and continue to do so throughout our lives.

When tackling something completely new, it can be beneficial to embrace a growth mindset. As many of us can attest, learning a new skill without assistance or guidance can be challenging. I’ve utilised the skills and expertise of others, but the actual writing of the book is still something primarily done solo.

To do this, I’ve had to shift my mindset from ‘this is too hard’ to a more positive, growth mindset of ‘I can do this’. If you can relate, working with a coach (that’s me!) can help provide support to shift your mindset, too.

All that said, I’m super excited to share the book with the world. 😁

About the Book

My debut novel, Avoiding the Friend Zone, is set in Sydney, Australia, at the turn of the century, in 1999 and 2000. Like me, you might recall these were the years of Y2K, and once we’d survived that, there was optimism and excitement about the new millennium and the Sydney Olympics. It was a fun time to write about!

Starring two twenty-somethings, it’s a love story but more than a romance, although there is plenty of that! The story also addresses familial love for our siblings, parents and grandparents and the platonic love experienced in friendships.

Here’s a summary;

Fresh out of university, Jon Williams moves from the country to Sydney for a coveted graduate sales role with a large company. A new city, housemates and a new job with a big company combine for a steep learning curve. When he attends a graduate orientation day, he meets Kate, a girl he can’t stop thinking about.

Ambitious and focused, Catherine (Kate) Pieterson is an HR graduate in the same company, happy with Jacques, her boyfriend of more than three years.

Despite Kate’s boyfriend, Jon decides he can’t be her friend if he ever wants to have a chance with her.

Eighteen months later, Kate and Jon are working together. Kate is now single and is interested in Jon. A night of dancing proves they have chemistry, but will either be brave enough to overcome their previous relationship mistakes and make a move?

Will avoiding the friend zone work for Jon? Will he have a chance with Kate? Or will he end up losing her forever?

A sweet workplace romance set at the turn of the century. Join Jon and Kate as they navigate work, friendships, family and relationships alongside the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the changing world of technology.

Avoiding the Friend Zone is a tender, joyful novel about confusion, longing and love.

If you like the sound of that, I’m thrilled to share that it’s now available on the major platforms as an ebook and in paperback.

Click the link below to purchase from your preferred platform.

Purchase Avoiding the friend Zone