I don't know about you, but I love March Madness. I never watch the NFL until the Super Bowl, I never watch the NBA until the Finals, and I never watch the NCAA until March Madness. As you can tell, I like sports, but only to see who gets the crown. Of course, all that hard work throughout the season is crucial, but, let's face it, all of us are most interested in the team left standing.
That's why I chose March as my #BuildInPublic AI Amazon Author 30-Day Challenge. This challenge will be the springboard that launches my signature cohort course, AI Amazon Author University on Maven.
I created a landing page here with the help of Yep.so made by the super-talented Kieran of @nocodelife. And, I'm inviting you to join my beta cohort to help me validate my idea. You can sign up here.
Amazon + AI
A few days ago, Amazon partnered with Hugging Face to help make AI more accessible. See the reason behind Amazon's venture into AI by the comments below:
It’s time to make AI open and accessible to all. That’s the goal of this expanded long-term strategic partnership between Hugging Face and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Together, the two leaders aim to accelerate the availability of next-generation machine learning models by making them more accessible to the machine learning community and helping developers achieve the highest performance at the lowest cost.
Hugging Face has become the central hub for machine learning, with more than 100,000 free and accessible machine learning models downloaded more than 1 million times daily by researchers, data scientists, and machine learning engineers. AWS is by far the most popular place to run models from the Hugging Face Hub. Since the start of our collaboration, Hugging Face on Amazon SageMaker has grown exponentially. We are experiencing an exciting renaissance with generative AI, and we're just getting started. We look forward to what the future holds for Hugging Face, AWS, and the AI community.
So as you can see, Amazon believes AI is the future. That's why writing a book co-authored by AI is a natural way to tiptoe your way into finally writing that masterpiece and becoming an Authority in your niche. (See how author is embedded in the word Authority). Enough said.
My Three Amazon Books
My two most recent Amazon books took me several months to write, create, and design. How a Postage Stamp Saved My Life became an Amazon #1 Best-Seller. I Am Unbreakable was a labor of love after my vile mistreatment at work and The Giant Strawberry was a tribute to my late mom who passed away from Stage IV colon and liver cancer in 2008. My goal now in my #buildinginpublic challenge is to write 4 ebooks in 4 weeks. I am going on this self-imposed journey to validate my idea that high-quality ebooks can be written with the help of AI in less time than it takes to write a traditional book by yourself.
10 Reasons to Write a Book Now
Quick, who is your favorite author?
One of my favorite authors right now is Michael Wickett. He's an accomplished Nightingale-Conant motivational speaker and author. His book, It's All Within Your Reach is one of the best I've ever read.
I hold him in high regard because of that book.
Most, if not all of us, feel the same way when it comes to authors. Statistically speaking, about 80 percent of the American population wants to write a book, but so few embark on this journey. If I had to guess, I would probably say that many people do not believe they have what it takes to write a book, which, at the root is simply fear. But, I once heard Les Brown say, “When your why is big enough, you will find you how.”
I’m going to lay out 10 reasons why you should write a book and maybe, just maybe after you read them, you will find you how, and if not, I promise to help you.
Reason #1: A book is an instant confidence booster
As I mentioned at the outset, how do you normally feel about authors? Do you treat them differently from the average person? What sort of impression do you get when you're introduced to an author?
When people perceive you in a high and elevated way, you begin to feel better about yourself. It’s an instant confidence booster. Most people treat authors as celebrities. And imagine if your book hits Amazon's #1 Best-Seller Status. What would that do to your confidence and self-esteem?
I know I felt great when mine hit that status. Not in a prideful or boastful way, but just proud of myself and what I’ve accomplished since the death of my mom. I know she would be proud of me as well.
Reason #2: A book allows you to see your value and potential
Author John Maxwell said, “Many people fail to grow and reach their potential because of low self-esteem.”
When I was depressed and contemplating suicide, my self-esteem was at an all-time low. I could not see any value or worth in my life. But I was motivated by the thought of a postage stamp and so I began to add value to my life, first by exchanging my negative thinking for more positive ones, I began to exercise, eat healthier and start back fellowshipping with my congregation.
When I began to write, I learned to get out of my head and to see my real potential and value as a human being. If you don’t realize you have genuine value or that you're worth investing in, then you’ll never put in the time or effort required to grow.
One of my favorite motivational speakers Zig Ziglar said, “It’s impossible to consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with how we see ourselves. We can positively do very few things if we feel negative about ourselves.”
I know for a fact, that every aspect of our lives is directly impacted by the way we see ourselves. When you write and pour out your heart onto paper, you see how far you’ve gotten in life, and all that you've accomplished.
Reason #3: Writing a book is an opportunity for self-reflection
Have you ever gone to therapy? If not, I highly recommend it. Going to therapy helped me cope with being sexually molested as a young girl. Well, I get that same type of help every time I sit down to write. Writing allows you to dig deep within yourself. You are alone and vulnerable and you're able to work things out on paper that you can’t do when they stay locked up in your head.
Writing forces you to reflect on your life. Most of the time, when we take the time to self-reflect, we see patterns that we need to change and habits we need to develop.
When I was in the fifth grade, my amazing teacher, Mrs. Battle brought a snake into the classroom and we had the privilege of seeing the snake shed its skin. It was the absolute most captivating thing I’d seen at that time. When I write, I also see myself shedding my old skin, my old thinking, and my old dishonoring ways for a newer, better version of me.
Writing has allowed me to change my life and the byproduct of that is I’ve changed the way I think about myself. I no longer see myself as a victim. I am strong and unbreakable. By the way, so are you.
Our lives are so hectic. Learning to pause allows growth to catch up to you.
Reason #4: Writing a book allows you to flex your brain power
Did you know that our brains weigh about three pounds? It is such a small organ, yet it packs a punch. When you write, even when you're writing your own story, inevitably you will have to do some research, whether that be interviewing your family members or hopping onto Google to get some facts or now, AI ChatGPT.
Our brains are muscles. Just like any muscle it needs to be flexed or it will atrophy. Writing allows you to flex your brain. When you step outside of your comfort zone you give yourself a chance to explore new things about yourself. One new point discovered can lead to other points and you never know where that can take you. I’ve learned that to be a success, you first have to think it and the only way you start to think it is, either you change or something in your life forces you to change.
Nothing in life remains the same forever.
Writing helps you to determine your future. You can write your ticket in life or continually allow someone else to force you to write theirs. Stop thinking in terms of “Can I” and start thinking in terms of “How Can I.”
“How Can I” puts a different spin on things. It’s the beginning of a high-value question that prompts you to figure it out. Start asking the right questions and your brain will begin to give you better answers.
Reason #5: A book is an ideal way to create side-hustle income
Most people that I come into contact with would love to someday work for themselves, whether it's for financial freedom or just because they want to spend more time at home with their family.
When you write a book and you get the title of #1 best-selling author attached to you, people are going to take notice.
Published authors are considered experts and authorities in their field. If you had a book, do you think you could send that book to a business prospect? How do you think you would be perceived by that person? Would it be difficult to land that contract? I don’t think so.
Writing a book positions you as an authority. This fact can help you sell more products and services which will ultimately impact your bottom line.
Would you like to earn more money just by writing a book?
That would be a yes for me too.
Just think, what if you were allowed to get paid for sharing with other people information you already know?
Now, perhaps unlike at any other time in history, if you possess knowledge that other people would be willing to pay for, you can start making money, with little or no startup costs, especially with the help of AI.
Teaching online grants you the freedom to still work a day job yet generate side-hustle income. Today, it’s a real possibility to even make just as much money while you're asleep as when you're awake, thanks to the power of the Internet and AI.
You have the opportunity to teach and share what you're most passionate about with large audiences. Would you like to share what you love and be paid for doing so?
So now are you beginning to see how finally earning what you’re worth by sharing your knowledge and expertise with others would help boost your self-confidence and self-esteem?
Reason #6: A book will help you get over your fears, even your fear of public speaking
Have you ever noticed that authors are usually asked to speak at conferences or seminars? Well, my friend, the same will be true for you. I know, but you’re afraid of speaking, right?
Well, the only way to face any fear is to stand up to it. We overcome our fears by doing the thing that we fear. Here are three other ways to overcome fear:
Define your fear. When we face new situations in life, we normally imagine the worst-case scenario. But, did you know that you can dramatically shrink your fears by simply putting them into words on a piece of paper? See how writing helps you to slay fear.
Accept the challenges that fear presents to you. Instead of shrinking back and giving fear the upper hand, accept fear as a normal part and life and act despite it. A great tool from author and speaker Mel Robbins of The 5 Second Rule, really works. Try it. When you want to do something, just count backward 5-4-3-2-1 and then do the thing that you fear. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.”
Think of the benefits of acting in the face of your fear. Think of what it will do for your self-esteem and self-confidence. A good exercise is to physically write down the benefits you will gain by forging ahead. The thing to remember is that every decision you make is helping to form the person you are becoming. Do you want your fear to define you or do you want to take that scary risk and come off the victor?
Reason #7: A book will help you be more productive by raising your standards
Do you find that you are easily distracted and not being as productive as you can be? Well, writing a book during a challenge will not only help you with your productivity it will also help you with developing discipline, determination and just plain grit.
When you write a book, it’s just you, the blank slate, and now AI. Writing helps you remain singularly focused on the task at hand. It is an exercise in discipline and time management. If you stick to it, your determination will give way to a beautiful masterpiece. And no, it doesn’t have to take months anymore, it can take a weekend. I will show you how to write 10 books in 30 days.
Let me ask you a question, what's the difference between something you should do and something you absolutely must do?
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, “The things easy to do are also easy not to do.” In other words, the things you should do are things that are easy not to do and so you don’t do them. Some of these things are:
I should eat healthier.
I should exercise more.
I should treat my spouse with respect.
But when you absolutely must do something, as if your life depended on it, there is a shift and change in you. If eating healthier meant you would live or die, then you most likely would do it. The same with exercise and treating your spouse with respect, if your life depended on it, you would make the necessary changes.
When you raise your standards and turn “should” into “must,” you are making an inner shift to take control over the quality of your life. Any area in which you are not getting what you want is because you haven’t raised your standards.
According to Tony Robbins, “Most people, if they look at how they are living their lives today, will find that their identity is based on a set of standards and a set of beliefs they created 10, 20, 30 or more years ago. Many of us made decisions when we were kids about what to believe, what we are capable of, and who we are as a person, and that became the glass ceiling that controls us. But are you the same person you were back then? Are you the same person you were even a year ago?”
I’m just going to say it, you have to demand excellence from yourself. Don’t be mediocre. Be world-class. Don’t settle for the status quo, be relentless. Pursue excellence. “People are rewarded in public for what they’ve practiced for years in private,” said Tony Robbins. Never ever give up. Raise your standards. Writing will help.
Reason #8: A book will help you develop bullet-proof habits
To complete your book, you have to have good habits, otherwise, you’ll never get it done.
In 2008, after my mom died of colon and liver cancer, a few years later, I developed the habit of getting up at 4 a.m. and going to the gym. That habit has helped and sustained me all these years. I knew I had to do something to get my mind out of the loop of negativity. I knew I had to physically move my body because where my focus goes, energy flows.
With that said, I started researching other high achievers and came across Brendon Burchard. Brendon has been studying high achievers for over 20 years and the biggest secret he has learned when it comes to habits is “trigger moments.”
In essence, trigger moments are cues that remind you to activate your intentions or habits.
I use my iPhone to create my trigger moments. A lot of people underutilize this great feature on their iPhones. Right now, I want you to take your “Clock” then hit “Alarm” and then add your alarm time. Then under “Label” write out your goal – the same one you have a picture of on your board. Press “Save”. Repeat this step three times for each of your goals. So from now on, every day at that time, you’ll be reminded to accomplish your goals. This is how you attack from all sides. You have the vision board, you have the alarm and now let’s move on to tip number three.
My all-time favorite bullet-proof habit device is pen and paper. When we track what we do, things get done. As an example, I started using my Apple Watch to track how many steps I take in a day. Before I had this device, I never walked 10,000 steps, but now that I track it, I make sure I do it every day. The same is true with any habit you form. When you write it down and track it, you will see the needle move, your results will encourage you to continue going. This helps to build momentum and you will become unstoppable. Writing has a funny way of doing that.
Reason #9: A book helps boost your self-esteem and allows you to expect more out of life
Scientists used to believe that humans responded to information flowing into the brain from the outside world. But today, they’re learning more and more that we respond to what the brain expects to happen next.
Neuropsychologists call it the expectancy theory. Basically, through a lifetime’s worth of events, our brains learn what to expect next – even if it does not happen. And because our brain expects something will happen a certain way, we often achieve exactly what we anticipate.
Do you see the dilemma?
If you don’t expect much to happen in your life, then, most likely it won’t. But if you do expect something great to occur, it most likely will. The difference is that you have to believe it will happen to you.
But how do you get that belief?
Simply put, you need to build your confidence.
Confidence is built through action.
A great start is simply writing down on a piece of paper, what it is that you want and expect out of life. When you put into words what you are thinking in your head, it becomes real. You now have a way to make a plan and start seeing some forward movement in your life.
In a talk at TEDx San Francisco, Mel Robbins, self-help author of the book, The 5 Second Rule, mentioned that scientists estimate the probability of your being born at about one in 400 trillion.
Do you know what that means?
It means you are engineered for success and designed to have high levels of self-esteem, self-respect and personal pride. You are extraordinary. There has never been anyone exactly like you in all history of mankind on the earth. You have amazing untapped talents and abilities that, when properly directed and applied, can bring you everything you could ever want or dream of.
In essence, your very existence proves you are a miracle. So start acting like the miracle you are!
In a CD by Earl Nightingale, titled, The Strangest Secret, he says, “You become what you think about.” So what are you thinking? What are you constantly feeding your mind on? Your mistakes or your accomplishments?
Your thoughts trigger images and pictures and the emotions that go with them. These images then trigger your attitudes and actions. Therefore, if you think about success, you will feel strong and competent, but when you think about your mistakes, you will inevitably feel sad and weak.
We attract into our lives that which we think about. Whatever our dominant thoughts are, that is what will show up for us in our lives. To have more self-esteem you need to think the thoughts you would be thinking if you were already achieving your goal. Writing is a great place to start.
Reason #10: A book helps you create and leave a legacy for your friends and loved ones
When my mom died, I wished she would’ve written a book, just a story about every aspect of her life that I failed to ask about. She was an extraordinary woman that I didn’t have enough time with. I do however have a few of her songs. She was an amazing songwriter, and that’s where I get my ability to write. Thanks, mom.
When we leave this earth, a few mementos and memories are all we have left of our loved ones. What if you had more? What if you had a book that detailed the lives of your mom, dad, grandparents and more? What if you left that to your children and relatives? How would they feel? How proud would they be? Could it perhaps encourage them to confidently go after their hopes and dreams?
I believe writing a book helps create your legacy. In our digital age, there's no telling who else will be touched and inspired by your thoughts and words. At the outset, I asked who was your favorite author or writer, what if they never wrote down that very thing that inspired you?
I believe we not only owe it to ourselves to write a book, but we owe it to the universe and the generations coming behind us. Do what author Steven Pressfield suggests in his book, The War of Art. In the last pages of his book, he says that if you don’t do the thing you were meant to do, you, not only hurt yourself, you hurt the planet. He says, “Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you got.”
Why Consistency Matters
What I’ve learned from doing challenges is that it's rarely about the task and more about what comes from 30 days of doing something consistently.
In most all endeavors, consistency is the key. As an example, if you consistently go to work each day, it’s a no-brainer, you wake up, get ready and go. The more you do it, the easier it becomes (the waking up part anyway) The same is true of an outside endeavor you want to explore. Although it may be painful in the beginning, if you do it consistently, it gets easier over time.
Why 30 days? Because it takes roughly that much time to form a good habit and break a bad one.
There’s an old quote that says, “What gets measured gets done.” This means that when we track what we do we improve. That's why devices such as the Apple Watch are popular because they help you track your progress and you’re motivated to continue.
Accountability for Success
There's an old African Proverb that says, "If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together."
Sign up for the AI Amazon Author Challenge and I will be your accountability partner along the way with weekly Zoom meetups and office hours.
Our 4-Week Workflow Outline
March 5-11 = Outline 4 AI books
March 12- 18 = Write 4 AI books
March 19-25 = Design 4 AI books
March 26-31 = Upload 4 AI books to Amazon
AI Handwriting on the Wall
According to this Business Insider article, AI is helping your company decide who to lay off. So now is the time to take advantage of AI and use it to your advantage by writing 4 ebooks in 4 weeks with my Amazon AI March Madness 30-day challenge. There is no cost to you to join, except the cost of inaction.
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