| The Inspiration Gap | | | | exposure and to create more income. If there is one |
| As you will see in the coming articles, your vision, with | | | | thing that will accomplish both of these objectives, it's |
| its purpose and mission, have to drive an enormous | | | | learning how to leverage your writing. |
| amount of energy from where you are to where you | | | | I suggest that you write something once, then use it in |
| want to be. I call this the Inspiration Gap. The | | | | various mediums. Let me give you an example. I was |
| inspirational gap powers the energy to create your | | | | asked to present a teleclass for a Special Interest |
| vision and propels you into action toward what you | | | | Group through CoachU called the e-publication SIG. I |
| desire. This gap is the bridge that spans the distance | | | | spent several days developing the content for that |
| between where you are, who you are, and who you | | | | free offering. Around the same time, I was |
| see yourself becoming. Like any bridge, if it is not | | | | approached to participate in a book promotion for an |
| engineered properly, it will never serve the purpose it | | | | author in my series who was launching her own book. |
| was designed to serve. | | | | Since I was already writing a course, I decided to offer |
| The Inspiration Gap must be big enough to stretch you | | | | that as a bonus gift for the promotion. |
| out of your comfort zone, but not so far outside your | | | | As I was developing the marketing content and web |
| zone that it deflates and paralyzes you. Make it edgy, | | | | pages for the promotion, I saw that if I expanded the |
| but not overwhelming. And remember as we move | | | | content, I could create an e-book to sell as a |
| through the strategies and tasks coming up, that it's | | | | companion piece. I will eventually use the initial writing |
| always a matter of placing your attention on a few | | | | and combine it with other marketing material to use in |
| important tasks at a time, instead of trying to take on | | | | a printed book, and will record that book for sale as a |
| everything at once. More on this a little later. | | | | book on CD and mp3 files. I also use the writing as a |
| Your Vision Description | | | | tool with my writing clients. At this point, I have used |
| Now, you are ready to combine all of your previous | | | | one piece of writing five times, some for direct income, |
| thoughts and writing and create your Vision Statement. | | | | others for marketing purposes, and always for learning |
| This is a description of your dream, your purpose, your | | | | by my readers and clients. |
| mission, all based on your values. | | | | The next step is to submit portions of the content to |
| The description will answer many questions, some of | | | | magazines and online sites that are seeking guest |
| which are listed below: | | | | columnists. And finally, I will be expanding the content to |
| How do my values impact what I am writing? Why | | | | begin offering live workshops and retreats for potential |
| does my writing exist? What does my writing | | | | writers. |
| represent? Why I do the writing I do? What do I aspire | | | | My goal is to use any writing I create a minimum of |
| to? What is the experience of my readers? Who is | | | | five different ways, more if possible. From my |
| my intended audience? What is my purpose for | | | | example, here are the methods I am using (I'll discuss |
| writing? What are my objectives and when will I | | | | these in more detail in my e-book): |
| accomplish them? | | | | * eMessages |
| Vision Recap | | | | * Teleclass/Teleseminar Content |
| Let's recap what you've learned with respect to | | | | * Web logs (Blogs) |
| writing a vision statement: | | | | * Podcasts |
| * Your vision needs a purpose. | | | | * Recordings of Teleclasses |
| * Your vision needs a mission that is achievable and | | | | * MP3s downloads |
| concise. | | | | * Workbook |
| * Your vision needs a description that includes words | | | | * e-courses |
| that elicit emotion and paints a picture in your mind. | | | | * e-books |
| * Your vision needs to include and align with your | | | | * Articles for magazines |
| values. | | | | * Articles for online sites |
| * Your vision needs to have an inspiration gap. | | | | * Physical Book |
| * Your vision needs to motivate and inspire. | | | | * Book on CD |
| * Your vision needs to provoke you to action. | | | | * Book on Tape |
| Leveraging Your Writing | | | | * Workshops/Speeches |
| Now that you have a clear vision with a purpose and | | | | * Retreats |
| mission aligned with your values, you can determine | | | | * Webinars |
| what strategy will best help you attain your vision. To | | | | * Live Conferences |
| do that, the first step is to look at how you might | | | | * Video/DVDs |
| leverage your writing in different mediums and formats. | | | | * Continuity Programs |
| A frequent conversation I have with my writing clients | | | | In my next article, I will discuss how to create your |
| is how to best utilize their writing to gain more | | | | strategies from these mediums. |