I can be pretty dense sometimes but when I get three distinct messages from the Universe that tell me to ‘write the book’, it’s time. This morning I read the third ‘message’ from Michael Hyatt in Google Reader. He said:

Being a published author has done more for my career—and my income—than I could have ever imagined. It has opened doors of opportunity I couldn’t have dreamed were possible. And, it can happen for you, too.

Here are five good reasons why you should consider writing a book:

1. It provides an opportunity to share your expertise. Whether you realize it or not, you are an expert. The problem is you take your knowledge, experience, or skill for granted. Because it is familiar, you assume everyone has it. They don’t. And people will pay to know what you know or learn how to do what you do.
2. It provides an opportunity to establish your authority. People work for years to land an important job or get a graduate degree. Both of these can be important steps in your career path, but neither provide the level of credibility that comes with having a book with your name on it. In our culture, this is still regarded as the ultimate proof of your mastery.
3. It provides an opportunity to differentiate yourself. Whatever your profession, you probably have lots of competition. But I’d be willing to bet only a handful of your competitors have a book to their credit. This is one way—perhaps the most important way—to set yourself apart and get noticed. It provides an unfair advantage in today’s dog-eat-dog world.
4. It provides an opportunity to expand your market. A book is the best marketing tool you could ever have. It makes an introduction. It opens doors. It prepares the market for the other products and services you offer. It goes where you can’t go and does what you can’t do. It positions you as someone with something important to offer.
5. It provides an opportunity to launch a business. A book is but one expression of your message. Once you have published it, you can introduce an assortment of ancillary products. For example, my Platform book led to an audio book, a video series, and a conference. Soon we will be launching an exclusive membership site and a premium WordPress theme.

Granted, writing a book is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and, most of all, perseverance.” via 5 Reasons You Should Seriously Consider Writing a Book | Michael Hyatt.

The first message came Saturday night in the form of a movie called ‘Being Flynn’. Here’s a clip…

Throughout the movie, Flynn claims to be one of three great American writers but he hasn’t published a book. Me? I’ve been talking about my book ‘Be Known’ for a year and haven’t written a word of it for several months. This afternoon I was talking with my dad about the need to publish the book and he asked me if I had fleshed out the ideas, etc. I laughed because all the thought work has been done and I know exactly what I want to say — I gave him a very detailed synopsis of how it all fits together. I just haven’t put fingers to keyboard! Stupid, no? It’s a little like when Steven Wright says “I’m writing a book — I have all the page numbers written down”…

The message in the middle and the one that means the most came from my friend Nilofer Merchant whose book 11 rules for change in the #SocialEra just passed Richard Branson — yes that Richard Branson — on the Kindle bestseller list. Her advice? Writing is like exercise — just do it. Everyday…

OK, Universe! I GOT IT! I’ll do the book already…