The Hardest Part is Starting (And Why I'm Finally Taking My Own Advice)
Six months left in 2025. Here's how we're going to make them count.
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." —Walt Disney
Here's the thing about starting: it's terrifying, messy, and never feels like the right time. Which is exactly why I've been procrastinating on launching my self-publishing coaching program for months.
We're halfway through 2025. Six months down, six to go. And I'm tired of being the guy who talks a big game about "just starting" while my own brilliant ideas collect dust in my Google Drive folder labeled "Someday Maybe" (don't judge—we all have that folder).
So here I am, practicing what I preach. Imperfectly. Authentically. With sweaty palms and a course that's 85% ready instead of the mythical 110% I've been waiting for.
Why Starting Sucks (But We Do It Anyway)
Starting anything new—a book, a business, a workout routine, or admitting you've been wearing the same lucky underwear for three straight days—requires us to face an uncomfortable truth: we might fail. Or worse, we might succeed and then have to live up to our own expectations.
I've been stalling on my coaching program because I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted every video polished, every worksheet flawless, every metaphor so clever it would make Shakespeare weep with envy. But perfection is just procrastination wearing a fancy suit.
The truth is, done beats perfect every single time. And my course doesn't need to be the Mona Lisa of self-publishing programs—it just needs to help people get their stories out of their heads and onto bookshelves.
From Brain to Bookshelf: Let's Do This Thing Together
Before I wrote Ten Days With Dad, I enrolled in an expensive self-publishing course. You know what the most valuable part was? Not the fancy templates or the 47-module video series I never finished. It was the coaching. The human connection. Someone who believed in my story when I didn't.
That's why I'm launching Brain to Bookshelf—a 12-month coaching program that gets your nonfiction book from the messy idea bouncing around your brain to an actual, physical book you can awkwardly force on your relatives at Thanksgiving.
Here's What You Get:
Monthly 1-on-1 coaching calls (because group therapy only goes so far)
Weekly group sessions (misery loves company, but so does motivation)
All the practical stuff: templates, checklists, and insider secrets
A 12-month deadline (because without pressure, we're all just hobbyists)
This covers everything: clarifying your message, actually writing the thing, making it look professional, navigating the publishing maze, and marketing it without feeling like a used car salesman.
The Beta Test Offer (AKA My Skin-in-the-Game Experiment)
Here's where I put my money where my mouth is. I'm launching this program at 80% off for my first six brave souls. Instead of the full $1,250 price, you pay $250.
Why not free? Because Warren Buffett was right—if you don't have skin in the game, you won't show up. Free advice often gets filed away, much like those restaurant gift cards you never use. (Seriously, how many of those do you have?)
You'll help me refine the program in real-time, and I'll help you publish your book. Win-win, with the added bonus of being able to say you were part of something from the beginning.
To join, email me: mark@markjresnick.com
Your August Action Challenge
Maybe you're not ready to write a book (yet). That's fine. But what ARE you putting off? What's been sitting in your own "Someday Maybe" folder?
Be honest. Make a list of what's holding you back:
Family obligations?
Money worries?
Time constraints?
Stress?
Fear of looking stupid?
Fear of succeeding and having to maintain success?
Email me that list. Let's schedule a time to discuss it. For real. This month—August, the month of Action (see what I did there?)—is about starting something extraordinary.
But first, we've got to start.
The Bottom Line
I could wait another six months for my course to be "perfect." I could create 47 more modules and design prettier worksheets. But my future students don't need perfect—they need progress.
Your story is worth telling. Your idea is worth pursuing. Your "someday maybe" deserves a chance.
Let's make August the month we stop talking and start doing.
Are you in?
Email: mark@markjresnick.com
Call/Text: 617-549-9706
Let's start something extraordinary. However, we must first begin.
What are you starting this month? Hit reply and tell me about it—I promise to cheer you on (and maybe share some encouragement when you inevitably want to quit in week two).
See you next week.