Claire Cook was born to be a writer, but like most of us, life didn’t give her the Great American Novel on a silver platter. Now, she has written the story of how she finally grabbed her birthright when she realized she may never write a book in her lifetime. In Never Too Late: Your Roadmap to Reinvention, Claire shares how she wrote her first novel in her mini-van during her daughter’s 5:30 am swim practices. Her goal is to help other women who are letting their dreams slip away amidst kids, carpools and jobs that provide a paycheck.
She calls it the suburban success story: from teacher to eleven novels in fourteen years. Her second novel, Must Love Dogs, became a movie and landed Claire on celebrity talk shows. She really was living her dream. Now her first non-fiction book has achieved Amazon’s Bestseller in Women’s Personal Growth category. Claire adds her own spin to George Elliot’s famous quote, “I am living proof that ‘it’s never too late to be what you might have been.’”
Thinking of Reinvention? Here Is Claire’s Advice.
Claire points out how she meets two types of people: Those who are like her and know what they want to do and those who don’t know, but feel bound by life into jobs and circumstances and really don’t know what they want to be when they grow up. It takes courage and focus and you may not be good at it the first time out, but Claire says there is no expiration date on dreams. Whatever age you are, go for it and focus on these five steps:
- Rise above the negative. Do not listen to people who tell you that you can’t do it. They may ask you who will care for your children, what about your job or your benefits or anything to keep you in your place.
- Think about who you are and what you liked to do before life and everything got in the way. If it doesn’t feel like a perfect fit, don’t change yourself, change your surroundings.
- Get tech savvy. Anything you want to learn or anyone you want to meet is on the internet. Learn how to use it to get what you need.
- Confirm expectations. If someone is already doing what you want to do, add your own twist to make yours different.
- Share good energy with others. Good things perpetuate good things happening. Needy feelings perpetuate neediness. “Karma is a boomerang.” Choose what you’d rather have.
Never Too Late and Claire’s Free Offers
Check out Claire’s website for more information and her free workbook. Read an excerpt of Never Too Late and buy the book to find out how Claire’s journey can help you chart your own. Listen to this conversation to find out more about Claire’s story and advice Dr. Nancy gives to women who haven’t yet followed their passion and purpose.