I thought I’d provide a progress update on the self-help book Ordinary+
Likely this post will not even be read by many for many months or more! However, I think it will be interesting for those looking back in time to see how the book came into being.
January 2025
Back in January 2025 I started writing this book. At the time it was codenamed “The 8 D’s of Self Help” and I had no idea I would keep writing into March (today). I had attempted to write a book several times now in the last decade. Each time I would write a chapter or two and then stop.
But throughout January 2025 I created the basic framework of how I would set it out and I think I had written around 50 pages of content too.
February 2025
I slowed a little into February, possibly due to something hanging over my head and distracting me somewhat – A potential cancer diagnosis can do that to you I suspect. Nevertheless, I had written around 90 pages at this point.
I had also started talking to people about the concept of Ordinary+ (more on this in another post) and found that quite a few people preferred shorter books of this type than longer ones.
I had been thinking I needed to write a 250 page book but most opinions were for a shorter one. I also picked up one of my favourite books of all time: Tribes, by Seth Godin, around 140 pages, a gem of a book.
March 2025
In March I finally got the good news that I had been hoping for, no cancer diagnosis. This unsurprisingly freed up my mind to drive on and continue writing, researching, and chatting about the topic with people I met. As of this moment, I have almost finished what I would call a first write-through. Probably 20 pages off a workable book.
My task for the next two or three months is to continue writing and fine-tuning what I have. My target for April is to have a finished product which I can read through and likely change but in essence a finished book.
What is the book about?
A short summary of what the book is about can be found in my draft back cover notes:
“You are probably wondering what Ordinary+ is and whether you should buy this book, spending your hard earned money on it. After all, it’s only 150 pages or so in length. Not too long a book, but size isn’t everything 
This book is for the everyday person with everyday problems, everyday desires. In other words the average, ‘ordinary’ person.
Of course, most of us ordinary people don’t live ordinary, normal lives. We have aspirations, problems to overcome, and struggles to contend with.
Ordinary+ is about achieving a little more: a little more happiness, a little more success, a little more stability in a frantic, sometimes hard, life.
Each one of us is different of course, therefore, there is no one answer to life’s problems or how to achieve life’s goals.
Whatever your situation now, you likely have things on your mind that you’d like to achieve or do in the future. Perhaps have fewer health (mental and physical) issues to deal with, maybe you’d like to learn to dance or become a decent chess player, or have your financial difficulties resolved.
Being Ordinary+ is about small tweaks to your thinking and actions that can change the course of your life (or others’ lives) for the better.
I did not write this book for those who want to be millionaires (though that would be nice eh?), but for YOU, the ordinary person holding this book right now. Right now, could be the moment your life changes for the better, when you become Ordinary+”
Interested?
If the topic interests you, let me know. I’m considering talking about this stuff on a podcast/YouTube and on social media of course!
So, sign up to the newsletter and let’s get talking about how we can be Ordinary+
