I did something unique this weekend—I left the ranch! I honestly don’t leave very often anymore, as the last two years have allowed me to revel in my natural state of being: reclusive. Creativity needs isolation to bloom, and I love my time alone, but on occasion, I do still make appearances out in the world.

This weekend, I attended a baby shower for a beloved friend, and in talking with other guests (a few of whom were aspiring authors and writers!), I shared a story that I felt I should share with you as well.

After publishing 40 books, I feel like it’s time to let you all in on a little secret: I don’t really know how to write books. I just… do it.

In A Creative Rebel’s Guide to Winning the Game of Life, I shared that I’ve never really known how to do anything I’ve succeeded at… I just try, and it always seems to work out in my favor eventually.

After a handful of New York Times bestsellers under my belt and millions of books sold, I was at a writing/author event and other authors were talking with grave seriousness about how to really nail Act II of a book. They were all shocked when I chimed in to share that I had no idea what Act II of a book actually was. I didn’t know what Act I or Act III was either. And when they started talking about story beats, I just smiled and shook my head. I don’t know what those are either.

Honestly, stunned, might be the best description of the authors at the event in the face of my confessions. There I was, a multi-millionaire, NY Times, USA Today, WSJ best-selling author, and I still didn’t know any of the technical ins and outs of storytelling or writing books.

This is the part of the story where the ladies at the baby shower were having a nice little giggle, and I was too. Because it’s really true that you don’t actually need to know how to do something in order to do it successfully. In my view, you just have to know what you want and then have the courage to give a real shot. Not just a half-hearted effort, but to go after it with real dedication and commitment.

I’ve always said that I only have to know one thing about a person in order to know whether or not they’re going to be successful: How bad do you want it?

I spent the majority of my life as a heat-seeking missile, determined and driven to crush every single goal I set. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I wanted every goal I set very, very badly. And so, I achieved them. All of them. (Which leads into a whole different story about what you learn by setting and achieving all of your goals—but that’s for another time.)

Bottom line: You don’t have to know how to do the thing that you’re secretly dreaming about in order to do it. You just have to believe it’s possible for you to do it and then go out and get started. Give it everything you’ve got. The Universe will show you the way, if you’re willing to commit and really try.

Whatever it is, it’s possible for you.

Whatever it is, you can do it.

Whatever it is, you’ll figure it out along the way.

The Universe is cheering for you and so I am.