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How To Persevere in 2016

A couple years ago I started pre-defining my years with a single word.

In 2014 my word was Transformational: I wanted to become a different, better person than I was. In 2015 I chose the to Compose my year: I was writing my first book and I was building the life I wanted. So far both terms have accurately described my last two years.

Because I stated how I wanted my upcoming years to be lived, I had a compass for decision making. For example, last year I faced the dilemma of continuing to work with the web design company I was freelancing with or focusing on my book full time. I chose the book. And in retrospect it was an easy choice, a non-decision, really.

Compounding Interest: The Secret To A Successful Career

Compounding Interest- The Secret To Any Successful Career

“If you can’t fly, then run,
if you can’t run, then walk,
if you can’t walk, then crawl,
but whatever you do,
you have to keep moving forward.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When I graduated college I had few tangible skills to show off to potential employers. I slid through a few lower level Finance and Accounting courses, specializing in neither. My chosen emphasis was Management – very broad, very bland. I did, however, have the intangibles employers sought out of inexperienced hires. Thanks to my days playing football I was ready and willing to hustle till I collapsed, I was a quick learner, I worked well with others, and I would gladly take initiative.

I was a slab of clay for my employers to mold. Whatever they taught me was the equivalent of the gold-standard; I didn’t have any other world view to reference!

6 Of The Most Painful Self-Publishing Mistakes I Made While Publishing My First Book

I recently completed my first book. I refer to this experience as “a journey” with anyone who is polite enough to ask. I started the journey two+ years ago and I’ve grown tremendously during that time.

“The impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”
– Annie Dillard

After reading this quote (in Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work!) I knew I had to share my findings as soon my fingers were no longer tasked with typing the story.

Over the last two years I learned how to build a life that allows me to write, how to bring out my best creativity and so much more. I learned something every day I sat down to work on the book. Since I don’t want these lessons to turn into my second book, these are a few of the most painful self-publishing mistakes I made along the way. Since I know many people in my audience haven’t published a book, I have paired these lessons with applications outside of the publishing realm.

How to Be a Better Person: 15 Painless Ways to Invest In Yourself

My former company recently asked me to speak at their national conference. I didn’t leave on “good” terms with a couple people, so I thought the invitation was odd. I met the request with skepticism, but ultimately chose to oblige out of respect for the person who brought up the idea. The experience humbled me, inspired me, and energized me to revisit musings about productivity, leadership, and self-investment.

One of the slides on my power point presentation read,

You owe it to yourself & the people around you to be the best version of you.

The Most Underrated Quality of an Awesome Leader

A business requires numerous things for success. For starters, ideas.

The business then requires follow through on said ideas. The business requires a little luck. It will require some sleepless nights and some early mornings. At some point it will require sales whether you like or not Mr. IAmNotASalesman. It requires resources like money, time, or and knowledge. It requires a hint of arrogance. It requires sacrifice and optimism and a number of other practices that most people have never thought of or even considered.

self-dis·ci·pline (noun) – The ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.

The most underrated value that a successful business requires, though, is discipline. There is no shortage of ideas, but there’s few people willing to sit down and hammer on those ideas until they form into something tangible, something that produces cash-flow.

The Most Counterintuitive Way to Take More Risks

1 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup Chopped Organic Green Bell Peppers
1/2 Cup Chopped Organic Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Protein (Lean Turkey/Lean Chicken/Grilled Fish)
1/2 Cup Organic Black Beans
1 Dash of Hot Sauce

This is lunch, every day of the working week. A few office mates think I have screws loose for being so plain. From their perspective my Spartan diet brings unnecessary regimen into a creative space. A space in which we are paid to be innovative.

They’re only half right. Regimen, yes. Unnecessary, not so much.

What If…Overcoming “Scared to Death” Syndrome

I’m scared to death of pushing forward with this book.

I said it. I can back out anytime. I can give up and walk away, in a few weeks nobody will ever care… except me, of course. And no offense to y’all, but in this instance, y’all don’t matter.

What if I’m not interesting?

What if I make a mistake?

What if I bore people?

What if I quote someone wrong?

What if I don’t look professional?

What if I don’t seem authentic?

What if everyone finds out I’m not that smart?

What if I’m called out for not playing much?

What if I’m ridiculed by my peers?

What if nobody cares?

What if the school won’t back me?

What if nobody understands my perspective?

What if I blow the deadline?

What if I’m laughed by real authors?

But then again… What if I don’t try? Nothing. Nothing at all will happen. And I’ll be left with the curse of “what if…” running through my head until it drives me insane.

5 Steps to Getting Better Sleep and Being More Productive

Being wasteful is pompous. Some people prefer wasting talent, some time, others their resources. I see something deeply irresponsible about being wasteful.

As a result of my inability to waste time, I’ve forced myself to be as productive as possible. I have studied and implemented productivity hacks and time saving tips throughout my days. But there is one hack that improves the rest with ease.

Start At The Top Of The Funnel

Last week, I heard Noah Kagan on an episode of The Tim Ferriss Show say,

“Work on things at the top of the funnel that will improve everything else.”

Most of us don’t have the same funnels. Our daily tasks and specialized positions don’t allow us to make a boiler-plate “this is how to be more productive handbook,” that fits everyone’s life.

One thing we all have in common is our need for sleep. According to Gallup, over 40% of Americans don’t get enough sleep. I was a part of this majority for a number of years. I didn’t sleep enough and I didn’t sleep well. I told myself and others, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” and kept burning the midnight oil. I worked early, I stayed up late, and ultimately I wore myself down.

Then, I rediscovered sleep.

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