Private Victory [dot] com

God Hates Procrastinators

Or is it procrastination itself? You know, love the sinner, hate the sin...

Regardless, I've been working on new book for the last year. I'm really close to being done, with maybe 10,000 words to go, but as I get closer, I find that I'm running into more resistance.

In short, it's getting harder and harder to write.

Have been working with a business coach for the last year and talked to him about this earlier today. His solution was something called a "punitive nudge."

So I've just written out several $250 checks to Westboro Baptist Church and sent them to him. If I miss a day of writing, he mails one.

And I'm not going to let that happen...

"The Plan" - Two Weeks In

It's been two weeks since I got back from Toronto, where spent a few days coming up with a plan to help my efforts to both get more done and downsize.

The plan was to...

• Start at 8am
• Follow Daily Morning Routine of Yoga and Meditation
• Have a Healthy Breakfast
• Write on New Book for 60 Minutes
• Check Email for 30 Minutes
• Take a Break and Eat Lunch
• Hit the Gym
• Finish Open Projects*
• Shut Everything Down by Midnight

*Open projects currently include editing already written manuscripts, marketing stuff (big ideas) for projects that we're currently developing, checking in with project managers, finish producing about 12 audio books we have in the works, and about 12-15 other things, which all involve creative marketing related tasks like writing sales copy and slogans.

How it is coming? Glad you asked!

I've done pretty well about staying on task for continuing to develop our passive streams of income. I'm great when it comes to getting most things done (even if it's eventually) as well as the "big picture" stuff that I can outsource to other people on the team.

Where I fail is actually sitting down to do "important" work, which right now is the book I'm currently writing. That has taken a lot of focus as well as energy, which is one of the reasons I have breaks built on throughout my day.

Obviously there is some procrastination on this particular project and I think it has a lot to do with how important it is. I wouldn't say that there is a lot riding on it, because I'll be fine with or without another successful book, but in many ways, this is the most important book I've ever written, because it's going to contain a good chunk of what I've learned from working in the music business since 1995 and what I feel will allow musicians to prosper in the current environment, which most consider to be very crazy. Plus, there are a lot of people waiting on it.

You would think that knowing a lot of people want what you've got would make a project more exciting to create, but even thought I'm not somebody who feels a lot of pressure regarding most business things, I'm finding that the pressure has affected me more than I would have imagined.

So here is what I'm doing...

I'm focusing on writing daily, putting in as much time as I'm able to give my "best" work, and basically ignoring the release schedule I set for myself. Probably the biggest reason I've had any success with business has been my ability to consistently take little actions, which added up to bigger actions.

Is the writing always great? I'm so close to the project that it's tough to tell, but probably not. Am not worrying about that though. I'll have editors to help me piece everything together. May hire a ghostwriter to tighten things up as well.

The important thing for me is to keep going, trusting that the process will get me the results I want.

10 Years from Today

NOTE: This is Day 29 of a 30-day writing challenge. As I'm not in charge of the "prompts" I receive to write about, some of the topics discussed during this challenge may not directly have to do with this blog's topic of entrepreneurship. But I'll try to make them fit... :)
 

"Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

What's happening in my life right now is 10x better than anything I imaged 10 years ago. Because of this, it's hard to say where I'll be 10 years from now or what a message from my "future self" would look like.

On one hand, I like to plan, but on the other, I like to leave things open to possibilities. If you hold on too tight to a specific vision, it keeps other things, which might actually be better than what you're putting your focus on, from coming in.

With that said, I think one of the things in a message from my future self would definitley be, "Go big, find the ease, and have fun with it."

That Guy

NOTE: This is Day 26 of a 30-day writing challenge. As I'm not in charge of the "prompts" I receive to write about, some of the topics discussed during this challenge may not directly have to do with this blog's topic of entrepreneurship. But I'll try to make them fit... :)
 

"I do not wish to expiate, but to live. My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it be genuine and equal, than that it should be glittering and unsteady. I wish it to be sound and sweet, and not to need diet and bleeding." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Yesterday, I wrote about one of the concepts I am trying to spread with my new book, which is that small, incremental progress, when you stick with it, will get you big results. When I was younger, I learned this from playing music. As I've gotten older, I've seen it with other aspects of my life such as money (both positive and negative growth, by the way...big debt doesn't usually happen at once) and fitness.

After my first year of college, I moved out of a dorm into a small apartment. In the complex was a guy, probably in his early 30s. I don't know his story, because I never got to know him that well, but I remember saying to my roommate, "In 15 years, I don't want to be that guy."

My business has grown a lot since I started it in 1995. I owe that to the concept of small, incremental progress. Work a little every day, adding to what you did previously, and you end up in a place with a lot of skills, customers, noteriety, money, property, or whatever else it is you focus your energy on.

But what about the stuff I haven't focused my energy on? The main one is probably a quality relationship, which is a good explaination for why I'm not in one right now. :)

So I am "that guy" when it comes to a relationship.

It can happen quite easily. The key is to not do anything.

Doing something, even if you screw it up, is better that doing nothing...as long as you're willing to learn from your mistakes and change up things for your next attempt.

The things we absolutely have to get right – nothing else matters.

NOTE: This is Day 25 of a 30-day writing challenge. As I'm not in charge of the "prompts" I receive to write about, some of the topics discussed during this challenge may not directly have to do with this blog's topic of entrepreneurship. But I'll try to make them fit... :)
 

"The secret of fortune is joy in our hands." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Working on a new book about the music business. Have I mentioned that? Probably.

Was talking to the "big boss" about my goals for it and told her I want to sell 100,000 of them, which should be pretty easy when you considerer that I've been at this music business thing since 1995, have a big mailing list, a popular blog on the subject, and a syndicated radio show that goes out ot a ton of people each week. And even easier since "sell" actually means "give away" in this case, although there will be a version for sale, should you want pay for the ease of reading something on Kindle or a go "old school" with a paperback copy.

Her response was, "THAT IS TOTAL EGO!! WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE BOOK?!!"

So here are my non-sales goals for the book (which, in a strange twist, will help sales)...

1. I want to provide value for musicians who are looking for an alternative to working a job they hate, while doing what they love as a hobby. They need to know it is possible to do what you love and get paid for it (as well as how to do it).


2. I want to provide inspiration for kids who are coming up, the kids who are at the stage that I was once, who have a dream of doing music for a living, but aren't as lucky as I was to grow up in a music town like Nashville, and are without the mentors who can show them where to start or push them in the correct direction when they get off-track. 


3. I feel that music is more than just a hobby-- it provides valuable life skills for people, such as the skills necessary to work as a group. It develops listening skills. It shows you that if you stick with something, you will get better at it, maybe not quickly, but through small, incremental steps. I want to assist people by helping them to develop these skills.

This book isn't really about music; it's about possibilities. Not everybody who reads it is going to be a successful musician, but I do hope that everybody who reads it will be inspired to look at what is possible when you're willing to work on yourself.

Speak Less

NOTE: This is Day 19 of a 30-day writing challenge. As I'm not in charge of the "prompts" I receive to write about, some of the topics discussed during this challenge may not directly have to do with this blog's topic of entrepreneurship. But I'll try to make them fit... :)
 

"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know I." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Have a close friend who was trying to lose weight once. She let me know about it, but mentioned that she wasn't going to tell anybody else, since he had done that before and it had sabotaged her success. Apparently, some people who want you to fail.

As I try to surround myself with people who want me to succeed, I think of things a little differently when it comes to this. I think it's great to mention your plans, at least to you "inner circle" of friends.

Letting trusted people know about what you're doing can hold you accountable for what you say you're going to do and also get you good feedback on how you can improve on it. If you approach things like this, this, why wouldn't you share your plans with people?

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and here are three reasons why you might not want to let people know what you're working on...

1. You don't have a good support system. 
   
   As mentioned above, not everybody wants to see you do well and there are some people who actually want to see you fail. If you have people like this in your life, get some new friends.
   
   The big problem here isn't that you shouldn't tell people what you're doing; the problem is that you don't have good people to tell things to. 
   
   
   
2. You like to talk about something more than actually do it.
   
   In Nashville, we have a lot of songwriters. The reality about songwriting is that it's much more fun to sit in a bar and talk about how you're a songwriter than it actually is to write a song.
   
   Are you talking about your plans more than you're actually working on them? If your plans aren't coming together like you want, that's a question to ask yourself.
   
   
   
3.  You haven't thought things out...
   
   This happened to me with my current book project. I was inspired and had big plans to write, edit, and publish a book in 30 days. 
   
   Unfortunately, I announced my plan to tens of thousands of people and had to announce a month later that I had overestimated by ability to make this happen. Most people were understanding, but many were disappointed and I got a few nasty emails.
   
   In the end, it probably wasn't a huge deal that I missed the deadline, but I'm sure I planted a seed of doubt in many people, even if it was unconcious, about my ability to follow through with what I say I'm going to do.
   
   I've written several books. I know what it takes to get one out. Still, I was very inspired and telling myself, "This one won't be that long! It will be easy to write!"
   
   Don't let emotion trump common sense. 

Making Goals Happen

NOTE: This is Day 17 of a 30-day writing challenge. As I'm not in charge of the "prompts" I receive to write about, some of the topics discussed during this challenge may not directly have to do with this blog's topic of entrepreneurship. But I'll try to make them fit... :)
 

"Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

What's keeping you from achieving your goals?

Two things...

1. Clarity
2. Consistent and Progressive Action

It's been said that a goal is just a dream unless it's written down. Dreaming is fine, and it's a part of goal setting, but simply saying, "I'd like __________" without putting any more energy behind it won't make it happen.

Writing down your goals is one way to put energy behind what you want to happen. For one, writing something on paper takes it out of your head and produced a physical manifestation of the idea, which has its own energy. More importantly though, writing something down gets you to focus on it and doing this consistently will change your perceptions about what is possible for you to achieve.

For the last couple of years, I've taken a list of 10 main goals I want to make happen, written then down daily, and backed that up by writing down at least three actions that I'm taking to make those goals happen. It has kept me focused on what I want and enabled me to make things happen more quickly than I originally thought would be possible.

Don't know where to start? Try this...

1. Make a list of everything you want to have in your life, whether it be something you consider small, like a hot cup of tea every morning, or something you consider to be "out of reach" such as a fleet of high-end sports cars.
   
    
2. Go through that list, anaylzing everything on it, and asking, "Why do I want this?"
   
   Doing this part is necessary because sometimes that things we say we want are actually standing between us and what we really want. This happens most often with financial goals. You don't really want money, but the things that money can buy. And you don't really want the things money can buy, but the feelings you get from those things.
   
   For example... You don't want $1,000,000 to buy a house, you want the house. And you don't want the house as much as you want to have a great living environment that is comfortable and rejuvinating.
    
   But I'm not here to judge! Sometimes you will have money goals on your list. I have them on my list. Why? It's a specific and measureable way that I can keep track of the value I am providing people.
   
    
3. Narrow what you want to a list of things you can focus on daily. For me, the number is 10. Your list may be more or less.
   
    
4. Write down the things on your list daily, adding three actionable steps that you can take to make these things happen. For example, if "Pay Off $25,000 in Debt" is on your list, write down actionable ways that you can either earn more money or spend less.

That's it!

I suggest trying it for 90 days to see how it works for you. During this time, you should notice that your thoughts, which will soon affect your actions, become more and more focused, helping you to make your goals happen.

NOTE: I keep my goals in a "blank book" that can be picked up from most any office supply store for maybe $7. If you're looking for something to help you with a little structure, a few years ago, I released a book called How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be - Goal Achievement System for Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and the Self-Employed that you might find helpful.

Good luck!

The Future

NOTE: This is Day 16 of a 30-day writing challenge. As I'm not in charge of the "prompts" I receive to write about, some of the topics discussed during this challenge may not directly have to do with this blog's topic of entrepreneurship. But I'll try to make them fit... :)
 

"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

I've met many people over the years ago have delayed striking out on their own for 20 or more years, often finishing up "safe" corporate gigs so they'd have some kind of security in place before doing something "risky" like starting their own companies.

Most of these people don't have huge success on their own.

Is it because they don't have the skills needed to work outside a structured, corporate environment? Maybe. I think it's more because these people are "future" oriented, thinking about what might happen in a few months or years rather than what is happening now.

Don't get me wrong; I am a definite believer in delayed gratification and putting in the effort today, so you'll be able to have a more enjoyable and relaxed tomorrow. The process should be an enjoyable one though and if you're sacrificing your health or dream today, by doing something you can't stand, maybe it's time to look for something else. No future is worth that, because the future is not guaranteed.

Singular Focus

NOTE: This is Day 14 of a 30-day writing challenge. As I'm not in charge of the "prompts" I receive to write about, some of the topics discussed during this challenge may not directly have to do with this blog's topic of entrepreneurship. But I'll try to make them fit... :)
 

"Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

It helps to focus on one thing and do it really well, as opposed to spread yourself so thin that you do nothing well. There are overlaps, of course. Somebody like Steve Martin, for example, is a great musician, a great writer, a great performer, and a great actor. Those are all skills related to "entertainment" though and he didn't become famous by doing all of them; he started with one and built upon that foundation.

The question... Will you be able to achieve everything you want?

The answer is yes, if you can stick to something with singular focus, long enough to get it going. Too often, we try to do everything at once and, while thing makes sense in theory, it doesn't often work in the real world.

Financial guru Dave Ramsey advises people in debt to pay off their bills one at a time. This is so you can mentally be done with something and move your focus to something else. 

If you're going into a franchise business, you build one store at a time, so you can get something up and making money, rather than have several stores "in progress" and costing money.

Whatever it is that you want to do, even if it's multiple things, focusing on one project at a time is the best way to make it happen. Get something up and running on its own, using its own momentum to keep going while you move your energy to something else. As you complete more and more projects, your capacity to do more work and completely them more quickly and easily will grow.

And that's how you grow an empire...

What Now?

NOTE: This is Day 13 of a 30-day writing challenge. As I'm not in charge of the "prompts" I receive to write about, some of the topics discussed during this challenge may not directly have to do with this blog's topic of entrepreneurship. But I'll try to make them fit... :)
 

"When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name; the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

In my effort to become a better radio host, I've started taking regular improv classes to develop my ability to roll with the ever changing situations that I face when interviewing somebody. 

Examples...

• The guest I've prepared to interview is replaced with another guest at the last minute.
• A question I think will be answered one way is answered in another way (or not at all).
• We have extra time to fill.
• Somebody shows up late and we have to complete the session in half the normal time.

An actor who is good at improv does into the scene with an open mind, waiting for the scene to present itself. Starting something off with a preconceived idea, such as, "This scene takes place in a car lot" goes out the window when somebody else on stage says, "Wow, I'm so glad to be on this cruise ship" or something equally different.

To be good, you have to be flexible.

Life is like that. The best results come from looking at an overview of the "big picture" backed up with small steps, which are not only easier to accomplish than something big all at once, but can also be adjusted to account for any variables that come up.

The movie business used to make the majority of its money from showing its product in big theaters. When the VCR came out, it scared them, because they didn't see the opportunity on the table.

But the opportunity, even the one on the table, was bigger than anybody ever imagined. Not only where there sales of video cassettes, there were rentals. And now there are rentals without the video cassette. And there is licensing to cable networks. And there is satellite television. And opportunites to sell downloads, such as what Amazon and iTunes do.

Today, the movie business makes more money than ever.

This is what happens when you're open to the scene developing...