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"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.

The Downsize - Part 2

THE FIRST POST IN THIS SERIES IS HERE.

As I mentioned a few days ago, I'm in the process of downsizing my physical environment, getting rid of things that no longer serve me. Old computers, books, electronics, and other household and office items.

There are plenty of good reasons for me to do this, but the main one is because all of my "stuff" is taking energy from me that I feel would be better spent elsewhere. Because of this, I'm also in the process of "downsizing" the non-physical things I deal with as well.

I am currently looking at all of the business projects I'm involved with, evaluating how much I get from these projects in terms of happiness, ease, sense of accomplishment, and other aspects I want more of. In addition, I'm looking at all non-business activities.

I'm leaving town tomorrow, taking five days in Toronto to evaluate everything and come up with a plan of action. During this time, here are a few of the questions I'll be asking myself about each activity and project I am currently involved with.

• How much time does it take?
• How much energy does it take?
• Do I enjoy it?
• What is the monetary payoff?
• What is the emotional payoff?

I've been thinking about this for the last month, so I have some kind of idea of what I'll put into place when I get back, but nothing has been written in stone.

Something to keep in mind, if you're thinking about doing something similar, is just because something worked for you at one time doesn't mean it's still working for you. Because of this, I think the best way to really get clear on what you want is to approach everything with an open mind, be curious, looking at things as a beginner would, and seeing if current beliefs and activities hold water now.

When I do get my plan together, I'll be posting it here, along with updates as to how it is working and what I'm doing to make it work better.

 

Put Yourself First - Why It's Good...

Putting yourself first and making your needs a priority in your life can sound like a very selfish mindset. We all want to be thought of as considerate and we all want to be well-liked by friends, family, and others.

We also like for people to be considerate of us.  And we've all come in contact with people whom we consider jerks because they're selfish and inconsiderate.

Alternatively, we've all seen people who run themselves into the ground trying to please others...

So what's the balance that satisfies your needs and leaves room to accommodate friends, family others in your life?

If you want a happy life, making yourself a priority is essential.  The way you treat your life should be very similar to the way you treat emergency oxygen masks in an airplane.  The real reason you put your mask on first is because you have a small window of opportunity to do so, before you'll pass out...and if you pass out, you won't be any help to your kids or anybody else.

So how do you pick priorities for other, non-emergency situations?  Try this...

Determine what is most important to you by putting your thoughts in writing. List the things, events, people, and places that make you feel good. What are the times that make you feel most powerful and productive?  The activities that lead to these good feelings are the things you want to repeat as often as possible, so turn your focus to making that happen.

Have you ever participated in an Easter Egg Hunt or something similar?  When you get close, you're "getting warmer" and when you get farther away, "getting colder" is what you'll hear. 

Creating the life you want is very similar.  To make this happen as quickly as possibly, you need to focus on the "get warmer" activities.   Making yourself a priority will absolutely require some compromise because we live in the world with other people, as well as our desires, will conflict with our bigger goals.  This is why you want to get clear on your goals and put them in writing.  The more clear you are about your goals, the easier it will be for you to stay on the path that will make them happen.

If you've made a habit of neglecting your own desires, you'll likely encounter opposition from those who are accustomed to having their needs met over yours.  To prepare for this, it may be good idea to let the people in your life know that you're in the process of prioritizing your goals and ask for their assistance in helping make these goals happen.  It's also a good idea to review your goal list daily, since you'll better "internalize" the actions needed to make your goals happen and be able to do them without thin

It may be helpful, in determining how to begin making yourself a priority, to separate some segments of your life and look at them individually. This can help you to "pick your battles" and focus on the priorities that will have the greatest effect on making your goals happen. 

For example, if you're looking to quit working for somebody else, one of your priorities will be to make enough money to do that. To make this happen, when looking at the various segments of your life or business, ask yourself, "Will this activity/purchase make me money?"

Take baby steps.  Once you have the first priority sufficiently handled, you can move on to the next one...

Remember the "oxygen mask" example.  Handle the most important thing first, whatever that is for you, if you want to be able to handle everything else on your list.  Most people, including you, do better focusing on a single task rather than doing multiple things at once.

BONUS TIP:

If you're like me, you get approached all the time by people who want to meet for a "pick your brain" session or to offer new opportunities.  These things can easily throw you off track.  If I said yes to everything, I'd spend 2-3 hours daily (at least) meeting with people and even more time working.

The solution?  Say no!  Be specific.  There is no counter for, "No, I'm sorry, I don't want to do that." Use it.  Anything less specific, such as, "Check with me next month" will only lead to you doing the same activity more than once.  Handle it once and be done with it.

Getting to Bed Early - Good Idea, but How?

I almost never get to bed "on time" and tonight is no exception...even though I have an early appointment in the morning.  Because of this, I'm not exactly qualified to write anything about how to get up early.

So if you have any suggestions, beyond "get a pet" or "have kids," please post them below...

Facebook Murder

Leo Laporte says nobody cares about Google Buzz and that this whole "social media" thing is like shouting into a vast echo chamber where no one can hear, because they're too busy shouting themselves.

I agree.  Which is why I've killed off my Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Both Twitter and Facebook, while very cool in theory, are more of a distraction than anything.  One more thing to do.

So it's time to move on...

Minimalism - I'm Thinking About It...

I've got a nice house.  I was robbed the day after I moved in.  The first thing the cops said when they got here was, "Man, this is a nice place!  What do you do for a living?"

And I've had similar reactions ever since...

Sometimes, that can be a very satisfying feeling.  It's the kind of thing that makes you think, "I've made it."

But the reality is that I'm a single guy in a big ass house and it takes a lot to maintain things.

Can I afford it?  Yes.

Can I keep it clean?  Yes.  That's all hired out.

However, just because I can, does it mean I should?  Do I really need five bathrooms?  How about all that furniture it takes to fill the place?

These are the kinds of questions I've been asking myself lately. 

It's not that I'm miserable or anything like that.  I'm fine.  I am, however, always looking for ways to make my life easier and more comfortable...and why should I expend more energy than I need to in order to be happy?  It's like driving down the street in an 18-wheeler when a standard car will get you and your cargo there just fine.

I've recently had an opportunity sell the house and make this transition happen.  But is is one of those things that is better in theory than practice?  I know I can improve on where I am now, but just how far do I take it?

The whole reason for doing this is to make my life more comfortable.  That's really what I'm looking for-- not simply downsizing because I can.

I get pleasure out of hiring people to work for me.  I like to empower people with good jobs; the kind I would have liked to have when I was working for somebody else.  I like to give money to charity.  I like to invest in new opportunities.

A smaller place with less stuff inside, in addition to being easier to maintain, would allow more time and money for these things.

Other things I'm thinking about as I make this decision...

1. I'd be able to travel a lot more easily. 

If I sell this place, I may not buy another one, choosing instead to rent furnished apartments wherever I feel like living.  That's a pro.

2. I pretty sure I'd be comfortable with the idea of less "stuff" in my house, but I do like the idea of having space to spread out in. 

I like separate space for different things.  For example, I have a separate room for my television because I find television to be a distraction when interacting with people, which is what I use the main room of my house for.

3. A small, inexpensive house?! Would my ego be able to handle this?

Shallow, I know. And what will my clients think? 

Think about this... If you had to hire an attorney, are you going to go for the one in the nice office, with the nice car in the parking lot or the guy who drives a Hyundai and meets you at Starbucks?  Appearance matters.

4. "Real Estate = Good Investment"

Uhhhh...at least it used to. ;)

Yeah, I've probably lost my ass on the house I live in now, but there is still part of me that buys into the  "if you want to make money, invest in real estate" talk that I've heard for all but the last couple of years of my life.

There are a lot of ways to make money though, especially for a creative guy with a marketing background like me.  

5. Owning a House = Stability in Life

This is another inner game thing I'd dealing with.  My business, money, relationships, and everything else in my life could go away at any time.  I like the feeling of having something solid in my life and, somehow, I think "solid = real estate."

Perhaps this is the remnants of being kicked out of an apartment when I was in college...  Or having another apartment with a crackhead landlord who would come into my place whenever she felt like it...

Regardless, I'm working through this and the other things above as I make this decision. 

Feel free to share your thoughts below...