Productivity

405: Evergreen Focus & Motivation: 12 Mind Hacks to Become a Better Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur, and Your Best Self

Listen in as we reveal the twelve secrets all entrepreneurs (including you reading this right now) need to know in order to take massive action and enjoy rapid success.

1. Quiet the Noise: Don't check email or texting in the morning
2. Minimum Viable Product: what's important?
3. Body Health: Exercise, wake up early, drink water, and get a good night's sleep
4. Better Relationships: contempt, criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling (expert John Gottman)
5. Be Present: avoid multitasking, distractions, waiting for X to do Y, or "sticking it out"
6. Write Things Down: journal to document and "crack the nut" plus gratitude list
7. Negative Self Talk: ask better questions about your situation, such as: What's good about this? What action will you take moving forward? Is the thing you're worried about always true in all circumstances?
8. Be Independent: You are in control. Even if luck or people get you down,
9. Be Positive: Why did you get started with your business in the first place? What used to get you excited?
10. Triggers, states, habits, responses
11. Entrepreneurial Skill: distill the information down quick enough to take action. Don't be arrogant. Pay attention. Take the steps and see if you did it correctly. Don't give up.
12. Chunking: Adjust the size of your "laundry basket" to work your productivity muscle (focus muscle)

Quotes:                                                                                                                                   

“Half the battle is just knowing where you're at and knowing what needs to be fixed.” – Robert Plank

“You're in control of everything you're doing today. The day can be spent the way you choose.” – Robert Plank

“Don't just learn and then put it aside. And don't just find a way to talk yourself out of implementing.” – Robert Plank

Takeaways:

02:19 Quiet the noise in your morning by avoiding immediate email and text checks to prevent starting your day in a stressed state.

11:50 Exercise doesn't require complex routines; simple actions like walking can significantly improve mental clarity and physical health.

21:42 Writing down daily tasks increases the likelihood of completing them and helps track actual productivity versus perceived productivity.

29:47 Recognize your emotional triggers and choose to respond differently, breaking predictable patterns that hold you back.

38:14 Focus on completing a few meaningful tasks daily rather than creating overwhelming to-do lists that rarely get finished.

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229: Temporarily Embarrassed Millionaires, the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and Social Policing

Today's Sponsor: Website Remote (manage all your WordPress sites)

Important Quotes from Famous People

• "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." -- Henry Ford
• "The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." -- Charles Bukowski
• "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great." -- John D. Rockefeller
• "Don't compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight reel." -- Pastor Steven Furtick
• "Are you losing belief or do you just wish it was happening faster? Balance ambition with patience." -- Gary Vaynerchuk
• "Every successful person has a rule to never spend more than 10% of time on a problem, but at least 90% on a solution" -- Anthony Robbins

Reminders from Robert Plank

• People have less of what you have and are happy. Others have exactly what you want (if not more) and are unhappy.
• Being upset or stressed about your business is a good thing if you channel it into something positive (growth)
• You're exactly where you're supposed to be right now in your journey. The present probably came very close to not happening as it was supposed to, and the future is probably very close to not happening as it should
• If things are tough, is it possible you're being setup for something better?
• Haven't there been times when you enjoyed taking some action?
• If things are difficult, it's because you're being tested. It's an opportunity for personal growth (feast and famine)
• Your life isn't a straight line or a curve of up's and down's... it's a series of 3-5 year containers
• Have an abundance mindset instead of a scarcity mindset (don't let the little stuff like grudges use up 100% of your CPU)

Talking Points

• Be careful of social policing: it's not up to you to save the world, all you can do is look out for yourself first (but that includes feeling good about helping others)
• Many people aren't calibrated to where they need to be -- Four Daily Tasks, thinking too far (or not enough) in the future or past
• Have the right metric: make money, reduce hours... not just to "show off for them"
• Excuses: "I'm tired" or "I don't have time" or "People aren't buying now" or "I need to wait until..."

Dont's

• Don't be a downer, a victim, a person who puts themselves down
• Don't be a predictable, one-note, cardboard character
• Don't give up, don't use any old excuse to stop unless you seriously believe it
• Don't stop doing something unless you replace it with something else

Do's

• Make it work even if it "seems" the universe is conspiring against you (even though it's not)
• Decide to: let go, have boundaries, get the right priorities, and find the time
• Switch gears, recharge your batteries and take time to calm down instead of just going through the motions
• Wish you were better -- your best is enough but make sure it's your best
• Use failure and frustration as fuel to do better in the future

Quotes:                                                                                                                                   

“Don't compare your behind the scenes to someone else's highlight reel.” – Robert Plank

“People have less of what you have and are happy. Others have exactly what you want, if not more, and are unhappy.” – Robert Plank

“Every successful person has a rule to never spend more than 10% of time on a problem, but at least 90% on a solution.” – Robert Plank

Takeaways:

01:01 Avoid keeping up appearances and focus on genuine business development.

06:09 Stress can be a powerful tool for growth when channeled positively.

09:06 Believing in your business potential creates a self-fulfilling path to success.

17:06 Maintain an abundance mindset instead of getting trapped in scarcity thinking.

30:05 Your best effort is enough, but always strive to improve continuously.

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228: Are You Afraid?

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."
-- Ken Robinson

Here's why I ask if you're afraid...

A bunch of years ago, it was around the holidays and I was hanging out with some friends... we were playing Monopoly and you might know that it's the sort of game that leaves a lot of players super angry by the end...

Well, I didn't mind it too much that one of the guys in our group kept making us start over... as in... if HE was the one who was down on his money, even if the rest of us were doing well, he would suddenly act super sad and push and prod us until we gave in and restarted the game...

If he was raking in the money in Monopoly, he had no problem continuing the game... even if others were having trouble.

It's just a game, we were having fun, and I don't think we actually saw a complete gamethrough to completion that night... BUT... it got me thinking...

Imagine if that friend of mine (I didn't know him that well, he was just someone's brother who happened to be there) had saw one of our games through? Maybe he'd still lose or maybe he would have come out of those "tough times" on the other end, and really enjoyed that rollercoaster ride?

As opposed to starting it over and playing it safe...

What does all this have to do with internet marketing, being an entrepreneur, and growing your online business?

Many People Are Afraid To Actually See Their Business Become A Business...

• It might get tough and scary
• They might have to change course
• They might get confused and not know what to do next
• They might have to admit they were wrong or that something isn't working

Is this "fear" problem something that you can solve in the next 10 seconds? Is it something that won't rear its ugly head sometime later? Heck no... BUT...

If you've felt that you've "restarted the game" too many times and you haven't finished that sales letter, product, or have neglected that blog or podcast... it's possible that you needed to ride the wave of failure down only to ride an even bigger wave of success back up...

But YOU are the only one who can say that statement is true...

I honestly believe that you should focus on whatever you think your best chance of making money is for the next 30 days... commit yourself to that singular goal and take four actions per day in service of that goal...

I also think that a long term goal of yours is to have 300 pieces of content (whatever that means to you -- quick YouTube videos, short podcasts) that lead back to you and your websites, your opt-in forms, your sales letters.

Not 300 pieces of content overnight, but that should be your long-term goal in order to bring in enough traffic to sustain you and your business.

WP Import and Podcast Crusher

I think that our WP Import plugin is a great tool to fill up a blog with content (whether you did or didn't write it yourself) and our Podcast Crusher podcasting course is a wonderful complement to that tool, because podcasting allows you to quickly speak out whatever's on your mind...

AND even have other experts create the content for you, which they will gladly do. I've interviewed 125 people for my podcast in the past 143 days -- it's only been an extra time commitment of about 4 hours per week on my part (it would be a lot less if I chose not to publish 5 days a week which I can always change) ---

It's increased the blog traffic big-ly, opened up a ton of doors (joint ventures) I didn't have previously, and I'm already on the schedule with a few other marketers to appear on THEIR shows, provide value to THEM and introduce ME to THEIR audience.

I hope that in the coming year you aren't afraid to set yourself on the path that has the best chance of success for you, repeat for 30 days with 4 daily tasks with the ultimate goal of 300 pieces of content, repeat / follow-through, and then look back at those 30 days of successes and failures with self-awareness so you can course correct.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you're kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you're successful, you'll win unfaithful friends and genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you're honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy it overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

-- Mother Teresa

Claim the $7 WP Import Plugin

Quotes:                                                                                                                                   

“Many people fear seeing their business truly take shape because it can become tough and intimidating. They might need to change direction, face uncertainty, or feel lost about the next steps.” – Robert Plank

“You might need to ride the wave of failure down only to ride an even bigger wave of success back up.” – Robert Plank

“Focus on whatever you think your best chance of making money is for the next 30 days, and commit yourself to that singular goal and take four actions per day in service of that goal.” – Robert Plank

Takeaways:

00:05 Fear of failure can prevent entrepreneurs from completing important business projects and experiencing potential success.

15:23 Commit to a single money-making goal for 30 days, taking four specific actions daily towards that objective.

22:40 Build a long-term content strategy aimed at creating 300 pieces of content across various platforms to sustain business growth.

26:15 Podcasting can be an efficient way to generate content, network with experts, and expand business opportunities with minimal time investment.

30:50 Persist in your efforts despite potential criticism, setbacks, or lack of immediate recognition.

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088: Create More Free Time, Become Super Productive, and Enjoy the Money Making Process Again

"Be big enough to admit your mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them." -- John C Maxwell

Traps you fall into: perfectionist, self doubt, self defeatist, the stars have to align. I need to "force" myself into getting motivated. Yeah, right.
"Usual" advice I'll skip over: Four Daily Tasks + Camtasia babysitter + accountability partner + computer hotseat + one take content
Usually, the "thing" you have to do is just 5 minutes, or just 1 hour: speak out book, run webinar, send email
Stop multitasking with the phone, email, Facebook, TV. Leave it out of the room.

1. Stop watching TV: biggest time waster (or at least put it off for a couple weeks)
2. Schedule time on the calendar to get it done
3. Throw away the old notes and papers, you don't need that clogging up your mind
4. Don't walk into the office after a specific hour: this forces you to get more done
5. Anchoring: associate your office, sitting at the computer with fun, creativity, productivity, flow state (leave windows open so you can sit down and go)
6. Take short breaks without the phone: it'll be easier to multitask when you get back (take up walking during your breaks if you can)
7. Spend just 5 minutes doing something you love like playing the piano
8. Read a lot more: just one page per night
9. Leisure goals: running a certain distance, scoring high at a certain sport (create something).
10. Enjoy the "fun" of building your business. The meaning is what you make it. Get to the making-money phase and get to stoppable/resumable milestones.

Bonus: Wake up one hour early for an "easy" boost to the day.

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071: Procrastination Solver: How to Achieve Absolute Razor-Sharp Focus and Improve Concentration On Demand

Are your goals S.M.A.R.T. goals? Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Tune into today's program to uncover the tried and true techniques (16 total) to keep yourself motivated, focused, out of the procrastination zoned and focused on getting it all done and achieving that goal:

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Our marketer of the week is Jim Edwards from TheNetReporter. My biggest takeaway from him: just point and shoot PowerPoint for your video. It doesn't need to have quick cuts, fancy edits or be professionally done -- at all.

General Motivation

1. Four Daily Tasks: Business-Building, Deliverable (no degrees of doneness, no chipping away, no to-do lists)
2. Seinfeld calendar (do something small every day so the cycle isn't broken) + 5 day sprint
3. Formula and checklist: for example, 3 part podcasts and "research heavy" blog posts: 100 solutions, group into 4-5 categories and whittle down so it's all meat and no grissle, which leads us to...
4. Reduce and rearrange the raw materials -- SIMPLE mindmapping with FreeMind helps with this.

Absolute Focus

1. Dual monitors: left for viewing, right for creating
2. Remove: distractions, phone, social media, email, TV, news
3. Clear the clutter: delete temporary EverNote notes and delete after you've made the blog post or product. Clear off desktop items at the end of the month. Quick calendar reminders later in the week to "check on" things and then delete.
4. Micro-projects: start on Monday, end on Friday or Saturday. You can restart on Monday, but don't leave things open-ended. (Optimistically pessimistic.)

Procrastination

1. What quick 10 minute activity have you been putting off? Do it now.
2. Accountability partner. Call every hour if you have a really bad "problem."
3. Shut down distractions. Close tabs, uninstall Facebook.
4. Change the pattern. Commit. Don't ask yourself how you "feel" about it. It's a must.

Concentration

1. What are the top 3 things to focus on? Avoid going an inch deep and a mile wide.
2. Meditation (meaning silence and reflectiveness).
3. A state change is as good as rest.
4. Appointment based business: webinars, meetings, Google calendar, TimeTrade coaching calls.

Wise Words to Live By

Three simple rules in life: 1. If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. 2. If you don't ask, the answer will always be no. 3. If you don't step forward, you'll always be in the same place.

What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise. -- Oscar Wilde

You may think the grass is greener on the other side, but if you take the time to water your own grass, it would be just as green.

Philosopher Karl Popper: True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.

Resources

• Four Daily Tasks (Group)
• Four Daily Tasks (Book)
• Time Management on Crack (Website)
• Income Machine (Course)

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