Week 15: RETURN TO THE PIR

This week I spent some time thinking about the mechanics of the weekly tasks and came up with some breakthroughs. I have returned to the PIR (Planning, Implementation, and Reflection) format and have been able to clearly identify what goes in each category and have listed them below:

PLANNING: This is where you identify the task that you want to complete, schedule a time to complete it, and prepare on how to turn Waiting Time = Developing Time (WT=DT). 

This week I wanted to buy Scrivener to start writing and organizing my thoughts on the book. I scheduled to complete the task on Wednesdayin the morning, as I knew we had some free time that day. Additionally, I put this task of buying Scrivener into my gTask pro app so I would not forget as well. Lastly, I uploaded the Book In A Box pdf to turn any WT = DT.

IMPLEMENTATION: This is where you include the strategies that you used to execute your task. 

This week I used my strategy to put reminders in high traffic areas and James Clear's strategy of SCHEDULING to complete my task. Just like advertisements, the more you see something the more apt that you will take the steps to complete the task. In addition, setting a time to complete the tasks saves will power as you have already made the choice when to complete the task, but also allows you to relax as you know there is a set time for you to do so. 

Photo Credit: Neils Linneberg via compfight 

Lastly, I incorporated Jeff Goins' 3-Bucket system of writing. In this process you have three buckets: 

1. Ideas

2. Writing

3. Editing

Usually I try to do all three buckets at once, but this week I stored ideas on my phone, wrote the post, and then edited it at a later time. This really actually made the process much more efficient. 

REFLECTIONS: This is where you add the learnings from the the task itself or completing the task. In additon, you can add the action steps that you can takeaway for the following week.

Although I planned, scheduled, and put strategies into place this week I still did not complete the task at the specified time. The key thing is that I did complete the task and did not judge that I did not complete the tasks exactly like I planned. As I reflected at the end of the week, I made some connections to some learnigns from previous weeks. 

First, is the idea of Type-1 and Type-2 fun mentioned by Joanna Penn. She said that a friend of hers said that activities can be broken up into two categories of fun. Type-1 fun, which is immediate gratification in the activity, for example, going to a concert of our favorite musician. You have fun by just being at the concert and listening to music. Type-2 fun on the other hand, are activities that do not produce immediate gratification and are at times challenging and difficult. You feel the fun or pleasure after you have completed or achieved a goal. For example, the process of discovering, pursuing, and achieving your dreams. It has been 15 weeks now that I have been committed to my weekly tasks in writing a book about 52 in 52. I will admit that there have been weeks when there was no Type-1 fun, but the key has been that I have been consistent each week in completing the tasks. 

Second, is the Cumulative Effect that James Clear wrote about in his blog. He wrote that his blog grew exponentially in mailing list subscribers when he committed to publishing two articles every week. It did not matter, every Tuesday and Thursday he would publish a piece of writing. This produced two benefits, first, he was able to remove clutter and produce better work, and second, he was able to aggregate his small gains to produce significant results. For example, he grew is mailing list to over 500,000. James said "Show up every week and devote yourself to improving in small amounts, as this can produce significant results in a short amount of time." This corresponds to the completion of the weekly tasks. The cumulative effect of showing up every week and completing the task to help you improve in small amounts will help you discover, pursue, and achieve your dreams. 

Thanks for tuning in and look forward to seeing you week 16.

Week 14: WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS AND OBSTACLES?

PLANNING: This week the intention was to talk to three people about what their dreams were and the major obstacles that they faced. I decided this on Sunday and planned to do it throughout the week. 

SCHEDULING: I left this a little open this week and tried completing this task during my everyday conversations. In theory, the flexibility should have allowed me to get this done quite easily, but I ran into some difficulties that I will mention in my Learnings section. 

IMPLEMENTATION: I was able to complete the task of talking with three people this week and two main things allowed me to do this. First came a strategy from Jeff Goins who said that action will follow mindset. This means to change your mindset to being a pro at whatever you do, find out what the pros do in that field, and consistently do that on a daily basis. For me, if I want to complete 52 tasks in 52 weeks to discover, pursue, and achieve my dreams, then I have to model what other successful people do. Second is what I learned last week from Tim Ferris who said that the most important habit to have is to "stick to key habits, especially when you don't want to." 

LEARNINGS: This week I set out to find out what peoples dreams were and what their major obstacles they had. I thought it best to see what major hurdles people face, so that I can eventually finds ways to help them overcome them in the process of discovering, pursuing, and achieving your dreams. All three individuals had different responses to both questions and they are listed below:

• Person 1 (female): This person said her dreams were to help those that are less fortunate through volunteering or other programs. She also said that her major obstacles are FEAR of not succeeding in trying something new by not having the necessary skills, for example language.

• Person 2 (male): This person's dream is to work for a major publication as a journalist. He said his major obstacle was lack of experience in the field. 

• Person 3 (female): This person said she would like to be a sculptor and her major obstacle was availability of studios. 

Although each person said different things there are some similarities. For example, person 1 and 2, the lack of experience could cause the anxiety of not succeeding in a new field. This will be interesting as I continue to gather feedback, but hopefully themes will start to appear and I will be able to identify and find solutions to the major obstacles that we face in discovering, pursuing, and achieving our dreams. 

Additionally, I wanted to add the insights I gained from the process of completing the task this week. I had some difficulty completing the task of talking to three people and asking them what their dreams were and their major obstacles standing in their way. At the end of the week I had a quality reflection period and I was able to come away with three big learnings:

1) Knowledge is not power, but EXECUTION is. This came up in my weekly reading of Money-Master the Game by Tony Robbins. I say this because last week I gained the knowledge that I made completing the task difficult, as I did not incorporate earlier strategies that had worked. Although I gained that knowledge, I still did not follow through on writing my tasks out in high traffic areas or scheduling out specific times to complete the task. It is certain that this week I will make it a point to commit to these strategies so that I can complete next weeks task easier. 

2) PLANNING is a crucial step. This past Sunday I decided on what to do, but then I did not clearly plan out specifically how, when I was going to do it. As I reflected at the end of the week, it stemmed from not having a clear plan. In previous weeks I blocked out certain times and even uploaded the websites that I needed on both mobile devices and laptops at home. It was an AHA moment, when I was able to identify this. 

3) Appreciate more, and judge less. For some reason I feel that if I complete the task earlier in the week and am able to do more, then the week was much more of a success than other weeks where I struggle to complete the tasks. I have learned that you can not judge one week from another, as the main goal is to complete your 52 in 52 and use the cumulative effect of consistently completing tasks.There will be great weeks, but their will be more challenging weeks. The key is to commit to completing the tasks that help you discover, pursue, and achieve your dreams.

Thanks for tuning in and in the comment sections please share what are your dreams and obstacles? 

Week 13: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ROUTINE

Photo Credit: S. Su

SCHEDULE: This week I planned to create an Instagram account for 52 in 52 and read at least one hour about the process of writing a book form Book In A Box. This site gives you a step by step process of writing a book, without writing. I know it sounds counterintuitive but it is quite logical once you read it. 

IMPLEMENTATION: I was able to incorporate the idea that I had learned from earlier weeks about meaningful results being produced in a short amount of time. Although I did have bigger pockets of time this week, life happened and others tasks had to be completed. The key was that I was disciplined and committed to completing the tasks. This reminds me of what Time Ferris mentioned about habits on his 5-Bullet Fridays post,  Tim has a lot of quality information and shares his top 5 on a weekly basis. He said in a post that,

"Practicing key habits when we don’t want to is the most key habit of all." 

LEARNING: This was the first week in about two months where I did not watch a video from the self-publishing website (because I finished them all). I have to admit it was a little harder as each week I knew exactly that I would watch a video and learn from each of the guest speakers. This week I had to choose another task, and although that sounds easy, it was difficult. I did some reflection and saw that the routines that I had set-up to watch the videos were for some reason not incorporated. This caused some frustration, which was misplaced on my wife Meggo (sorry). The more I thought about it, the task itself should not make a difference as I should have a system in place to complete the task, whatever it is. For example, usually I write notes in high traffic areas of the task of the week...not done this week. Many other things came up this week that needed to be completed and those took up the time where I usually watch the video modules. 

This is where the strategies from James Clear came up again. He says to SCHEDULE times for your chosen task, and let that drive you completing them. This is a better option than waiting for motivation, which is sporadic at best, and the right external circumstances to do so. This was a valuable learning, but more important is the application of this knowledge. Below is a list of actions to take to avoid completing tasks in the future.

1. Create a routine where you schedule specific times for you to complete your task. If you think you have no time, then complete a weekly audit and write down how you use your time. You should be able to find some available time to schedule time for YOU to complete your tasks. 

2. Let the schedule drive you completing your tasks, not motivation or the right external circumstances. If everything has to be right, then you will wait forever. 

3. Do not judge your work, create it! I am really bad at this, but improving everyday. It is your job to be consistent and create the work. If you constantly judge it, whatever you are trying to do will never get done. Schedule a time, complete the task, and learn from the process. If you do this consistently then the cumulative effect of what you do on a weekly basis will produce quality results. 

Thanks for tuning in this week and see you next week...J

12 Weeks In: YOUR POTENTIAL EXPANDS AS YOU MOVE TOWARD YOUR POTENTIAL

Photo Credit: Painting Lesbon by Pedro Ribeiro Simoes 

PLANNING AND SCHEDULING: This week I set out to finish the last video module on the self publishing site on tips about writing a book. Megan and I had a date night when I usually watch the module, so I scheduled in advance to watch the video during a planning time at school. As similar to other weeks, I uploaded the site to my web browser so it pops up automatically. 

IMPLEMENTATION: I pre-committed and focused on the 2-minute rule this week. Pre-committing is a great strategy to conserve will power on making decisions. Just be deciding that you are already going to do something at a given time avoids the inner battle to complete the task or not. The decision has already been made. Although this sounds simple, there is that inner voice that pops up, and this is where the 2-minute rule comes in to save the day. I focused on the first 2-minutes of watching the video and writing the post and that in itself propels me to finish the tasks. With both of these strategies I watched the video on the scheduled time and am writing this post as Meggo and Tae are taking a nap. 

LEARNING: This week I have been rethinking the idea about PIR and maybe changing it to PSILA, which stands for Planning Scheduling Implementation Learning and Actions. This fits more with what is guiding me on my weekly tasks and just feels right. 

Additionally, I was able to come up with the hook for 52 in 52 after about three weeks of wrestling with it. An easy, sustainable way to discover, pursue, and achieve your DREAMS. This combines a lot of what I have learned from the first 12 weeks. For example, in week 10 Joanna Penn spoke about the process of discovering your passions and that really resonated with me. This statement will drive how I move forward with writing and completing the book. 

Lastly, this week I had the pleasure to learn from Marisa Peer. Marisa is a best selling author of four books, a behavioral expert, and has been a therapist with olympic athletes and A-list celebrities. She had many great insights and they are listed below:

-Writing a book is like painting a picture. You are not quite sure at the beginning of the process, but then you draw a house and then a mountain and the whole canvas comes together. The same with a book, as you might start with chapter 2, 7, or even the conclusion and that will lead to filling in the periphery elements.

-If you want to sell books, write what READERS would like to read. Identify the problem and then work towards solving it. 

-Three main things about the brain. 1)It does what you think you want it to do. 2)It responds to pictures in your head and words that you tell it. 3) It likes what is similar. The first two facts connect to what I have been learning about the power of visualization and affirmations. If you think or tell your self something enough times, it will come true. 

-A couple of great quotes 

"Your potential expands as you move towards your potential." 

This resonated with me, as often times we don't know exactly how we will complete new tasks, but if you take the necessary steps you gain the necessary skills to complete the task in the end. 

"The minute you commit to something providence works with you." 

This connects to what Rhonda Byrne wrote about with the Law of Attraction and the idea that when you start something the universe works with you. 

"Belief with out talent will get you farther than talent with out belief, but if you have both you are unstoppable."

This reminds me of what Will Smith talked about in an interview where he believes that he is not the most talented, but he possess a work ethic greater than anyone. He talked about getting on a treadmill and running until he beat the person next to him because he has that inner belief that he will last longer than the other person. In addition, it ties into what Jeff Goins said last week about how activity follows identity. Change your mindset first and then activity will follow. 

-An important theme that kept coming up was the idea to have 100% faith in you self and to just start. This tied into a lot of what Marissa explained in the interview. She finished by saying you just don't know until you start, so have faith and just start!

ACTIONS: The learnings from the week come at the perfect time as next week I will actually be starting to write. There were many great tips that I learned from Marisa, but the main one that I will incorporate is to have FAITH in my self that I can write this book and JUST START, as we don't know until we start. 

Lucky 11: DEADLINES FORCE CREATIVITY

PLANNING AND PREPARING: This week I wanted to finish one of two last videos in the self publishing site, but also had to work around a short week. I pre-committed and scheduled time to watch the video and make an outline of the post for this week before I left for the beach. In addition, I uploaded the video on both my laptop and iPhone so I could turn any waiting time into developing time.

IMPLEMENTATION: As I mentioned above this was a short week, and although it was a challenge as their was a time constraint, I still was able to complete the tasks. I am finding that nap times are a great time to devout to the weekly tasks as both Megan and Tae are peacefully sleeping. This time also helps me focus as I know that it is finite but also that both of them will not need my attention during that time.

REFLECTION: I am learning that every week that by watching each video that I learn other things indirectly. For example, by making a point to watch the video with a time constraint taught me

The lesson that you can always find time if you need it. This is true as a constraint sparks your creativity. James Clear wrote how constraints are a key to creativity as it makes you automatically think how you can solve a problem in a way that overcomes the obstacle. 

I had the pleasure of learning from Jeff Goins today. He is author of four books, including the ART OF WORK. In addition, he is a speaker and entrepreneur. A lot of useful insights and I have listed them below:

•Simple question to ask if you are following your dream. Are you succeeding at the wrong things and where will this take me in 10 years? What is your dream and what are the obstacles standing in your way of accomplishing?

•Two actions to follow to achieve your dreams.

1 Be honest with what you enjoy

2 Disciplined and doing it day in day out

•In order to become a pro in whatever task you choose, ask what does a pro (of whatever profession) do and then do that everyday. Jeff had a great quote, "activity follows identify." This also validates what Jack Canfield, best selling author of the chicken soup for the soul series, said about acting as if you are already the person you want to be in order to be successful. The key is to change your mindset first and activity will follow.

•Deadlines force creativity and helps produce results. This ties back to what James Clear wrote about constraints and how they spark creativity.

•For any book, create somethign you want to read.

•Write everyday using the 3 bucket system

1 IDEA. Gather all ideas in one location.

2 DRAFT. Choose an idea and draft a version of it.

3 EDIT. Polish a draft in order to publish.

Do this on a daily basis to not make it overwhelming and create buffer for blog or book. This idea also ties into the Equal Odds Rule, which says that if you create more, you create more opportunities to hit your target.

•Creativity is a chaotic experience, but it brings order out of chaos. For example, writing a book is taking a lot of ideas and connecting them in a coherent manner.

•Clutter is the enemy of creativity. Although this will vary from person to person, the more clutter you have the less creative you can be.

LEARNING: This week I think something that I can start implementing is the idea that "activity follows identify." If I want to be an entrepreneur/writer/DJ I need to change my mindset that I am that person and then do tasks on a daily basis in order to become a pro in that field. 

WEEK 10: DEVOUT TIME TO THE PROCESS OF DISCOVERING WHAT YOU LOVE

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/58571789@N00/5709324762/">pamhule</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>

Planning and Preparing: This week I wanted to continue by watching another series in the self publishing series. As always, I prepared in advance by uploading the page on my iPhone and laptop. In addition, I made a schedule in order to complete the tasks as it is better to stick to a schedule rather than waiting to be motivated to complete the task.

Implementation: this week I focused on the 2-minute rule, which states to focus just on the first two minutes of initiating a task rather than the whole task it self. Sometimes it can get overwhelming to think of finding time, making sure Meggo and Tae are ok, and then focusing for at least an hour on the video, but just focusing on turning on the laptop and having my notepad ready makes me start the process. 

Reflection: Some great learnings this week. First, was the lesson that you do not need huge blocks of time to create meaningful work. I felt that I would need a huge block of time to complete the tasks, but have learned in recent weeks that 10 minutes here or 16 minutes there can give you the time to create meaningful work. Although, it is great to be able to block out time to devout to the process of completing the task, you can still do a lot of things during your waiting times. This reinforces my idea to turn WAITING TIME into DEVELOPMENT TIME. For example, I was able to turn waiting for my car to be done into the process of what I would write this week and I am actually writing this post waiting to get my haircut. Even more, this connects to the idea from James Clear about he cumulative effect, which states that meaningful results are created from the collective work over a period of time. Think about that, imagine all the times you spend waiting and imagine using that time consistently to discovering and achieving some passion of yours?  

In addition this week, I had he pleasure of learning from Joanna Penn,http://www.thecreativepenn.com/. She is a NYT best selling author and voted by the guardian as one of the top 100 creative people in the UK. She worked first in the corporate world and then switched careers into her passion writing in her mid thirties. Joanna had a wealth of useful insights and I have listed them below:

• Do a lot of research and read a lot of books in the genre you want to write about.
• Devout yourself to the process of discovering what you love to do, as it will have huge dividends.
• Learn from those that have made money the way you want to make money, or learn from those that have done what you you want to do.
• The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 fun. Type 1 fun is fun strictly from the activity itself, for example, dancing to your favorite band at a live concert. Type 2 fun is something where you feel fulfillment after the achievement of the task. For example, writing a book.
• Your creative side = your inner child. Let them play to foster your creativity.
• Lastly, if you want to do something, then you will have to be the one to make it happen. No one else will do it for you. 

Learnings: Something that really resonated with me and validates what I am doing is the fact that Joanna said that we should all devout time to the PROCESS of discovering what we love. This is an example of Type 2 fun. Although it will not be fun everyday, the process and eventuality of finding what you love will be most rewarding once you have completed it. 

The other key learning was to learn from those who have accomplished what you want to do. This runs in line with what I have learned from other financial books, like the Richest Man in Babylon and Rich Dad, Poor Dad. If you want to learn how to grow your wealth, learn form those that have succeeded in growing and maintaing theirs. 

Week 9: Book in a Box

Planning and Preparation: In week I wanted to watch another video in the self publishing website. In order to do this I loaded the video on an open tab on my laptop and on my iPhone. This was key, as if I had wifi and some waiting time, I could watch some of the video during my waiting time. 

Implementation: I incorporated two things that James Clear, http://jamesclear.com/, wrote about creativity on his blog. First was to stick to a schedule, so I scheduled a specific time outside of waiting times in order to devote to my task. Second, I implemented the 2-minute rule. This rule states that instead of focusing on the the whole process of completing a task, only focus on the first two minutes of initiating the task. James wrote a quick and insightful read about this in PDF book about creativity. You can download it from the url that I inserted above. 

Reflection: This week I had the pleasure to learn from Zach Obront, http://bookinabox.com/, one of the co-founders of the Book In A Box (BIAB). He gave an outline of how his company helps individuals write their non-fiction books in half the time. It was quite informative, as it broke down step by step how to write a non-fiction book. Here is a basic outline of what I learned:

Step 1: Purpose and Audience

The first step is the ask three questions about why you are writing the book. First, what are your personal goals for writing the book? Second, what audience do you need to reach to accomplish this goal? Third, what book idea serves the purpose of answering the first two questions. 

It is vital to know the WHY you are writing the book, as this will help you outline your book and get it to the individuals that want it most. 

Step 2: Outline

A. Create a skeleton with chapters and their respective title.

B. For each chapter, create the major or sub points. Then the questions or prompts that lead you to explaining the main points. Lastly, any supporting points. 

Step 3: Structure the Intro

This step is by far one of the most important parts  of writing your book. 

A. nail the hook by saying something bold or telling a bold story. 

B. Pain/pleasure orientation: Tie the hook back to the premise of the book and explain the negatives of not following your advice vs the positives from the benefits gained if you did follow your advice. 

C. Identify what they will learn. 

Step 4: Structuring Interior Chapters

A. Each chapter will have a clear goal of what your teaching the reader. 

B. Clearly explain the steps needed to accomplish goal.

Step 5: Structuring the Conclusion

A. Recap the main points and learnings.

B. Have a call to arms or identify what they can now do after reading your book. 

C. Add some additional food for thought for the reader. 

Step 6: Record your Content

A. Record an actual conversation of you explaining each chapter to a friend.

Step 7: Translate your Recording

A. Transcribe your interviews. Use rev, https://www.rev.com/, to turn your recording into a physical document. Rev costs about 1$/minute. Can do this yourself, but worth the price if you can get it transcribed. 

Step 8: Hire an Editor

A. Find a great editor with good work experience. Some good sites are Upwork, https://www.upwork.com/, and Elance, https://www.elance.com/. 

B. Explain clearly to them that the job is neither ghost writing (where they have to come up with ideas) or editing (just grammar and flow). 

Step 9: Edit your Manuscript

A. Fist pass, just for content. Ask, what is the point I am trying to make? Is it clear? Is it simple as possible?

B. Second pass just for style. PRINTOUT AND READ IT OUT LOUD.

Learning: This week I was able to implement the idea of setting a clear schedule for completing my task, and it helped as it did not take any will power to decide if I should do it or not. We all start with a set amount of will power everyday, and setting a schedule to complete tasks of our choice in advance saves it for other important parts of our daily lives. 

In addition, I learned this week that difficult things always seem overwhelming at first, but become more manageable once you invest in researching about them. I am now in week 9 and honestly did not have a clear idea of how to put all my ideas into a book. After the work in the previous 8 weeks and the learnings from Zach, I have a better sense of how I can do this. The moral of the story is that things will always seem too big or complex, until we learn about them and break them into manageable parts. 

Feeling Great in Week 8

Planning and Preparing: This week I wanted to plan and prepare on Sunday before the week started. The task was to watch another module on the self-publishing site, so I uploaded it on my iphone and as a tab in my web browser on my laptop. 

Implementation: I was able to to watch the whole video on Wednesday when we had someone over to help watch over the little guy. Usually I would have run errands during this time, but I made a commitment to completing this task, and I did it. 

Reflection: This week I learned about the program Scrivener. It is a program to help writers organize ideas and compile there work to publish in a variety of formats. Scrivener, https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php, allows for easy transfer from word, maps out your progress on all parts of your writing project, and like I said before can be complied in a click of a button to export into multiple formats. 

Joseph Michael, http://www.josephmichael.net/, is the guru on using Scrivener to its maximum potential. He has made a business of helping others learn how to use Scrivener and this reinforced the idea that "you need to start with a problem to solve" first in being an entrepreneur. 

I also read a lot off of James' Clear site and learned some valuable information as well. I have listed them below as there were many:

-3 R's of habits are Remind, Routine, and Reward. These are the three main steps in creating new habits. Attach new baits to things that you already do to make them a part of your daily routine. Then reward yourself to create a positive association.

-Choose an identity, rather than an action to sustain new habits. For example, be a person committed to health, rather than "losing 20 lbs."

-Commit to a schedule not a deadline. It is much easier of setting a schedule to complete tasks that lead you to your goal. 

-Implement KEYSTONE habits, ones that make changes to multiple ares of your life, so that you don't get overwhelmed. For example, exercising daily can have benefits physically but also add to mental clarity. 

-Fall in love with boredom, with repetition and practice, with the process of completing tasks that lead you to your goals. This is a characteristic that separates really successful people form everyone else. 

Thanks for reading and will see you next week for entry #9. 

Seven Weeks

Planning: I wanted to plan on Sunday before the week started and wanted watch and learn from another video from self publishing. 

Implementation: This week I took what I learned from John Corcoran, short term sacrifices for long term gains, and decided to be even more disciplined and committed to using any extra time I had to completing the tasks for the week. In addition, I improved an earlier strategy to complete tasks at the beginning of the week. Usually I plan what tasks to complete on Monday and then try to complete my task by either Wednesday or Thursday. I took use of both strategies and used extra down time on Sunday to plan and actually complete the task. This allowed the rest of the week to actually do additional research. 

Reflection: So there were a lot of learning this week as I was able to watch two videos from the self-publishing site. There were many lessons that I learned so I am going to list them below:

 Lise Cartwright, best selling author on time poor entrepreneurs.

-DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT. Don't over think, just tweak, adjust, and keep moving forward. 

-Believer in mind maps (idea formation to grouping items to look for themes) to organize ideas for books. Start with problems you are facing currently.

-Write books to be consumed quickly. Calling people to an action and showing them how to do it.

-Quality research in topic allows you to write your book faster. 

James Clear, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, international travel photographer.

-Cumulative effect. Schedule consistent times to remove outliers and average work. 8-9 times produces 2-3 great pieces.

-It is better to work at 90% twice a week, instead of 95% once a week. Schedule frequency for whatever task you are trying to improve.

-PLANNING: pre-commit to take decision off the table and save will power. Flu vaccine story. 

-Schedule consistent times to produce. Produce quality through flushing out average work. If schedule is hard to keep change the scope of what you are doing.

-Best skill for entrepreneurs: TRUST YOU WILL FIGURE IT OUT, THERE IS ALWAYS A LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY. 

-Focus on Message not reaction. Our job is to not judge the work, but to create it and put your heart into the product.

-Tim Gallwey, inner game of tennis, seed -> sprout -> tree. Each point along the line is where it is supposed to be, because it continues to grow.

-2-minute Seinfeld rule. Focus energy on the preparing for the first 2 minutes of initiating a task to cross the barrier of starting the task. Then be consistent and "don't break the chain" to produce significant results. Running three miles example.

-British cycling team and Braysford. Marginal aggregation. Small gains, 1% improvements, aggregated produces significant results. 

Both people had amazing things to say, but James presented some great strategies. For example, after I learned of the 2-minute rule and the Seinfeld rule, I instantly combined them in order to complete future tasks. Focus on spending 2 minutes in initiating a task and be consistent and don't break the chain or miss a day of that habit. Great week of learning, but will share what I learn next week. 

Week Six

Planning; This week I wanted to organize information I had already gathered about writing the book and then also watch a video on tips from John Corcoran, speech writer for President Clinton and California governors by the time he was 23. The plan is to complete these tasks earlier in the week and have more time for additional research.

Implementation: Well this week was a little busier than usual, so I had to to complete the tasks throughout week and finished everything Friday afternoon. At first, I was a little frustrated, as I was not able to complete both tasks earlier in the week. Although, it did not work out exactly as I planned, I found that lunch periods are a great time to complete some work as well. Especially if you are able to find a quiet place where you can have some quality (5 - 20 minutes) time to your self. 

Reflection: I was able to learn a lot this week about the actual writing of the book from John Corcoran. First, he said to always surround yourself with people who energize you. This will push you in whatever field your are in and will make you more productive. In terms of writing, he said to hook readers with the headline and then go on to explain why it is relevant to them. Next, identify 5-7 bullet points that show solutions to the original problem. Lastly, give a call back to the original issue in your conclusion. In addition, John mentioned that in order to be a generator of content, one must change his or her habits. For example, in stead of spending time looking at social media, use this time to research and gather information to write. Lastly, John talked about the Blog Posting Triangle, where the vertices of the triangle identifies the topic of the site, the topic of post, and then the free resource that helps readers solve an issue within that topic. You are able to create large email lists if you are able to master the vertices of the triangle. 

Thus far, I have been able to learn from best selling author Mitch Mathews that worry is a normal part of the process of writing a book. He says you just have to focus more on the message that you want to share with others, rather than their reaction. Also, I have learned from Dane Maxwell, copyright guru, that the best books are those that call people to some type of action. 

Lastly, I learned this week that you can set a plan, but things might not go exactly like you thought. Also, do not get frustrated if they don't go accordingly to "plan.". The whole point is for you to complete the tasks sometime during the week. Although it is good to set a certain time for you to work, be flexible on when you complete the weekly task. In addition, when things don't work exactly as you thought, you will have to be creative and find new ways to complete the tasks. For example, I was getting to the end of the week and running short on time, so I was able to find another time that I had not thought of before and finish watching the video on John Corcoran on Friday during lunch in my office. 

Week 5

Planning: I wanted find out the statistics surrounding New Years resolutions. 

Implementation: I incorporated two learnings from last week, which were complete the task earlier in theweek and quality over quantity. I finished on Tuesday and devoted my waiting times at the doctors office and Pizza Hut to complete additional tasks. 

Reflection: I am finding that by completing the task earlier in the week, that I naturally want to complete more actions throughout the week. Next, I am getting over the feeling that there has to be a big chunk of time in order for me to do something. For example, I found three or four sites on Monday while waiting for the doctor, and then finished right before I went to bed on Tuesday. I did not need a big chunk of time to complete the task for the week, but made better use of shorter times throughout each day.

Week 4 and Making Progress

Planning: This week I wanted to start organizing the ideas that I have been gathering about the book. 

Implementation: This week I actually made two versions of the outline. I actually was able to make one on Tuesday, and made another version on Friday.

Reflection: A huge learning this week! Complete your PI earlier in the week. This way it allows you to feel more fulfilled, as you have completed them with time to spare in the week. Also, there is another benefit, as it gives you more time to make modifications and implement in the week. Lastly, I also learned that it is QUALITY over quantity. Often times, I feel that I have to do something for an extended period of time to make a significant impact, but I was able to complete my tasks in a short, focused amount of time. Thanks and see you next week.

Third Week's a Charm

Planning: Find statistic on how much time we spend waiting per year to add to the chapter on turning wait time = developing time.

Implementation: This week I was able to use the morning nap time of Tae, and consequently Meggo, as a time to find this information. 

Reflection: I learned that the average American spends about 115.625 hours per year waiting in line. Wow, that is pretty staggering. That is almost 5 full days of time spent day dreaming, bored, frustrated, or being productive.

This week the task of finding this information almost felt like it would not make a difference, even after I put reminders in high traffic areas to do so. However, after I felt more fulfilled as I have been able to complete three tasks in three weeks. Although I have not put a huge dent in the overall process, it has felt great being disciplined and consistent towards writing these blog entries and eventually the book. Thanks and see you next week.

Week 2

Goal: Learn about the benefits of passions. 

Planning: Internet searches

Implementation: Found information when Meggo and Tae were taking a nap.

Reflection:  This week I really wanted to see the link between passions and happiness, as I want to add this as a section in my book. Today, it is common to hear the phrase that you will be happier and more fulfilled if you follow your passions, but I wanted to research and see what I could find. First Gretchen Rubin said on her blog that "A passion gives you a reason to keep learning and to work towards mastery." I totally agree with this and this links to what Daniel Pink says about motivation theory and intrinsic motivation. Pink says that people are motivated when three factors are in place;autonomy, purpose, and mastery. A passion is something that we choose, want to learn more about, and with the purpose of improving in one way or another. This falls in line with choosing to learn new skills in order to write a book about my learnings this year.

On another note, completing my first action in week one felt good, but I truly did not see the importance of this first step until completing the next action in week two. I was able to see that you are able to learn so much more if you are able to complete tasks consistently. You will always need a point to start with and then build upon with following actions, so be disciplined and committed to your tasks. Lastly, I learned that posting reminders in high traffic areas (where I complete morning time, bathroom, work desk) made me more conscious of completing my task for the week. Thanks for stopping by and come back next week to see what progress we make in week three. 

Jess' Week 1

To kick off 52 in 52 this year, I chose a theme that has interested me for a long period of my life. It is the idea of self improvement. I guess ever since college I have been drawn to this genre of books and never have really noticed until the last couple of years. I have learned how to improve your spiritual self, health, DJ skills, being an entrepreneur, financial situation, and everything in between. This interest coupled with the fact that Megan and I have discussed in the last couple for years how we can identify and foster our passions along with working and starting a family lead me to an AHA moment. Why not write a book about how to identify and foster your passions through the act of completing 52 creative tasks in 52 weeks. Well, life is not a dress

rehearsal so let's get started. Come back every week to see what I have learned and jump off the sidelines of your life and take part in the 52 in 52 process yourself.

WEEK 1

Goal: Find information on self publishing and start learning. 

Planning: Search Facebook groups and Google.

Implementation: Spent time before the family was awake searching for information.

Reflection: Ok, this week was a little difficult to start and almost did not get completed, but I found a way to fit it in in the last two days of the week. The goal this week was to find a information source that could provide me information on self publishing. I was on Facebook in the The Miracle Morning Group, highly recommend becoming a member by buying the book, and saw a link to SELF PUBLISHING online workshop by Chandler Bolt. It was perfect and actually provided me tons of information from those that have already published their own books. 

Learnings: Felt good I was able to reach my first goal and it did not take an overwhelming amount of time to do it.

The Beginning

Jess is an idea guy...THEd idea guy.  He is constantly coming up with new things to do or stuff for us to invent.  The idea of 52 in 52 isn't new, but it is important to him (or I am assuming it is because it keeps coming up in the idea bank).  So we decided to take his 35th year to do 52 in 52 together.  We will both pursue different things, trying to learn and grow over the next 52 weeks.  We will post our journey, reflections, and ramblings here with the hopes of inspiring others to step out of their comfort zones and learn something new and to record our personal journeys.

Here we go!  

Patagonia circa 2014