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.