WEEK 24: AGREEMENTS WITH YOURSELF

52n52 Instagram

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  This week I planned to watch another video on how to market my book through the self-publishing website by Chandler Bolt. I decided to actually do this on Friday, after school, in the study. This week I uploaded a blog called Money Mustache on financial intelligence to turn WT = DT. 

IMPLEMENTATION (strategies used):   was able to complete the task on the scheduled date because of of the combination of strategies that I have been incorporating in previous weeks. There is one new strategy that I learned and I feel it will turn out to be one of the most important as I move forward through the rest of discovering, pursuing, and achieving my dreams this year. As always, new strategies are at the top.

1. Agreements: This week I was able to learn about the powerful strategy from Jack Canfield called agreements. We make many agreements on a daily basis with our loved ones, friends, colleagues, and most importantly ourselves. We honor some of these commitments, but often times, we nonchalantly throw the remaining ones off to the side and say "maybe next time." This in turn trains our minds that "what we say we will do" and what "we actually do" are two different things. This can cause problems when you SAY or AGREE to create new habits, but because what you SAY and DO are different things in your ming. The insecurity and self doubt arise when we try to tackle these meaningful tasks due to the fact that are subconscious minds have been trained that what we SAY and DO do not correlate 100% of the time. For example, I have been trying to really stick to only eating protein at dinner, but often times cave when I see a fried chicken tenders at lunch. Although I have agreed with myself that I will not do this, I often times break the agreement, which in turn trains my subconscious mind that I am not able to complete this task. Which in turn, trains me that I might not be able to achieve things of greater importance. 

Now, imagine keeping or fulfilling all of your agreements. By doing this, you boost self confidence and you slowly prove to yourself that you are a person that is able to complete whatever you agree to. This in turn, allows you to take on more challenging tasks, as you have trained the subconscious mind that you are able to capable of such endeavors. My suggestion is to first start small, prove to yourself by consistently completing easy actions that you have agreed to. Second, only commit to things that you know that you will be able to complete. This sounds easy, but often times we have a hard time saying no. After you have proven to yourself that you can keep your agreements and your confidence grows, take the opportunity to agree to more challenging tasks, for example, discovering, pursuing, and achieving your dreams.

2. The Enkrateia strategy: Enkrateia is the antonym of Akrasia and means "in control of oneself"  and I learned this from James Clear. This involves three strategies in one to combat Akrasia, or simply put procrastination. First, create a Commitment Device, which increases the consequences of a bad behavior and decreases the effort to carry out a good one. For example, to eat less sugar, you can clear out all candies in your house, which reduces the effort to not eat sugar at home. Second, incorporate the 2-minute rule to initiate tasks, as the hardest part of following through is getting started. Third, utilize implementation intentions, or identify a [date] at certain [time] at a specific [place] to complete a task. By incorporating this you will be 2X to 3X more likely to follow through on what you planned.  

3. Early Scheduling = Implementatioon Intentions: This is a strategy that I was incorporating during my streak of completing my tasks on time, and it was a huge benefit this week. In this strategy, you first PLAN to complete a task and then SCHEDULE a time to complete the task as early in the week as you can. Two benefits are produced from doing this. First, you get a sense of accomplishment if you complete the task in the beginning of the week at the scheduled time. In addition, it allows you to devout more time to do additional tasks to reach your goals within the same week. Second, it provides more time to complete the task if life presents you with something that needs to be attended to during the original scheduled time. 

4. Seinfeld strategy:  I learned the Seinfeld strategy that from James Clear. It is called this because a young comedian once asked Jerry Seinfeld how to become a "better comedian." Jerry said take a huge calendar and place a big X for everyday that you write jokes, and if you can place an X for every day of the year, then you will become a better comedian. This strategy makes your progress visible and provides additional motivation to continue the streak of completing weekly tasks that move you towards your goals for the year. 

5. 3-Bucket System: I learned the 3-Bucket system from Jeff Goins who breaks up the process of writing into three easy steps. First, create a place (physical or digital) where you can collect ideas. Second, schedule a time to draft the first version without the pressure of making edits. Third, edit your draft after you have taken time away from it. This process makes writing much easier and I find myself producing better writing in a shorter amount of time. 

6. Got 2-minutes: I learned the 2-minute rule from James Clear and it helps you initiate a task, as usually this is the most difficult step. This strategy helps you focus on what you would do in the first 2 minutes of starting a task and then complete those actions. I often times do this and then look up at the clock and see that I have been working for well over 2 minutes. I have now merged this with the "Got a Minute" strategy, which is used to turn any amount of free time into productive time. It comes from Vierordt's Law, which states that when estimating a previous task, people overestimate short durations and underestimate long ones. Simply, we regularly overestimate how long it will take to accomplish meaningful tasks. task. Often times they can be accomplished in a short amount of time. So don't judge if you will start something by how time you think you have, just star! 

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): In week 23 and 24 I was able to learn a lot about the process of marketing your book. I forgot to add this into my post last week, so I am going to distill the information from week 23 and 24 into this entry. 

Last week I was able to learn from Ty Cohen who is a publishing expert, internet marketer, and self-made millionaire. He stressed two main points in marketing your book. First, find out as much as possible about your ideal reader. That means find out channels in which they search, identify what they truly want, and then use their feedback to guide you in the process of what you produce.  The second, main point he highlighted was to get ATTENTION. Ty said imagine being in Time Square and trying to get attention in the sea of lights and noise. This led him to discuss the idea of "Pattern Interrupts." These strategies are different from what consumers normally see and are used to grab the their attention. For example, his first successful add was upside down and said "DON'T READ." Of course someone seeing that automatically read what it said. This will lead to more people coming to your page and you growing your email list of followers. 

This week I learned from Ryan Hanley who crowd funded and wrote  "Content Warfare." He also reinforced what Ty said about knowing or CONNECTING with your ideal readers. He mentioned that large portions of his book were formed from the feedback of his audience from his email lists. Ryan says one of the most important steps is to build the strongest relationship with readers your readers. This also ties into what Ty said last week about getting readers to your page, gain their trust by building a strong relationship, and then offering them your book. Not the reverse order. Ryan used the platform Publishizer to crowd fund his book, so he would not have to pay out of pocket for expenses of designing a high quality product. He used a tiered approach that consisted of a range of activities and they are listed below:

Before the crow fund started: Used Facebook private group to generate buzz. Also, created separate email list for the crowd fund and offered 10% of the book for opt in.

First week: Had quotables from the book that he shared in Instagram.

Second week: Offered recorded interviews from guest appearances on other blogs.

Third week: Pushed donors to help break record of the fastest crowd fund.

Fourth week: More interviews from guest appearances. 

This staggered approach allowed him to continue offering incentives to drive people to his crowd fund. He warned that giving everything away at the beginning is a mistake, as you will have nothing to draw possible donors in in later weeks. Ryan said that the most important step to crowd fund and market your book is PREP, PREP, PREP. He could not emphasize enough about how an aspiring author needs to plan how to market his book, ie growing email list and selecting quotes to share, while writing the book. You can not market the book with the launch. The prep work needs to be done in advance. 

Lastly, I wanted to share something that Ryan said that really resonated with me and hopefully with you. He said "I am a firm believer in the SERENDIPITY of adding value to the world...if you add value to peoples lives around the world, then it will come back to you ten fold." I truly believe in this statement and this gives me the added motivation to show up every week to share with you the strategies and learnings that I gain, so that you are able to succeed on this journey of discovering, pursuing, and achieving your dreams.

Thanks for tuning in and see you in week 25.

WEEK 23: ENKRATEIA STRATEGY

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  This week I scheduled to watch the first video on how to market my book through the self-publishing website and I uploaded an article from James Clear's site to turn WT = DT.

IMPLEMENTATION (strategies used):  The task was actually completed in three separate days this week, but it still was completed by Friday. I was able to use my staple strategies from previous weeks and was able to learn three more strategies wrapped in one to help me complete the task. As always, the new strategies are placed at the top of the list. 

1. The Enkrateia strategy: This is a strategy was actually coined by Aristotle and of course I learned this from James Clear. Why is that we make plans, but often times do not follow through? This is caused between the tension the brain has in making decisions for the future and present self. It is easy for the brain to make plans to benefit the future self, but when it comes time to actually make a decision in the present moment the brain most likely chooses the path of less resistance, or the choice that provides instant gratification. For example, you plan to benefit the future self  by planning to only eat vegetables and a small portion of lean protein before you go out to eat, but then once at the restaurant, you order an appetizer, a mixed drink, and fried food as this offers instant gratification for you present self. This problem in making plans to benefit your future self, but not being able to follow through in the present moment is called Akrasia.

Enkrateia is the antonym of Akrasia and means "in control of oneself." This involves three strategies in one to combat Akrasia. First, create a Commitment Device, which increases the consequences of a bad behavior and decreases the effort to carry out a good one. For example, to eat less sugar, you can clear out all candies in your house, which reduces the effort to not eat sugar at home. Second, incorporate the 2-minute rule to initiate tasks, as the hardest part of following through is getting started. Third, utilize implementation intentions, or identify a [date] at certain [time] at a specific [place] to complete a task. By incorporating this you will be 2X to 3X more likely to follow through on what you planned.  

2. Early Scheduling = Implementatioon Intentions: This is a strategy that I was incorporating during my streak of completing my tasks on time, and it was a huge benefit this week. In this strategy, you first PLAN to complete a task and then SCHEDULE a time to complete the task as early in the week as you can. Two benefits are produced from doing this. First, you get a sense of accomplishment if you complete the task in the beginning of the week at the scheduled time. In addition, it allows you to devout more time to do additional tasks to reach your goals within the same week. Second, it provides more time to complete the task if life presents you with something that needs to be attended to during the original scheduled time. 

3. Seinfeld strategy:  I learned the Seinfeld strategy that from James Clear. It is called this because a young comedian once asked Jerry Seinfeld how to become a "better comedian." Jerry said take a huge calendar and place a big X for everyday that you write jokes, and if you can place an X for every day of the year, then you will become a better comedian. This strategy makes your progress visible and provides additional motivation to continue the streak of completing weekly tasks that move you towards your goals for the year. 

4. 3-Bucket System: I learned the 3-Bucket system from Jeff Goins who breaks up the process of writing into three easy steps. First, create a place (physical or digital) where you can collect ideas. Second, schedule a time to draft the first version without the pressure of making edits. Third, edit your draft after you have taken time away from it. This process makes writing much easier and I find myself producing better writing in a shorter amount of time. 

5. Got 2-minutes: I learned the 2-minute rule from James Clear and it helps you initiate a task, as usually this is the most difficult step. This strategy helps you focus on what you would do in the first 2 minutes of starting a task and then complete those actions. I often times do this and then look up at the clock and see that I have been working for well over 2 minutes. I have now merged this with the "Got a Minute" strategy, which is used to turn any amount of free time into productive time. It comes from Vierordt's Law, which states that when estimating a previous task, people overestimate short durations and underestimate long ones. Simply, we regularly overestimate how long it will take to accomplish meaningful tasks. task. Often times they can be accomplished in a short amount of time. So don't judge if you will start something by how time you think you have, just star! 

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): 

I had three main learnings this week and the first connects to me identifying the professionals that will help me "become a pro." Tony Robbins, a world renown life success coach, and Jack Canfield, author of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series of books, both mentioned that success leaves clues. The best strategy to follow is to emulate the actions of those that have done what you want to do. At the start of the process of writing this book, I searched for professionals that had done exactly that. That led me to Chandler Bolt's self-publishing site. There are many modules from authors that have written books from various genres. I have gained so much valuable information from the site and it is clear now, as you have probably noticed in my weekly posts, that James Clear is clearly a professional I would like to be like. In addition, Tim Ferris is another person that I continually get resources from. This was a huge breakthrough for me this week and it occurred in two specific moments. First, it dawned on me after listening to Tim Ferris' podcast fro four straight days in my morning sessions. Second, I was reading an article by James Clear in a coffee shop while waiting for food. This knowledge actually helps me become more efficient at finding strategies, as now I know exactly where to go.

I mentioned the strategy of Enkrateia above and it is the opposite of Akrasia, or in simple terms procrastination.  It is easy for us to say and even plan that we will devote the time to provide benefits for your future self, but the difficult part is to put foot to pavement and actually complete the tasks in the present moment. In week one and two it was easy to plan and commit to the process of discovering, pursuing, and achieving my dream, but the difficult part was decide to show up every week, no matter the circumstances. The key learning I have now gained is that planning for our future selves is easy, but the difficult and most important thing is to follow through on those decisions on a weekly basis. It is hard to believe, but 23 weeks ago, I had little knowledge of Akrasia or even the Enkrateia strategies to help me overcome it. Although, it was not the easy in certain weeks to plan for my future self and FOLLOWING THROUGH, but because I have, it has allowed me to learn new strategies to reduce the effort to complete the weekly tasks, so that I can help anyone looking to follow their discover, pursue, and achieve their dreams. 

Lastly, I wanted to share a quick trick to cultivate more gratitude in your life. Replace the phrase HAVE TO to GET TO. This simple trick can foster transformational changes in how you see life. For example, Megan and I work from 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM everyday, and then we come home to an energetic son that needs to be fed, bathed, read to, in addition to cooking dinner and other errands that need to be done. In previous weeks, I saw buying groceries and cooking as a non-favorable task, but after this week I saw those as an opportunity to do something I enjoy for my wife and son. It will take some time before you see everything as an opportunity, but it worth trying this week to slowly cultivate more gratitude in your life. 

Thanks for tuning in and see you in week 24. 

WEEK 22: WHY, WHY, WHY.

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  This week I scheduled to expand out the outline for the last section of the book Tuesday afternoon when we got home from our weekend vacation. I had Tony Robbins book "Money-Master the Game" uploaded in iBooks to turn WT = DT.

IMPLEMENTATION (strategies used):  Well the streak to complete the weekly tasks on time has come to an end after five weeks, but I still was able to complete the task later on in the week. Below is a list of strategies that were used, where new ones are listed first with more in depth explanations. 

1. Early Scheduling: This is a strategy that I was incorporating during my streak of completing my tasks on time, and it was a huge benefit this week. In this strategy, you first PLAN to complete a task and then SCHEDULE a time to complete the task as early in the week as you can. Two benefits are produced from doing this. First, you get a sense of accomplishment if you complete the task in the beginning of the week at the scheduled time. In addition, it allows you to devout more time to do additional tasks to reach your goals within the same week. Second, it provides more time to complete the task if life presents you with something that needs to be attended to during the original scheduled time. 

2. Seinfeld strategy:  Although my streak of completing the weekly tasks on the scheduled set time ended, my streak to complete the weekly tasks is still alive. This idea of keeping the streak alive goes back to the Seinfeld strategy that I learned from James Clear It is called this because a young comedian once asked Jerry Seinfeld how to become a "better comedian." Jerry said take a huge calendar and place a big X for everyday that you write jokes, and if you can place an X for every day of the year, then you will become a better comedian. This strategy makes your progress visible and provides additional motivation to continue the streak of completing weekly tasks that move you towards your goals for the year. 

3. WHY, WHY, WHY?: This strategy is used to identify the problem, which is one of or the most important part of problem solving. For example, this week I wanted to know why my streak of completing weekly tasks at a scheduled time came to an end, and this strategy is what helped me to do so. I learned this strategy from an engineer at Proctor and Gamble and he explained that when faced with a problem, always ask "why" until you get to the root of the problem. For example, he mentioned that they needed to solve how a cart of product was coming up damaged. Everyone thought that the new machines were the cause of the problem. Instead, this person, who I will call Joe, first asked why? They found out that the truck that carries the carts gets bumped. Then, he asked why do the tricks get bumped? This lead them to the delivery route. which was in a tight area that had a concrete protector. Then Joe asked, well "why" is the concrete protector there? Which, led them to finding out that it was there from the previous construction of the factory. Through this process he was able to identify the source of the problem and remove the misplaced concrete protector. This saved the company a lot of time and money by not replacing the newly built machines. I tried this strategy and was able to save time and frustration, as I was able to identify the cause of my problem very quickly. So the next time you are faced with a problem, try the WHY, WHY, WHY? strategy.

4. 3-Bucket System: I learned the 3-Bucket system from Jeff Goins who breaks up the process of writing into three easy steps. First, create a place (physical or digital) where you can collect ideas. Second, schedule a time to draft the first version without the pressure of making edits. Third, edit your draft after you have taken time away from it. This process makes writing much easier and I find myself producing better writing in a shorter amount of time. 

5. Got 2-minutes: I learned the 2-minute rule from James Clear which helps you initiate a task, as usually this is the most difficult step. This strategy helps you focus on what you would do in the first 2 minutes of starting a task and then complete those actions. I often times do this and then look up at the clock and see that I have been working for well over 2 minutes. I have now merged this with the "Got a Minute" strategy, which is used to turn any amount of free time into productive time. It comes from Vierordt's Law, which states that when estimating a previous task, people overestimate short durations and underestimate long ones. Simply, we regularly overestimate how long it will take to accomplish meaningful tasks. task. Often times they can be accomplished in a short amount of time. So don't judge if you will start something by how time you think you have, just star! 

6. Read More: Want to read 30 books this year? Here is your strategy. I also learned this from James Clear,all you need is a timer and information that you want to read. Each day set the timer for 20 minutes and read for the duration of that time. That is it. Do that on a daily basis and you will be able to get through more books in a shorter amount of time. 

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Like I mentioned above, the streak to complete the weekly tasks at the scheduled time has ended, but the important thing is that the streak to complete the weekly tasks is still alive. I was interested to see what was different this week from previous weeks, and I was easily able to identify the variable that caused the change by using the "Why, Why, Why" strategy. The culprit...a vacation.

Let me first say that I am very grateful to be able to take vacations and I am not complaining about them.With that being said, I was abel to identify that when my family and I go on vacations, our weekly schedule is thrown for a loop. This in turn shifts when we eat, sleep, and have free time to do what we usually do at home.  

Again, let me state again that I still love going on vacations, but what I learned through this experience is that you need to plan in advance. If you know that you are going on a vacation, think of ways that you can still complete the weekly task on time. That means scoping out areas where you can get some quiet time to work, or looking at your vacation schedule to see where you slip away for 15 - 30 minutes to devote time to your weekly tasks. 

Now that I have identified this issue, I can no plan accordingly for future vacations. I know that this will require creativity to plan on how to work on the weekly tasks, while still enjoying the vacation with your family. But this brings me to something I read a while back about creativity. Often times we feel we need to have everything set in a certain way in order for us to tap into our most creative self, but actually this statement is false. We are often the most creative when we have to deal with constraints. Think about a time when you did not have a certain tool or resource and you still had to complete a task? What did you do, well you probably improvised and completed the task in a different way. For example, I remember getting to a friends house for dinner and when it came time to open a very nice bottle of Malbec from Argentina, we realized that they did not have a wine opener. Instead of eating the dinner and not sharing the wine, my friend and I use a screwdriver and ice pick to get the bottle open. We would have never thought of that combination without the constraint of not having the wine opener. So the next time you are faced with constraints, embrace the opportunity to be creative. 

Thanks for tuning in and will see you in Week 23. 

WEEK 21: FALL IN LOVE WITH BOREDOM

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  This week I scheduled to expand out section two, four chapters, of the book while we had a babysitter. Also, I downloaded Tony Robbins website onto my phone to turn WT = DT. 

IMPLEMENTATION (strategies used):  I was able to accomplish the task again on the desired time and incorporated a variation of the same strategies from previous weeks. In addition, I am going to just going to briefly list the strategies that I have explained in previous posts and explain new ones more in depth. 

1. 3-Bucket System: I learned the 3-Bucket system from Jeff Goins who breaks up the process of writing into three easy steps. First, create a place (physical or digital) where you can collect ideas. Second, schedule a time to draft the first version without the pressure of making edits. Third, edit your draft after you have taken time away from it. This process makes writing much easier and I find myself producing better writing in a shorter amount of time. 

2. Got 2-minutes: I learned the 2-minute rule from James Clear and it helps you initiate a task, as usually this is the most difficult step. This strategy helps you focus on what you would do in the first 2 minutes of starting a task and then complete those actions. I often times do this and then look up at the clock and see that I have been working for well over 2 minutes. I have now merged this with the "Got a Minute" strategy, which is used to turn any amount of free time into productive time. It comes from Vierordt's Law, which states that when estimating a previous task, people overestimate short durations and underestimate long ones. Simply, we regularly overestimate how long it will take to accomplish meaningful tasks. task. Often times they can be accomplished in a short amount of time. So don't judge if you will start something by how time you think you have, just star! 

3. Read More: Want to read 30 books this year? Here is your strategy. I also learned this from James Clear and all you need is a timer and information that you want to read. Each day set the timer for 20 minutes and read for the duration of that time. That is it. Do that on a daily basis and you will be able to get through more books in a shorter amount of time. 

4. Pareto Principle: I have actually been using this strategy for the last couple of weeks without knowing it, but was able to make a connection after my reading of Jack Canfield's book "Success Principles." The Pareto Principle is named for the nineteenth century economist that came up with it and it states that 80% of the revenue is generated from 20% of it customers. This principle can also be translated to our lives, as 20% of actions that you complete on a daily basis produce 80% of the results. We often times get caught up in thinking we have to do everything ourselves, which in turn leaves no time to invest in the actions that produce 80% of our success. Recently, we have hired a babysitter to stay with us one night a week, so that Megan and I can have a date night. This choice to pay someone to stay with us has opened up time for me to write my weekly posts before spending quality time with my wife. I have reaped huge dividends both in my personal and professional life. Analyze the actions that you complete on a daily basis and identify which ones produce 80% of the results. Then, see if you can hire or find someone else to complete the other tasks that take you away from these.

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that I have hit my DIP. Seth Godin defines the DIP as the LOWEST point in the process of taking on a new task. We are often times excited when we start a new project, then it gets harder as you face more obstacles, and then it gets to a point where it is 0% fun. This can lead you to think, "is this new task or goal that I am trying to reach worth it, should I stick it out?" Although I knew this was going to occur sometime this year, it has really hit me in the last two weeks. But something jumped off the page while reading Seth's short description about his book "The DIP." It says that "The bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it." This lead me two other connections from previous learnings.

First, is the Dickens process proposed by Tony Robbins. The process is based off the character Charles Dickens or more widely known as "Scrooge." In the movie or play, Scrooge is presented with the pain of his future if he continues his actions. This glimpse in to his painful future changes his attitude and way of life. This strategy can be applied to the process of discovering, pursuing, and achieving our dreams. The mind can not comprehend the positive results from consistently putting in the effort week in and week out, as few of us have ever done it. Where as, our brains can attach to the the pain of being unfulfilled and not living up to our potential, as we have all been there. This is why this strategy can help you overcome your DIP. Think about the feeling caused by your inaction, what would that look like in a year, two years, or five years? Will you walk through your days unfulfilled, or be out of shape, or even in darker places? Hopefully this grim picture can wake you up and then provide momentum to move out of your DIP.

Second, is the idea to "fall in love with boredom". James Clear wrote that what separates pros from amateurs is that they fall in love with boredom and routine. No matter what, they show up everyday. The process of discovering, pursuing, and achieving your dreams does get monotonous and it takes discipline and commitment to show up consistently. The weekly time devoted to your craft of choice can and will reach a point when it is not fun...enter the the DIP. I wrote in the previous paragraph that you can now use the Dickens process, but you can also use this strategy in conjunction with it to become a pro and "fall in love with boredom." To do this you need to do one of two things. First, become more proficient at your task. Learn a new twist or modification that can lead to variety, but also add a small improvement to the task. Second, fall in the love with the result of the task, not the task itself. James wrote to shift your thinking from the task to a result that is produced from the consistent completion of a task. For example, if you have to complete sprint trainings every week as part of your workout routine, shift your focus from completing the sprints to a result of not missing workouts. This can be translated to PIR (Planning, Implementation, and Reflection) week process, instead of thinking about completing the weekly task, make it a point not to miss a week, this in turn will produce meaningful results. Lastly, I highly recommend getting a huge calendar to mark off completing your weekly tasks. Place this in a high traffic area, as it helps motivate you and pushes you to keep the streak alive when you see the string of X's for the completed weeks.

Thanks for tuning in and see you in week 22. 

WEEK 20: APPRECIATE MORE AND EXPECT LESS

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  This week I planned to expand out chapters 2 and 3 in the book and scheduled to complete this when we hired a babysitter for date night. I downloaded the Calm app to cultivate more mindfulness to turn WT = DT. 

IMPLEMENTATION (strategies used):  The streak continues, as I was able to complete the task for this week on time. In addition, I had such a productive session on Wednesday and was able to actually outline the first four chapters of the book. :) I incorporated three main strategies to help me this week and have listed them below with short descriptions of what they are and their immediate benefits. 

1. 3-Bucket System: Want to become a better writer? Or do you consider yourself a good writer and want to become more efficient? Well search no more, as you have found a strategy that can do exactly that. This strategy has helped me grow from a novice to an intermediate writer, and that is saying a lot as I used to loathe writing. I learned the 3-Bucket system from Jeff Goins who breaks up the process of writing into three easy steps. First, create a place (physical or digital) where you can collect ideas. Second, schedule a time to draft the first version without the pressure of making edits. Third, edit your draft after you have taken time away from it. This process makes writing much easier and I find myself producing better writing in a shorter amount of time. 

2. The 2-minute and Got a minute: Ever feel overwhelmed of completing a task even before you start? Or, do you procrastinate or put things off because you think you do not have enough time? The following two strategies are your solution. I learned the 2-minute rule from James Clear and actually researched and came up with the "Got a Minute" on my own. The 2-minute rule helps you initiate a task, as usually this is the most difficult step in completing a task. In this strategy you focus simply on what you would do in the first 2 minutes of starting a task and then complete those actions. I often times do this and then look up at the clock and see that I have been working for well over 2 minutes. I came up with the "Got a Minute" strategy because I was frustrated with not completing everything I wanted to do in the earlier weeks of this process. I had the belief that I needed LARGE blocks of time to complete meaningful tasks. This led me to not utilizing all the pockets of time that I had during the week. I research the reason why we often error in estimating the time  required to complete a task, which led me to Vierordt's Law. It states that when estimating a previous task, people overestimate short durations and underestimate long ones. Often times, I would not complete a task as I thought it would require more time, but I have learned that meaningful tasks can be accomplished in a short amount of time. "Got a minute" was spawned form this idea. I can't say I do this all the time, but whenever I do have five or 10 minutes block of free time I try to devout myself to completing things that I would have not normally started. As a result, tasks that I thought would take more time actually get accomplished through these short blocks of time. 

3. Read More: Want to read 30 books this year? Here is your strategy. I also learned this from James Clear, pretty smart dude on habits that cultivate success. Today there is an abundance of information that can be accessed with ease. You can find information on how to do pretty much anything and follow the steps from those that have done what you want to do. In theory, you can become a pro in any field by learning from others through books, video tutorials, and other digital resources. Reading is used in some capacity to analyze the text and this is where this strategy comes into play. All you need is a timer and information that you want to read. Each day set the timer for 20 minutes and read for the duration of that time. That is it. Do that on a daily basis and you will be able to get through more books in a shorter amount of time. 

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Well, today marks the 20th post after starting this process over five months ago. With in this time I started not knowing exactly what I wanted to accomplish this year, or didn't have a clue on how to write a book. But through the process of showing up and completing a PIR week, I have gained the knowledge and resources to write a book. In addition, I have a clear outline that is being modified and improved upon on a weekly basis. As a bonus to gaining this knowledge of how to write a book, I have learned an abundance of periphery knowledge about habits, creativity, and the power of 1% improvements and their impact on producing meaningful results. 

The idea of the "aggregation of marginal gains" that I mentioned above and in week 19 is something that came up this week. James Clear wrote this great article on this and he said that 1% is unnoticeable or even insignificant by itself. I really felt that this week, as although I completed my task and even did extra work I did not feel an extreme amount of joy. I was even in a little funk on Friday night about this for some reason, sorry Meggo. But as I was writing this post I realized that the completion of the task for this week fits into a grander picture of me publishing a book this year. Just by opening up Scrivener I am able to see all of the 1% improvements that I have completed from previous weeks, which in turn, has brought me to this point of having a clear outline and sequence for the book. 

Lastly, I wanted to share how I connected this to what I learned from my WT = DT about being more mindful. A state of gratitude will allow you to see abundance in your life and and leads to appreciation. There was a great quote I heard this week, which was "Appreciate more and expect less." I thought about this when I was in my funk on Friday night and while I was drafting this post and made a huge realization. With any meaningful task, we should not expect things to go exactly a certain way or think that we should feel a certain way. We should strive to APPRECIATE what we have and that often leads us to see the grander picture. This task of taking on this challenge to discover, pursue, and achieve your dreams will be filled with moments when you can not see how your 1% improvements will make a difference, but know that this uncertainty is a part of the process. Show up every week, commit to your task, and you will start to see the fruits of your labor. 

Thanks for tuning in and see you in week 21.