WEEK 32: HAVE MULTIPLE IMPLEMENTATION INTENTIONS

DPA = Discover, Pursue, and Achieve. WT = Waiting Time. DT = Development Time.

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  I plan to post another article in the site Medium on Tuesday at 6 AM in the the dinning room at my in laws house. I plan to turn those small WT's into Grateful Time, where I look to see what I can be grateful for in those situations. For example, last week I thought how thankful I was for technology while I was waiting on hold with a CC company.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  I was not able to EXECUTE on the scheduled time, but was able to incorporate the Implementation Intentions strategy to complete the task later on in the week. Additionally, I thought I might twist things up a little bit in this section and only highlight the main strategies that were used in the week. Although I use a combination of all of them throughout the week, there are always some that are used more than others depending on what comes up. For example, I relied heavily on Implementation Intentions strategy this week, as I had to plan when to complete the tasks around traveling. The highlighted strategies that were used in the week are listed below  along with the I CAN'T statements that they help overcome. 

PROCRASTINATION: I CAN'T because I do not have enough time, do not feel like it...

1. 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.  

2. Early Scheduling = Implementation 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. I learned this from James Clear and it improves the likelihood that you will follow through on your goals up to 3X what you normally would do. In this strategy, you first plan a [TASK] to complete and then schedule a [TIME] and [PLACE] 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. 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 start! 

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions):  Week 32 in the books, but had to wait until Saturday to complete the weekly task. Like I said earlier, I relied heavily on the Implementation Intentions strategy and created a specific plan of action to follow through in the face of a challenging situation. 

There have been many great things that have happened since the birth of our first son Tae. Belly laughs, explorations of the house, and family snuggle times. Although these are great, there are other situations that produce stress. For example, traveling. Gone are the days of deciding to leave on a whim and go to the movies or a restaurant for an impromptu dinner. Even more stressful are 10 hr international plane flights, coupled with a two hour drive before you get to airport. The checklist before we leave has grown from something you keep in your head, to a full page of things to pack and complete before and during the trip. The process actually starts at least two days before we actually leave.

I learned in week 31 that I need to have a specific plan or use the Implementation Intentions strategy when I know in advance that I will be faced with a stressful situation. Although I choose a task, set a time and place to complete the weekly task at the earliest possible time in the week, I was not able to follow through at the first scheduled time as other things came up. One important thing that I have learned is to create another Implementation Intention at this point. This forces you to set another time and place to complete the task. You might even have to do this multiple times, but keep with it as you will be more likely to complete the task if you keep making them. 

This led me to reflect and allowed me to see my growth in my Leap Year. In previous weeks, I would stress about this and even though I would complete the task later on in the week, I would still feel frustrated and disappointed that I did not complete the task on the scheduled time. Now, I am much more at ease with not completing the task on the first scheduled time, as I know I have built in measures to ensure I will still complete the weekly task later on in the week. I actually did not complete the task until Saturday morning, which would have stressed me out in previous weeks. 

This brings me to a big learning, which is an answer to one of the big questions I wanted to answer before I started my Leap Year. The question was "How do I discover, pursue, and achieve my dreams in the face of everyday challenges?" In the beginning of my Leap Year, I had no idea how I would do this, while balancing being a husband, new father, working from 8-5, and all the other little things that happen in our lives on a daily basis. The easy answer is to be COMMITTED to your Leap Year and complete the task every week. You do this by using the strategies to help you overcome the obstacles that life will present you. For example, I had to use the implementation Intention strategy at least three times before I completed the weekly task, but the key is I was committed and completed the task.

Being 100% committed to something, cultivates discipline, which in turn leads you to freedom. Take for example eating healthy, if you are 100% committed to that goal, then you will be disciplined to eat healthy and exercise. You will be free from the temptation to gorge yourself on fried foods or other non-healthy habits if done consistently over time. This allows you to experience freedom from these vices. However, being 99% committed gives yourself the option to look for excuses, as there is that 1% of the time where you are not all in.

The gist of what I am trying to say is be 100% committed, as this will lead you to being disciplined and allow you to experience freedom in your lives. 

Thanks for stopping by and see you in week 33.

WEEK 31: IMPLEMENTATION INTENTION

DPA = Discover, Pursue, and Achieve. WT = Waiting Time. DT = Development Time.

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  This week I plan to post in Medium and find 5 other writers that use the same Tags in their published work on Wednesday at 5:30 in the study. I have uploaded videos from the The Foundation to turn WT = DT.  I plan to turn those small WTs into Grateful Time, where I look to see what I can be grateful for in those situations. For example, last week I thought how great it was to have a car, how it makes life easier to get things done while I was getting gas.

EXECUTION (strategies used):   I was able to EXECUTE and complete the weekly tasks as scheduled. No new strategies to share this week, but I am noticing that although I incorporate each strategy, some are used more than others depending on what comes up. For example, I relied heavily on Got 2-Minutes strategy, as I did not complete the whole task in one sitting but rather in small intervals of times that I had open this week. The core strategies that were used are listed below and are divided into groups that help you overcome obstacles and the  I CAN'T statements that usually arise with them.

MOTIVATION: I CAN'T find the energy or reasons to...

1. Equal Odds Rule: This strategy I learned from James Clear and this strategy was actually coined by a Harvard-trained phycologist Kevin Simonton. He researched the impact of scientific publications and the effect on its readers. Keith found that any given scientist could write a game-changing publication or an average one that could be easy forgotten. James went further and made the connection that you could be an artist, teacher, lawyer, athlete, or the average Joe schmo like you and me, and we are all equally likely to produce a great piece of work or an average one. Essentially the only determining factor is frequency. What do I mean by this? The more you create, the more likely you will produce a great piece of work. Why? Well, if you think about it the more that you produce, in whatever area that you work in, the more chances you get to creating an excellent piece of work. The higher number of attempts allows you to produce more average pieces, that might be easily forgotten,but you are also able to learn more skills from this increased production. This in turn, increases the probability that you produce a great piece of work. In simple terms, the more you create, the more likely you will create an excellent piece of work. 

2. 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. 

3. 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. 

FEAR: I CAN'T because it is not perfect, that is not how I thought it might go, or I do not have the skill or resources to.....

4. CVFA: This strategy really helped me be aware and release judgement if things do not turn our a certain way. I learned this strategy from Tony Robbins and the initialism for the strategy is CVFA. In this strategy you stay Committed to your Vision, but are Flexible with the Approach. This comes in handy when you plan do complete a certain action earlier in the week, but have to complete something else to meet a pressing deadline. As long as the new task allows you to be Committed to your Vision, then you can be Flexible with your Approach. Don't beat yourself up, and try to control everything to the point that you get frustrated. Take a breath and think if the task still helps you be Committed to your Vision, if so, then be Flexible with the Approach. If not, then stay committed to your original plan.

LACK of CONFIDENCE: I CAN'T because I am not  a person that can...

5. Agreements: I was able to learn about this powerful strategy from Jack Canfield called agreements. In this strategy you keep and fulfill 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 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. 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 on the process of discovering, pursuing, and achieving your dreams.

PROCRASTINATION: I CAN'T because I do not have enough time, do not feel like it...

6. 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.  

7. Early Scheduling = Implementation 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. I learned this from James Clear and it improves the likelihood that you will follow through on your goals up to 3X what you normally would do. 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. 

8. 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 start! 

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Week 31 in the books and I was able to complete the weekly task on the scheduled time. I remember in the first couple weeks of my DPA process when I was continually frustrated, as I did not get the weekly task done earlier on in the week. This led me to research and learn about the Implementation Intention strategy. I was able to complete my weekly tasks on a more consistent basis and follow through just by identifying what task I would complete, when I would complete it, and where. This is the format that I have now included in my PLANNING section. 

I plan to [WHAT or specific task] on [WHEN or day] at [WHEN or time] in the [WHERE or location]. 

Often times, new habits are created and then you hit your first situation that tests if you will follow through or not. For example, I really struggled with overeating before my DPA process this year. I would get in great shape over the span of a month by eating healthier and exercising. I would then be presented with a test and would fail miserably, which would then cause me to get out of shape even more. The test would usually be in the form of being invited to one of my favorite restaurants. I would go knowing that I had created this great momentum and tell myself that I will eat well while I was there. Then I get to the restaurant and actually do well and by ordering water as my friends order a first round of drinks and appetizers. Even when the appetizers come out, I do not cave under pressure, but know that it is getting harder and harder to resist. My friends would tell me that it will only be one bite, and I would still decline a couple more times, until I would cave underneath the pressure.  The first bite would taste so good and then I would tell myself "Well, if I have already lost, why not go off the deep end?" 

What ensues is would be me taking a couple of bites of everything and ordering all the healthy...unhealthy items off the menu that I would normally order. Although this would leave me feeling satisfied in the moment, I would later feel frustrated and berate myself over the fact that I broke down and did not follow through. Anyone been here before? I have, many times. Now, why is that we can create all this momentum with new habits and then in one quick step you cave under pressure? 

Answer, you did not have a PLAN. When we get into situations that cause stress or boredom, we often fail to follow through on our new found habits and fall back into bad ones, ie over eating. Think about  the last time you knew that you were going to be in a situation that tested your will power, did you succeed or fail? I would say that for me I usually have failed more than I have succeeded. Again, this goes back to the idea that I did not have a PLAN. More specifically, I did not have a specific plan. 

With the Implementation Intention strategy, forces you to identify the WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE of your actions in advance. This in turn helps you follow through on your goals up to twice, or even three times as much as you normally would.

This week, I realized that I only use Implementation Intentions with planning my weekly task. I did not think to put this strategy to use in all areas of my life that would put me in positions that would test my new hard earned habits. Especially the ones that would drain my will power by causing me stress, or leaving me bored.

I now know that if I am headed into a situation where I will be faced with a difficult challenge, I need to have a SPECIFIC PLAN, or create an Implementation Intention. Going back to my overeating example, if I know that I will be going out with friends to a restaurant where I usually overindulge, I will decide WHAT I will eat in advance and have a contingency in place if the first option is not available. In this case the WHEN and WHERE are already taken care of, but just by identifying WHAT I will eat in advance to meet my new healthy eating habits will help me conserve will power. This way I do not drain my will power as I have already committed to actions that will help me follow through on my goal of eating healthier. 

Of course, having the PLAN is the first part, and as you saw from last weeks post, executing this plan is the other. If done in succession, you train the subconscious mind that you can overcome difficult situations and are able to achieve anything that you set out to do. Think of it as your killer jab, upper cut combo to knockout your bad habits.

Thanks for tuning in and see you in week 32!

WEEK 30: P.E.R.= PLANNING, EXECUTION, REFLECTION

DPA = Discover, Pursue, and Achieve. WT = Waiting Time. DT = Development Time.

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  This week I plan to help a friend and record a review for Zephan Moses Blaxberg and post my week 1 post in the site Medium. I uploaded videos from The Foundation site to turn WT = DT. Lastly, I plan to turn those small WTs into Grateful Time, where I look to see what I can be grateful for in those situations. For example, last week I thought how great it was to have a car, how it makes life easier when I was getting gas.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  I was able to EXECUTE (More about this in the Reflection area) on my plan and complete the weekly task. No new strategies to share this week, but I am noticing that although I incorporate each strategy, some are used more than others depending on what comes up. For example, I relied heavily on Implementation Intention strategy, as I actually had to change the time I completed the task twice before I could actually complete it. The core strategies that were used are listed below and are divided into groups that help you overcome obstacles and the  I CAN'T statements that usually arise with them.

MOTIVATION: I CAN'T find the energy or reasons to...

1. Equal Odds Rule: This strategy I learned from James Clear and this strategy was actually coined by a Harvard-trained phycologist Kevin Simonton. He researched the impact of scientific publications and the effect on its readers. Keith found that any given scientist could write a game-changing publication or an average one that could be easy forgotten. James went further and made the connection that you could be an artist, teacher, lawyer, athlete, or the average Joe schmo like you and me, and we are all equally likely to produce a great piece of work or an average one. Essentially the only determining factor is frequency. What do I mean by this? The more you create, the more likely you will produce a great piece of work. Why? Well, if you think about it the more that you produce, in whatever area that you work in, the more chances you get to creating an excellent piece of work. The higher number of attempts allows you to produce more average pieces, that might be easily forgotten,but you are also able to learn more skills from this increased production. This in turn, increases the probability that you produce a great piece of work. In simple terms, the more you create, the more likely you will create an excellent piece of work. 

2. 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. 

3. 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. 

FEAR: I CAN'T because it is not perfect, that is not how I thought it might go, or I do not have the skill or resources to.....

4. CVFA: This strategy really helped me be aware and release judgement if things do not turn our a certain way. I learned this strategy from Tony Robbins and the initialism for the strategy is CVFA. In this strategy you stay Committed to your Vision, but are Flexible with the Approach. This comes in handy when you plan do complete a certain action earlier in the week, but have to complete something else to meet a pressing deadline. As long as the new task allows you to be Committed to your Vision, then you can be Flexible with your Approach. Don't beat yourself up, and try to control everything to the point that you get frustrated. Take a breath and think if the task still helps you be Committed to your Vision, if so, then be Flexible with the Approach. If not, then stay committed to your original plan.

LACK of CONFIDENCE: I CAN'T because I am not  a person that can...

5. Agreements: I was able to learn about this powerful strategy from Jack Canfield called agreements. In this strategy you keep and fulfill 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 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. 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 on the process of discovering, pursuing, and achieving your dreams.

PROCRASTINATION: I CAN'T because I do not have enough time, do not feel like it...

6. 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.  

7. Early Scheduling = Implementation 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. 

8. 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 14 I wrote about the power of EXECUTION, and how it trumps knowledge. Here is an excerpt: 

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 was not able to complete the task at the planned time as I did not incorporate earlier strategies that had worked. Although I had gained knowledge of what to do, but I still did not follow through on writing my tasks out in high traffic areas or scheduling out specific times to complete the tasks (implementation intentions). This week I will make it a point to EXECUTE and take action on the knowledge that I have gained, so that I can complete next weeks task easier. 

As you can see, I made a plan from the knowledge that I had gained, but failed to EXECUTE. The same situation arose in week 30, as I was not able to complete the task at the planned time, which led me making another plan to complete the task at another time. I actually had to do this a third time before I completed the task for this week, as I thought I did not have the necessary information. Don't get me wrong, this is great, as I now have gained the knowledge about different strategies to help me overcome obstacles from various situations, but I felt I was making more plans rather than EXECUTING.

In 1988 Nike coined the phrase "Just Do It." This phrase helped them increase their profits in the American shoe industry from 18% to 43% in the the decade that followed. The phrase came to mind this week, when I finally told myself that I had all he knowledge that I needed and I just needed to EXECUTE. Once I decided to"Just Do It" and start, I was able to complete the tasks within an hour.

This led me to think about the PIR structure that I use each week. This has served me well in the past 15-20 weeks, but Implementation does not highlight the importance of taking action and EXECUTING each week. Thus, I have decided to change the format to PER, P for Planning. E for EXECUTION, and R for Reflection. In addition, this has a nice ring to it as you complete a PER week within your DPA process to achieve Awesomeness this year! 

Thanks for stopping by and see you in week 31. 

WEEK 29: ACTIVITY WITHOUT PURPOSE IS A DRAIN TO A LIFE OF FULFILLMENT

Just want to point out that DPA = Discover, Pursue, and Achieve, WT = Waiting Time, and DT = Development Time. 

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  This week I plan to sign up for  the site Medium and write my first  post about my DPA (Discover, Pursue, and Achieve) process. In addition, I have uploaded Pat Flynn's website SPI onto my devices to turn WT = DT. Also, for those very short WT moments, I will try to identify three things that I am grateful for in that situation. For example, if I am waiting in a line in the grocery store, I will try to think of things that I am grateful for being in the grocery store, ie I am grateful for being able to buy food whenever I want. 

IMPLEMENTATION (strategies used):  Another week, and another task completed! The awesome things is that the weekly task have become a normal part to the week and I am planning my activities and time around their completion. No new strategies to share, but I have listed the core ones that I use on a week to week basis. Also, I have divided them up into I CAN'T themes to help you identify which ones you can use in certain situations. 

MOTIVATION: I CAN'T find the energy or reasons to...

1. Equal Odds Rule: This strategy I learned from James Clear and this strategy was actually coined by a Harvard-trained phycologist Kevin Simonton. He researched the impact of scientific publications and the effect on its readers. Keith found that any given scientist could write a game-changing publication or an average one that could be easy forgotten. James went further and made the connection that you could be an artist, teacher, lawyer, athlete, or the average Joe schmo like you and me, and we are all equally likely to produce a great piece of work or an average one. Essentially the only determining factor is frequency. What do I mean by this? The more you create, the more likely you will produce a great piece of work. Why? Well, if you think about it the more that you produce, in whatever area that you work in, the more chances you get to creating an excellent piece of work. The higher number of attempts allows you to produce more average pieces, that might be easily forgotten,but you are also able to learn more skills from this increased production. This in turn, increases the probability that you produce a great piece of work. In simple terms, the more you create, the more likely you will create an excellent piece of work. 

2. 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. 

3. 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. 

FEAR: I CAN'T because it is not perfect, that is not how I thought it might go, or I do not have the skill or resources to.....

4. CVFA: This strategy really helped me be aware and release judgement if things do not turn our a certain way. I learned this strategy from Tony Robbins and the initialism for the strategy is CVFA. In this strategy you stay Committed to your Vision, but are Flexible with the Approach. This comes in handy when you plan do complete a certain action earlier in the week, but have to complete something else to meet a pressing deadline. As long as the new task allows you to be Committed to your Vision, then you can be Flexible with your Approach. Don't beat yourself up, and try to control everything to the point that you get frustrated. Take a breath and think if the task still helps you be Committed to your Vision, if so, then be Flexible with the Approach. If not, then stay committed to your original plan.

LACK of CONFIDENCE: I CAN'T because I am not  a person that can...

5. Agreements: I was able to learn about this powerful strategy from Jack Canfield called agreements. In this strategy you keep and fulfill 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 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. 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 on the process of discovering, pursuing, and achieving your dreams.

PROCRASTINATION: I CAN'T because I do not have enough time, do not feel like it...

6. 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.  

7. Early Scheduling = Implementation 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. 

8. 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):Week 29 in the books. I wrote my first post in Medium, a place to share stories. It was a little nerve racking as it was my first actual post in a forum outside of my blog. I will be honest and tell you that it was a stressful. Up to this point I have only been collecting ideas and drafting them for my book. This week I actually had to edit some of my ideas into a coherent thought. During the week I asked my self "Does this make sense, will others relate, what happens if no one likes it?" It was frustrating, and then out of the blue it hit me like a sledge hammer....I have a purpose and I know what it feels like.

I started this journey over 29 weeks because of a deep sense of unfulfillment due to the "wash, rinse, repeat" cycle of everyday life. Out of shape, a low sense of appreciation, and out of contact with the ones that I loved. Why? I had no purpose or sense of direction of where my life was going. It took some time, but I finally knew that I needed to find a purpose that would help add focus to my activities. 

Tony Robbins says, "Activity without purpose is a drain to a life of fulfillment." I agree with him, but have also learned that you must also read the fine print with this statement. In the beginning of my DPA  process I thought if I had a purpose, life would be less stress and things would become easier in a sense, short answer is YES and No. Probably not the answer you were looking for. Although a purpose provides direction and helps you focus on what activities that move you towards achieving your goals, there are still aspects that will still cause stress and frustration. 

I was finally able to make this connection while helping a friend with her DPA process. She has been doing great completing her weekly tasks, but often times she would critique herself about things that she did not get done. Listening to her and then thinking about myself and how I critiqued and analyzed my post in Medium brought me to the realization that we usually only critique ourselves when we are trying to accomplish something, ie  have a purpose. Think about it, without a purpose you really do not care if you do one activity or another. Take for example the purpose of getting in shape. If you are not getting in shape then you eat and drink anything without a care in the world, but having the purpose of getting in shape, you plan what you can eat and critique yourself if you were to eat too many Krispy Kream donuts. Some of you might argue that some people will complain and critique things, that is who they are. I agree, but this idea also is true whenever you set on a path to accomplish something meaningful, and you usually do that when you have a purpose. 

Additionally, I made a connection to what I wrote in a post in an earlier week about Type-1 (in the moment fun) and Type-2 (fun after the accomplishment of a meaningful task) fun. This idea of having a purpose causing stress at times, reinforces this idea about these different types of fun. Having a purpose is definitely more of a Type-2 activity. I have definitely had Type-1 moments, like meeting an awesome mentor, but overall I have not felt a full sense of enjoyment as I have not completed writing the Leap Year book. AS I mentioned earlier, having a purpose will provide focus to your activities and accelerate your growth towards your goals, but it will come with some non Type-1 fun sometimes, ie judging, critiquing, doubting, and stress. Know that when you feel these elements in your DPA process that you FINALLY HAVE A PURPOSE, or otherwise you would not be feeling them in the first place. So take a step back and be grateful that you do have a purpose, appreciate what you have accomplished thus far, and know that it is a natural part of the process. 

Lastly, it was incredible to think about my journey thus far and what has been accomplished in the last 29 weeks. If you were to tell me 29 weeks ago that I would be posting on online forums about the DPA process I would have told you that I you were crazy! One, because writing was a difficult task for me, still is but getting better at it, and two, I had no idea where to start. The beauty is that by consistently showing up every week and completing the weekly task. I have a a deep sense of FULFILLMENT, as I have direction and purpose to what I am doing everyday. This has transformed my life and it can do the same for you! 

Thanks and see you in week 30