10 ideas a day... A concept whose time has come

Several months ago I read the superb book "Choose Yourself" by James Altucher (I've enclosed an Amazon link to that book below) and in it James challenges the reader to begin what he calls the "daily habit" and while I'll cover that in a future edition, one piece that struck me was his call to document 10 ideas you have each day.  When I started this cycle of the 12 week year plan I'm in the midst of in July, I added this piece to my "project card" (I'll explain what that is later this week) and embarked on an attempt to do just that... And come up with 10 ideas each day.

 

Wanna know what happened?!  I failed - miserably I would add - and have barely come up with 10 ideas since July 1st... But here's the exciting part... That's right... I came up with 10 IDEAS ... And now have them all documented in my trusty moleskin notebook that's my now constant companion. 

It also altered my mindset.  No longer am I content to simply see, hear or think about something and just let it slip by.  Instead I'm conscious of the fact that I'm constantly surrounded by seriously smart and thoughtful people... And you never know when a concept mentioned in passing... Becomes something that can alter your life or that of others for the better.

So I challenge you.  As you start your day.. Think about the amazing volume of thoughts, concepts and interesting people that pass through your life today... Isn't some of that worth capturing?

I'd say it is... You'll be richer for it.

Here's to you.. And another day in a Life Well Led.

Thanks for reading.

Choose Yourself!  Be Happy.  Make Millions.  Live the Dream by James Altucher

Persistence and the daily schedule

I'm often asked how I'm able to get so much done in any given day/week/month and I'll take this opportunity to state that I actually do sleep (in fact this past weekend I was down with the flu and slept for what felt like 20 hours) and BTW... I'm not a robot either!

The real secret for me is a series of components.  The first is a plan and a written set of goals.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm using my own personal "concoction" of goals setting systems at present, but the most important to date is the 12 Week Year (which you can read more about HERE) and its constant focus on reviewing goals consistently.  At the beginning of each 12 week cycle, I lay out the macro goals that I'll be targeting in each key area (more on that in the coming weeks) and then use that document to formulate my monthly goal sheets... From which my daily planning flows. 

Once I've got my goals laid out and documented (a process that I have now incorporated into my weekly schedule with another component of the 12 Week Year known as the strategic block), I'm ready for the key that makes everything flow... The daily schedule.

I get up each day at 4am.  There I said it.  The fact is that I get not just the extra 120 minutes that come from getting up this early, but it gives me the truly focused, uninterrupted time in my day that makes me a better employee, colleague and all around expert in my field.  I simply outwork the competition.  Getting up early however is not the only key, and that is where persistence and planning both play a key role.  I get up at 4 EVERY DAY... Regardless of timezone and regardless of workday, weekend, holiday or not.  Just like working out physically isn't a one time thing... Neither is getting the results a that you want..at the scale that you want.

The fact remains however that the entire world can't get up at 4 each day...and frankly that's OK.  What you need is uninterrupted focus time (I suggest 2 hours/day but it will likely vary by profession) where you can spend time focused on refining your plan, reading, learning more about your craft and perhaps most importantly....laying the groundwork for living.... A life well led!

Here's to you.. And another day in a Life Well Led.

Thanks for reading.

The art of the "personal offsite"

So we've all done them right?  We take time out with our Team, coworkers even sometimes the entire company and invariably we find ourselves asking "why don't we do this more often" right?.... or at least I hope you do.  I've been a big fan of these events and in my reading in recent weeks ran across a concept that I'd been practicing for some time...I just hadn't come up with a cool enough name for it...and that is the personal offsite.

For a number of years my wife and I have held what we have come to call 'goals retreats' where we head off to some exotic locations (at least exotic for us) and plan the next year.  In the last 60 days I've switched over to using a new goal setting methodology - The 12 Week Year (which if you haven't heard of it take a moment and check it out HERE) - which has altered both my approach to goal setting in general as well as the way I approach our annual planning.  It also fit perfectly into my renewed focus on reviewing goals constantly.

This week I'm in the midst of weeks 8-12 of my first "12 Week Year" (more on that journey in future editions), but suffice it to say that I've had an epiphany about both my work and the life that I've been fortunate to build and expand on since my "new" journey began from the nadir of 2001 (you can learn more about where my personal philosophy got its start HERE).  I now have a system - which this blog will seek to document - without which my life would have turned out quite differently.

Personal offsites are now a part of that effort.  Held at the beginning/end of each 12 week planning cycle, these checkpoints are crucial to ensure that I'm proceeding towards my larger goals... One major one is to share the wealth of what I've been fortunate enough to collect and put into practice over time.

As you think about how setting aside time every couple of months to think about how you can get more from your life, ask yourself this question - My company thinks that its important enough to the future of our business to spend time "thinking about the future" without distractions... Is my personal life and career any less important?

Some food for thought and would love to hear your thoughts.  Think personal offsite (or even planning) are a waste of time?  Have a great story about how planning and goal setting have made a difference for you?  Drop me a line directly at donegalhold@yahoo.com or leave a comment below.

Here's to you.. ..And another day in a Life Well Led.

Thanks for reading.