Do The Impossible — The Country Club Technique.

Successful businesses and careers are a lot about making tough things happen.

We get caught up in the inertia of our fears and are afraid of making a mistake. One exercise we use with our clients centers around a 'country club event'. Here's the scenario . . . you are in front of a country club and we've charged you with the task of getting into their 'event' with no invitation, no money, nothing.

Now you may ask, like all of our clients do, how can I do this? And we say - "I don't care. Just figure it out and MAKE IT HAPPEN." We then let the client come up with a number of scenarios how they could talk their way into that event successfully.

• "Maybe I sneak in the side door and go through the kitchen."

• "I can make friends with people in the parking lot and go into the party with them."

• "I can inquire at the lobby about membership in the club and get in that way."

• "I can paraglide from a remote mountain and land on the golf course and sneak in wearing a tux."

You get the idea. This technique primes your brain to think of alternatives without your fears canceling them out. It gives you a platform to then substitute your situation and make assertive decisions and subsequent actions.

Career and business changes produce a similar situation — "I don't know where to begin." or "I don't know who to talk to." or "What happens if it goes wrong?" are frequent responses.

What we then say is: "I don't care. Just figure it out and MAKE IT HAPPEN." We then brainstorm scenarios on how to meet that CEO or this important person and then MAKE IT HAPPEN. Action sometimes trumps deep thought (and worry).

The next time you run into an obstacle, step back and say "Figure this out and MAKE IT HAPPEN." You'll find yourself taking action before the fear and complacency begin to move in and you get that much closer to changing your career.

Nike was right with "Just Do It".

How I Beat Procrastination Every Day.

I just hit 650 articles this morning. About one article every other day for five years*. WOW.

Here's the hard truth — there are two types of people in the world:

1. One who quickly writes a blog post every day. Easily. It flows out of them like a skittles rainbow.
2. One who tries to write every day. It's hard. You start to question yourself — did I write this already? Definitely not a rainbow happening here.

I'm #2. But to have a growing and robust practice, I made a commitment to myself, my clients, and my readers that I would write every other day.

I get up every morning at 4:30 AM, sit down at my laptop, and write (okay — I shower first). And I say this mantra to myself:

• Get it done.
• Don't put it off.
• Make it happen.

And at first, my 'worry' brain takes over and begins to toss out obstacles:

• You have NO ideas. You have an empty brain.
• No one is reading your stuff. Why write it and waste your time?
• You're wasting time on this. Don't you have to check email?
• You are a failure. Think of all the times you screwed up . . .
• Your old friend Procrastination stops by for a visit (the guest who would never leave). Do it later — you'll be better at it.

But then, I wipe all those BS thoughts out of my brain (because they aren't true) and TAKE ACTION. I sit down, open my laptop, and start writing. And guess what? Withing 20-30 minutes, I have a article to edit!

Yes, it's that easy.

As Eckhart Tolle calls it, The Power of Now. "Be present as the watcher of your mind -- of your thoughts and emotions as well as your reactions in various situations."

My interpretation — Don't let the 'busyness' of your worries take over, don't let fear creep in, and above all, don't procrastinate.

As Nike says, "Just Do It." So I write. And write. And write. And guess what?

It sucked at first. But after six months, it's a lot easier. So I keep at it.

Now to YOU:

What one thing are you procrastinating on right now? What are you putting off?

Take the first step and start getting it done. You'll find it's not that hard, or time consuming.

That's just your ego speaking.

*Here's my math:

• 104 Saturdays/Sundays and two weeks vacation give me an approximate balance of 250 working days each year.
• Total working days in 5 years: 1250.
• 1250 days divided by 650 articles equals 1.92 days. So rounding up we get every other day.

Make It Count.

One of the most energizing videos I've seen lately - great music, editing, quotes — Casey Neistat is a force to be reckoned with.

Quotes from the video:

"Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all." - Helen Keller

"Buy the ticket, take the ride." - Hunter S. Thompson

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." - Mae West

"Above all, try something." Franklin D. Roosevelt

"I never worry about the future, it comes soon enough." - Albert Einstein

"One who makes no mistakes, makes nothing at all." - Giacomo Casanova

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years," - Abraham Lincoln

"Do More" - Casey Neistat (tattoo)

"If I'd followed all the rules, I'd never have gotten anywhere." - Marilyn Monroe

And my favorite: "Action expresses priorities." - Gandhi

Hard Time Getting Started On Monday? Try This.

Whenever I have a dip in energy or productivity, I watch 30 to 60 seconds of this video. It works.