On days like today, when I've worked for hours and only have three small tasks finished from a much longer list, it's easy to feel like I'm not doing enough. Time for a different list.

I made another list of all the things I've done and helped others do in 2022, and I was amazed to see that this year has been one of my most productive and prolific. I've stuck with my original commitments, and I'm seeing a lot of progress since vowing to consume less and produce more.

And my clients are rockin' in all the best ways. New programs being launched, new websites being built, new marketing strategies being created, new blogs and podcasts being started, dreams old and new being taken seriously. I am delighted to see these things on one page.

Would you be pleased or disappointed if you were to make the same kind of list? Are there gaps in what you've hoped to do and what you've actually done? I love the groups I'm a part of who help me stay accountable to the dreams I have. Having them in my corner makes the biggest difference of all.

If you're bursting at the seams with an idea that needs to become a reality, consider working with me as your coach. I'll help you get it done in less time, for less money, and with less headache. Watch the video or listen to the podcast for my email address.

#progress2022 #makethingshappen #enoughisenough

Lots of friends publicly announced on Facebook today that they've deleted their Twitter accounts in response to the news that Elon Musk has raised the money to buy it. I seriously doubt that any of them have tweeted anything since 2009, but those accounts will surely be missed.

I'd like to see what he does with it before I make a decision one way or another. I was more active on Twitter in my early days there, but have let it sit for the past several years, much as I have most social media. I don't like the way it makes me feel so I'm not interested in giving any more time to it than necessary. So I'm going to wait to ruin Elon's day until he gives me a good reason.

I do think it's funny that these folks are making their bold announcements on Facebook.

I'm willing to wait because the guy has been known to have some brilliant ideas. PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX - are the most well-known among many. He could really have an idea for something that will be worth paying attention to.

And how many people are leaving just to put the screws to the billionaire? As if! He's going to be horribly rich no matter what we all do. And I'm willing to bet those who are leaving are the only side of this experiencing any discomfort. He slept his full six hours and nine minutes and woke rested.

So why don't you do something else instead? Paint something, sing something, build something, help the old lady across the street. Let Elon do what Elon does, and just find your own way to enjoy the time you have here. It will come to an end, and I'm convinced you won't be thinking about leaving Twitter when your life is reaching its end. There's more and better stuff to live for.

#elonmusk #twitter #surroundedbygifts

Listening to my son practicing drums. He started only a couple of months ago, and he's finding a knack for it quickly. It's also the first instrument he's played that he hasn't lost interest in after only a few lessons. I'm enjoying watching this happen.

Creative activities teach us more about ourselves, life, and the world we inhabit as much or more than any other pursuit. In the video, I compare creativity to sacraments, outward and visible manifestations of inward, invisible graces. For many of us, our creative time does carry a sense of sacredness that other times don't.

While I wish every human would find this side of themselves, I know many don't, and I'm curious why this is. Is it a personality trait, a learned preference, a socialized lesson, a sad result of childhood ridicule and comparison? What keeps people from seeking and finding their own expressions?

Finding mine when I did saved my life, and it's given me a center to return to every time I've allowed myself to stray and get hooked into thinking I need to do "more important things." Creativity is a path to transcendent experience on par with meditation and other spiritual practices. And while some say something so frivolous couldn't be of any value, others know that it's the pearl of great price that is to be given a place of honor and respect.

I'm delighted in my son's new discovery and in revisiting my own. May you discover and rediscover yours as often and as deeply as you can.

#creativity #meaningfullife #selfdiscovery

I've spent probably $100,000 on creative tools in my lifetime, and that's a conservative estimate. My output should be so much more based on the embarrassment of technical riches I possess. But Shiny Object Syndrome isn't the real problem here. That's a made-up name and another side of perfectionism that creative people deal with constantly. But I refuse to make it a pathology; it's just a feature of the process.

We all have psychological protective behavior patterns. That's a part of being human. For some people, it shows up as high achievement; for others, it appears as ambivalence in our commitments, and for others, it's a compulsion to never move out of our safe zones.

Impostor Complex is a similar condition. It's a way of protecting ourselves from exposure, embarrassment, and failure. And it's a part of almost every creative person's life that I've come across, including my own.

Creative people learn to work in spite of these protective tendencies. We take risks, we try new things, and we fail repeatedly in order to get something just right. It's a part of the process for all of us.

When a client comes to me reporting Shiny Object Syndrome or Impostor Complex, or any other diagnosis you might find in a gossip magazine quiz, I ask them about what's really going on. What are they really afraid of that their protective mechanisms are kicking in? Getting to the heart of those fears makes the surface symptoms go away.

#fearishuman #egohatespain #youareok

A friend who is raising funds to produce a new album was accused by an acquaintance of begging for money. That didn't sit well.

In this Coffee Break, I have some history to share, and I reveal what it's been like to watch my chosen profession and industry be disrupted and devalued to the point where I wonder if there will be any creative industry that will survive the digital age. 

Those who think creative people should work for free will have a reckoning ahead. There will come a time when all that is available to them is the growing sea of mediocrity because those who would choose a creative profession have had to bypass that option for career paths that actually sustain them.

If your life is being touched by a creative person's work, pay them. It's that simple.

#paycreatives #crowdfunding #exposurekills

If you're questioning your path because you're feeling insecure or unstable, I'd like you to stop fighting the feelings and just let them be. They don't mean anything. You don't need to second-guess yourself.

Feeling uncertain, insecure, worried, anxious, and other future-focused emotions is normal for people who are taking risks. And you are taking a risk here. Life itself is risky. 

If you're anything like me, the emotional arrival is predictable - so much so that I call it the monthly visitor. I can predict when I will be feeling this way and could put it on my calendar.

My main encouragement is to not be distracted by it. Your work is a source of stability and grounding, so that's where you need to focus. As you do, the emotions work themselves out, and if they don't there's always a coach or a therapist you can call.

Do the work.

#insecurity #wrongpath #secondguessing

Some of the best creativity-themed moments from season one of Your Own Best Company with Franklin Taggart.

Cheryl Benedict

https://thewisdomoftransition.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/7typuPJFogI

Jillian Lee Antinora

https://jillianleeantinoramusic.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/k7o7-xLvfU4

Cynthia Trevino

https://shemarketsmentor.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/g3Yg2JcKh9M

Breanna Gunn

https://breannagunn.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/1piz0i-zHHE

Johanna Walker

https://johannawalker.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/DUEOoIH8tLg

Diana Needham

https://businessbookpartners.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/Tn-e1vOZYkQ

Sheryl Plouffe

https://sherylplouffe.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/EL0GdX9OCRA

Cindy Skalicky

https://onpoint-communications.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/KANyMLgZt7U

Meridith Grundei

https://grundeicoaching.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/o1rfkZhYRIA

Dre Beltrami

https://thesolopreneursociety.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/KZniFoDEosY

Teresa Funke

https://burstsofbrilliance.com

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/XiCCKdn2NHM

Thanks for listening, subscribing, reviewing, and sharing!

A lot of people are investing in new microphones as videos and podcasts become more popular. Many of these people are excited to open the box and plug in the USB, but the microphone's performance is less than stellar when they do. 

Like the emperor with the new clothes, everyone tells them it sounds great, but tin cans with a string would sound better than the laptop mic they've been using. When they hear the recordings of their online conversations, they realize their new mic isn't quite as stellar as they'd hoped.

Most of the time, the mic isn't the problem. It's just being misused. High-quality microphones are very sensitive, and they are designed to be used with some pretty strict parameters. They have a sweet spot, and if you miss it, they suck.

If you've gotten a new microphone lately and want to make sure it's set up for optimal sound quality, take a few minutes and schedule a free microphone placement session with me. We'll get on Zoom with our microphones and headphones and find out where it sounds best for your voice. And if there are problems, we'll troubleshoot them.

Visit my blog: https://franklintaggart.com. At the top of the page, there's a yellow banner with a pic of a microphone. Click on that banner to schedule.

#testingonetwo #usbmicrophone #microphoneplacement

The Coffee Breaks are adding up! Today is number 100. Still holding true to my goal of posting a new video every day.

I'm a huge fan of Interact quizzes as leading-edge marketing tools, and the people who work there are gems. Go try Interact now and see why I've decided to be one of their affiliates: https://interact.grsm.io/jboh69i54xwj

One of their recently added quiz templates asks, "What Does Your Coffee Say About You?" 

I still don't know for sure what my coffee's opinion of me is and why it matters, but we all have preferences that drive our decisions. I like my Thai food spicy, whole my other family members like it mild. I love some music, while I'm meh about other music. 

A big part of understanding other people is observing their preferences. And it's also important to honor your own. Listen to this 100th Virtual Coffee Break episode to hear more and thanks always for spending your time and attention with me.

#100episodes #podcast #letshavecoffee

How do you decide what not to do? Every business owner I know has a huge list of possible ways to spend their time and focus, and they somehow choose those items from the list that are a priority. But the other things on the list matter, too. 

There are things I choose not to do as a podcast host that allow my process to work the way I need it to. The choice I make to communicate with guests directly instead of trying to communicate with them through representatives is one that I've had to adopt. I get too many inquiries about guests from agents and publicists - more than I can adequately process. 

I do my own producing, including editing. I've gotten pretty good at it over the years and I know what I want. It's easier to just get it done. In making this choice, I'm setting aside other things I could be doing.

I enjoy doing my own marketing, too, along with course creation, content creation, and the main attraction - working with my clients. 

The main way I've learned to accommodate all these parts is to set some clear boundaries for how I work and to adhere to a schedule that honors all the things I want to do. After I finish a project, I can come back and look at the list of things I set aside to see if they still matter enough to add to the schedule.

It's a fun dance.

#prioritysetting #makingcommitments #everydayisspokenfor