GET DOING THINGS.

Grit is important in life. Today I have a bit of a rant about grit.

Interesting Conversations episode 3 is out now!

I've got no notes for today's episode, it was a complete rant!

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I'm returning to a topic today that I've spoken about a lot: being yourself, and how important that is.

Interesting Conversations episode 3 is out now!

How we traditionally set goals

The positives with setting goals

Gets you focused on something

Puts you to work

Gives you a bigger reason to perform the smaller habits

The problems with setting goals

A focus on the future

A focus on the end goal

A focus on a future you and not being happy for the current you

What happens when you get your goal?

The solution

Focusing on the process

Focusing on Extreme Production

Focusing on the routine and developing the habit

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I'm returning to a topic today that I've spoken about a lot: being yourself, and how important that is.

I’ve spoken variously about being yourself over the nearly 300 podcasts I’ve recorded. 

I mentioned it in Episode 44 (Being human in your marketing), I mentioned it a bit in Episode 26 (Embrace your weirdness)

But what do I really mean by that?

Being yourself is quite simply not hiding anything. Not holding back any part of yourself because it’s “not professional”

Not holding back any part of you because it’s too much of something or too little of that. 

Content marketing is becoming the default way of marketing nearly anything. 

Content marketing has to be fronted by a human being, and the best kind of human to front anything is one that’s honest with themselves and comfortable in their own skin. 

Somebody who is afraid to say something, or afraid to show their true self is showing they’re not quite sure who they are. This makes them look weak. 

Interesting Conversations episode 2 is out now!

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Creating a habit chain and filling your life with positive creates positive action.

Cold showers

There was a couple of episode titles I had in mind for this

You always feel better when it gets done

Inaction Breeds Inaction

Keep The Momentum

The 5am awakening

How I feel when I wake up at 5am

How I feel when I don’t

Always moving forward down the hill

Why I’m always doing things

What happens when you stop doing things (sitting on the sofa before going to the gym)

Creating a habit chain

What happens when you decide to not do ONE THING

Interesting Conversations episode 2 is out now!

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Let's talk about the power of getting up early, and my learnings so far.

I’ve just got off of an interview with Alexander Laurin, The Podcaster’s Coach. Check out his podcast, The Podcaster’s Life

Before you start feeling bad: this is still an in progress thing for me

Jocko Willink’s Instagram

I don’t get up every morning at 5am, and in fact I’ve struggled to get up even twice at 5am this week

The feeling I get when I get up at 5am

It also makes it VERY easy to sleep at night

6 hours seems to be the optimal time for me to sleep. 8 hours and more makes me feel tired.

5am gives me more time to read, to write, to get in a gym sessions before the day starts.

Interesting Conversations episode 2 is out now!

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If you take one tip from any of my podcasts, take this: create your own audience.

1000 Fans by Kevin Kelly

Because I help out on a few different design courses near me, I get asked quite a bit about “advice” for creatives. 

I’ve said the usual stuff in the past, and made a fair few podcasts about it. 

But one thing I’ve only recently started touching on is personal branding and building your own audience. 

Your own audience is truly a path to financial freedom, and doing the work you want to do for people who appreciate it. 

Interesting Conversations episode 2 is out now!

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Today I talk about how daily challenges have helped me improve myself, and how it helps me in my life.

The first ever one: Novl Cuisine - improved my design skills

Nice Smile Sir - improved my photography skills

Other ones in between: design skills

Then I did a logo one to improve logo skills

Then I did the podcast one so I could learn how to podcast.

Now I do a daily email one too to practice writing

And I also practice a morning ritual of reading and meditation as a daily challenge

I also tell myself I need to go to the gym 4 times a week

All of these challenges have built up into powerful habits.

Interesting Conversations episode 2 is out now!

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I genuinely believe daily challenges are one of the best ways to improve yourself.

Why would I want to start a challenge to improve myself?

It’s better than setting goals

You’ll make a new habit

You’ll get better at something 

What simple thing can you do every day?

Commit to a time period. 

Tell as many people as possible that you’re going to do it. Accountability. 

If possible, get somebody else to do it with you. 

If you fail, don’t get disheartened. Start again the day after. 

After your time period, assess. Do you want to carry on?

Interesting Conversations episode 2 is out now!

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Today I reflect on 2017, and how important of a year it's been for me.

Throughout December and beginning with today’s episode, I’m going to reflect on 2017 and try and find some key learning points from it. 

Today I want to discuss the main 3 strands of my year: podcasts, goals and challenges. 

2 books have changed my life this year: The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. Expert Secrets by Russel Brunson is fast closing the year to be another very important book for me

My history of goals: Between 2010 and now, I’ve always struggled with setting goals. Over the years I’ve set all kinds of goals. 

This year, for 2017, I set 13 goals of the things I wanted to achieve. 

I’ve failed to achieve about 10 of them, and I’m not on track to complete the other 3. 

Challenges on the other hand: over the years I’ve been good at these. 

This year, I’m up to around 293 podcasts. I’ve recording a podcast mostly every day and for the last 3 months I’ve recorded them live on the day. 

Challenges work. Challenges make me productive. I’ve just set another one: to write my book in 200 days. 

The podcast

My podcast throughout the year has changed my outlook on so many things. Marketing, ways of doing business, the power of content production and being part of people’s lives in a positive way. 

My podcast has fundamentally changed my focus and outlook on life. It’s made me want to share my ideas more, and help people more. 

Interesting Conversations episode 2 is out now!

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How do you get productive? Learn to stay level.

One of the best ways to stay productive over long periods of time—extreme production—is by making sure you keep your body level

Keep your mind level. Don’t get too stressed, too angry, too happy. Focus on controlling your mental state.

Physical. Keep your body level. Keep it at a normal body weight. Train it physically.

Diet. Eat properly. Don’t eat like a child. Keep it level. Don’t binge and purge, try to stick to calorie limits.

Balancing all these things are helping me write around 1000-2000 words a day for my book, write my daily email, produce a daily podcast, lift weights, and still have loads of energy left over. It works.

Interesting Conversations episode 2 is out now!

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