Ray Edwards Show

This week I have my good friend Cliff Ravenscraft on the show – yes, the Podcast Answer Man himself will join us and we'll discuss the future of podcasting and what it means for those building a platform. I know you were expecting Five Destructive Habits That Will Wreck Your Life, but this is a good […]

We are busy. Too busy, it seems; if I ask ten friends what their biggest challenge is, five will answer with some variation of, "I'm just too busy."

 

In this episode I will share 10 specific tactics to help un-busy yourself.

Tip of the Week:

My favorite new meeting tool is Zoom.us. I like it better than Skype or GoToMeeting for the following reasons:

1. Smoother video streaming.
2. Ease of use.
3. Simple screen sharing.
4. Easy recordings.
5. Less expensive than other alternatives.

Spiritual Foundations:

Should we be working harder to be better Christians? No. All our "working" and striving will only make us feel guiltier and dirtier than before we started.

…you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1 Cor 1:30

Your righteousness is not measured by what you do or don't do; it is measured by what Jesus already did.

Feature Presentation: Ten Ways To Un-Busy Yourself This Week

We are too busy. We need to slow down, so we can get more meaningful work done. Here are 10 specific tactics to help un-busy yourself.

1. Start work an hour later.
2. Quit work an hour earlier.
3. Don't take any lunch meetings.
4. Work four days instead of five this week.
5. Don't take any incoming phone calls.
6. Eliminate all shopping (online and offline).
7. Stop watching TV, listening to the radio, and reading the newspaper.
8. Meditate twice a day.
9. Cancel all recurring meetings.
10. Cancel all social and volunteer activities.

Even picking a few of these ten will free up space in your mind, help you get more centered, and perhaps bring you a renewed sense of peace, power, and purpose.

Next Week: Five Destructive Habits That Will Wreck Your Life

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Question: Which un-busying practices will you adopt this week? Click here to leave your comments.

We are busy. Too busy, it seems; if I ask ten friends what their biggest challenge is, five will answer with some variation of, “I'm just too busy.”   In this episode I will share 10 specific tactics to help un-busy yourself. Tip of the Week: My favorite new meeting tool is Zoom.us. I like […]

For the longest time, when asked how quickly I can turnaround a writing project, my answer has been: "I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better."

I recently discovered the person who originally penned that phrase: American journalist A.J. Liebling, who wrote primarily for The New Yorker. The reason I think this  quote rings true for many writers is actually a secret of the trade. Writing faster makes you a better writer.

Tip of the Week:

You know by now I'm a big fan of Scrivener. today I'd like to introduce you to the best training I've found on how to use Scrivener effectively: Learn Scrivener Fast.

Spiritual Foundations:

Is God judging us? Is his judgment the source of the scary things we hear in the news?

1. God is love. (1 John 4:8)
2. There is no fear in love. (1 John 4:18)
3. How we can "test the spirits". (1 John 4)

Don't be deceived by ministries of fear.

Feature Presentation: Write Faster, Write Better

Here are 5 reasons why writing faster can make you a better writer.

1. You'll write more.
2. Your skill level will improve.
3. Writing fast turns off the self-editor and inner critic.
4. The 10,000 hour rule works in your favor.
5. Imperfect practice is better than perfect intentions.

What level of output are you truly capable of as a writer?

Next Week: Ten Ways To Un-Busy Yourself!

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Question: How fast do you write? Click here to leave your comments.

For the longest time, when asked how quickly I can turnaround a writing project, my answer has been: “I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better.” I recently discovered the person who originally penned that phrase: American journalist A.J. Liebling, who wrote primarily […]

The power of momentum is hard to overestimate. A productive person is likely to remain productive, and the opposite is also true. We can intervene in our own lives.

What if there was a way to turn yourself into self-propelled productivity machine?

Tip of the Week:

This week I;m going to encourage you to "Slack". It just might make you more productive. Try the Slack app now.

Spiritual Foundations:

Here's a question I get from readers and listeners every now and then: "If God's will is always healing, why am I still sick?"

The short answer is I don't know. There are many explanations that sound good, and yet for every one there is a scripture that seems to disprove it. Think you don't have enough faith? Then what do you do with the man who didn't even believe Jesus could help his son… and then Jesus just healed the boy, despite the father's lack of faith? Think you have sin in your life that you have to get cleaned up first? Then what about the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery, whom Jesus forgave and spared from physical death?

Then there are interesting passages like the one where Jesus prays for a blind man, and the man is not instantly healed. He reports to the Lord that he can "see men like trees," implying that he could see a little, but imperfectly. So what did the Lord do? He prayed again! If that formula is good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me. And I am not so arrogant as to assume I might not need to pray more than twice.

In short, this is an area of mystery. I believe we must be comfortable living with mystery. I know that God's promise is that he will heal every one of us. I also know that it seems that some of us (myself included) have not yet been healed. The danger lies in becoming bitter or angry with God, distorting or maligning his personality because he won't do what we want, or even presuming that we know what he should do and when. The danger on the other side lies in just deciding that God is not going to heal, and that contrary to his word, it must not be his will.

Here's the shocking truth: not everything that happens in this world is God's will. That may freak you out a little, but it's true, and I can prove it. The Bible says that God is not willing that any one should perish. But people perish every day. Therefore, it is clear that not everything that happens is God's will.

Since I am not able to answer this question with any authority, I return to my "short" answer: I don't have an opinion on this, and I can't be forced to express an opinion I don't possess.

Feature Presentation: Self-Propelled Productivity

You can set up your productivity routine to work just like a self-propelled mower – a lot of grass gets cut without a lot of pushing required. Here are a few suggestions to give your productivity its own momentum.

1. Wake up earlier than most people and accomplish your most difficult  or dreaded tasks before others are even awake.
2. Block out the first 3-4 hours of your day as your un-interruptible "productivity zone".
3. Refuse all inputs until after Noon.
4. Learn your own weaknesses and "trick" yourself into succeeding (gym clothes ready for next morning, working out first thing, setting my clock intentionally fast.)
5. Find someone to kick your rear end for you. (Rick Raddatz story)

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Question: Do you use any tricks to automatically make yourself more productive? Click here to leave your comments.

The power of momentum is hard to overestimate. A productive person is likely to remain productive, and the opposite is also true. We can intervene in our own lives. What if there was a way to turn yourself into self-propelled productivity machine? Tip of the Week: This week I;m going to encourage you to “Slack”. […]

If you're always plugged in to the Internet, you might just be unplugging from some of the most important relationships in your life.

 

Today I'll discuss 5 reasons why you might not want to take your laptop to bed.

Tip of the Week:

 

Simplify your writing with the new downloadable Hemingway app.

Spiritual Foundations:

"Hey Ray, are you a 'greasy grace' guy?" The question comes to my email inbox every now and then. Here's my answer.

1. There is no such thing as "greasy grace" – there is only the Gospel, and the Gospel is grace.
2. Grace is a gift, so all your working at it won't help you. You can't ever deserve it – the word actually means "unmerited favor".
3. The #1 accusation hurled at Paul was that he proposed too much grace, and too much freedom. If we're not accused of the same things Paul was accused of, are we preaching the same thing he preached?

Feature Presentation: Don't Take Your Laptop To Bed

Having a laptop, iPad or iPhone sure makes it easy to stay plugged in – even where we should be unplugged. Here are 5 reasons why taking your gadgets to bed with you might not be such a great idea.

1. If you're married, taking your laptop to bed with you robs your spouse of your presence and sends the signal that your gadget is more important them.
2. That softly glowing light actually interferes with your ability to sleep well, even after you turn it off.
3. The mental stimuli are also damaging  the quality of your sleep.
4. Communicating with the world and your co-workers during all hours sends the message that you have no boundaries, and they will respond accordingly.
5. You're teaching your subconscious mind that even your bedroom is not a place of rest.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Question: Do you take your laptop, or other connected device, to bed with you? Do you think that has a positive or negative effect on your life? Click here to leave your comments.

If you're always plugged in to the Internet, you might just be unplugging from some of the most important relationships in your life.   Today I'll discuss 5 reasons why you might not want to take your laptop to bed. Tip of the Week:   Simplify your writing with the new downloadable Hemingway app. Spiritual […]

If you give away free content as part of a "Content Marketing" strategy, it's important to know wthat you should not give away everything. If you give away the wrong stuff, you'll never make any money.

 

In today's episode I you get the "5 Fatal Flaws Of Free Content" – and how to avoid them.

Tip of the Week:

The best way to manage all your passwords: Dashlane.

Spiritual Foundations:

"Does the Holy Spirit convict us of sin?" My answer may surprise you.

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."

John 16:8-11

Feature Presentation: 5 Fatal Flaws Of Free Content

Content marketing is a great tactic – as long as you don't give away the wrong stuff. Doing that will kill your hope of making any sales. Here are the 5 biggest "fatal flaws" I see people make with free content as a marketing strategy…

1. Fails to move the reader progressively toward a decision
2. Assumes too much about what the new reader already knows.
3. Gives away the thing readers are most likely to pay for.
4. Gives away all the "how to". (Only give away the "what to")
5. Closes all the "open loops" in the readers mind.

Get The Transcript

Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.

Question: What experience (good or bad) have you had with giving away free content as a marketing strategy? Click here to leave your comments.