This is Your Life

Well, it’s that time of year again. Last year is officially over. The new year has just begun. The future is pregnant with possibility!

As you may know, a few weeks ago, I launched a new course called, “5 Days to Your Best Year Ever.” In addition to offering three free videos about goal-setting, I hosted a live Q&A call on the topic. We had over a thousand people on the call and dozens of great questions. In this episode, I share the recording of that call. I think you will find it helpful as you finalize your plans for this year.

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During the call, I answered following questions:

How do you decide which goal is the most important and deserves the greatest allocation of your resources?

How do you implement a system (or action plan) to achieve your goals?

How many goals should I have? How many is too many?

How do you get re-motivated to pursue a goal you missed in 2013?

What are some of your personal growth goals?

How did your goals shift as you left a big corporation to pursue your entrepreneurial vision?

What apps do you use to track your goals?

How often should I be reviewing and adjusting my goals throughout the year?

How do you stay motivated in the “messy middle” when you want to give up?

How do goals and habits work together?

Which goal should I focus on first? the easiest or the most difficult?

Should you keep your goals private or share them publicly?

How do you handle failure? What if you set a goal and didn’t accomplish it?

Do you help your kids set goals?

How do goals fit into your life plan?

More than likely, you are going to live through 2014, so why not decide now it is going to be extraordinary? Why not make it your best year ever?

Episode Resources

In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:

Course: 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever

Software: Evernote

Software: Nozbe

Show Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who handles all my transcription needs.

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Recently, I recorded a podcast interview with Alex Barker at the Leadership Dojo. He asked me, “So how do young leaders find mentors?” It’s a question I get at least once a week.

To be brutally honest, your chances of finding a mentor are slim and none. The problem is your definition of mentorship. It’s too narrow.

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When most people use the term mentor, they mean a one-on-one coaching relationship with someone older and more experienced.

It might be informal (someone who advises you ad hoc) or formal (someone who meets with you on a regular basis). Regardless, the demand exceeds the available supply.

Fortunately, organizations like Radical Mentoring are working on training more mentors. But it’s a slow process.

We simply don’t have enough mature men and women willing or able to make the investment.

But (and this is the good news) you can be mentored right now if you understand the four levels of mentoring:

Virtual Mentoring: Read blogs and books, listen to podcasts, and take online courses.

Group Mentoring: Go to live conferences, join membership sites, or participate in group coaching.

Peer Mentoring: Find like-minded peers and be intentional about forming friendships with them. You can also join a mastermind groups.

Personal Mentoring: Invest in a coach or find a volunteer mentor.

Jesus said, “He who is faithful in little is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10).

Until you have taken advantage of the lower mentoring levels, you probably won’t gain access to the higher levels. Even if you eventually find a mentor (according to the traditional definition), you’re cheating yourself by not doing what you can now to learn and grow.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t have—a one-on-one, traditional mentoring relationship—focus on what you do have: more opportunities than ever before in history to learn and grow. If you simply expand your definition, you will find mentoring opportunities everywhere.

Listener Questions

Garrett Ira asked, “What would you recommend to new or newly promoted leaders in order to build their credibility with more experienced team members?”

Gary Thomas asked, “Are the differences in leading volunteers compared to paid staff?”

Andy McCormick asked, “Should I be concerned about changing the name of my company if it no longer fits my current business offerings?”

Special Announcements

If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need a self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge.

By the way, I just updated this screencast recently, so it has the latest and greatest information available. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.

Click here for more information.

If you’d like to ask a question with a chance of having me answer it on the show, please leave me a voicemail by clicking below:

This is a terrific way to cross-promote your blog or website,

This is something I have never done on my podcast—an interview. However, this opportunity was too good to pass up.

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Gary Vaynerchuk, author of the new bestseller, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.

This is one one of the best social media books I have read in a long time. In fact, I had a hard time getting through it, because I kept stopping to implement Gary’s step-by-step recommendations.

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During the interview, I asked Gary the following questions:

In the first chapter, you provide some amazing social media stats—especially about mobile devices. Could you share some of these with us?

Everyone knows traditional marketing has lost its effectiveness, but can you share how even digital marketing isn’t what it used to be?

In the book, you say that boxing is a “natural metaphor” for doing business. In particular, you compare boxing and story-telling. What parallels do you see between the two?

In your opinion, what really makes for a great story?

You go in-depth into five major social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumbler. We don’t have time to discuss them all, but let’s talk about Facebook ... what are the forces that make it more difficult than ever for marketers to be effective in this channel?

Could you tell the story about the fighter James Douglas, his fights with Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, and the lessons for us?

My Takeaways

When it comes to social media, you never stop learning.

As a curator of content (particularly in on Twitter and Facebook) I am like a deejay, introducing and commenting on what I share.

I need to create different posts for different social media channels. One size doesn’t fit all!

Special Announcements

If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need a self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge.

By the way, I just updated this screencast recently, so it has the latest and greatest information available. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.

Click here for more information.

If you’d like to ask a question with a chance of having me answer it on the show, please leave me a voicemail by clicking below:

This is a terrific way to cross-promote your blog or website, because, if I use your question on the show, I will link to it—just like I did with the callers in this episode.

Episode Resources

In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:

Book: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

Membership: Platform University

Screencast: How to Launch a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog in 20 Minutes or Less

Show Transcript

You can download a complete,

I am often asked in interviews, “How do you get so much done?” Even one of my daughters asked me this the other day.

I love the topic of productivity. I collect productivity hacks like some people collect stamps. I am always looking for the edge that will make me more efficient and, even more importantly, more effective.

Based on my recent 2013 Reader Survey, 75 percent of my readers want more productivity content. So here are my top ten favorite productivity hacks of all time, in no particular order:

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Eliminate online distractions.

Schedule time alone.

Batch similar tasks together.

Identify your must-dos.

Eliminate, automate, delegate.

Hire virtual assistants.

Invest in coaching.

Acquire better tools.

Get better at saying “no.”

Use templates for everything.

This isn't a very long list, but I have provided a huge list of resources in the show. Try these out and get to hacking yourself!

Listener Questions

Ryan asked, “How can you make sure that you get good recommendations when you leave a job?”

Shirley asked, “Now that I am past the initial launch, how do I find a larger audience for my book?”

Wendy asked, “Is it a problem having the word 'blog' at the end of my domain name?”

Special Announcements

If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need a self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge.

By the way, I just updated this screencast recently, so it has the latest and greatest information available. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.

Click here for more information.

If you’d like to ask a question with a chance of having me answer it on the show, please leave me a voicemail by clicking below:

This is a terrific way to cross-promote your blog or website, because, if I use your question on the show, I will link to it—just like I did with the callers in this episode.

Episode Resources

In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:

Book: Getting Things Done by David Allen

Book: The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

Book: The Virtual Assistant Solution: Come Up for Air, Offload the Work You Hate, and Focus on What You Do Best by Michael Hyatt

Book: The E-Myth Revisted by Michael Gerber

Book:

Education comes in surprising ways. Sometimes, we think we could learn best if we had a better boss. But sometimes we learn the most from the bad ones.

The great thing about these bosses is that they taught me what not to do, which is just as important as what to do—it’s just more painful.

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If your goal is to frustrate—or even exasperate—your employees, here are thirteen ways to do it.

Don't be responsive.

Cancel meetings at the last minute.

Reprimand them in front of their peers.

Change your mind frequently.

Don't bother stating your expectations.

Always ask for what they don't have with them.

Focus on superficial things rather than substance.

Assign them work, then micromanage the process.

Do all the talking.

Never recognize them.

Catch them doing something wrong.

Communicate that you are the fount of all wisdom.

Be moody.

There you have it. And if for some crazy reason you don’t want to frustrate those you lead, you can just invert these suggestions and do the opposite.

Listener Questions

Allison Levit asked, “ How can we make time for the important non-work stuff in our lives?”

David Roiel asked, “ Is it really worth being on Twitter if I don’t have many contacts there to begin with?”

Matt McWilliams asked, “ What advice would you give to a 26-year-old whose business is exploding and doesn’t have time for leadership development?”

Ree Kline asked, “ How can I gracefully decline training opportunities I can’t afford?”

Special Announcements

I am running a Black Friday special on

If you have ever thought about writing a book, but didn’t know where to start, this course is for you. Or if you already have a book, but want to do everything you can to make the biggest splash you can in the marketplace, this course will give you the tools you need to make it happen.

This course normally sells for $397. However, I am offering a a title=Get Published Audio Course" href=https://michaelhyatt.com/blackfriday target="_blank">$200 discount for the Black Friday weekend only. This offer expires on Monday, December 2nd at midnight, CST.

You can find out more at here.

If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need a self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge.

By the way, I just updated this screencast recently, so it has the latest and greatest information available. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.

Click here for more information.

If you’d like to ask a question with a chance of having me answer it on the show, please leave me a voicemail by clicking below:

This is a terrific way to cross-promote your blog or website, because,

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been more than two years since I left Thomas Nelson Publishers. After fifteen years at the company and six years as the CEO, I stepped down to pursue my life-long dream of being a writer, speaker, and entrepreneur.

Almost immediately, several of my readers asked, “Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to a new CEO?”

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This is a great question. I would encourage new CEOs—or those in any leadership position—to consider seven truths:

Your position is not your identity.

Your position is temporary not permanent.

Your position is a privilege not a right.

Your position is about faithfulness not achievement.

Your position is about them not you.

Your position is about stewardship not ownership.

Your position will require more than you can provide on your own.

There’s one last thing I would say to new CEOs: take care of yourself. Make your spiritual, emotional, and physical health a priority.

During your tenure, you will experience more stress than you can imagine. You need all the resources you can muster.

You might be tempted to put yourself last. Don’t. If you die of a heart attack, burn out emotionally, destroy your family, or lose your faith, you will be of little use to anyone.

Listener Questions

Shelley Levis asked, “How do I remain supportive of my spouse while pursuing my own dream?”

Alex Barker asked, “What do young leaders need that they are not getting in the marketpalce?”

Brent Dumler asked, “How can I find ways to be more productive?”

Mark Hust asked, “What advice do you have for a beginning speaker?”

Scott Eblin asked, “How do you lead people who were formerly your peers?”

Special Announcements

I am reducing the number of speaking engagements I am accepting. Most of my slots for next year are full, but I have a few left. If you are interested in considering me for your event, please check out my Speaking Page.

If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need to start with a self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge.

By the way, I just updated this screencast a few weeks ago, so it has the latest and greatest information available. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.

My next podcast will be on the subject of “13 Ways to Frustrate Those You Lead.” So, if you have a question on this or any subject, please leave me a voicemail by clicking below:

This is a terrific way to cross-promote your blog or website, because, if I use your question on the show, I will link to it—just like I did with the callers in this episode.

Episode Resources

In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:

Book:

Good habits lead to good outcomes. Bad habits lead to bad ones. But if it’s his simple, why is it so hard to change?

Maybe it’s time to step back and deconstruct the whole process. In this episode I confess to a bad habit and what I learned in the process of trying to overcome it.

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Specifically, I share five strategies for building new habits.

Envision the future.

Track your progress.

Develop a ritual.

Establish accountability.

Schedule check-ups.

You can defeat bad habits, and you can build better ones. But in order to overcome the odds and be successful, you must be intentional.

Listener Questions

Brian Graves asked, “Can you dedicate a show to search engine optimization?”

Chris Fontana asked, “Can you share some of your daily affirmations?"

Christina Donne asked, “What is your best advice for attracting new traffic for your blog?”

Joy Stevens asked, “Is it better to blog under your own personal name or should you do it under your organization?"

Matthew Green asked "How do you know when it is time to leave your job?"

Special Announcements

I am reducing the number of speaking engagements I am accepting. Most of my slots for next year are full, but I have a few left. If you are interested in considering me for your event, please check out my Speaking Page.

If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need to start with a self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge.

By the way, I just updated this screencast a few weeks ago, so it has the latest and greatest information available. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.

My next podcast will be on the subject of “Advice to New Leaders.” So, if you have a question on this or any subject, please leave me a voicemail by clicking below:

This is a terrific way to cross-promote your blog or website, because, if I use your question on the show, I will link to it—just like I did with the callers in this episode.

Episode Resources

In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:

Book: 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller

Charity: World Teacher Aid

eBook: The Virtual Assistant Solution: Come Up for Air, Offload the Work You Hate, and Focus on What You Do Best

Membership: Platform University

Screencast: EZ Wordpress Setup

Software:

Several months ago, I hosted a teleseminar with Jeff Goins. If you don’t know, Jeff is a full-time author, blogger, and speaker. I wanted to re-post it here as a way of introducing you to his Tribe Writers course (more about that in a minute).

We had some technical challenges in the call when we were both suddenly dropped by Skype—twice!—but we kept forging ahead. Regardless, Jeff shared some powerful content for anyone who is serious about building an online platform.

Click to Listen

Specifically, Jeff explained how he:

Attracted an audience of over 100,000 monthly readers,

Built one of the most popular writing blogs on the web, and

Became a professional author and speaker in less than two years.

He also shared:

The five types of platforms and which one is right for you

The little-known techniques you can use to connect with anyone

The secret weapon most A-list bloggers used to build their platforms

How to get a book deal without worrying about rejection

Why you should self-publish NOW

Finally, we talked about Jeff’s Tribe Writers course. More than 1,400 people have already gone through this practical eight-week resource.

Tribe Writers teaches you how to build a community and get the attention your writing deserves.

But here’s the deal ...

Jeff only offers this course a few times per year. Once the course begins, you can’t get in until the next time he offers it. Enrollment ends tomorrow, November 13th, at 12:00 p.m.

Jeff is also offering an exclusive $200 discount for my readers. The price goes up each time he offers the course, because he keeps adding additional value. This is the absolutely the best deal you will ever be offered. Click here to learn more.

My wife, Gail, often travels with me when I speak at various events. Inevitably, she is asked, “How do you live with a entrepreneur?”

In fact, two literary agents have encouraged her to write a book on this topic. So I sat down and interviewed her about this very topic. It was lot of fun. So much so, that we made this a three-part series.

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In Part 1, we focused on what you need to do if you are married to an entrepreneur. This also applies to those who are married to corporate executives, ministry leaders, or any other kind of “Type A” personality.

In Part 2, we focused on what you need to do if you are the entrepreneur. How do you achieve your dreams without blowing up your marriage in the process?

This week, in Part 3, we take questions from my listeners. It's important to note a few things before proceeding. First, we are not experts in this field. We are, instead, fellow travelers sharing our experiences with you.

We approach marriage with a few assumptions:

Marriage attracts opposites

Marriage takes work

Marriage is a long-term project

Ultimately, marriage works best when each party serves the other. If it’s all about you, it isn’t going to work, regardless of how you are wired or what you do.

Listener Questions

Ben Fanning asked, “How do you discuss the sacrifices of entrepreneurship with a spouse who comes from a more traditional, 9-to-5 job?”

Denise Surgeon asked, “How do you balance your career, caring for yourself and your marriage, and raising five children?” and "How do you prioritize these areas of your life?”

Rabbi Evan Moffic asked, “What role has faith brought to your marriage and family? Specially, what rituals and practices have you found helpful?”

Jackie Alvarado asked, “As a supporting wife have you ever felt inadequate as you have watched your husband succeed and accomplish so much?” and "As an entrepreneur, how have you dealt with the weight have having to support a family? Have their been times that weight has gotten to you? How have you coped?"

Jake Olson asked "What do you say to man whose wife doesn’t believe in him and wants him to be content with a 9-to-5 job?"

John Verbrugge asked "What do you think of the supporting spouse helping out with the business? I struggle with asking my wife to take on things and then wanting them back."

Special Announcements

I have created the 2013 Reader Survey for you. If you would take just a couple of minutes to fill out this form, I would really appreciate it. I want to know what is and is not working for you, and the feedback from this survey will help me create a podcast and blogging plan for the coming year.

My new ebook, The Virtual Assistant Solution, was just released a few days ago. If you have thought to yourself, I’m overwhelmed with the amount of work I have, but I don’t know if I can afford a full-time employee, then this ebook is for you!

My wife, Gail, often travels with me when I speak at various events. Inevitably, she is asked, “How do you live with a entrepreneur?”

In fact, two literary agents have encouraged her to write a book on this topic. So I sat down and interviewed her about this very topic. It was lot of fun. So much so, that we have decided to make this a three-part series.

Click to Listen

Last week, we focused on what you need to do if you are married to an entrepreneur. This also applies to those who are married to corporate executives, ministry leaders, or any other kind of “Type A” personality.

This week, we focused on what you need to do if you are the entrepreneur. How do you achieve your dreams without sabotaging your marriage in the process?

Next week, in week 3, we are planning to take questions from my listeners. So if you have one, please scroll down to the voicemail widget below and leave your question.

If you are are the entrepreneur in your marriage, you can help your spouse (and yourself) by giving him or her five gifts:

The gift of honor

The gift of awareness

The gift of inclusion

The gift of commitment

The gift of trust

Special Announcements

We still have a few tickets left for the Platform Conference, which will be held in Dallas, Texas on November 3-5, 2013—just about a month away. We have a terrific lineup of speakers this year:

Lysa TerKeurst

Amy Porterfield

Derek Halpern

Cliff Ravenscraft

Stu McLaren

Ray Edwards

Jeff Goins

Ken Davis

This conference is for anyone who wants to build a platform or take their existing platform to the next level.

If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need to start with a self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it.

You don’t need any technical knowledge.By the way, I just updated this screencast a few weeks ago, so it has the latest and greatest information available. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.

In my next podcast, Gail and I will answer your questions. So, if you have a question on this or ANY subject, please leave me a voicemail by clicking below:

This is a terrific way to cross-promote your blog or website, because I will link to it, just like I did with the callers in this episode.

Episode Resources

In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:

Conference: Platform Conference

Membership: Platform University

Screencast: EZ Wordpress Setup

Show Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who handles all my transcription needs.

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