Tag: Practical Steps to Achieving your Dream
The 16 Things I Learned Working 20 Hours a Week Building a Business in 2015 (while still having a regular job)
I did it!!!!
That picture you see is me celebrating achieving my New Year’s resolution for 2015. At the start of the year, I set myself the goal of working on average 20 hours a week building my business, EVERY WEEK, for the whole year (while still working a regular job).
I’ve got to be honest, it was tough. It required a huge amount of discipline and a surprising amount of planning too. In the process, I learned a lot, both about myself, and what it takes to achieve your goals and New Year’s resolutions.
I will share these discoveries with you now. My hope is that it will give you the motivation to set and stick to your own New Year’s resolutions, the information on what to expect and the proof that it’s worthwhile.
And the lessons I’ve learned from this one year journey can be applied to any area. While my experiment focused on the benefits to building a business, these lessons will apply just as readily to someone looking lose weight, implement a regular exercise routine, enforce regular meditation or do anything on a consistent basis, throughout the year, while having multiple pressures on their time.
So basically, what I’m saying is, if you have a goal to achieve in 2016 then you need to read this!
Before we Start
Before we dive into the list, let me clarify a few things.
Firstly, when I say ‘building a business’, I’m referring to all work on my Screw the System project. This means blogging, updating my book, creating videos (here’s one related to this post), updating social media, attending and giving talks and coaching (not my hypnotherapy though).
Secondly, my ‘regular job’ is not regular (more on the relevance of this as we delve into the list). My main source of income is through tennis coaching and then hypnotherapy. I make a small amount of money (book sales) through the Screw the System project but it is certainly not enough to live on. (However, through the solid foundation I’ve built during 2015, I look to 2016 as the year I’ll earn half my income through StS).
Thirdly, I did not work 20 hours a week on building my business every week. It was an average. During the spring and summer it was more like 15 hours a week, while during the Autumn and Winter it got up to 25 hours and occasionally more.
To record my hours, I ticked a page in my diary (see pic) to keep up to date with my progress. On completing a block of 2 hours 45 minutes, I would tick that day off as complete.
Why did I choose 2 hours 45 minutes?
Add that up over 7 days and it comes to approximately 20 hours for the week. It was a figure inspired by reading an article on Jon Morrow’s site Boost Blog Traffic. He states that in order to create a successful blog (with a huge amount of traffic), you have to be prepared to put in 20 to 40 hours work a week for 4 to 6 years.
So, now you’ve got the background info, let’s get into the list.
1. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE IF I’D WORKED A REGULAR JOB!
I have the upmost respect for anybody building a business, or creating a dream, whilst working a regular 9 to 5 job. I couldn’t do it!
We all know that a 9 to 5 is rarely a 9 to 5. When you include travel, and the strong likelihood you’ll be required to work overtime, you’ll probably be occupied from the hours of seven thirty in the morning to roughly seven thirty or eight at night. That gives you one quality hour a night to build your business (if you’re extremely motivated and don’t have any other interests) and means you’ll have to work 15 hours over the weekend.
As I said earlier, over a sustained period of time, there’s no way I could have done this (and I like to consider myself a highly motivated person).
2. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IN CHARGE OF YOUR TIME
The only way I could dedicate 20 hours a week to building my business, while working others jobs, was to be in complete control of my time. On average, throughout the year, my combined ‘regular job’ of tennis coaching and hypnotherapy probably occupied a little over 30 hours a week. However, I got to set my hours. Typically, I’d have every week day morning between the hours of 9 and 1 free to work on building my business.
This was probably the number one reason for me achieving my goal. Do not underestimate the importance of working less time and earning less money if it allows you to focus on something you consider to be your higher purpose!
3. THIS WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE IF I’D TAKEN A VACATION!
For the whole of 2015, I never went abroad. I had about four weekends away either visiting my Grandma or going somewhere with my girlfriend. The rest of the time I was at home.
This may horrify some of you who work ‘regular jobs’ and use the thought of their next vacation as motivation to get through what can otherwise be a monotonous year. However, to paraphrase Seth Godin, when you’re living and creating ‘a life you don’t need to escape from’, you don’t really miss vacations.
4. I NEVER FELT ‘BURNT OUT’
Baring my few weekends away, I had no time off during 2015. I worked pretty consistently for 50 hours a week, EVERY week of the year. However, I never felt ‘burnt out’.
How could this be?
The simple answer is that all of my work inspires me. I don’t believe it’s hard work that makes you tired. It’s demotivating work that drains you. Working hard on something that inspires you makes you stronger.
5. I LOVE AND NEED MY SLEEP
I achieved this goal while regularly sleeping 8 hours a night (occasionally less, rarely more). I don’t believe that cutting down on sleep, or taking supplements so that you can work longer, is a route to greater productivity. Being fully alert and happy is the route to greater productivity, and over a sustained period of time, this can only be achieved by sleeping well.
6. I LOVE AND NEED MY EXERCISE
As is the case with number 5, this was something I wasn’t prepared to sacrifice. You can read about my exercise routine and why I feel it should never be sacrificed to the demands of a job here. I’m certain that my strict adherence to it was vital in recharging my mind and keeping me full of energy.
7. IT GOT EASIER AS THE YEAR WENT ON
This is something everybody who disciplines themselves to do something that, on occasions, they’d rather not do, experiences. There were times when I wanted to veg out and watch TV or browse the internet, but the more I forced myself to work, the more I enjoyed it.
It becomes a habit and this bodes well for anyone wanting to alter their eating habits, exercise more or cut out an addiction. Keep going because it gets easier.
8. IT WAS EASIER BECAUSE I KEPT TRACK OF MY PROGRESS
You’ve seen the picture of my diary above. This was a big big reason I completed my goal. I felt a huge wave of motivation every time I ticked a day off. It made me hungry for the next one.
9. PUTTING IN THE HOURS PAYS OFF
As a result of achieving this goal, I gained more subscribers in 2015 than I did in the previous two and a half years combined.
Previous to this year, the hours I put in were sporadic. I’d put in the odd 20 hours a week when I was working on something time sensitive, but then might only put in 5 hours a week when I was busy tennis coaching during the summer. Making sure there was never a time when I was putting in less than 15 hours a week this year was vital to maintaining my momentum. And as any sports person knows, momentum brings results.
10. PUTTING IN THE HOURS DOESN’T PAY OFF
Hard work alone doesn’t bring results. Although the jump in my subscriber rate was pleasing, my book sales didn’t match this growth and overall, I didn’t achieve the impact I’d hoped that amount of work would.
What’s the conclusion?
Smart work is essential. I wasted too much time messing around with social media when it could have been more effectively used writing guest posts for other sites.
11. SET YOURSELF MINI GOALS WITHIN THE TIME YOU WORK
This links to the concept of working smart. If you want to make the most out of a 2 hour time slot, then set yourself a task to achieve within that time frame. For example, I now insist on writing 300 publishable words per hour for any of my blog posts or books. It stops me daydreaming and made December of 2015 my most productive month by far.
12. PLANNING IS CRUCIAL TO ACHIEVING ANY GOAL
This was the biggest surprise to me. Working hard wasn’t the difficult part. Looking at my calendar and figuring out what ‘paid work’ I’d have to cancel, to fit in my hours, was. It was a constant juggling act. I didn’t want to piss off any of my tennis or hypnotherapy clients yet I knew that if I didn’t carefully manage my time, and say NO to extra work and social events, then I’d never achieve my goal
13. DISCIPLINE BEATS INSPIRATION EVERY TIME
I’ve tried the whole, ‘work when the inspiration hits you’ approach. Problem is, the inspiration doesn’t strike enough. It’s far better to have a set schedule for you business building work. If you’re feeling inspired, great; if not, well then at least you still get some work done.
14. RELATIONSHIPS WILL SUFFER UNLESS YOU’RE VERY VIGILANT
I’m close to my parents, have one girlfriend and three close friends. I don’t have time for anything more. I even worry that I don’t give enough time to these relationships – my girlfriend would certainly say so!But what’s success for? So that you can reach the top of the mountain and enjoy being there by yourself?
This is why, no matter what, you have to maintain your relationships and humanity. Sacrificing a friend in need for your own work is not an option. However, realise that you might come close to doing this on many occasions. Just be vigilant!
15. THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN MONEY
I could have earned an extra $20,000 this year if I focused solely on tennis coaching and hypnotherapy. Some of you may find it insane that I consider myself richer for having put that time to use building my business.
I believe time will prove this to be a worthy financial investment but it isn’t all about the money. The feedback I’ve received from some of you concerning the impact of my book and work has given me a sense of satisfaction I struggle to put into words. You don’t get to walk this higher path when financial concerns are the driving force behind your decisions.
16. ACHIEVING THIS GOAL WAS AN INCREDIBLE BOOST TO MY SELF-ESTEEM
Sitting here, writing this blog post in early 2016, I feel incredibly strong. Part of that comes from knowing I’m a person who can set himself a goal and achieve it. I feel good about myself and I want you to feel good about yourself too.
So find a goal for 2016 that has a deep personal meaning to you, and will benefit your life in some way, and set out on a mission to achieve it. Do not sway in your commitment, and do not compromise the goal for anything, and I guarantee that this time next year you will have been hugely enriched by the experience.
The Ultimate ‘unconventional’ Daily Motivation Routine for Busy People
Wake up 5am. (What!?!?)
Write down your goals for the day, meditate, repeat affirmations, do a cold plunge or jump in your cryotherapy unit, then exercise for 45 minutes to an hour. Finally, do some journaling or reading. (I’m sorry, has this morning routine just turned into exactly that – an entire morning).
Where do these personal development guru’s get time to do all of this? Why have you got to deprive yourself of sleep to be effective? And what happens if you’ve got to jump on a train at 8am to be at your job for 9am?
These were my thoughts after reading a collection of daily motivation routines from Tony Robbins to Hal Elrod to a host of other less famous figures. They seemed to bear little relevance to anyone who was busy and perhaps, counter-productive to anyone who needs to accomplish something with their day.
Do you even need a Motivation Routine?
Let’s back up a little though. I don’t want you to ge the wrong impression. Despite my opening comments, I absolutely DO believe in the power of having a daily motivation routine.They are crucially important for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, they boost your energy and get you in the right state to perform during the day.
The more I grow and break new ground in both my work, personal life and hobbies, the more I’ve come to realise that energy is everything. Don’t get me wrong, strategy and tactics are important, but energy is the X factor that helps you get the deal, win the match and convince someone of your, or your products, value.
Want to boost yours? Then get yourself a daily motivation routine. The techniques listed above (and the ones I will list below), if done correctly and repeated enough, will seep into your subconscious and make you believe in what you’re seeing, saying or writing. You’ll feel differently about yourself and this will be expressed when you meet someone new, make an important phone call or reach a decisive point in your negotiations or match. Plus, exercise and expressing your desires naturally boosts your energy. Combine all of them together and you’ll give yourself enough emotional fuel to remain productive throughout the day.
Secondly, a daily motivation routine makes you turn up every single day.
This is often overlooked when it comes to understanding the importance of these practises. Sometimes meditation doesn’t make you feel great. Sometimes your thoughts run away with you and you can’t focus on anything. And sometimes, a cold plunge or cold shower just makes you feel like a quivering wimp.
But you still turned up! You still made that commitment to improving your life and that counts for a lot.
Empires are built on this kind of daily drive. Woody Allen famously said, ‘80% of success is showing up’. Keep reaffirming your commitment to living a greater life, day after day (that’s the important part), and you immediately put yourself ahead of the 90% of people who wish that their lives got better but don’t give any mental attention to this desire.
The Rapid Results Motivation Routine
Having extolled the virtues of motivation routines, I feel I must also draw your attention to my concerns with conventional ones and present you with an alternative.
My misgivings are centred on two issues – lack of sleep and lack of time.
I see little value in waking up at 5 or 6 am, if doing so deprives you of sleep and leaves you feeling tired during the day. And if you can’t set your working hours then it’s likely you’ll have at least 10 – 11 hours of your day occupied by work, travel and preparing for work. Alongside, socialising, family time, downtime and going to the gym, how the hell are you going to fit in an hour long motivation routine?
That’s why I want to present you with a motivation routine that can be completed at any time during the day, takes no longer than 10 to 15 minutes to finish and will leave you feeling like you can conquer the world.
Step 1: Priming
I’m not against meditation and don’t wish to discourage you if you find this practise beneficial. However, I prefer to put my thoughts to use. So, at 11.45pm, just before I get into bed, I switch off all the lights and light a candle.
I then stare at this candle (very easy to focus on when there are no other light sources) and fill my mind with thoughts of what I want to achieve. I’ll picture myself selling 1 million copies of my book, getting a publishing deal and hitting perfect tennis strokes. I tend to choose one particular topic per night and focus all my attention on this. My aim is to achieve an emotional response (e.g. feeling joyful, inspired or in some cases determined) as this is evidence that my thoughts are forming a belief.
Time taken to complete: 5 – 7 minutes
Further Resources: Maxwell Maltz’s Psycho Cybernetics and a Tim Ferriss podcast with Tony Robbins where he discusses using priming (I stole the name off him). See episode 1 and then start at 26:16.
Step 2: Reciting Personal Statement
A personal statement is a short paragraph about who you are and what you are on this earth to do. It should be written as if you are already living the life you want, even if your reality reflects something different. By way of example, here’s mine,
I am devastating. My words reach millions. I am a power that shapes this world. I live the paradise I have felt so many times. I only use my power for good. I help, save and set free as many people as possible. I am a channel to bring good into this world.
Repeat your statement 3 times over with as much passion and conviction as you can muster. To make it sink into your subconscious, turn it into a performance, complete with dramatic gesticulations.
Time taken to complete: 1 minute
Further Resources: Joseph Murphy’s The Power of your Subconscious Mind and click the link here to discover how Bruce Lee used this technique to launch his film career.
Step 3: Power Pose
This technique utilises the NLP practise of anchoring to form a connection between a particular body movement and a powerful emotional feeling. For example, you might hold your arms aloft in the pose of a champion sportsperson and connect this with a deep feeling of achievement.
Use this technique to charge yourself with energy before you give an important performance and at any time during the day when you need a boost. However, do note that it takes practise to connect the pose with an empowering emotion. It may not happen first time but if you repeat it enough, a powerful connection will be formed that you can use as a resource any time you need.
Time Taken to Complete: 30 secs
Further Resources: For a clear demonstration of its use, watch my ‘I love getting high’ video.
Step 4: Motivational Playlist
If you’re pressed for time then why not use one of the most powerful emotional resources known to man – music!
Our favourite songs aren’t just entertainment. They carry deep meanings and stimulate strong emotions in our limbic system.
So get your phone or device, create a playlist of 10 or 20 of the most motivating songs in your collection and then play them at various time throughout the day. The beauty of this technique is it can be completed while getting ready, tidying your house, travelling to work and training at the gym.
By way of example, here are some of mine;
- A Minute for your Son – DMX
- Broken Wings – Mr. Mister
- A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
- Gonna Fly Now – Rocky theme song
- Great High Mountain – Jack White
- I Believe I can fly – R. Kelly
- Juicy – The Notorious B.I.G
- Keep the Faith – Michael Jackson
- Keep ya Head Up – 2Pac
- Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson
- Roll Jordan Roll – John Legend
- Slippin’ – DMX
- So Amazing – Theme song from The Hurricane
- Star Wars theme song
Step 5: The Freedom Shout
If you’ve got to the bottom of this list then you’ve probably noticed a reoccurring theme – EMOTION. A good motivation routine should leave you feeling pumped, upbeat and inspired. There are few better ways of doing this than performing The Freedom Shout.
To do it successfully, you will need to;
1. Find a scenic, dramatic location with few people around (or for daily use I suggest your car).
2. Let out the most animalistic war cry you can summon.
3. Hold it for 2 to 4 seconds and while you are shouting focus on what you want to achieve. This can be anything ranging from having love in your life, realising your dreams or just summoning all your energy.
If done correctly, you will feel awesome after performing The Freedom Shout. It cuts through all negativity and immediately raises you into an empowered state.
Time Taken to Complete: 5 seconds.
Further Resources: Watch my video which includes a demonstration.
Your Turn
If you know anyone who’s too busy to complete a daily motivation routine then please do them (and me) a favour by emailing them a link to this article.
And also, I’d like to know what techniques work best for you. Tell me in the comments section below.
Thank you for reading and sharing.
7 Harsh Truths about Achieving your Dreams
WARNING: This post is NOT going to motivate you.
Finish reading it and you won’t be jumping out of your seat ready to take on the world or reaching into your wallet giving up your bank details in exchange for the latest online course that guarantees to make you internet famous (I DON’T EVEN HAVE ONE – I do have a book though. Contains just as much information at about one tenth of the price).
No, instead of motivating you, I’m going to prepare you. Finish reading this post and you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to turning your dreams into reality.
And whether your dream is to build an online following, start your own business, become a professional sportsperson or run for office, the advice still applies. It’s gleaned from 12 years of my own experiences, countless hours of research into successful dreamers and your own stories and recollections.
My hope is that by reading it, you are going to a) save a tremendous amount of time by NOT making some of the mistakes that I made b) travel your journey with renewed vigour as you now understand that failure, set-backs and the passage of many years are all perfectly normal and c) because of this understanding, NEVER GIVE UP.
So let’s proceed . . .
Harsh Truth Number 1: Nobody will do it for you
I remember walking round my village as a teenager hoping that I’d bump into a wise old man or the girl of my dreams who would suddenly come into my life and make me happy. IT NEVER HAPPENED. Even in the last two years, I’ve been guilty of wishing that some marketing genius is going to discover me and help promote my message to the masses. Guess what? IT HASN’T HAPPENED.
So what I’ve learned is this; you have to do it ALL yourself. Expect no help whatsoever.
Having said that, though, this doesn’t mean that you won’t get some. Back in 2007, after 5 years of carrying around the dream of writing a book in my head, I contacted bestselling author and personal development expert Tom Butler-Bowdon for help. What followed was a fruitful student/mentor relationship that greatly assisted me in transforming some of my dreams into reality.
So although help might come, I don’t want you relying on it. You’ll have to get the ball rolling and you’ll have to do all the leg work. Then maybe, just maybe, someone will step in and help you rise to the next level.
Harsh Truth Number 2: Dreaming alone won’t change a thing
Ever wondered why so many people who buy positive thinking books and attend seminars never realise their dreams and yet people like Richard Branson, who probably wasn’t reading Think and Grow Rich at the age of 18, do? It’s because there’s more to realising your dream than dreaming.
You must take action. Not only that, you must take action daily. The Secret may have sold us all on promises of feeling our way to abundant riches but you’re fooling yourself if you think you don’t have to actually do anything to attain your goal.
Harsh Truth Number 3: There’s no such thing as fair
This game isn’t won by the nicest, the kindest, those who deserve it or even those who produce the best work. It’s won by those who believe. End of.
Think about it like this, if dreams were decided by the principle of justice would Justin Bieber be one of the world’s most famous pop stars? What about the thousands of other more talented, harder working and more deserving artists out there who have no platform at all? Exactlty!
So rid your mind of the concept of fair once and for all. You can give it your all, bounce back from countless failures, do everything right and be down to your last penny but life will still serve you a shit sandwich until you start believing you CAN have exactly the kind of success you desire.
Harsh Truth Number 4: Your relationships may suffer
Realising your dream requires an obsessive amount of focus. It’s part of the reason why so few people ever do. In his book, How to Get Rich, publishing magnate Felix Dennis talks about the toll this can take,
“Focus, determination and relentless drive are wearing in themselves – both to you and those around you. Any distractions whatsoever can cost you a chance that may not come again. And, for the purposes of this book, family, lovers and friends are distractions, plain and simple.”
While these words may not provide comfortable reading, you need to be aware of them. You’ll have to decide just how much you are prepared to give to your dream and where the line gets drawn.
Personally, I would argue that a dream is worthless if it isolates and removes you from love. However, I would be lying if I said that the pursuit of my dreams hasn’t cost me socially. Balance is key on this one.
Harsh Truth Number 5: Prepare to be broken down
While the path to realising your dreams is a journey, ironically, it is a journey where the greatest distance travelled is within.
This inner journey can be summarised in a very simple two part process;
1) You get broken down
2) You build yourself back up stronger than before.
In his classic book, As A Man Thinketh, James Allen describes this as ‘self-crucifixion’. He says,
“Men are anxious to improve their circumstance but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set.”
You will not be able to shy away from this process. Every part of you will be tested to the limit. The weaknesses need to be brought to the light and removed. The fear needs to be faced time and time again until it scares you no more.
Harsh Truth Number 6: It takes time
10,000 hours or 10 years the experts reckon. Overnight success is unlikely. In fact, those we suddenly hear about in the media with a new hit record, or APP that’s made them a multi-millionaire, usually have long back stories containing years of failure and honing of skills.
It’s hard to escape the time factor so it’s important to be prepared. Only the strongest of dreamers will resist despair as the years pass and it appears you’re no closer to attaining your goal. Take heart though because time is an ally as well. The years sharpen your skills, crystalize your ideas and develop your wisdom.
When the time comes, you’ll be ready.
Beautiful Truth Number 7: It’s ALL worth it
THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD THAT COMPARES TO REALISING YOUR DREAMS. NOTHING. The toughness of the previous 6 rules will be the last thing on your mind when the day of triumph arrives.
Ecstasy. Joy. Elation. Pursuing and realising a heartfelt dream brings the greatest amount of meaning, stimulation and love into your life. From my own experience, I can testify that I would experience the pain of the first 6 rules one hundred times over just so long as I make it to seven.
Over to You . . .
Are there any I missed out? Tell me about your own experiences in the comments section below.
Also, please make sure you share/email this post to fellow dreamers and give them the inspiration and information needed to turn their dreams into reality.
(Image taken from Symphony of Love photostream flickr.com)