I watched a video last week from a business guru I adore: Dan Kennedy. He’s a grumpy ol’ cuss who’s pretty rough around the edges — but his insights are sheer genius. And he is one of the most productive humans I may have ever encountered.
He can cram 4+ mere-mortal weeks into just 4 hours. (That’s not an exaggeration.)
He works without internet, email or phone. He works without distractions of any kind. He places himself in the environments where he can focus best. And he sets deadlines with clients so he absolutely MUST create quickly, steadily, and effectively. OR ELSE.
So it got me thinking . . .
Day after day, month after month, women tell me their HUGE juicy dreams of how they want to change the world
And then?
Well, most don’t do much of anything about it.
Sure, they take teensy baby steps, or circle around it endlessly for years… but they never get any real momentum — not enough to finally get that dream OUT of their bellies and into the world at large.
Now contrast that painful reality with reality TV… specifically “The Apprentice.”
I’ll admit I’ve only caught it 1-2 times, but within it there’s a life-changing concept that very easily could change your life.
Here’s how it goes:
Peeps from all walks of life —folks FAR from “cream-of-the-crop” in terms of creativity, intellect and personality — are given teensy-weensy chunks of time to crank out mind-blowing feats of business achievements.
Give them 2 hours to whip up a marketing miracle? …That’s exactly what they do.
Give them 2 days to make a ridiculous amount of moolah? …They pull it off. Every time.
It may not always be perfect. It may not always be profound. But it is, week after week, proof of what deadlines can do for human productivity — even for the most average Joe (or Jane).
But it’s not all due to deadlines. It’s also due to ENVIRONMENT.
These folks are locked away from the world = No TV. No internet. No email. None of the randomly distracting hoo-ha’s of life. The normal daily schtick is removed entirely — leaving their ever-so-average brains to focus like lasers at the task ahead.
So where are YOU giving yourself FAR too much time to pull of the pieces of your awe-inspiring mission? What have you been meaning to do that you simply haven’t ever gotten around to doing? And what distractions are you allowing to clog your flow and jam up your ability to create out in the world?
Sure, talk is a good game, but results speak. So until you actually WRITE that book, start that business, get that client, or give that huge talk — it’s all “potential” that remains pie-in-the-sky.
When I know in my belly I’m called to do something new, about the ONLY way it ever gets born is when I put a deadline to it, and I shout it out to the world.
If you set a date 1 month from today to launch a new program?… Well, that’s exactly how long it will take to pull things together. If you give yourself 2 years to do the same? Voila — Like magic, it takes 2 years!
When you set a date and declare it to others, somehow mysterious forces line up to help you pull it off. Sure, it may not always be earth-shakingly brilliant. But it WILL be done. And that’s more than I can say about most other people on the planet.
So drop the perfectionism. Stop worrying about what others will think. Let go of the idea it will take you a looooooooong time to pull it off. And please — for the love of All-That’s-Holy — if there’s something you want to do, just set a darn date and JUST GO FOR IT ALREADY!!!!!!
Results have little to do with lack of desire or heart — and have a whoooooooole lot to do with deadlines and distractions!
So this week, try on these 5 simple steps:
1. Pick 1 dream (small ones are perfect to get you started!)
2. Set a deadline.
3. Tell everyone about it.
4. Find a distraction-free spot.
5. Get to work!
…Sounds TOO simple? Trust me, it’s not.
Sure, there are other complex issues that can jam up your flow. But the 5 steps above can get even your most stuck-spots movin’-and-groovin’ in the right direction.
It’s time. Get started. Don’t let another year pass you by.
You weren’t built to sit around waiting for your ships to come in. Grab hold of the steering wheel instead, and put your foot on the gas! The only thing that stands before you is a life you’ll LOVE — one filled with your most precious mission, and a life designed just for you.
So share your big dream below in the comments section, as well as your deadline for completion.
And until next week, be Unstoppable!!!!
© 2012 Stephanie McWilliams LLC
