BetterPhotoJim

The Need for Focus: Day 5 of 76

Okay, many of you are now thinking about:

1. the skill you’d like to improve, and
2. an initial action you can take on your journey to improving that skill.

 

At this point, what do you think is your greatest threat?

 

Distraction.

 

That’s right… Disruption. Interruption.  Anything that would break your focus when you are working to improve that skill (or accomplish anything for that matter).

 

*** Hang on… someone’s at the door… it’s the UPS guy *** My copy of Gary Vaynerchuk’s new big hit book, “Crush It! Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion” just arrived from Amazon.  What do you think? Just judging by the title, wasn’t this book written just for us? I can’t wait to read it.

 

The book’s arrival reminds me that yesterday, I had a slightly difficult decision to make. Yesterday morning, I saw a Tweet from Gary V. saying that he was going to be at the Elliott Bay bookstore in Seattle around lunchtime. I had heard of Gary and his amazing story, and was extremely attracted to the idea of meeting him and getting an autographed copy of his book. (I not only love to read but I also love to collect first editions.)

 

However, my number one priority for the day was working on this “76 days” project and preparing for my first Toastmaster’s speech. It was a bit painful to pass on the bookstore adventure but, in the end, I had to listen to that little voice inside. It was telling me that this trip to the bookstore - although it would surely be awesome - was a distraction, and that I would have a chance to meet @garyvee in the future.

 

*** Okay, interruption over… what was I saying… ***

 

Oh yeah, don’t let distractions pull you off course, even temporarily. When you’re working on your new skill or your big dreams, make sure there are no disruptions… NO MULTI-TASKING!

I've been convinced that multi-tasking and distractions - anything that causes me to lose focus - is way too expensive.

 

As Ansel Adams might remove dead twigs to eliminate all extraneous elements from a masterpiece composition, you too must get rid of distractions.

 

As a musician might remove extra instruments and go the simpler route (since music is truly the space in between the notes and not noise), we too need to simplify and concentrate and focus.

 

But there’s something we need to do first. In order to eliminate distractions, we must first define what is core and what is distraction.

 

To go back to the photographer analogy, I often tell photography students to “first identify the ‘star’ or main subject of your photo.” What is the central idea or main attraction?

 

We must do that with our creative dreams too.

 

FIRST – Figure out what’s important.

SECOND – Cut the distractions.

 

If we do this one thing only, we will see huge dividends over the next 72 days. And I mean (read in Donald Trump’s voice) HUGE!

 

HUGE!

 

So tomorrow we’ll talk about how to find your core values. But you’re already on the right path. Trust that intuition when you came up with one skill you’d like to improve. Run with that. It’s a great place to start.

 

Improve a Skill Because Progress is Happiness - Day 4

I am elated right now, having just given my first Toastmaster's speech. I'm flying high... not only because the speech went well but also because I got a lot of excellent constructive criticism.

I know just how a BetterPhoto student feels when one of our pro instructors tells him or her how to improve, along with giving words of encouragement. Feedback can be an awesome thing.

I want to be the best speaker I can be. And now I have a few areas I can focus on, in my efforts to take my public speaking skill up to the next level.

I can't tell you how thrilling this is.

You have to feel it for yourself.

So do this for me now. Fill in the blanks on the following two sentences. (click the "Comments" link below and tell us your answers... or print off this page.)

1. One skill I'd like to improve is:

____________________________________________________________________.

2. One action I can take (within the next 24 hours) to improve this skill is:

____________________________________________________________________.

Examples:

Want to build a more successful, profitable business? Find and get a top-ranked book on marketing.

Want to learn how to do HDR photography? Sign up for a class or buy a DVD.

Want to learn a foreign language? Spend twenty minutes at RosettaStone.com (or investigating another resource).

You don't need to master the skill today. Just take the first step. You'll soon feel as elated as I feel today.

Perfect Happiness and Continual Improvement - Day 3

I want to keep it brief today to make sure my point comes across loud and clear.

To be perfectly clear, my aspiration in this “76 days to Selfless Success” experiment is:

Happiness

Sure I want to master marketing so I can increase income and profits. But this is only because I see financial independence as one of many important steps to happiness.

Money does not cause happiness but not having money is no fun at all.

Abundance is what's real; the limited "Pie of Lack" is the lie.  So I aim for money mastery, but only because it’s a component of overall happiness, and because I think many others will benefit from this shared journey.

Next, I aim to systematically take down each negative component of the Self. That means you, fear… you’re going down!

• No more worrying about how I look to others (The word vanity comes from the Latin for “emptiness”).
• No more holding back.
• No more self-depreciation or self-criticism. Silence, Critic!
• No more self-pity or living at Effect rather than Cause.
• No more looking to others and externals for validation and recognition.
• No more ingratitude or feeling like I don’t have enough.

To those who have not, even what they have is taken away. To those who have, even more is given.

Which leads us to our next step on this journey: The Gratitude Journal.

Get a nice journal and, each day, write down 10+ things you appreciate. And don’t just mention the things you’re glad you don’t lack (health, food, safety). Put some thought into this daily task and creatively uncover what delights you… what makes you glad to be alive. For example, I appreciate:

1. My wonderful team of amazing, self-managing, talented people on Team BetterPhoto.
2. My friends and partners; I am my community.
3. My fans – supporting me and trusting my vision.
4. Betsy’s beautiful solo singing.
5. The gorgeous fall colors – in glowing light yesterday; in moody fog today.
6. This awesome planet!
7. God’s loving direction and protection.
8. Living a beautiful life!
9. The unbelievably selfless and everpresent support and love of my darling wife.
10. My skill and confidence in writing and public speaking. (Yes, it’s okay to appreciate yourself too!)

These are my favorites from the past few days. Tomorrow will consist of new items.

Make writing this list a habit. I have done this by incorporating it into my morning routine. After praying / meditating, after walking / reading, after my Wii workout, I write down the ten new things I appreciate.

What you appreciate, appreciates.

Believe me: this simple action – done daily – pays off big time. I invite you to join me with the Journal. It's fun and one of those things that multiplies benefits in life.

I appreciate being on this journey toward self-actualization…

Again, my goal is nothing less than perfect happiness in the moment while enjoying continual improvement and progress toward my envisioned next achievements.

Did I say this entry would be brief? I apologize for writing a long letter... if I had more time, it would be shorter. :)

The Path to Selfless Success - Day 2

I learned today that I am giving my first Toastmasters presentation on Tuesday. I need to prepare and practice a 4-6 minute speech introducing myself.  This reminded me that I should probably tell you a little bit about myself in today’s Selfless Success post. (That sounds a bit ironic.)

Here are a few things you may not know about me:

• I took two showers today even though I don’t consider myself a clean-freak.
• I read while walking on the treadmill. My mind will go crazy without the stimulation.
• I don't watch or read the news. I'm on a "thought diet".
• I diffuse negativity.
• I value learning and improvement almost more than anything else in life.

Now for the typical blah blah blah stuff. Here’s one bio:

“Jim Miotke is the author of the bestselling BetterPhoto guidebook series - Digital Photography, Digital Nature Photography, and Photographing Children, as well as two award-winning DVDs. In 1996, Jim founded BetterPhoto.com, the world-leader in online photographic education now featuring over 80 online photography classes taught by the best and biggest names in the photography industry. Jim reaches over 5 million photography enthusiasts each year and loves to share what he has learned in an effort to encourage people around the world to say "YES!" to their creative dreams.”

It’s true – I love photography and I love helping people find their creative side.

What you may not know is that, even more than photography, I love to study self-improvement, the science of happiness, online marketing, and how people build great businesses.

But enough about me… let’s talk more about what we’re going to learn together over the next 75 days.

Let me give you a list of the kind of material I’ll be tackling during the remainder of the year.

You certainly don’t need to read all of these books along with me. You are welcome to, if you want to. But if you only have time for a few, that will be perfectly fine. Pick your favorites.

I’m now reading (and greatly enjoying) Seth Godin’s “Tribes”. Next up to bat: “The 8th Habit” by the sweet, wonderful and wise Stephen R. Covey.

What I’ve read and will be re-reading:

•    “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey
•     “Get Off Your But” by Sean Stephenson
•    “Waiting for Your Cat to Bark” and “Always Be Testing” by Jeffrey and Bryan Eisenberg
•    “Good to Great” by Jim Collins
•    Robert McKee’s “Story” (because I appreciate the art of movie-making)
•    Michael Gerber’s “The E-Myth Revisited”
•    “Getting Things Done” by David Allen
•    “The Answer” by John Assaraf and Murray Smith
•    Joel Comm’s book on Twitter
•    “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss
•    “An Irresistible Offer” by Mark Joyner
•    “Awaken the Giant Within” by Tony Robbins
•    “Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill
•    The Sermon on the Mount and other teachings from the New Testament
•    “The Teachings of Buddha”

New books I’ll attempt to read before the year is out:

•    “Online Marketing Success Stories”
•    “Generations” by Strauss and Howe
•    “Tribal Leadership”
•    “The Soul of Money” by Lynne Twist
•    “The Happiness Hypothesis”
•    All three biographies by Richard Branson. I want to be just like him, except for the hot air balloons and extreme record-breaking stuff.
•     “Killing Sacred Cows” by Garrett B. Gunderson
•    A book or two by HH the Dalai Lama
•    The autobiography of Jimmy Carter. A great man.
•    Anything about Tony Hsieh and the Culture at Zappo’s

I am also very excited to watch “Get Altitude” by Eben Pagan (15 DVDs... arriving on Thursday) and, as soon as it comes out, the DVD recording of an amazing conference I recently attended called Engage Today.

There. You have your shopping list.

Again, don’t feel like you have to read ALL of these books. I just wanted to give you a heads up as to where I plan to be going. But again, who knows where we'll really end up.

Besides, I’ll be taking the best of all of the knowledge contained in these works and distilling it into my book / system anyway. Who needs to carry around the Bible,"Think and Grow Rich", the teaching of Buddha… when you can refer to one work that says it all?

My wife says I'm not funny.

76 Days to Selfless Success: The First Step

Friend,

I am going to transform myself, before your eyes.

Even though I have a successful online business, attracting 5 million visitors/year, I feel like I am not living up to my potential.

I want to take myself up to the next level.
 
Over the next 76 days, I’ll be tackling concepts of:
    •    online marketing,
    •    success,
    •    and even spirituality and selfless giving…

all in an effort to become a Master before the year is out.
 
It’s going to be hard work. There may be many unforeseen consequences. But I am aiming for nothing less than total self-immolation and awe-inspiring success; it’s worth it.
 
 
SELFLESS SUCCESS
 
I have a theory. I am guessing that, in order to be super successful, I must rise above selfishness. I still need to take care of myself. But when the self is feeling particularly well-loved, I am guessing that it will begin to demand less attention and become less “self-important”.  I am thinking that at this time, the floodgates of success will open even wider. That is my guess; we’ll see if this holds true.
 
Some of my initial questions are:
    •    What does it really mean to be selfless?
    •    What is success? (and how do I get more of it?)
    •    Where will I be at the end of this experiment?    
    •    Can I balance selflessness and success – contribution and winning?
    •    Can I both strive for recognition AND be humble, spiritual, clear-headed?
 
 
BECOMING AN EXPERT
 
Because I want to learn, I aim to write a book on marketing, selfless contribution, and business success. In the process, I will be putting myself through a series of exercises. I’ll be trying out what I learn. I will let you know what surprises I uncover, what I find to be most effective, and what turns out to be a bunch of hogwash.
 
In the past, I’ve learned by writing. I admit, with my photography how-to books, I did not start off as The Expert. I used the process of writing the book to become an expert. By the time the book was complete, I had learned a lot, and felt okay taking a stance of credibility and authority.
 
This time, I am going to write the book “live”. It will be an open and transparent process. In this way, when I’m done with the writing, I will not have any opportunity to change my presentation so I can "puff myself up" and make myself look good. You will know from the beginning where I was as I started out on this journey.
 
I am not an expert in online marketing.  I am not an expert in success. And I am certainly not an expert in selflessness (just ask my wife!).

I don’t have all the answers… but, like you, I imagine, I have lots of questions.
 
I’ll bet I am more like you than unlike you. The things we have in common outnumber the things that would separate us. For example, I’ll bet you’ve been frustrated trying to make money, balance things, and be happy.
 
In frustration, I often wish someone would:
    •    Tell me what to do to be more successful... specifically.
    •    Help me figure out how to implement the interesting principles I learn in books.
    •    Show me where to find the door… where to start.
    •    Walk with me as I take the first few steps.
 
Also, like you, I have demands on my time. I have a business, a wife, three wonderfully wild kids, a team, a home, etc. When a marketing “guru” gives me 101 suggestions I can try in an effort to get more traffic, more conversions, more profit… I often feel like giving up before I get out of the gate.
 
How can I afford the time to see what works and what doesn’t work? I have a business. I have kids.
 
I don’t seem to have the time.
 
And I want to be somebody. I want success. I want mastery. Today.
 
 
WHY 76 DAYS?
 
The number 76 reminds me of independence. This theme of freedom feels right to me, and when combined with New Year’s resolutions, it feels really right.
 
Also, I like the idea of starting to build habits before New Year’s Day. We’ll talk more about making success (and selflessness) a habit. In the meantime, doesn’t it feel better to build up to the new year, rather than waiting until that day and then making a bunch of resolutions you know you won’t have the will power to keep?
 
I honestly don’t love the idea of placing a time limit such as 76 days because this project may take much longer or shorter amount of time. But I need my projects to have a definite and clear completion date to them. That is one thing I've learned about how I operate. So let’s see how far we can get… and where we end up in 76 days.
 
 
TRANSPARENCY
 
I imagine most people only share about 20% of themselves to the world, keeping the rest locked up as secret and confidential. Perhaps these people are afraid of “being found out”. Perhaps they feel ashamed of past mistakes or bad behavior.
 
The most sharing people perhaps give us 80-90%, holding back on the 10-20% they feel is too risky to put out in the public light.
 
Here’s my promise to you: I will be 98% transparent. I will be honest as long as it’s legal and it won’t hurt anyone.  I will do my best to be an open book. If you ask me a question that falls in the 2% I keep private, I may decline to answer. I will never lie to you.
 

That brings me to my intentions.



INTENTIONS
 
My #1 intention: total realness.
 
I won’t waste my time or yours trying to baffle you or trying to impress you. My motto: “Express, don’t impress.”
 
I plan to gather what comes out of this experiment, if it’s any good, and put it into a book / system / product of some sort… so others can benefit. Yes, I am a capitalist, but I am what some people call a “conscious capitalist.” I will do my best to bless others while I strive to be financially super successful.
 
I want to pay down my debts. I want to get rid of my mortgages. I want to buy my family a “sunshine retreat” – a place to escape to when the Seattle rain and gray skies get to be too much.
 
But my #1 aspiration is:
 
To be perfectly happy AND getting better all the time.
 
 

MY GOALS

    1.    To master online marketing
    2.    To become a world class speaker
    3.    To destroy the sense of self that hinders my ability to shine
    4.    To be unbelievably successful
 
All doing what I love, what I would pay to do, what I’ve always dreamed of doing.
 
Because my gut was wrenched, I just took a break and ate a cereal bar, even though that is breaking my “No Snacks After 7:45pm” rule. To be honest, I’m nervous about putting myself and my goals out there…
 
(And this reminds me of another goal: On New Year’s Day and everyday thereafter, I weigh 175 lbs (or less), I'm flexible enough to touch my toes, and I have super strong core muscles.)
 
 
THE SIGNS

I talked with my friend Caleb about this idea yesterday. When the idea of being transparent came to the surface, I was excited and nervous.

Checking my e-mail this morning, I saw the Inspiring Quote of the Day in Gail Lynne Goodwin’s inspiremetoday.com newsletter:

“Just do it.” The famous slogan by Nike.
 
Later on the treadmill, I was reading Seth Godin’s great book “Tribes” and came across this line: “You can start right now.”
 
Then when visiting HappyLifeSuggestions.com – a task I had on my to do list since attending Engage Today 2009 in Calgary – I saw the following message: 

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

I also noticed:
 
“You can start now.
So get ready, get focused.
Because this very moment, your life can change… FOREVER.
Do it now!”
 
I pay attention to signs.
 
Thus, here is the only rule as we start: taking the first step before you have all the answers. Don’t wait. Just do your best with what you have at the moment. Do what feels like your highest sense of right at the time. Trust your gut and make a move.
 
Don't wait for the perfect time... it will never come.

 
SO LET’S DO IT!

Read on.

Comment.

Ask questions.

Tweet (and re-tweet).
 
Best of all, accept my challenge and join me if you too want to master marketing, learn to be more selfless and contributive, and figure out how to rise to the next level of success.
 
If you, like me, are seeking mastery, let’s help each other get to the next level. You can get ahead in your business and your life. You can rise to the next level.
 
If you are already a master and have advice for me, I’m all ears. I will listen with humility and respect. I will “wash on, wash off”, walk on rice paper without leaving a trace, and strive to catch a fly with my chopsticks, if you’re true and if you honestly think it will help me attain mastery.
 
76 days… 76 exercises… with the hope of greatness, mastery, and excellence as we enter the year 2010.
 
In upcoming posts this week, I’ll list the books and other resources we’ll explore, list my core values and ground rules, figure out the meaning of life, and, if we’re lucky, make a few confessions.
 
Hang on… we're in for an exciting ride!