BetterPhotoJim

Day 27 - Time to Make a Difference, Even If It's One Small Step in the Right Direction

If you're not new to this blog, you'll remember that I previously asked you to:

1. think of a skill you'd like to improve
2. come up with one action you can do within the next 24 hours

Today, I am going to dive into the selfless contribution side of success. It can't be delayed any longer. I simply must take action on a cause that I feel is important:

• going green

I am going to come up with one thing I can do, no matter how small, to make a difference with regard to caring for this awesome planet we inhabit.

Then, within the next 24 hours, I'm going to take the first step.

We owe it to our children and grandchildren.

I encourage you to do the same:

1. Think of one thing you can do today to reduce your carbon footprint, and care for the planet
2. Do it.

Then let me know how it goes.

If this blog upsets you and you feel angry or upset, perhaps the one thing you can do is this: simply open up to the possibility that this need is real. All I ask is that you consider it for a half hour, and ask "What am I fighting for? What do I have to gain by fighting against this cause?"

Checking in from Salt Lake City

Okay, today will be just a quick check in, as I am attending Michael Drew's "Book Publishing 2.0" seminar and, wouldn't you know it, I left my Mac power adapter on my desk as I was madly scrambling to get to the airport. I'll be seeking out fellow Mac users today to see if I can borrow their charger for a while, to keep me going until my charger arrives by mail. As soon as I get it, I'll catch up.

In the meantime, how are you doing? Email me or comment to let me know the three biggest frustrations or pitfalls you've experienced as well as the three greatest "wins under your belt". I'm interested to know how your own journey to selfless improvement and success is going.

Talk with you soon, my friends!

8 More Habits to Incorporate into Your Life - Day 24

In case you've been having difficulty thinking up habits you'd like to develop through the application of ritual, here are 8 more potential habits to consider.

Those who have read Stephen R. Covey's books will recognize these. The first seven are from "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". The 8th is more of a new dimension that wraps up the 7 and shows them in a new light. The 8th habit is about finding your voice and helping others do the same.

The first three, says Covey, can be summed up as "Make and keep promises":

1.  Be a responsible, proactive agent of change – at a place of Cause rather than Effect.
2.  Begin with the end purpose or vision clearly in mind.
3.  Put first things first; organize and execute around your most important priorities.

The second three can be summed up as "Involve people in the problem and work out the solution together":

4.  Think win/win and think in terms of abundance and opportunity.
5.  Seek first to understand (listening with consideration), then to be understood (speaking with courage).
6.  Synergize – creatively cooperate to optimize strengths and make individual weaknesses irrelevant.

The 7th habit has to do with maintaining capacity in the four arenas of your being:

7.  Sharpen the saw – renew the physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.

And in "The 8th Habit", you can read all about applying these 7 habits in a new and deeper way:

8.  Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.

Need specifics? Here are some suggestions:

• Replace “I have to” with “I choose to” and "I can't" with "I choose not to" or "I can".
• Get clear each morning on the Big Vision – your mission, values, and goals.
• Spend 1 hour each week planning out the week.
• Identify the “big rock” (your most important priority) each night. Another way to say this is: "Start the day the evening before."
• Stay focused on my own work or business whenever I’m tempted to think about the competition.
• Imagine the speaker is holding a “talking stick” until she is sure I have fully listened and “heard” her.
• Do the dishes each night after dinner.
• De-pile or file stuff once a day.
• Call one friend a day.
• Write one hand-written thank you note each morning. If you're a speed reader, take in one book each day.
• Pray daily.

Okay, my kids just came in, telling me about the Big Race and asking if I would like to film it. Gotta go. :)

Have fun selecting your first habit to incorporate into your daily routine.

When Making Habits of Success, Build on Strengths - Day 23

Yesterday, we explored the use of ritual to develop strong, positive habits. Later in the day, I remembered one other important point:

• Build upon your strengths before you try to fix your weaknesses.

Most of us are trained from an early age to be “well-rounded” - fairly good in all areas of life.  But, instead of spending a lot of time patching up our weak spots, why not take the strengths God gave us and build them up into super talents?

For example, a few of the habits I listed yesterday are based on what I consider to be weaknesses:

• Being on time to appointments.
• Taking a “renewal” break after every 90 minutes of concentrated work.
• De-piling and eliminating clutter once a day.

Although I like an organized workspace, I’m creative and make lots of messes. And I usually avoid doing the actual de-piling, filing, and putting away. Most of all, I hate to throw things out.

Likewise, I am ashamed at how often I am late, usually because I’m trying to pack as much into every moment as I can. And I often forget to take breaks, preferring to spontaneously “power through”.

Now, I can correct these areas. Certainly, it would be much more loving and selfless to be punctual. But I know I will see greater results faster if I work on my strengths instead.

Fortunately, I consider myself to be fairly good at:

• writing,
• planning,
• remaining calm,
• visualizing,
• acting with confidence, etc.

And I know that, simply by focusing on these areas, putting fuel on these fires first, I will see huge benefits and great ROI.

I can’t use this as an excuse to ignore important needs, of course. If I need to get fit, but feel weak as a swimmer, I simply need to do what I’m good at – walking, running, riding a bicycle. Since I'm a slow reader, and I have yet to fully embrace speed-reading techniques, I read while walking on the treadmill and listen to audio books.

Bottom line: I multiply talents first and patch the weak spots second. In this way, I see huge, positive results much more quickly (and feel encouraged as I go).

Let's Make Success a Habit - Day 22 of 76

According to the experts, about 95% of what we do is automatic, a habit. Only 5% of what we do comes from conscious decision-making (will power, etc.).

The experts also say that after 30 days of performing a specific ritual, the new activity becomes a habit – and we then do it automatically, without thought. Some say this happens as quickly as 21 days.

Instead of accepting it at face value, I’m going to put it to the test. I'm going to spend the remainder of my 76 day experiment building 1-2 important, enhancing habits. I will hard-wire in a couple of behaviors that are "multiplying" - in other words, they increase my capacity tenfold (and thus help me get closer to my goals).  Instead of habits that drain my energy and resources, these habits will empower.

For example, here’s my initial brainstorm on Habits I’d Like to Develop. These are the habits I desire, that come to mind right away:

• Writing in the morning. I consider writing to be one of my top, most important forms of work.
• Visualizing success 1-2 times a day.
• Being on time to appointments.
• Enlarging my confidence and my caring each time before I meet someone.
• Remaining calm and collected in heated or frustrating situations.
• Taking a “renewal” break after every 90 minutes of concentrated work.
• Always thinking in terms of abundance.
• Being happy. (Yes, staying in a positive mindset is a habit.)
• Being grateful (I'm working on that one now with the Gratitude Journal).
• Going into a snack-free mode 3 hours before sleep time.
• Thinking of one thing I can do tomorrow that would make the greatest impact on my progress toward my goals.
• De-piling and eliminating clutter once a day.
• Following up with new and old friends on a regular, consistent basis.

Now I’m going to pick a couple that feel most important to me at this time. It's okay if many important ones need to wait. I will make them into a habit later, after this first one or two. So the most important habits to me at this time are:

• Writing in the morning.
• Being happy.
• Before going to bed, thinking of the big thing for tomorrow.

I think I'll go for planning my next big thing each evening. Being happy sounds good but it's a little too vague for me at this particular time. Maybe that will be the habit I commit to hard-coding into my brain in December.

Okay you're turn...

I invite you to join me.

What one habit would you most like to develop? Write down the habit that you feel would benefit you the most at this time in your life:

_____________________________________________________________________________

If you can only think of a habit you’d like to break, write it down, but also be sure to write down a good habit that will act as the bad habit’s replacement.

This habit could be related to the skill you want to develop (see my previous Improve a Skill Because Progress = Happiness blog post).

Let me know what you pick.

I am going to go take a renewal break now, as I've been writing for 90 minutes. Time for cereal with the kids :)

Top Ten Myths I've Stumbled Upon as an Entrepreneur - Day 21

I have uncovered the following myths in my years as an entrepreneur. By shining the light of awareness and examination upon these myths, most have been debunked and destroyed. Some are tenacious and continue to require work. With each swing of the hammer, I chisel off another fragment of the stronghold and feel myself moving more freely and with greater efficiency and success. For what it's worth to you, here's the list: 

MYTH 10: “I need to have all my ducks in a row before I get started.”

I didn't need to have everything in order when I started BetterPhoto.com, and I don’t. I do some planning. I think things out. Then I go for it! I remind myself that if I think too long or wait for perfect conditions, I may talk yourself out of taking action. Often, good is good enough to get started.

MYTH 9: “I need to raise capital or convince a bank before I can get started.”

You don’t need millions of dollars to launch most ideas. Right now, you likely have time and many other resources at your beck and call. Sure you may feel busy... but there is likely a way to get more out of your time (see the next Myth). You may simply need to divert your expenditure of your resources, to things that give you more “bang for your buck”.

MYTH 8: “I don’t have enough time.”

You can make your time much more productive. You can also delegate and multiply the value of your time, money, and other resources.

MYTH 7: “I’m too busy to work-out. I’ll get to health and fitness later.”

You can put this off, but it’s not a wise investment. I neglected my body for years. Then, motivated by a bad back and fueled with daily visualization techniques, I decided to get and stay “in the best shape of my life.” Now exercise is a part of my daily ritual and I find that, as a result, I’m more energetic, focused, and productive.

MYTH 6: “Owning my own business will give me freedom and flexibility.”

That’s not always true. Owning your own business does not automatically equal automatic freedom. For many, being an entrepreneur is no different that being an indentured servant. "Sure, I get to set my own hours; I decide which 14 hours a day I get to work!" You can find flexibility and freedom in being self-employed, but it is not a given. You have to set things up to make sure you save yourself from becoming too much of a slave to your business.

MYTH 5: “With a flexible schedule and working from home, I’ll spend more time with my family.”

You will be able to be with your family more, as long as you are aware of the distractions that pull your attention away from your family when you’re with them, and as long as you actively eliminate said distractions (Blackberry, iPhone, email, instant messaging... as well as the tempation to drift away and THINK about work when your kids are right in front of you, saying cute things or asking for the keys to the car).

MYTH 4: “I get more done when I multi-task.”

I too used to believe in multi-tasking, thinking it was the key to efficiency. But this is usually not true. Much to my surprise, I’ve learned that multi-tasking is the very essence of inefficiency. I get much more done when I shut the door, turn off the distractions and work in focused, uninterrupted blocks of time. The only time multi-tasking works is when only ONE of the activities requires focus. If you can walk and chew gum automatically, without thinking about it, you may be able to focus on a third activity that requires your concentration. For instance, I read or watch educational DVDs while walking on the treadmill. Most of the time, though, you’ll be more productive and more efficient if you focus on one activity and disallow anything that would interrupt your concentration.

MYTH 3: “If I let the other guys get a bigger piece of the pie, I will end up getting less.”

The paradigms of scarcity and competition provide an incomplete and often inaccurate view of reality. It’s usually better to think in terms of abundance and cooperation. Add value to the world and do things that multiply blessings for everyone involved. Like the loaves and the fishes, value can multiply.

MYTH 2: “I can’t afford to make waves or upset anyone. I should be nice to everyone.” 

Try to make everyone happy and you’ll make no one happy. Figure out who you can afford to offend. You’ll never please everyone. Know the difference between your ideal customer and the customer that will drain your company. Sometimes you'll need to drum up the courage to lovingly say one of the most loving words in the English language: No.

MYTH 1: “First I’ll invent a cool product; then I’ll put it out there and hopefully people will find and buy it.’’

This is a very unwise and inefficient way to build. Keeping the 80/20 rule in mind (which says things like 80% of your profits come from 20% of your products), you’ll see that most product ideas are bound to fail. If most product ideas are bound to fail, you want to test ideas out with potential customers before investing a lot of time in them.

I find it so easy to fall into this habit of innovating products before thinking of my customers... creating the WHAT before fully understanding the WHO.  When I think of an idea or invention I can develop, I’m excited and can't wait to bring it to fruition. As the movie line goes: “Build it and they will come.” 

But it’s wiser if I first think about my customers and ask myself how I can serve them. I strive to get out of my own boots and into my potential customers’ shoes. When I can think of the market and what it needs first, before I think of myself and what I can create or offer, I enormously increase the likelihood of success. Let the product ideas follow.

Day 20 of 76 - Clock 10,000 Hours to Become a Master

I was listening to Malcolm Gladwell today, on my way to pick my son up from school. In “Outliers”, Malcolm makes a strong case against the common notion that successful people are born with superior strengths and talents.

As I listened to him read his first chapter, he shared the recent discovery that, in order to become a world-class anything, you need to clock about 10,000 hours of focused practice time.

This resonated with what my mentor, Greg, told me: to become a world-class speaker, I’d need to speak for 10,000 hours. So he recommended that I approach every single interaction like a speech. Practice every time I speak.

That’s right, to become a Master – among the very best in the world – I would need to put in my time. Working out the math, I’d need to practice an average of 3 hours a day, for 10 years.

One way to interpret this information is to feel encouraged. If I want to be the best in the world, all I need to do is practice 3 hours a day for the next ten years.

Another interpretation, of course, is to feel discouraged. 10,000 is a big number and sure looks like a tremendous amount of time.

But my interpretation is different. When I hear this, I think, “Here’s another way to test whether an activity I do is my true passion.”

If I’m soul-searching and trying to find my passion, or decide which of many candidates is my #1 passion, I can simply ask myself:

Would I be able to do this activity with joy and/or passion for 3 hours a day x 10 years? Or 5.5 hours a day x 5 years?

It’s an interesting way to uncover one’s inner purpose and passion.

What do love doing so much that you’d look forward to spending this kind of time doing it?

Finding Your Own Success in Another's Success - Day 19

I did not write my blog yesterday.

I must admit, I was wiped out after the New York photography summit. Throughout the day, I would catch myself just staring into space. I even took a nap – something I almost never do.

I must still be catching up because even today, I almost skipped my daily writing assignment. I read a lot… walked another 10k on the treadmill… reviewed all my notes... and watched much of Eben Pagan’s “Get Altitude” DVD series… but felt my eyelids dropping before I could get clear on the topic of today’s post.

But just before I dragged myself up to bed, I read an email from a past student that was encouraging and inspiring. She told me how she is doing in each of the main areas we've been exploring. Simply by relaying her struggles and triumphs in the arenas of confidence, focus, fitness, happiness, improvement, etc., she inspired me. I felt a burst of energy… enough to get me to today’s finish line.

We all need a helping hand from time to time. Life is not a do-it-yourself project. There is no such thing as a “self-made” millionaire. You help me; I help you… together we climb higher and higher.

The success of my business, BetterPhoto.com, can be attributed to this principle of people helping other people succeed. Instead of taking the educational path, I could have posted my best photos and left it at that. But, thank God, I was inspired to try to help others take better pictures too. Posting my Top Ten Tips, I immediately began receiving emails from people all around the world. The inspiration began to multiply.

Later, as BetterPhoto.com grew, the BP community grew stronger and larger. People began a habit of kindly and constructively helping each other with the art and craft of photography. That is one of the qualities many people talk about when they tell me what they love about BetterPhoto – the encouraging community, staff, and instructors.

If you’re enjoying photography and want to make a big success of it, keep this principle in mind. Each day, think of ways you can help others - your prospects, your customers, your fellow photographers. Each time you greet a person, whether in person or online, ask yourself “How can I love this person more? How can I help him meet his goals? Who can I put her in touch with so she can excel and take herself up to the next level?”

This will undoubtedly bring about your own success as well.

And a lot faster than you think.

Day 17 of the 76 Days to Selfless Success - A Question for You

Okay... break time is over. :) It's time to get back to work.

Now I need to know something.

We've been talking about:

• self-confidence
• overcoming fear and reactive habits
• gaining a focused vision
• getting to the next level of success
• self-actualization
• actively giving
• being fit and healthy
• being happy in the present and improving every day

Now, let's dig in. Tell me what comes to mind when you ponder the following question. When it comes to the things I list above:

What kinds of problems do you need to solve?

If you've been following this blog and some of what I've been saying has resonated with you, comment below or email me with your answers to the above question.

Thanks and have a great start to your week!

Are We Having Fun Yet? Day 16

I’m having so much fun writing this blog and working out the details of my next book. So my question to you is:

What is fun for you?

Anything? If so, great! Focus on these areas. Build on your strengths. What you find fun is often a talent... and that is something you don't want to waste. 

So, if your 'fun meter' is going off the charts, consider that perhaps you're doing something you're great at, something that, if done well, could benefit millions of people.

If you can't think of anything that is fun for you, take a break... relax... unwind...

Here is one way to have fun today: Watch a Kid Movie with Kids

You're co-audience can be your own kids or your sister's kids or your friend's kids... Offer to babysit, perhaps. Your friends will love you and you may just end up watching a kid movie.

Here’s what I recommend as great entertainment for both kids and grown-ups:

Infants and Little Kids – 

• Baby Einstein

Toddlers – 

• Veggie Tales
• Blues Clues

Older Kids – 

• Backyardigans, Wallace and Gromit short animated films
• A Bug’s Life
• Finding Nemo
• Bolt
• Chicken Run
• Kung Fu Panda
• Flushed Away
• Jonah
• Shrek
• Milo and Otis
• Toy Story and Toy Story 2
• Over the Hedge
• Monsters Inc.
• Monsters vs. Aliens
• Cars
• Up

If you're like me, you'll find these movies fun for the grown-ups as well as the little ones. And this is just a start... there are so many great kid movies. 

It's also the start of the list of ways to have fun. If movies are not your thing, do what you most enjoy. Just give yourself a break. Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Now, I'm going to go read some of Covey's "8th Habit" and relish the enjoyment of writing this blog.

Can you 3+ things you find especially fun and/or fulfilling?