BetterPhotoJim

Wish You Could Get 28 Hours in a Day? You Can!

• Do you often feel overwhelmed?
• Do you sometimes feel buried under a mountain of projects?
• Do you wish you could SOMEHOW make more time for the important stuff in your life?

Okay I am here to help. I am resolved to assist you in finding solutions and learning time management skills that actually work... And these techniques can't take 6 months to learn... I am committed to finding quick tips and tricks that multiply your time.

In fact, I've already found a bunch of practical ways to "bend time" and get more out of every day. (See yesterday's blog post on doing a Power Hour first thing in the morning).

But I want to make sure I am actually addressing your specific needs (and not just want I THINK you need)

Here is the first step.  Please take a moment today to fill out this brief survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H5RWB7S

Your answers will help me get to the next step in developing a solution for you and others like you.

Your friend,
Jim Miotke
jim@betterphoto.com

Coming Out of My Cave, I Have a Crystal Tip for My Fellow Over-Acheivers

I've been heads down in my "cave" (my office) for the past two weeks, working in focused, uninterrupted blocks of time, as much as possible.

My goal has been to get to a new level of clarity about my goals and future projects (I succeeded... YEA!). While doing this, I also totally organized my workspace for maximum productivity.

All this while watching my three kids. My beautiful wife was traveling abroad, on a much-deserved vacation.

(Can you tell that I'm a bit of an over-achiever?)

As I emerge from my cave, blinking the sunlight out of my eyes, I am thinking of one thing that help you find the time to complete all those To Do's on your list. This one quick tip could literally transform your life. It can get you that extra time you've been wishing you had, AND get you to the next level of success in life.

If you put this tip into action - making it real and practical in your life - you'll get MORE TIME IN YOUR DAY. Really!

The story of how I discovered this time-multiplying technique is simple: I read a couple of great books. ("The Answer", "The Power of Full Engagement", and works by Stephen R. Covey, Garrett Gunderson, and Eben Pagan.) I heard about this, tried it out, and found that the results actually exceeded the promises.

Here's the tip: eliminate distraction in the first part of your day, and do the work you were meant to do.

I've refer to this as my Power Hour. It involves focusing on the important and non-urgent tasks and projects... whatever I value most in my life. I do this first (in my cave), before letting the world in, and I find that this technique actually "bends time", giving me more hours of joy and happiness and productive engagement.

Here are 3 things you can do so solve the problem of distraction and get the kind of focus you deserve (as well as the productivity, wealth, improved health, ultimate happiness... everything you desire!)

1. For the first part of your day, keep your email, phone, and IM turned OFF!
2. Go into a room that can be "all yours", close the door, and work for about an hour and a half on what's important. You know what it is... we are talking about Your Work. What is it that you know you need to do? Do it.
3. Get help if you need it. Have your spouse or a friend change your password to help keep you accountable (and away from this distraction). You want to do this Power Hour every day for the next thirty days, so get help if you need an accountability partner to keep you on track.

So, right now, I want you to get out a piece of paper and write down 3-5 things that are most important to you. Then pick ONE and commit to doing it each morning, before others start emailing, phoning, and IMing you. To ensure that you get the FOCUS that will give you more time and more enjoyment of your time, do this one step right now.

Feel free to comment or email me and let me know how it goes.

Horse Power - It Works in Photography Just As It Does in Business

I was advising a new photographer friend this morning about how, even in the photography business, one must think about the target customer more than one's product, invention, (photographs), concept, etc.

All too often, we come up with a great idea (or a great photo) and then try to find people who want to buy it. Take it from me: that's really hard! It's much more efficient and effective to first identify your ideal customer, and get to know him/her so deeply that you understand the actual needs there.

I like to ask my customers a lot of questions, and I listen with determined focus, care, and empathy... a loving, listening ear. And then I strive to put what I learn into action, finding or building solutions to their problems. By asking questions, I get clear about my customers' needs.

Some people say this is stupid. They quote Henry Ford saying that people did not really want cars, they wanted faster horses. The (actual?) Henry Ford quote goes like this: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

But I did a search on this today and came across a very interesting blog on determining your customers' needs.

There is a good conversation going on in this blog... The main point is something I like very much: don't get misled by cute quotes. Use your head and intuition.

You won't get good answers if you ask your customers or prospects"

"What product would you like me to sell you?"

Instead ask many deeper questions (like "What is your greatest fear, frustration, or challenge?"). In this way, you can work to get a true understanding of the customer's needs.

(What's more, one person says that, in fact, this quote was not even actually said by Ford).

Who is your customer? Who do you love? What are they really struggling with? What are the problems they are trying to solve right now?

BetterPhotoJim - in the Big Apple and on the Radio!

That's right. I'm in New York City and  looking forward to appearing on http://www.marthastewart.com/radio Martha Stewart Living Radio. It's going to be so exciting! I hope you tune in this Wednesday, June 2 - at 11am PST (or 2pm EST) - to catch me talking with Mario Bosquez about everything BetterPhoto community-related, and to learn more about my current creative projects.
 
First up, however, is my talk today at B&H Photo - "The Photographer's Guide to Online Marketing". I draw from my own experience in building BetterPhoto to guide photographers towards setting up their own business, or taking their current business to the next level.
 
This presentation follows on the heels of my "Dissolving Fear by Getting Clear: The Mindset of the Creative Photographer" talk yesterday. It was a smashing success! The enthusiastic crowd gained insights about achieving their own creative goals. I also talked about Resistance - a theme personified in Steven Pressfield's awesome book, The War of Art. I break it all down like this: "If I'm afraid of it, I must do it!"
 
These B&H events are a taste of what I cover in my http://www.betterphoto.com/weekend Creative Confidence: Photograph with Power workshop. This 3-day event goes into depth and covers much more territory. So if you are looking to take your creative endeavors to the next level, then this workshop is for you.
 
Incidentally, our crazy Memorial Day Sale continues today at BetterPhoto. Sign up for http://www.betterphoto.com/weekend/ Creative Confidence: Photograph with Power and you will receive a FREE 4-Week photography class* at BetterPhoto.com!! (*select courses only)  
 
At the same time, our  2-for-1 website sale continues too. That's two years for the price of one for a http://www.betterphoto.com/members.asp Deluxe, Pro, or Basic BetterPholio.

 

Don't miss out on these great deals! You must act quickly, since the website and workshop sale ends tonight (Tuesday, June 1st).

 

Enjoy taking advantage of BetterPhoto's biggest sale ever and catching me Wednesday on http://www.marthastewart.com/radio Martha Stewart Living Radio!

Jim