Personal Development;Life Enhancement;Achievement
Books
I’m Going to be a Grandfather
Jan 9th
“All babies are beautiful.” ~Jeanne Calment
I attended my older daughter’s ultrasound today – she is having a baby in a few months and today we found out that the baby is fine and is a girl. We even got to see my upcoming granddaughter’s face, in 3d ultrasound; I think she has my nose.
I’m glad I was able to be there – to share this moment with my daughter and her husband. I will always remember it and I used this time, this experience, to recommit to the goals that I had already made about my elder daughter and her family. How about you? When is the last time that you recommitted to achieving your goals?
I’m going to start sharing on this blog the goal setting process that I move my clients through – this same process is the basis for my upcoming book about goals. Come back often and let me help you make some of your most heart-desired dreams become reality.
Bye for now…Jack
Juice Fasting Update
Day 12. Down 17 pounds now and my energy is picking up; even drinking only fresh juices I have more vitality than I did before I started this adventure. My skin is clearing up and I took an entire size of clothing to goodwill – I am never coming back to this size.
“Babies have big heads and big eyes, and tiny little bodies with tiny little arms and legs. So did the aliens atRoswell! I rest my case.” ~William Shatner
My Book about Goals
Jan 6th
“The best of all medicines is resting and fasting” ~Benjamin Franklin
My First Book is About Goals
My first book is going to be about goals. Even though I was originally inspired to write a book while I was giving a seminar about MasterMind Groups, I decided to start with goals. It was awhile before I made this transition though so the book about MasterMind Groups is also well along.
So why start with goals? Because it is exactly where I start with all of my clients. I have been evolving, testing and tweaking my goal setting and achievement process for more than 20 years now and it is excellent. Come back often as I will be sharing much of the content of this book over the next few months.
Till next time…Jack
Juice Fasting Update
Day 9. Down fifteen pounds. Energy fair. Lots of skin breakouts – I’ve read that this is common at first. Craving for meat. People are starting to comment that I look thinner – I like that!
“A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.” ~A.A. Milne
Why did I Choose Self-Publishing?
Jan 5th
“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” ~Alexander Graham Bell
My first book will be out for sale, on my website and through my affiliated partners on Thursday, October 25th, 2012. I will be self-publishing this first book. I call it my first book because I have already begun writing the second and the third books. I think I have more than enough material based on more than 20 years of coaching to write at least 20 books – if I choose to do so. But why did I choose to self – publish?
Why did I Choose to Self-Publish?
It wasn’t because I couldn’t find a publisher. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of smaller publishers approach me after seeing me speak and ask if I wanted to work with them.
I decided to self-publish for 2 reasons:
1) I wanted to make more money than publishers could realistically offer a first time author like myself.
2) I thought I had a decent author platform already and that I knew enough that I would be able to build a great marketing channel for my first book and then use that channel for marketing other self-improvement products that I might create in the future.
Would I make the same choice again given what I know now? Yes I would, but after working on this first book for so long I have a tremendous appreciation for all the work that publishers do for authors – they do earn their money!
Till next time…Jack
Juice Fasting Update
This is the 8th day of my juice fast. In that time I have not eaten any solid food – I have only drank freshly extracted vegetable and fruit juices. I intend to continue this juice fast for a total of 67 days. In the first seven days I have lost twelve pounds of bodyweight, a decent start, and my energy has certainly increased. My only complaint so far is that I have lost so much weight in my face that my former double chin has now become a turkey waddle! Tighten skin – tighten!
“Note to self: finding a cool quote and writing it in your journal is not a substitute for Getting. It. Done.” ~Betsy Cañas Garmon
Writing is Not the Hardest Part
Jan 4th
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” ~Mary Anne Radmacher
Last time I was talking about the day that I decided that I was going to write a book. It was an important day for sure and it could, and perhaps should, have lead to a book being out in fairly quick order, but it didn’t. There are lots of reasons for this, most of which I understand now and over time I will share them here – at the very least I want to be an example of what not to do as a fledgling author!
Writing the Book is not the Hardest Part
For me, the hardest part of the process of bringing a book successfully to market was not the writing of the book – although this has certainly been challenging. The hardest part for me as a first time author was deciding to become my own publisher, at least for this first book, and then committing to doing what I needed to do in order to make the book a success. I am still learning what it takes to build a successful author platform and I work on the marketing channel for my book every single day. This building of the marketing channel has been the hardest part.
Next time I will talk about why I decided to go the self-publishing route and the consequences of that choice.
Bye for now…Jack
Juice Fasting Update
This is the seventh day of my juice fast and I am feeling pretty good. I didn’t lose any measureable weight since yesterday, but my gout has relented a bit more and my energy is still acceptable. I worked out this morning for twenty minutes, Tae-Bo kick boxing, and I think that is decent for early on in this fast. I expect that my energy will continue to rise as my body converts ever more into fat-burning mode.
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” ~Epictetus
A Book 7 Years in the Making
Jan 3rd
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” ~ Gloria Steinem
I talked last time about my big plans for this newly started year. One of these big plans is to finally get my first book out into the marketplace. I have needed a book for many years now, really since the first time I spoke professionally in front of an audience, and I am embarrassed that it has taken me so long to get to this. I shudder when I think about all of the extra money that I didn’t make because I didn’t have a book. I shudder even more when I think about all the lives that I didn’t touch – lives that I could have touched and improved.
Seven Years in the Making
I first became serious, well I guess only semi-serious given how much time has passed, about writing a book almost seven years ago. I remember the group and the room and the topic quite clearly. I had just finished a presentation, a presentation about Mastermind Groups, in front of approximately a hundred small business owners and twenty or so of them asked me if I had a book that they could buy. I could only respond negatively as of course I didn’t! (And still don’t – but that is changing!)
Something was Different This Time
I don’t know why it bothered me this time that I had no book – but it did. Speaking and referrals from existing and past clients had always kept me more than fully booked as an Executive Coach and Consultant and I had viewed having a book as unnecessary. Still, something was different this time and I went home pondering just what it might do for me if I did write a book.
To be continued…Jack
Juice Fasting / Feasting Update
This is day six of my juice fast and it has been going well. I am down ten pounds so far, my skin looks healthier than it has in a very long time and my energy is getting quite acceptable – indeed I have more energy than I did when eating “regular” food. Is my energy where I want it yet? No, but it is heading in the right direction. Is gout completely gone? No, but it also seems to be heading in the right direction and after all, I have just begun this juicing adventure. I intend to consume only juice for a total of 67 days and expect lots of very positive changes. More to come…
“Dreams get you into the future and add excitement to the present.” ~Robert Conklin
Happy 2012 – A Year of High Adventure
Jan 2nd
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” ~Lewis Carroll
Happy 2012! Are you ready to make this your best year ever? I know I am. I’ve been planning this coming year for most of the previous month and now I’ve started. Wow! – do I have some great plans for this upcoming year:
I am finally, ready or not, going to release my first book. Look for lots of information here about this over the next 10 months or so and an official release date of Thursday, October 25th, 2012.
I am going to do whatever it takes to get back in great shape. I intend to lose, as quickly and delightfully as I can make it, more than 100 pounds of bodyfat. You can read and even watch this process right here. (As I write this, I am on the 5th day of an alkaline juice fast.) Much more upcoming about this entire adventure.
I’m going to start traveling and speaking again. I moved my family from Colorado to Iowa 3 years ago to care for my mom and that has occupied much of my energy. I have things arranged now so that I have more freedom – time to start doing much more speaking to entertain and educate at the same time – I love it!
I am going to start accepting new coaching clients again. I haven’t accepted any new clients since I moved to Iowa- I just supported and nurtured my existing clients. Now I have time to work with some new people – I love helping others to achieve their dreams. It is so fulfilling and exciting to be involved at such a deep level with clients!
I am going to get my website current and re-release my newsletter. I have neglected this more than long enough. Look for the first issue of my weekly newsletter the last week of January and look for updates to my website almost daily.
Enough talking about taking action – time to do something!
Bye for now…Jack
“Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I’m not living.” ~Jonathan Safran Foer
What Does Your Muse Look Like?
Nov 30th
Muse…Noun: The spirit that is thought to inspire a poet or other artist; a source of genius or inspiration. ~ from Ancient Greek Mythology
I have been spending an every greater part of my business life writing. This is certain to be a permanent change and I have been working diligently, sometimes intelligently, to make myself a better and especially quicker writer. Some days I am great. Some days I would need to improve quite a bit just to be terrible. It is well past time to make the great days much more common and the terrible days mostly a thing of the past.
Over the next few entries I am going to talk about creating an ideal muse…in some NLPish terms, creating the perfect set of nested and related emotional states and beliefs and I am even going to create an artificial entity – an ideal muse. Once I create it, then I will start to use it, to use this newly created muse on a daily basis, and then share my results with you…I expect it to be fun and effective!
For now, read this article from the Washington Post, written by Stephen King, where he talks about his muse…just excellent!
Till next time…Jack
When his life was ruined, his family killed, his farm destroyed, Job knelt down on the ground and yelled up to the heavens, “Why God? Why me?” and the thundering voice of God answered, “There’s just something about you that pisses me off.” ~Stephen King
Lessons from Julia Child Part One
Sep 27th
“Learn to cook–try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!” ~Julia Child
I recently had the pleasure of reading “My Life in France” written by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme, the grandnephew of Julia’s husband – Paul Child. Wow! I had a great time reading this book and there were many wonderful life lessons that jumped out of this autobiography at me. Come back soon and see how you and I can improve ourselves by learning from Julia Child’s incredible life.
Till next time…Jack
“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” ~Julia Child
$100,000 Mistakes in Book Writing
Aug 27th
“A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should.” ~Author Unknown
This article assumes that you have some interest in getting a non-fiction book published some day. You might find it interesting even if you don’t have any such desires!
Book Writing Mistakes Cost $100,000
Last time I talked about the mistakes that I made after I decided to write a book. I would guess that those mistakes cost me at least three years – three additional years where I did not have a book working for me to increase my income. Guessing what that has meant to me in lost income from additional speaking engagement fees, increased coaching income and direct book sales to my seminar participants, without out even calculating in any book sales thru Amazon or other sources, I am going estimate that not having a book for those three years cost me at least $100,000 in additional income. (Wow! It even hurts to type that out and read it!)
What will it cost you to add an additional three years onto the book writing/publication/marketing cycle? I don’t know, but I guarantee it will cost you at lot! Depending on your business, it could cost you much more than $100,000!
So what would I do differently if I was starting a book today and wanted to get it done and working for me as quickly and elegantly as possible?
11 Steps to Non-Fiction Publishing Success
- I would completely forget about getting my first book published traditionally and I would immediately start the process of becoming an expert on self-publishing. (I’ll talk about the why of this in future entries, and notice that I said first book.)
- I would find and join or create a non-fiction writer’s group that met weekly and made me read new, not revised, material each and every week. (I’ll talk more about this in future entries as well.)
- I would immediately start blogging, however short the entries, 5 times per week. (More to come here as well.)
- I would immediately hire an email newsletter service and start collecting names of people that like my material. (More coming)
- As quickly as possible, I would start to release a weekly newsletter to those collected names – however short the newsletter! (More coming)
- I would create a Mastermind group of like energy and achievement minded and completely different skills people and we would begin to meet weekly. (Much more about this process later – this is one of my strongest passions!)
- I would decide and commit that I was going to write every single day, no matter what, and I would slowly amp up the volume of that writing. (More coming)
- I would hire a book writing coach, if I could afford one, or join a monthly book writing coaching membership site if I could not afford a personal coach. (More about this to come as well)
- If I wasn’t already a public speaker, I would join Toastmasters and start the process of becoming one! (Yes – you guessed it…more coming)
- I would open a twitter account and start following people that interested me. (More to come!)
- I would start on account on LinkedIn and then dedicate just a bit of time each week here.
I wouldn’t expect to get all of these things done right away. But I would expect to have most of them in place within six weeks and all of them in place and working for me within six month. (In point of fact, I don’t quite have all of them in place myself yet, but I will within a couple of weeks!)
Did I mention yet that I have a non-fiction book coming out in September of 2011? I do! More about that next time as well.
Till next time faithful reader…Jack
“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” ~John Wooden
I’m Back!
Aug 23rd
“Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.” ~Sofia Serrano speaking to David Aames in the movie “Vanilla Sky (2001)
I’m back!
I’m finally going to have the time to start updating this blog on a regular basis again. I’ve spent much of the past 4 months buried in writing the first draft of a book. What time I had left over from that adventure, I split between working with my coaching and consulting clients, working out 6 days per week with personal trainers and of course, my family time always comes first. Anyhow, enough excuses and as Paul Newman said so well in the movie The Color of Money “I’m back!”
What you can expect to find here
So, what can you expect to find here? Of the many blogs that you could decide to read, why add mine to that list?
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You’ll find useful pieces that you can use immediately to improve your life – these nuggets will initially be drawn from my upcoming book about goals and achievement. I’ll share everything I’ve learned about setting goals and the process of achieving them rapidly and pleasurably.
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You can watch and learn the entire process of getting a non- fiction book written and profitably (I intend!) self-published. You will also learn why I decided to self-publish even though I had offers to buy my book from traditional publishing houses.
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See me as I transform my 50+ plus year old body from a neglected, taken for granted shell to a fit, muscular and energetic living work of art! (Wow! That even motivates me!)
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Learn from all of the massive mistakes that I have made all along the way. That way you can either avoid them or at least have a heads up on what to expect if you go there yourself.
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Learn first-hand the tips, techniques and strategies that I have developed and used with my clients over the course of more than 20 years working as a coach and business consultant.
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Get my take on business books that you might want to read or maybe not read. I am an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction and I will be reviewing business books here on a very regular basis.
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And if I go or do something interesting, you can bet I’ll share that as well.