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Five Reasons to Plan for 2014 Now!

Sometimes it’s good to do things at the last minute, even for a planner like me. There’s power in rushing to complete something and sharing it with the world. It works for quick little presentations, but I wouldn’t want to live that way for an entire year.

In that spirit, tonight I decided to host an impromptu teleseminar and made a quick list of five reasons you need to start planning for 2014 now instead of waiting until January.

Several of my friends joined me and we did a brief question and answer session after the presentation.

Here’s the list, followed by the replay:

      1) Intentionality –
      Success rarely happens by accident.
      2) 2014 Will Come and Go Quickly –
      Will you advance in the direction of your dream or will it die a little?
      3) If You Wait for January, It’s Too Late –
      Don’t procrastinate. Get a running start into the new year.
      4) Implementation is Hard –
      So is planning. But a plan makes implementation a lot easier.
      5) It’s Hard to Do Something That Matters –
      Doing hard things makes us better, stronger, and smarter.

Download the Replay: 2013-10-29 Five Reasons to Plan for 2014 Now

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Conquer 2014

I also announced the creation of Conquer 2014, a group coaching experience that I believe will accelerate your efforts in the coming year. Click here for an overview of the program and a link to the application.

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Why You Should Create Your Own Conference

This past weekend I met with my friends Steve & Jody Berkey and Mark Burch for what we called a mastermind meeting. We ate together, played together and talked together for two-plus days and had a great time.

We had hard discussions about where our businesses are and where we want them to go. And just two days later, all of us have made changes that have the potential to make a dramatic difference in our lives in the very near future.

I love attending business conferences and training events because I love learning and sharing what I’ve learned with people. I am a better coach and my business is stronger because of it.

Mark and James at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Mark and James in the pits at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300.
But going to a conference can be expensive. I’ve spent thousands of dollars over the past few years traveling all over the country for great events. The registration fees are generally worth it, but travel, food, and lodging costs can easily double your investment. And they never seem to fit perfectly into my schedule, forcing me to sacrifice time doing something else I want or need to do.

Now I still want you to go to some events! I’m speaking at some and will one day host my own. But if that’s not an option, try creating your own.

Here’s what you need:

  • Location – Find a central location that isn’t expensive. If someone can host it in their home, great! Just limit distractions so you can concentrate when doing the serious work. Other options include a hotel conference room, a borrowed room at your church, a meeting room at a library, etc.
  • Participants – Getting the right people is more important than the location. They need to be real, be able to add value to discussions, and be willing to listen to as well as give advice.
  • Date – Consider a holiday weekend, which gives you more time to meet by extending any travel time associated with pulling everyone together.
  • Agenda – Map out the times you’ll be working and define how the group will interact (presentation with feedback, overview with Q&A, etc.). Put some time to be social and have fun, especially if non-participating family members will be there. Remember to be flexible to changes, but have some kind of structure or you may do more goofing off than working.

Steve and James
Endurance athlete Steve “Mountain Goat” Berkey with (pretending to be an endurance athlete) James “Needs a Cycling Nickname” Woosley after a bike ride through the hills of North Carolina.
It isn’t complicated and it isn’t expensive. Sure, there may not be a superstar speaker and you won’t get a lot of swag, but you’ll have some time to focus on your goals (business or life or both!). And beyond that, you’ll have the opportunity to create lifelong connections with likeminded people.

Don’t wait for someone to host an event you want to attend. Host it yourself and invite people you already know (or if you only know them online, have what Jody calls a “stranger danger” meetup!). Take action and you’ll be better because of it.

Have you ever done something like this? Any other tips or advice to encourage people to do it? Any questions if you want to?

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Are You Perfect?

The following is an excerpt from my new book, Conquer the Entrepreneur’s Kryptonite:

I’m a perfectionist at heart, and it is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing comes from my attention to detail and the quality of the things I create. The curse is that the constant pursuit of perfection can keep me from finishing anything because there’s always one more thing to be improved.

Note that I’m not saying I’m perfect. Far from it! My perfectionism ensures that I see countless mistakes and errors and imperfections in everything I do. It can be paralyzing at times.

I have to work hard to strike a balance in this part of my personality (it is listed as both a Strength and a Weakness in my own SWOT diagram).

Admitting that I’m not perfect is a key factor for me to find any level of success. I’m good at seeing my mistakes, but even here I’m not perfect. I still have blind spots. I have to have people around me who can see what I cannot see. They have different skills and abilities and help me immensely. You need them, too!

Admit that you’re not perfect. Accept it and then seek out help with your blind spots. When you gain the proper perspective, you can move forward with confidence.

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Don’t Be An Action Figure…Be Action!

The following is an excerpt from my new book, Conquer the Entrepreneur’s Kryptonite:

Action is the only thing that makes ideas happen. Not dreaming or wishing. Not talking or contemplating. Action!

Generally I’m not a proponent of doing something just to do it. I’m more the natural planning type. But I can also easily fall into the trap of analysis paralysis—the process by which planning overtakes any and all action, leading to the death and destruction of an idea or project. Too much planning will kill ideas, just as not having a plan will.

The trick is that our pursuits to achieve lofty goals quickly become bogged down by reality. Sure, it’s great to sit back and dream about owning a business, driving a nice car, and experiencing all the perks that come with being the boss. It’s fun to think about how your brilliant idea will improve the world or save lives. But at some point you have to move out of the dreaming phase and into the doing. Again, action makes things happen.

We cannot totally control the future, but we can accomplish some pretty amazing things if we plan, focus, and act on them.
– Deb Ingino, StrengthLeader.com

When we get to the work of making it happen, we soon realize what hard work it is. And hard work isn’t always fun. Passion will take you a long way, but you’re going to need more than passion. You’re going to need a plan.

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