Annikas Läsare och Lyssnare: March 2018

20180327

Successful launch in 90 days: Never mind the frogs and monkeys - just start with the hardest part

A few years ago, Brian Tracy wrote a book called:

Eat That Frog!: Get More of the Important Things Done - Today!

The book title is referring to a saying that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that it's probably the worst thing you'll do all day.

Photo from Pixabay

Since I care about animals and avoid eating them at all, I am not fond of the metaphor, but I believe in what the author wants to say:

If you take care of the most difficult thing first - something that most likely also has the biggest impact - you are likely to get more done.

This concept is described very well by Astro Teller, also known as "Captain of moonshots" at the factory X (former Google X) in this 5 min video. One of the examples he uses is that if you are going to teach a monkey (again this disrespect towards animals I don't like, but the message is still important) recite Shakespeare standing on a pedestal, you had better start working with the monkey - not building the pedestal.

This is important in Factory X, so they can cancel projects as soon as possible and start new ones with better chances of succeeding. It is also valid for my Successful launch in 90 days challenge. Not because I want to figure out if I will fail (I will not) but because I want to start with the most uncertain things so I have as much time as possible to figure out how to do them.

Of course there are many things on my way to the successful launch that will require a lot of effort and time, but some of them I have done before. I have had books published before, I have arranged events before. I know approximately what needs to be done and how much leadtime is required.

On the other hand, I have never created an on-line course and I have not yet learned how to turn digital markering into sales. I will not eat frogs or teach monkeys, but I will start with the items that are new to me, to give myself as much time as possible to figure out how to do it.

In my updated issue tree I have added more detailed actions in these areas:

I know how tempting it is to do the stuff you already know. Making progress, ticking of items on your To Do list feels good. But it is not the best way to secure your goal.

When you get to work tomorrow - start with the toughest / riskiest / most uncertain task. Once you have handled it, you will not only be closer to your goal - you will also feel more confident about your ability to succeed.

You can find the previous posts in this challenge here:

Go, go, go!
What is your next challenge?

20180320

Successful launch in 90 days - Go, go, go!

Are you ready to join me in a challenge of your own?

I am now starting my Successful launch in 90 days challenge which includes launching a book and an on-line course to help people become Masters of their time.

I hope you will take the chance to join me with a challenge on your own, a challenge that will end in June, so you can enjoy the results of it this summer.

Those of you who followed by 90 books in 90 days challenge know that a good place to start is with a problem statement.

This is my problem statement for my challenge:

How can I create a successful book- and on-line course launch in 90 days?

Based on that problem statement I have created an issue tree (for tips on how to create issue trees, check out this blog post), to guide me when I define the actions needed to achieve my goal:

I am looking forward to the event when I will launch. Launch a book and on-line course that will help many people understand that there is enough time in their lives for doing what they really want. This will be a challenging and interesting journey. I hope yours will be as well!

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What is your next challenge?

Do you spend less time with your family than you would like to?
Do you want to be more energetic but fail to change your eating and exercise habits?
Do you have an old dream that you just do not dare to turn into reality?

Whatever your challenge is, now is a great opportunity to make a change: Join my next 90 day challenge!

Image from Pexels

We will define problem statements and use issue trees to visualize the massive action that will take us where we want to go. Even if we will have different goals we can share our ups and downs and support and inspire each other.

As Tony Robbins has said:

"Be one of the few who do rather than one of the many who complain."

Next week I will get started - I look forward to doing it with you!

20180306

The Beauty of Art, part 15 - the answers

This Beauty of Art quiz was a tricky one. I believe most of us know paintings more than we do sculptures.

The sculpture in the Beauty of Art part 15 is called La Valse (the waltz) and it is made by Camille Claudel.

Image from wikimedia commons

One of the clues I gave to this quiz, was that Camille had had a relationship with one of the artists in a previous Beauty of Art post. That artist was Rodin, described in the Beauty of Art part 4.

Rodin was impressed with her talent and she became one of his apprentices. At one point he said:

" Je lui ai montré où trouver de l'or, mais l'or qu'elle trouve est bien à elle."

("I have shown her where to find gold, but the gold she finds is her own." )

They even worked together on some of Rodin's sculptures, for instance the one I showed in the Beauty of art part 4: Le baiser.

Like so many other artists of this time (she was born 1864) she went to Paris to learn and perform her art.

She was without a doubt very gifted, very passionate and she had a lot of support from her father (but not from her mother). Her life was very dramatic, as can be seen in the film Camille Claudel. Unfortunately her strong emotions made her destroy some of the sculptures she made and she evetually ended up in a hospital due to "insanity".

You have described that the sculpture make you think of passion. I agree, it shows a lot of passion and at the same time it shows a lot of tenderness. I find it amazing that some people have the ability to craft something that radiates love out of material like plaster and bronze.

Thank you for participating in this Beauty of Art!

20180305

90booksin90days: Who am I if I don't succeed?

The project we were working on was high-profile and critical. We were developing a product based on new technology under a tough deadline. Just before an important milestone I sent one of my newsletters, encouraging all project members:

"It will be tough a few more weeks, but we are the type of project that delivers. We will make it."

We did make it and several project members told me that they had been motivated by what I had written. We are the type of project that delivers.

I have always believed that

"If you want something bad enough and work hard to get it - you will get it."

So when the deadline for my 90booksin90days passed and I had not sold 90 books, only 67, I was confused.

If I am not the one who always gets what I go for - who am I then?

It took some thinking and a talk to my coach to look at my "failure" in another way.

My 90booksin90days challenge is not comparable to my projects. When I lead a project I ensure we have the right pre-requisites. I manage expectations and I negotiate the outcome with the stakeholders throughout a project.

When I came up with my 90booksin90days challenge I set the goal myself and I chose something that inspired me, something that simply sounded good. "I went in blind" as my coach called it. I did not sell 90 books in 90 days. But I did a lot of great things and learned a lot to get to the 67 books.

The same goes for those who are the best of the best. There are great athletes that break records. And still - they do not win every race, every match. There are great actors who perform breath takingly in some films and flop in others. There are fantastic business people who achieve a lot, yet lose great deals or markets now and then. Or, as Michael Jordan said:

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."

So my coach helped me realize that aiming for always succeeding is not the way to go. And just like I once told my project members about what type of project we were, she told me what type of person I am:

"You are the type of person who challenges yourself by setting inspiring stretch goals - and then gives all you got to get them."

Image from Pixabay

What about you? Are you the type of person who wants to make a change in your life, who wants to challenge yourself? Join my next 90 day challenge!

I will start again in a week or two and I hope you will join me. It will be hard, comfort-zone expanding and lots of fun!