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October 17, 2014 by Brett Leave a Comment

Learn One (and only one) Thing at a Time

The problem with this Dan Miller Challenge that I’ve taken up is that part of the premise is to pick a new action item everyday based on what I read and listen to.

Therefore, I’m often doing something different everyday. Sometimes, these items build on each other. Other times they are completely different.

I’m sticking with this plan for the next 5 months, but I’m realizing the importance of sticking to one main project or skill, even if the

Do you struggle with trying to learn and do too many things at once? 

A couple weeks ago, I read about the importance of finding opportunities to present in front of groups, associations, and other organizations.

I emailed a couple organizations, and lo and behold, I got an opportunity. October 30th.

While I love reading and listening to all kinds of content, this upcoming presentation has become my focus.

I’m filtering all content through my desire to create value for those at the conference.

If you’re like I am and love to read this book, listen to that podcast, watch that series of Youtube videos, then you can relate to my version of adult ADD learning.

In order to make strides in any one area, though, you and I must learn to choose the most pressing piece of learning and focus on that one thing before bouncing to other things.

Just in time learning

Smart Passive Income’s Pat Flynn and Internet Business Mastery’s Jeremy Frandsen and Jason Van Orden introduced me to this idea of ‘just in time learning’.

Just in time learning is a practice whereby you focus solely on learning what you need to learn to achieve the next step in a current project.

For instance, for me right now, I’m focused on the presentation I have to give. My first job is to understand the best method planning and preparing my talk. Therefore, I’ve read a few blog posts and listened to a couple podcasts all around structuring my research, outlining, and pruning of my talk. When I get to the point where I need to create slides, then I’ll focus on that type of content.

Jumping from one thing to another, even within one project, slows down progress.

I get so tempted to try my hand at graphic design by creating slides, but first, I must focus on figuring out the one point I hope the audience walks away with.

Then I will focus on developing the supporting points and how to weave data and stories into the talk.

After that (and only after that), will I study the how-tos and worry about the slides.

Right now, every bit of content that I consume is around public speaking. But I’m drilling down deeper toward specific learning around the step I’m in at the moment.

How to practice just in time learning

Most of us don’t have the luxury of spending tons of time on one project at a time. Our day jobs are filled with a bunch of different people with whom we have a variety of relationships (bosses, colleagues, clients, direct reports).

We might have to stay sharp in a variety of areas.

That said, you and I should also be selective.

What’s one skill we know that would best move our work forward?

If you’re in sales, perhaps it’s learning the age-old practice of cold calling.

If you’re in customer service, perhaps it’s learning how to be more engaging with difficult customers.

If you’re a web designer, perhaps it’s learning a new CMS because WordPress is so 2013.

Pick the one thing and focus on it as much as possible until that one thing is either accomplished or deeply learned.

Write that one thing out on a piece of paper or create a file for it or a note in Evernote.

And get to work. Google it. Youtube it. Buy a book. Go to the library.

Figure that one thing out first before moving on.

I think we would all benefit from that type of focus.

—————————

How about you? Do you practice this type of approach to learning, especially for your work? 

(Leave an answer in the comments)

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Listening for today:

What the Speak Podcast – with Bryan Kelly: I binge-listened to about 5 episodes of this podcast during my commutes today. Michael Hyatt, Nancy Duarte, Chris Brogan, Jeff Goins, and Ken Davis all taught me a little more about public speaking, from preparation to presentation. (By the way, all the sudden these podcasts stopped in July. I’m hoping all is okay!)

SPI 087 : Why You Belong on Stage – Pat’s “Braindump” of Public Speaking and Presentation Tips – with Pat Flynn: This podcast is a wonderful overview of public speaking, especially for newbies like myself.

 

Filed Under: Content Creation Experiments, Mindset Experiments, Productivity Experiments, The Dan Miller Challenge Tagged With: bryan kelly, internet business mastery, jason van orden, jeremy frandsen, just in time learning, marketing, pat flynn, public speaking, smart passive income, what the speak

October 7, 2014 by Brett Leave a Comment

Practice High Quality Mindset Action

Practice High Quality Mindset Action

Some days don’t go awesome. They aren’t child in the hospital or the bank repossessed the car bad. They’re just rock in the shoe types of days.

They are splinter that won’t come out types of days. They are dryer stopped working and forgot to renew the tag type days. They are slight reprimand by the accounting manager days.

I’m not fond of those types of days. Who is?

Having a good day is about attitude
Give me your best shot, day!

Practice Mindset. Why Not?

One way to handle those days is to bitch and moan. Complain. Eat a lot of chocolate. Play a lot of Candy Crush. Go off on Facebook (please don’t do that one).

Another way to handle those days? Practice having a high quality mindset. I loved the advice that Jordan Harbinger of The Art of Charm guy gave on pat Flynn’s podcast:

When you walk into every room, have the shoulders straight, hold the chest out as if you’re shining a light with it, and have a big fat smile on your face.

It doesn’t matter if anybody’s in the room or not. Just smile and walk in confidently. I talked about this before, but it bears repeating. Plus, I’m blessed that I might get a new reader who won’t thumb through my posts to find this gem of advice.

Our problems are first world problems, and most of them won’t right themselves via whining. Never happens.

We want sympathy and all that, but over time, the better play is to stare the situation down and give it the big finger of a more hopeful, proactive mindset.

Which brings me to strategy number two…

Notice the Thing You Fear… And Do It

Today, I listened to The Shawn Stevenson’s The Model Health Show Podcast with Pat Flynn: How To Grow Stronger From Stress, Live More Fulfilled, And Do Work That You Love.

One of my biggest takeaways was this idea that if we fear something, then that’s a clue that we probably should lean in and confront the thing. If we are nervous about making a phone call, that means there is something to be learned or gained from making the phone call. If we are scared of a project or making a presentation, we might just be in the perfect place for growth.

Often one of these scary tasks or projects accompany the crappy days I referenced above. Sometimes these tasks are the reason for the crappy days.

Most often, the scary task has nothing to do with fighting a tiger to get the last bit of meat left on the savannah. The things we normally fear simply won’t hurt us all that bad. But they will help us to grow.

Lean in to the fear and consider it an opportunity. Walk into the room with a big cheshire grin and tell the day that you are officially taking over.

Again I ask, why not?

It won’t hurt. The people around you will thank you for having a decent attitude and things just might change.

I write these things because I need to do these things much better and much more consistently.

How about you? How was your day today and what did you learn?

———————–

Today’s Listening (in addition to the podcast mentioned above):

Why Is Profit Viewed As a Bad Thing? John Jantsch interviews Mike Michalowicz for the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast – Great business advice in this podcast about how profit seems to be the extra that happens if we can sell enough and not spend too much. Michalowicz suggests that profit should be accounted for up front so that we don’t always spend up to our gills. (He just released the book Profit First – affiliate link)

When I listened to this advice, I couldn’t help but think about other areas in life. We need to take care of ourselves first or else we ain’t no good of anybody else. We need to build in our ‘profit’ – our time to reenergize, get some exercise, hang with the kids. All that stuff gets squeezed out way, way too easily. Don’t you think?

Leave any thoughts you have on these or any other topic burning up there in that noggin of yours. Drop ’em in the comments.

Until tomorrow….

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This blog is a response to Dan Miller’s unintentional challenge from his podcast on August 15, 2014: If you read or listen to 30 minutes of quality content a day, you’ll double your income. 

From September 1, 2014 through March 1, 2015, I will be doing the following:

  1. Listening or reading to 30 minutes of success, growth, business, spiritual, or other mindset-shifting, skill-sharpening content.
  2. Selecting one action item from that content (with some leeway to select an action from a previous day’s content).
  3. Doing that one action.
  4. Writing about the action or some other idea from the reading and listening of the day. 

Filed Under: Mindset Experiments, Sales Experiments Tagged With: art of charm, duct tape marketing podcast, john jantsch, jordan harbinger, mike michalozicz, mindset, pat flynn, positive outlook on crappy days, profit first

October 4, 2014 by Brett Leave a Comment

Sleep More, Get More Done

My commitment to writing daily on this and my day job blog has demanded more than it’s shares of late nights and early mornings.

Unfortunately, I’ve also binged on Netflix a couple times and stayed up late watching college or pro football.

Today, I listened to Pat Flynn’s interview with Shawn Stevenson (check Shawn Stevenson’s podcast and blog here).

Much of the interview was about sleep. Since today was a Saturday full of emergency home projects (2 major bathroom rehabs), I’m eager to take today’s action item from that interview. I could use some sleep.

Stevenson has written a book all about sleep (Sleep Smarter: 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way To a Better Body, Better Health and Bigger Success) and handed out a couple tips in the interview:

  1. Give yourself a caffeine curfew (2pm)
  2. Use black-out curtains (those cool things they have at fancy hotels)
  3. Keep electronics out of your room or at least away from your noggin.

I really want black-out curtains, but since I can’t pull that off tonight, I cut off caffeine early and will keep the phone away. I’ll use the old-fashioned clock radio.

I’m averaging 5-6 hours a night and feel a slow wear-down happening. It’ll take faith to go to bed 9pm-10pm and let myself sleep a little later. Will I get things done that I need to get done?

8 straight hours sounds like a very nice thing though, so I’m up for the challenge.

What kind of sleep do you get? Are you like me – you pride yourself on only ‘needing’ 5-6 hours a night? Is that really a good long term plan?

Filed Under: Mindset Experiments, Productivity Experiments Tagged With: energy, pat flynn, productivity, shawn stevenson, sleep, smart passive income

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Hello!

Brett the sales experimenter and the challenge accepter Brett - Sales and Marketing Experimenter. I'm a reluctant sales professional. I didn't start out my career in sales and marketing, but I've grown to enjoy it. Here I discuss marketing, sales, productivity, and mindset experiments that will hopefully yield greater results and a more deeply satisfying sales career.

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