Surprisingly, what I share below did not come with any kicking and screaming!

I’ve re-learned a very important lesson, that seeing/understanding something is not the same thing as *knowing*.  This came to play when I got an iPhone for my upcoming trip to Italy.  I wanted to be able to stay in touch online, without lugging a laptop across the country. Through other projects, I did some research and found that the iPhone has WiFi connectivity allowing it to be used at local hotspots, with no extra charge (as long as they were free).

Frankly, I’ve not understood the fascination with “web 2.0″, social websites, smart-phones,  or half a dozen other “innovations” of the past fest years.  They all seemed kinda silly, and a waste of time.  Do we really need more ways to communicate, and keep in touch?  Aren’t cellphones, and their ability to talk to anyone, anytime enough?

Heck no!

I’m finding out first hand exactly why people are standing up and shouting that these things are the future.  While not usually part of the crowd mentality, I can truly say that *get it* now.

Now I understand why people love the iPhone, Facebook, and all the other new media tools available to them.  Put simply, they allow a sense of connection to the rest of the world.  They don’t feel left out, alone, or disconnected.

Let me explain a little.  I got a cell phone long after everyone else I knew.  For the past 3 or 4 years I’ve asked my wife to put in new phone numbers and contacts into my other phones.  It’s not that I couldn’t do it, it’s just that I didn’t care.  I used the phone very little, and when I did it was to 1 or 2 other people almost exclusively.  So who cares if I have the numbers to my eye doctor, dentist or friend in Arroyo Grande, CA in there?  It wasn’t like I’d talk to them more than a few times a year.  What’s the big deal?

No, the contact info in the phone is NOT the big deal.  The other uses are the big deals… (but the contact info helps)

I can now check email from almost anywhere in the USA.   This incluled a recent visit to a very remote location where there wasn’t even a hardwired phone line.  There was an AT&T tower [barely] within range, and about half the time I was able to both connect to the regular phone service, as well as the older “edge” data network for email/web browsing.

You’re going to think I’m full of it, but for a very good reason, we even checked on recipies for cooking squirrel! No Joke.  Just ask my brother, who’s friend it was.

Did I mention this was a remote location!?

Anyway… What I’ve found is a new way to communicate, stay in touch, and feel connected regardless of where I go.  The Apple iPhone application (app) store has thousands of programs on it.  Many of which are actually useful.  It was another big ah-ha moment when I actually atarted using them.

Let me just run down when I’ve used in the past week, from memory (beyond the native email app, which is a given, and probably # in terms of use)..

1) An RSS reader to keep up with the latest blogs I visit.

2) A to-do list (Toodledo) which tracks projects/to-do’s.

3) Jott, a joice to text service which allows me to post entries to Facebook, Toodledo, Twitter and many other locations.  It translates my spoken commands and info into text, and does what I want with it.

4) A great recipie program to give us cooking ideas while at the supermarket.

5) Games to kill time waiting at the ____ office

6) Music — I can use it as an MP# player, and I’ve loaded about 8 gigabytes of my 200+ GB music and spoken word MP3′s (yes, all converted from purchased CD’s!)

7) Checked the yellow pages for auto parts stores in the area, as well as the number of the Toyota Dealership for my brother–while driving around.

Used the GPS and Google Maps while snowshoeing at 9000 ft in the sierras

9) Found the wi-fi signal at my wife’s work, to verify a laptop wireless network card wasn’t working.

10) Checked the weather forecast

11) Looked for nearby restaurants

12) Checked on my client site’s Google Analytics

13) Found out what it was like to read a Kindle book on a smaller screen (hint: it’s not bad, but not as good as the really thing–just ask my wife, who loves her Kindle 2.0!)

14) Downloaded a guide for Rome, and an Italian translation app for our upcoming trip!  Man, I’m starting to be abl eto travel light!

15) Check local movie times

16) Fool around with Google Earth…

17) Read parts of some self-development classic books

18) Update and read Facebook status

19) Check the reviews of a wireless USB network card on sale (refurb) at Fry’s for $9.  Surprisingly, it was a good one and I got two (should have gotten 3 or 4!  The two are already taken, and I find uses for these things more often than you might imagine.

20) taken some pictures

Ok, I exagerated a tiny bit.  This was in two weeks!

This was all done by someone who didn’t use the cell phone he had much at all.  Someone who didn’t even put contact info into it.  Someone who didn’t “get it”.

Let me tell you this, and you really should listen, even if you have no interest in the iPhone or other new gadgets.

You don’t know something until you experience it.  You can’t learn to swim, perform heart surgery, or understand Web 2.0 until you get your hands dirty.  It’s really the only way.  I used to think that I understood the whole web 2.0 scene.  I just chose not to follow that path. It didn’t make sense to me, so I stayed away…

Well, I was a fool, and didn’t have a clue.

Not because I didn’t follow that path (because it’s not always the right path), but because I didn’t really understand it, and without true understanding, the right choice is impossible.

What might you be naive about (maybe unknowingly), due to lack of direct experience?   If you “got it”, would any of these things present new opportunities or markets to you?  Are there things you’ve passed up because they didn’t make sense at the time, but might if you took the time to dive right in?

It really was an amazing feeling to understand the fascination with something that was otherwise looked at as a distraction, and I plan on making it an ongoing persuit to try new things, instead of assuming I know all about them.  I suggest you keep your eyes open to opportunities, and do the same.

If you have any questions, or comments, let me know!  Please, I know there are people posting comments just for the back links… That’s fine, but be aware that unless the comment relates directly to the post, I will likely not approve it.

You will find this, and similar ideas to help you open your mind to new business and life opportunities in the Beyond Unstuck Seminar found on this site.  For a very limited time, as a reader of this blog, you will get something others won’t.  Pick up this course right now, I’ll answer your emailed questions up to 4 times a week during the first month after your purchase.  Just use the contact-us form on this site, and include your purchase receipt id/code.  Other coaches offer this service for hundreds of dollars a month–yours free for the first month when you invest just $50 for a course worth far more than that already!

The risk is all mine, since there is a 60 day money back guarantee, and you’ll never lose anything you learn from the coaching or course.

I can only handle a handful of email coaching clients at this time (up to 7 this month), so sign up before the offer goes away (or you have to wait for a slot).

Be Well,

Tim

There’s a general direction in the law-of-attraction that directs you to avoid resistance, and create your own “flow” of action and results. In many cases this might be a wise choice. Going with the flow, and avoiding clashes and confrontation *can* be way more productive in many situations. Taking the path of least resistance is more than helpful in situations such as:

• martial arts, where brute force is secondary to using your opponent’s momentum
• sales and marketing, where you should work within your prospect’s parameters, instead of your own
• product creation based on what “the market” wants, instead of what you want to give it
• using your natural and easy to come by talent, instead of trying to improve things that you have no aptitude, or interest in

BUT…

Even if you have aptitude in an area that interests you and it comes relatively easily, it may not be all smooth sailing. In fact you are virtually guaranteed to run in to roadblocks, potholes and the occasional wrong turn. One word for this is “resistance“. Another would be “growth“. And still another “learning“.

…flash back to the Borg… Do you think the Federation would have come out ahead in each conflict with them if they took the path of least resistance, and allow themselves to be assimilated? Heck no! They had to adapt. They had to learn and grow. They had to do what it took to survive. [sorry if you don't know the background story.. I'm sure wikipedia could help fill in the details]

Doing something that you want (or need) to do isn’t always easy. It’s usually harder than you want it to be, but without the challenges, you’ll likely not get what you really want. You won’t become proficient. You won’t enjoy the inevitable results. An there’s no way it will actually *become* easy.

The only way for these things to occur are through action, persistence and by breaking down resistance.

Don’t believe me?

Look at these obvious examples:

• body building – resistance is key to building muscle
• music – have you every started to learn to play an instrument? Unbelievable how awkward it can be at first (but later, it’s easy, and even picking up a new instrument becomes *much* quicker)
• speaking a new language
• learning to drive (especially a shift shift)

Without resistance, there would be little or no growth. No progress. It’s imperative that you understand this concept.

While it would be nice to say that everything in life will be easy, it would be a lie. That’s not to say that it can’t *become* easy. That would be the truth. It can! You just need to stretch you boundaries and grow into it.

Think back to when you learned to drive a car, or play a musical instrument, or any other thing that you are now proficient in. It probably came with its share of resistance, and problems. But now it’s second nature. You can hardly believe how easy it is. You don’t even think about it.

Resistance has it’s benefits. It can truly be fruitful, and the next time you are challenged by something outside of your comfort zone, you should think about the benefits to pushing past the rough spots.

Next time you hear someone say “resistance is futile”, just change the saying in your head–make it “resistance is fruitful“, and remember all that you’ve gained, and are about to gain through resistance. The law of attraction works, but the it’s only automatic if you make it so through your actions.

What are you resisting, and what will you gain from it? If you have nothing to gain by the resistance, by all means STOP IT! Otherwise, please share! When you become aware of these things, you’ll become more motivated and successful.

Are always… your turn! Please share!

Thanks,

Tim

It has to do with “knowing verses doing”, and how valuable experience truly is.

Backtracking a little bit… I’ve been a programmer, and computer guy since *before* the public Internet, before hard drives were common (get this: I remember the launch of the first 5 megabyte hard drive under $1000!), and even back to punch cards (don’t ask). Computer knowledge usually sticks to my brain without effort. Each time I do something new on one of these machines, I learn a bit more about them, and how the code was written behind the fancy graphical interface.

Every bit of this knowledge helps me solve new problems in much less time than I would otherwise.

Big deal, right?

YES! It is a big deal!

Why?

Because…

Reading about something does not make you an expert at it.

Studying, and passing a test does not make you competent to handle real world situations.

ONLY doing something, and refining your hands-on knowledge will bring you success in any en devour you choose.

My recent experience configuring a computer device reminded me of this. The manual was almost worthless the user interface was worse, and there were few clues as to why the desktop computer wasn’t talking to the device. If I’d been a regular computer user, I’d be completely stuck.

Google searches and the manufacturer website were useless, and wasted time.

I had to defer to a few brain cells which held priceless information on how things worked inside the computer to come up with a solution. This information came by way of more hardware and software installs than you’d care to imagine. Not the easy ones, either.

My point is…

• if all you do is read about things
• if you already know everything you read
• if you just need more things to study (need more info to continue)
• if you just have to find the *perfect* situation

You will never move forward. Book knowledge is a great start, but is nowhere near enough for success… You actually have to take action and do something to acquire the tools for success. Think of it this way, after reading a manual, and studying, could you competently:

• swim?
• drive?
• perform surgery?
• poll vault?
• program a computer?
• play a musical instrument?
• write a song?
• write great sales letters?
• design a website?
• find financial freedom?
• find your soul mate?

Do you get the basic idea behind this? You have to take action, and learn from those actions to succeed. There is no other way. It’s simple, too… just start experimenting, and performing. You can make it a game if you want.

Just get the experience somehow! NOW!

Quit waiting for the perfect time (it never will). Think back to any time you may have spend not-doing something. Then think about what might have been if you’d just done something, anything, to progress your hands-on experience. Where might you be now instead?

Uh huh. It will probably be an eye opener.

I’m curious what are you prepared to do.. OR any experience you’ve had with the above thoughts… Just drop me a note in the comments section below.

Be well,

Tim

PS. Check out Jeannette’s site at http://goodvibeblog.com/ for some more great thoughts on life success. I recently became acquainted with her blog, and highly recommend it.

It seems simple. It seems obvious. We might say “yeah, that’s true”, but unless we start actually experimenting with, and changing things that aren’t working, we’ll keep getting the results we have programmed ourselves for.

So, it’s been a couple of weeks since the volleyball realization that my self-comments may be keeping me from playing better. What happens when I purposely change those thought patterns?

This past weekend, I played volleyball for the first time since that post (3 weeks). Knowing that my self talk is probably a habit worth changing, I caught myself every time I was about to make a critical remark about my play (and boy, I could’ve made a few comments). Instead, I chose to move on, and tell myself that I will do better next time, and that I’d learn something about this specific experience.

Sure as ____ (well, you know)… The next time, I *did* play better. I passed, hit, or served better. I improved 1000% over that previous dud of a play. Better yet, I acknowledged it, and congratulated myself on how I’d improved. As the games progressed, this became a self fulfilling mechanism where I’d continue to play better and better. Instead of a downward spiral of self defeating talk, I’d progressed upward in a self promoting whirlwind.

It was most obvious.

It was clear in how I played, how I felt about my play, and the outcome.

My positive encouragement and thoughts attracted positive results. I have no doubt that the outcome of these games would have been different if I’d continued my negative attention.

How does this relate to success in other areas? Well, first you must identify things that bring up your own negative self talk. They could be anything. It’s easiest to pick obvious areas so that you can better observe your progress, like my volleyball example. Later, you can move to more ingrained and meaningful situations such product creation, blog posting, etc… Choosing something simple first will allow you to observe the dramatic change that will occur, and really “get” the results. This will prime you for the bigger and more important projects at hand.

What methods will you use to change your self talk? Please share!

Last night I played volleyball in a local league. It’s been many months since I’ve played, and to say I was rusty would be a serious understatement. I used to be a pretty top-notch player, especially for someone who had nothing but “on the job” training (I played in pick up games, and worked my way up to better and better teams–throughout my 20′s in the bay area).

Today I’m sore, and stiff–in a good way, since I need the exercise, but that’s not why I’m writing.

I noticed something that I’ve noticed before, but never really equated it to anything important.

In reality, it could be one of the most important lessons I could learn, as long as I recognize it, and make the necessary course corrections in my life. It also may also be familiar to you.

So… Here’s the situation.. I’m rusty and not playing as well as I used to… I know this, and am beyond frustrated with myself. Every time I do the slightest thing wrong, my self-talk puts me in my place. I shoulda been faster. My timing should have been better. I should have “dug” that “spike” or “dink”.

I was focusing on the things I did wrong, instead of the things I did right. This is a sure-fire way to continue to struggle in life, love, business, etc..

Basically, the “Law of Attraction” states that you will get what you focus your attention (and take action) on. Focus on your failures, and you’ll get more failure, focus on your success, and you’ll get more of that too. I did the worst thing possible, and focussed on my “failures”. It was automatic, and emotional–the worst possible combination!

Here’s the funny thing. I played as well or better than most of the other players, and whenever I was congratulated on a good play (yes, there were quite a few of those as well), I shrugged it off. Can you believe it? I couldn’t take a compliment on my success! I also didn’t acknowledge my own strong plays myself–which is something that I’m sure is holding me back in other areas.

The term “six-pack” in volleyball slang means to be hint in the face by an opponent’s “spike”. This is a ball that is hit so hard and fast that it hits you before you can defend yourself. I see focusing on failure instead of success as and failure “six-pack”. It hits us in the face. Then does so again and again.

Or does it?

Maybe you’re like me, and just keeping the failures in your mind, and don’t focus on the “digs” (volleyball slang for being able to pass a “spiked” ball). We probably have many such successes, which are not celebrated nearly as much as the failures.

What do you think would have become of Einstein, Edison, Bandler and many other great thinkers if they focused on their failures instead of their successes? Do you think they’d have made the breakthroughs the they did if they focused on what didn’t work?

How about in business? Do you think Terry Dean, Bill Gates, Jimmie D Brown, and many others focused on what didn’t work? NO! They worked at things until they found formulas that worked for them. They focused on what worked, and moved from there. They didn’t (and don’t) dwell on whatr didn’t.

This shift in thinking is probably responsible for more successes and failures than anything else.

In fact, it brings up one of the most valuable articles of Terry’s I’ve read:

Why Believing in Yourself Will Change Your Life

If you and I do nothing but read that post, and start to recognize, and then change our self defeating behavior, I have no doubt at all that the success we desire will find us.

Please share any ideas you have in regards to “digging” the spikes that life and business throw you, and avoiding getting “six-packed”!

It’s a simple concept. It’s easy to follow. So, why this post?

Because it’s exceedingly rare in practice. Oh… and it could mean the difference between success and failure.

People tend to follow the path of least resistance. Me included. Yet, with some quick adjustments, we could be making progress in leaps and bounds, instead of spits and sputters. All you have to do is clarify your expectations before doing something.

This is basically the Law of Attraction on a smaller, but exceptionally important scale.

An example of what I’m talking about…

You just got a great course on Internet Marketing. It has all the promise of taking you away from your day job and allowing you to earn a living from your home office. The first thing you do is open it up, and read interesting sections as you find them. You’re motivated and feeling good. Unfortunately, you do the same thing the next day. Maybe feeling a little less motivated and frustrated that your “study” hasn’t produced any results. This continues, with a few false starts at using the information, until you finally feel that you were ripped off, and cheated by the author.

Truth is, the product may actually contain all the promises that were made on the sales letter. It may truly unlock the “secrets” to wealth and happiness for you and your family. The problem is that you wanted a magic bullet and didn’t have a plan for success.

If your expectations for the course are something like “Learn how to make a fortune online”, then you are sure to fail. It’s like hailing a cab and asking the driver to take you home. Unless you tell him exactly where you live, you won’t get there. Vague goals and directions just don’t work.

On the other hand, if you set precise goals before you first begin the course, you may just hit pay dirt. What if you set your intention to make your first $100 online within a month using the information in the course. Then for each lesson you take notes, and act on the material presented. You set up your blog, website or email autoresponder. If you have questions, you find examples of the techniques in action (from the author perhaps), and dig for the answers. Trust me, you’ll learn a lot more from taking action on something than just reading about it.

After a week you’ll have made considerable progress, and not only feel motivated, but will have actually accomplished much more than ever before. If you can get to $100, you can get to $200, and as you reach each target it will become easier.

Making a bunch of mini expectations/goals has an exponential effect on your overall progress.

You can visualize this in many ways. For instance, take a staircase. If you want to get to the second floor, you’ll need to use it. One or two steps at a time. You couldn’t jump straight to any other floor above you. Your expectation is to move gradually up the stairs until you arrive at the top. If you try to jump in one bound and just “arrive”, you won’t make it.

One more very important point. The order in which you do something is as important as the setting your goals, and direction. You simply can’t start with the chapter on building traffic to your site if you haven’t even built your site yet. You must do things in an order that has a chance of working. Can you climb the stairs by starting on the 10th step, then the 3rd and then the 15th? No, you start at the bottom, and work your way up in an order that makes sense.

Where else does this work? Everywhere!

• When surfing the net (uhhh… I mean when doing “research” on the net–you know…)
• When attending a seminar (don’t let it be mindless entertainment)
• When dating (don’t skip ahead to the marriage proposal!)
• When taking a trip (don’t get lost)
• When performing a function at work
• When Training your pet
• When learning a musical instrument
• <your goals here>

Terry Dean’s post on 8 Steps to Create Your Internet Business is an excellent example of this concept, and was the largely responsible for the idea behind this post.

Now, how will you put this to use? What mind games can you come up with to help? Please share in the comments below.

Why so harsh? There’s an enlightening article in The Atlantic, which basically says that multitasking makes you stupid and slow, and who isn’t multitasking these days?

• The tv’s on in the background while we “work” on a project
• We’re on the phone while driving
• We’re checking email 10 times an hour while writing an article, or performing some vital business task
• The number of web browser windows that are open an awaiting our attention is well in the the double digits
• Chewing gum while walking seems like child’s play–better add a cell phone and a jump rope

It’s a long article, but worth reading if only to scare you straight. I really love the part where a researcher gives hope for multitaskers. He says that people can actually learn to do 2 tasks “at once” as well as someone who does them sequentially. Ah… Hope! Of course, his studies indicate that it takes 2000 times before this is exhibited. So much for the good news.

Computers multi task, and it often slows them down to a crawl. Much of the time, they are responsive. This is usually because they’re doing relatively little in the background. But take your basic machine, and do something like search for all files on the main hard drive that contain the text “internet marketing”. Let it go and find those files. Then start using the machine for something else. Web Browsing. Write an article. Run your virus checker… You’ll likely notice a huge difference in responsiveness of the machine. It’ll take you longer to do what you want to do, and it’ll also take the machine longer to find the files.

This happens for a reason other than the cpu speed. It happens because there’s another bottleneck in the system, the hard drive. Not matter how fast the computer chip can process things, it still needs to access data on the hard drive to accomplish its tasks. The hard drive is extremely slow compared to the cpu, so the cpu ends up waiting around a lot for it to return data.

While I don’t know what the bottleneck in you is, I’m sure at least one exists, and if you are attempting to concentrate on more than one thing at a time, you will slow down, and become stupid. At least temporarily. The easy remedy?

1. Do one thing at a time, and do it well.
2. Focus only on that one thing.
3. Get it done. Finish it.
   
4. Move on the the next thing.

No bottleneck… Just results. How will this work for you?

Let me explain…

No, I don’t actually like the worms. And that’s the point! But, the more “worms” there are on the menu, the fewer choices I have among the remaining dishes (the “chocolate”). It makes the choice easy.

Still confused? I assure you that understanding why having a menu full of “worms” is a good thing and well worth your time.

For some reason I grew up disliking a lot of food that other people really like (ok, love). For example, I will gag if I even attempt to eat cheese, or any one of a large group of “condiments” (what I call “goop”). To me, eating them might be similar to you eating live worms. You just wouldn’t do it, and I don’t blame you.

So, when I go to an Italian restaurant, for example, I can immediately eliminate about 80% of what I see without thinking about it. All the “worms” (dishes with cheese…) allow me to narrow the choice down to the 20% that remains (and even that often requires a substitution or two). On top of that, my expectations are often lowered a bit because I only had a few items to choose from, and they may not have been my favorite dishes. This means that I’m often happier overall with the meal.

Having “worms” on the menu makes life much easier. We people like things to be easy.

Contrast this to times when I go to a Sea Food or Chinese restaurant. Everything on the menu is more like “chocolate”. I want it all, and it takes me a long time to decide. To make it worse, my wife doesn’t like sea food, so if I find myself at one of these places, I often want it ALL, because who knows when I’ll have such a selection again.

Having too much “chocolate” on the menu slows things down, and makes life tougher. People don’t like things to be difficult.

Too much choice often leads to worry about whether the right one was made. Would I have been better off with one of many other items on the menu? This can often lead to disappointment, and added stress.

What does this have to do with business success?

Everything!

It’s just another example of Information Overload.

Every new online business tactic that comes out and promises thousands of dollars nearly overnight may look like “chocolate”, and instead of picking just one, you want them all. Your focus disappears into a sea of “research” (a.k.a. web surfing), purchases, and distractions. You jump from method to method, because you just know the next one will be better. While you may be busy, you aren’t moving forward. And since time is not standing still for you, you’re really falling way behind.

The trick is to start seeing seeing more things as “worms”. Start seeing them for what they are: distractions and destroyers of your dreams. Sounds easy, but how?!

It’s really easy, actually. You must simply decide exactly what you want before “seeing the menu”!

If you want to make money online, you must first determine what your skills and passions are. From there, you can come up with a plan, and instantly know the “worms” from the “chocolate”. You’ll know which opportunities are in line with your desires, and which will just bog you down.

That’s why setting goals and the law of attraction are so vital to success. Having a clear direction allows you to easily take the shortest path. You’ll also start to see more “worms” on the menu! By now you should see why having worms on the menu is a good thing, and the more the better.

More than half of the complementary “Wrong Action Kills, Right Action Manifests” report is devoted to helping you clarify your goals. It doesn’t matter if you are interested in business, making money, or personal growth, knowing precisely where you want to go will exponentially speed up your progress.

Here are a few tricks that you can use to start seeing more “worms” in your life…

• Decide what you want to eat before you enter a restaurant.
• Make a list before going to the store, and stick to it.
• Keep a prioritized “to do” list, and update it each night before bed.
• Create a “dream board” with your dreams and desires and keep it in a place you see it often.
• Have a written list of tasks you want to accomplish on the computer before sitting down at it. Then follow the list (checking email every minute is probably NOT on your list).
• … I could keep going, but it’s your turn… leave a comment with your own suggestions or ideas!

For a sales and marketing take on “worms”, head over to Ryan M. Healy’s exceptional Business Growth Blog where he has a post titled Improve Sales by Taking Away Their Freedom.

Got a bunch of “worms” on you shelf collecting dust? Clean ‘em up. There’s a good quick post at Internet Business Opportunities called “It’s time to let them go…”

Now, don’t you see how great it is to have lots of “worms” on your menu?

I do.