Jenna Avery | Called to Write

Why I love laser coaching

September 12, 2012 by Jenna Avery 1 Comment

I was thinking yesterday about the laser coaching call-in hours I hold twice a month and why I love them so much. Even on days when no one calls in, I feel good about holding the space for people to get their questions answered. And the days when many people call in are tons of fun.

See, I love answering questions.

Whether it’s about how to get a blog set up, design a marketing campaign, get unstuck with your writing, develop your creative skills, or master your high sensitivity, I adore helping people solve problems. Giulietta once called me an “intuitive troubleshooter,” which is darned accurate. I seem to have a knack for solving problems and I love doing it.

What is laser coaching?

Laser coaching is particularly fun because we have a short time set aside for each person, about 10 minutes (hence the name “laser,” which implies highly focused). I hold call in hours — a bit like office hours on a college campus — where people call in and talk to me privately to get my take on the particular challenge.

How we accomplish so much

Although many people doubt what can be accomplished in 10 minutes, they are surprised by what we’re able to get done.

Here’s the reason.

When my clients know that we’ll be working efficiently, they (usually) come prepared with specific questions that we can answer rapid fire. Even if it’s something deeply personal, we’re able to crack the shell open to see what’s inside. And sometimes I think people feel safer knowing we’ll only have a short time to address something; they know they can come back to it when they’re ready.

On the other hand, I’ve had plenty of clients “show up” for laser coaching without a specific question. Those conversations are just as fruitful in most cases, because even if my client doesn’t have something specific on their mind, usually there is something lurking around beneath the surface that 1) they aren’t aware of, or 2) they are discounting as not being a “good enough” topic for laser coaching. (There’s no such thing, in my book.)

Your turn

What is something you just LOVE doing and have a knack for? How could you create more of that in your life experience? Let us know in the comments.

Right now, I’m brainstorming about more ways I can create opportunities for me to answer your questions because it really is a ton of fun.

Have a lovely day!

Warmly,

~> September 27th. Register by September 27th for the next 4-week session of my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle (starts October 1st). For serious writers and for writers who want to get serious about their writing. http://JustDoTheWriting.com

~> October 4th. My next Life Purpose Breakthrough Group. SOLD OUT. http://LifePurposeBreakthrough.com

~> Ongoing. Working on my script, Progeny, with screenwriter Chris Soth after finishing the ProSeries.* STILL!

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Reading: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows with my son. Just watched Veep, and eagerly awaiting more Weeds.

* Affiliate link

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: accomplishments, coaching, laser coaching, productivity

Tricks I’ve learned but don’t always use

August 29, 2012 by Jenna Avery 2 Comments

Last week I wrote about “how I do it all, or not” and promised to follow up with tricks I know that help (but don’t always use) in today’s post.

Tricks I know but don’t always use

#1 Put my own agenda first

Something I was reminded of recently is that if I start my day with email, I end up focused on other people’s needs and desires — not in the energy that will help me fulfill my bigger dreams.

It’s when I put my own work first — either my writing or other “big” tasks for the day — I’m much happier and get more accomplished.

#2 Pick out the big three

I’ve also learned that if I can start off by picking the 3 big tasks that need to be completed in a given day and focus there first, the day works out for the best.

The challenge is that usually one or all of those three things is hard and triggers resistance. It’s all too easy to want to procrastinate about them, which means other things tend to expand as a way off putting of those hard things, like when I suddenly feel that it’s critically important to organize my digital files or purge my inbox.

Facing the music and doing those tasks, whatever they are (e.g. writing a challenging section of my script or making an uncomfortable phone call) is something I work on every single day.

#3 Be clear about what you need to let go

To make all of what I do happen, I’ve given up a lot.

When I had my son, I stopped volunteering so much of my time. I hired more help for my business and gave up doing so much of it myself.

When I started writing, I gave up watching so many movies and episodic programs.

Now I still watch television, but it’s very focused (and often kid friendly). I watch one movie or show at a time, usually on some kind of streaming or DVD. I don’t have cable and we no longer get regular TV reception (can you even do that anymore?).

I also gave up a lot of late night internet browsing and started getting up early so I could focus on my writing.

Bottom line

I’m not always consistent — some day I’ll get around to talking about discipline and creativity and breaking rules — but I do find that when I use these tricks I’m much happier than when I don’t.

Your turn

What about you? Do you have tricks you don’t use but are happier when you do? You know I always love to hear from you.

Warmly,

~> August 30th. Register by August 30 for the next 4-week session of my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle (starts September 3rd). For serious writers and for writers who want to get serious about their writing. http://JustDoTheWriting.com

~> September 6th. Last day to register for the next Life Purpose Breakthrough Group happening on October 4th. These groups always sell out (only 3 spots remaining) so if you want to discover your life purpose through the remarkably accurate tool of hand analysis, sign up here now: http://LifePurposeBreakthrough.com

~> Ongoing. Working on my script, Progeny, with screenwriter Chris Soth after finishing the ProSeries.*

~> September 18 to 22nd. Heading to Hollywood for a ScreenwritingU* event to meet with producers and agents then staying on for the InkTip Pitch Summit.

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Reading: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince.

* Affiliate link

Filed Under: Creativity, Productivity Tagged With: Creativity, Getting Stuff Done, getting things done, productivity, writing

How I do it all, or not

August 22, 2012 by Jenna Avery 7 Comments

A few weeks ago, someone said to me, “I don’t know how you do it all.”

The truth is, I don’t.

I’m doing a lot, and there is a lot I’m not doing.

How I do what I do

The key distinction I see between me and other people I know is that I have learned — through pain staking trial and error — to put the hard stuff first.

In other words, I schedule time to do what’s most important to me first, which includes my writing, my work, and my family.

I work on screenwriting first thing 6 mornings a week, give or take time off for good behavior.

I have time scheduled on my calendar for marketing, learning time, administrative and financial time, writing my non-fiction articles for my site and for my ScriptMag.com column. I block out time on Fridays for longer stretches of time to write.

I have time set aside for my family, fun, and taking care of the house.

But I still don’t do it all

And, I don’t always accomplish all those things in quite the way I’d like. I learned from Miriam to use “time blocks” — to set aside the time each week, so that if I have to miss an activity one day, I know I’ve got the time for it next week for catching up.

Where I drop the ball

The biggest place I’m dropping the ball is housecleaning. My house is much less clean than I would like it to be. And, I’m okay with that. Seems to me there are more important things than a sparkling clean house.

I also give up time with family more than I’d like, and my social with girlfriends is in need of repair. I’m not so okay with that and still working on it.

Another place I drop the ball is with “extra stuff.” Lately I’ve been dealing with a slew of unusual medical appointments, paperwork, and challenging decisions. And there’s stuff I lump into the “extra” category that needs a regular time slot too, like filing. 

So clearly, there’s room for improvement here.

Looking from the outside in

I think it’s always worth keeping in mind that what looks easy from the outside isn’t always so. Whether we’re looking at someone else’s relationship, business, finances, or life, we just can’t truly know what it’s like. So even if it looks like I’m “doing it all,” trust me, I’m not. And I’m mostly okay with that.

Next week — tricks I know but don’t always use.

Your turn

You know I always love to hear your thoughts.

Warmly,

~> Ongoing. Working on my script, Progeny, with screenwriter Chris Soth after finishing the ProSeries.*

~> September 18 to 22nd. Heading to Hollywood for a ScreenwritingU* event to meet with producers and agents then staying on for the InkTip Pitch Summit.

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Reading: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince. Watching Weeds and Newsroom.

* Affiliate link

Filed Under: Creativity Tagged With: Creativity, doing it all, dropping the ball, having it all, writing

When you lose heart

August 15, 2012 by Jenna Avery 2 Comments

There’s a lot you want to do.

It’s important to you, or you wouldn’t be doing it.

In fact, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t believe you had something worth sharing with the world, even if you aren’t 100% clear on all the details yet.

My experience of being a creative, an entrepreneur, and a sensitive soul is a bit like navigating through a misty swamp. There are days and times when I catch clear glimpses of exactly where I want to go, and other days when I’m deep in the swirling fog and I can’t see my way through it.

Sometimes, I flounder on those days and lose my way.

Other times, I soldier on anyway.

Either way, it’s not easy.

If you’ve lost heart, try one of these:

Reach out to people who remember who you are, even when you can’t. A good chat with a mentor or best friend is a soothing balm at times like these.
Remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place. There IS a reason — a core message, idea, or purpose you care deeply about.
Find it within yourself to do your best, even when your best on that particular day is just showing up.
Do something different — get a new perspective, expose yourself to new ideas, or watch or read something inspiring.
Remind yourself that what you’re doing takes courage, it’s normal to falter now and again, and carry on doing the work anyway, trusting that you’ll get to the other side one way or the other.

Once you’ve made it through the morass to the other side, see if there’s something you can set up to help remind yourself quickly and easily about why you do what you do. A beloved client and I were just talking about Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” talk and devised a way for her to post her why, how, and what in front of her as she does her work. She’s going to post it on a bulletin board to help remind herself of what she’s about.

Tell me what you think

What do you do to get back on track if you lose heart? Share your thoughts.

Warmly,

~> Ongoing. Working on my script, Progeny, with screenwriter Chris Soth after finishing the ProSeries.*

~> September 18 to 22nd. Heading to Hollywood for a ScreenwritingU* event to meet with producers and agents then staying on for the InkTip Pitch Summit.

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Reading: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince. Watching Weeds and Newsroom.

* Affiliate link

Filed Under: Creative Blocks, Creativity, Productivity Tagged With: creative, Creativity, message, simon sinek, start with why

Handling Impostor Syndrome: For the Days When You Feel Like a Fraud

August 8, 2012 by Jenna Avery 6 Comments

“Impostor syndrome” — the feeling that you are a fake or a fraud — usually goes along with a fear that people will find out you are not actually good at what you say can do. Or perhaps that you can’t do it at all.

Most of my clients and colleagues all mention feeling this way at one time or another. I have felt this way myself, in everything I’ve ever undertaken, including graduate school, urban design, coaching, and writing. The internal message runs something like, “I don’t know what I’m doing and someone is going to notice. I’ll be found out. They’ll know I’m a fraud.”

Is this for real?

Wikipedia describes impostor syndrome as a “psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments,” and that “despite external evidence of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be.”

Apparently this feeling is most common among people (both men and women) who are highly intelligent and who are high achievers.

Isn’t this interesting?

The “impostor cycle”

This post notes that it’s not actually a psychological problem but rather a cultural phenomenon tied to learned behavioral patterns of high achievers who get caught in an “impostor cycle” of over-preparing and procrastination. To me, this reads like part of the formula for perfectionism too.

What can we do?

On the days when you feel like a fraud:

Remind yourself of all the things you HAVE accomplished: The work you’ve done, the lives you’ve touched, the relationships you’ve built, and the experiences you’ve had. If it helps, make a list and keep it handy for an emergency.
Remember to ratchet back your expectations to aiming for great work rather than pushing yourself past all reasonable human limits striving for perfection.
Recognize that you’re probably feeling insecure because you’re venturing into new territory or wanting to reach for something bigger.
Don’t let yourself go into hiding or hold yourself back — keep reaching for your dreams.

Tell me what you think

Do you ever feel like a fraud? How do you deal with it? Share your thoughts.

Warmly,

Filed Under: Inner Game of Writing Tagged With: feel like a fraud, finding your voice, fraud syndrome, imposter syndrome

Why we don’t do the work

August 1, 2012 by Jenna Avery 16 Comments

Last week I wrote a post called, “Stop buying stuff and do the work.” It resonated for more than a few people — and I had promised to write more about WHY we don’t do the work.

So why don’t we do the work?

First, an example.

For years (literally) I said I wanted to write, but I managed instead to fill my plate with training after training after training, and volunteer job after volunteer job. I studied with Coach For Life and Sonia Choquette, pursuing certifications with them. I started and ran organizations like the Sensitive Professionals Network, Six Sensory San Francisco, and a Coach For Life graduates forum, not to mention working as a youth leader with a youth group.

I read (and bought) countless books on coaching, intuitive development, angels, high sensitivity and so much more. Some of them I hardly even opened.

Then I spent more time, energy, and money on learning business skills and developing my message with several high business coaches, and completing hand analysis training.

And while I don’t regret what I was doing — after all, I have tremendously deepened my self-knowledge, grown as a person, learned a ton, and met wonderful people along the way, I was keeping myself so busy that I wasn’t pursuing my true dream of writing.

Throughout that time (and for years before it), I had a nagging feeling that I was “waiting for my life to start” and yet I wasn’t taking action to change anything. Instead I was filling my time doing all those other wonderful things.

And they were wonderful — but in hindsight, it was still resistance.

What’s that about?

It’s all too easy to think we are too busy, that we don’t have enough time. Or that we just need to get better organized. Or just get this one more thing done first.

And the thing is, we feel good that we are contributing great things to the world and our community and that we are learning so much.

And we are. We do.

ALL of these things are true.

We are not bad people after all, we have good intentions and we are interested in so many things.

But why does the one true dream always fall to the bottom of the pile? Why do we make choices that keep us from our dreams?

This is not a new answer

In my case — and I suspect it is true for many people if not most — it’s fear.

This is why we buy stuff we don’t need, keep ourselves too busy to think or connect inward to our deeper selves, procrastinate, spin in circles, get apathetic, and all those other things that add up to resistance.

Because it is scary.

Pursuing your truest, deepest dream is the most frightening thing imaginable — you might not even consciously recognize that you are afraid.

It’s your own hero’s journey

Pursuing your true dream — your art, writing, business, or passion — requires massive amounts of courage. It’s your own personal hero’s journey. Every single day you have to be willing to face down your personal demons, fight the resistance, and forge ahead.

It’s no wonder we want to avoid it, right? And we are so clever that we don’t even know that’s what we’re doing.

Time to clear the decks and answer the call to adventure. It’s waiting for you.

Your turn

I love to hear what you think. Post your note on my blog. Can’t wait to hear from you.

And if your dream is writing — registration closes tomorrow for the next session of my Writer’s Circle. Join us.

Warmly,

~> August 2nd. Register by August 2 for the next 4-week session of my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle (starts August 6th). For serious writers and for writers who want to get serious about their writing. http://JustDoTheWriting.com

~> September 6th. Last day to register for the next Life Purpose Breakthrough Group happening on October 4th. These groups always sell out (only 4 spots) so if you want to discover your life purpose through the remarkably accurate tool of hand analysis, sign up here now: http://LifePurposeBreakthrough.com

~> Ongoing. Mentoring with screenwriter Chris Soth and participating in ScreenwritingU’s Pro Rewrite class after finishing the ProSeries.* (They’re offering their free rewrite* class this month on August 4, which is great — though make sure you have plenty of water — it’s a looooong class.)

~> September 18 to 22nd. Heading to Hollywood for a ScreenwritingU* event to meet with producers and agents then staying on for the InkTip Pitch Summit. (This is getting way too close!)

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Finished Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix! We’ve started reading the next one: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince. I loved (500) Days of Summer, and finally saw The Day the Earth Stood Still (liked it) and Crazy, Stupid, Love (fabulous).

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Filed Under: Creativity, Dreamification Tagged With: art, courage, creative courage, Creativity, do the work, hero's journey, productivity, resistance, taking action, writing

Stop buying stuff and do the work

July 25, 2012 by Jenna Avery 16 Comments

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making (and I do it myself) is buying and investing in various products, books, and services but never actually doing the work.

It’s tempting to think that if we just invest in X then we’ll automatically have Y.

It’s just like a gym membership — the only way to lose weight or get in shape is to actually go and workout. You can’t just pay for it, you have to use it.

Say and pray doesn’t fly

Even programs that are well designed to give you a regular, daily opportunity to participate, like my Writer’s Circle, it doesn’t pay off to sign up and just “hope it works.” You actually have to do the work, make the hard choices, and face the difficult obstacles to get the results you want.

In our instant gratification society, we want to believe that there’s a single cure-all or an over-night remedy that will just fix everything while we sleep.

Doesn’t work like that, unfortunately.

And when we combine it with a culture where most of us feel broken and like we need to be cured, well, it’s not too hard to see we’ve got a problem.

Ways we do this

Here are some examples of the ways we do this:

Enrolling in a gym but not using it.
Buying books but not reading them.
Going to healers but not doing the exercises or integration work they assign us.
Taking classes but not implementing what we learn.
Signing up for programs but not participating in them.

I’m guilty of all of these things. How about we make a pact right now to stop the madness?

The sad thing is that so many people are spending so much money on programs and training (I see it in the coaching world in particular, but it’s also true in writing, business, etc.) but never taking the time to integrate or even implement what they’ve learned. And sometimes before one class is over they’re already signed up for another one. Many people are in thousands and thousands of dollars in debt as a result.

Solutions

Here are a few ideas about how we can change this up:

Ask yourself, “Is this truly important to me?” If the answer is yes, figure out how to make it happen. Your actions demonstrate your priorities. Period. Figure out a way to be all in. If the answer is no, let it go and move on.
Make space for it: Something I learned from Miriam is to block off time in my schedule for learning. I love it.
Look at the stockpiled “stuff” you’ve already invested in and make a clear decision about what you sincerely want to use. Let the rest go.
Question whether or not you are truly ready to learn anything new right now. Consider your energy, bandwidth, and other commitments. Consider not signing up for or purchasing anything new unless it’s 100% in alignment with your highest priorities.
If you don’t have the bandwidth but you want to take something on, be clear on what you’ll give up to make it happen. One of the biggest mistakes I see writers making, for example, is hoping they’ll have time to write instead of creating time for it. I see this with entrepreneurs, artists, and sensitives as well.

Bottom line

We’ve got to stop torturing ourselves by taking on more than we can handle. In a way, doing that is a form of resistance. Look to see what sacred priority is being forced to the bottom of the pile because of the choices you’re making. Is that okay with you?

Your turn

What do you think? I love to hear from you on my blog.

Warmly,

~> September 18 to 22nd. Heading to Hollywood for a ScreenwritingU* event to meet with producers and agents then staying on for the InkTip Pitch Summit.

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Almost done with Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix! Saw The Dark Knight Rises on Friday (um, huh?). In the middle of watching (500) Days of Summer (good so far) and recently saw Another Earth (good but depressing). More soon!

* Affiliate link

Filed Under: Dreamification, Productivity Tagged With: do the work, dream big, resistance, take action

Where do we go from here?

July 18, 2012 by Jenna Avery 6 Comments

I don’t have so much of a question but more of a plan about where we’re going to go from here, but the title is from a song from my favorite Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, “Once More With Feeling,” and it just popped into my head. I couldn’t resist.

But that’s not why we’re here. We’re here because:

Thank you!

Today’s article is a simple follow up and a giant thank you for last week.

So many of you took the time to post your comments about my Big Question last week and it’s been tremendously useful. I am very grateful.

There was a lot of consensus and some fantastic ideas that came through that sparked new insights for me, and because you took the time to engage with me and help me brainstorm, I want to follow up with details about where we’re going to go from here.

What I’m going to do is work over the next few months to make clearly delineated categories on my website for writers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and sensitives, as well as topics, like visioning, life purpose, dream fulfillment, personal development, and creative development. The categories and topics will likely jell more as I begin to implement the work.

What I will not do is create separate websites — your support for staying integrated was valuable in that regard — thank you. On the other hand, I will continue to maintain my Sensitive Souls website, which is a huge repository of information for high sensitivity. I have some ideas about ways to make that content more accessible, so stay tuned for that.

I’m also moving toward developing at least two special mailing lists (which I essentially already have but could use a few tweaks) for writers and sensitives, so I’ll be letting you know about how that will all work very soon.

That way, when I release new information and articles appropriate for those specific audiences, the people most interested in those topics will be sure to hear about them.

And on the other hand, I’ll still aim to write broadly about fulfilling your calling and getting out of your own way, drawing lessons from my work with all my audiences so that we can all benefit from the integration.

How does that grab you?

It’s feeling pretty great to me, which makes me so happy.

On another note, one could argue that because I haven’t heard from everyone on my list I can’t use this as a representative sample — to that I say, the people who have responded are among the most important in my audience, so they get extra cred. Thanks again, everyone!

Your turn

Any thoughts? You know I always appreciate and value your input. Muchly. xx

Warmly,

~> September 18 to 22nd. Heading to Hollywood for a ScreenwritingU* event to meet with producers and agents then staying on for the InkTip Pitch Summit.

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Still reading Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix with my little boy. The next Sandman Slim book is awaiting me at the library. Gotta get it! My husband and I saw The Amazing Spider-Man last week. I just keep not watching the others I have on DVD, lucky for Netflix. Hopefully soon.

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Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: announcements, feedback

To segregate or not to segregate

July 11, 2012 by Jenna Avery 49 Comments

Many entrepreneurs have multiple blogs and websites and businesses.

Just thinking about it makes me feel like my head will explode.

And yet, it seems to be time.

My big thing is helping you get out of your own way so you can get back on track with what you were put here to do — to put your calling into action.

But within that are specifics for writers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and sensitives, like my Writer’s Circle, creative destiny work, private mentoring, and energy skills classes.

So I’m working to make sense of all of it in such a way that we can all be happy and fulfilled.

That’s what I want. No exploding heads anywhere in the vicinity.

I’m contemplating how best to organize my offerings and mailings.

Different mailing lists for different groups? Separate sections on my website? Different websites with specific foci?

I think I’m headed toward different websites, but I’m toying with various options right now and wanted you to know that I’m thinking about all of it — and you.

Your turn

Click here to tell me what YOU want. Do you fall into so many of these categories that you like all the different things I talk about? Or would you rather come to one place and get just one thing?

Positive, creative comments and suggestions are requested — and extremely appreciated. xx

Warmly,

~> September 18 to 22nd. Heading to Hollywood for a ScreenwritingU* event to meet with producers and agents then staying on for the InkTip Pitch Summit.

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Still reading Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix with my little boy and just today finished Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey (not to sure about the resolution but I sure love the series). We saw Prometheus last week, now I get to watch the other movies I’ve been wanting to see.

* Affiliate link

Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: announcements, feedback

Making decisions that matter

July 4, 2012 by Jenna Avery 6 Comments

I’ve got decision making on my mind.

Last week I wrote about how there’s always something that will get in the way of our dreams — if we let it. I’ve been hearing from a number of people that they just don’t have time to take action on their dream, whether it’s a business or a creative venture.

Another vein of excuses runs along the lines of not being ready, needing more training, or having to “get through” something first.

I’ve said all those things myself at one time or another.

The key to making a change is making a decision

A “Life Decision” as Dr. Phil calls it — a life changing, unalterable decision that you know you won’t go back on.

This is not the same as “trying.”

It’s not the same as “seeing how it goes.”

It means making an unequivocal decision to take a course of action because you are determined to make a change.

These aren’t decisions that come along frequently. They are LIFE decisions, after all.

Life decisions

Life decisions involve commitment to a way of being and a sense of identity, combined with taking powerful action.

Two examples:

1. When I quit smoking (I can’t believe I used to smoke either) I made a decision that I would never, ever smoke a cigarette again. I had been through too many instances of quitting and learned first hand that it was such a slippery slope for me that the only way to guarantee that I wouldn’t backslide was to vow never to do it again. I could feel the strength of that decision in my bones the moment I made it. That was in 1993. I haven’t smoked since and I never will.

2. When I founded my Writer’s Circle and made a decision to think of myself as a writer, I also made a life decision. It’s not that I hadn’t been writing before — but this time I made a conscious choice to pursue writing like my life depended on it. To that end, I write 6 days a week, and I refuse to stop.

The power of decisions

I’ve seen the power of decisions first hand, particularly with my Writer’s Circle participants. Decisions change their lives. Those that make a decision to write and to use the system succeed. Those that sign up, but don’t make that decision — that soul-level commitment, don’t. The system can help motivate you, but it can’t make the decision for you.

The same is true with any diet, program, or system, isn’t it? The decision to get something out of it — to be all in — it’s yours, isn’t it?

On the subject of decisions

Chris Guillebeau recently wrote a great post about decisions that I think you’ll like — and make sure you also read his article about how NOT to make decisions, while you’re at it.

Your turn

Tell me your thoughts. I always love to hear from you.

And for those of you in the U.S. — Happy 4th of July!

Warmly,

~> July 5th. Last day to register for the next 4-week session of my “Just Do The Writing” Accountability Circle. For serious writers and for writers who want to get serious about their writing. http://JustDoTheWriting.com

~> July and August. It’s almost time for the next Life Purpose Breakthrough Group. Are you interested in grabbing a spot before we sell out? Email my team and we’ll put you on the advanced notification list. Find out more at http://LifePurposeBreakthrough.com

~> September 18 to 20th. Heading to Hollywood for a ScreenwritingU* event to meet with producers and agents.

~> September 21st to 22nd. Staying on in Hollywood for the InkTip Pitch Summit.

~> Sacred writing time. Early mornings and Fridays.

~> Still reading Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix with my little boy and Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey on my own. Still in the movie queue: (500) Days of Summer, Another Earth, and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Not watching a lot these days.

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Filed Under: Creativity, Dreamification Tagged With: commitment, fulfill dreams, fulfillment, life decisions, writing

What is laser coaching?

How we accomplish so much

Your turn

* Affiliate link

Tricks I know but don’t always use

#1 Put my own agenda first

#2 Pick out the big three

#3 Be clear about what you need to let go

Bottom line

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How I do what I do

But I still don’t do it all

Where I drop the ball

Looking from the outside in

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Tell me what you think

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Is this for real?

The “impostor cycle”

On the days when you feel like a fraud:

Tell me what you think

So why don’t we do the work?

What’s that about?

This is not a new answer

It’s your own hero’s journey

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Say and pray doesn’t fly

Ways we do this

Solutions

Bottom line

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Thank you!

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The key to making a change is making a decision

Life decisions

The power of decisions

On the subject of decisions

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