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If you procrastinate because you’re waiting for something to be perfect, you’re missing an amazing opportunity.

Everything I create, I do at least twice. I publish projects all the time that are good, but maybe something doesn’t work the way I thought it would when it’s in the hands of others. People know me by now and they say, “Hey, this doesn’t make sense.” Next thing you know, there’s a better version of the product available for them (and everyone who now benefits from that person’s suggestion).

Prototype With Intent

Put “good enough” in their hands. In MANY cases, people don’t need perfect. Sure, there are times when you’ve got to deliver. A wedding cake has to be perfect. Surgery should be perfect. If you’re building a house, you want it all to line up right (measure twice and cut once or something).

But if you’re working on delivery and you’re stuck on the “it might not be good enough,” then put it out there to at least a few people. Make it cheaper than what others will pay when you get the quality right. Give the first bunch of people free upgrades (I give everyone free upgrades, but that’s me).

And then deliver value with intent to make it even better.

Procrastination Isn’t Helping Anyone

You know something that others need to know. And you’re holding it back because of an onslaught of “what-ifs.” My course, Online Course Maker started out as decent, then I remade it so that it was better, and then I really added a lot of value to it so that it’s utterly worthwhile. If I had waited, I’d have missed a half a year of help and ideas, a half a year of revenue, and several hundred people would’ve missed half a year to get a jumpstart on the people who put off picking up that course.

You’re not helping anyone when you wait. Again, unless you’re a surgeon or something where you only have one shot to do it well. If not? Get it out there.
Put something in their hands.

It’s so easy to get mired in what’s wrong, what isn’t working, just how BUSY you are. But you have to look up. You have to see that big expansive sky. And you have to take big deep breaths.

Look Up

I was feeling a bit gloomy for the last few days, I’m going to admit to you. It came from the realization that people seem to react a lot more positively to the “Hey look at this shiny thing!” bloggers and media makers of the world. We LOVE hearing about all the “new” that’s out there, and if you talk loudly and excitably about “NEW!” to people then you’ll get a lot of attention.

But what I’ve come to realize is that if you tell people “Okay, this is going to take some work, but you’re going to love what you see when you put in that effort,” a lot of folks have checked out when they saw the word “work.” It’s the broccoli of messages. “Hey, you get successful for working hard.” Crickets.

LOOK at this new selfie drone and live video channel! Woo! *Balloons fall. Confetti cannons go off.*

But Work Isn’t Gloomy

Champions and leaders all put in the time. They all know what it takes to get there. And they sell that as the path for YOU to take.

But the magic trick of it is the looking up. When we’re striving to reach our goal, when the pieces aren’t entirely lining up but we sense that they will, we have to look up at that big blue sky, take a deep breath to fill our lungs, and we have to force a smile for the fortune and opportunity we have been granted. We are FREE to pursue these great opportunities and we have the pleasure and honor to serve great people and help THEM grow.

What’s not to love about that?

Here’s What’s New and Shiny

You know what’s new and shiny? People! Great people doing wonderful things. Wonderful people finding ways to take their confidence and apply it to the challenges they want to solve. People like this Forbes list of top YouTube stars who make millions by entertaining and informing. People like DC Central Kitchen for bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to inner city convenience stores because people deserve good food options. Or a Romanian immigrant to Montreal working on getting us to fly.

We’re in a world where we get to create shiny and new all the time!

Look up! Be excited about what we CAN do, but then do it. Do something about it. Make the steps necessary to be able to breathe that amazing fresh air and look at that beautiful blue sky and think, “Wow, I really can help some people today!”

That’s what’s new and shiny to me. The software? Those are the sneakers that I wore when I won the race. Did the sneakers win the race? No. Me!

Look up!

I was talking with the ever smart Jeff Brown who does the Read to Lead Podcast (one of my favorites), and we were talking about how podcasting is just booming. Jeff runs a Podcaster Academy. I co-founded PodCamp, etc. It’s a big topic these days.

Jeff said that once at his former job in radio, someone said, “You can’t kill radio. No one will ever listen to a traffic report on a podcast.”

You Will Never See Us Coming

What the guy didn’t know was that podcasting didn’t have to replace traffic reports. Waze did. So we no longer have to suffer through morning drive time formula to hope to catch a word or two about the road we’re likely already on because now an app does that so much better, and we can just listen to the shows we like instead.
That’s how innovation actually works. It’s rarely a direct port from one experience to another. That person felt that traffic was the “secret sauce” of terrestrial radio, but that’s so far from the truth, it’s hilarious. For a certain demographic right now, maybe? But that’s not even as true as it used to be. Look how rare it is to see someone of ANY age without a smart phone. From babies to the ancient ones, smart phones (and thus the ability to make your own traffic report) are ubiquitous.
Innovation works that way. Learning and knowledge are rarely linear. These moments jump tracks.
So what do you do with this?

Focus on the Needs

People don’t need cars. They need to get from one place to another. People don’t need “phones.” They need to communicate. People don’t need “cities” *or* “suburbs.” They need a place to put their things and a place to sleep and a place to eat.
Jacq and I stayed in a beautiful cabin this past weekend because Airbnb makes it easier. If I need a place to gather myself in NYC, I can use Breather to find something very specific.
Focus on the needs and the intentions and you’ll get closer to understanding where the universe is headed. Not always, but enough times. Or even once. If you’re the person way ahead of the curve, then you win.

I’ve come to learn that I’m somewhat different than other people when it comes to learning. I’m there for the candy bar, not the wrapper. And yet, I understand it, after the fact. Let me explain.

People Want Their Learning to LOOK Very Formal

In my experience, I find that the best lessons I’ve ever learned came during “between official moments” experiences, after hours, in the back rooms, quietly over coffee somewhere, or in other very informal places. When we talk openly versus with all the polish is where the best lessons come, OR SO I BELIEVE MYSELF.

One point made about my recent webinar was that I should have had better lighting. Okay, maybe. But I’ve got to tell you a story. I was away from home. The hotel that charged me $20 for their “best” wifi also said when I called them to report that the wifi was spotty at best, “Well, that’s how it goes.” So, then Derek Edmond of KOMARKETING did the unthinkably kind offer of letting Jacq and I use his offices after hours without him around. Best wifi I’ve ever used. It was like in the future there.

But yes, the lighting wasn’t an official studio lighting.

People Want Their Learning to be Very Linear

I understand this one. People want there to be a start, a summary, the details, another summary, etc. They want to learn in a very straight line.

I totally get that. I’m fascinated by taking the questions where they go. My style is a bit more: start here, follow this spine, but allow the learning to flow somewhat organically. I think I’m very much alone on this one.

Ultimately, People are Right and I’m Wrong

If I want you to try my delicious candy bar and I bring you a brown lump in a baggie, you’re not going to try it.
That’s the lesson for the day. MY aesthetic isn’t yours.
That said, thanks to the 500+ people who participated, and for the dozens who have already started their first lesson of the course already (which has a nicer wrapper).
I learn every day.

I’ll admit it. I’m obsessed at the moment with this video with CT Fletcher, Kai Greene, and Dana Linn Bailey. (NOTE: this video is FULL of curse words, so if you’re a bit sensitive to such, do not push play). I’m obsessed for a reason. I’m thinking a lot about intensity.

The Vast Distance Between “Doing” and Intensity

I’ve been working on my fitness for a while. Those of you who follow me on Instagram have been subjected to my sweaty selfies for years. But two major changes have happened back to back, and in them, I’ve found a lesson (two!) to share with you.

Stick to the Plan – the first big mistake I’ve made over the last 3 years (sigh, when I think about that) is that I kept waffling between plans. The moment I STUCK to one plan (even if it’s not the PERFECT plan), everything got better. Improvements were obvious and almost instantaneous. I’ve been doing a very specific workout plan for the last seven weeks, and suddenly EVERYTHING is showing progress.

Work with Intensity – there’s a vast difference between doing the work and tearing the work apart. By magnifying my level of effort and intensity, by pushing my mental barriers as hard as I can, my physical abilities are amplifying much faster and with more deep results.

I Command You to Grow

This video is absolutely silly:

Until you do it. Until you work right alongside Ms Olympia Dana Linn Bailey and the man I *HOPE* takes the 2014 Olympia, Kai Greene, and the man himself, CT Fletcher. Until you’re right there in the grind with them, until you’re whispering at your biceps “because I said so,” until you force yourself to do set after set after set and with an immense amount of repetitions unlike your typical workout, you just won’t know. You won’t have felt it. But once you do, you’ll know what that feels like and you’ll do it again. And again.

The Naysayers

This comes from something that Grant Cardone covers in The 10X Rule. People will tell you why you can’t do this. Someone will tell me I’m in danger of overtraining. (Precious few humans are in danger of overtraining, for the record.) People will tell YOU that you’re working too hard, that you “deserve” a break. The word “deserve” coming from others is code for “I’m not doing nearly as much as you’re doing.” (tweet that?) It’s your path. Take it just as hard and as driving as you can stand.

And Then, Find Another Gear

If you’d asked me a week ago about my progress in the gym, I’d have told you that I was on a whole new level. If you asked me that question yesterday, I’d say, “Well, I thought I was at a whole new level, but NOW I’m at a whole new level.” What do you think my answer will be like in a few more months? Yeah. Exactly.

Do NOT stop. Do not think “okay, good. I did it.” “Did” is just an invitation to a new “do.” ( Quite tweetable!) Are you ready for more “do?” Find intensity.