by Kirby Hasseman
Writing a post each and every day has certainly made me work harder to find ideas. When I was posting blogs every once in a while, inspiration was easy. It came to me when I had time and inspiration. That’s awesome when it happens. But how many times in your life do those two collide? That’s why, even with the best of intentions, I had times where I only posted a few times a month. I want to do better than that. What was odd to me is that I was still creating a video show called Delivering Marketing Joy each week (here is one to watch if you have never seen) and I was doing a podcast with Bill Petrie called unScripted (here is the latest). So it begs the question, why? Why was I able to do those pieces of content on such a regular basis and not do posts on my own site? It’s not like I only had ideas there. It was not just about “inspiration.” Here are a couple of reasons… There is a Deadline: With both DMJ and unScripted, there were very real deadlines. I had drawn a line in the sand and said “There will be a new episode come hell or high water.” This was initially for the audience. But it created a cadence for me that we MUST get it done. Yes…sometimes it’s very inconvenient. As a matter of fact, Bill recorded the most recent unScripted podcast from his family vacation on the beach! But when there is a real deadline, you find a way to make time. That is what I have done with this new challenge. There will be a new post each day. The end. Letting Inspiration Come To You: I think one of the great myths is that you have to wait for inspiration to strike. Humans don’t create thoughts. They don’t. If you don’t believe me, stop thinking. Go. The thoughts keep coming. Our job is to let the ideas continue to flow…and to select the ones that excite us. It’s one of the keys to being happy…choose better thoughts. The same is true for finding inspiration. Sit down each day and let your thoughts flow. Now select a good one…and act on it. Thanks for reading this! Let me know what you think. And make sure you never miss an update…sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
One of the toughest things about overcoming challenges in the present…is the past. It’s hard not to look at what you have already put in, what you have already done, what you have already sacrificed. You see that huge pile…and you can become discouraged and distracted. Unfortunately focusing on that “pile” is not helpful, or even, pertinent. There is a term in Poker called “Pot committed.” The idea is that you have already put so much of your chips into the pot, you feel like you have to see the hand through. Even if, intellectually, you know you don’t have the best hand. The emotion in “the pile” has you committed to finishing, even if you lose. But what if you started from today? Most decisions are not forever. I wrote about this here. This is a question that I find useful when I am frustrated about a project. Why? Because it does not discount the “pile.” On the contrary, it compliments it. It helps you look back at all of the experiences you have gained and say “Wow…look at how much I have learned! Look at what I have built!” But with those experiences, you know a lot more today than when you started. So if you were to start this journey today… *How would you begin?*What would you do first?*What would be your goals?*What would you do differently or change?*How could you make this project be successful or make you happy? By asking the question, “What would I do if I started from today?” it helps to reframe the discussion in your mind…with the experience. So if you have a project that is stalled, failing or frustrating you…what if you started from today? Let me know what you think! And as always, our goal is provide value to you through content. We are posting every day…so stop back. And make sure you never miss an update by signing up for our VIP list here.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s July 4th and (in the United States) that means it’s Independence Day. For many of us that means cookouts, family get-togethers, fireworks and cold beverages. That is great. But as the halfway point of 2018 is here, Independence day also reminds me of a few more things. 1. Freedom to chase my dreams.2. Freedom to create my life intentionally.3. Freedom to give.4. Freedom to be happy. I find that halfway through the year is a great time for me to re-evaluate my goals for the year. How am I doing? Am I on track at all? This holiday in the middle of the week is going to serve as an opportunity for me to reflect on my goals…and how I am doing to create a happy life for me and the people I care about. My hope is, you are doing the same. So here’s to you! I hope you have a great holiday…and work to create real independence in your life. Good luck. Make sure you never miss an update by signing up for our email newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
The Delivering Marketing Joy Podcast is back! Our goal here is to attack 2018 with a vengeance! The Delivering Marketing Joy Podcast will provide some inspiration, motivation and education to make it happen! Consider this your 10 minute “kick in the pants” to get your week started off right! This week on the podcast we tackle a topic that happens to all of us. Sometimes we are just “not feeling it.” That lack of motivation can keep us from starting…and that keeps us from finishing. So today I discuss this real issue and what to do when you “are not feeling it. Listen in here. So those are my tips. But what do you suggest? Do you have other “go to” moves when you lack motivation? Let me know! And keep coming back to the Hasseman Marketing blog each day. We are working to post a brand new piece of content every day. Make sure you never miss an update by signing up for our VIP newsletter here. We do a weekly update with content and specials!
by Kirby Hasseman
I just recently finished the book Solve For Happy. It’s an “engineer’s take” on the subject of being happy…and I really found it fascinating.
The author, Mo Gawdat, is the Chief Business Officer at Google X and the book was thoughtful, emotional (Mo lost his son), long, spiritual and more. You can find the book here. I listened to the audiobook, and it was a longer one. Mo dives deeply into topics, so I found it worth the time. But for those who want a quick snapshot, here are a few takeaways I found from the book.
You Are Not Your Thoughts
I found this interesting because I have been talking and writing about this a lot. “We all have that voice” that prattles on in our head. It tells us we are not good enough. It yells about danger and how everything will not work out. It’s often mean and mostly negative. Mo tells us that this voice is not you…and how to take a step back and listen to it less…so you can be more happy. One of my favorite concepts in the book involves Mo talking to his brain, “No. That is not a good thought. Go and bring me a better thought.” Love that.
Negative Emotions Are Not in the Present
Gawdat spent a great deal of time outlining all kinds of emotions and how they can affect our happiness. Then he pointed out the negative emotions. What do they have in common? Nearly all of them are rooted in the future or the past! This was a bit of an “aha” for me. If you are angry about being passed over for a promotion, that is rooted in the past. Worried about an upcoming meeting? That’s in the future. And since the past is done, and the future is just our imagination, the things that are making us unhappy are just our own thoughts. Powerful.
Live in the Present
We need to get back to “living in the present.” That is when we are most happy, content and (dare I say) joyful. Mo says that when he finds himself getting swept away with negative emotions he does a simple exercise. He closes his eyes. Then he opens them and closes them again. Then he describes what is in front of him…in detail. It brings him back to the here and now. This was a detailed book and he covers a LOT more than this. But those are just a few concepts that jumped out to me.
He even talks about how to overcome our fear of death and gives his take on what comes “after.” As I said, it’s a lot…but I enjoyed it. You can find the book on Amazon here.
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