You Are A Writer – A Look at Jeff Goins Newest Ebook

Did Jeff write me a personal letter on becoming a writer? The voice he writes in rings with the experience of someone who has been through the fire, and come out with pages of knowledge he wants to share! For all the aspiring writers, bloggers, creatives in the building, let me tell you this is worth the price of admission. A short book, granted, but packed full of useful steps towards being a writer.

The most important message Jeff wants to convey is YOU ARE A WRITER (hence the title). I know have done this before, hesitated in describing myself as a writer and going public. Once you have made a commitment, everything simply comes one step at a time, and Jeff does a great job of laying those steps out.

What I appreciate most about Jeff’s writing is his honesty. I see many of my struggles in his writing, and he’s not afraid to tell the ugly parts of his story, of the self-doubt, distractions, and pain involved in being a writer. But he doesn’t stay there, laying out the steps to being successful. He admits the hard work, long hours, and a chance you may never reach the mountain top you have sighted for yourself.

The trick is though, if you love writing, if you can’t do anything else, each piece, each connection, each opportunity to share with others is your mountain top. Pursuing your passion, treating people with respect, and simply writing is what you were made to do.

Oh you want to know details? Of course, how silly of me…

5 Vitally Important Lessons from You Are A Writer

1. The Process of Turning Pro
2. The Secrets of Successful Writing
3. The 3 Tools Every Writer Needs
4. The 3 Important Relationships of a Writer
5. Preparing & Pitching Your Writing (w/ bonus form letters!)

In keeping with his honesty, Jeff wraps up by sharing the pitfalls of success, and to remember your love for the craft. It’s all that will keep you true.

So what are you waiting for? If you are a writer, it’s money well spent.

Buy the book here and start shipping!

Get the Kindle edition

My 10 ‘Men’tors: #10 – Jon Gordon

Over the next several weeks, I’m going to be writing about men in my life who have been mentors to me. It’s a diverse group, and I did make a stipulation that I needed to have me them in person before. Today we’re kicking off with author & speaker Jon Gordon. 

I first met Jon over the phone. I was interviewing him for Florida Lacrosse magazine, talking about his memories of playing Cornell, advice for young lacrosse players, and his current work. Before and after the interview, we spoke about varying topics, the most memorable for me being how he started as a writer. Jon had several different jobs and lead roles in companies, including owning Moe’s Southwest Grill franchises in Northeast Florida.

But he felt he wanted to write, despite success in other fields, and told me about his beginnings.

He talked about his first book, The Energy Addict, and then his breakthrough book, The Energy Bus. Jon was the first person outside of my family who I told about my passion for writing, and he genuinely encouraged me to follow that passion.

That was in 2008. Since then, Jon and I speak semi-regularly, whether on the phone, through email, or even twitter, he has continued to be an encouragement to me and my work. I remember a conversation we had about writing, and he asked how mine was going. I confessed I hadn’t done much of it lately, too much of this or that.

“Well, do you still want to write?”

I said I did.

“Start small then, just write 20-30 minutes a day, whatever comes out, just get it on the paper. The rest will come.” 

Months later, I put together an ebook of short essays I had written, and sent it off to Jon. He was generous to read it through, and offer some comments, suggestions, and praise for the piece. His willingness to give me feedback was humbling.

Jon returned the favor, and sent me an advance copy of his book Soup, asking me to read it over and offer feedback before it went to a final draft. It was really cool to feel he trusted me with a piece of his work, and valued my feedback. Sure enough, when I sent in my notes, he thanked me, and a couple made it in to the final draft.

I haven’t spoken with Jon in a while, life for both of us has been quite busy, his more so than me. Jon is a sought-after speaker and continues to write, while spending time with his wife and 2 kids. But I know that if I reach out to him, he’ll check in when he can and answer my questions.

What I learned mostly from Jon is the value of connections, relationships, kindness, and how much an interaction can mean to someone.

Maybe the dozen times we’ve talked over the years hasn’t been a burden to him, but he didn’t have to return my calls and emails, or initiate praise, or offer advice on writing. But he did.

As I continue to write, and even more importantly as I prepare for the summer at Rockmont, I realize even more the value of these connections we make with each other. You may not feel like you’re doing much, but your attention and kindness can mean the world to someone else.

Don’t miss that opportunity.

You can learn more about Jon at his website, then follow him on Twitter.

Finding Your Focus

If you’re finding my blog via my guest post on the Buffer blog, welcome and thank you for clicking through! You will notice pretty quickly (and I’m telling you anyway) that my blog has a few recurring themes, but lots of variety. Like many of us, I’m still finding my writing voice, and my focus online. 

If you are reading because you have been with me for the past few weeks or months, thank you for continuing to return and read. This post is for everyone, but I thought it would be nice to give a little context to my blog.

I have been writing steadily for just over 3 months, and in my desire to get off my butt and do the work, I curate a general blog. I write about topics that interest me, and I have a passion for. I’ll write about spirituality, writing, sports, outdoors, business, productivity, personal matters, education, creativity, and more.

When you want to write, the 1st step is to begin writing. 

In the past, I would get bogged down in over-thinking writing, making the process of starting more difficult than it had to be. Simply starting, and hitting publish over and over, is a key part of narrowing your focus. Write about lots of topics, and see what resonates with you, where your passion can meet the needs of others. Just start.

Now, very smart people have written very good pieces on what to do after that, and I encourage you to check them out. CopyBlogger, ProBlogger, Jeff Goins, Chris Guillebeau, and several more are available to you. Just do some digging and don’t be afraid to ask!

Now I’m a little further down the road, and there is an important distinction I need to make to go the next level.

I need to find my focus, my mission, and answer the question of “Why?”

There is certainly flexibility around your mission, but your mission needs to frame your blog and why it exists. People who are arrived from Buffer are probably thinking “This guy wrote  about productivity and organization, but most of what I see here is about spirituality, writing, and running.”

I first thought, “I know people who write general, personal blogs. There’s Leo from Zen Habits, the Minimalists, Tim Ferriss, or Joel Runyon“. This is true, but when I thought about it more, I realized that each of these writers has a focus and mission to their sites.

• Leo – Simplicity and Peace
• Minimalists – Um, Minimalism
• Tim Ferriss – Lifestyle Design
• Joel Runyon – Doing impossible things, telling a story

The other direction to take is to have a very specific focus to your blog, like Fitness Reloaded, The Art of Manliness, No Meat Athlete, or Smart Football. These authors craft their sites around specific content and topics, leaving the generalities to others. They are about the details! Yes, there is flexibility within their topic, but everything points back to their focus.

How did I start to narrow down the topics? Thanks to Jeff Goins’ Intentional Blogging course (free, register here), I was able to visually get down what interested me. There was a lot, as you can see. To read my entire post about the visual & generation process, click here.

As you can see, the focus of my blog and yours is important. If we want to “turn pro” in our minds, as Steven Pressfield talks about, we need to decide what the focus and mission of our work is. It’s fine to have a general blog that shares about your life, and communicates with friends and family.

But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about doing the work, creating value and connections for others, and being a professional. 

Once you’ve found your focus, get to it. You may need to buy a new domain name, and the process of generating content begins again. Make sure you pick a mission that resonates with you, because without that internal drive, the grinding days will feel that much worse, and your great days will not feel that great.

Do what you love, even if it makes you less money. Passion, flexibility, and simplicity are better. 

Have a great day.

How to Develop Good Habits (and not drive yourself crazy)

We all have habits we would like to change or develop. Patterns of acting, eating, exercising, learning, or creating. Even worse for us is the maybe the lack of certain habits or patterns we wish to have, along with bad habits, like biting our nail (guilty).

But rather dwell on our bad habits, let’s make temporary peace with the shadow sides of ourselves and talk about developing good habits, patterns, and practices. Now, this isn’t a a sure-fire, 21 days to mastery post. That doesn’t really exist. The real nitty-gritty of worthwhile patterns takes longer, but we can definitely begin moving in the right direction!

My quick list of 5 habits I would like to develop (in no particular order), and why.

1. Eat healthier – It’s good for me, I feel better, and have more energy.
2. Play the guitar better – I like to play around people, it’s fun, and I love music.
3. Read more – I always have loved reading, simply would like to read even more.
4. Write diligently – I feel that I can write well, and have a story to tell.
5. Dedicated time for Bible reading & prayer – It’s a lifeline for me, the most important, yet often neglected, practice in my life.

From my experience, all of these habits are not like snapping your fingers. They are difficult! I also experience that worthwhile habits are not the easiest to develop, as I’m sure you have as well. Humans, all the way back to Adam, look for the quickest way to success and happiness, usually at our own downfall.

I’ll quickly break down my own reasons for not developing these healthy habits.

1. I like sugar, processed food tastes good, and it’s easy to prepare (or lack thereof)
2. My fingers hurt and I don’t sound like David Wilcox after 10 minutes
3. But Modern Family is so funny! As Jim Gaffigan says “You know why I like the movie more than the book? NO READING“
4. I’ve been writing for 3 months and no book deal? Screw this!
5. It’s too early/late, the weather is too nice/bad/rainy/snowy/hot/cold, I haven’t had coffee/food/tea/ice cream, any of the above excuses will do. And of course… because I’m afraid of what I’ll be asked to do.

So that’s it. I would encourage you to do the same for your own hopeful habits. I think most of us are closer than we think, and the last steps to take are the most difficult. They are the steps that put you out in public, make failure possible. You’ll be sitting in Subway with a veggie sub, explaining why you’re reducing your meat consumption by 95%, heading towards 100%. You’ll be talking about how you turned off your TV satellite at the beginning of football season. Or the creeping terror of talking about your faith.

And then I will be overcome with guilt for my relapses, as you may be.

STOP IT

Let’s make a decision to move towards our true selves. If you would, make a short list (I find I become overwhelmed by all my inadequacies), and break down why you want to make each one a habit, and what holds you back.

Next, decide on incremental ways to turn your hopes in to habits. Maybe start 1 at a time, and go for a month with regular practice. Don’t try and do everything at once! For me, it’s to play the guitar for 30 minutes, 5 times a week. Next month, I’ll give up a TV show a week, and read for an extra 30 minutes.

Most of the time, when I can break the cycle of a bad habit or passive attitude towards development of a good habit, it loses power over me!

Just as important is to realize that when you slip, that the slip does not define you! You cannot give that action the power to whisper in your ear “See! You’re not good enough to make this change! You’ll always be the (fill in the blank badness) that everyone knows you are!”

Yes, it happened, you slipped. I fall down daily (in a spiritual sense, but sometimes physically too), and need to be reminded that my failings do not define me. I can think “Yep, that happens” and move towards wholeness and my true self.

Now it’s your turn. Join me! What are the habits you would you like to develop or break? I encourage you to find someone to help hold you accountable and check-in on your progress. And let me know in the comments, Google+ or Twitter!

Have a great day.

So Here’s My Plan

via Smithsonian Collection

Good day everyone, it’s beautiful here in Asheville, I hope you are enjoying early Spring as well! I wanted to share with you where I’m going the next few months with my writing and work.

The Blog

I’m going to cut back to 2 posts per week, and work really hard to make them fantastically valuable for you guys and gals. I’ve been posting 3-4 times a week, and honestly I’m not always pleased with the content. My goal has been to establish a practice of writing and posting, and not getting tied up with thoughts of the posts not being good enough. I can assure you the self-loathing will continue, and I’m not cutting back because of laziness.

I’m cutting back for pace, schedule, and future content. Reading lists will only be published 1-2 times per month, I’ll post more short content on Twitter or Google+. I have several ideas I need to flesh out, and am concentrating on making them great for you.

The Writing

Another reason I’m cutting back on the blog is because I will be working hard to complete my first e-book. The target audiences are recent high school and college graduates. This year is the 10th anniversary of when I graduated high school and enrolled at the University of Florida. A lot has happened in my life since then, and it’s arguably the most chaotic 10 year stretch for most people. College, grad school, first job(s), marriage, debt, bills, oh the joys. I’ll keep you all updated on the progress!

I have also been asked to write for a running website, so 1-2 times per month I’ll be posting there. I’ll be covering gear, training, race reports, and form. When the site re-launches I’ll post all the excitement!

I will also be doing a weekly post for work, covering the topic of summer camp. I’ll write about how to prepare, what parents should talk about with their children, and general benefits of a camp experience.

Finally, I’ve been working on a few guest posts, and will continue throughout the summer. I’m being considered for a couple sites right now, if they are accepted I’ll re-post here. Rest assured you’ll get to read the wonderful content

Life & Work

The biggest reason I’m reducing my weekly post load is because life is going to become very busy for the next 4 months, and I want to prepare for the chaos. I work at a Camp Rockmont, and April-July is our busy season. In fact, today there are 400 people on the property for an event, and I’m on call. Work will only accelerate though, and rather than post 4 times a week and then going off the grid for 10 weeks, I’m spacing out the meaningful essays.

As you can see, there is still plenty of writing to come from me, I’m just being smart about when and where the essays are posted. Anything I write for other sites will also be linked here, so don’t think you have to go searching around. I’ve written before about the importance of regular posting (recommended by many great writers), instead of a barrage of posts in a short amount of time. If you’re in the same boat, be patient, writing is an endurance activity. 

If you would like to help me out, send your suggestions for posts and topics, and I’ll add them to my list. I really appreciate everyone has been reading my ramblings over the past few months, it has been a great journey so far! Your feedback and comments help fuel my desire to keep writing. You’re the awesome-sauce to my creative stew.

If They Can Do It, I Can Do It, and So Can You

I have read on several blogs that a great way to generate more traffic was to be active and comment on the sites and blogs of others. At first, I dismissed this, because I wanted to be known for my writing on it’s own merit. I also didn’t really believe it would help, and I was being greedy and only wanted to do take actions on tasks that would benefit me. Lately though, I have come to realize that the underlying reason behind this was that in essence, I didn’t particularly care to comment, and I was selfish. I was too busy with my own writing and life to spend time on other sites.

I now realize that is a load of crap, both my own reasoning behind it, and my greediness. What was a real kick in the teeth for me was my last week’s post, 22 People Who are Better Than Me (in a good way!). I listed 22 writers, adventurers, community leaders, and creative folks who inspire me with their work. What floored me was getting a response.

The Minimalists (Joshua & Ryan) wrote me, saying thank you for the love. They were also adamant they were not better than me.

Corbett Barr wrote, thanking me for listing him, and encouraging me not to sell myself short.

Brendan Leonard (Semi-Rad) wrote, saying he was not better than me, but that he could probably eat more waffles than I could.

Jeff Goins has responded to nearly every email I’ve written him.

All of these men have experienced far more success than I have, and have lives just as busy as I do. But they all took the time to respond to me, and encourage my writing. What a gift! So for me to be snobby about commenting on other sites is absurd, arrogant, and lazy.

By the way, I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read what I’m putting down, and commenting on it. It’s a tremendous gift to me to receive your thoughts and feedback. I apologize it took some heavy hitters to knock me out of my slumber!

I still don’t believe I’ll go around mass-commenting on posts just to drive up my own brand, but I will certainly be trying to add value or a kind word to the posts I am reading. If we take care of others, I believe we will be taken care of ourselves. Thanks again.

22 People Who Are Better Than Me (in a good way!)

Today I got down to thinking about what I really want to write about, and more specifically, where I would want the process to take me. I would love to be able to travel, wrote about nature, the outdoors, make short films, coach football, help those in need, go on mission trips, and work with kids. That’s all (sarcastic/hopeful tone).

Then I considered what I’ve been writing about, and my content didn’t match my hope that well. Since I’m starting out as a writer, I do believe it’s best to keep writing, and focus your voice and content as you get better. At least that’s what I’m going for right now. I have been writing a lot about writing and the creative process, and honestly it’s been easy to use that as a topic because it’s a daily part of my life. I’m basically re-packaging my own struggles and sharing them with you. Hopefully though, it helps in a small way.

One of the main challenges I face is the realization that there are so many people and services out right now who are doing what I want to do, and doing it really, really well. I’m becoming less intimidated by them, because I know that I can do great work as well. The challenge is taking the chance and putting forth the years of work necessary to get to where they are now. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are social platforms or the permission to impact people in a busy world. I don’t know how to write great code, use sophisticated SEO tactics, or create beautiful designs. I tell stories.

Presently though, here are a list of people and sites that I read daily, or will read, watch, or listen to anything they release. I haven’t included any company sites or blogs, they’re in a different category than these 22 run by an individual or small team. They certainly have a voice in the work that I produce, and I hope you enjoy them as well!

Outdoors

Adventure Journal - Steve Casmiro (former editor of Cycling magazine and top-notch photographer) has built the premier site for all things outdoor. News, advocacy, links, photography, gear, food, they have it all. This is the main outdoor site I visit daily, the content is rich and worthwhile. I would visit simply to drool over the Weekend Cabin (which you should as well). It was also just named Outside Magazine’s #1 Outdoor site.

Check out these posts to get started:

• The Ultimate Adventure Vehicle
• National Parks Create 10x the Dollars They Cost
• Weekend Cabin: Criehaven, Maine

Cold Splinters - Jeff Thrope has made the outdoors feel all 1970′s again, and I love it. The site in itself is beautifully designed and vintage, the photography syncs perfectly with the site with vintage filters, and he writes very well. Cold Splinters is where I can feel like an outdoors hipster. It’s a general outdoor site, but the Trail Mix posts are very enjoyable, along with any of the well-written posts about doing work with your hands.

Check out these posts to get started:

• PCT Moleskins
• Lumberland

Semi-Rad - I really enjoy Brendan Leonard’s blog, because he is a regular guy trying to live the dream. Also, he shows up and delivers to his tribe, consistency is king! My favorite part of his blog is the About Me.

Check out these posts to get started:

• Hopefully this beer is thanks enough…
• A Few Things You Can Do Besides Not Buy That Patagonia Jacket

Dirtbag Diaries - This is really more of a podcast, and maybe the best outdoor life podcast going today. The stories take center stage, tales of adventure and brokenness that mirror our own lives. The Diaries popularity is also helped by the music that Fitz puts together for each episode, then make available in the notes.

Check out these posts to get started:

• A Successful Life
• The True Meaning of Radical

The Gear Junkie - Stephen Regenold has put together one of the best outdoor gear review sites, and my personal favorite. If you’re like me and want to low-down on every piece of outdoor gear you purchase, the Gear Junkie is a great place to look. He’s also active on twitter, and has responded directly to a few of my gear inquiries.

Check out these posts to get started:

• Diversity of Shells: Coats for any Climate
• Survival Gear: 10 Items to Survive

Sports

Smart Football - Chris Brown is a lawyer turned football analyst, and his acumen for breaking down plays, techniques, and game plans is undeniable. If I’m following twitter during a game, Smart Football is definitely on the list. I’m also convinced that a smart person with average football knowledge could turn themselves in to a decent high school football coach simply by reading Smart Football.

Check out these posts to get started:

• The AirRaid Offense
• The Most Important Game in the History of the Spread Offense, & Its Legacy

Only Gators - I graduated from Florida, and Adam Silverstein runs the best insider blog on the interwebs right now. I’ll check in with OG on a regular basis to see what’s been happening, and daily during football season. No links to read, if you’re a Gator fan just go ahead and start following.

Dr. Saturday – This is a stretch, since Dr Saturday is the Yahoo Sports College Football blog, thus not independent. But it is the most consistent, well-written source of news and updates in college football. The previous head guy, Matt Hinton, has recently left the building, replaced by the new head lady, Graham Watson. Looking forward to the new season.

Writing, Creativity, and Business

Jeff Goins - I’ve written about Jeff a few times, mainly here. He’s actually probably getting tired of it. Jeff consistently turns out great content and advice for writers, no matter what stage of the craft you’re in. Begin reading and you won’t be disappointed.

Check out these posts to get started:

• The Difference Between Good Writers & Bad Writers
• 3 Reasons to Travel When You’re Young
• The Writer’s Manifesto

Michael Hyatt - Michael is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, but on his blog he focuses on the topic of Intentional Leadership. He writes about other topics, but that is the main focus. I really appreciate the honesty Michael communicates with, and his willingness to share knowledge gleaned from many years in the writing business.

Check out these posts to get started:

• Advice to 1st-Time Writers
• Do You Make These 10 Mistakes When You Blog?

Seth Godin - Seth is the first author I read who challenged me to think about how I worked. I am continually inspired by his work, and at the root of my amazement is his consistency! In 2009 he wrote his 3,000 daily post in a row, affirming his commitment to spreading ideas and new ways of thinking. He’s also a master at taking an idea or thought that is on the tip of your tongue, and giving it life. Check him out.

Check out these posts to get started:

• Are You Doing a Good Job?
• Hourly Work vs. Linchpin Work

Daniel Pink - Dan’s site is extremely interesting, and I’ve mentioned some of his work before. The Pomodoro technique came from Dan’s site, and his book A Whole New Mind was very important for me, especially just after graduating college. You can find a wealth of analytical information, presented in a fascinating manner, along with many other topics. One of my favorite running features is emotionally intelligent signage. Give him a look.

Check out these posts to get started:

• How to Say No… Especially to Things You Want to Do
• Six Word Stories Can Say Lots

Garr Reynolds - I read Garr’s book Presentation Zen 4 years ago, and it made me think differently about the way I speak in front of people, communicate information, and design everything. You wouldn’t think of the design and layout of power point presentations as art, but then you haven’t seen Garr’s slide decks. It changed everything for me in those areas. The design aspect spilled over in to other areas of life as well, to websites, my office, home, and really everything.

Check out these posts to get started:

• A Long Time Ago, Before Death by PowerPoint
• The Power of the Visual

Corbett Barr - Corbett runs ThinkTraffic.com, arguably the best site for bloggers looking to generate more traffic and income. It’s the only site of its kind that is currently in my rss reader, because it’s so detailed and extensive. Corbett has experience with several other successful blogs and websites, which you can find out more about by visiting his personal site.

Check out these posts to get started (on ThinkTraffic):

• Think You Can’t Make Money Blogging?
• Be an Epic Writer

Christian Spirituality

Donald Miller - Donald is the author of several books, most notably Blue Like Jazz. Another important book in my life, it challenged me in my Christian faith and caused me to think about what my faith really meant to me. He is very human-story focused right now, his latest book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years covering the subject of the creative process, and being able to tell one’s story. All of this is done against the backdrop of what God has done for us and the life he’s called us to live.

Check out these posts to get started:

• Want to Be Happy? Forgive Your Enemies
• The Best Of page

Richard Rohr - I almost didn’t put Fr. Rohr here, he can be so controversial. But he has also pointed me down the path of worrying about myself less (and one day not at all), helping the poor & needy, not seeking fame, and being able to embrace both my strengths and weaknesses. He’s also been significant in his writing on male development and rites of passage in the modern world, a topic that is very important in my work with young men.

Check out these posts to get started:

• 4 Senses of Scripture
• Showing Up

Ryan Taylor - Man, I really like Ryan. Never met the guy, but no worries. Ryan is the Director of Access Denver, plays basketball, and writes a solid blog. He is another leader who is challenging others to look around and see the suffering in our neighborhoods, and be the hands of God in creating change. I’ve written about him a bit more here.

Check out these posts to get started:

• Access Denver Film Project
• Give Me That Old Time Religion

General Interest & Fun

The Art of Manliness - Yes, they have fun posts like How to Make a Survival Shotgun. They have informative posts like How to Carve a Turkey. They also assemble great lists like 100 Must-Read Books: The Man’s Essential Library. But what really made me a full-fledged believer in the AoM was Brett & Sarah McKay’s research and writing about male development and being a man. Not an ultra-masculine no-nonsense man, or a soft, passive man. A Man; forged out of the experience of those before him, ready to do hard things, think of others’ before self, stand up for what’s right, and be a contributor to his community. Love it.

To get started, click on the articles above.

The Oatmeal - My interest in goofy internet comics really peaked during college, and since then I don’t go searching for such hilarity often. The Oatmeal though, really came to me. I saw the Dear Sriracha comic at Sunny Pointe Cafe, and liked it so much that I hunted down the site. Matt Inman does a wonderful job fusing humor, common sense, plain-as-day irony, and grammar checks in to his brand. Go over there and have a laugh. *FYI, not all comics are squeaky-clean, though the ones I linked are fine. 

Check out these posts to get started:

• 10 Words You Need to Stop Mis-spelling
• Big City Snow

Zen Habits - Leo Babauta has curated one of the most popular blogs on the internet, and one of the most interesting. I’ve only been reading it for a couple weeks myself, but I’m blown away, definitely one that I can read for an hour and not realize it. Highly recommended.

Instead of linking a few articles, Leo has made it easy for us by creating a Start Here page.

The Minimalists - My friend Bryce told me about this site, as I was telling him about my feelings towards having fewer possessions. “You need to read what these guys are writing” he told me. So I did, and stayed up most of the night reading through their entire 21 Day Journey in to Minimalism page. It lit a fire under me, gave some substance to the conversations my wife and I had been having. Within a week, I had given away boxes of clothes, packed up extra household and kitchen products, and put the TV in the attic. I haven’t missed any of those things, because I am more than my possessions.

Check out these posts to get started:

• You Are Not Your Khakis
• It’s Only Fear

Tim Ferriss - I have a love/hate relationship with Tim Ferriss’ writing and self-promotion. Mainly, I think he comes off as self-promoting and arrogant. I also think he is quite interesting and has many good things to say about creative ways to live and work. I can respect that. I mainly respect the effort and practice that he puts in to his craft of writing, and his personal blog. The blog is a smorgasbord of topics, enjoy picking through them.

Check out these posts to get started:

• Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep
• The Top 5 Reasons to be a Jack-of-All-Trades

Wow, that took much longer than I had planned. When I said “today” at the beginning of the post, it was Monday. I’m publishing on Friday. I went through many temptations to cut the list, not include Get Started links, and leave out the descriptions. In other words, obey the path of least resistance. I’m glad I didn’t, and hope you agree.

Finally, this is simply my list, and it won’t be the last. People are doing incredible, creative work, and I would love to hear about the writers, bloggers, and creatives that inspire you. Leave your suggestions in the comments!

Finding Your Voice

Here is another worksheet of mine from Jeff Goins’ Intentional Blogging course. Jeff is doing a fantastic job with this course, and if you ask nicely, you can still get in. I’ve posted a similar sheet before, on generating topics for your blog. This sheet is geared towards finding your voice in writing. Other writers discussed include: CS Lewis, Wendell Berry, Christopher McDougall, and Anne Lamott. All of these writers have an impact on the way I write, even on how I live. As before, if you want to follow along, make space for roughly 30 minutes of work, and listen. Enjoy.

Stop Using Weak Words

Good morning, an extra special bonus link today!

Photo credit: Jon Clegg (Creative Commons)

Jeff Goins is a fine writer, and even better at sharing the craft of writing. You can definitely count me in his tribe. His site is a must-read for those of us looking to hone our art. Today I came across a post about using words that weaken your writing. It is a useful list, and I highly recommend you read it. Whatever your writing is about, its helpful to be able to do it well and effectively. This will help.

Five Weak Words that Make Your Writing Less Effective

Just Start

Creative Commons via Jake & Lindsey Sherbert

Hello everyone, it has been a few days since I posted. I’ve been running, travelling, and visiting family. I’m actually writing this in my old bedroom of my parents house. Yes, everything is wonderful between me and my wife, that’s not why I’m in my old room. I’m on the road giving presentations for Camp Rockmont, and have been able to spend a couple days here. I know you were all dying to know those details, why would I even think you would? Well, let’s start there.

Writing has become enough of a practice for me over the past several weeks that when I don’t do it for a few days, I miss it. I get antsy, thinking about essays and topics to present. That feeling is also present when I don’t exercise or read for a few days. So that’s a good sign. The problem is that right now it’s 12:48 am, I’m tired, and want to go to bed. But that’s how I felt last night, and will probably feel the next 3-4 nights. Trying to come up with a good topic or inspiration in that frame of mind is difficult. But that’s ok, because it’s not always flowing prose and witty dialogue when any of us sit down to write. I even when over to my list of idea drafts, ready to remember and be inspired. That didn’t happen. I stared at them, trying to remember what the heck I was talking about in that idea. Then I felt a brief peace, and had the thought “Matt, just start, and see where it goes”.

So here I am, seeing where this goes. That’s why I started with a few details from the past few days. I needed a starting point. I can tell this is going to be one of those terrible essays about nothing that make people cancel their email subscription. I apologize, but I needed to write. We will all have these days and nights where the work isn’t happening, it’s just not our day or simply our moment (because in fact, I’ve had a great day). I planned on writing this evening, on sitting down and taking my time with an essay. But then I ended up talking with my parents for 2 hours about all kinds of things. That was important, I needed to do that and it was great to talk with them for that long. We don’t get the chance to do that very much anymore. A lesson in that is, maybe you don’t always get to do what you planned on, even if it’s good and important work. Because there can be just as important work, even more so, waiting in a good conversation.

Regardless of that, I still felt I needed to write today. Because on top of all that goodness I experienced throughout the day, I wasn’t quite done. I hope you can all keep that in mind too, that if you feel that you still have work or writing to do in a day, especially an intentional hobby like writing, that you make the commitment to making that part of your day. Because there is a cumulative effect to putting it off another day. The act of writing, or drawing, or woodworking, or exercising, becomes easier to say no to when you’ve practiced saying no for multiple days. You don’t have to do any of these things, but if it’s important you, if you love it, you will be compelled to sit down, and just start.

Let’s see what happens when you do.