Focus On Fulfilling Your Goals in 2015
By Cheval John
2014 is coming to a close.
By the time of this writing, 2015 has already commenced in Australia, Japan and other parts of Asia.
People always make New Year’s Resolutions leading up to the New Year only to break them about two or three weeks later.
What they do is make those resolutions based out of shame according to brand strategist, Michelle Van Otten.
So how do you keep your “New Year’s Resolutions” if you keep on breaking them?
Michelle shared that an alternative to a New Year’s resolutions is creating a vision board.
(Warning: It get’s a little explicit between 34-38 minute)
You might wonder what is a vision board?
A vision board allows you to map out your goals for the New Year and to be specific on how to achieve those goals.
Vision boards also allows you to be held accountable to anyone who have seen it because it forces you to actually fulfill those goals.
I had the opportunity to create a vision board before this year when I discovered this concept from a few people who have vision board parties.
I even wrote out my declaration for this year here
I will say that I did not fulfill all of my goals for this year.
Does that make me a failure?
Not really.
The reason is because I had made a whole lot of progress this year and even fulfilled life long dreams that were not part of the goals like:
-Wrote two books in 2014
-Called two collegiate softball games at my alma mater, Sam Houston State
-Witness the SHSU Bowling Team win the school’s first ever NCAA Division I National Championship
-Connected with amazing people on social media, especially Twitter (fulfilled that goal for the New Year)
-Discovered Twitter Chats and learning about the new trends of Social Media
-Heard Chris Guillebeau speak at a book signing event for his new book, “The Happiness of Pursuit.”
-Celebrated my 100th episode of “What’s The Word?”
-Interviewed Susan Campbell Cross, author of “The FabYouList”
-Interviewed Donny Most, formerly of “Happy Days.”
So even if you do not meet all of your goals, it still does not hurt to put together a vision board.
As Mrs Cross said and I am paraphrasing, “Though you do not fulfill your goals at a certain point does not mean that you fail. As long as you fulfill those goals, then you accomplish a lot.”
Now that you have seen an alternative to a “New Year’s Resolution,” my hope is that everyone will fulfill their goals and make this world a better place.
And to keep up with this tradition of vision boards, here is my vision for what I want to accomplish in 2015.
Wishing everyone a fantastic New Year.
What are your goals for the New Year? You can leave your comments below.
Photo courtesy of www.personalbrandingblog.com
Twas The Flights Before Christmas
By Cheval John
Twas the flights before Christmas and everyone is trying to get home.
Some to see their family.
Some to see their friends.
Some people are going to distant places to escape the cold winter
While others are going to just recharge their batteries from a productive year.
If a person is flying to a different time zone like China and Japan, they made the decision to leave two days before Christmas.
Now if they decided to leave a day before Christmas, they will have the unique experience to celebrate the majority of the holiday on a flight with wi-fi and first class.
However, if they are flying to Europe to see the different cultures and the way of living.
They will have the luxury of celebrating Christmas with Belgian waffles in hand.
If you are living in one of the greatest cities in the United States like the Houston, Texas area, your Christmas present arrived early with the opportunity to see the arrival of Emirates’ A380.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Five Books That Will Make Great Christmas Presents
By Cheval John
Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Affiliate and receive commission for each sale from their website.
I will only recommend items that I have personally used or in this case, books I have read for myself.
Christmas is right around the corner.
That means many people will be doing some last minute holiday shopping before the big day comes.
You might be wondering what type of gifts should you get your family and friends.
One suggestion I can make is to buy them some books.
“What buy them some books?” you might ask.
Yes, buy them some books.
The cost of a book will be in your price range if you are on a budget.
And books have the power to change people’s lives for the better if they apply the lessons they have read.
To give you a head start on researching for books, here are five books I believe will be a great Christmas present for your friends and family.
1. What Just Happened? by Jimmy Burgess
This book really is inspirational because Mr. Burgess was very transparent about his success and also his failures in business and life.
It is an easy read and once you start, you will not want to put the book down.
I finished the book in one day.
2. ReWork by 37 Signals
Rework was written by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson in 2010.
The book is the polar opposite to what business schools have been teaching for decades on running a business.
Though it is 288 pages, the book is an easy read as well because each chapter is about 3 to 4 pages and the message get straight to the point.
3. The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau
This book is a masterpiece by Mr. Guiullebeau because he showcases others who had their own personal quest to achieve.
He shares about his journey to visit 193 countries in the world and also documents the challenges that he faced in achieving the quest.
The book will make you laugh, make you cry and also make you contemplate about fulfilling a personal quest that you had always dreamed of for many years.
4. The FabYouList by Susan Campbell Cross
The FabYouList is one book that everyone should read because Mrs. Cross shares her personal story of how she achieved all of her list.
You will be amazed by the grit and determination of Mrs. Cross in accomplishing her goals.
Once you read this book, you will be inspired to create your own list and achieve them.
A fair warning: Some of her list may not be suitable for anyone under the age of 18, so be very cautious of who you share the book with.
5. What If And Why Not? by Jen Groover
If you ever had a desire to start a business and you are afraid of failure, then this book is for you.
Jen Groover showcases her journey to be successful with her business, “The Butler Bag” and the obstacles she faced.
The one thing that pushed Ms. Groover to succuss and helped her to overcome failure is having the regrets of not pursing her dream of being a business owner.
One of the important messages that is detailed in the book is that “everyone has a story to share.”
So there you have it, the five books that you should get this Christmas season.
Really believe that they will change your live and jumpstart the New Year with hope and optimism.
What other books would you recommend? You can leave a comment below.
Photo Courtesy of www.thebooksamaritan.com
The Resurgence Of Podcasts
By Cheval John
When Apple created the iPod in 2001, many in the tech world sensed that it was going to be a major disruption in the industry.
Apple wasn’t done yet as iTunes followed almost a year later.
They led the way for podcasts, a digital medium that consists of episodes, to grow substantially over the years.
As today is National Podcast Day, we celebrate the resurgence of this digital medium that has changed the media industry.
According to the stateofmedia.org, there are over 91,765 podcasts.
Shows like His and Hers, featuring ESPN’s own Michael Smith and Jemele Hill and the Marketing Lifestyle Show with Amy Schmittauer, owner of Vlog Boss Studios, have generated a loyal following that it has given the traditional radio industry a run for it’s money.
If a person is a small business owner who don’t have the money to buy ads like major corporations, a college student or a recent college graduate who are trying to stand out from the crowd of their peers, they should consider starting a podcast.
With podcasting, anyone can showcase their expertise if they do not like to be in front of the camera.
In order to create a podcast, you need equipment like a microphone, earphones and a dashboard that can be hooked up to your computer.
The cost ranges from $99.99 to $569.
If you are looking for an affordable way to create your podcast, then I would suggest BlogTalkRadio.
BlogTalkRadio was founded in 2006 by Alan Levy and Bob Charish.
It has over 30 million monthly listeners.
BlogTalkRadio is so easy to use because all you need is a phone and a computer.
You can create a free account with BlogTalkRadio that will allow you to have only 30 minutes of live
streaming.
You have the option to upgrade to either a Premium Plan for $39 a month, a Plus Plan for $99 a month or a Pro Plan for $249 a month, with the first month free.
The best part about BlogTalkRadio is that your show is live and then afterward, it is archived as a podcast and can be downloaded from the show’s site.
It can also be submitted to iTunes if you have an account with them.
So if you want to separate yourself from the competition and think that podcasting is for you, go for it.
If it does not work out, it will not be a big deal because you tried something new and stepped outside of your comfort zone.
Excerpt from the book, “8 Things You Need To Do Before Quitting Your Job”
Ready For A 15 Day Blog Challenge?
By Cheval John
Photo courtesy of www.dailymail.co.uk
Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate and I receive a commission based on a recommendation. I do not recommend any book if I have not read it first.
I had written earlier this year about starting the new year off right by blogging everyday this month due to a challenge that Natalie Sisson “issued.”
Well, just to let you know, I was way ahead of the challenge as Ms. Sisson actually issued the 15-day blogging challenge starting tomorrow.
When I saw that, I realized that I jumped the gun and was considering waiting until the 15th to actually blog everyday.
However, I decided to keep my promise to you, the reader and continue to blog everyday until the actual challenge begin.
I hope that you will decide to join me on Ms. Sisson’s challenge because it will challenge you to be very creative and also, meet others who have taken on the challenge as well.
And to honor Ms. Sisson, since Wednesdays will be book recommendation day, I will highly recommend Ms. Sisson’s book, “The Suitcase Entrepreneur,” which is still available on Amazon.
The book is really amazing because it gives vivid details on how Ms. Sisson was able to run an online business while traveling the world.
Even though the book is not a first of it’s kind thanks to Tim Ferris’ book, “The Four Hour Workweek,” Ms. Sisson was able to get her book as an Amazon bestseller as a self-published author.
To me, that is amazing and Ms. Sisson is just getting started.
Her goal is to help over 100,000 entrepreneurs be location independent by 2020.
I honestly believe that she is halfway towards her goal.
So if you want to participate in the 15-day blog challenge, you can sign up here.
Have you read “The Suitcase Entrepreneur” and if so, how has the book changed your life? You can leave your comments below.
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