A personal note: This post is not about marketing, at least not directly. It’s a personal account of a very significant event in my life. If you came over from my B2B Inbound Blog, thank you. In reality, this post is about a journey I took and am still on. Interesting how personal and work journeys get intertwined. It’s as honest as I’ve ever been with my readers. And it’s a bit therapeutic for me to get this story out – in order to move on from here. Thanks again for listening…

I knew ahead of time that making a major move would be a huge challenge. I also had a major writing project in the works and other client projects that needed to be kept on schedule. Plus, as a sole-proprietor of my business, I had many operational and marketing details that needed ongoing attention. How was I going to keep it all together? Would I have the energy to survive it?

My wife, Trisha and I, sensing the time was right, sold our house (with the lemon and peach trees, and gorgeous backyard views) of nearly 10 years in Benicia, California (25 miles outside of San Francisco) with plans to move back to our home state of Minnesota. “You’re going to do what?” people asked, incredulous that we’d even think of leaving the comfy climate of Northern California for the frozen tundra! But, as we learned over the years, despite the near pitch-perfect climate, there truly is no place like home.

Though brutalized by one of the worst Minnesota winters on record, our hearts yearned to be at home with our kids, grand kids, friends and family. So we sold what we could on Craig’s List, held a moving sale, packed the rest up in 6 U-Haul U-boxes, jumped in our 30′ motorhome, and along with our two English Springer Spaniels, Hunter and Joey (named after ball players Torii Hunter and Joe Mauer), we headed for the land of 10,000 frozen lakes. Slowly.

Here are the lessons I learned, some before, some during and some after making this major move. I hope they may resonate with you and help you keep it all together next time you’re up for making a major change. (I also hope they may explain why I’ve been somewhat silent over the past couple of months.)

Believe in it (and fight through the doubt)

The idea to make a major change in your life may start as a notion, but it must be fully believed in to sustain it and keep you going when the testing comes. We felt strongly this was our path and held firmly onto that through faith in God.

Some things fell into place for us (like selling our house without a Realtor) while others became a real struggle (finding the best and most cost-effective way to ship our household items, getting a case of gout just as we began moving stuff out to the shipping containers – ouch!), but we kept moving forward because we continually believed in what we were doing.

It’s been my habit to begin each day over the past year-and-a-half with Bible reading and prayer. It helps tremendously to know the Lord is always with you. As David says, “I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. (Psalm 16:8)

One story that was especially encouraging (and instructive) was the account of Jacob wrestling with God while embarking on a major journey of his own with family and all their possessions to the promised land. The words “Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper” (Genesis 32:9) crept into my heart. I believed them, and in what we were about to do.

Prepare (then adjust)

I wanted to take the entire month of April off work as we’d be traveling and getting settled in our new Minneapolis home. That wasn’t possible. Instead, I planned out all of the work that would need to get done on a weekly and time-sensitive basis. I was able to do some things in advance while contracting with others to produce what was needed.

Advanced preparation for scheduled work allowed me to enjoy the road trip and unwind at the end of the day without having to constantly try and catch up on work. However, the major writing project I was on was a different animal. At one point I lacked critical information needed to produce copy and keep things on track.

Because we didn’t plan a firm arrival date, I was able to adjust our travel schedule. Once the needed information became available I was able to spend two nights at the next RV park instead of one so I could spend a whole day writing. We did this on a couple of occasions and it not only allowed me to get work done, it afforded us the opportunity to kick back, relax and enjoy some incredible parts of the country such as Needles, California and Moab, Utah.

The other sort of unexpected thing that came up and caused us to adjust our travel was when Hunter, our 8 year-old springer got sick. He was loose one morning and jumped into the lagoon just off the Colorado River in Needles, CA to chase after some ducks. Turns out he swallowed some water (and parasites along with it) which made him cough up vile and poop blood – over and over again. Not good.

We didn’t know what had happened or what to do for him. But thanks to the wonderful techs and veterinarian at the clinic in Golden, Colorado for quickly diagnosing the problem and fixing him up with the meds that took care of the problem. Wasn’t expecting that. But glad we took the extra time and made the decision to alter our travels to get him taken care of.

So, while you do your best to plan and prepare, be sure to allow yourself some time to make necessary adjustments. Looking back, it was some of the best, unplanned time we had on the long journey home. And it certainly made Hunter a happier doggie.

Let it Go (and get over it)

If you’re making a major life change you’re going to put a ton of emotion, effort and energy into it. I had no idea how much until we nearly came apart the first night out. Fortunately, we had planned to spend two nights at our first stop away from the home we’d just move from. That was a good decision, because we were in no shape to travel on the second day out.

It was one of those stupid, insensitive things guys sometimes say to their wives that triggered it. Physically spent with our emotions raw we said unkind things, slammed doors and scared the heck out of the dogs! I don’t even remember what it was I said. But the way things were looking that first night, I was getting divorced soon as we got to Minnesota.

Then I made Trisha a grilled cheese sandwich and we cried in each others arms most that night. We were spent. And we just let it go.

We loved our California house, but it was behind us now. We had to let it go and get over it to be able to move forward.

The next day we awoke a bit groggy but refreshed all at the same time. We toured the EOS winery which was conveniently adjacent to the RV park we stayed at in Paso Robles.

Take it Easy (on yourself and others)

We hit the road in our RV on April 1, without knowing exactly when we’d arrive in Minnesota. Winter there was like a stubborn, unwelcome guest we didn’t want to deal with. So we took it easy driving on average only 300 miles a day and staying one to three days at a time in the campgrounds along the way.

This worked out great for the most part. We were fortunate, we got to sort of play it by ear. Taking it easy allowed us to be in the moment, to physically rest up and mentally prepare for the Minnesota adventure ahead.

Normally, I’m the kind of person who makes a plan and is rigid about following it. And, when things don’t happen according to plan I get all stressed out. (Just ask Trisha!) But in this regard, with some spiritual guidance, I was able to relax and focus on someone else.

One of the stories I read about in my daily Bible readings was about the Israelite men being counted and organized for battle in the promised land. Everyone, with few exceptions, were required to join the fight. One group excused from taking on the Canaanites were the newly married. God wanted them to spend time making their wives happy in creating a new life and home together.

While I wasn’t newly married at the time, God spoke to me about focusing on my wife’s needs and what she was going through. To spend time attending to her and not be so driven to stick to my own plan. I was far from perfect on this, but I learned a lot about taking it a bit easier while focusing on meeting the needs of my wife and trying to make her happy.

Making these big changes is tough on everyone, especially those you’re closest to. Be aware of this and go easy. Don’t be in such a hurry. But relax, enjoy and savor each moment. You won’t pass that way again.

Simplify (and be kind to yourself)

Once we got into “moving mode” I knew things had to change. I would not be able to keep up the pace of client work and marketing activities. So I took several measures to simplify my routines by eliminating certain activities.

First, I notified my clients of my moving and travel plans and reduced availability over the upcoming 30 days. Setting proper expectations and working ahead did wonders for everyone’s peace of mind.

Secondly, I intentionally planned to drop some things from my regular schedule. My podcast, an interview-based show was one such example. I had a couple shows in the can and released them along the way, but wasn’t able to add fresh shows due to the travel and limited technology on the road. I was okay with that and went through a period of giving myself permission to shelve the podcast until I was settled again in the new office.

It’s taken longer than I hoped to get the show back up and running again. I’m still in the process of setting up the new office, which at this point just doesn’t have room for the podcast studio. I could feel guilty or sad that I’m letting my listeners down. But I just didn’t have the mental or physical capacity to keep it going and I’m not going to beat myself up over it.

Plus, it was far more important for me to take care of getting to Minnesota, and  the business of settling in (and being there for my wife) than it was to expend energy trying to keep the podcast (and some other things like my blog, social media, etc.) going. Speaking of energy, mine was in serious short supply by the end of the move, which leads me to my final lesson or discovery about surviving a major life event.

Get Rest (and exercise)

We had some moving help from an outfit that called themselves professional movers. But when they showed up with the first of our six U-Boxes being towed behind their beat up RV, I was like, “Are you kidding me?”

What moving company shows up pulling your stuff in a RV?

The driver, who was the most able-bodied of the 3-person crew, spent most of his time delivering the boxes (one-at-a-time) before his helpers could unload and deliver our stuff into the house. One of whom was a smoker and eater who had to rest/eat/smoke every 10 minutes, while the other, the driver’s wife, constantly complained of injuries (knee, back, shoulder).

I won’t go into all the exasperating details, or the time I caught the crippled one sticking her tongue out at me after I asked her (nicely) not to throw things on the ground! Let’s just say it wore me out.

In addition to our furniture and such, we had over 110 small, medium and large sized boxes. Yours truly carried a fair number of them up the driveway, up the stairs and into the house. I was working while helper #2 was eating (4 times) or smoking, and helper #3 was dumping stuff on the ground, licking her lips with her tongue or sitting in the RV with their dog.

After moving everything in those U-Boxes, mostly ourselves on the California end, we just weren’t expecting to do the same in Minnesota – especially when we supposedly had the “moving help” to do it. Heck, we could have had our 5 sons/son’s-in-laws help had we known what we were in for.

It’s been 2 months as I write this and I’m still recovering. And the only way I’ve been able to deal with the banged up, tingling hands, aching muscles and metal fatigue is by resting – a lot. I’m down to about one nap a day now and have started walking and running again.

We joined the YMCA and I’ve been going 3 times a week, around mid-morning. Some days I will go for a run with Hunter and Joey along Minnehaha Parkway or to Lake Harriet and back. I do this during “work time” because I have to. I need to. I don’t think I would survive without the rest and exercise.

At some point you’re going to get (or feel) buried when going through a major life event. Anticipate this and plan for plenty of rest and moderate exercise to get you back on your feet again.

Are we there yet?

So far I’ve been to grand kids’ baseball games, birthday parties, band concerts and had a Father’s Day celebration for the first time in 10 years. Oh, and we’ve been to a couple RV parks here in Minnesota, too.

Most everything is different, yet familiar all at the same time. We are often asked, “how are you doing, are you adjusting, how is this, that and the other thing working out…are you glad you moved back?” Sometimes I’m not really sure how to answer. It’s complicated…we’re adjusting…surviving a bit more each day.

We’re here, where we believe we are to be, but it’s not like we’ve reached our destination. It’s still a journey and everyday is full of new highs and lows.

On Veteran’s Day we visited the graves of both our fathers. As we walked among the gravestones we saw “Jeremiah 29:11″ inscribed on one of them. Trisha asked if I knew that verse. I said it sounds familiar but couldn’t quote it. Later I looked it up, and smiled as I shared it with her:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take that promise to my next major life event – and everyday in between.

“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers. ” ~Ray Bradbury

That quote came in an email today from Dean of the Sea Change Program on developing the daily habit of writing every day. Every day? As in today, Sunday? Mother’s Day?

The key for me is to make progress towards the every day goal and I’m not going to beat myself up over having to postpone or miss a day or two now and then.

Progress writing is about moving forward. Building over time upon the daily habit. Here’s what I’ve accomplished in the first 12 days of May:

• Written something 11 out of 12 days
• Published 6 blog posts
• Read a couple dozen or more other blogs and posted links and wrote thoughts about them every day on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
• Researched and wrote the intro and outro for a podcast
• Recorded a podcast (this is like speak-writing) with a guest expert
• Created a draft of a post on how to find, subscribe and write ratings and reviews of podcasts in iTunes
• Recorded a video tutorial on doing the above that I will include with the written article

I will keep making progress on this fantastic start. I will keep plugging away, doing the best I can and see what happens. Who knows, maybe I’ll have a pleasant career of it.

Word by word, day by day, month by month…progress writing.

Happy Mother’s Day by the way to all you moms out there!

Yesterday I didn’t write. So technically I failed in the habit of writing something on a blog every day. To be clear, my goal is not to publish something every day, but to make a start, to continue or to finish something each day. And yesterday that didn’t happen.

I could go into all the legit reasons it didn’t happen. A new podcast was recorded, client projects were moved forward, and oh yeah, I brought in some new business. Plus, I went for a run with my dogs. So it’s not like I was goofing off or was overcome by the Resistance. But still, there’s this nagging thought that I failed in just the 9th day of my quest to write daily.

What will my accountability buddy think? Or you who’s been following this series? Haha!? So long sucker?

Place oxygen mask on. Breathe.

Here’s what I think: It wasn’t a cancellation. It was a postponement. I got rained out. Big deal. It happens.

In this journey, as in all stories worth a darn, there are ups and downs, twists and turns, set backs and advances. It doesn’t mean we’re quitters or failures when life happens. Like the Tim Ferriss quote in the above image, “When you try to do something big it’s hard to fail completely.” Big or important – something fundamentally worthwhile.

It just means we get back on track and keep trucking at the next opportunity.

In baseball when a game can’t be played it gets postponed, then rescheduled for the next best available date. Sometimes, they play two the very next day. Other times it gets made up on a future date.

We can have the same outlook to a daily habit like writing.

Today, I’m going to play two.

Photo attribution: 30 Best Design & Marketing Quotes on Slideshare

Picking yourself as your first customer of the day may seem selfish, but it leads to taking better care of those you’re privileged to serve. The airlines are right when they say, “Put your own mask on first before helping others.”

When it comes to choosing, I always try and take the path of least resistance. Call me selfish, but I do what works best for me. If I find it works for me, it just might work for those I care about serving, too. But at the end of the day, we all have to do what works for us. We have to put on our own mask, and breathe.

This post is the third in a series of what I’m learning about developing the daily writing habit. In case you want to catch up, the first was on professional habits and the second was about public accountability. Today, I want to share with you how I go about choosing the process and tools that work for me, as I strive to become a better writer. They may or may not work for you. Either way, I hope they offer some value and something to think about to inspire and help you do your best work.

Process

For starters, having something to write about in the first place is the elephant in the room. I don’t believe in writer’s block, but I do believe we can be empty. What I do is make the conscious decision to be in a writer’s mindset. As I shared on this podcast, how to generate a ready supply of blog topics, the key is to take note of things that interest and fascinate you throughout your day.

Now, when I sit down (or stand up as I am now) to write I have no fear of being empty. I’ve got a list of topics, ideas, even some stories and writing notes with which to begin. I don’t normally create an outline, but I’m conscious of having a good structure that includes the following elements:

• Title. I don’t begin, no, I can’t begin without having turned my topic or idea into a good working title. To me the title is everything and I agree with Leo Babauta who wrote, “The title of the post I’m writing is the first thing I do – it’s probably the most important few words I write as a blogger, because if it doesn’t do a good job of capturing the reader’s interest, then they won’t read the post.” I believe a great title is like an enchanting front door to your content. It may not be perfect at the start, but I massage and hone it as I go along.
• Central Idea or Main Theme. Once I have the title I usually have a clear idea of what I want to say about it. This forms the central idea or core theme of what I’m creating. This I find will carry you all the way through and keep you focused on what it is you want to communicate. In the practice of providing my blog article writing service, I insist my clients express one key idea, central theme or main premise of what they want the writer to convey in the post. It must be clear, relatively straightforward and understandable.
• The Intro or Lead. This is an extension of the title and is the part that conveys WIIFM (What’s In It For Me), the reader.
• Body or Middle Part. Like I said, I don’t normally create an outline. But I have an idea of where I want to go and some of the supportive points, references, stories, etc. I can draw from and bring into the post. But truth be told, I write my way into it. This is when I get into my inspiration mode. Pressfield refers to it as “The Higher Realm” in his masterpiece, The War of Art. He talks about it in mysterious terms like “invoking the Muse” or angels who’s job it is to help us create. What I believe is when you sit down (or stand up) and make a start magical things happen. He quotes Goethe in the chapter on The Magic of Making a Start: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic and power in it. Begin it now.” Whatever you choose to get you through the middle of your post, outlines, references, detailed notes, the Muse or a combination of things, the point is to pick what works for you and do that.
• Conclusion and CTA. The final element in the process of writing a post, web page, email or offer page of course is tying things together and crafting a reader-centric call to action. The principle I try to follow here is to be relate-able and encourage some form of action. Often it’s to think differently or see things in a new light or to take the next step to become better at who you are and what you do. My hope is by sharing my perspectives and experiences they may also resonate with and help others take their next step.

Tools

I don’t use a lot of tools and I’m always open to trying out new ones. Some I use more than others or for different purposes. Here are the ones I use and why I pick them:

• Paperless by Crush Apps. I mentioned earlier about getting topic ideas and then recording them. This is the tool I’ve picked to use for that because it’s very simple to use and syncs between my Apple devices. I normally have either an iPhone or iPad with me wherever I go. And with this app I can easily add ideas and topics for blogs that come to me to my list of “Blog Topics.”
• Evernote. I know a ton of people use Evernote for a bunch of different reasons. I sometimes use it as a next step to the Paperless list making app. I can collect additional thoughts, links, even images that I may want to use for a content project. I’m currently using it to record my ideas on an eBook I want to write and self-publish. I like it because it has great organizational characteristics, is simple to use and it also syncs between devices and my computer.
• Podcasts App by Apple. I get ideas and inspiration from listening to podcasts. I take the likes of Michael Hyatt, Pat Flynn, Cliff Ravenscraft and Michael Stelzner with me on my runs and when working around the house.
• RunKeeper App. What’s an app that tracks your running have to do with writing? All I know is running, besides the obvious health benefits, makes me a better writer. It loosens up my thinking and brings fresh ideas and clarity to the forefront of my mind. Moreover, writing and then going for a run begins the process of rewriting to hone what’s already been laid down. I like to use this app because again, it’s simple to use and will work simultaneously with the Podcast App and the Paperless App. In fact, there’s been times when I’ll be running and listening to a podcast that I’ll get an idea of something to write about and I’ll be able to pause RunKeeper, open up Paperless, tap in my note and resume the workout. I like stuff that works together like that, and that’s why I choose them.
• WordPress for iOS by Automattic. I use this app on my iPad to sometimes write or work on posts. As an example, I created and wrote the entire post, Professional Habits with this app. Then I just added the image, tweaked a few things through my computer and published it. I’ve chosen to use this app from time to time because of how convenient it is, plus it just works really well. It does help to know some HTML markup. But if you don’t, you can always style and format things later on the computer. I use it when I want to write and I’m away from my computer. Like now in the morning when I’ve had some quiet time and just want to get into writing from my seat on the family room couch.
• My PC and standup desk. I have a desktop and a couple laptops I use for writing. One of my laptops is set up on a standup desk. I find that standing up to write makes me more focused, energetic and “with it.” Plus, it’s much healthier than to sit on your butt all day. I do about 70% of my writing and work standing up.
• WordPress and HubSpot blog software. My business blog is on the HubSpot platform. I just compose all my blogs right in the HubSpot blogging tool. It has a built-in optimizer feature to help you create search-friendly posts. My personal blog, here on gregelwell.com is a WordPress self-hosted blog. And, Just like my business blog, I write directly to WordPress via my my PC or via the WordPress iOS app mentioned earlier. No fussing around with other programs or offline tools. This I do because of its simplicity, convenience and direct path to getting my blog writing going, and done!

That’s about it for the tools. The only other thing I use is a web-based time tracker. I track everything I do whether its my own blogging, podcasting or client work. I even track my running time. I can run reports from this program that shows how I’m spending my time against my personal priorities and business objectives. It fits into the principle of picking yourself first and holding yourself accountable to do what matters most vs. the urgent and avoiding distractions best I can. I use a service from FunctionFox called TimeFox Lite. It costs $20 per month and is a great investment.

As you can see, the principle of choosing my writing process and tools is three-fold: simple to use, convenient, and effective. The important thing is for nothing I do or use to work at writing become either a distraction or the reason itself. They are just a means to an end. And the end is to goal to write something every day. These aren’t hard-wired into me. I love trying new things and this helps to keep the experience fresh and exciting. But again, the writing and what comes of it is the main event. Everything else is just part of the process and tools of the trade.

What works for you in terms of process and/or tools?

“Habit is a cable; we weave a thread each day, and at last we cannot break it.” ~ Horace Mann

In my last post on professional habits I shared the tip about using a trigger to help implement a new habit. Another key I’m learning to successfully develop a new habit is to be publicly accountable.

There’s something about going public that makes what we’re doing or attempting more official, serious. It’s not that we need the approval or even acknowledgement of others to do the habit-building work. It’s just that it helps in applying some positive, outside  pressure that will encourage us and hold us accountable.

I think this is especially helpful at the beginning of any new habit forming practice. This is when we may have the trial mindset: I’ll try it for a few days and see if it works, if it does I’ll tell others. It’s kind of like adding action items to your to-do list after you’ve done them. What good is that?

There are 3 ways I’m committing publicly to build my daily writing habit.

Tell someone close

I haven’t told anyone close to me yet that I’ve begun the habit of writing something daily. I will tell Trisha, my wife tonight. Not over email or Facebook but in person. And I think it may make sense to ask her to check-in on me daily to find out how I’m doing. She’s good at that when I ask. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I assume she knows what I’m doing and thinking. And whenever I think that it often comes back to bite me.

Like last Saturday when we were cleaning house. I kept (sneaking) away to my computer to work on a writing project I had going on.  Consequently, much to the “wonderment” of Trisha, it took me much longer to complete my housecleaning tasks. “Well, that took a long time,” she observed when I had finally completed my chores. “Why do you care how long it takes me?” I countered. It went downhill from there.

Had I just told her what was going on, I learned later, it wouldn’t have been a big deal and she would have had a chance to support me, or at least understand what I was doing and why. That little accountability lesson aside, I know I do need to work on single-tasking! I’ll add it to the growing list of habits to form.

So, the moral to the story is to make a public declaration of the new habit you’re trying to form. Start with someone close to you who cares about the improvement you’re wanting to make. Let them know what your goals are and what your plan is to make it happen. And if they don’t check in on you regularly give them an update on your own accord as to how it’s going.

Use the Lift app

The other thing I’m doing to be held publicly accountable for developing the daily writing habit is to report my progress on the Lift app. Lift is a nifty little, easy-to-use app for iOS devices that’s available in the iTunes app store. Check out the iTunes Preview. They are also developing a web version that should be out soon. Check it out at Lift.do.

With this app you can check in whenever you complete a task associated with the habit or goal you’re trying to achieve. It’s likely that others have selected the same habit you have. I selected the habit “Write something every day.” Turned out there was a bunch of others in the “Write something every day” group. What’s cool is when you join and check in others are there to give you props and can comment on your progress, thus encouraging you to keep it going. Lift will also send out email notifications reminding you to perform your habit. And it keeps track of your progress so you can see how you’re doing.

I think it would be even better to have your friends or people you know who are trying to develop the same habit, on the app with you. It’s one thing to get props and comments from other like-minded people, it’s entirely more meaningful to be on the journey with people you already know.

Join a public accountability group

Members of the Zen Habits Sea Change Program have the opportunity to join an accountability group. Since I’m in this program, today I submitted my information to join one of these groups. They call them “Accountability Teams” and are made up of 3-5 individuals who are committed to helping each other progress on a daily basis.

I just submitted my information and a request to join an accountability team today and will have to report back on how helpful this is to forming the daily writing habit. A coordinator reviews member profiles and uses the information provided (goals, location, background, bio, etc.) to match you up with others she feels will be a good fit.

That’s where things are at today. So it’s time to switch gears and get some more writing done on the B2B Inbound blog. And Yay! I get to check in on the Lift app cuz I just wrote over 800 words this morning already. Not that I’m keeping count.

The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. An amateur has amateur habits. A professional has professional habits. Steven Pressfield, Turning Pro

When I decided, not too long ago to not wait for approval or acknowledgement from anyone else to be called a writer, and instead said that I was, things changed. My entire outlook transformed from maybe I am to now that I am. What’s next?

Write something every day. Every day. Singers sing, dancers dance and birds fly. Writers write, something every day. It may not be ready to ship, but it’s like breathing and thinking. It just has to happen if that’s what you’re suppose to do.

So I want to thank Jeff Goins for the write every day mantra. and for Leo Babauta’s, The Zen Habits Sea Change Program where every month you learn to implement a new habit.

This month (May, 2013), we are learning how to, you guessed it, write daily. And so far so good. I began the first few days writing on a blog post I will publish this week on B2B Inbound. Yesterday I re-wrote (I hope that counts) the title and description of my Expert Interviews Podcast for iTunes. And today I’m writing this.

One of the keys Leo talks about for developing a habit is to have something that triggers it. Kind of like stringing together an existing habit with the new one For me, that’s in the morning after my quiet time and before getting started with any other thing (except for coffee of course!).

If this works, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t, I expect to become a better writer. I’m already a pro. I’m just learning how to practice and do the things pros do: show up every day, do the work, trust the Muse and let results come what may.

Then, I’d like to focus on Inbox Zero. (I’m such an amateur when it comes to email.)

If you want to join me in Sea Change, check it out here.

I will be back tomorrow with an update.

What are you a pro at?

Photo: Burning Typewriter, Leopoldo M. Maher, “Hommage” 1974 (from postcard)

Everyone wants to know: how to stop people from killing each other. The president has called for meaningful action. Citizens clamor for stricter gun control laws. Others blame the media, the entertainment industry, professional sports, and all those who fuel society’s hunger for the quest to feel or be recognized as, well, important, better than the rest, not to be outdone, number one.

We weep for the innocent while hugging our loved ones, and pray. Praying we will not become victims, unremembered in the wake of the next notorious killer.

Surely God hears our prayers. But are we listening? Has he given his answer and our hearts are just too hard to believe it?

Maybe it is time we turn our hearts to God, again. To give up and give in to the one who can create a new life, new heart, new purpose – no matter what others, by worldly standards may think.

Maybe it’s time for you, for me to admit we don’t have the answers. That the answer is in the one who gave up his life, that we might find ours.

Maybe it’s time to start saving lives by losing our own.

Maybe it’s time to believe, to seek God and be drawn in by his grace and unfailing love.

Maybe it’s time to place our worth in the hands of the one who can open our eyes and ears to a new story.

Maybe it’s time to lose, to not be ashamed to live a more godly, sacrificial life.

Maybe it’s time to turn and follow Jesus.

Maybe you’re at the turn.

It’s time.

Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. (Psalms 107:1 NLT)

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us I’ve been reflecting on what I’m thankful for. Besides my faithful (and ever-present, velcro-like) Springers, Hunter and Joey, here are 3 more reasons I’m thankful this time around.

The unfailing love and grace of God. I’m thankful that God has never given up on me. I keep coming back to how great He is, and how much I need his grace in my life.

I’m thankful for the way he speaks to me through his word, for his promises, forgiveness, guidance and blessings:

Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. (Genesis 26:24 NLT)

I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. (Psalm 16:8 NLT)

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT)

Remember, O Lord , your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord . The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. (Psalms 25:6-8 NLT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT)

Second chances and acts of kindness. I passed a homeless woman and her young daughter begging for help on a street corner. A voice in my head prompted me to give. With two $20 bills in my pocket, I drove on. A week later I was driving towards the same street corner and up ahead stood the same woman holding her little girl on her side, smiling and waving hopefully at the passing motorists.

This time my wife and two friends were in the car. “Look, there’s that woman and her daughter again,” I said.

“I’m going to giver her a ten,” came the voice from our friend in the backseat.

“I’ve got $5,” said my wife.

I caught her eye and motioned her to approach as we drove closer. Just then, the window went down in the car in front of us and someone held out a Costco-size package of strawberries. So large they nearly slipped out of their hand before the woman could grasp them. She fumbled with them but managed to drop them in the cloth bag around her shoulder as her little girl clung to her side, her eyes widening.

I drove up and the windows went down on the right side of my car as my wife and friend reached out and handed her the money. She smiled, thanked us and we drove off.

Too often we don’t get a second chance to help others in need. That day felt like a do-over and I drove away with a thankful heart.

A growing and caring family. in the early books of the Bible the narrative is often interrupted with a long list of names. Like the descendants of Noah, Abraham or Jacob. It is a reminder and validation of God’s promise to his people that he will be with them and bless their families.

I am thankful for all who have come before, and for all those God has given me who I call family. I am thankful for the promise and goodness of God, as real as a rainbow that his love for them will endure. These are:

My wife Trisha, mother Gloria and sister Kimberly, their extended families and my father, “Bud” who passed in 2005, but is never far from my heart and life.

For my children and step children: Jessica, Tiffany, Zachary, Rebecca, Nichole, Grant and their spouses/partners, Jason, Robert, Kristen, Curtis, Chris and Amanda. (Especially thankful this Thanksgiving to have Nichole and Nicholas visiting us from Minnesota.)

For my grandchildren: Ali, Jake, Alex, Josh; Savannah, Mason, Maddox; James, Nicholas, Sofie; Haven, Levi, Owen; Nicholas; Cam, Ben and Lincoln.

Finally, being thankful is more about giving than getting. And I guess that’s why it’s called Thanksgiving. The more we give, the more thankful we become.

The Beatles got it right when they composed the song, “The End” for the Abbey Road album: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

“For God gave, His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). Not only that, but Jesus was forsaken for us on the cross, he died for our sins, every single one of them.

May I give, more than I seek to get.

Looking for thanksgiving and things to be thankful for?

Give.

Recently, my wife, Trisha and I packed up our RV and went on a vacation with our two dogs. And believe me, the RV was packed to the gills! I only hoped our 26′ motor home would carry enough food, clothing and ‘equipment’ to last us the full 7 days. Talk about over-packing! I was especially equipped to be connected to all my work and personal interests. I brought:

• Laptop computer, iPad and iPhone
• 4 books (3 of which were business-related)
• Work files, a note pad and a 3-ring notebook crammed full of handwritten study notes

Suffice it to say, I was not going to miss a beat. If the weather turned sour I could plunk myself down inside the RV and lose myself in work and the park’s WiFi signal. But two days in it hit me, this was to be a vacation. And maybe I should consider vacating myself from all the digital devices and Internet connections – for a day. So that’s what I did, and I want to share some benefits and tips for successfully completing a digital disconnection, in case you want to do it too.

Benefits of a digital disconnection day

Looking back weeks later I can definitely say unplugging for an entire day had a calming effect, and was well worth it. I found myself able to be better at focusing on just one thing at a time without all the distractions and constantly checking for updates from the digital world. Even today I feel a sense of renewal and have vivid, pleasant memories of things I enjoyed on that day.

Upon returning from vacation I listened to Michael Hyatt’s podcast, 7 Steps to Getting the Most From Your Vacation (click to go to his show notes page). He talks about being intentional about taking vacations so we can get out of them what we need most at that particular time in our life. He believes vacations are “essential to our spiritual, emotional, relational and physical health.” Hyatt also points out we are not built to constantly surge. We function best when we work hard, then relax and let go.

If nothing else, you’ll slow down. We have greater access today than ever before to the technologies and tools that connect us to people and information. It’s afforded us the opportunity to be always on and connected to personal and work interests. But if we’re not careful, too much of it causes us to get worn down, stressed, even burned out and unhappy. We need to give ourselves periodic breaks by turning off, tuning out and simplifying our daily routines. A digital disconnection will slow everything down and help you be more relaxed.

Another benefit of disconnecting for a day is what it will mean to your partner and family. Vacationing or being with loved ones can be stressful if we’re not giving them enough of our undivided attention. Putting away digital devices while in the company of family members is like giving them (and you) a precious gift.

Scheduling a day to unplug and go on a digital fast can be very beneficial on many fronts. Whether you do it during a planned vacation, or block out a day on your calendar in the coming weeks, having a plan for how you’ll pull it off is key to a satisfying outcome.

Here are 6 tips to help you get the most from a digital disconnection:

1. Plan ahead. Part of planning ahead is to pick the day you’re going offline. Saturday was the first day of our vacation and we were going to one RV park for 2 nights before going to a second one on Monday. Knowing I would need my phone for route guidance on Monday, I didn’t want to be tempted to flip to my email or social apps with my phone staring me in the face. So I planned my disconnection day for Wednesday. Two days after we’d be settled in the next campground.

Another part of the planning was to decide ahead of time what I would disconnect from. I have books on my iPad and I thought I could, turn off the WiFi and just use the device for reading, but knowing again it would be so very tempting to just flip over and check email that I decided to cut out all digital, electronic or Internet-connected devices.

Beyond picking the day and the extent to which I would void myself of access, I didn’t plan too much else ahead of time. As you’ll discover, I had some books in mind to read and an activity or two I thought of doing, but beyond that I didn’t want to get too structured in my disconnection plan.

2. Tell others. You could do this on your own, but it helps if you’re accountable to others. I put something out on Facebook that said I was planning to disconnect and asked if they thought I could do it for a day. My stepson replied, “lol, I bet not. Keep an eye on him Mom.” That was a little bit of motivation for me and solidified my resolve to carry it through.

The other reason to let others in on what you’re up to is for them to not wonder or worry why you’ve dropped out. And, it lets them know ahead of time when you’ll be back online. This can be especially important if you’re quite active on social media, email or other online activities. I simply put out a tweet in addition to my Facebook post that I’d be unplugging for a day. I also enabled an email auto-reply before going on vacation to let people know I’d be pretty much out of touch for a week. If you have management responsibilities, delegate someone to act on your behalf and make decisions for you. Hyatt’s podcast previously mentioned offers some valuable tips and insights on this.

3. Put devices out of sight. Just before going to bed on the eve of my digital disconnection day I put all my digital devices away, out of my sight and made sure they were in the off or no-volume mode. Out of sight, out of mind? I can’t say I didn’t think about them from time to time, but not having them within sight and reach helped resist the urges to pick one up and just do a quick check-in.

4. Change of scenery. For me, being on vacation among towering redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains and the Henry Cowell State Park a 5 minute walk through the woods from the campground was a recipe for offline success! Do what you can to get away from familiar surroundings where you’re accustomed to being connected. Even if you’re on a stay-cation, where you’re taking a day or more to be at home, away from work, get outside and away from WiFi. Or find a quiet spot and make it your own for the day. I work from a home office, so that’s a room I would definitely want to stay away from for obvious reasons. Bottom line is give yourself the best chance you can to complete the day device and Internet free.

5. Keep it simple. By that I mean don’t try to cram too much in your day, and do the things you need to do to get the benefit that’s most important to you at this point in time. Pick 2-3 activities you will most enjoy. For me it was to do some reading, walking and just hanging out with my spouse at our private campfire.

Not having an overly structured plan leaves room for practicing the art of doing nothing. Just letting your mind and activities meander for a period is super relaxing. So in my planning I allowed blocks of time throughout the day and evening to just be open to whatever.

I had a number of books to choose from. The first book I picked up was by a popular social media thinker. But after reading the introduction I determined it was going to stimulate my thinking about being even more effectual at being connected in our digital age! Switching gears I turned to Erika Napoletano’s book, The Power of Unpopular, and this turned out to be a good choice. Still, the book that kept creeping into my thoughts was the one I had been reading on my iPad, The Power of Less, by Leo Babauta. It’s message of being focused on each moment, setting limits, choosing the essentials and simplifying your life was exactly what I was after this day.

The biggest thing I practiced was to focus on each moment and just do one thing at a time. Babauta calls it single-tasking. On a long walk with Trisha I was able to focus on her (without checking email or checking in on Foursquare, etc.) and having a meaningful conversation – not to mention enjoying the smells, sounds and beautiful surroundings. To this day, I can still visualize us walking among the redwoods along the railroad tracks and the very things we talked about. Keeping things simple and singularly focused is essential to maximizing the benefits you’ll get out of being in your digital-free zone.

6. Intentional reentry. Will you go back to your ‘normal’ state of being plugged in when your day of disconnecting is over? Or, will you decide to put some boundaries and limits on when, how and for how long you’ll engage online once you reenter the digital stratosphere? Having a digital detox can be life-changing. You may decide to be purposeful about establishing new habits to build on the benefits you’ve just experienced.

Upon my reentry, I continued to read a chapter in The Power of Less book every morning. It’s really resonated with me and I’ve already adopted many of the ‘simple plans’ Babauta outlines. A big one for me is to not check email before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m. This alone has made a huge impact on my well-being, peace of mind and relational time with Trisha in the evenings. Once you come out of a successful period of unplugging you’ll know what changes to make in your routines going forward. Remember to keep it simple and don’t try to do too much, too soon. Give yourself a break. Breathe.

Me? I’m planning another day to disconnect. This time I’m going to allow myself a computer – with WiFi turned off – to go on what Mark Levy calls a ‘freewriting marathon’. More on that another time. I think I’m on to something.

Have you tried disconnecting for a day, longer? What’s been your experience and what tips would you offer others?

Image credit – Slow Down People Breathing – Kini

It was early Saturday morning and I like to meander through blogs and things online. It’s a great way to discover new and inspiring stuff. Kind of like picking Ted Talks at random and just being open to learning something new. Something that inspires, challenges and stirs a fresh sense of wonder, hope, change.

I landed on Swiss Miss giving a talk at TYPO SF, “The Importance of Side Projects.” In her talk she shared 8 lessons from her life and work she is going to teach her children. It’s well worth the 30 minutes and exploring some of the things (side projects) she’s created.

Here are the 8 lessons from her talk that you can watch here.  Wouldn’t it be great to turn side projects into clientless work?

1. Find what you love
2. Don’t be a complainer
3. Trust your instincts
4. If an opportunity scares you, take it
5. Find like minded people
6. Collaborate
7. Ignore haters
8. Inspire others

Here are links to her ‘side projects’:

• Tattly – temporary tattoos by artists (you can order online): www.tattly.com
• CreativeMornings – 29 chapters and growing of creative thinkers meeting once a month: www.creativemornings.com
• Studiomates – Like minded people sharing space: www.studiomates.com
• TeuxDeux – A designy to-do app created by StudioMates  for the web and syncs with iPhone (app): www.teuxdeux.com
• Swiss Miss – Tina’s website: www.swiss-miss.com

What’s your side project all about?