How to Subscribe to a Podcast

Read: 2 min Watch: 3:51 min

How do I listen and subscribe to Podcasts?

Here's 3 ways to discover and listen to episodes. Let's take a look at each one.

1) Website: Listen on any device.

Simply visit nathanshooter.com, or search 'Nathan Shooter' on a search engine such as Google or Bing. Once the website has loaded, click on the Blog icon, and then find the edition you'd like to listen to. Most of my blog articles will have a Podcast player at the top of the page. Click the play icon to listen!

2) Apple: Listen and subscribe on iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch.

The Podcasts app for iOS provides easy access to popular and featured podcasts using the navigation icons at the bottom of the app.

From the home screen of your iPhone, launch the Apple Podcast app, and go to 'search' then type in 'Nathan Shooter'. To subscribe to the podcast, tap the Subscribe icon. To play a podcast, tap on any episode. To download to listen to offline, tap the iCloud icon in the episode list.

You can manage your subscriptions and play podcast episodes in My Podcasts. To learn more, see iOS Podcasts Support.

3) Android: Listen and subscribe on Android Phones & Tablets.

For Android phones and tablets, use a podcast streaming app similar to the Stitcher app. You can find it from the Google Play store. In Stitcher, search for 'Nathan Shooter' and click the plus sign (+), to add it to your Favourites List. To start listening, go to the Favourites List and request it to download new episodes by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner.

Is Your Next Big Thing Waiting? 7 Tips for Time Management with Danny Hile

Read: 4 min   |   Listen: 35 min   |   Watch: 9 min

Too busy to start your side project? Here's 7 keys to get you on track.

Listen to the Podcast interview with time-management expert Danny Hile.

1. Create your personal mission, which will act as a reminder of your personal values in an ever changing world. Your mission statement will guide you and keep you on course, when you need to make tough decisions. Your mission is the very foundation for you to build your time management skills on.
2. Set your own goals, so you can be specific about what you aim to achieve and by when. Everything you want are only dreams until you turn them into specific goals. Goal setting is another one of those important time management skills because it gives you specific targets to work towards.
3. Focus on what you want because you have limited time and resources. You need to be crystal clear about what you want and your path to get there. Often time management skills are undermined because we live in a noisy world, which easily distracts people from working on their goals.
4. Organise your schedule, so you make time for what’s important to you, instead of using that time to work on someone else’s goals. Being organised means you can set up meetings, appointments and set aside time to contribute to your goals.
5. Make your own decisions. Learn to move forward and make better decisions before you take action towards your goals.
6. Act on your decisions because ideas are worthless without action. Once you have made a clear decision, you need to take action.
7. Review your results and progress, so you can reward your achievements, evaluate your progress and address any missed goals. If you missed any of your goals, it’s important to know why and how to improve your chances of success in the future.

Ready to master your minutes?

Danny Hile is generously offering readers and listeners the opportunity to download the first 2 chapters of his book Time to Start. for FREE! 

Enter your details below, and the download link will appear on this page. Enjoy!

How to Review Your Year + FREE Toolkit eBook!

Read: 9 min   |   Listen: 24 min   |   Watch: 15 min

Imagine if there were clues hiding in the past 12-months hinting at what you could achieve in the future. Discover them by doing a review, then go for goals.

Goal setting is a task we associate with the beginning of the year, on the first page of a 12-chapter book. But where do we find the information we need in order to set meaningful goals? Enter self-evaluation. When you review your past year, it unlocks all sorts of insights that might otherwise go unnoticed.  

Order of importance

For me, the process of setting goals for the coming year is almost impossible to do without reviewing and reflecting on the year that has been. It provides me with the wisdom to make well-informed choices going forward. 

Don’t get sucked into setting goals straight away. Do your review, and then set goals using the valuable insights that get unearthed during your evaluation - these give you the baseline for your new goals.

"Insights unearthed during a review, provide us with a baseline for new goals."

Look back, to look forward

If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that perhaps 70% of people don’t take the time, or at very least don’t have a clear system to review the year once it comes to a close. 

If you genuinely desire to live and perform better in the coming year, then I encourage you to pause, contemplate and be part of the thinking 30%; the 30% who analyse the year that’s passed. 

First time for everything

Never done a self-evaluation? You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain! Not sure what questions to ask yourself? Easy. I’ve created a FREE toolkit that contains a suite of questions that will get you started, and get you thinking. 

If you’re not sure if you can tackle a review on your own, why not enlist the help of a close friend or family member who understands you; someone who wants the best for you and asks great questions.

The 3 Canvases: Moments (Celebrate Accomplishments), Methods (Discover what Worked), Mindset (Balance Perspectives).

The 3 Canvases

Rather than being overwhelmed with a complex self-evaluation system, and finding excuses to avoid doing a year in review, I decided to develop a simple system that’s very approachable. Excuses eliminated!

There’s a multitude of ways to approach a review, and finding the right one can be tricky. My 3-Canvas system, is a streamlined way of encouraging you to sort your ideas into 3 major categories of thinking.

CANVAS 1: Moments - Celebrate Accomplishments

If you’re anything like me, you may have a tendency to overlook accomplishments. Reminding ourselves to acknowledge achievements is a healthy way to boost our confidence to keep going. 

You may not realise how significant some of your accomplishments really were, until you blow the dust off them.

Often I neglect to give myself space to celebrate achievements - whether they be partial or complete wins. There’s a range of reasons why we don’t celebrate.

Here’s 2 common ones: 

1. Being focused on the ‘new and next’. The pursuit of the future is a great thing, it keeps us fresh and excited. But sometimes it can overshadow, and even discount, the things you’ve accomplished in the recent past. Being future-focused shouldn’t come at the expense of not acknowledging previous wins.
2. Falling into the guilt trap. Some of us see celebrating as self-indulgence, or even self-adulation. Our response should be the opposite. It’s a very natural desire to want to relish the rewards that come from the effort we invested during the year. If we’re balanced in how we celebrate, then it’s 100% healthy.

"Being future-focused shouldn’t come at the expense of not acknowledging previous wins."

Download your FREE Toolkit! (free until 28 Feb 2017)

CANVAS 2: Methods - Discover what Worked

Philosopher and novelist George Santayana (1863-1952) said it best when he said “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it”. Yet some of us seem determined to do exactly that; aiming to forget a bad year. 

Not everything in life works, and that’s ok (read that again if you need to). In my eyes, the process of planning is more important that the plan itself. 

The methodology of planning forces us to do 3 things:

1. Identify goals 
2. Acknowledge abilities (and skill-gaps)
3. Craft a strategy that fuses them together

The next step is to then craft a plan to achieve those goals by leveraging our current abilities or by cultivating new skills.

Did something work really well? Congratulations! Analyse how you did it, then plan to do more of it (and aim a little higher next time). Consider how you could transfer the winning conditions/methods across to the plans that didn’t work. 

CANVAS 3: Mindset - Balance Perspectives

Toward the end of the year, my mind has a habit of rehearsing the negative and difficult things that occurred during the year. No doubt there are others who do the same. 

Left unchecked, distorted perspectives can allow negativity to gain a stronghold on how you felt about the entire year. Mass generalisations are not helpful.

"Clarify how the year ‘felt’, by articulating how it actually ‘went’"

How do I check that my overall attitude perspective is balanced? I attempt to cognitively separate how the year ‘felt’, by articulating how it actually ‘went’. Writing out real, tangible examples on paper, does wonders. 

But how do we do it? Here’s my approach:

1. Physical - Is your end of year exhaustion affecting your perspective?
2. Feelings - Freely write out feelings, without self judgement
3. Evidence - Search for evidence to backup or disprove your feelings

Together, let’s not short-change ourselves by righting-off an entire year as ‘bad’, because we didn’t check our thoughts.

6 steps to get started

1. Download your FREE Toolkit (free until 28 Feb 2017)
2. Change the scenery, find a different environment
3. Use the questions to prompt thinking (focused on last 12 months only)
4. Handwrite (better for your brain!) initial and extended responses
5. Find common themes throughout your responses
6. Decide how these responses will influence your new goals!

Share your experiences on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #LivetoAccomplish. 

I know you’ll uncover valuable insights, all the best, N.

FREE Toolkit Download

Enter your details below, and the download link will appear on this page.

Plan to Create: Lessons from an Artist

A lesson on starting projects with Australian singer-songwriter Heidi Maree.

REPLAY: Show 2016 Who's Boss: Facebook Live

Missed the Live Video session?

Watch the video replay below, and request your FREE Toolkit here!

Add your comments as we go through the video together.

Enjoy, N.
#LivetoAccomplish #2016Boss

Show 2016 who's Boss: Online Event + Toolkit

You're invited to my FIRST Facebook Live session.

By now you've most likely attended a rush of Christmas parties, battled shopping traffic and are tying up loose ends at work for the year. Your well deserved rest is coming.

Before you give into the temptation to just to crash and put your feet up, I encourage you to do what very few people do; evaluate your year. That's why I'm inviting you to jump on the live video session with us, and ask yourself some questions that will prompt solid, productive thinking.

Felt like you had a bad year?

Then this is for you. When you compare how a year 'felt' versus how the year actually 'went', you might just be pleasantly surprised with what you uncover. 

Most of us, are like the rest of us.

Let's be honest, I've had a rough year. I figured I needed to dig deep and analyse how the year unfolded. My hope is as I share my process, some of you will find it helpful in setting you up for an amazing New Year.

See you in the session, N.
#LivetoAccomplish #2016Boss

• When: Thursday 22 December 2016, 7pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time)
• Where: Watch the replay here or on Facebook

FREE Toolkit download

Fill out the form below to receive the Toolkit once it goes live!

Do Talk to Strangers: How to Connect with Anyone, Anywhere.

Kerrie Phipps, the connection master.

In previous episodes we've talked about how kick starting an idea is an exciting process. Then the next one focused on how to keep it going when it becomes hard. That’s why this third episode is important; it’s about discovering how connecting with people can unlock incredible value that goes otherwise untapped.

Kerrie Phipps is a connection-master and has a book out called Do Talk to Strangers, and has been on the speaking circuit overseas and throughout Australia. Kerrie’s message focuses on what it means to connect with others authentically.

Episode Highlights

The 'Asking' model:

A - Awareness: Of yourself, and of others. Are you nervous? Let go, and focus on serving others in the conversation.
S - Start Small: Smile and step out of your comfort zone. Perhaps start by discussing simple yet positive things.
K - Keep Going: Ask questions like "What did you enjoy most about...?" Open ended questions will create momentum.
I - Interest in Others: Make the choice to tune in, and really listen to the other person. Pick up on key words.
N - Natural Confidence: Be secure in who you are. Being open to feedback will help you become the 'best version' of yourself.
G - Gratitude: Look for ways to acknowledge others. Actively show others that you value them, and their ideas.

FREE eBook Download

If we’re honest connecting, can be really difficult. The good new is, it doesn’t have to be. Kerrie has been kind enough to provide my blog readers and podcast listeners with 2 valuable resources that provide us with tools to arm ourselves with. 

We're giving you a FREE 41-page eBook with Kerrie's ‘ASKING Model’ that we featured in our podcast conversation, containing the 6 Steps to connect with anyone, anywhere.

Oh, and as a bonus, you’ll also receive access to Kerrie’s up-close and personal interview with Janet Beckers about the journey of writing her latest book.

Ready to be equipped and challenged? Click here to download (you’ll need to enter your email address).

7-Day Challenge

1. What will you do in the next 7 days to push through your social comfort zone?
2. Will a family member and friend try it with you?
3. At your next party or event, set a goal to talk to at least 2 new people.
4. Can you introduce a work colleague to someone you know, but they don't?
5. Develop your set of 'quality questions' you can use when you connect. Try 3 or 4.
6. Create a short list of topics that you are knowledgeable on.
7. Reflect on what you've learned from talking to strangers, that you would have otherwise never learnt!

In all you do, #LiveToAccomplish, N.

Have you got the Middle Mile Syndrome?

Read time: 6 minutes    |    Key Ideas: create, commit, persist, complete.

Starting something is a rush, yet keeping it going can feel like a drag. I call it the Middle Mile Syndrome, and here's 5 simple ways you can beat it.

You've started, now what?

You’ve turned the shiny doorknob on that freshly painted door, and opened it with gusto - a grand entrance that deserves an applause. But, maybe nobody told you that there could be a long, and sometimes narrow corridor behind it.
 
We live in a culture that praises the start-ups, but tends to neglect the carry-ons; the ones who chip away faithfully on their idea, long after the crowd has dispersed. 

What is the Middle Mile Syndrome?

The first mile, all of us can do. Going the 2nd mile is about excellence, and enduring the 3rd mile is about persistence. It’s the moment when the Middle Mile Syndrome kicks in. It’s the mile others often don’t see you driving, except perhaps for your nearest and dearest.

So why is it that some us can persist when others succumb? I've strived (and sometimes) struggled to be a person who creates, commits and completes. Anyone who says they've mastered all of these, probably doesn't have a pulse.

Keep Going.

You’re still reading, so maybe you and I aren’t that different. Here’s 5 key things we can both do to master the middle mile.

1 - Take Ownership

Sometimes I need to be reminded that the projects I started were by choice.  When examining progress (or lack thereof) it can be tempting to apportion blame to other people and circumstances. Take responsibility. Take complete ownership of the incomplete.

2 - Recall the Reason

When we start out in life after school, we emerge full of dreams, plans, aspirations and curiosity. As the rhythms of life’s routine set in, we forget about the hopes we once held for ourselves.

Do a quick mind audit by looking at the mental picture we previously held of our future, and then contrasting it with the one we hold now. Are they different? Be reinvigorated by recalling the reason that motivated you to start.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” - Walt Disney

3 - Progress not Pause

Great endeavours aren’t reserved only for the talented, they’re built by the diligent. Pull the veil back on many of society’s geniuses, and you’ll find people who are indeed extraordinary, but who also had a willingness to out-work others. Diligence will help us to progress, rather than pause.

“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.” ― Michelangelo

4 - Choose to Connect

Two of the ways we sometimes struggle to connect are socially and emotionally. 

Living in regional/inland places may have its geographic challenges, but it’s no reason to feel socially disconnected. We live in a global village, where technology bridges the social divide faster and cheaper than ever. 

Do you feel like others just ‘don't get you’? Don't expect everyone to understand the venture you've started, or how it feels to be walking the middle mile. The good news is that there are plenty of people who do! Seek out emotional encouragement by those who have ‘been there, lived that’.

If you truly desire to feel heard and understood by others, push past your comfort zone and choose to connect.

“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued… they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” - Brené Brown

5 - Apply Agile Thinking

When the middle mild syndrome sets in, we find ourselves in a rut. This is when agile thinking will keep you moving. I'm a creature of habit, and find it easy to slip into habitual thinking and behaviour.

What can you do to untether yourself from patterns of the past? Push yourself to try new things, experiment and innovate. Even the smallest changes will help you to develop agile thinking.

What's Next?

Now that you've discovered 5 simple ways to beat the middle mile, It's over to you keep up the pace. Like you, I need people who understand my strengths, weaknesses, and what it's like in between. Below are some questions we can ask ourselves, and each other, to be people who create, commit and complete.

In all you do, #livetoaccomplish, N.

---

Actions for the #LivetoAccomplish mindset:

1. What outcomes am I yet to take full ownership of?
2. What are the original reasons I started the venture I'm currently struggling with?
3. Which Books, CDs, Podcasts, Audio Books could encourage me to continue what I've committed myself to?
4. Are there things I can do to improve how I connect with others?
5. Do I have a balanced understanding of perseverance? It's not about being unmoving, unchanging, being stubborn or not having the awareness of when to move on.
6. What patterns of the past can I ditch? Are there new ways to experiment?
7. What words do I need to add to my vocabulary? Perseverance, tenacity, determination, resoluteness, purposefulness, patience, endurance, diligence, dedication, commitment, persistence, stamina.

Copyright 2016 Nathan Shooter