Plan to Create: Lessons from an Artist
A lesson on starting projects with Australian singer-songwriter Heidi Maree.
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 + request your FREE Toolkit!
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
Before you put your feet up after the Christmas rush, I encourage you to do what very few people do; evaluate your year. Jump on the live video session with us, and ask yourself some questions that will prompt solid, productive thinking.
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!
'Arctic OK' by Heidi Maree, Directed by Nathan Shooter
Watch the NEW 'Arctic OK' music video I've just finished working on for regional Australian music artist Heidi Maree.
New music video now live!
Occasionally a passion project comes along at the right time, breaking your routine for the better. This was one such project.
Above is the NEW 'Arctic OK' music video I've just finished working on for regional Australian music artist Heidi Maree. This is the title track from her EP that is now available on iTunes, Spotify and more.
To achieve this look, we decided to shoot in an open paddock on the edge of our home city, then set something on fire.. We were attacked by swarms of mosquitos, walked through cow poo and jumped fences!
Heidi has focused, and worked hard on all aspects of her craft to accomplish great things, and deserves all the success that comes her way.
You can follow her updates on Facebook and Instagram, or purchase her music on most music platform.
In all you do, #LiveToAccomplish, N.
Do Talk to Strangers: How to Connect with Anyone, Anywhere.
Learn how to connect with anyone, anywhere to create meaningful relationships that unlock incredible opportunities. Download the FREE resource while you're here!
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
- What will you do in the next 7 days to push through your social comfort zone?
- Will a family member and friend try it with you?
- At your next party or event, set a goal to talk to at least 2 new people.
- Can you introduce a work colleague to someone you know, but they don't?
- Develop your set of 'quality questions' you can use when you connect. Try 3 or 4.
- Create a short list of topics that you are knowledgeable on.
- 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?
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.
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:
- What outcomes am I yet to take full ownership of?
- What are the original reasons I started the venture I'm currently struggling with?
- Which Books, CDs, Podcasts, Audio Books could encourage me to continue what I've committed myself to?
- Are there things I can do to improve how I connect with others?
- 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.
- What patterns of the past can I ditch? Are there new ways to experiment?
- 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
We just can't stop spending it!
Busy? There's not enough of it. Bored? There's too much of it. We hunt for more of it. It's about time.
Busy? There's not enough of it. Bored? There's too much of it. We hunt for more of it. It's about time.
It's no secret that I love watches. Everyone has their signature item they like to wear. Some love their old black jeans; for me, a nice time piece is definitely my go-to item every time. Days, hours and minutes wind their way into every corner of our lives, regardless of how determined we are to deny them access.
It seems to have a way of imprinting value onto both moments and material things alike. Is it that our favourite jeans feel vintage that makes them special? Or that we have the very latest model iPhone that makes us feel like an insider? Is it the scarcity of the one-night-only concert that makes us happy to pay high ticket prices?
Together over the coming blog and podcast editions, we're going to be discovering simple things we can do to create significant shifts in how we think about time:
- When to start new things (like a new business)
- How to validate spending it (I'll share my simple 3-point system)
- How to let things come to an end (not everything is forever)
- How to use time to add value to everyday tasks (easier than it sounds)
Until then, over to you. What are your favourite time management hacks? Leave a comment, and #LiveToAccomplish.
When's the right time to start a business or project?
Waiting for the perfect time to start your dream business? When you receive financial reward for doing something that gives you a sense of joy, while utilising your natural abilities, you know you’re in the right place.
your natural talents can unlock opportunity and reward.
Waiting for the perfect time to start your dream business or project? Give up. (Waiting, that is.)
Since the early days of high school, I knew that traditional employment wouldn’t be the main way I earned a living. Perhaps it was folding socks and undies at my first job aged 14-years-old, that made me think that a regular job wasn’t all that crash hot.
Wider worldview
Fast forward past socks and undies to life beyond high school, I took six weeks unpaid from work, and travelled throughout America in a friend’s band, travelling from LA to New York, and everywhere in between. My twentieth birthday was spent in Seattle, visiting the famous space needle, museums and restaurants that served the biggest meals I’d ever seen.
Travel and worldview are inextricably linked. During our time in the US, I met families in small regional areas where the cinemas closed during the day, to amazing musicians in underground New York jazz clubs. We also met leaders, business people and billionaires who owned private jets. Observing these stark contrasts made me think about my own ability to influence how I earned a living.
Start with what you know
Many in-flight magazines and security checks later, I returned to my home in Dubbo, Australia and developed a plan to go into a business of my own. Returning to original workplace, my spare time quickly became occupied with business books, design magazines, and doing free design jobs. I became obsessed finding a way to turn my natural abilities and talents, into a revenue stream. Starting with what I knew, creativity, seemed to make sense.
By age twenty-one, I launched a business with a laptop, first client and a paid creative project. I was finally in the game - using my skills to pay the bills! When you receive payment for doing something that gives you a sense of joy, while utilising your natural abilities, you know you’re in the right place.
Risk and reward
We all have differing thresholds for risk and reward. After opening a business bank account with $20, a person in a similar business told me there was no market for what I was doing, and that I wouldn't last 6 months. That was 12 years ago. If you're truly ready for the adventures of being self-employed, then you're inviting both risk and reward to be your constant companions.
Are you ready to start? Is now the time?
10 Questions to ask yourself before starting a business:
- What abilities do people recognise in me?
- What natural talents can I trade on?
- What problem could my business solve for people?
- Why am I starting a business?
- Am I prepared to spend the time and money needed to get it started?
- Do I have the energy, people and knowledge I need?
- Am I comfortable with risk and reward coexisting?
- Who is my competition?
- If it doesn’t work out, could I pick myself up and move beyond the setback?
- Can I test-run a business idea before quitting my job?
Do all you can to #LiveToAccomplish.
Copyright 2016 Nathan Shooter