Reader!

Hoping that all is good on your end.

So right off the bat, I set the date and I’ll be running the two-hour webinar all about how to use Instagram for Online Business, next Wednesday, June 16th, at 4pm PST. 40 monies reserves your spot, and YES there will be a replay/recording. There is always a replay/recording. Click the button below to grab your ticket.

Alrighty, now that that’s out of the way, wanted to hit you with a quick tip that I read in one of Cole Schafer’s emails. I subscribed to his newsletter, Sticky Notes, on a recommendation from one of my super-dope one-on-one biz coaching clients, and I was not disappointed.

One of the things that I’ll be covering in my webinar is productivity, namely the fact that folks be complaining about getting “sucked into the ‘Gram”, and consuming more than they create. Totally common, totally normal, and I'm not here to shame anyone. I do however believe that Cole has a brilliant strategy for improving focus and getting shit done and I wanted to share it with you:

A scratch pad. (Rupert just got very interested ;-)

So, no, I’m not talking about a cat toy, I’m talking about that piece of paper that we used in school to work out math problems, or more likely, to draw out numerous iterations of the world’s coolest S. Please see below if you don’t know what I’m talking about:

Back to the scratch pad. Cole uses the scratch pad as a way to stay on track during work periods by first turning off all distractions (text, email, social media, etc) and then using the scratch pad to write down the things that pop into his head that he’d usually go and investigate, getting pulled off track and away from his work. In using the scratch pad he has literally given himself a way to scratch the itch while staying on task, and I frickin’ love it.

How many times have you sat down to do something, only to remember that you need to add chicken to the grocery list, put the car in the garage, Google the lyrics to that song you heard on the radio earlier today, check your friend’s birthday on Facebook so that you don’t forget it this year, order more dishwasher detergent pods, or do some other task that didn’t matter five minutes ago but has suddenly become the most important activity ever?

Cole’s solution: Write it down now, act on it later. Brilliant.

I think that far too often people spend time wishing they were a different way, instead of accepting it, creating a strategy/solution that doesn’t require them to become a radically new person, and then acting on it.

When you sit down to work, your mind is going to wander. Wishing you were someone who could sit with complete focus and work for three hours won’t get you a single step closer to being able to sit with complete focus and work for three hours.

Accept how you are, create a strategy/solution that doesn’t require you to become a radically new person, and then act on it.

Lemme know if you give the ol’ scratch pad a try. I have full confidence that you can still draw that magic S. And don’t’ forget to sign up for that webinar!

Maestro out.

PS – I took the leap and signed up for my first beach volleyball tournament! It’s this Saturday (6/12) in Santa Monica. I’ll be sure to send out an email next Monday and let you know how it goes!