Archive for June 2014

Deadlines Deliver Dependable Results

Set Them Early and Often for Success

Set Them Early and Often for Success

As the end drew near, I could feel that my breathing was shallow, my pace fast. Super fast! I was working at full speed now, hoping to finish, cranking out nearly twice the output of my normal fast speed. But it wasn’t enough!

No amount of time would be enough. Because my boss understood that work expands to fill the time. So he always assigned twice as much work as he knew I could handle.

He also understood that without a deadline, without some time limit, there was no telling when the work would get done.

Imagine your boss giving you an assignment and saying, “Take as long as you need and come see me when you’re done.”

You might never get done!

Contrast that with a command to, “Have that report on my desk by end of business today!”

In book writing, you’ve got to be your own boss. And the tougher the better.

Deadlines deliver dependable results.

In order to get your book completed you need to set a completion date, a deadline.

It works best if you set a big, overall completion date for your book AND smaller deadlines for completing so many pages, or for completing the next chapter. The tighter the deadlines, the faster you’ll get done.

Once you set a deadline, you’ve been conditioned since childhood to meet that deadline. Even if the penalties are now only vague.

Your mind automatically links pleasure to meeting the deadline and pain to not.

This automatic mental conditioning will give you greater speed as your work. It will offer up greater clarity. It will be your internal cheerleader, spurring you on to victory!

But without a deadline, you’ll be a drifter. You’ll be a ship headed to ports unknown without a rudder. You’ll never get anywhere.

Let deadlines be your friend.

Setting tight deadlines let me write and publish over a dozen book titles in less than two years. And continues to drive my writing and the coaching I give to others.

This past January I made a public goal to post a new Profile Image on my Facebook page each week. We’re just about half way there, at week 25, and I’ve yet to miss one. I challenged myself. I set a weekly deadline because it works and doing this will help me to become a better photographer. You can see the latest photo here, maybe you’ll LIKE it… https://www.facebook.com/robert.schwarztrauber

My wife always jokes that we should host more parties because somehow, someway the house always gets clean and organized just minutes before the guests arrive.

And she’s not wrong!

Each day, millions of school children advance their education because there is a deadline for their morning arrival at school.

Each day, millions of workers arrive at their job and earn a paycheck to support their families, buy homes and cars, because there is a deadline for their arrival.

Deadlines deliver dependable results.

Why not set your own deadline now? Whether for your book, or some other important personal  or business advancing project you know you need to finally get done.

Be your own boss. Be a tough taskmaster.

Give yourself a challenge and watch as you surprise yourself with greater results over and over again.

We can do all do more. Setting deadlines helps us be our best.

What deadline will you set now to begin moving forward?

by Bob Schwarztrauber

Ignor the Doubters, it IS Possible for YOU

Get Directions From Someone Who's Been There.

Get Directions From Someone Who’s Been There.

Guys hate to ask for directions.
No matter how long it takes, or how far out of our way it takes us, we prefer to figure it out for ourselves. We don’t need no help. (Even with our grammar!)

When going to a new friend’s house to throw back a few beers, this no-help strategy is fairly harmless. In fact, it’s a rather clever strategy if your wife is making you go to a party you don’t want to go to.

But in business, trying to navigate your own way to a new destination (hopefully a higher plane or greater success) is just foolish. You’ll waste both time and money needlessly and delay or ultimately sabotage the very success you hoped to achieve.

A better strategy in business is to ask for directions. Get help.

Hopefully you understand that you don’t want just any advice. You want to get directions from someone who been where you want to go.

You wouldn’t ask Fred in Toledo how to get to 8th and Lexington in New York City would you?

No, you’d ask a cabbie in NYC! Someone who’s been there, someone who knows the shortcuts.

And so it is with book writing.

Chances are your friends have never written a book. So why listen when they tell you you can’t? Why listen when they tell you it’s IMPOSSIBLE to make any money as a writer? Why listen when they tell you it’s hard? Why listen when they tell you it will take you a long time?

All lies!

Unless they’ve done it successfully, your friends, your spouse, your boss, your relatives and your neighbor will all give you the wrong directions.

And you’ll never get to where you want to go.

On the other hand, when you talk to someone who HAS written a book, or several, published them, and made money from them, now you have directions for success.

You hear that it is POSSIBLE!

Often, it’s easier than you originally thought too!

Just as it is the second time you go to your friend’s house. Just as it is anytime you do something repeatedly. Or have someone experienced right beside you, to show you the way. To give you accurate directions.

If you’d like to write a book, I’d be happy to show you the way. Call me.

At the very least, grab a copy of my book, “Book Writing Magic”. It’s already helped many people write and publish their first book.

Think of it as a map which takes you step by step, turn by turn into becoming the successful author you always wanted to be.

Guys can use a map. It doesn’t break the macho code like asking someone for directions.

And the ladies are light years ahead of us guys. They already know it’s faster and easier to ask for help up front than to wander aimlessly. And they know it’s more fun to go with someone than to go it alone.

And like the faithful dog, I’m always eager to go for a ride with you.
I’ve been down the author’s road 20+ times myself. Many times with others.

I’ll be happy to show you the way, or just to ride beside you to encourage you, to inspire confidence, to help you stay on track, or to guide you back if you get lost along the way..

Sometimes, having someone there to encourage us makes all the difference in the world.

There’s a lot of negative in the world.

But I know writing a book is POSSIBLE For you.

by Bob Schwarztrauber