lobby art in "The Monarch" condo, downtown Austin

I’ve been juggling a bunch of balls for quite some time now. Here’s a quote from a previous blog post I wrote in 2007: The Law of Gravity: as it applies to Entrepreneurialism:

I compare all my businesses/projects to balls. I continuously throw up as many balls in the air as I can. Right now, all the balls are different shapes, sizes, and colors—-but there’s probably about 6 of them right now. I’ve learned to accept (and to look forward to) the realization that most of the balls will fall, roll around on the floor, and then ultimately get squashed. As a positive, that’s when you no longer have to pay attention to them. But in your heart, you know that you gave them a chance to fly…no regrets on your part. Some balls, though, stay up for longer than you would expect. However, the longer they stay in the air, they gradually grow in size and begin to get heavier and thus, harder to manage along with the others.

Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed about new “opportunities” that have come to me, that a year ago I would have jumped at—effectively adding them to juggling exercise. I’ve reached the point, it seems, where my mindset has shifted. I’ve now become a lot less interested in picking up new projects and more focused on the ones I’m already working on—those that I’ve grown exceptionally passionate about and have a high potential for sustained success. I still have a tremendous curiosity with the new projects that I’m teased with—and am in fact, admittedly addicted to curiosity. I would even make the bold statement that I’ve never met anyone more curious than myself. So, now as I’m refusing to allow myself to get wrapped up into these new ideas, I’ve realized that what has drawn me to them in the past has been my sheer curiosity of “what if” and perhaps my lack of full belief in my other projects.

Now, though, I’m confident and sure that the projects in front of me right now, are the ones I want to focus my time on. Yes, it stings a little bit to say, “no”, but perhaps the only way to reach massive success with one thing in life is to say no to countless others.

What balls are you juggling right now? Do you find yourself adding more and more to your collection? If so, maybe you should explore the true reason why. And if you’re not adding more and just focusing on one or two, then perhaps you’re a step ahead of me.

Some comments of interest so far:

• time zone changes are frustrating. In the beginning I thought it would be helpful to have such a dramatic time change between Sydney and Austin, thinking that I’d be able to knock stuff out and have it show up in my colleague’s inboxes when they wake up. Not so easy. I’ve started going out more at night (naturally) so it makes it near impossible to wake up at 5am or 6am as I was before. This morning I woke up at 9, checked the local time in Austin and it was already the afternoon—which kind of deflates my personal motivation—their day is already almost over.
• unexpected interruptions of flow. Whether it’s broken suitcases, discussions about what to do for lunch, or doing laundry, it’s all an interruption. If anything, it is training to be able to leave and then re-enter a solid state of flow. Difficult indeed, but a necessity in this environment. The only way I can think of that would counter all the distractions would be to wake up super early in the morning (which I was doing before) or having ‘closed door’ office hours. I do not want to do that, though, as it really is shutting off other people. But then again, maybe if they understand it’s for the best and only for a limited amount of time, that would be okay. Still debating the best method…Ah, perhaps a good alternative to an actual closed door is for me to put on headphones. I still feel a little guilty about that, though.
• fear of opening my inbox. I’m sitting here without having opened my gmail inbox because last time i was in there it was 276 unread messages. That was after a 4 day hiatus of not having internet access because I was staying at a lakehouse hundreds of kilometers outside of Sydney. Last night when I checked it after coming in from a night out I guess I COULD have processed it all and gotten it down to zero, but I tell ya that’s frustrating just thinking about. I guess the trick is just setting out the time and knocking it out. Not sure how to conquer it otherwise. My 3-4hrs/day of working are quickly dwindling due to extra distractions (mainly my parents have now arrived in Sydney, so there are 6 of us all staying together in a small 3 bedroom apartment.
• Hmmm…Okay, time to start processing so I can close some/all of the open loops. Speaking of, I wonder if this segment of my trip is teaching me to be more comfortable with having some open loops out there…time will tell.

It’s 4:35AM in Australia and while everyone else (my sister, her roommate, & my girlfriend) are asleep, but my internal clock was aching me to ‘get the hell outta bed!” So here I am sipping tea and writing a blog post.

Before my travels to Sydney I purchased the super tiny Asus eeePC 901 series.

Yes, the thing is tiny. I’ve figured how to type pretty well on it, though!

There are a number of challenges that traveling abroad has already presented and will be presenting soon. I will be here for 6 weeks, so as person who spends about 12hrs/day on the computer (personal + professional) things will be transforming a bit. Hopefully it will teach me to work in a more efficient, productive way. I feel like it’s almost like jumping into the deep end a bit…we shall see.

I will be sharing these challenges and the steps I’ve taken to overcome them over the course of the next few weeks. My girlfriend, Katrina, thinks they sound like boring posts…lol, but I’m really facinated with it anyways.

Sometimes it takes hearing something that takes your breath away to make you second guess yourself about how you measure success.

I encourage you to reevaluate what you’re trying to do in life by looking at the end goal of it all. Is your end goal really money? Or is it simply just happiness and you’ve brainwashed yourself to think that as soon as you get enough money you’ll finally have the time to be happy? I know it seems like hackneyed idea, but really dig deep and ask yourself “what the hell am I doing?!”

I remember several years ago I read a business book that interviewed one particular successful business man and he said the secret to his success was his wife and family. What? I read that at 21, and I thought “what a load of crap.” He said his wife’s support and love for him helped him through the toughest times and allowed him to strive for the highest peaks. Honestly, I thought he was kind of pathetic. I had always subscribed to the thought that “I don’t have time for a serious relationship. I may never get married because I wouldn’t be able to dedicate enough time to the relationship to make it work. I certainly won’t ever have kids—it’s the sacrifice I need to make in order to be ’successful’.” I look back on that mentality and realize how ignorant I was. I was totally missing the point of it all—”it” being life.

It’s not going to be here forever, so embrace every aspect of life that you have already attained–your family, your friends, your significant other, the success in your business thus far. In fact, you might be surprised to find out how successful you already are and that you’re not doing so bad after all. Once that gives you a mental confidence boost, you also might start to realize that the money part might just get a little bit easier and not seem so daunting.

Don’t neglect the loves in your life. Because that’s what got you here. And that’s what’s going to get you to the next step too.

Does that correlation exist?  At this point, I’m not totally sure.  The inspiration for this post comes from that the fact that over the past several weeks I’ve been doing multiple sets of pushups daily on a regular basis, and because I’m not exactly the most muscular guy in the room, I’ve started to notice quite obvious physical improvement. I can tell it’s working because for one, I’m able to steadily increase the number of pushups I can do, so I know I’m getting stronger. And two, I’m seeing definition in my arms and chest that I haven’t seen since my sophomore year in college when I was going to the gym on a regular basis. And keep in mind, this is all just pushups (mainly because I actually enjoy doing pushups…I always have for some reason).  Probably about just 20/day for 2 weeks. Nothing intense.
So, this where it gets interesting…

Over the past week for just a random reason (to see if I could do it, or maybe it was because I set up Joe’s Goals) I started increasing the difficulty and variety of the exercises. Started doing crunches, squats, and even ran a mile for the hell of it one day (of which I haven’t done for years…I hate running because I think it’s boring).  Here’s the thing, though.  I noticed my business productivity and personal motivation go up a little bit. I’m very aware of my internal self, so when a small amount changes, I notice it big time.  And boy did I notice. The past few days have been incredibly productive, and the best thing is that because my motivation has increased I’m doing the tasks that I’ve been avoiding for a while now, without even thinking twice. I must admit I didn’t expect this at all.

Maybe this seems like old news to you. And in fact, I think I’ve read it before somewhere.  But when you experience it first hand, it’s a bit different.

The key is determining what it is about exercising that has increased my motivation. It could be a number of things:

1. increase in testosterone (i’ve already started to research natural ways to increase testosterone to further increase motivation if this is the culprit)
2. increase in muscle tone has increases my self-confidence and thus my motivation to live life to it’s fullest
3. the presence of the workout routine increases my work routine follow-through
4. something else I’m not thinking of…

I’m going to continue the experiment for a while longer. I wonder if there’s a plateau, or if motivation just continues to go up?  As a personal productivity obsessive and avid lifehacker, this is quite exciting to me! There’s an obvious correlation between personal motivation and business success. Now, the key is finding some way to hack into that extra supply of personal motivation.

I’m getting older.  I say this a lot, but what do I mean by it?  I do not have the urge to listen to loud obnoxious music, except at certain times.  I no longer like to drink very often—hardly at all actually.  I do not even really like to drink period.  I do not like the loss of control that alcohol does to my body.  I do not like the way it makes me feel to a certain a extent.  Not the loss of control, but rather the loss of intelligence.  I take life a lot more serious now because I feel that I know who I am and where I’m seeking to go in life.  I am becoming more direct with people and insist they are with me too.  I’m growing up to the point where others who are not grown up annoy me.  I’ve done a good job at minimizing this, though, realizing that everyone, no matter who they are, has a valuable influence on me, and can help me through certain situations.  This I learned from the teachings of Og Mandino.  I love everyone I meet because they are of value to me and I am of value to them.

Being an entrepreneur is a solo experience.  It is…  It isn’t…  We could go into a long discussion about it.  None the less, you spend a lot of time alone, very few people understand what goes on in your mind, so eventually you begin to distance yourself from people—realizing you’re a bit weird.  All of us entrepreneurs are weirdos in our own right—we’re crazy passionate people.  Obsessive, perhaps. And we want to do huge things—but we hate waiting for it.

Yesterday I worked with a bunch of other solo-ists out there.  And it felt good.  So, if you’ve cast off the company of others, I encourage you to check out a co-working event in your area.  My experiment was with my Jelly – Casual coworking.  Good times.

Entrepreneurship is about leadership, risk, and follow-through—-confidence! Building your confidence is a combination of many different things. Much to the chagrin of the already self-assured people out there, confidence and self-empowerment are not in-born characteristics. It is a skill and a way of life that can most certainly be taught! I learned to become more self-confident and so can you.

Increasing self-worth is not just about what to do and how to think, but just as importantly, what not to do and how not to think. Below are a few behaviors you should work to eliminate in your life in order to build confidence and self-empowerment.

Stop Exposing Yourself to Self-Deprecating Humor

If you are in the beginning stages of building your self-assured mindset, then it is very important not to engage in situations where you make fun of yourself in front of others. Once you reach a certain degree of confidence, it is okay for some self-deprecating humor, but if you are a novice, this humor is one of the easiest ways to make your wall of confidence start to crumble. After all, confidence is a mindset that you create yourself. Does it make sense then, to question your mindset and ridicule yourself in front of others? Most certainly not. This type of humor is used by two people: the extremely confident, and the extremely weak. If you do not consider yourself “extremely confident” then don’t even think about it. You’re just hurting yourself.

Avoid Uncomfortable Situations. Be Prepared.

A smart solider always knows what to expect on the battleground before they move forward. If he/she expects conflict beyond his/her ability to handle, then reinforcements are called. Whether you’re a solider or an individual learning to grow confidence, it’s stupid to jump into situations you can’t handle. You’re just asking to get hit hard by opposition and go through a lengthy process of recovery. This can be applied to so many different scenarios. From approaching people of the opposite sex in a bar, going unprepared to a business networking event, to getting lost on your way somewhere because you didn’t have good directions, these are all instances where it is important to either “call for backup” or simply do your homework.

There’s nothing wrong with going up to someone of the opposite sex and getting turned down. It happens. In instances like this, though, support from your friends is a necessity. Say you’re walking around a bar by yourself and you go up to someone and they shoot you down. You walk away feeling a little bit less of a person. Your confidence is down and you start to doubt your attractiveness and your charm. However, if you go with a bunch of supportive friends, then after you get turned down you have a support group to go to that will reassure that the other person isn’t worth it. They’ll also encourage you to keep trying and not get down. Without these friends, there would have been no reassurance and no encouragement. Supportive friends are great for confidence building—find them and hold on to them.

Getting lost may seem insignificant, but to me it’s a big deal. Self confidence is all self. That means avoid situations where you may end up doubting yourself. Getting lost and subsequently being late is a small confidence killer that can be avoided. Before traveling to a place you’re not familiar you should have backups to ensure you find your way flawlessly. Use Google or Mapquest to print a turn-by-turn map. At the top of the printed map, jot down the phone number of the establishment (if you’re meeting at a restaurant, etc.) so you can call on your cell phone to get directions. It does not look good (and is embarrassing) if you have to call the person you’re meeting to get directions. It’s takes you out of control and automatically puts you down. Don’t fly blind. Always have a plan. But here’s the key, make it look effortless. Make it seem like no big deal. “It was easy to find the place…no problem.” (Even if you had a hard time.) Confidence is as much a perception as it is a reality. When other people perceive you as confident, it starts to rub off on you.

So, remember…

Don’t put yourself down. You are intelligent, funny, and good looking. Don’t ever give anyone a reason to hear otherwise—especially from you. And finally, be prepared. Sometimes it’s as simple as doing an online search so you know what to expect before you jump in. Going to a new restaurant? Read the reviews online so you know what others before you experienced. This will ensure you make confident and smart decisions.

Truths I have discovered through my journey towards enlightenment.

1. Actions can be completed with exact delicacy and focus. Actions created in that matter prove to be more meaningful.
2. When time goes slower, you will learn to appreciate the slight occurrences of life. The sound of drinking your tea. Your fingers on the keyboard. The feel of objects on your skin. The slower and more deliberate your actions, the more you notice them. The quicker, and more automatic—the more they are erased.
3. It is not necessary to go back over tasks that have already been completed to 90% accurate. Value your time more than that, and put it somewhere it can help another task grow from 0-90%.
4. Never feel rushed. Time is of your own creation. If you rush any aspect of life, you not only create less meaning in your action, but you are allowing your own imagination to dictate your existence and state of mind.
5. Hunger and pain are sensations of the physical self. Do not allow your physical self to control your real self. When these sensations approach you, tell them, “Hello hunger. Hello pain. I see you. I understand that my physical self has created you. However, my physical self does not govern my existence. Goodbye hunger. Goodbye pain. Now I will let you go.”
6. To find the answer, ask yourself the question. And then meditate for 1-2 minutes. The answer will enter you upon awakening.I asked myself the questions below and then meditated to find the answers.How to make more money (quickly and easily)?
   
   Do more.How to accomplish doing more when I already seem so overwhelmed?
   
   Can still work the same amount of hours, but always focus intently and individually at the matter at hand. Make sure to spend your time where it creates the most impactful results.

   What do I do when I get behind in my tasks and start to feel behind the ball and so overwhelmed that I do not want to even start?
   
   Pick 2-3 tasks and plan out the days you will complete them. It is not necessary to complete them all in 1 day, so just spread them out. No longer will they feel daunting.