As the pen scratches the page, or your fingers tap on the keyboard, are you approaching zen? It’s something that you often feel when you’re writing, but how often do you improve?

Writing a steady amount of articles is most likely your target.

What shuts it down like a floodgate is when you’re about to publish your work. Instead of asking, is this the best article I’ve ever written, you wonder if it will be lost in a sea of forgotten content.

The ongoing conversation about quality versus quantity goes through your mind — you don’t want to build a…

Do you struggle with motivating yourself?

Do you put things off, consistently procrastinating the critical stuff? Maybe it’s an application, a difficult meeting or phone call, or a trip — I’m sure something is nagging you.

If there is, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Procrastination — The Struggle of Many

I recently started answering questions on Quora. You probably already know — it’s a fantastic user-generated content playground where anyone can ask a question and get a response.

I was surprised by how many people ask the same question over and over again. How can I stop procrastinating and get things done?

It seems I could spend a lifetime answering questions that…

It’s so easy to stay positive when things are going well but how do you keep your spirits up when things aren’t going well?

Maybe you applied for 100 jobs and were rejected from each one. Reality keeps setting in the more you look at your bank account…

What is happening, you might ask yourself.

It’s hard to answer these questions when your mind is running out of control. Worries that keep you tossing and turning are reminders that you’re far away from where you want to be.

A hum-drum attitude would benefit from an early morning walk.

Start With an Early Morning Clean Up

What’s different…

I have never been this clear on what I want in my life and why I want it…

Even in this time of financial insecurity, my commitments align with who I am. They make me proud. If I died today, I’d die a happier man.

For years, I’ve dreamed of having my own business — I’ve experimented in many areas from music, marketing, consulting, and even making hot sauce, to name a few, but none of the opportunities stuck.

In the beginning, I was excited thinking that each endeavor was the thing.

After a few months, I lost that initial buzz and stopped developing the idea. …

When I write, part of my creative process has been tied to the physical act—my hand across the page, the texture of the paper, and fresh ink. I’m old school, what can I say?

I “needed” my old perspective

Recently, my focus has shifted from results to process, which means I look for ways to improve the way I work. This uncovered habits that I’ve been holding on to, that I’ve used to identify me as a person.

If I say I’m a writer, to me, that meant that I physically write. Starting on the computer wasn’t an option because typing wasn't writing. Maybe it’s…

The way I interpret events is a choice. My interpretation applies to all events. The small and big count equally. This seems obvious, but when I look closer, it’s one of those areas where I know the right way, but in practice, it’s a different story.

Typically, I evaluate events based on a “good” or “bad” scale, with “ok” not even making it to the board. Labeling events this way shows how much I rely on interpretation to explain what is happening in my life.

In the words of Don Miguel Ruiz in The Mastery of Love:

“In the Dream…

Last month — in straight Marie Kondo fashion — I got rid of everything in my apartment.

I felt like I was losing my ability to make things happen and was just letting life happen.

Amy Cuddy describes it well in her book Presence:

“Personal power is all about having the confidence to act based on one’s own beliefs, attitudes, and values, and having the sense that one’s actions will be effective.”

She was right, I wasn’t acting this way. My personal power was practically non-existent.

Instead of trying to figure out a clever solution or spending hours researching online…

Monthly Sprint

Borrowing from Scrum, I’ve been treating my goals like a development Sprint. It makes my vision clear for the next 30 days, and I can evaluate what went well and what didn’t. Self-feedback is a fantastic tool.

Sprint goals should move me closer to my BIG goals, but shouldn’t be massive. Not too big or small, but manageable. Three to five work well. I think hooray if I make it happen, but keep them realistic enough so that I can complete them in a month.

My July Sprint Goals were:

• Write an 18,000-word story
• Perform 7 times
• Produce 2 music…