Do Not *Reach* for Your Goals

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Be your goals instead.

We are raised to set goals and reach them. “Shoot for the moon and you could reach the stars.” The problem? Stars are really far away. Our nearest star Alpha Centauri is 4.37 light-years away (about 26,395,661,800,000 miles). “Reaching” your goal establishes a psychological distance between you and your objective, making it that much harder for you to accomplish.

Be your goal. Forget distance. Close the gap. Discard maps. Embody your mission. Speak the language. Do not hesitate. Plow all obstacles aside. You have what it takes.

Finish lines are illusions. Be who you want to be, no less, no later. Now.

How Blogging Can Help Build Your Net Worth

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31 posts, 7,104 words, 311 unique readers, 1,721 article views, 27 states and 11 countries later, I have completed my first objective:  blog every day in the month of March. It has been an extremely fulfilling experience, to say the least. Blogging has helped me:

  • Learn to overcome procrastination on a micro task level.
  • Develop the essential skill of writing.
  • Communicate concepts otherwise lost in my head.
  • Increase social media exposure.
  • Reconnect with old friends.
  • Introduce me to professionals in my industry and others.

It is amazing how much blogging can help you connect. My network is far more dynamic and rich than it was a month ago (and I do not think that has to do with the weather). I cannot say this enough, but a stronger network correlates with your personal net worth. You are more valuable if more people know you well.

I cannot recommend blogging enough.  I will write soon about blogging tactics that have helped me build a daily audience.

I am on a role, have formed the habit, and have no intention of slowing down.  I commit to blogging every single day through the remainder of 2011.  

For every day I fail to blog in 2011, I will donate to charity $1 per total unique reader visiting my site.

And for those fooled, I am NOT moving to Europe. America is ripe with opportunity and I have much left to do!

Got A New Job, I’m Moving to Europe!

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The deal just got signed today and I am leaving the country the beginning of May. My contract will start me in London, from there I have no idea. I cannot say much about the opportunity yet, but I am very excited. I want to see as many of you as possible before I leave.

No time like the present to pick up and go. We are not getting any younger. If you find yourself at all envious of friends exploring the world abroad, think really hard about your priorities. Opportunities overseas are countless, the frontiers exhilarating and personal growth guaranteed. Your day job is not an excuse to stick around. If you feel the drive to search your soul and broaden your horizons, do not wait – get the hell out of town. 

Follow your heart.

I will continue blogging daily. Stay in touch!

Film Friday: The Key to Becoming a Successful Director

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Writing a screenplay, filming shorts, building a reel, exhibiting talent and advertising yourself as a “director” are NOT enough. Film is a collaborative art and it takes a strong core team. The key to becoming a successful film director (or any key-level position) is to surround yourself with talented people who can only see you as a director.

True for any profession – surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams. Family and significant others are a good start, but you need professionals who can support you and your vision. Convince the industry you are best at doing one thing above all else.

I have mentioned this before, but it has to do with portrayal. If people see you as a good assistant, they will only see you as a good assistant. Best camera operator in town? Good luck getting calls for anything else. If your agent values you as a writer, hard chance earning a push toward the big chair. Show everyone you are a good director, and they will only see you as a good director.

Start on your level. It is far easier and more effective to prove it to peers who will recommend you than to a studio executive with your reel or a script. Your network is your net worth. A friend’s “I know this great director” is far more accelerating than “I know this talented guy who is working at an agency.” If your friends don’t title you a director, no one will.

Best to build your team on level, too. You need at bare minimum a producer, director of photography, production designer, sound designer and editor who can vouch for you. Part of your marketability as a director are the talented chaps you have in tow.

If you are not building relationships with collaborators, getting constant practice or stuck working a 60-hour week, I strongly encourage you to quit your mediocre day job and get busy because you are wasting time. Don’t tell people you are a director, be a director. The only person who will believe your lie is you, unless of course your lie comes true.

Share this with peers you believe in and encourage them with your vote of confidence. Success in collaboration is a two-way street.

If I Don’t Understand What You’re Saying, It’s Your Fault

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When peers or collaborators do not understand you, do not blame it on them (it’s counterproductive). Either you have not communicated clearly enough or they have insufficient background to understand. Take credit for the miscommunication and try a different approach. Be prepared to educate.

First, identify points of comprehension. What parts did he or she understand? Use comprehension as an anchor for the rest of your revised approach. From there, tackle the incongruities. Teach concepts, use metaphors, whatever it takes to spread the butter across the bread. Repeat yourself if you need to. Repeat yourself if you need to.

Some people simply refuse to listen. It is still your fault – for not claiming attention and for choosing to speak in the first place. Know your audience. Only then will you be able to connect.

Be patient. Take responsibility. What is the point of communicating if you are not understood?

Why I Journal And You Should Too

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Journaling is not exclusive to gossipy, hormonal teenage girls.  Leonardo da Vinci journaled, why can’t you? By putting thoughts on paper, you see them differently – you develop pseudo third-person perspective to the inner-workings of your own mind. If you document life’s ideas, experiences and feelings to review later, you gain unparalleled insight into your own life. Journaling can be a qualitative method for tracking personal progress. With notes frozen in time, change is extremely easy to identify. A journal reminds you that you are always growing – and that you will continue to grow despite how stagnant life may feel now.

Journaling does not have to be complicated. I email myself often so that I can search it later. You should not waste time checking spelling or grammar (especially when you journal drunk, the entertainment can be priceless). Get out of your head, preserve this moment in time. You will thank yourself later.

The 90-Minute Rule

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Coffee

90 minutes is the optimal duration for achieving certain types of immersion: social, narrative, health, entertainment, and more. Any shorter than 90 minutes, you cannot cover all the bases. Any longer, the brain may lose focus.

Generally, I set aside 90 minutes for coffee or meal get-togethers and tend to hit that mark without keeping track of time. All of the bases have been covered and the situation has turned cognitively stale. 

While being a conceptual and social theory, the 90-minute rule may be naturally linked to the circadian rhythm of our bodies (a sleep cycle lasts roughly 90 minutes, for example).

I have found the following to be most effective when conformed to a 90-minute window of time:

  • Revisiting with an old friend
  • Business meetings
  • Brainstorming sessions
  • Feature films
  • Home dining experiences
  • Concerts
  • Board games

With enough arcs and nuances to an activity, the 90-minute rule can be broken and expanded to achieve longer sustained immersion. Hikes, conventions, recreational sports, and several forms of entertainment can all present enough twists and turns to keep you invested longer than 90 minutes. The average duration of my ten favorite films, for example, is 131 minutes. Rich and fulfilling content or activities can transcend time (and your day calendar).

Can you think of any other activities that fit a 90-minute profile?

My Ten Favorite Films

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I find the following films well-crafted, recommendable, consistently impactful, personally timeless, and definitively influential to my own life. In no particular order:

Favorite Filmes

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

United 93 (2006)

American Beauty (1999)

Se7en (1995)

Minority Report (2002)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Road to Perdition (2002)

Heat (1995)

Blade Runner (1982)

My list will no doubt evolve as my tastes evolve. But for now, these films have lingered in my heart as favorites for a better part of the decade.

Three Steps to Earning Trust

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Step 1:  Invite Trust by listening. For someone to trust you, he or she must first be comfortable enough to share with you. You can make them feel comfortable by listening well, patiently and without judgement. Let them know you truly care.
 
Step 2:  Affirm Trust by making a promise. When you identify an actionable promise you can make (keeping a secret, reaching out, delivering results), acknowledge it with a nod, hug or “you can trust me.” Be sure it is a promise you can keep.
 
Step 3:  Validate Trust by keeping that promise. Without question, deliver on your word. The negative effect of breaking a promise can produce far more noticeable results than the positive effect of fulfilling one. You may never be praised for keeping a secret, but you can certainly cripple your reputation by sharing it. Remind the person that trust does not have to end here.

Repeat these steps enough and you can earn everyone’s trust effortlessly.