How to Write a Blog- Part I

I’ve had several conversations lately about the difficulties everyone is facing when blogging, particularly when there is a block. Not a writers block, but a been-absent-from-blogging-for-too-long-now-I’m-feeling-angry/resentful/sheepish(insert descriptor here)-and-can’t-get-started kind of block.

I’ve been hearing all the reasons; I’m so busy, I don’t know what to write about, I’ve nothing positive to write about, I just forget!

I hear ya. But I also know there are solutions to any reason you have. BUT, you have to want to solve the problem. And there’s the big one, eh? You DON’T want to solve the problem. Why not?

Same reason you know you should eat the broccoli, but opt for mac and cheese instead. Same reason you know you should go outside in the sun but opt for the screen instead.

Where’s the gratification in the broccoli? The instant gratification? Broccoli in your teeth, that’s what you get. Happy, tasty, gooey, yummy in my belly NOW feelings with mac and cheese.

Just do it. That is the answer. But let’s break that down for a minute.

Why is it so easy to “just do it” when it comes to things like pasta, video games, caffeine, couches?

Because it takes no forethought to give into these.

But it takes forethought to pick the broccoli.

What is the instant gratification in blogging? Some people feel a relief, another week taken care of. But some people feel anxiety, what will others think, now I’m accountable, where is my glass rock?

So, why the difference? Those who feel the relief have experienced the anxiety, and kept going anyways.

You need to think of the long term.

What do you want? I want my couch. No, you’re thinking too small. What do you want out of this limited time you call your life? Health? Happiness? Doggies? A house with unlimited doggies, angelic kids and free wifi?

Start big, then work your way back. What do you need in order to obtain what you want?

Enough money to buy a house and fence the thousand acres I’d need for the doggies.

Alright, best way to earn that cash?

Winning lottery ticket. Good, high paying job.

What about the happiness you mentioned?

High paying job I enjoy. Beach body year round.

How are you going to get that?

Get hired by Apple Elon Google somewhere I can be happy, work my way up and eventually rule the world own my own business. I need to become the top of my field, a “master” if you will, which will take hours of work and dedication, which means I need to be disciplined enough to put in the work and NOT quit, which means I need enough insight into myself to know what makes me tick, what drives me forward versus holds me back, enough gumption and confidence to make mistakes and keep going anyways, a system to keep myself on track, preferably someone to help me along (hold me accountable) and who can be a sounding board when I get stuck.

Alrighty. If only there were some program that can help you develop the tools you’d need for all of that.

Mastery

Dedication

Discipline

Insight

Confidence

Resilience

Perserverance

Accountability

If only…

Advancing the I Ho Chuan- Year of the Dragon

The Year of the Dragon is approaching hard and fast. We will be building on your successes in the Year of the Rabbit by making some significant changes to the I Ho Chuan program. Make sure you review the requirements on a regular basis; they are a living document, and to help ensure your success on the team part of your regiment should include reviewing the requirements throughout the year. Pay attention to the wording, think about the intent behind each requirement. There is no requirement listed without purpose and thought. Do not read them mindlessly.

When the I Ho Chuan program was being developed, its intent was to null the need for the Black Belt Grading. If the program is followed as intended then it would act as the grading itself, preparing the candidates for the transition as well as providing all the relevant information needed to the grading board in order to determine if a student had grown into the rank.

Moving forward, the I Ho Chuan IS THE BLACK BELT GRADING. There will no longer be a formal “grading day”; your year in the I Ho Chuan is your grading, a year long process of growth and preparation for black. Only two black belt candidates to date have successfully completed the program as it was intended, and to date two black belts have come to their grading completely prepared. Quite frankly, they aced it. Only two, but those two have proven the efficacy and efficiency of the program when followed to completion.

We are accepting applications for the Year of the Dragon. If you would like to be on the team, please send in your application ASAP. Priority as always will be given to black belts looking to achieve a higher rank and to black belt candidates. Meetings will be set up with anyone who is interested and the remainder of the team will be determined on a first come first served basis.

Review the requirements, send in your request to join and make sure you come to your meeting prepared with any questions you may have.

Journalling With Intent

I wrote what I thought to be a very good comment on one of the team’s journals. Google not only did not post the comment but it also lost what I had written. So I am going to try and recapture it here.

When you guys are writing about your journey, especially if you are going to write about ‘breakthroughs’ and ‘insights’, — be specific. Talking about a seminal moment that has caused a stimulation and inspiration is not the same as defining what that stimulation and inspiration was.

Journalling is the most powerful tool you have in your mastery toolkit. Like every tool you have, how you use the tool is as important as the tool itself. A GPS is a fantastic tool to help you find your destination but if you decide to pound a nail with it, not so much anymore.

One of the best experiences of my life. Without more context, totally useless to the rest of you.

Some of you are incredibly disciplined when it comes to posting a weekly blog. That is the single most important aspect of the journaling requirement — discipline. So if that is your intent, fantastic! If that is your only intent, not so fantastic. You are missing so much more opportunity.

Think about what journaling does for you beyond being an important act of discipline. Recording your journey could leave breadcrumbs for you and others to retrace the steps you have taken on your mastery journey. The better you define these steps, the easier your path is to follow. Win-win for everyone.

If you want to maximize the value of your journal, then be specific about your journey. While writing “I had a fantastic week filled with insights and inspiration” is documentation of how your week went, it really does not provide any value or insight for your readers (or the future you) who wish to learn from your experience. Without the specifics of WHY and HOW you were inspired, and WHAT you did with that inspiration, you are basically only documenting WHEN you were inspired. Documenting when without any other information or insights is purely narcissistic because we’re talking about ourselves without sharing anything useful to anyone else. We’re providing superficial information without opportunity for anyone else to benefit. It is akin to sharing that you made a tonne of money with a stock market investment without sharing what that investment exactly was. Kudos for getting rich and letting us all know about it, but shame on you for not sharing more to give the rest of us the opportunity to benefit from your experience.

Always remember — the words you write should formulate and secure your thoughts. Your thoughts will fuel your actions.  Journaling consistently brings discipline into your life but journaling specifically creates opportunity in your life. We’re all missing out on the opportunity to grow from each other’s experience if we are not more specific. Expand the intent behind your journal and proceed boldly.