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Productivity inspiration from the most unlikely of candidates.

 Yesterday I was on the hunt for some inspiration to do with goal setting and how not to get behind on your targets. I stumbled across an excellent post that outlines a great strategy to learn and grow.

Where does this inspiring insight come from?

None other than legendary comic JERRY SEINFELD.

I think it should be coined the 'Red X Goals Delivery System'

Jerry Seinfeld’s Productivity Secret

by Brad Isaac

Years ago when Seinfeld was a new television show, Jerry Seinfeld was still a touring comic. At the time, I was hanging around clubs doing open mic nights and trying to learn the ropes. One night I was in the club where Seinfeld was working, and before he went on stage, I saw my chance. I had to ask Seinfeld if he had any tips for a young comic. What he told me was something that would benefit me a lifetime…

He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. But his advice was better than that. He had a gem of a leverage technique he used on himself and you can use it to motivate yourself - even when you don’t feel like it.

He then revealed a unique calendar system he was using pressure himself to write.

Here’s how it worked.

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. “After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”

“Don’t break the chain.” He said again for emphasis.

Continue Reading . . .

More articles of Interest:

How to Wake Up and Have an Awesome Night’s Sleep

5 Battles To Overcome Procrastination

Hefty Overwhelming Ballsy Objectives ( HOBOs )

Increase your Brain Activity with 15 Ideas

Have a HOBO, Don't Become a HOBO!

 Have Hefty Overwhelming Ballsy Objectives and pursue your vision in life.

Left: a new way of looking at goal setting

Surely you've heard the phrase . . .

"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land amongst  the stars"

Nobody actually knows the origin of the saying but whoever said it had a wisdom aplenty. It shares our mentality at Self Pursuit down to a tee.

In case you haven't figured it out this is a post to do with goal setting and achieving your objectives. But here's where the question lies - what kind of objectives should we set ourselves? should they be realistic?should they appear impossible?

Vision is such an important thing in our lives, whether it is based on an individual level or a company level. Jim Collins famously coined the phrase a 'BHAG' - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. 

A BHAG Defined?

"A BHAG is a huge and daunting goal—like a big mountain to climb. It is clean, compelling, and people ‘get it’ right away. A BHAG serves as a unifying focal point of effort, galvanizing people and creating team spirit as people strive toward a finish line. Like the 1960s NASA moon mission, a BHAG captures the imagination and grabs people in the gut.” - Jim Collins in Good to Great

What Drives BHAG?

1) What you are deeply passionate about, which includes your core values and purpose,

2) What you can be the best in the world at, and

3) What drives your economic engine.

BHAG? What kind of Abbreviation is that?

We think that Jim's message here is phenomenal but the abbreviation lacks the chutzpah and oomph that his message commands.

I'm not sure what those 4 letters convey to you, but I somewhat feel a bit empty. It's not as sticky as it should be and fails to set my imagination on fire.

So at self Pursuit we are coining our own phrase .  .  .

The Birth of the . . .

 HOBO ( Hefty Overwhelming Ballsy Objective )

We are christening the HOBO. Your goals should be:

• Substantial
• Leave you short of breath
• Take Balls to, demonstrate your chutzpah

If you set yourself a HOBO you never ever face the risk of becoming a Hobo. As the saying goes 'shoot for the moon and set yourself HOBOs, even if you miss, you'll land amongst the stars.'

Further Reading:

5 Battles to Overcome Procrastination

Old Age - Just A Number

Imagine Dedicating 4 Years To Bodybuilding - How Would You Look?

See How Easily you can Overcome Procrastination by Conquering These 5 Battles

Are you struggling to overcome procrastination?

Do you find yourself festering and stewing without getting anything done?

Procrastinators and Procrastination fit into 3 types:

• arousal types, or thrill-seekers, who wait to the last minute for the euphoric rush.
• avoiders, who may be avoiding fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability.
• decisional procrastinators, who cannot make a decision. Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events.

Which type are you? . . . whichever type you are, you can overcome procrastination if you conquer these 5 battles:

5 Battles to Overcome Procrastination

1. Chore versus Pleasure

A phrase I like to use when I've seen somebody for the first time in a long time that I've enjoyed is . . .

"Always a pleasure, never a chore"

This rings so true when it comes to overcoming procrastination. If you adopt the mindset that a task you're about to do is a "pleasure" for you, you'll be more likely to do something about it and get it done with passion and purpose.

2. Finishing versus Beginning

Many procrastinators find themselves overwhelmed with information that they find hard to process and simply see a task as being impossible. You don't have to finish tasks in one breath or stretch; if you start a task you're more likely to pick up the pace as you go along.

3. Perfectionist versus Productivist

One common trait of procrastinators is that they are perfectionists. If you look above this means they'll often fit into the 'avoiders' category. So many tasks that need to be done simply don't require perfection and should only be given the time and effort they deserve.

I might have made up a word here in 'productivist', it basically means someone who is productive and gets things done. They don't see too much importance in basic or minor tasks. If something isn't crucial then don't strive for perfection - aim to get things done. 

4. 'Time is my Master' versus 'Master of Time'

Don't be a slave to your watch. Don't feel constrained by time. A clear mind is essential when it comes to completing tasks. It's natural that your attention wanes after about an hour of solid concentration. Take a break! Have a coffee, a bath, a walk, anything that will clear your mind and let you refocus.

5. Eating a Whole Horse versus Bite-Sized-Pieces

As hungry as I get at times, the thought of eating a whole horse is quite daunting. If you've got a monster of a task or project don't try and tackle the beast in one go. If you divide the task into smaller bite-sized-pieces and goals they will be a lot easier to digest.

This method is a great means to an ends to pursue a task. In no time big tasks will not seem so overwhelming and you'll change your mindset to that of 'everything is possible'.

Are you a prolific procrastinator? Get the lowdown on everything you can imagine on procrastination with 10 Things You Need To Know About Procrastination

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Anything is Possible in Old Age

Retired 71 year old teacher proves that anything is possible in old age by climbing Everest!

Katsusuke Yanagisawa's story of how he was inspired to climb the summit despite his old age is truly remarkable.

The key to how you lead your life in old age lies in ATTITUDE! Keep a positive attitude and you can still achieve dreams that you've had from your childhood despite your lofty age.

Attitude can also go a long way to achieving happiness in old age, recent studies have shown that attitude has more of an impact on happiness in old age than actual health itself.

Why not adapt an attitude like Katsusuke Yanagisawa?

Japanese 'oldest man on Everest'

A 71-year-old man from Japan has reportedly become the oldest person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.

Retired teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa scaled the 8,850m (29,035ft) Himalayan peak, breaking the record set by a 70-year-old Japanese man in May 2006.

"I was pretty much at ease mentally at the summit, like I could sing a song," he told a Japanese TV station.

Mr Yanagisawa said he climbed the Tibetan side of the peak with a team including New Zealanders and Japanese.

"I was glad to reach the summit because, after that, all that was left was to climb down," he told a Japanese newspaper, adding that he spent 30 minutes at the top.

'My next dream'

He was inspired to attempt the climb, after scaling Mount Cho Oyu, the world's sixth highest mountain, which lies about 20km west of Mount Everest.

He was inspired to climb Everest after glimpsing it from Mt Cho Oyu

"It was my dream to climb Cho Oyu, a peak which was higher than 8,000 metres, when I reached the age 70," Mr Yanagisawa told Associated Press news agency.

From the summit of Cho Oyu, he caught a glimpse of Everest.

"I found my next dream," 

Read the Full Story >>

This leads to the question . . .

What dream are you going to pursue in old age?

Read more on:

Happiness in Old Age >>

John Stone's 4 Year Mind Over Matter Quest

This is a truly fascinating quest that really shows what we can achieve if we set our minds to focus on something.

John Stone decided to train, train and train to get his body to peak performance; he tracked this goal religiously by taking photos initially every day and then monthly. The evidence speaks for itself.

Check out his photos from skinny guy to beefcake. . . and then go and discover what it took John to complete his feat and what it would take you to achieve a similar goal.

From This Early 2003

TO THIS!!!!!

4 Years Later

For so many people, men and women alike, getting a perfect body is a common goal to set - being physically fit is proven to boost your health and often has the effect of making you feel good within yourself.

These pics shows that however skinny you are you can achieve your goals, whether you want to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger or you just want to have a small but perfectly formed body.

I'm sure many of you are looking at the pictures a bit in disbelief - How can such a skinny guy in April 2003 go to an absolute beefcake in December 2006?

I invite you to fill in the blanks for this remarkable 4 years. He updated the progression of his training using his website every day. Also there's a dedicated frequently asked question section which offers you invaluable advice if you are wanting to go down the same road.

Explore: -

The pictures from January 2003 to March 2007

Frequently Asked Questions John Has Faced

John Stone Fitness

Putting You On The Road To Success!

Hello World! For anybody out there that is on the road to personal enlightenment or simply just wants to further themselves and prosper your life is to get a lot, lot sweeter.

As of today SelfPursuit.com will be your only destination to head for to get the most comprehensive information and the most informative advice on a wide array of topics from self improvement, creativity and imagination, the Law of Attraction tips and manifestation, personal development, confidence, goal setting and motivation, and entrepreneurship and productivity.

Everyday we'll be serving you up with attention grabbing articles, that will keep you gripped to the screen. SO . . .

Sit back and relax and let us guide you and take you on your journey of growth that's set to be as enjoyable for you us it is for us here.

If you feel strongly about any matter or article we post I invite you to share your views as this is a voyage which we should all experience together.

WARMEST AND HAPPIEST OF GREETINGS FROM SELF PURSUIT - MAY THE JOURNEY BEGIN!