Richie Norton's Blog, page 6

The Power of Positive Thoughts: Experiments in Clicking to Happiness with Hilary Weeks

Can you click your way to a happier life?

It’s been said that we think more than 300 negative thoughts a day. THREE HUNDRED. That’s a negative thought about every two and a half minutes during a 12 hour day.

My friend, singer / songwriter Hilary Weeks was compelled to find out if that was true. She bought a clicker and started counting each negative thought she had. The result? After seven days she felt discouraged, gloomy and depressed. Then she wondered what would happen if she started counting all her positive thoughts. She did. Not surprisingly, she felt motivated, strengthened and confident.

Watch Hilary explain how clicking changed her life here.

MY EXPERIMENT IN CLICKING

Negative thoughts seem to always find their way into my mind and start to bring me down. It’s hard to build a business, a happy family and positive atmosphere when negativity beats on your door every 2.5 minutes. I wanted to see if clicking had a positive effect on me too. Here’s what I realized: the fact that I had the clicker in my hand made me mindful of my thoughts and helped me become more intentional about what I was thinking. Further, when I didn’t have the clicker in my hand, the fact that I’d been practicing being positive made me continue to think positively. Thus, greater happiness ensued.

A BILLION CLICKS

Hilary has a goal to flood the world with a BILLION clicks — a billion happy thoughts. People from all walks of life and from all over have already logged over 3.5 million clicks! Hilary’s idea is spreading!

THE DEAL

I want to support Hilary’s goal and I want you to join in the fun too. Here’s the deal:

I’ll send a copy of  The Power of Starting Something Stupid  to the first three people to email me (Richie @ RichieNorton.com) verifying they’ve purchased a clicker and logged their first 100 clicks to www.billionclicks.org.
You can use the coupon code: NATALIE455 at www.billionclicks.org to order the Clicker Kit ($11.95 + shipping).  For each Clicker Kit ordered with this code, you will receive a free clicker, wristband and sticker ($4.99 reg). Your coupon code is good between Nov 1st and Nov 30th, 2013.

The Clicker Kits make great stocking stuffers, neighbor gifts, teacher’s Christmas gifts.  Also, clicking is a great way to prepare for Thanksgiving.  Last November Hilary’s family placed a community clicker in the kitchen.  They clicked over 5,000 times for things they were grateful for!  Awesome, right? Clicking is a great way to achieve New Year’s resolutions too.

Here’s what other people are saying about clicking:

“My mom ran across this program and it has changed my life. After a long bout of toxic negative thoughts that plagued my life (funny thing was I did not even know it was happening) my little clicker helped empower me again. I have a strong and firm testimony of what these clickers represent…the power of having a positive outlook on life!”  - Sam

“I used my clicker with my third graders to combat bullying at school. Instead we clicked for kind words and actions on the playground at recess for about a month. My kids loved it! It was great for them to look for the good.” – Mrs. Houser

“Making my life happier, one click at a time!” – Bethany

“Told myself over and over that I would be able to understand the concepts being taught in my Chem 285 class. After doing that, I was able to do my homework. On my own. For the first time! It makes us physically capable of more!”  - Kenzie

“I just got my clicker today and it was such a great tangible reminder to have happy thoughts!!”  - Julianne

Can’t wait to hear how clicking works for you.

Click here (pun intended) to get your own clicker.

GAVIN’S LAW: 4 WAYS TO “LIVE TO START. START TO LIVE.”

Watch my new video about Gavin’s Law here.

Gavin’s Law: Live to start. Start to live.

Since my son Gavin graduated from this life to the next, I’ve preached these words to tens of thousands of people around the world. And guess what? It never gets old. The idea is simple, yet true. Live to start those ideas that keep pressing on your mind and start living the life of your dreams.

I can’t count how many people have told me how these words have inspired them. Changed them. I love it. It makes me feel like a little piece of Gavin still lives on in this insane world and his influence is still felt for good. Thank you to all of you who have embraced Gavin’s Law and are living a little better because of it. It seriously means the world to me.

Today would be Gavin’s fourth birthday. He lived 76 days. I’ve since learned that I can do anything in 76 days. That’s a little less than three months. A little less than a quarter of the year. A little less than a full season. A little time period in the average person’s life. But with a little effort, this short time period can dramatically change your life forever.

That’s why I’d like to challenge you to do something great over the next 76 days in Gavin’s honor. Do something. Anything. This is a real challenge. A challenge to make the most of one of your greatest gifts: TIME (Today Is My Everything). I call it The 76-Day Challenge. 

THE 76-DAY CHALLENGE: AN ACTION GUIDE TO HELP YOU TURN YOUR “STUPID” IDEA INTO YOUR SMART REALITY

I’ve spent months writing this free 37-page companion action guide (ebook) to The Power of Starting Something Stupid and I’ve even tested it out with a group of people to see what works so you can get the most out of it.

Can I ask you a favor? Just three things:

CLICK HERE and download the free 76-Day Challenge Action Guide .
Comment below about something you’d like to do (anything). I’d really like to hear what fires you up. What would you regret not doing before you’re 80? What’s your goal? A fear? A thrill? An idea that just won’t go away? What is that thing you want to do, start, be?
Put a fat dent in the (your) world!

GAVIN’S LAW: 4 WAYS TO “LIVE TO START. START TO LIVE.
1. Stop waiting.

This slideshow is the story behind Gavin’s Law. Take a second to check out my slideshow (posted at SlideShare) to understand what it means to stop waiting and start living. I’ve adapted this from the first chapter of The Power of Starting Something Stupid.

2. Do something good TODAY. #goodforgavin

My wife, Natalie shared this with the world today:

Happy fourth birthday to my sweet angel son! Join us in celebrating him … and all the beauty life has to offer … by doing something good today! Do a random act of kindness, break an unhealthy habit (or take the first steps to implement a healthy one), mend a broken relationship, smile at the mailman, express gratitude for the people and things around you that bring you joy, acknowledge someone else for the good THEY do or have done! The sky is the limit! Just DO SOMETHING GOOD!!! Let’s fill this crazy planet with abundant goodness and love! Please, please, please post your stories and tag them #goodforgavin so my boys and I can share in all the love you spread!! Encourage others to join the fun! Let’s do this, friends! Let’s get out and do something GOOD!

3. Be grateful.

Rabbi Harold Kushner said, “If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” We all go through hard things. Life is insane. Let me repeat. LIFE.IS.INSANE. No one escapes the insanity. I think it’s okay to be sad when sad things happen. I don’t believe the saying “move on.” Move forward? Yes. But, to move on?  To pretend like bad things didn’t happen? Ignore them? Let them fester? Never. That said, getting stuck in the past is unacceptable. Accepting that life is insane, that bad things happen to good people and that you can find the courage to be grateful for the good in every situation and still move forward is hard (even terrifying), but heroic.

4. Build something.

A house? Maybe. Lego fortress? Sure. But there is more to building than building blocks. Build a happy lifestyle. Build a bridge to mend a broken relationship. Build a family. Build a positive personal brand. Build a courageous attitude. Build a project. Put your heart, mind and hands to work. Be a builder. Marvin Ashton said, “Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” Be industrious. Build. Build. Build. And in the midst of all that productivity, find your happiness, your passion, your life. Build a body of work to make your mark on the world. Leave a legacy and influence the lives of others for good. Just go and build something.

ARE CRITICS STEALING YOUR LUNCH?: Critics and What to Do About Them

 

Are critics stealing your lunch? Picture source: NORTH NEWS .

Had a great chat with a friend today who described how she is paralyzed by the fear of critics. I understand how she feels and I think many of us share this same fear. Sad to think how much creativity and life are lost on fear of what someone might say. I often have an inner battle with myself when my work is criticized. Sometimes it’s healthy. Sometimes it’s not.

Here’s what I have to say about critics:

The best advice is to ignore them.

My fear in ignoring critics, however, is that I can’t use the feedback for improvement–if I’m not listening, how can I improve? This thinking is flawed. The definition of a critic is ”a person who expresses an unfavorable opinion of something.” A critic isn’t out to help me, he’s out to hear himself talk. Scary.

The second best advice (if you can’t ignore the critics) is to realize two things:

They don’t get it. They don’t have the background and experience and understanding to get it.
They are not your market. It’s ok. It’s better to be noticed (and criticized) than to be obscure.

I like what the rappers Kris Kross once said, “when ya diss it just let’s me know I’m on your mind and it’s alright.”

It’s not the critic who counts.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Read this post by Seth Godin.

Here’s the link. Here’s an excerpt: “No one has ever built a statue to a critic, it’s true. On the other hand, it’s only the people with statues that get pooped on by birds flying by.”

 

 

 

Before You Write a Book, Read This Book: How to Sell Your First 1000 Copies

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”   ― Madeleine L’Engle

I recently came across Tim Grahl’s book, Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book. This one’s a keeper.  He’s spot on.

I’m bombarded with questions about writing and publishing since The Power of Starting Something Stupid and Resumes Are Dead and What to Do About It came out. However, what about marketing a book. You see, publishers publish. They print and distribute books. The burden of marketing and spreading the word so people actually buy it generally falls to the author. (Sad, I know.) To that point, I’ve been lucky. From what I’ve heard from other authors, my publisher was surprisingly more supportive in the marketing area. So grateful. Thanks guys!

So what comes first, the book or marketing?

Here’s the deal: if you want to write a book, don’t you want people to read it? Silly question, right? Wrong. Unless you’re already some famous dude, people aren’t waiting to read (let alone BUY) a book from you. Too many aspiring authors don’t think about that part.

But lo and behold, Tim Grahl has saved the day–Your First 1000 Copies will teach you how to create a system that builds a platform to connect authors with readers.

I’ve never worked with Tim and he certainly hasn’t asked me to blog about his book. I’m doing it because it’s that good. The book is short and hit-yourself-in-the-head simple. He’s put into practice the principles he teaches with authors like Dan Pink, Hugh Howey, Dan and Chip Heath, Pamela Slim and many more. I’m recommending it to anyone who wants to market anything.

If you think you have a book in you, even if (especially if) you think it may take a few years to get it out there, get.this.book. The sooner you start the better.

If you’re really into learning this stuff, check out his course on CreativeLive here. I watched it. I liked it.

……….

P.S. Sign up now to get your FREE copy of the 76 Day Challenge (an action guide to The Power of Starting Something Stupid so you can more fully live Gavin’s Law and be happy) here: The 76 Day Challenge.

P.P.S. What’s Gavin’s Law? Read about it on Jonathan Fields’ blog.

P.P.P.S. What’s this “be happy” thing all about? Read about it in my interview on Gretchin Rubin’s blog. 

P.P.P.P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about the book-writing and marketing process, send me a note with your questions here. I’m curious.

 

 

 

 

HOW TO BE HAPPILY MARRIED: 11 YEARS, 11 LESSONS

(Location: Dominican Republic, after Nat and I spoke at the What If Conference. Photo Credit: Josh Solar.)

Our marriage is one year older, one year wiser and one year stronger since last year’s post on this topic, How to Be Happily Married: 10 Years, 10 Lessons. Thanks for being my girl, Natalie! As I’ve reflected on our good times and challenging times, I’ve tried to encapsulate some of the lessons I’ve learned.

Note: This is more of a post for me to remember what’s most important so I can stay centered when life throws us a curve. I share it with you as a glimpse into my life in the hopes that you too can reflect on your own life lessons in creating a strong and happy marriage.


A GIFT FOR SHARING


I want to hear your own life-lessons-learned in creating a happy marriage in the comments below because I know your insights will help me and others. As an anniversary gift for sharing, I’ll send out 11 copies of my book, The Power of Starting Something Stupid (1 book to 11 different individuals) at my expense to those with the most interesting / useful comments. I’m assuming that all comments will be important, but I’m limiting myself to only choosing 11. Don’t feel bad if you don’t get picked! :-) If you already have a book, you can give the book to someone you think could most benefit or have me mail it directly to their address. This offer is good for mailing addresses in the United States only (sorry!).


11 TIPS TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE


Surprisingly, people (strangers even) often ask Natalie and I about our marriage and what we do to keep the love alive. It’s amazing what can happen over 11 years. Natalie and I could write entire books just on the craziness we’ve experienced alone. Based on some of those experiences, I’ve come up with 11 tips (principles, really) that make us happy that when practiced I believe will increase your happiness too.  These tips are based on the roles we play as a husband and wife team and what we try to do for each other to support one another.

 

#11. Lighten up, laugh it off, and live it up.

Life’s too short not to.

 

#10. Slow down, relax and take vacations…lots of them.

Long vacations are awesome. Short ones are too. Schedule time to take breaks. Take a weekend off, a day off, an hour off and just hang out together. Take time off alone, together, whatever, whenever. You need both alone time and together time. Whatever you do, take time to rejuvenate your soul. Spending time just doing nothing together has done a world of good for our marriage. Few things could be more important (and rewarding) to your relationship.

 

#9. Be here, not there.

When you’re talking to your spouse, be present…don’t let your mind be off in another world. This one’s hard for me because my mind is always racing from one idea to another. Sometimes I get so caught up in my thoughts that I actually don’t hear people talking to me. True story. That said, I’ve asked Natalie to help me out when she notices that I can’t hear her or I don’t appear to be fully listening by using my name. From there, I do my best to focus on her and only her. I’m nowhere close to good at this, but when I refrain from thinking of what I’m going to say next and simply listen, our conversations seem to be way more productive.

 

#8. Express deep gratitude.

Don’t let a day go by without expressing sincere gratitude for the little things (and big things) your spouse does.

#7. Don’t be right.

How many fights start and end with whose right, when in the end, being right only pulls you apart and leaves you alone with your rightness? Does anyone really win in that situation? Next time you’re caught up in the “I’m right, you’re wrong” trap, remember the words of Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock, “It takes two to make a thing go right.”

 

#6. Give each other courage.

I’m scared of a lot of things. I’m not talking about the dark. I’m talking about art. Creating. Business. Family. Getting out of my comfort zone. Being human. I need Natalie to give me courage. No man is an island and boy do I know it. Nat encourages me and helps me move from one stage of life to the next. We all need a boost. There should be no one better than you to give a boost to your spouse and vice versa.

 

#5. Confide in each other.

Don’t keep secrets from your spouse. Share secrets with each other. Be best friends. The key word here is trust. If your friends and coworkers know secrets about you that your spouse doesn’t know about, you’re on a slippery slope.

 

#4. Challenge yourself.

Everyday has the possibility of being the best day of your life. Everyday has the possibility of being better than the next. Gently challenge yourself to be a little better. Don’t nag your spouse or be self-righteous in your efforts. Don’t point out your spouse’s flaws. Simply be a little better spouse yourself. Look for specific ways you can improve your relationship and watch the magic happen.

 

#3. Celebrate with each other.

Why wait to celebrate? Celebrate the small wins, the big wins and everything in between. Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!

 

#2. Forgive each other.

Probably the single best advice any couple could receive.

 

#1. Experience life TOGETHER.

The key takeaway from the last 11 years is this: We experience life TOGETHER. We celebrate successes TOGETHER. We suffer losses TOGETHER. We share our dreams TOGETHER. I don’t mean we are always physically together, what I mean is that we don’t lead separate (or secret) lives with separate dreams and separate goals. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have different lives, dreams and goals. It means that we share in one another’s lives, dreams and goals.

 

They say that an airplane off course 90% of the time. I have no idea if that is true or not, but the principle is that when a plane is off course, the pilots realign to get back on course. In a happy marriage, the husband and wife are co-pilots on this big airplane called Life; realign your lives together so you arrive at the same daily destination: happiness.

BONUS

 Marriage isn’t always easy. I love this poem about the strength we can gain through adversity. Enjoy!

The tree that never had to fight,

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out on the open plain,

And always got it’s share of rain,

Never became a forest king,

But lives and dies a scrawny thing.

 

The man who never had to toil,

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share,

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man,

But lived and died as he began.

 

Good timber does not grow in ease,

The stronger the wind, the stronger trees

The farther sky, the greater the length

The more the storm, the more the strength,

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In tree and men good timbers grow.

 

Where thickest lies the forest growth

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold counsel with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

This is the common law of life.

 

                  - Douglas Mallock

 

Two Stories: “The Regret Minimization Framework”

Photo by cesarastudillo

If you’ve read The Power of Starting Something Stupid, you know that we talk a lot about how to avoid future regret. When it comes to living a life of meaning, contribution and fulfillment, I can’t image a more urgent topic. I’d like to share with you two real-life stories that have greatly influenced my thinking and I hope will influence yours. Further, I hope these examples will make you DO something–to act on that “stupid” pressing thought that just won’t go away.

THE TOP FIVE REGRETS

Bronnie Ware, author of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, worked in palliative care, in a place where she says “patients would go to die” and she “was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.” She asked the patients “about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently.” Through this unique experience, Bronnie discovered five common themes:

 “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”  (This was the most common response.)
“I wish I didn’t work so hard.” (Every male patient Bronnie nursed gave this response.)
“I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
“I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
“I wish that I had let myself be happier.”

These five regrets have helped me change my own behavior and priorities as I strive to live a joyful and enriched life.

JEFF BEZOS’ BRAVE DECISION TO END HIS WALL STREET CAREER AND START AMAZON.COM

I feature this story in Chapter 4 of The Power of Starting Something Stupid and even created something I call “The Bezos Test,” however, I thought you’d like to hear some additional details to the story straight from Bezos’ mouth.

You can watch the video of Jeff Bezos explaining to Achievement.org how he avoided future regret by starting Amazon here: Why Jeff Bezos Started Amazon

Here’s part of the transcript (of the above video) from this interview with Achievement.org. Notice how Bezos’ uses what he calls a “regret minimalization framework” to make his decision to leave Wall Street and start Amazon.

Achievement.org: Here you were sitting in New York City in a very good job, a lucrative position with a future. You go home and you say to your wife you want to throw all that over and get in the car and go to Seattle. What possessed you to do that? What was her reaction? What is the role of risk taking?

Jeff Bezos: I went to my boss and said to him, “You know, I’m going to go do this crazy thing and I’m going to start this company selling books online.” This was something that I had already been talking to him about in a sort of more general context, but then he said, “Let’s go on a walk.” And, we went on a two hour walk in Central Park in New York City and the conclusion of that was this. He said, “You know, this actually sounds like a really good idea to me, but it sounds like it would be a better idea for somebody who didn’t already have a good job.” He convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision.

So, I went away and was trying to find the right framework in which to make that kind of big decision. I had already talked to my wife about this, and she was very supportive and said, “Look, you know you can count me in 100 percent, whatever you want to do.” It’s true she had married this fairly stable guy in a stable career path, and now he wanted to go do this crazy thing, but she was 100 percent supportive.

So, it really was a decision that I had to make for myself, and the framework I found which made the decision incredibly easy was what I called — which only a nerd would call — a “regret minimization framework.” So, I wanted to project myself forward to age 80 and say, “Okay, now I’m looking back on my life. I want to have minimized the number of regrets I have.”

I knew that when I was 80 I was not going to regret having tried this. I was not going to regret trying to participate in this thing called the Internet that I thought was going to be a really big deal. I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried. I knew that that would haunt me every day, and so, when I thought about it that way it was an incredibly easy decision. And, I think that’s very good.

If you can project yourself out to age 80 and sort of think, “What will I think at that time?” it gets you away from some of the daily pieces of confusion. You know, I left this Wall Street firm in the middle of the year. When you do that, you walk away from your annual bonus. That’s the kind of thing that in the short-term can confuse you, but if you think about the long-term then you can really make good life decisions that you won’t regret later.

WILL YOU REGRET IT WHEN YOU’RE 80?

Carefully consider these questions:

Is there a thought that keeps pressing on your mind?
If so, why haven’t you done anything with it yet? Is this something you’d regret not doing? If not, what would you regret not doing when you’re 80?
If everything seems to be against you and you can’t possibly see yourself starting a dream project (something you’d regret not doing) now, what is the one tiny portion of that dream that you could do? Start there.

I have been creating The 76-Day Challenge which I promise as a free gift at the end of The Power of Starting Something Stupid to help you start your dream projects, avoid regret and impact the world for good. I have a group working on this challenge right now before I release it to the public. If you’d like to sign up to receive your copy of The 76-Day Challenge when it is ready, please click here.

 

The 10 “In” Verbs: How to Get In (and Get Out)

10 ways to get “in” on something new (read: improvement) and “out” of something old (read: limited potential)—relationships, habits, thought patterns, circumstance. . .

1. IN-fluence others for good

Someone I admire once asked, “How far will your influence go?” This question wasn’t really a question at all; it was a challenge. This challenge led me to writing The Power of Starting Something Stupid. Influencing others for good has become a personal mission of mine that has taken me on some amazing adventures—starting a cashmere company in Mongolia, consulting a microfinance organization in Nicaragua, speaking to a group of entrepreneurs in the Domincan Republic and so on. Striving to influence others for good has blessed my own life for good tenfold. My challenge to you: proactively seek for ways to influence others for good, and see where it takes you.

“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” ― Napoleon Hill
2. IN-itiate projects

Projects are great because they have a beginning and an end. You can do anything (yes, ANYTHING) when you break your big picture dreams down to small, manageable projects. If you don’t have the time, or education, or money, or experience you think necessary to realize your dreams, a project will allow you grab hold of the part of that dream that IS accessible to you right now—it also provides the opportunity collaborate with others who do have the time, education, money or experience you feel you lack. When you initiate projects surrounding the things that matter most to you, everyone wins.

“Start doing what you want to do and everything else will be revealed to you.” ― Paulo Coelho
3. IN-novate

Get into something new. Make stuff up. You’re a creation, and you were born to create. Innovation stems from the Latin root words “in” or into and “novus” or new—literally meaning to get into something new. Innovation is in your blood. Let your creative juices flow and start acting on your “stupid” ideas.

“I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate.” ― Jeff Bezos
4. IN-sist on yourself

You can. Yes, you can. You can do the work. You must do the work. The world needs your unique talent and contribution.

“Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
5. IN-vest in yourself

At the end of the day, if you’re wasting your time by not investing in yourself, you’re going to waste away—and that would be the greatest waste of all.

“Invest three percent of your income in yourself (self-development) in order to guarantee your future.” ― Brian Tracy
6. IN-spire others

Information is power, but unless information inspires someone to do something, the power lies dormant. Make it your goal to combine information with inspiration to change the world around you.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” ― John Quincy Adams
7. IN-trigue
“Don’t be boring.” ― Seth Godin
8. IN-volve others

Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If this statement is true, it’s either really exciting or really depressing for you. Whether this human “average” is fact or fiction, it’s obvious that the people we hang around influence our thinking, and thus our actions, and thus, eventually, our overall circumstance. Make it a point to involve people in your projects who you respect and admire—people you hope to become just a little more like.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ― Benjamin Franklin
9. IN-k it

Ink your goals on paper. Nearly every day, I’ll whip out a piece of paper and write down the top five things I’m going to get done that day. I also set goals for the week, month, year and consistently do some vision work on what I hope the next three to five years will look like. The important thing is to get those goals and aspirations out of my head and on to paper. Thus far, this has made all the difference in regards to any measure of success I have achieved.

“Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; cant’s into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don’t just think it – ink it.” ― Anonymous
10. IN-tensify your efforts

Double them. Triple them if you have to. You have one life to live, and this is it. Make it worth your time.

“The excellency of every art is its intensity, capable of making all disagreeable evaporate.” ― John Keats

Dare, Dream, Do by Whitney Johnson

MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT ON YOUR DREAMS

The following questions really got me thinking about how I spend my resources on dreams:

“Do a quick review of the money you spend each month: How much is spent on your children’s dreams? Your spouse’s dreams? The dreams of your extended family, friends, the world? How much is spent on yours?”


“How can we harness Charles Dickens’ advice to make a down payment on our own dreams?”


“If you do not currently generate paid income, are any funds in your household budget allocated to you? Are you comfortable with the arrangement you have?“

These power-questions come from the incredible book Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen when You Dare to Dream by Whitney Johnson.

Warning: Reading DARE, DREAM, DO will unleash your pent-up potential, feed your hungry dreams and dare you to do something about it.

Whitney is the co-founder of Clayton M. Christensen’s investment firm Rose Park Advisors–aka–the “Disruptive Innovation Fund.” (Clayton is the author of the legendary book The Innovator’s Dilemma.) She is also a former Institutional Investor-ranked sell-side analyst on Wall Street, a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Senior Advisor to the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards, and a TEDx speaker. Whitney also generously did an amazing book review on The Power of Starting Something Stupid here.

About DARE, DREAM, DO, the Amazon blurb explains, “Johnson directs her attention to teaching women, in particular, a three-step model for personal advancement and happiness.” However, I found the stories, examples and principles apply not just to women, but directly to my life personally and to everyone universally. DARE, DREAM, DO is endorsed by both influential women and men including Brené Brown, Gretchen Rubin, Moira Forbes, Barbara Corcoran, Marcus Buckingham, Clayton Christensen and Kent Hatkoff.

I’m going to follow Whitney’s book review style and give you a taste of this amazing book through tweet-able quotes that I found inspiring.

WHITNEY JOHNSON-ISMS FROM DARE, DREAM, DO

“Dreaming is an inalienable right.” @johnsonwhitney

“The act of writing down our dreams allows us to own them and eventually act on them.” @johnsonwhitney

“When there’s something we want to accomplish, the power to achieve that dream often comes from facing our most wrenching sadness.” @johnsonwhitney

“In order to find another piece of who we are, we may need to discard a little bit of who we are right now.” @johnsonwhitney

“Be the hero of your story.” @johnsonwhitney

“Throw out your conventional planning, because dreaming is discovery-driven.” @johnsonwhitney

“Go ahead and date dreams, lots of them–you don’t need to commit to every dream you date.” @johnsonwhitney

“By taking on our challenges, we teach our children to take on theirs, and give them the ability to dream.” @johnsonwhitney

“It’s only when we move beyond what we know we can do and take a risk–or double-dog dare–that we can make our dreams happen.” @johnsonwhitney

“What one thing, one small thing, will you do to dream today?” @johnsonwhitney

BOOM!

DREAMS COME TRUE + GOODIES FOR BUYING THIS STUPID BOOK

THE POWER OF STARTING SOMETHING STUPID IS OFFICIALLY ON THE SHELVES!

“Perfect book for these uncertain times.” — Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media

“Today I have over 120 million YouTube views; it only seems like yesterday when people thought that following my dreams could only be a hobby. Fortunately, as Richie teaches, ‘stupid’ was the smartest thing I could do.” — Devin Graham, content creator for the YouTube channel devinsupertramp

Today is a day I’ve been dreaming of for a very long time. I can’t believe it’s finally here!!! It’s unreal, scary and thrilling—all at the same time.

Thank you to my beautiful wife Natalie—again and again (times a million plus infinity)—for all of her love and support over the past six (yes, six!) years as we’ve researched, written and poured our souls into this book project.

To YOU— Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting this book and helping give legs to this movement.

Now. . .

LET’S CELEBRATE!

I have a couple of goodies / incentives for those of you who have bought (and are buying) the book for yourself, friends, family, coworkers and people who need a kick to start crushing fear, making dreams happen and living without regret!

“Once in a great while a new author bursts on the scene to light a fire under us. Richie Norton is that rare spark… Be smart: read The Power of Starting Something Stupid.” — Jack Canfield, New York Times bestselling author of The Success Principles, and cocreator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING OFFER IS GOOD FROM TUES MARCH 5, 2013 to SAT MARCH 9, 2013 AT 11:59pm HST
A GIFT FROM ME FOR BUYING BOOKS!

I’m going to make this simple: BUY BOOKS, GET COOL STUFF. Read on!

OPTION ONE: BUY AT LEAST ONE BOOK

THE DETAILS: If you buy one or more hardcover books of The Power of Starting Something Stupid (this offer does not apply to electronic versions, sorry), as a gift from me, you will receive an audio copy of Résumés Are Dead and What to Do About it!

TO QUALIFY FOR OPTION ONE:

Buy one or more copies of The Power of Starting Something Stupid
Share this post on social media
Like my new book’s fanpage
Receive an audio copy of Résumés Are Dead and What to Do About it (RAD)!


To receive your gift, simply email your receipt of purchase to 1StupidBook@Gmail.com.

OPTION TWO: BUY ELEVEN BOOKS OR MORE

This is the one I’m REALLY excited about!

WHY: Before I explain WHAT I’m doing for those who choose this purchasing option, I’d like to explain WHY I’m doing it.

This book is more than words on paper; this is a manifesto for a movement.

This isn’t just a book. It’s so much more than that. It’s a call to action. It’s an invitation to all to stand up, get real and make great things happen in their professional and personal worlds—an invitation to create lives rich in genuine meaning and fulfillment, lives rich in authentic success. 

In the book, I discuss the power of S.T.A.R.T. (Serve, Thank, Ask, Receive and Trust). What I’m doing here is offering you the opportunity to experience the very real power of START in action—with collaboration and guidance along the way!

THE GOAL: I want to bring like-minded people together—people who want to live their lives on purpose. I’m looking for people, from all walks of business and life, who want to build connections, credibility and community. I’m looking for people who are willing to stop waiting and start doing—people who are ready and willing to crush fear, make dreams happen and live without regret.

THE DETAILS: If you buy 11 or more books (you can even purchase them with a group of 10 friends if you want—more on that below), in addition to the free RAD audio, you will have the opportunity to become a part of my Inner Circle (which I talk about in the book) as we embark on The 76-Day Challenge (also mentioned in the book) hand in hand. You will be invited to join an exclusive, private Facebook group where you, other members of the Inner Circle and myself can post, chat, coach, consult and discuss our projects together over the duration of the Power of Starting Something Stupid 76-Day Challenge. It’s going to be awesome!

Additionally, those who purchase 11 or more books will be invited to attend three live teleclasses (which will be recorded for those with scheduling conflicts) over the 76-day period. These telecasts are an opportunity for us to learn together, discuss and process principles in the book on a deeper and more personal level, and to encourage one another to get from where we are to where we truly want to be. This is a very rare opportunity.

TO QUALIFY FOR OPTION TWO: 

Buy 11 hardcover books or more (or get 10 friends + you to purchase the 11 copies) of The Power of Starting Something Stupid (this offer does not apply to electronic versions, sorry).
Share this post on social media.
Like my new book’s fanpage
You will receive an audio copy of Résumés Are Dead and What to Do About it (RAD), and have access to my Power of Starting Something Stupid Inner Circle to participate in the 76-Day challenge, and have access to three live Power of Starting Something Stupid telecasts over the 76 day period.


To receive your gift, simply email your receipt of 11 purchases to 11StupidBooks@Gmail.com (if you are a group of 11, please submit ONE email and attach all 11 individual receipts).

QUESTIONS? ANSWERS.

Q. How does it work?

A. When you email your proof of purchase, I will respond with a link that will allow you to download the audio of R.A.D. If you are purchasing OPTION TWO, along with that email, you will receive a link to a contact form that will allow you to enter your (or your group’s) information to begin the challenge together and have access to the teleclasses.

Q. Do I have to buy all 11 books myself?

A. No. Buying 11 books yourself is the simplest way to get into the group. However, you can also gather 10 friends who have bought books and submit 1 email with all 11 receipts. NOTE: I don’t want 11 separate emails. I want one email from one leader of your 11-member (or more) group to email the receipts all in one email. From there I will send you a form to fill in the names and contact info of each member of your group.

Easiest for you: 1) someone buys 11 (or more) books, sends me the receipt and then gets a link to a form to put in the names and contact info of who they gave the books to so they can be a part of the group. Or, 2) you go ask your family, friends, coworkers and on social media and ask who else has bought a book (and especially encourage people to buy the book :-)) so they can be a part of your group.

Bam!

MORE QUESTIONS? Email me at Richie@RichieNorton.com (Please don’t email me at those other emails with any questions as we may not be able to respond.)

CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE SOMETHING STUPID HAPPEN WITH YOU!
MORE PRAISE

“I absolutely love this book. I love how it makes me feel. It energizes me, inspires me, and gives me confidence. It reminds each of us that all things are possible. . . .This book disrupts conventional thinking—in a smart way.” — Stephen M. R. Covey, New York Times and the #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust and coauthor of the #1 Amazon bestseller Smart Trust

“When I wrote The E-Myth Revisited, I wasn’t an author and I really wasn’t interested in business, but I had discovered something about business that nobody else seemed to see, or understand, and I decided to write a book about it. It came like a gift, a huge aha from out of nowhere, and I ran with it. Today, that ‘stupid’ idea (everybody told me it wouldn’t work!) has created the most successful book on small business ever written because of that one, great stupid idea. I thought I was just lucky. Richie just told me that I’m in really good company. Find out why stupid is now the New Smart. Read it, you’ll love it, you’ll find out why thinking stupid makes the best sense in the world.” — Michael Gerber, the world’s #1 small-business guru and author of the bestselling The E-Myth Revisited

“More than just a call to action. This book is a demand for it. One chapter in I felt an involuntary impulse to reexamine my life. Later chapters held my hand as inevitable considerations came up from that process. An important, compelling and authentic read.” — Joseph Grenny, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Crucial Conversations and Change Anything

Personal messages from readers to me and around social media:

“All I want to do is read my advanced copy of Richie Norton new biz book but I have kids to put to bed and lessons to prepare for school tomorrow… it’s better than Downton Abbey to me which is saying A LOT. Richie is brilliant and we share so many of the same beliefs about how to start and grow business that I’m beyond grateful that he’s taken the time to write this book. Chapters 1+2 are awesome so far!”

“OK..I couldn’t wait to tell you this until I finish.. THIS IS AMAZING STUFF. Gavin’s law has been in my heart for years and the pure truth that is coming off these pages is not only poignant but electrifying. Ok, I just had to say it.”

“Completely engulfed by Richie Richie Norton’s new book. So many great lessons only within a few pages of each other. One of my favorites so far: “It’s not the circumstances that we should feel threatened by, it’s the fear of the circumstances that poses the real threat.”"

“So far, chapter 8 is my favorite!! Still have 5 chapters to go, so that may change. But 8…man that got the ideas spinning for me.”

“I don’t think I’ve read a book that fast in a long time.  There were multiple parts that moved me to immediate action as well as long-term planning.  I have pages and pages of notes and I have greatly appreciated the multiple layers of inspiration it has provided me.  Thank you for taking the time to put these ideas down.”

“Thank you for this. I am taking my girls on a 3 month trek around the world and everyone is saying Im crazy for spending the money. This validates my gut feelings that this is my window to have these experiences with my kids before they leave my nest and have their own lives. If I wait till Im 65 they will be to busy with their own families. I totally agree with your post!”

INFOGRAPHIC: How Crazy, Stupid and Foolish Became the New Smart

This infographic was made by THE AMAZING Scott Trobaugh!

Check out his stuff and hire him! He is professional and unreal talented.N

NEW WEBSITE AND MORE!

The Power of Starting Something Stupid launches tomorrow (March 5)! Woot woot! Thank you to all those that pre-ordered copies. It means the world. Here are some things I’ve had in the works which I can’t wait to unveil to you today! (Please share this infographic with your friends, family and foes.):

Check out the NEW book website for The Power of Starting Something Stupid , read the Foreword by Stephen M. R. Covey and more!
Get the book here .
Download and print The Power of Starting Something Stupid Infographic PDF.
Click here to subscribe : get bonuses and updates on The Power of Starting Something Stupid.