Welcome to Black Coffee! Each week I send out short tips, tactics or techniques to help you create an amazing life ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
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Hi Audrey, 

Here's your weekly email of things I'm reading, listening to, thinking about, buying, or just plain paying attention to. I hope you get something out of this, but if you don't and you decide to unsubscribe, I'll buy you a coffee for wasting your time.

Yep, I'm serious, just unsubscribe and I'll send you a gift card for a free coffee. 

Oh yeah, and don't forget to CLICK THE LINKS...there's some cool stuff behind those lovely bold red words!

New Feature on the Website — Articles

Audrey has been working hard to get NEW articles published on the website.

I'm really stoked about it, and you can get to it by clicking here.

Over the past many years I've privately written over a hundred articles on entrepreneurship, leadership, and intentional living, there's now a place for you to get some of my best content. Audrey will be posting at least one of these articles, plus new ones as I write them, each week to help you on your journey.

Here are a few of my favorites: 

  • How to Make Better Decisions by Improving Your Intuition
  • Why 'Dabbling' Isn't Enough: 7 Ways to Fully Commit and Succeed
  • 5 Ways to Help you Find Your Purpose in Your Business
  • Why Work Why Work-Life “Balance” is a Lie — Here's the Alternative

New Practice I'm Experimenting With — Tantric Meditation

I've been known to try out some interesting techniques for personal improvement over the years.  Notably, a relatively long stint doing Kundalini yoga,  (they call it "Kinda Looney") committing to the Leadville 100 mountain bike race while 60 pounds overweight at the time, and a couple of rounds of Andy Frisella's #75Hard program which created habits that I still use today. 

Lately, my meditation practice has become stale and I wanted to try something new to see if I could interrupt the pattern of going through the motions of this ritual. 

A few weeks ago, I found an article on Tantric Meditation (no, not the same thing as Tantric sex, although some of the practices overlap) that inspired me to start. So far, I really like it. The practice of Tantric Meditation is extremely complex, and I'm just getting started, but I like the process so far.

Here's the article that got me interested in the practice.

Lessons from a Chess Coach — "Discovered Attack"

I recently started chess lessons with International Master, Valentin Razmov. Each week, he dissects my disconcerting chess match (I play online as chadjamesusa), with attempts to contribute a few lessons into my stubborn head. "Don't block your bishops, dummy." Is just one of our many, teachable moments.

This week he taught me about a concept called, "The Discovered Attack," a type of direct attack that reveals when one piece moves out of the way of another. "Discovered Attack" can be extremely powerful, as the piece moved can make a threat independently of the piece it reveals.

I learned more about defending AGAINST a discovered attack, than actually creating one, and I think it has interesting applications for business. 

Why Consistency Trumps Intensity 

Often, the resistance we experience isn’t toward the idea of doing something hard. 

We can all do hard things. The real resistance that we feel, is actually,  sustaining effort over time.

For instance, If I asked you to bench press 45 lbs., five times in one workout, chances are you could do that, maybe even easily.  But if I asked you to bench press 45 lbs., five times a day, for the next month, I could confidently bet against your ability to achieve this relatively simple goal. 

Why?

Because consistent effort over time is hard. 

You know you can lift that 45 lbs., but arranging your schedule to make sure that it happens for a full month and then keeping to that schedule requires consistency, not just intensity. That ability to remain consistent is what I would bet against.

Consistency is the real measurement of success. 

What does a lazy entrepreneur, struggling with consistency, do? 

Here 9 Ways to Create More Consistency Over Time:

1.) Be Deliberate

Malcolm Gladwell famously claimed that anyone could achieve mastery of anything with 10,000 hours of practice. He wrote about this, “10,000 Hour Rule,” in his book, "Outliers: The Story of Success." While Ericsson was flattered that Gladwell cited his research, he publicly corrected the author shortly after the book was published saying that it wasn’t just the 10,000 hours of work that created mastery, itt was 10,000 hours of the RIGHT work. 

To achieve our goals and be more consistent, we must first identify and systemize the RIGHT work. 

We must be deliberate in our practice, and this deliberate practice that creates mastery. 

2.) Create Specific and Realistic Goals

Creating goals often sound something like, "acquire one new client this month,” or “reach out to five new prospects each week.”

For example, if you are a new coach who has only one or two paying clients, and you make the ambitious goal of “five new clients this month.” it's simply too big and unrealistic if you know you can realistically only get one new client a month. The result from that lofty of a goal is defeat.

Specific and realistic goals, are the key to success.

Even goals that seem “too easy,” are far better than the overly-ambitious goals. 

3.) Create and Stick to an Ideal Week or Schedule

The is the absolute keys to becoming more consistent over time. Leaving your schedule to chance is a recipe for disaster, leaving your schedule up to chance and mere choice. It also evokes constant task-switching which enables you to get less done and uses up extra brainpower, depleting willpower. 

A regular routine and schedule allows us to make educated choices and to not pile on tasks and promises unrelated to our goals. 

4.) Surround Yourself with Reminders

Three posters hung in my office and home, stand as constant reminders of what's important regarding my work. 

The first states: “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”

There's never a perfect time to do anything, so do it.

The second says, “There ain’t no rules around here. We’re trying to accomplish something.”

A great reminder to not get caught up in the "shoulds" of life and business but rather, focus on the big goal.

The final poster is self-explanatory, and my favorite of them all. 

“Get Shit Done.” 😁

5.) Make Promises ONLY if You Can Keep Them 

Consistency often involves making commitments and keeping them. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you make too many promises. If you think a request may be difficult to honor, just say no.

An unfulfilled promise, no matter the excuse, is significantly more damaging than rejecting the request in the first place. 

6.) Make Mistakes and Keep Going

Perfectionism is the bane of the entrepreneur’s existence. 

It keeps us from finishing what we start, or in some cases from even starting because we are afraid to make a mistake. Instead of shying away from mistakes — we do this because we put too much weight on each individual action— embrace action as the goal instead of the outcome of the action.

Mistakes give us a chance to improve upon our last effort. You didn’t walk the first time your parents put you on the floor, did you? 

7.) Rest 

Consistency doesn’t mean that you are working all of the time. In fact, if you give yourself time to recover, you’ll improve your productivity and avoid burning out. Schedule in time for yourself, and don’t let anything get in the way.  Many of the entrepreneurs that I work with used to believe that it took 60-80 hours a week (or more!) to be successful.  It doesn’t. Taking time off to reflect and recharge will allow your brain to get excited about your next period of action. 

8.) Create External Accountability  

One of the great challenges of being your own boss is the fact that you are responsible to no one other than yourself.

While this is one of the reasons that you chose this life, it’s also one of the reasons that entrepreneurship is so hard.

To be consistent you have to make sure that you recognize when you don't reach the standards and goals that you've set. External accountability is great.  A coach or mastermind group can help you with that. 

If you don’t have a coach or a mastermind group to hold you accountable, consider going to coach.me and search for an “accountability coach.” 

You can hire a coach like Kellie Parker for as little as $25 per week, including unlimited in-app messaging with Kellie, Daily check-ins, and personalized advice to overcome your biggest obstacles.

9.) Train Out Negative Thinking  

Negative undermines consistency and of willpower. When you think negatively you are making yourself less likely to be able to hold to your consistent actions.

Pay attention to negative thought patterns that will hinder you in the future. Catch yourself if you start thinking, "I can't do this" or "I'm stupid."

When you do notice these negative thought patterns, turn them around or introduce a more positive or neutral thought.

So for example, if you find yourself thinking "I can't do this," turn it around and think, "I'm going to practice doing this, even if I'm not great at it to start with."

Thanks for reading!

Have feedback to share with me? Which above was your favorite? Want more or less of something? Have other suggestions? 

Send a reply to this email and let me know. I'm always open to new ideas if you have something cool or interesting that you think I should know and/or write about in the next, Black Coffee Friday. 

That's it for now... talk soon!

Chad

P.S.

I am opening the doors to my mastermind group on building your business creating the life you’ve imagined, called MAVERICKS!

This coaching group connects you to other ruthlessly ambitious entrepreneurs and provides access to the resources and tools needed for YOU to create success in your business and life.  

Here's a sneak peek of what's included in Automatic Income Academy (full details here)

That's it for now... talk soon!

Chad

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Unsubscribe | Sent by Chad James Executive Coach and Consultant, The 2nd Man Group
P.O. Box 772984 • Steamboat Springs , Colorado • 80487