N.B. Austin

Author of the Civilands Series

Success and Happiness

How I Learned to Avoid Procrastination

I recently had a discussion with a buddy of mine about how to avoid procrastination. The conversation allowed me to reflect on some habits I didn’t consciously think about, but had become a part of my every day life.

Before I tell you about those habits, I need to make something clear: there are a variety of reasons we put things off for later. I can’t possibly know yours and won’t pretend my solutions will cure you. However, this isn’t the first time I had been asked about the things I’ve been able to get done in a relatively short period of time. Another friend actually messaged me to ask if I sleep.

Yes, friends, I do sleep.

And you should sleep too. Once you wake up though, here is a process that might help you if you feel like you aren’t getting enough done.

Step 1: Acknowledge the Problem

This is by far the hardest and most important step. It isn’t always clear to see what’s missing in our lives. Sometimes we just get stuck with the feeling of missing something, without having any idea what it is.

I was certainly in that boat. Whether I thought I wasn’t enough or my situation wasn’t what it could be, the feeling hovered over me. A breaking point is reached soon after and this stimulus tends to trigger the realization that a change needs to happen. No matter how hard this period is at the time though, it is necessary and ultimately makes the rest possible.

We generally don’t want to–or know how to–admit we’re going about things the wrong way. Once we know a problem exists though, it becomes as easy as solving it.

Some examples of what you might be missing: work time, overtime, creative time, family and/or friends time, health/workout time, other recreational time, “me” time

Step 2: Look at Your Schedule

Now you know what it is you want more of in your life. So what are the reasons they aren’t already there? For most it’s because we get tied up in so many other things.

For me, I would be wiped out after a day of working and commuting. When I got home I would spend time with family/friends but there was so much else missing on a personal level it was hard to stay positive. From not having time for a creative outlet, to not having time for almost any of my favorite recreational activities, I just wasn’t living on my own terms and it showed.

To fix it you should first identify what you have too much of and what is causing you to stress.

Some examples of what consumes our lives (same as before!): work time, overtime, creative time, family and/or friends time, health/workout time, other recreational time, “me” time

Step 3: Trim the Fat

Seek balance. Don’t quit your job, but ask yourself how much the amount of time you’re putting into that job is contributing to or taking away from your happiness.Ā Do this for each of the examples of your time allocation above. Which areas can you cut time away from to make way for alternatives that provide you a better balance?

My job and the city I was living in stressed me out. At the same time, I knew of friends in my industry at companies with better work-life balance and in cities I enjoyed more. The change I needed to make was available and clear in this case so I made it, taking a slight pay cut in the process. I can’t find the words to tell you how worth it that was.

For some, the time available to cut may be less clear than for others. However, if you aren’t satisfied with your current lot, change of some kind is the only way forward, no?

Step 4: Just Keep Trimming

Maintain the activities that make you happiest, continuously chip away the ones that don’t, and fill the extra space with the things you were missing. Let progressively finding ways to free up more and more available time become a lifestyle.

When I reduced time with others to have more “me” time I was able to focus more on working out and my health consistently. As a result I started to feel better and had more energy at work. This allowed me to focus and find a new job in a city I love. The new job provided me even more free time as I cut my commute by more than half, which in turn led to tons of time for the creative endeavors I’d put off for so long. All of this combined to provide happiness that improved my relationships in a big way.

So find a pair of scissors and a glue stick and get to work.

Step 5: Don’t Force It

While discussing this concept with another friend, I was asked “how much free time do you have per day?” Now the answer depends on the day, but it probably varies from around 3-8 hours. Let me be clear about those hours: I do not spend every bit of those hours being productive.

Nor should you have to. On occasion I will get lost in recreational hobbies. Others I’ll get in a bunch of physical or social activity. I love to write and be creative in general, so inevitably the inspiration hits and I get something done every single day. The reason though is because I’ve made that time available.

Now, don’t get me wrong, you should make deadlines and stick to them. Your deadlines should be both achievable and challenging to reach. However, you are far more likely to reach them when giving yourself as much extra time as possible. When your mind is clear and heart is aligned the rest falls in place, I promise.

Step 6: Mix It Up

Everything becomes routine in excess. Try new things.

For me, I don’t necessarily want to restrict myself to the definition of “writer.” I love the title, but I love so many other things too. Additionally, exploring those other things tends to allow my passion for writing to grow… including video games, as other posts have shown. šŸ˜‰

In Conclusion

Ok, for reals though, I just texted the following to a fourth friend. I’d like to give a big thanks to all those who I mentioned not-by-name in this post, for the always thought-provoking conversations.

But yea dude little by little we gotta just always be trying to make the time we spend in our lives more of what we love and less of what we don’t.

As you can tell, the above is verbatim… dude.

*

QOTD: Do you procrastinate? What’s influences in your life are limiting your time? Tell me aboutĀ it below!

Thank you for reading and for everyoneā€™s continued support forĀ theĀ CivilandsĀ series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!

Ode to Fortnite: A Teachable Victory for Epic Games

If video games are a part of your current lifestyle in any way, you have most likely heard of Fortnite. If not, think something similar to the Hunger Games. Players get dropped into a world and must be the last to survive out of 100 players. While PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) implemented this concept first, Fortnite has seemingly come out as the superior of the two. Below are the reasons why Epic Games won and made gaming great again for my friends and I.

But first, check out my sick snipe, Brotato Chip:

 

The highlight of my young career.

Posted by Nicholas Austin on Saturday, February 24, 2018

1. The game is free

The concept of a popular console game being free to download still blows my mind. To counter PUBG being the first known brand in this genre though, Epic went with this strategy for Fortnite.

What made this play even more significant was the timing. When Fortnite started to really hit the scene, PUBG wasn’t yet developed in full. Instead of charging because they could at the time, Epic still gave the game away. It would come to pay huge dividends both for increasing reach and also as a financial strategy.

As Fortnite’s fan base has become more fanatical, new micro-transaction add-ons have been periodically introduced–and players have been more than willing to pay. One friend of mine told me his friend has spent over $300 on the game, which is still less than a year old. Compare that to the typical $60 Xbox game and I’d say the free strategy has more than paid off!

2. Consistent updates, based on player feedback

A common complaint with PUBG in the beginning was how many issues there were with the gameplay. Call of Duty World War II has had similar problems, amplified by a lack of timely patches from developers.

So far, there have been no such frustrations with Fortnite. Epic has been swift in its responsiveness to concerns surrounding all things from player-suggested improvements to actual gameplay hiccups. With this game type being a new phenomenon, it’s no wonder this degree of customer service has resulted in loyalty. In a lot of ways, it allows the gamers themselves to feel like they’re customizing their own product. This only provides more incentive to invest both their time in money in a community that’s become their own.

Hold up though, Broprah Winfrey. Before I continue, you GOTTA see this one. He is “TOO savage!”:

3. It doesn’t take itself too seriously

I’m gonna be straight with you, this point is a matter of my taste. It’s interesting too because I feel the opposite in this regard when it comes to movies/TV shows/books. But for some reason I tend to prefer light-hearted, less dramatic video games.

The ability to make your character throw bananas, do funny dances, or have confetti and little kids cheering upon getting a head shot, makes the game more fun (thanks Mario, Fortnite, and Halo, respectively). While I’ve always played and enjoyed serious games like Call of Duty, creative, silly in-game action allows for much more community building.

Players sharing video content like the following is a great example of this in action.

Okay, this one wasn’t me either, Brotel 6. But nonetheless, WTF:

A lesson in customer-centric business

This isn’t a new principle I’m aiming to present to you. I just find it so cool to be actively involved in consuming a fantastic business/marketing model as it continues to develop. It’s a case study I’ve certainly learned a lot from and hope you might as well. Overall, the following two things are my key takeaways:

  1. The value of being customer-centric in both pricing strategy and services provided cannot be overstated.
  2. If you’re in the mood to play video games and have the time to do so, feel free to play video games. You never know what you might learn!

*

QOTD: which do you play more of? Let me know in this poll and tell me why in the comments:

Thank you for reading and for everyoneā€™s continued support forĀ theĀ CivilandsĀ series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!

My Brazilian Carnival Experience: One Festival to Rule Them All

Today I’m almost two weeks removed from the most beautiful, insane festival imaginable. It’s taken all of those two weeks to recover from illness, jet-lag, and a brief, depressing period of being back to normalcy. However, here I am, finally ready to try putting into words how great my Brazilian Carnival experience was. Vamos!

What is the Brazilian Carnival?

Based on what I was told alone, the Brazilian Carnival is basically a pre-lent sin-fest. The whole country gets together for “four days” of letting loose, prior to making their sacrifices for lent. I use quotes on the length because I am told there is about a week of both pre- and post-Carnival, beyond the official dates. For future reference within this post, I personally was only there for the four days.

To give you a more proper description, see the following, from Wikipedia:

TheĀ Carnival of BrazilĀ (Portuguese:Ā Carnaval do Brasil,Ā IPA:Ā [kaŹnaĖˆvaw]) is an annualĀ BrazilianĀ festival held between the Frida afternoon (47 days beforeĀ Easter) andĀ Ash WednesdayĀ at noon, which marks the beginning ofĀ Lent, the forty-day period before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term “carnival,” fromĀ carnelevare, “to remove (literally, “raise”) meat.”

As you can see, the locals who explained it to me have a different definition than what’s official.

Where did I go and what did I do?

Brazilian Carnival experience
The paint lasted maybe an hour, but I found a way to be covered in sparkles pretty much each night.

The trip consisted of two days in Salvador and two days in Rio de Janeiro. I will detail my thoughts/experience on each below. First though, I’d like to give you 5 travel tips I picked up along the way.

  1. Get a below-the-clothes fanny pack like this one. Keep your stuff safe, keep your pockets empty, take the target off yourself.
  2. Look closely at your itinerary. On the final leg of our trip, from Sao Paolo to Salvador, there was apparently a stop the plane intended to make in some other city. This stop wasn’t mentioned clearly at all on our itinerary and we actually got off the plane, thinking we were in Salvador. We were lucky we realized it in time when we saw our Airbnb was a quick 7.5 hour car ride from the tiny airstrip we were at… We were luckier when the Portuguese speaking security people let us back out and onto the near-departing plane.
  3. Travel with amigos. More safe, more fun.
  4. Know key words in either Spanish or Portuguese. This isn’t 100% necessary, but it’s good to at least know “thank you” and “bathroom.” Though not many people I met in Brazil spoke Spanish, it was similar enough to Portuguese to hold a basic, if broken, conversation. I’ll talk more about language as a part of the experience below.
  5. If you lose your phone in the Uber to the airport, do it before the trip.Ā Sorry, Alex. But it was a learning experience. My buddy misplaced his phone in our ride-share to the airport. The silver lining though was it allowed him to be unplugged. It was also easy enough to meet up with the driver when we got back to the states. So be like Alex, don’t lose your phone in Brazil.

Salvador

The parties

If you followed the Wikipedia link above, you would have seen there is a difference in celebrations between the northern and southern cities. The “main event” in Salvador (northern) features big floats with musicians jamming out on top. The locals follow these floats en masse, dancing their hearts out from sundown to sunrise. Fun fact: these people are actually referred to as “popcorn,” because of the way the look dancing in the large crowd.

View from the Camarote

On either side of the street are paid party areas called Camarotes, where you can watch the street festivities pass by. The Camarotes also feature their own entertainment, with musicians, free food/alcohol, and other recreational activities. This is where we spent each of our evenings, going to Camarote Salvador the first night and Camarote Harem the second.

Salvador from our AirBnB
The place

Beyond the parties, Salvador felt small for being such a big city. The conditions of the favelas are tough and you should be aware of your surroundings, but the people we met in general were really nice. From having water gun shootouts with local Brazilian kids, to watching the sunrise with strangers, it was amazing to see how neighborly it felt there.

Though I didn’t have enough time to retain specific location names, there are also a few things I recommend you take the time to do while in Salvador:

  1. Eat, eat, and eat some more. Wow. The street food was fantastic. The sit-down restaurant food was fantastic. Even the mall food was fantastic. There were times I didn’t even know what exactly I was eating and was still blown away. Got through Salvador without getting sick too!
  2. Moto taxis. They are probably really dangerous on those roads and the manic drivers don’t help, so don’t do them… unless you like fun. The best part was asking for a joy ride to the market square area. This detour included a hillside ride by the water. It can be nerve-wracking with certain drivers, but you should wear a helmet and do it anyway.
  3. Malls and markets. They are a big deal here and a cultural experience. I’m not typically one to get excited about the tourist shops in a place, but the markets during Carnival are just another spot to continue celebrating during the day.

Rio de Janeiro

The parties

So there are three main options I am aware of, but since Rio is a massive city, there’s probably more.

  1. The Rio Samba Parade. If pageantry is your thing, this has to be the most extravagant parade in the world. Different samba schools give the wildest performance they can with the hopes to be judged as the best. This carries on through the night so I imagine you’d be sitting for a while. My group decided not to go to the parade, but it plays on every TV you’ll see around town.
  2. Lapa. For those who know Austin, TX, think dirty sixth street but WAY dirtier. Lapa refers to a specific area in the city where there’s basically a bunch of clubs. People hang out on the street and there’s ample opportunity for various shenanigans. We went here. It was wild. I’ll leave it at that.
  3. Blocos. These are kind of like the floats in Salvador except they are fixed in one place, with tons of people gathered around them. Again, shenanigans are a plentiful resource. I sadly missed out on this. šŸ™ By this point in the trip, getting a cumulative 8 hours of sleep in three days had caught up with me and I was also locked in the bathroom sick. My friends who went highly recommend the blocos though!
Brazilian Carnival Experience.
View from Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
The place

Rio definitely felt a little more sketchy than Salvador. It seems it is a more dangerous place in general, especially in the favelas. As mentioned previously, I also got sick within the first meal I had there. The food overall didn’t quite knock my socks off the way Salvador’s did.

Okay, now that the bad stuff is out of the way, let me say Rio is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Christ the Redeemer is as magnificent as advertised, as are the views from its platform. You can really see EVERYTHING from up there. Back down the hill, the beaches are very pretty too with all the cliffs towering above them. The environment feels like Florida, but with hills.

One of the difficult things about going to Brazil during Carnival is the amount of partying limits sight-seeing time. Because of this, I would definitely want to extend my trip to at least a full week next time. Especially in Rio, there were so many other hiking and exploring opportunities we simply didn’t have time for. So if those types of activities are more your speed than the parties, there’s still so much for you to experience there.

My overall, heartfelt summary

In my hand is my fifth water bottle… within about a 2 hour period.

Before I departed for this trip (and after too), the question of safety came up a lot. Now, I’m not going to lie or sugar coat it or act tough–parts of Brazil are very dangerous. As strange as it is that the favelas have the best hill views, stay the hell away from them.

What I need to make absolutely clear though about my Brazilian Carnival experience is this…

GO THERE ANYWAY!

Have a wild destination in mind you’ve heard can be life changing? Is it expensive? Can it be dangerous if you aren’t careful? Are there other reasons you’re worried about going? Guess what: you live one fucking time. Go anyway. Want to know why? Because…

Those ridiculous limits in your head, you will smash them.

Before I left, the concept of parties that went until well after the sun rose scared the crap out of me. I worried my body wouldn’t be able to handle it as that isn’t quite my normal routine. Boy, was I wrong. When we returned from those long nights/mornings I was on so much adrenaline I didn’t even want to sleep. And no, no drugs and hardly any alcohol were involved. Oh, and guess what else…

Don’t speak the local language? GOOD.

It’s fantastic to struggle together with others, especially people who you’re also celebrating life with. You’ll learn that words matter way less in communication than we assume. You’ll see you can show people what you’re thinking or feeling, rather than telling them (and they’ll do the same back to you).

Not the smoothest small-talker? Great. You’ll learn you don’t even need to make quick jokes or spit game. What you will do is laugh with people without any reason for doing so; you’ll turn a communicative roadblock into a reason to dance; and you’ll form extraordinary confidence, friendships, and memories in the process. To summarize it all in four words…

Your worldview will change.

Brazilians come from many different walks of life. But for four days, they are one people. During this time the filthy rich and dirt poor all look the same: they look happy. And why shouldn’t they be? The music that fills their streets is vibrant (hearĀ Vai Malandra for your next song on endless repeat), their food and scenery are as good as it gets, and their women are… WOW. šŸ˜‰

So please, I beg you to take my word for it: At some point in your life, invest the money and time to go and have your own Brazilian Carnival experience. I know 2018 isn’t the only year I plan on going, so maybe I’ll see you there!

*

Thank you for reading about my Brazilian Carnival experience!

If you enjoyed this content, you might also enjoy theĀ Civilands series and the Tuesday Night Fiction audio book podcast. The series is best described as Game of Thrones meets Gangs of New York meets Manifest Destiny. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and feel free to subscribe at the bottom of the page for more blog updates.

Why Leadership and Gratitude Go Hand-in-Hand

This weekend I had the privilege of working with some very talented people. These friends of mine helped me bring my creative vision to life and offered tremendous effort in doing so. While there is still post-production work to do, the experience thus far has re-defined gratitude for me.

Leadership and gratitude.Leadership and Gratitude

If you want to feel fulfilled, act on your passions. If you want to feel gratitude, expand your vision and give others a role in it.

First, understand what their passions are. If you know what gets them excited, you can find a way to best utilize their talent. Doing this will provide them an outlet to act on their passions, though yours. Give in this way and they will give you the world in return.

And “utilize” might sound like a dirty word in terms of benefiting from others. I assure you, it isn’t. If you like to play video games and a gaming convention gives you a platform to do it, the convention and gamer have a mutual relationship. Management and delegation should operate under the same principles.

So take the lead and be amazed at how far you will go with great people by your side!

Acknowledgements

I would like to call out everyone involved in the trailer’s shoot and acknowledge them for their talents. Here’s also a bit on what they all have coming up as well. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on some exciting projects!

Lincoln Athas

My cousin and videographer. More on the upcoming film he has been working on here and be on the lookout for local IMAX release!

Malachi Vargas

One of my best friends and videographer/actor. Check out his YouTube channel hereĀ for a variety of entertaining content.

Gina Kavallas

A friend of one of my old teachers and actor. Reach out for her contact info if interested in her talents!

*

Thank you for reading and for everyone’s continued support forĀ theĀ CivilandsĀ series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!

4 Things to Start Considering When Finding Your Why

If you sawĀ my post from last Thursday, you would have noticed I’m currently on a Tony Robbins content binge. Well, as usual, a recent video of his I was watching about, “finding your why,” got me thinking. In the video Tony recommended an exercise of stating/writing-down your reasons for pursuing the things you want to pursue.

So I wrote mine down. I mean, he’s the guru who was in Shallow Hal so… obviously I’m gonna do what he suggests.

All joking aside though, while doing it I realized it wasn’t so easy to put into words at first. Considering it further, I remembered this struggle had been echoed by many of my friends in the past. Especially if we don’t yet know the, “what,” of our pursuits, the why can be a challenge to articulate. So after I finished I decided to make a list of the factors that a why is composed of. Hopefully, these things might help you to find and express yours. If so, please share below and see how good it feels to let out!

Finding your why with Luna.
My pup, Luna, searching for her why.

What to consider when finding your why

1. Emotions

How does it make you feel? And please don’t be the guy/gal who says “happy.” Don’t answer in any tone below a pure, joyous one. Similes and metaphors aren’t just limited to writers. So tell me about the thing you do that ignites in you all the euphoria of floating through the air of the Aurora Borealis. This type of thing(s) exists in you, I know it does, so just let it flow. Even better if you do so in the comments below! šŸ˜‰

2. Desires

Being outcome oriented can be a constructive thing, as long as you’re using it to push you to work harder today and aren’t depending on those outcomes for happiness. So consider the people you look up to. Where are they? What do they have? Why do you want to be in their position? Once you have answers to those questions, you should also have some pretty compelling reasons to work a step harder to get there.

3. Activities

This is what you enjoy about actually doing the task day-to-day. A writer writes, a gamer games, an analyst analyzes, and an athlete competes. For each there is something about the activity itself that makes them default to it. It could be an escape, a puzzle to solve, a challenge to overcome, or so many other things.Ā  What’s your activity and what is it about the process you love?

4. Avoidances

In choosing to do one thing, you’re also avoiding another. This might be even more important to you internally than the pleasure of the passion you have. Entrepreneurs and artists might say they’d do anything to escape a 9-to-5. People with a 9-to-5 might say they’d do anything to ensure security for their family and/or them. All of the above likely have avoiding poverty as a value. So you can see where the things we don’t want tend to push us toward what we want. What are you running from?

So now that we know what goes into it, here’s my, “why,” as an example for comparison.

Alright (*cracks neck*) someone hold my beer while I go off…

Breaking Bad was the beginning of something powerful for me. I was hooked from the very beginning as the twists and turns had me doling out my aunt and uncle’s Netflix account login to everyone I knew. There was no way I could contain my excitement when I found out (spoiler), and when (spoiler), and (spoiler). So I didn’t, even after the account password changed because I passed it around so many times. ;D

Now, I’m no meth-cooking science teacher, nor am I a father, husband, or resident of New Mexico. But the simultaneous love and hate I felt while watching Walter White evolve was quite simply… familiar. For all the times he built people up only to let them down. All the carnage and pain he left in his wake. Everything this man went through just to figure out one thing:Ā who really is Walter White?

It’s a question we all ask ourselves with our name inserted in place of his. Who am I? What is my why? And am I even prepared to find out? Vince Gilligan became my hero when he presented to us, in the most explosive way possible, a journey to find the answers. He allowed me to hope, to wonder, and to learn more about myself through fantastic characters in a fantastic lens.

This is why I write.

Because I don’t want the next me to miss being inspired and excited enough to share their logins. I do it because I want to create characters so compelling and plot twists so earth shattering, you couldn’t ever forget or recover from them. Spoilers so rich it kills you not to tell your friends, while still giving you tremendous satisfaction for having seen the story unfold first. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have been the pioneer who found this treasure you can now share.

You, dear reader, deserve the thrills and sorrow and satisfaction I’ve felt. You deserve them over and over, delivered to you on a silver fucking platter. My why is so you can have stories to grow alongside the way I’ve grown with the ones I’ve loved.

Now you tell me about your why below and pass me back my goddamn beer.

*

Thank you for reading and for everyone’s continued support forĀ theĀ CivilandsĀ series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!

Health, Wealth, and Happiness – Vaynerchuk and Robbins

For the past week, I wore my headphones while I worked. Oddly enough though, I didn’t listen to a single song in that time. Instead, those hours were filled with a ton of Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk videos. These two are each a titan of health, wealth, and happiness, who’s mission is to help others achieve all three. Here are some of the tidbits that most reached me over the past week…

Health, wealth, and happiness.

Productivity

The first thing I realized is how much motivational speakers can help you stay productive. Even when listening somewhat passively, I got way more done in a given time-frame than I do on average.

Having a coach in your ear to enhance your mental state can do wonders in pushing your limits. However, with these two guys you’re not just getting an ineffective “rah-rah-rah” cheer guru either. What both understand is the importance of honesty with oneself. Sometimes that requires acknowledgment of harsh truths, in order to change for the better.

One great example, was a highlight Robbins discussed about the ladies of the View. When they came to him about doing his program, he said he’d be happy to have them. His one condition though, was they not do it together. Remaining politely straight-forward with them, he suggested their lack of maintenance of a healthy weight could result in one holding the other back at different points.

Now his bluntly calling them out did make me chuckle at first. What I started to realize though, was I probably have as many or more internal things holding me back than those ladies. It’s been great to recognize those areas and find ways to actively improve upon them.

Social Media the Right Way

A great lesson from Gary Vaynerchuk is a social media strategy costing only $1.80 per day. The ironic part? It also doesn’t cost anything…

How? Well, the strategy is actually to use the top social media hashtags to find the top users and most-interacted content. Once you find the top 90 or so, all you need to do is give your 2 cents on each. So yea, 90 x .02 = 1.80 = FREE… You know, math. šŸ˜‰

The key to this concept is building and fostering community around the things you love. This is how you craft a lifestyle and yourself as a player within that lifestyle, rather than simply self-promoting all the time. Be proud of your voice and speak your mind!

Personally, I haven’t added this extent of commenting to my social media regimen yet because end-of-the-year stuff has been crazy. However, I have been commenting and sharing my thoughts more when they pop up, rather than just clicking the like button. Once I get through my current mountain of tasks, implementing a $1.80 system of my own is going to be a top priority!

Happiness

There is no one better suited to help you find meaning in life than Tony MF’n Robbins. Two of the biggest things he stresses are maintaining a peak state of energy through motion, and the importance of gratitude. There are so many lessons he gives stemming off these, but here are two big examples I took away.

  1. Stand up. Reach your right pointer finger out in front of you. Turn your body as far as you can to the right, rotating your body around but keeping your feet in place. Note how far you turned based on where you ended up pointing. Now, return to the original position, but this time, close your eyes. In your mind, envision yourself going even further. Actually, envision yourself going further than you even think you physically could. Really push the limits as you get the picture in your head. Once you do, try the exercise again and see how much further you go. You went much further this time, didn’t you? This is a demonstration in the power of our belief. How much could we achieve if we always set our goals further than we thought possible?
  2. A study was done where a sample of people were asked to hold a cup of coffee for someone. Half the people were handed a hot cup of coffee, the other half were given a cold cup. After holding the cup, the good samaritan would be asked to read a short story. Upon reading the story, they would then be asked if they considered the main character’s actions to be kind and warm, or cold and mean. Turns out, 80% of the people given the warm cup answered the former, while 81% given the cold cup answered the latter. Another amazing example of how the mind can be influenced!

Exercises

So knowing there are stimuli which can influence the mind, here are a few things I’ve been putting into practice, which have been effective for mental state:

  • Affirmations – there is no long-term joy in reaching a destination, so enjoying the ride too is ideal. One way to aid this is to affirm every day that you have already reached the destination. See Jim Carrey’s $10 million check.
  • Morning motion – whether this is working out or literally jumping out of bed, get the day started right with activity. It will get you ready to kick ass and is good for you health-wise.
  • Breathing – another thing I found from Robbins is fourth breaths in, four breaths out. If you try it a few times, you should really feel an automatic relaxation. Especially for a dog owner, this one is great to do on a walk!

*

Obviously, if you couldn’t tell from this long post, I highly recommend following these guys. I’ve hardly scratched the surface with all the valuable lessons you can take from them so know there is much more which could provide you with the spark you need. Both are true inspirations and have positively impacted my life in a big way.

Thanks for reading and hope you’re enjoying the Civilands series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!

New Year’s Resolutions 2018, What Are Yours?

In honor of soon-to-be 2018, I decided to use today’s post to spell out my New Year’s resolutions. Last year I kind of just made them to myself in my head. Now that I have a blog though, I figure typing it out will leave me no choice but to complete each task. If I don’t, I know I’ll be berated and cast out by the internet, since everything typed on it is 100% true and reasonable–including promises made to oneself. It is my full intent to uphold this standard.

I’m not going to lie, I understand this post is kind of for me. šŸ˜‰ However, I hope you share your goals too in the comments. Also, if nothing else, know you’re not alone in your pursuit of achieving them!

New Year's resolutions. Happy 2018!

My 2018 resolutions:

  • Sign on to write Star Wars Episode IX and save the series from the destruction caused by ‘The Last Jedi.’
  • Win more on Fortnite.
  • Watch at least 10 movies that aren’t remakes.
  • Experience one year while living in Austin where the Longhorns can win 9 or more football games (long shot).
  • Figure out why my dog growls in her sleep so I can get her to do it more because it’s cute and funny.
  • Shoot the shit with Neil Degrasse Tyson.

Ok, I’m kind of kidding, seriously this time:

  • Publish book 3 – Currently in the editing phase. Really excited about this one. It’s setting up the climax of the series arc in ways far more massive than I could have imagined when I started writing Civilands.
  • Blog post three days a week for the entire year – I think I’ve made it about a month so far and have loved every minute of it! Really helps connect you even further with the things and thoughts that impact you. When people respond to some you’ve written, that’s always cool too. šŸ˜‰
  • Make live action Civilands trailer – Planning to shoot in early 2018 right now. Got my set, camera guy, scene, and possibly actress. Just need some snow.
  • Write and publish book 4 – Have already started chapter 1 and so excited to continue once #3 is more set and stone. For a series already loaded with twists, this one should be biblical.
  • Finish writing season 1 screenplay – Again, already started the first episode a little bit ago. Writing books turned out to be way more fun than I expected so this has been secondary while I’ve been getting through the series. This year it will be a bit more of a priority.
  • **Stretch goal** Make first screenplay pitchĀ –Ā This one might end up being the primary goal of 2019, but it’s good to try and have a stretch goal I suppose. Just know there will be a show on TV that I wrote at some point.

I have some personal resolutions too: work out more, read more, blah, blah, blah. However, the above are what I’ve prioritized.

Hope everyone has a safe, healthy New Year! What are your goals/resolutions for 2018?!

Let me know in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!Ā Thanks for reading and hope you’re enjoying the Civilands series.