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Today’s show is brought to you by film students Connor and Annalise Tazz EPISODE 51 – 5 OF THE BEST AND LOOKING FORWARD Intro I can hardly believe that I’m able to sit down, at last, to record this show because it’s been such a long tough journey this season. Today’s show not only marks the end of season 3 but it also celebrates the first 50 episodes and a NEW YEAR with new hopes and possibilities. Albert Einstein said Learn from yesterday, live for today and so I will be looking back in this episode and choosing 5 of my favourite pieces of advice, tips and tricks from the first 50 shows to bring to you today and then looking forward to another year and another decade, which if we seize control of it, and utilise the skills and advice I offer in this podcast - will be a very successful and fulfilling one for all of us. Learning the lessons of the past allows you to walk boldly in the light without running the risk of stumbling in the darkness. This is the way it's supposed to work. M. Russell Ballard UNQUOTE Despite some ups and downs for me, this year has overall been a very positive one. I should probably cover why I said I was going to release 18 x 10 minute episodes this season and then promptly went ahead with 18 shows which were about 20 minutes or considerably longer. Well, I have to admit that I got myself into a lot of trouble with that one and the truth is that the topics I have been tackling just didn’t fit into a 10-minute format. I quickly realised, and this is a topic for a future show perhaps, that I had underestimated my timings and the amount of work that I was taking on but as I am a man of my word, who had promised 18 episodes this season, I soldiered on. Season 3 contains just over 8 hours of original content, where I’d originally been aiming for 3. It’s put a real strain on my time and resources but in the end, I feel that it’s been worthwhile. With all that said though – lessons have been learned! The other thing that went well off target this year was my own plans. I had used Jinny Ditzler’s BEST YEAR YET book to STRATEGISE my year ahead and set out at the start of the year with a ten-point plan to achieve things. By the time I got to my 3rd deadline I had unfortunately been derailed though – I talk about that in my EST LAID PLANS episode though so I won't go into detail. Jinny says that “The principal value of our mistakes and failures is our ability to learn from them”. This is backed up by Napoleon Hill in my LAW OF SUCCESS MINI-SERIES when he says that we should reframe failures, in our minds, as TEMPORARY SETBACKS. As I covered in detail during episode 34 - BEST LAID PLANS, I made a lot of mistakes this year, but learn from them I did. The title of the book YOUR BEST YEAR YET is very clever though as using Jinny’s system every year can be BETTER THAN THE ONE BEFORE. I can now move past and learn from my mistakes and make a new plan to achieve things in the year ahead. 2020 will be my best year yet, and when 2021 comes around I’ll give it the same focused effort as the last. My objectives will change as I move forward but EVERY NEW YEAR that arrives WILL BE MY BEST and I will continue to adapt and develop to achieve great things. I fully expect to be making more mistakes but I will build on them and likely report on them here, as they occur. BTW this is exactly the time of year you should check it out too so go to episode 16 to listen to last year’s NEW YEAR SPECIAL - YOUR BEST YEAR YET to find out more. There are many other factors that have contributed to the overall success if 2019 and I’ve had a few great wins along the way. Hitting 50 episodes was a tremendous landmark with this show, but I also had great developments in my personal and family life and have had great times with my dog Angus. I’ve directed fights on 4 feature films, a few theatre productions too, maybe 3 or 4 of them and a couple of short films and on I think 41 episodes of various high-level television shows. Despite a few hard knocks financially and spiritually that resulted in my giving up on making films I have come out the other side with a year I can call a success! Lesson All great achievements require time. Maya Angelou UNQUOTE Well passing the 50 episode point certainly feels like a milestone and no mistake, and today I want to bring to you 5 of my favourite tips for productivity from those first 50 episodes. These are in a kind of rough order for the sake of an exciting (ahem – or at least informative) episode, but to my mind, they are all valuable. I’ll call them my favourites but in truth, I have many many more that if I had time I would list here. The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny. Albert Ellis UNQUOTE 1st on my list is what I talk about in episode 1 of this show and it’s a switch in your head that needs to get flipped if you are to get yourself out of the mundane rut of directionless uncertainty that you find yourself in. What I am talking about is developing a HIGHER LEVEL OF THINKING which some call INTELLIGENT THOUGHT and getting yourself into a headspace where you can work ON your life and career at the same time that you find yourself living and working IN it. I’ll say that again - Getting yourself into a headspace where you can work ON your life and career at the same time that you find yourself living and working IN it. This realisation - that WE CAN DIRECTLY ASSESS AND TAKE CONTROL OF OUR LIVES AND CAREERS instead of just floating along through life like a passenger was the kick-off point I had into this whole world of productivity. I don’t know where I first heard that phrasing but it’s not really my words, or maybe it is a little, but as I always try to credit where it is due I must say that I’m pilfering someone else’s ideas here. If up until now you have just been FOLLOWING THE RANDOM FLOW OF YOUR LIfe and doing your best to make sense of it, without actually realising that you may have to STOP AND STEP OUT OF YOUR OWN LIFE AND WORK even just briefly on occasion to assess what you have been doing, and HOW THINGS ARE WORKING OUT FOR YOU, then you are not getting the best out of life. Stopping every now and again and looking at your levels of success or failure, what you may have learned from those failures and what might be the next steps to take on your journey through life is absolutely possible, but only if you flick that switch and decide to take back control. I invite you now, and if you are listening already to this podcast you are already likely on this wavelength, but I invite you that aren’t to step up and join us. Join those of us who have engaged the process of HIGH-LEVEL THINKING IN THEIR LIFE AND CAREER AND TAKE BACK CONTROL. HIGH-LEVEL THINKING will help you to avoid the skirmishes, stop wasting your time and mental energy on the unimportant and focus on the bigger picture and the bigger win. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Emma Stone UNQUOTE And so the 2nd on my list for today is an extension of this. It is a topic I’ve covered in a number of my episodes but most recently in episode 40 THE LAW OF SUCCESS part 1, and that’s the lesson specifically relating to having A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM IN LIFE. I talk about this quite regularly as in productivity terms it’s important. Let’s not take forever to cover this, you can just listen or re-listen to episodes 40-45 for the very full and incredibly valuable LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS miniseries to discover more - BUT the point in HAVING A PLAN AND A STRATEGY, is simply that if you don’t know where you are going, you are possibly never going to get there. If you do know what you want out of life, you will know what to say NO to and what to prioritise in what lies ahead. With a sense of purpose comes focus and certainty. Now I fully understand that it may take you a bit of time to decide what you want to do with your life, but you can still make plans for 5 years from now, 1 year from now or even just to achieve something you want by the end of next week or today. It’s also perfectly possible, that as your life proceeds and your priorities change, that you will intelligently choose to change your direction in life somewhere down the line, and that’s okay too. If you know what you want to achieve though, you can get to it far more easily and more directly, WITHOUT DISTRACTION, and without finding out that you’re actually working to achieve someone else’s life dreams and goals instead of your own. That way leads to MISERY. Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday. Napoleon Hill UNQUOTE 3rd on today’s list is a really simple anti-procrastination rule that I use every day. It’s from episode 9 FOUR GREAT HACKS TO AVOID PROCRASTINATION and it’s the ONE-TOUCH RULE. The one-touch rule is simply that YOU MUST PROCESS AND COMPLETE A TASK THE FIRST TIME YOU TOUCH IT. It was formalised by Productivity consultant Ann Gomez who explains that “It's a simple trick to help you batch your work into scheduled, focus blocks: you won't open an email until you're ready to give it your full attention, or you'll decline to accept your co-worker’s rough draft until later when you know you'll have the time to sit down and do it.” I have a difficulty on occasion with overwhelm, which was talked about in the November mailbag episode. Sometimes I just can’t handle all of the communications and problems that come my way as they come in, so I have to prioritise what I do tackle. See episode 3 for more on PRIORITISING btw. Once they are prioritised I won’t even look at or consider the non-pertinent stuff – actually sometimes I will if I am NOT FEELING OVERWHELMED and they are very quick to deal with, and that is the TWO MINUTE RULE also covered in episode 9. The reason I don’t open non-pertinent stuff though is because I have systemised myself to use the ONE TOUCH RULE. If I can’t complete a communication in one sitting, if I am about to start a task that I know I cannot finish right there and then, I WON’T START IT. Sometimes, if it’s urgent, I will reschedule my day to ensure I CAN finish things in one sitting, or I’ll split tasks into two or three sections so that I can at least complete a defined bit of it, but generally speaking, I don’t like to have what I call OPEN DOORS in my life. Those are unfinished pieces of work or communications or personal matters that I will have to pick up the pieces of later on. That just clogs up my brain and messes me up. If you find you have a task to do that you know you can’t complete in the time you have or that isn’t urgent then don’t touch it until you know you will have time to complete it. The ONE TOUCH RULE is a very powerful weapon in the productivity-ists arsenal. 4th in my list of favourites is PROTECTING YOUR MENTAL ENERGY – that’s all of episode 18. It’s something I first heard discussed by one of my favourite productivity experts ISAIAH HANKEL. In his awesome book, THE SCIENCE OF INTELLIGENT ACHIEVEMENT he says that “Mental energy is the world’s hottest commodity. People are going to try to steal it, drain it, and suck it up every second you’re awake. Yet very few of us protect it. Few of us know how.” Mental energy is what I was thinking about protecting with the ONE TOUCH RULE when I talked about not opening too many doors. My brain simply can’t adequately cover all the bases if it is constantly getting pulled from pillar to post by too many worries, too many commitments and too many open or unfinished tasks. When you are trying to remember dates and special occasions, and loading all of the commitments of a busy modern life and work onto your brain, you will find that you very quickly begin to drop the ball. You must PROTECT YOUR MENTAL ENERGY AT ALL COSTS though as you only have a finite amount of it to use each day. “Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.” – Dale Carnegie UNQUOTE And that fatigue he talks about is a waning of your day's supply of mental energy. I regularly utilise brain dumps, that’s getting all of the stuff that’s in your head out and onto a piece of paper or a whiteboard so that you can sort through it. You can then eliminate the unimportant and the non-priority junk that’s in there and focus on the important and the urgent stuff instead. You can also use CALENDARS and SCHEDULING SOFTWARE to remember dates etc and just take the burden of remembering all of that stuff off your mind. When you do this you’ll find yourself functioning more EFFECTIVELY and EFFICIENTLY and with FAR LESS STRESS and ANXIETY. Protecting your mental energy is one of my favourite shows so if you haven’t yet had a listen, then get in there. Accuracy is the twin brother to honesty and inaccuracy to dishonesty. Nathaniel Hawthorne UNQUOTE My final choice for today is ACCURATE THOUGHT. This is lesson 11 in my LAW OF SUCCESS mini-series and I’ve flipped over to this as time and again I see problems arise and great swathes of time wasted by woolly, unclear, lazy, or just mistaken thought. The lesson on ACCURATE THOUGHT teaches us that we must separate facts from MERE INFORMATION. It goes on to say that we must then separate our FACTS into TWO CLASSES just as I talked about a minute ago. These classes are the IMPORTANT and the UNIMPORTANT, or, the RELEVANT and the IRRELEVANT. Napoleon Hill explains that FACTS WHICH WILL AID YOU to any extent whatsoever in THE ATTAINMENT OF YOUR DEFINITE CHIEF AIM are IMPORTANT and RELEVANT; and that all that you cannot use is UNIMPORTANT and IRRELEVANT. Developing a habit of accurate thought I believe is essential if we are to be productive and here is why. Peter Drucker says “It is fundamentally the confusion between effectiveness and efficiency that stands between DOING THE RIGHT THINGS and DOING THINGS RIGHT. There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency that which should not be done at all.” It’s a quote I’ve used several times before, but   In the lesson Hill talks of “the law of evidence” and “the object of this law is to get at the facts. Any judge can proceed with justice to all concerned if they have the facts upon which to base their judgment, but they may play havoc with innocent people if they circumvent the law of evidence and reach a conclusion or judgment that is based upon hearsay information.” This world that we live and especially data gleaned from the internet is a minefield of misinformation. It affects me in several ways: For example - If I put up a quote and I have the time, I will investigate whether it is correctly attributed or not. I’d say that one in every 20 or so quotes that I put up IS INCORRECTLY attributed in my online reference materials. This might be regarded as a small thing but at the other end of the scale we have, I think a bigger problem, and that it’s what is known as SPONSORED CONTENT. It is amazing how many people there are who are "honest" when it is profitable to them but find myriads of facts to justify themselves in following a dishonest course when that course seems to be more profitable or advantageous. Napoleon Hill UNQUOTE Paid sponsorship is making it near impossible to find a balanced opinion out there. Reviews that represent themselves at a glance as TRUTH, are very very often in fact just commercial content that is designed to dupe us. South Park does a great skit on this where they describe marketing in terms of SkyNet in the Terminator Universe where the commercials adapt and become more intelligent in order to infiltrate our lives. Sorting THE TRUTH from THE LIES in today’s world is increasingly difficult. The trouble is if you believe the hype and the misinformation which we are manipulated to understand as truth, that you will find yourself wasting time and money and energy on stuff that later proves to be a waste of all of that. You may also find too that you have unknowingly have fallen into a marketing funnel and been deliberately led away from the truth which you are seeking. Getting to the facts in today’s society is just immensely difficult, but is worth the effort. There’s another side to accuracy of thought - and that is being ACCURATE AND TRUTHFUL TO YOURSELF. I see people faking their way through their lives, and I don’t actually have a problem with a FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT STRATEGY if it works for you, but what I see sometimes is someone starting to believe the bullsh*t they have been inflicting on other people and that is when this becomes a problem. If, as you move forward with a FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT STRATEGY, you lose your ACCURACY OF THOUGHT and START TO BELIEVE YOUR OWN HYPE, then you are getting yourself into no end of trouble. I’ve seen actors telling people they are in a movie, for it to be released later on and seen just as liars or fakes when they are clearly not in it. I’ve seen writers convincing themselves that they have relationships with high flying Hollywood producers only for their work never to get made, because they missed the real opportunities that were passing them by as they imagined themselves to be “better than that” and I’ve seen filmmakers who will tell you that they have a definite financier for their film crumble under my questions about it, when I discover that they don’t have anything in writing and they have just convinced themselves that it is true. Napoleon Hill helps us to get to the facts when we are faced by things like this, by asking one simple question. How do you know this? Under scrutiny, those who believe their own hype, but who have exaggerated their position, fall heavily on their own swords. Difficult though it may be, occasionally you have to ask that awkward question, in order that you do not get drawn into a world of false hope. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wasted my time and energy on something that later proves to be someone’s fantasy. Even this year I pushed for a hard guarantee on something I had doubt was going to happen, and that despite many assurances just didn’t come to be. As an ACCURATE THINKER, it becomes your DUTY to avail yourself of the facts, even though you must go out of your way to get them and ask those difficult questions. If however, you permit yourself to be swayed to and fro by all manner of information that comes to your way, you will never become an accurate thinker and you will be duped time and again by some seemingly credible peoples woolly brained fantasies or downright lies and manipulation tactics. ACCURACY OF THOUGHT combined with HIGH-LEVEL THINKING allows you to intelligently assess virtually any situation you find yourself in. IF YOU DO NOT THINK ACCURATELY though will be constantly distracted and likely NEVER attain your DEFINITE CHIEF AIM in life. So that’s all 5 of my for want of a better word “favourites” from the first 50 shows but if truth be told I embrace far more than this in my day today. --- *STEVE MARABOLIS said “As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better. We stand now at the precipice of a new beginning. At least it always feels that way when a new year comes about, but our NEW YEAR’s RESOLUTIONS are fleeting and very quickly begin to slip away as life starts to disrupt them. If you truly want to achieve things in the year ahead, then you need to know where you want to be and you need to plan for how to get there. Achieving your EVENTUAL DEFINITE CHIEF AIM in life will involve strategising and working hard to make it all happen. Last year’s NEW YEAR SPECIAL goes into great detail about this so if you want to learn about Jinny Ditzler's system for achieving things in the year ahead and achieving you own BEST YEAR YET then please go back to episode 16 and have a listen. Alan Watts once said that No amount of anxiety makes any difference to anything that is going to happen so if you have fears and anxieties about what lies ahead don’t allow them to disrupt your flow or your focus in life and work and family. The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written and I say that the pen for writing it sits firmly in your grasp. Call To Action This season I spent a lot of time creating a six-part series called the LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS based on the book by Napoleon Hill. In it, you will find a system so powerful that it cannot be understated. It’s not a short listen though, it’s a full 3 hours of content spread over the 6 episodes that will involve you really engaging your mind in what it teaches. Your call to action is to go back and listen or re-listen to that series which is covered in episodes 40 through 45. This will give you a very powerful start on the road to achieving success, in whatever form that might take, in the year ahead. Ending “If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward.” John Wooden I wish you the very best for 2020 and I hope that this podcast will continue to aid you on your journey. Take control of your destiny and use that higher level of thinking which I talk about. With that, you will be able to move forward with a certainty of purpose that will propel you towards your dreams and goals. REMEMBER TOO, THAT A NEW YEAR CAN START FOR YOU AT ANY TIME OF YOUR CHOOSING. If you are listening to this at another point in the year and decide you need to make a change for a better life and start again, whether it’s January the 1st or July the 22nd, you can do it. I said a few weeks ago that this show will be back at the start of March. I had miscalculated that actually. It will be back at the end of March, roughly 3 months from today with a new 12 part series which is possibly going to consist of 6 interview shows and 6 standard episodes. I’ll put out a couple of inbetweenisodes to keep you sweet in the interim too. In the meantime, I can highly recommend a few shows for you to check out during the offseason hiatus. There’s great filmmaking interview shows like THE FILMMAKER’S PODCAST, HOW THEY DID IT FILMMAKING, THE REEL FILTHY PODCAST and of course INDIE FILM HUSTLE with Alex Ferrari. If you are interested in learning more about podcasting AND WANT TO START YOUR OWN PERHAPS then please try Scotland based PODCRAFT or the US-based shows THE AUDACITY TO PODCAST or THE SCHOOL OF PODCASTING. I can also highly recommend THE STEPHEN ROWN SHOW which is a great listen and if you need a productivity fix please check out Julian’s show PRODUCTIVITY MATTERS. He started his at the same time mine did and he’s already got a load of content over there. http://thefilmmakerspodcast.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-they-did-it-filmmaking/id1434224016 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reel-filthy-podcast/id1305380866 https://indiefilmhustle.com/podcasts/ https://www.thepodcasthost.com/podcraft-podcast/ https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/ https://schoolofpodcasting.com/ https://www.stephenrowanshow.com/ https://anchor.fm/productivity-matters For now though - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next season on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. References:  Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Today’s show is brought to you by THE DAVE BULLIS PODCAST Wow, so here we are at a very grand milestone for Film Pro Productivity and I’d like to thank all of you for taking time out of your busy schedules and joining me here on this very special occasion. I’m not going to launch this one with any grand fanfare though as next weeks episode is not only the final show of this season but it is also the New Year special. I’ll talk more about that a little later but first let me look back at the last show, which was all about OUTRAGE CULTURE, a blight on the modern world if ever there was one. In that show, I delve into that topic and shed light on a grand manipulation pulled by strings held by the world media. It’s called Outrage Porn and it's available to listen to right now so if you have a few minutes to spare, go check it out. Now Albert Einstein once said “…the exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.” And that feeling - spoken by a man that most today would regard as an unprecedented genius, is a very good example of how IMPOSTER SYNDROME manifests itself. I often have to remind myself that the topics I cover here, some of which I have been thinking of for many years, are often entirely new concepts to many listeners. The term IMPOSTER SYNDROME was coined in the late ’70s by psychologists Dr Clance and Dr Imes and describes the feeling that HIGH ACHIEVERS have when they cannot recognize their success and are afraid of being exposed as a fake. According to these doctors, it can be identified in three ways: Feeling a fraud and being afraid of being ‘found out’. Attributing success to anything but your own achievements. Downplaying your achievements. The term imposter syndrome is interchangeable for Imposter phenomenon, fraud syndrome or impostor experience but I’m going to refer to it as mostly today as IMPOSTORISM. Impostorism is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud". I’ve touched upon it before in my season one episode entitled THE INNER CRITIC but today I want to get very specific about what it is, how it limits and damages us and what we can do to overcome it. A recent study noted that 70% of successful people had experienced feelings of imposter syndrome in their lives... And as it’s only the most awesome and highly successful people on the planet that listen to this show, I figured that this episode will be particularly relevant to you today. Initial studies of this phenomenon were focussed on women but over the years there have been many more and it’s now very evident that the problem of IMPOSTORISM is something that to an extent affects all genders and ethnicities. Even now in my quiet moments, I suspect that I am going to walk onto a film set to discover that I just don’t know what I’m doing and that someone of import there is going to ask me to leave and bring in someone to replace me. Over the years too I have very often dodged the bullet of direct praise by bouncing it off onto others that have been involved. I’m simply not comfortable with praise. I find it kind of embarrassing and try to slink away from it when offered. I don’t mean to be rude when this happens I just don’t like being in the limelight. Mostly though, I’ve been able to control these feelings. It took me years and years but I can now say pretty confidently, that I not only know what I’m doing in as much as it is possible to do so but that I’m really very good at what I do and deserve the payments and the accolades which I’ve had over the years. It’s hard to say that without sounding arrogant but I’ll stand by it. The pressure of not wanting to sound like I'm full of myself or arrogant, especially since I’ve worked with many people who really were arrogant and I don’t want to appear to others as they appeared to me - is something I do struggle with though. I find that it is always easier for someone else to announce how wonderful you are, rather than to do so yourself, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t believe it in yourself of course. A couple of things have happened recently which have strengthened my self-belief. The first was pretty simple. Partly due to my role here as the host of this podcast, I came to the realisation that everything doesn’t have to be perfect, just good enough. That knowledge takes the pressure off feeling like you are expected to know it all and to be perfect – which is good news indeed for a recovering perfectionist like myself. I have an affirmation I use, and I talked about affirmations a few episodes ago – check it out if you missed it, but the one I use now is that I CAN ONLY SEE SO FAR. No matter how hard I plan, I may still have to adapt on the day. This realisation takes the pressure of perfectionism off everything that I do but still allows me to plan in detail what I am doing. Secondly and I kind of hate going on about it but I got treated very badly a couple of times this year and have had to change my outlook and my way of working quite considerably as a result. As I mentioned numerous times this season, it actually resulted in my giving up on filmmaking, which I’d been doing for 12 years, but there’s only so much a person can take. Being looked down upon by idiots who have little or no understanding of matters on which I am an expert got me so annoyed that I finally called them out and when that happened the switch flipped in my head and I realised – wait a minute here – I AM THE EXPERT HERE not THEM. I won’t allow myself to be treated as an inferior again, and so I’ve worked hard to subdue my feelings of imposterism and stand up for my rights. A few episodes ago I also tackled the topic of bullying, and you may have to use some of the advice from that show to get back control for yourself. Lesson Now Jodie Foster famously suffers from this (She passed me once at the Cannes Film Festival and smiled in my general direction – just an aside - but I feel I know her now) She famously said - ‘When I won the Oscar, I thought it was a fluke. I thought everybody would find out, and they’d take it back. They’d come to my house, knocking on the door, “Excuse me, we meant to give that to someone else. That was going to Meryl Streep.”‘ That’s a really common theme with imposterism btw, Have you ever looked at someone else in your line of work and thought, I’m not as good as them, or as worthy of my place as them? I know I have… So to follow up on Jodie’s quote there,  Meryl Streep said on this topic ‘You think, “Why would anyone want to see me again in a movie? And I don’t know how to act anyway, so why am I doing this?”‘ Unquote You can never be a mind reader folks, so don’t even try. It’s getting you nowhere. The human brain has a negativity bias so you will always think the worst. The sort of people who most often suffer from the syndrome include “Perfectionists” who set extremely high expectations for themselves, “Experts” who feel the need to know every piece of information before they start a project, “Soloists” who feel they have to accomplish tasks on their own, and if they need to ask for help, they think that means they are a failure or a fraud and “Supermen” or “superwomen” who push themselves to work harder than those around them to prove that they’re not impostors —and feel stressed when they are not accomplishing something. I think I was one of those for a while. It didn’t end well. Do you think you might fit into one of these categories? And why do people suffer from Imposterism? In an article in Time Magazine by ABIGAIL ABRAMS, we discover that there’s no single answer. Some experts believe it has to do with personality traits—like anxiety or neuroticism— Psychologist Audrey Ervin focuses on family or behavioural causes. Sometimes childhood memories, such as feeling that your grades were never good enough for your parents or that your siblings outshone you in certain areas, can leave a lasting impact. “People often internalize these ideas: that in order to be loved or be lovable, ‘I need to achieve,’” says Ervin. “It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.” Unquote. The IMPOSTOR CYCLE is described as follows. First, they’ll become anxious, which can make them spend too much time on the task or procrastinate and then rush to finish it. Once the project is done, they’ll feel relieved and accomplished. The feeling of relief when a project is over is something I have experienced many times. I am nearing the end of this series which has been very tough for me, and this feeling of anxiety about it all is extremely heightened right now. Next, The cycle continues as they won’t accept positive feedback. They’ll ignore the fact that they could actually be smart or talented — insisting that they got lucky, or just worked a lot without having real skills. They don’t think they deserve success, which creates more anxiety, so the cycle repeats itself once more.   IMPOSTORISM takes what we all know as self-doubt and magnifies it. I am trying to be careful not to drift too far from the topic so I’ll leave more general issues about confidence and self-belief for another show. If, however, what I’m going on about here is something you think applies to you then don’t panic - there are some simple ways you can start to overcome it: First things first - remember: everything doesn’t have to be perfect. Remind yourself that your best is good enough. As I said on my episode on perfectionism though, this is not a that’ll do, It’s accepting that your GOOD ENOUGH can be really very good indeed. Talk to someone. You are not alone – I’ve been researching for this for a few days and I can say that without exception, everyone that I have spoken to about it has recognised it in themselves. Share what you’re feeling with trusted friends or mentors. People who have more experience can reassure you that what you’re feeling is normal, and knowing others have been in your position can make it seem less scary. If you want to delve more deeply into these feelings, then seek out a professional psychologist. There’s no shame in that and it is affordable despite what you may think. Having a really strong support system and getting on-going feedback that validates your efforts and outcomes is important for improving confidence levels. Lastly, believe in yourself and ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS. Take recognition for the work you did, treat yourself and move on. I’ve mentioned this before too and it’s part of what is known as the CYCLE OF PRODUCTIVITY. If you don’t acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, if you miss that part out, then YOU ARE DOING YOURSELF A DISSERVICE and burying your accomplishments in the past. RECOGNISE YOUR SUCCESSES and THE FAILURES FROM WHICH YOU HAVE LEARNED and celebrated them. Write down lists of your achievements, skills, and successes to demonstrate that they really do have concrete value to share with the world. When it’s there in black and white, it can’t be denied. Summing Up Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck, also fought feelings of inadequacy – he said “I am not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself and other people.”  Imposterism can be debilitating, causing stress, anxiety, low self-confidence, shame and in some cases, DEPRESSION. Perhaps the most damaging part of dealing with imposter syndrome is that it can limit our courage to go after new opportunities, explore potential areas of interest, and PUT OURSELVES OUT THERE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. Remember “You can still have an impostor moment, but not an impostor life.” Call To Action If today’s topic has resonated with you then I want you to begin to understand the power of your attitude toward yourself. How you perceive yourself, how you talk about yourself, and how you represent yourself eventually becomes a reality for you. One of the first steps to overcoming impostor feelings is to acknowledge your thoughts and put them in perspective. And this is a huge part of productivity too – Self-assessment is an ESSENTIAL SKILL to develop if you are trying to improve yourself. “Simply observing your thoughts as opposed to engaging them” can be helpful, so try and ask yourself ‘Do these thoughts help or hinder me?’” And if it happens that you're putting yourself down, belittling your worth, and making light of your talents, then you will come across as self-effacing, low in self-esteem, and almost a part of the wallpaper. You will also come across as I believe I did myself to some, A PUSHOVER. Your call to action is Take a few moments RIGHT NOW to celebrate your victories and achievements. Take this further by identifying a specific time each week where you can look back over what you have achieved and celebrate it each and every week from now on. Don’t miss out this crucial part of the productivity cycle. If you have a diary, write it in there. Write my achievements and schedule 15 minutes to look back and think on them. This is part of the productivity cycle – if you DON’T do this, you are setting yourself up for a much harder journey ahead. The 15 minutes you commit to this, and it may take less, are more valuable than having 15 minutes of free time. Ending Comedian and time-travelling international man of mystery Mike Myers says “At any time I still expect that the no-talent police will come and arrest me.” If that sounds like you, then I hope this episode will guide you to a better place. Today’s show was sponsored by THE DAVE BULLIS PODCAST and if it wasn’t that show I wouldn’t be here today. I have listened to and enjoyed his shows as I went to and from many a gig and they certainly have taught me a lot and inspired me to do more, not only when I was making films but as a podcaster too. His episodes are incredibly informative and engaging and he has created a body of work which is very significant. Sadly though this hasn’t timed in too well as at the end of this year Dave will be taking down all of his shows and stopping his podcast. It is my hope that they will be repurposed and re-released in some way but as for now, you only have a few days left before they will disappear. In Dave’s last show he recommends this show and Alex Farrari’s Indie Film Hustle and for that too, I thank you Dave. I just listened to his final show a week or so ago and it was absolutely incredible, so if you are a filmmaker and you plan to shoot a feature in 2020 I am ordering you to go and download it right now. Download as many as you can in fact because once they are gone we may not see them again. I’ll link to THE DAVE BULLIS PODCAST in the show notes and if you are on apple podcasts you may have to go there to listen as I think it’s already off of that platform. https://davebullispodcast.podbean.com/e/the-final-episode-alex-ferrari-rise-of-the-filmtrepreneur/ Next week’s show will be a retrospective look over the past 50 episodes with a TOP 10productivity tips section and a good bit of advice for moving forward into this new decade too. Please join me for that and for another 50 awesome episodes yet to come! Let me end with the words of Roy T. Bennett who wrote The Light in the Heart “Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.” Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://www.learning-mind.com/imposter-syndrome/ https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity-quotes-on-impostor-syndrome-434739 https://www.grammarly.com/blog/imposter-syndrome-quotes/ https://fairygodboss.com/articles/confidence-quotes https://time.com/5312483/how-to-deal-with-impostor-syndrome/ https://www.wikihow.com/Build-Self-Worth   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A    

This episode is sponsored by the host of Carradine's Cockney Singalong, Pianist and singer Tom Carradine Don’t be offended! In the last episode, I looked at AFFIRMATIONS and how they can be used to change your life. They aren’t some hippy-dippy placebo for making you feel better, they really can be brought to bear and make a difference to your life and work. If you haven’t yet checked it out yet then please get on it! This has been a long season for me and I’ve been reworking it a lot as I go and today’s topic is one of several that I nearly had to drop to make other things fit in. It is something that’s been increasingly on my mind but as with many of my shows, it’s not something I hear being discussed all that often. It did actually migrate into series 4 for a while, but it’s been reinstated as the episode I’d planned to put in here - which was about DELEGATING - is one which I’m going to run a few tests on before tackling. For example I’ll try using a virtual assistant for a time and see how it goes – I just need to get it very clear in my head what I’ll actually be asking for help with! I’ll be able to report back on whether that’s a good or bad experience and talk about it in a later episode and if you have any experience of successful, or I suppose unsuccessful DELEGATING then I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Lesson Today’s show began simply as a HEADS UP about something which I have come to believe sapping away our limited supply of mental energy in these strange times. I decided to raise it here as a sort of PUBLIC WARNING as it COULD BE wearing away at your ability to be productive without you knowing it. During my research I’ve become more and more certain that it’s something we should be very wary of and learn to shut out AND IF we can intelligently acknowledge it we will be able to protect ourselves from it. According to wicktionary.com the term OUTRAGE PORN was Coined by New York Times writer TIM KREIDER to emphasize the way THE MEDIA deliberately provoke feelings of righteous indignation in us by pandering to people's self-indulgent desire to feel OUTRAGED. It occurs in almost every form of media but is perhaps most often seen in 24-hour news programmes, newspapers (remember them) and on the internet. We are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind. Edward Bernays UNQUOTE OUTRAGE PORN is when the Media ensures that a statement or report is released which is deliberately skewed in a way to make the reader or viewer or listener etc. so furious about a topic that there will be a public outcry. That same media then reports on the outcry which it has carefully set up and so creates a perpetual news cycle of OUTRAGE over NOTHING AT ALL. In episode one of this show I talk about finding and honing a higher level of thinking. It’s described elsewhere in productivity circles as intelligent thought or achievement. Napoleon Hill describes it in the Law Of Success as Accurate thought. It’s there that Hill urges us to question the “facts” that we hear and separate those PROVEN FACTS from MERE INFORMATION. He asks us to separate facts into two classes; the IMPORTANT and the UNIMPORTANT, or, the RELEVANT and the IRRELEVANT. All facts which will aid us to any extent whatsoever in the attainment of your definite chief aim are important and relevant; All that you cannot use are unimportant and irrelevant. If you haven’t yet listened to episodes 40 through 45 which cover Hill’s amazing and powerful book, THE LAW OF SUCCESS in 16 lessons then you are doing yourself a disservice btw. Hill also says If someone presents a fact to you, you would do well to ask them HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS before accepting it as truth. We don’t get this opportunity though when bombarded by Outrageous stories in the press. It’s a world of ever-increasing falsity that we are living in, Beware. Carter Ferguson UNQUOTE haha only joking – try this for size. The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organised habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who MANIPULATE this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. Edward Bernays UNQUOTE As an aside here btw, do you know what you find when you look up quotes on manipulation of the masses? Quotes from Hitler – I kid you not. He talked a lot about manipulating the masses – “the greater the lie, the greater the chance that it will be believed.” is one of his and “If you wish the sympathy of the broad masses, you must tell them the crudest and most stupid things.” And “Tell a lie loud enough and long enough and people will believe it.” – You want a good reason for why we should be worried about Outrage Porn, look to Adolf Hitler. We are bombarded with news stories designed to manipulate in us, this all-too-familiar emotion: OUTRAGE. And the mainstream and lesser-known media outlets are taking full advantage of it. If we aren’t careful, we may allow Outrage Culture to change our society so drastically that we embrace tribalism and choose to interact only with people who are exactly like ourselves. Jeff Charles UNQUOTE The Urban Dictionary describes OUTRAGE CULTURE as follows. “When people play the victim card and bend over backwards to be as offended as possible when they really aren’t. Using hissy fits, political correctness, character assassination, and a false sense of moral authority, the OUTRAGER hopes to gain power and public recognition for their brave act of justice as well as a sense of control over their meaningless existence.” Now I had recorded a section in here that gave a specific example of this behaviour in an individual – but I’ve cut it as frankly - I am frightened of a deliberate misinterpretation of my words. And that’s the aim of course of some people who use outrage culture to manipulate us; to use fear of public retaliation to silence perceived opponents. I really tried to script neutral comment on the matter, but no matter what way I came at it, I saw trouble. What I have realised is that some people, who have perhaps become activists for social issues due to their profile as actors or influencers or whatever are building careers out of all of this. They deliberately using outrage to raise their profile and sometimes just to get attention. I’m really trying NOT to make this episode become what it is trying to warn against but on this particular point though, let me say that: There are some individuals who deliberate misuse OUTRAGE to serve their own personal and promotional agendas  - Their actions though, as their behaviours are questioned more and more, weaken the true causes that they are supposedly fighting for. On that note too - Let’s not forget here that MANY WHO PUSH BIZARRE SOCIAL AGENDAS ARE ACTUALLY TROLLS who don’t really believe the stuff they are putting out. – and an example I saw recently was someone tweeting about, and getting a lot of angry replies too, about how they will be taking to their vet about how their dog is TRANS – It was clearly a wind-up but it certainly worked. A lot of the stories that appear are just wind-ups and attention-seeking, but they have a damaging effect in that they can belittle and misrepresent the real voices and the real problems of the world. Journalist Jeff Charles writes that Outrage culture is marked by a tendency for people to become overly offended at the slightest occurrence. It could be an offhand remark about race that someone assumes to be a microaggression. Perhaps a talk show host made critical comments about the president. In some instances, it could be a politician failing to comment on a particular situation in the way you believe they should. He goes on to state, when talking of the USA, that - unfortunately, as a nation, we have become addicted to outrage porn. The article I took that from was published in June 2018 and it references three major stories that resulted in a tremendous level of internet outrage. First, actress and comedian Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett. Then, talk show host Samantha Bee gave a profanity-laced rant against Ivanka Trump, implying that she has incestuous relations with her father. Not to be outdone, more offensive blog posts written by MSNBC host Joy Reid surfaced. Once you start to become aware of this stuff, as I’m sure many of you out there already are, you start to see them everywhere. One that I saw causing chaos and offence everywhere this year was the seemingly racist tweet by British comedian and radio host Danny Baker who posted an old black and white picture of a man and woman with a chimpanzee, with the caption "Royal baby leaves hospital." Next thing Meghan Markle and him got dragged into a completely manipulated racism row. The thing is… I didn’t know anything about Meghan Markle's heritage either. I just don’t follow the whole ROYAL thing. When I saw what he’d tweeted, after the fact, I saw a vaguely amusing joke about CLASS, but - because it’s not on my wavelength to think in racist terms. I just wasn’t brought up that way. The perceived racism in it just would never have occurred to me. What worries me there is that I could easily have fallen into the same trap and so I became somewhat fascinated as the thing unfolded. What I realised right away was that the media were deliberately pushing forward and quoting from the negative tweets that were appearing and stirring a proverbial hornet’s nest of trouble that resulted in him ham-fistedly apologising, which was just weird - and then getting fired from his job. I looked at the twitter accounts that had been chosen by the press to represent the initial outrage and they came from virtually new accounts, with virtually no followers. Many of the initial posts were from, in effect, troll accounts or accounts with a political agenda, winding the whole thing up. Then came the backlash of genuine hatred for the guy from people and organisations who were, in the end, comparing him to Hitler. (Which is RICH given those quotes I  have just given you) My point is, whether you believe Danny Baker decided to deliberately after 40 years in the business suddenly reveal himself to be a closet racist via a random tweet on twitter (he isn’t btw) or not - that the media, and possibly something beyond the media if I were to get quite dark about all this, deliberately chose to lift only the tweets where people were most outraged and report on them. The press kept this FAKERY going for about 3 weeks in the end and constantly fanned the flames of a non-story, at the cost of a man’s livelihood and Meghan Markle’s privacy because the frenzy of outrage was so strong. The cost was greater than that though as many many people all over the world, expended energy on the matter, got riled up attacking OR defending him, and that in turn created a kind of mini race hate war for no good reason whatsoever. It was an expenditure of energy and effort that should have could have been spent on more positive and productive matters. That’s my point here today. If we allow ourselves to be drawn into this shit, we are allowing ourselves to be manipulated on a quite a major level. Btw in each of the stories I mentioned before, the offender apologized for their actions, but people’s decisions on whether or not to forgive them following this seem to be based primarily on their political leanings. Right-leaning individuals are more likely to forgive Barr, who is an outspoken Trump supporter while people on the left accused her of being a racist. The same might be said about the Danny Baker story. These types of occurrences are nothing new, and the media is all too happy to use these stories to divide us further. The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words. Philip K. Dick UNQUOTE It is my belief that this is something which has probably always existed but has been magnified by the world wide web and the invention of 24-hour news. It may even be thanks to them that we, the masses which Hitler talks about, have started to notice the manipulation. I can go to twitter right now and pick out a manipulative story. The one that’s popped out today  was that a TV network has banned the use of the word UPPITY after a single complaint. Unsurprisingly this is a Meghan Markle related story as she is used as a pawn in these outrage stories at every opportunity by the UK press. It took me 10 seconds to find this example and if I look tomorrow, or later today, if all goes as planned for them I will find a bunch of stories about how half the people in the world are outraged by the banning of this word and how half the people are not as it was, and I’ll push the boat out here, RACIST. Another tasty piece of outrage bait that I can see is this one about the studio exec that wanted to cast in 1994, yes we need to get HISTORICALLY OUTRAGED at peoples behaviour too, but he wanted to cast Julie Roberts to play Harriet Tubman. Thanks to the Wikipedia I can tell you that Harriet Tubman, was a black American abolitionist that died in 1913. I doubt, if this story as true at all, and they present zero proof that it is, that some probably white movie exec would have known this. I doubt many a black exec would know it then either for that matter. His suggestion is easy to get riled up about if YOU LOOK FOR WRONG IN THE WORLD, but in reality it was just a stupid thing said at a meeting. We’ve all done that in our time. Let he or she that his never made a mistake in life throw the first stone at that guy. But you better get a time machine to do it as he’s probably dead already and even if he isn’t does saying it make him a racist? The word RACISM is slopped about like a wet fish in the world of OUTRAGE.  Another story out today which was passed on to me by several people is that USA today reporter Tom Nichols was accused of being a racist as he said he didn’t like Indian food. Don’t worry for him though as he can report tomorrow on how he laughed at the outrageousness of it all, and continue the news cycle. By the way, the word BAN has become an outrage inciting word in itself. Everything is banned these days if you believe the press, and we MUST BE OUTRAGED by it. I could probably come up with a list of 10 words right off the bat that would be used to invoke outrage, RACIST is a good place to start, but let’s try, SJW’s, TRUMP is a good bet, SAFE SPACE, PRIVILEGE, BREXIT is certainly a goldmine of outrage here in the UK, any number or RELIGIOUS or POLITICAL REFERENCES, VIRTUE SIGNALLING and I’ll end with STAR WARS as I had to sit through The Last Jedi and I was certainly offended by that. I’ll leave you to think of more but the internet will always provide if you draw a blank. One thing worth mentioning , is that Outrage CULTURE  prevents us from engaging in the exchange of ideas. Discussions seem to have become nothing more than contests to see which side has more of a reason to be offended. I’m well aware that by merely tackling this topic I’m going to get it in the neck from somebody, too, as the offence reaction gene is soooo ingrained in some of us that they go out of their way to be outraged. I mentioned this in the bullying episode, as it has become for some a form of bullying and I kinda deliberately used the term snowflake there as I knew for those people who do virtue signal their way through life on a crusade fuelled by hate, that they wouldn’t like it.  Yes, sometimes I’m bad that way. I need to wind this up some time but I believe that some of us, the AWARE of the world, those that listen to THIS PODCAST for example, can break our addiction to outrage culture by refusing to be influenced by outrage porn and CHOOSING not to be offended by every story the media forces upon us. True unadulterated outrage does though have a place in this world. Without it OPPRESSION WOULD NEVER BE RESISTED and SLAVERY WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ABOLISHED. But this fake outrage, this adopted human need to get a fix of outrage, never to be let go of, must be put to death and to do that it must be ignored. Not silenced though - as if you push back it will just cause more outrage and continue the cycle. Ignoring it, for me is the solution. You see we are never going to make a positive impact on our lives, on our careers or on HISTORY by getting mad at some fucking celebrity for making a comment we disagree with or that pricks our delicate opinions. Only by NOT responding, NOT retweeting, liking or sharing, NOT engaging in any way, NOT raging and NOT getting outraged by the outrage, are we going to neutralise this toxic fad known as outrage porn. I didn’t realise all of this stuff when I started this episode - I just wanted to say that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to get manipulated by the press and waste our time and energy on Outrage Porn. I never knew that my research would open up such an Alladin’s cave of TOXICITY that I think I could extend in a future episode in some way but which I will leave for now. We are clearly being manipulated, but WE CAN CHOOSE TO SAY NO AND IGNORE. Summing Up If you have been ever riled up in a pointless celebrity news story or by some outrageous suggestion within it or in an internet argument with someone who will say white when you say black just for the fun of winding you up, or in tit for tat chatter over a point of little or no practical value, meaning, or relevance ON SOCIAL MEDIA then you will have already experienced what we now know as OUTRAGE CULTURE. When we these exchange fiery back-and-forths to try and defend our points and even if we don’t respond at all, but walk away angry or frustrated or unhappy we have still find ourselves affected by it. Next time you sense that you are getting riled by a troll, or an aggravating virtue signaller, they are a problem as they “slippery slide between the lines trying to be your friend but subtly undermining your arguments and will never allow you to get the last word in on discussions” Janet Hill UNQUOTE, then just identify the source, and utilise the BLOCK function on whatever site you are on. Block and mute and just walking away are sure-fire solutions to silencing the problem of outrage culture. Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right. Ricky Gervais UNQUOTE Call To Action Your call to action this week is to work on improving your outrage antenna. Instead of allowing yourself to get pulled in and wasting your time and energy getting riled up about whatever the latest outrage porn manipulation is, shut it out, block it out if you have to and work instead on improving your own life. Keep control of your emotions and live a happier healthier, less stressful life away from the manipulations of the press or trolls. This is an extension of what I call the BULLSHIT ANTENNA which I must do an episode on. That’s needed these days to separate news stories from SPONSORED CONTENT sometimes known as LIES, to separate genuine product reviews, from PAID REVIEWS or as I like to call them LIES, and to separate the Ad’s from the news story, which possibly lies anyway, that you are trying to read beneath the WE VALUE YOUR PRIVACY pop up which I call DO THEY F7CK. I’ll post a recent screenshot I took from The Independent as an example of this. Ending So that’s the end of today’s episode. I hope you’ve found it interesting. If I have offended you at any point in all of this, then do a self-assessment to double-check if you really are offended or if you are just automatically responding in this way to get a dopamine kick. I don’t want to give HITLER and more oxygen today but I did eventually find a quote of his that I agreed with earlier. He said THAT A POLITICIAN SHOULD NEVER ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED IN A BATHING SUIT which is a fair point. It's time to quit being offended though folks so I’ll end with a quote from Dolly Parton  who said I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde. Next week will be, just before CHRISTMAS too, the 50th – YES YOU HEARD ME – THE 50TH EPISODE of this show and the topic will be IMPOSTER SYNDROME. For now though folks, take control of your own destiny, don’t believe everything you read on the internet or get worked up about it either, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on FILM PRO PRODUCTIVITY! The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. References: https://www.libertynation.com/the-disturbing-rise-of-outrage-culture/ Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A  

This Episode is sponsored by Kelly Stark Today I will be talking about AFFIRMATIONS and how they can be used to change your life. Before I go on to that though, I hope that you have found the time to listen to the last show, episode 47 - BULLIES AND THE SILENT MAJORITY which ended up being my longest show yet at nearly 50 minutes. Like the LAW OF SUCCESS series, however, once I’d gotten into that topic, I just couldn’t bring myself to split it over 2 or to shorten it much more than it already was. Bullies are sometimes hard to spot but once they have been identified, they can be stopped by simple direct actions that allow YOU to take control and set them straight. You can also stand up and defend others when you see bullies raise their ugly heads. An affirmation is almost like a mantra. It does not really matter if what you are affirming is not totally true as yet. By repeating an affirmation over and over again, it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind, and eventually, it becomes your reality. Stuart Wilde UNQUOTE Today I’m talking about AFFIRMATIONS and it’s part of a subject that came up many times in my LAWS OF SUCCESS series in the form of AUTO SUGGESTION. Napoleon Hill was a real believer in this and used it to achieve the success of which he speaks. As a reminder AUTO SUGGESTION is the hypnotic or subconscious adoption of an idea which one has originated oneself. It is like REPROGRAMMING YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND to believe what you want it to believe and Hill used it very often to replace old beliefs with new ones that will serve us better. Before I ever knew what affirmations were or how they worked I was using them. I haven’t talked about it too much lately so for those of you that are new listeners, but following my first feature film, I had what used to be known as a nervous breakdown. Looking back now, I would more accurately call it a stress-related dissociative breakdown or episode, followed by PTSD. It was not a fun time, in fact it was extremely destructive, but without it you wouldn’t have FILM PRO PRODUCTIVITY - I honestly don’t know where I’d be or what I’d be doing now if I hadn’t had that negative experience in my life and the positive that has come of it, in the form of this show and a healthier outlook and work/ life ethic I don’t think would ever have come to pass. Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. Oprah Winfrey UNQUOTE When I had my breakdown, I was lost and uncertain of what was going on, and despite what you may think, there wasn’t any immediate help for me. Well that’s not entirely true, my family and some friends were there, but it is sadly notable that many of those whom I thought to be my friends melted into the background and disappeared. That is the stigma of mental health. It was a small price to pay perhaps though, for learning who were my real friends and who were not. My experience with the NHS was really pretty atrocious. When I went to the doctor, I saw a locum GP for 5 minutes who sent me out the door with a leaflet and a prescription for Prozac. That was his solution to the complex problem of a mental health matter. I gave up on the Prozac after 2 weeks, as the last thing I needed was to be drugged into distancing myself further from my problem. It took the NHS three months to get me an appointment to meet a psychiatrist who was absolutely frickin’ useless – if anything he annoyed me – but thanks though to my friend Loraine, who is a psychiatric nurse and a very influential doctor whom she knew from down south and in chief too by financial aid from British Actors Equity’s medical partner BAPAM, I was eventually able to attend therapy sessions with an awesome therapist who helped me get back on track. As an aside here, talking therapy, even expert therapy doesn’t cost as much as you might think it does. It’s a good thing, and I think that a lot of folk might make use of the services that are available. Before all that kicked in though I had nothing but that leaflet, the GP gave me to help me out. It was for a service called STEPS, an organisation that ran classes on stress and on depression. With no other options, I signed up for both. They’ve killed that organisation now, or renamed it and reorganised it to save money but at the time it ran classes every 6 weeks for an intake of 130 people who were suffering from stress. I’ll go into some of what I learned in a future episode as I plan to do a show on STRESS AND ANXIETY quite soon.   “What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candour, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close UNQUOTE What I learned from the other class, the depression one is that I didn’t have depression, but it was very interesting nonetheless. More of a small talking therapy group with a lot of people that had had a hard time. It was there that I learned that Perfectionism, which I did an episode on in season 1 was likely the chief cause of stress in my life. For that realisation alone the 6 weeks were worth it. I took these classes very seriously and studied for them and that’s what led me, unknowingly, into the world of affirmations. I, like many others on social networking, post a productivity or positivity quote every day, and I have occasionally been given some grief for doing so. That’s the internet for you. Many think it lazy of me as it’s a popularity tool that some use to make themselves seem intelligent or whatever. I post them for 2 good reasons. 1/ This is a productivity show and these quotes are an awesome gift for promotion of this podcast. and 2/ because I used quotes like this TO CREATE AFFIRMATIONS which saved me from a life confused by PTSD and stress and put me back on track. I didn’t call this FIND YOUR WAY with affirmations just to make a snazzy title. I wanted you to know that, if you are lost, or uncertain in your life in some way, that you can use affirmations as I did, to get yourself on a new and better track, to create a positive lifestyle and live a better, happier and more prosperous life. In effect, although I certainly didn’t think in these terms at the time, it also reasserts your values and that in turn strengthens your ability to make decisions. When I was on my knees, post breakdown, I found myself naturally building this list of 50 affirmations, many of them built or shortened from quotes I had found online and I used it for at least a year, probably two, whenever I was uncertain or frightened, nervous or demoralised - to help me move forward. For the record, this was my list. Be Content. Master what you do most often. Give your mum a call. Practice Stoicism - Stoicism is centred around being unaffected by misfortune. Recognize that mishaps will inevitably occur so be constantly ready and open to experiencing them. Get up early. Perfection is not when there is nothing to add, but when there is nothing more to take away. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. Justify less. Go for a walk in the park. If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special. Pay off your debts and don't go in debt. Send your loved one's flowers. Think of a reason later. Eat a piece of fruit. Drink your water. Whistle. Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out. Keep your friends' secrets. Listen more than you talk. Be frugal. Take classes. Focus on getting better, rather than being good. Stop worrying so much. Start accepting things when they are less than perfect. If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. Take naps. If you are not saving at least 10% of your salary, you are not saving enough. Yield to peace. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. Your family and true friends love you, no matter what. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. You should not confuse your career/job with your life. Eat Healthily. Take the opportunity to watch the sunrise and sunset. Notice the beauty of small moments. Listen to Music. Smile. Get a life mantra - change it when you think you need another… e.g. Life is short - get on with it. Stop endlessly checking emails and surfing the web, look for something good to do. Do not work harder when the solution is working smarter. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. Invest in Relationships. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. When upset, remember: "This too shall pass" Stop spending time with the wrong people. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. Mind Your Own Business. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. Never confuse the complex with the difficult. Nothing is permanent. However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. Heraclitus The best is yet to come. Never confuse perception with reality. These were my 50 affirmations. If you were to do this for yourself I’m certain that some or all would be different. I used it until I could get back on top and trust my instincts again. As I said before – I really used it to re-train my inner self and re-learn my values. Trust me, when you are lost and uncertain, you need all the help you can get. And when I say I used them, I didn’t speak them out as affirmations are more commonly used, I just read and re-read them very often, and I tried to understand them deeply and believe in them… and this wasn’t a chore either btw, because I really needed them. I still feel a bit pathetic that I picked up PTSD not from a warzone, but from a breakdown and it’s repercussions on my life and work following a feature film that was made in good spirit and with a lot of hope, but it’s a sad truth here. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events, and that anxiety or fear is constantly with you. It blocks your ability to think straight and make decisions. MY USE of affirmations, as I mentioned earlier was done UNKNOWINGLY of what they actually were, but out of a necessity for focus and order. The affirmations kept me on track. They saved me, and they could save you too. Lesson AFFIRMATIONS are simply sentences aimed to affect the conscious and the subconscious mind, so that in turn, they affect our behaviour, thinking patterns, habits and environment. The words automatically and involuntarily, bring up related mental images which inspire, energize and motivate us. The affirmations and the resultant mental images get engraved on the subconscious mind, which in turn, changes your behaviour, habits, actions and reactions. They motivate. They keep the mind focused on the goal. They influence the subconscious mind and activate its powers. They change the way you think and behave, and this can bring you into contact with new people, who can help you with your goals. The positive statements make you feel positive, energetic and active, and therefore, put you in a better position to transform your inner and external worlds. Stephen Covey says that: A good affirmation has five basic ingredients: it's personal, it's positive, it's present tense, it's visual, and it's emotional. UNQUOTE The affirmations will affect your subconscious mind, and trigger it to act on your behalf. It is important that you don’t just repeat positive affirmations as lip service. You need to believe in them and want them to come true. They change your mindset and do not allow room for negative thoughts in our mind. This leads to positivity, optimism, and recognizing opportunities. In turn, your positive and encouraging words enhance our energy and your skill to take advantage of opportunities. I totally realise that all this might be a little difficult to get your head around, as there will be some inner resistance and disbelief, especially if you have been thinking negative thoughts all your life. As you continue though, the resistance will fade away, and your life will begin to change and improve in accordance with the words you are repeating. Swami Kriyananda wrote, “The greatest mistake people make, is to belittle their own power to change themselves.” It is natural for the mind to bring up doubts and negative thoughts, especially if your current environment and situation are very different from what you want to achieve. Persevere, and don’t let your negative thoughts and doubts conquer you. Successconciousness.com says that AFFIRMATIONS ARE DYNAMIC AND PRACTICAL — not wishful thinking. One reason they work is because they are based on higher truths, which, perhaps, we have yet to realize on a conscious level. The thoughts you often think and the words you often repeat, have a great effect on your life, your behaviour, and on how people treat you. These thoughts and words, in time, become reality. This article also warns that you have to be careful with the words you repeat, and stay away from words and thoughts, which you do not want to become reality in your life. You must stay away from negative thinking, dwelling on the past and thinking about problems and fears. Instead - program your mind to think on WHAT YOU REALLY WANT, not on what you don’t. When I created my list, I read it every day, several times, and at night just before I went to sleep. As I researched this show though, many articles suggest that you devote some special times during the day for repeating them. Others say that you should repeat them wherever you are, and whenever you want and have the time. There’s a mixed message if ever I heard one. In short, do what works for you. This is just a tool, but another very powerful one that comes to you entirely free. Be the master of your own destiny. Take AFFIRMATIONS seriously and you will benefit from them. Call To Action As You Think, So Shall You Be. Your call to action today is to create your own list. Look around the internet and build an affirmations map which will help you to find your way. If you are lost then you will likely know that you are. This is a tool and a crutch which will give you strength and focus. Take it seriously and it will be immensely useful to you. “Don’t let your struggle become your identity.” Find the affirmations you need to move you forward and take back control. REPLACE your NEGATIVE THOUGHTS with POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS, over and again, until this becomes a habit. Ending Thanks for taking the time to listen to my musings on the subject of affirmations. Autosuggestion is a powerful tool and if you have the courage to believe in it then you will benefit from this. Next week I’m going to be talking about a blight on the modern world which comes in the form of Outrage Porn. It’s possibly not what you are thinking of but it’s another fascinating subject and one you won't want to miss. For now, though let me end with my 48th Affirmation which was based on the words of  Heraclitus Nothing is permanent. However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. Now, take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on FILM PRO PRODUCTIVITY! The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. References: https://www.successconsciousness.com/affirmations.htm Positive Affirmations and Statements and Why They Work https://liveboldandbloom.com/08/quotes/positive-affirmations 25 Positive Affirmations for a Positive Lifestyle Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Today’s Episode is sponsored by THE FILMMAKERS PODCAST EPISODE 47 – BULLYING AND THE SILENT MAJORITY Intro Today I’ll be tackling a form of behaviour which I see more and more often and it took me a number of years to realise that BULLIES are as much a part of adult life as they were in school - but I’ve had enough of them, and I have started calling them out when they raise their ugly heads. They don’t like it though. They don’t like it at all.... Let me forewarn you that today’s show will be the longest episode to date and in numerous examples, I am about to relate I’m choosing not to name names so many years after most of the events took place. With all that said, hang on to your seats and let’s talk about BULLIES AND THE SILENT MAJORITY.  “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt UNQUOTE Anecdote(s) As I sit and think of examples for this show, I find that only a few of these hurts still linger painfully on my consciousness – the majority of the bullying experiences that I have been the victim of over the years have actually been put to rest. These examples therefore are not exhaustive and I don’t look for pity by recounting them -  Instead I offer them up as examples, warnings, if you may, of what you must look out for in life, and in work. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln UNQUOTE I’ll kick this off by talking about assistant directors – for those of you listeners that are not in the business, these are the people who manage the on set dealings on a film and who lead and drive the productions forward. Most of the 1sts I work with are good people. They are focussed on their work, and run a safe and happy ship, with a happy cast and crew, but which runs at a fast and driven creative pace that ensures it meets the planned schedule. There are those amongst the breed though which use gameplaying, sarcasm and in effect bullying, to meet the same fast and driven schedule. There’s one AD that comes to mind that treated me in a way that they would never get away with now – As I’d be sure set them straight if they tried it. I had been working as fight director on a feature and one day I was given a background artiste, who was monumentally miscast and totally unable to perform in a fight with any level of competence. Now I’m good at what I do, but I am not a miracle worker and on this film, I was just not given the support I needed. The way that AD spoke to me when he saw this poor guy try and perform, was utterly unforgivable. He spoke to me like some lower life form and treated me like crap during the whole production. One day he even left me behind at a location in the middle of nowhere with a crash mat so huge that it needed a truck to move – If it wasn’t for a junior producer who I respect greatly and who has now become quite successful in his own right, I might still be standing there. We had to squash it into the last vehicle left except us - The honey wagon, or toilet truck as you might know it, in order to get it to the next location. To say I was upset at that stage by my mistreatment is an understatement. That AD’s behaviour towards me was terrible and yet he was never brought to task. These days I like to know who the 1st AD is before I agree to work as I have a list of horrible 1st AD’s that I avoid. A very shortlist, and that guy is top of it, but a list nonetheless. Next, today, are the actors – not all actors I hasten to add – but the needy actors that drop me in it for no other reason than that they are seeking attention. An example of this would be those who - some way into the filming of a fight scene which I have carefully worked out with the actors, and on which I have checked in with them after each and every take to ensure they are happy and safe and been given the affirmative - to my surprise suddenly announce that they are actually finding it very tough and are struggling on despite the pain when asked by SOMEONE ELSE in production, for example, a 1st AD or a producer. I REALLY HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. This is really just attention-seeking, which has the side effect of placing me in a bad position and threatens my future re-employment, but it is a form of bullying nonetheless. On another feature, I was working as both fight director and second unit director and I picked up an incredibly painful injury called shin splints whilst rehearsing fights pre-shoot in a cold cold warehouse set. On this picture there was a makeup guy, with a very egotistic personality, who decided, not for a laugh, but out of sheer badness, to move my chair away from the secondary monitors whilst I had briefly stepped onto the set- and I’m up and down a lot during these things... When I returned I found my chair gone, and the space in which it had sat, now filled with other people, and heard giggles from that group, I was baffled by the behaviour. I hadn’t seen anything so overtly bully-ish since I was a child, and here it was in a so-called professional environment. At the time I let it go as I wasn’t exactly sure who had done it but the incident was quite upsetting and unnerving to me I am a genuinely hard worker with a pleasant professional demeanour. I had done nothing wrong, I was injured and I found myself to be the butt of some evil joke with no explanation. I was genuinely taken aback by the disrespect with which I was shown. One thing I’ve noted over the years incidentally is that some people read my pleasant professional and relaxed manner as a sign of weakness and on occasion, I have to kinda strengthen my resolve to something more authoritative when dealing with certain types of people - still remaining professional of course. Here I found myself being put through extreme pain seemingly for the pleasure of this bullish makeup guy and his cronies, all over seemingly over the real estate space my chair had been taking up next to the monitors. All this didn’t change the fact too that it was UTTERLY ESSENTIAL FOR SAFETY AND DIRECTORIAL REASONS THAT I SEE CAN ACTUALLY SEE A MONITOR. I found myself, injured and in pain, having to stand at the back and look over these fools to view the monitors. AFTER THIS HAPPENED, AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, I NEVER SAT WITH THEM OR INTEGRATED WITH THEM AGAIN. A more subtle form of bullying behaviour which I’ve experienced a significant number of times, and another key reason why I finally gave up producing and directing films, comes from THE SIDELINER. I’ve talked about this form of toxic behaviour in the past and it mostly happened to me at producer and director level - a SIDELINER is a person that you are collaborating with who starts to shut you out of communications, usually because they pertain to money or ownership of a piece of creative work, despite it being ESSENTIAL and CORRECT that you are included. If this starts to happen, let me tell you one thing I have learned from hard-won experience. You are being scammed. Either out of credit for the work or out of money, and you can guarantee you are being talked about in a negative light. If there’s one thing that’s happened all too often recently in fact - that really gets my goat - it’s people tricking others into believing that they to speak with my voice, my thoughts and my opinions. Bullying builds character like nuclear waste creates superheroes. It's a rare occurrence and often does much more damage than good    Zack W. Van UNQUOTE I’ve not been physically threatened very often, that’s just not the sort of behaviour I come across, but I know a crewmember who was physically threatened on an independent picture quite recently. The bully, in this case, had made an incorrect assumption about that crewmember and they went barrelling after the innocent party, cornered them and gave them a ton of abuse about what the bully believed had been disrespect or uncaring attitude towards his “team”. Now, this is something I do come across - There are people out there, who DESPITE HAVING NOT A CLUE, count themselves EXPERTS on many things and decide to give you their opinion on whatever it is you are doing. This guy took it further even than that. Anyway, it reads to me that the BULLY was actually trying to show off to other crew members by confronting an innocent and trying to frame them for a crime they didn’t commit. Disappointingly for the bully, who was of the large muscly variety, the victim, in this case, a consummate professional, just calmly explained that his assumption was wrong. In turn, the self-appointed righter of some imagined wrong took it as far as he could and even with a producer witnessing it, until the victim, and I use that word with a certain sense of irony as they were, in fact, a martial arts expert of very high standing, finally took bully took him up on their offer to fight. The bully, as you might expect in a bullying story like this suddenly had a change of heart, backed down and slinked off. I’ll come back to these incidents later in the episode though as it’s not the end of the story or the lesson.    Lesson When one person makes an accusation, check to be sure he himself is not the guilty one. Sometimes it is those whose case is weak who make the most clamour. Piers Anthony UNQUOTE It’s not always easy to identify bullying as it can start out quite subtly and quietly. A bully will assess just how far they can go and even kind of befriend you or try to win your trust in the first place before targeting you. They may only turn on you in fact when they realise that their beliefs or passions or attitudes or religion or whatever are not the same as your own and it may at first be disguised in chit chat or sarcasm and be difficult for you to spot. Elsewhere, what may read as bullying might not be. When bad behaviour is pointed out to some people, they may be profusely sorry – maybe they had been having a bad day – or they have trouble at home – I can certainly recall times I’ve been shorter than I like with people because I was worried about something at home – so remember the old adage “Be kind, for everyone else is fighting battles that you likely do not know about.” Some people too, just have large or loud or brash personalities and may not intend their actions or words to be hurtful. I think what I’m saying is that it’s complicated - seemingly bad behaviour is not always intentionally bullying, but unintentional bad behaviour can still affect others in a negative way. I’m pussyfooting around another bullying territory, where some people have refined their character of VICTIM to such an art form, that they themselves have become the bully, and lie in wait to be offended and victimised. I’ll come back to these horrors in a bit as it’s kinda interesting… I’ll be using the term snowflake to capture this particular bully, but I do not intend to offend you with its use unless you really want to be of course. I’m sure you know this but… A Snowflake is a derogatory slang term for a person, implying that they have an inflated sense of uniqueness, an unwarranted sense of entitlement, OR ARE overly-emotional, easily offended, and unable to deal with opposing opinions. I’ll be using the term SNOWFLAKE to identify a bully who is so easily offended and ready to complain or play the victim card as to be classified a BULLY themselves. Michael J. Fox said “One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.” So BULLYING can include being yelled at, which I’ve seen happen a good few times in professional life – but I’ve also seen the opposite – people being accused of shouting when they are not – a true bully setting someone else up to seem like they are a bully - I’ve seen people being needled, sidelined or gaslighted by true bullies to the point where they are exasperated and kick off in frustration – then, in turn, they get unfairly accused of bullying while the instigator smiles quietly to themself. Eye-rolling is a small annoyance but one worth mentioning nonetheless –  Eye rolling drifts into the area of bullying when it is used to undermine someone either quietly behind their backs for the benefit of others or directly to put them off, inferring “here we go again” or some other rudeness. I was once in an early meeting with the 1st AD for a feature film and when it ended, was told by my assistant that the 3rd AD was eye-rolling behind my back as I talked about avoiding a few particularly dangerous extras that were attracted to low budget action films. I never pulled her up about it, but do you know what? On the very 1st day of shooting, that 3rd AD put one of the three extras I had asked her to avoid onto the set with me. I couldn’t fucking believe it. A quick Google search threw up a few more examples of workplace bullying. There’s obviously verbal abuse, not necessarily shouting - like telling someone they are useless or unreliable or stupid or being ‘talked down to’ like what happened to me in my first example Ill-treatment such as ostracism (‘being sent to Coventry’). I had that happen to me last year and will talk about it a little later. Being constantly criticised, having duties and responsibility taken away without good reason – Yip tick that one-off, I’ve experienced that. Shouting, aggressive behaviour or threats. – On occasion yes. Being put down or made to feel the butt of the jokes – Yes tick that one too. Being persistently picked on in front of others or in private – Yes but not so much these days. I can give off an air of supreme indifference to this sort of thing so they usually don’t bother me much. Being constantly ignored, victimised or excluded regularly. Oh yes. Very annoying. Big tick on that one. Constantly mocking and attacking - yip Spreading malicious rumours – yip, two ticks on that one. Misuse of power or position to make someone feel uncomfortable or victimised – yip – very prevalent in my experience. Making threats about job security – absolutely Blocking promotion or progress within the workplace. I’m sure it happens. Progress within the industry is near impossible at the best of times though so I can’t think of an example off the bat. And it’s not listed here but cyberbullying should probably be mentioned. It’s a whole other thing but it can’t be ignored. I went through a couple of years where my website and email were attacked again and again, possibly by bots that had found a weakness in the sites structure or my email address which at that point was more easily online or maybe it was just by a troll with nothing better to do. For the record, I solved it by moving my site off of WordPress and changing my email host to Gmail, but it was a bit of a drag nonetheless. Coming back to the topic of SNOWFLAKES; In an article in Psychology Today which I’ll link to in the show notes, Psychologist Jon Haidt contends that instead of learning to grapple with viewpoints that diverge from their own, students are now learning the “twin habits of defensive self-censorship and vindictive protectiveness.” In other words, they pretty quickly grasp WHICH VIEWS ARE PERMITTED AND WHICH ARE NOT, and LEARN TO CONFORM. When they disagree with accepted opinions, they know to keep quiet because others who hold accepted views will thoroughly lambast anyone who dares speak up. This is an incredible snapshot of modern society, not just students. I’ve certainly seen this behaviour many times in the film industry. I’m trying to keep this show in ADULT territory but the article is a fascinating read – It says that in school “Good” children learn they can get away with mean-spirited behaviour like name-calling and social exclusion as long as there is unspoken peer agreement regarding which children are acceptable targets — and those targets are typically the unconventional, nonconformist, “different” kids – That’s probably us creatives btw. And these unspoken peer agreements of course, in school or in adult professional life, make it more difficult or certainly more high risk for us to call out, bullies. In too many ways, political correctness has been a bully. JudgeJudy Sheindlin   Bullying can build too, to the point where you dread going to work, and where your home and family life is affected. I can’t explain to you the misery I was put through at in a regional theatre show I was cast in when I was an actor and just starting out. Another actor in the production used to needle me and give me notes at every opportunity and got me so worked up about a certain scene that required our joint timing that I dreaded not only that scene but going into the theatre at all. I was stuck there though as there isn’t an option for an actor to drop out of something without causing a whole lot of trouble, so I suffered it and it was a miserable time for me. Years later, incidentally, that actor came and apologised to me, which was an interesting and welcome turn of events. I respect him greatly for that. Another form of bullying I’ve experienced, although it may be regarded as just bad behaviour by most, is that of BEING USED AS A PROP FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S EGO. Last year I was hired to work on a show which had a lot of background re-enactor fighting extras, but not as fight director, as a safety advisor instead - and I was happy to fulfil that role. Now at the risk of this sounding like this is a promo for my fight work, I can say that I am really good at what I do, extremely experienced, stupidly good with a sword and beyond that, I am pretty darn fast. I had been asked to attend by the producer who was clearly concerned about safety, and quite rightly so. On a few rare occasions that day, I found I had to intercede, very politely and quickly to keep things safe, but the director - who REALLY didn’t want me there in the first place it became clear - pulled me aside early on and told me he didn’t have time for my intervention. He only pulled me about 6 feet away from the others though so this ensured that everyone heard him in effect TELLING ME OFF. As he rushed back to continue his work I announced quite loudly, in response, that whether he had time for me or not, I was going to go right on ensuring that we do it in all a safe way anyway. He didn’t say two words to me the rest of that day, but nobody got hurt and the number of background artistes that came and thanked me that day for my help in keeping them safe was very significant. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever had so many people thank me on any other production – THE REENACTORS were clearly very happy I was there to keep them safe. About halfway through the day, I spoke to the producer about the incident as I was unnerved. He simply said I wasn’t there to be liked. I couldn’t really disagree so I went along with it. I’m just not in the habit of making enemies… So how do we begin to combat this? What do you do if you are being bullied? Most advice that I’ve read online says that in the first instance, you should seek to solve your problem informally. If you feel safe and comfortable speaking to them that is. Informing them that you will be taking a more official route if they don’t change their behaviour may be enough to stop the attack. Michael Caine talks about this, but kinda in reverse - I’ve been looking for the exact quote but haven’t yet discovered it. He was to be working with a director who he’d heard was known for shouting at his actors. Before he started the film he said to the director “I hear you like to shout at people - I don’t like being shouted at” and he says “you know, that director never shouted at me once". Maybe that director was a bully and maybe he wasn’t but Michael Caine short-circuited any opportunity for bullying before it even started. For many, the informal way isn't an option so if this is the case you should make management aware of what’s happening. If you are STILL not satisfied that the harassment has stopped, if it is not taken seriously by your line manager, or if the problem gets worse, you should seek to make an official complaint or, if you have one, take it to your union. Amy Cooper Hakim of PSYCHOLOGY TODAY SAYS BE CONFIDENT AND USE SIMPLE, UNEMOTIONAL LANGUAGE. She says “Bullies lose their power if you don’t cower. Deep down, they doubt they deserve your respect. They admire you for speaking with self-assurance and confidence. So when they bombard, don’t counterpunch. Rather, win them over with your strong, firm, courteous demeanour.” And she says “know that the victim does not intend to be victimized. It does not seek forgiveness, but does not pose a challenge either.” I tried this approach once, The bully became so enraged by my calm response and presentation of facts that it makes me laugh even now. I had caught them with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar and their rage was IN EFFECT staged to hide their embarrassment and humiliation at being caught out. Signe Whitsonsays, STAY CONNECTED. “Bullies operate by making their victims feel alone and powerless.” So you should keep people informed of your situation. It will also alleviate your stress about the matter when you share your problem and gain an ally. Psychology Today also recommends that we SET LIMITS. This is exactly what Michael Caine did in my earlier example. Chrissy Scivicque writes, “The trick is to remain polite and professional while still setting your limits firmly. Don't let the bully get under your skin—that's what he wants. Practice your response so you're prepared the next time something happens and you can respond swiftly without getting emotional. Keep it simple and straightforward, for example: ‘I won’t be talked to in this way.’” Whitson further tells us to ACT QUICKLY AND CONSISTENTLY. “The longer a bully has power over a victim, the stronger the hold becomes. Oftentimes, bullying begins in a relatively mild form—name calling, teasing, or minor physical aggression. After the bully has tested the waters and confirmed that a victim is not going to tell anyone or stand up for their rights, the aggression worsens.” Sometimes all you have to do with a bully is wait a little while and STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS COLD.. Rather than exchanging hostilities, step back so that you are not responding in the heat of the moment and meeting them on their own level. Cool heads find solutions more easily than hot ones. Besides, if you step back, they may do the dirty work for you.  Wand another thing that all of the articles I looked at had in common was that YOU MUSTN’T SEE YOURSELF AS THE PROBLEM. "Nobody can hurt me without my permission."  —​ Mahatma Gandhi UNQUOTE and he also said that Bullies are always to be found where there are cowards btw. One article said that the reason people experience bullying is not because of their sexuality, gender identity, race, appearance, disability or any other unique factor; it is because of bully’s attitude towards the factor. The only thing possible to change is attitudes. I say that the person who is bullying you is the one with the issue, not you. It’s just the way things are. You don’t have to give yourself the additional burden of trying to change them. Remember that sometimes, a bully will always be a bully.   I’d like to look back over the situations which I have previously outlined, and by using Napoleon Hill’s method of ACCURATE THOUGHT, try and  figure out why they occurred and how we can protect protecting ourselves and others from it in future. The 1st AD who talked down to me is fairly regularly employed for one very clear reason - he brings productions in on time: and that, in the end, seems to be all that really matters to many production companies. And the production company who put the film together to be fair, may never have even heard about my mistreatment, or the mistreatment of others  – And why not? Because I let it go and continued to work on in fear. My keenness, especially in my younger days, to make an impression and drive things on meant that making a formal complaint was not an option because I wanted to keep my job. I 100% certain that at the time, if I had reported a grievance, that it would have been me that got dropped from the production and not the bully who was running the show. In hindsight what I SHOULD HAVE DONE was to confront the bully right then, just as Michael Caine did, and set out my limits. That talking to me in the way he did, dismissing my experience and my qualifications and placing me in situations in which I had absolutely no support, WAS NOT AND NEVER WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. If I had done that, I believe things would have been different.   Let’s look at another situation. The actor that drops me in it. Actors often don’t get taken to task over bullying behaviour as the aim of everyone on any given production is to keep things moving and shoot what’s on the call sheet OR if it’s a longer shoot and they are a main character, they may kinda get away with it, very likely with a talking to along the way from a producer, until they leave the production. The last thing we do on a busy shoot day is upset an actor that has important scenes coming up and 99 times out of 100 replacing them is usually not an option. Much of the time, therefor, a bullish actor is allowed to badly for a time at least, for the sake of peace, the saving of budget and for the sake of the show. Over time though, what I’ve discovered is that an actor that does this to me will be playing other games with other people and their reputation will surely dive. This sort of trouble bothers me less than it used to as I mostly work with very awesome and very professional people. Although the actors of which I speak may not know it, and you should know this now if you are one, causing upset and trouble, or playing games or bullying other actors or crew inevitably leads to one thing - being dropped sooner or later from the production or finding that unemployment occurs more often than it used to. What goes around comes around remember. A situation happened to me once with an actor who thought he’d give his opinion very loudly about a fight scene I had directed. It bothered me as it was early days in my career and I spoke to the producer about it. He said this to me. “Ignore him - he’s a wee BEEP”. And in one stroke this both calmed and reassured me. Unbeknownst to me, everyone already knew how difficult the actor could be. The act of complaining, was like water off a ducks back to the producer as he’d cried wolf so many times before. He was known for his power plays especially with bit-part actors or crew who were on dailies - and my reputation was untarnished. Martin Luther King Jr said “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” And this represents my greatest revelation about bullying in recent years… I can affirm that now, I remember the inaction of my friends and colleagues with far greater clarity than the actions of the bullies themselves. It probably doesn’t sound it but the bully that had moved my chair was one of the more troubling incidences that I recounted. This guy was an ass of the highest order, but I have noted over the years that asses, if they have talent or some other redeeming feature in the eyes of the producers - are very often left to behave in the worst ways. Personally, if I’d been in a group when someone did this for sheer badness I would have spoken up - but not one of these people did. Why didn’t they though? Well, I’d put my money on peer pressure. They were scared to go against him for fear of being targeted themselves. It was a very poor show by my so-called colleagues that day but I’m happy to report that karma caught up with him on another production and one of his targets straightened up his attitude for him. Finally, I want to revisit the situation that happened with the crewmember who was physically threatened. Unfortunately, they decided to walk away from that production as the immediate stance that the producers took was not to fire the bully but to let it pass. I think there was some noise created by those in his department which sounds something along the line of; if he goes I go, effectively putting the producers in a tight situation. From what I can gather though, by the very act of walking off the production brought about a number of fresh bullying complaints by other crewmembers about the same guy. I get that the producers found themselves in a tricky situation and I wonder how I would have handled it myself – but this is a retrospective so I’ll say that I understand it but I disagree with how they handled it. With a producer having witnessed the threatening behaviour of one crewmember to another, they should have fired the bully. They didn’t, and this has had repercussions beyond that production. I’m sure too that this would have unnerved and caused upset right across their production as word went round that this sort of behaviour had been let to pass. If they had stood their ground, and NOT ALLOWED THEMSELVES TO BE BLACKMAILED by that department, the film would have continued with different people in those roles and a happier and healthier and I’d like to think better production to show for it. As we discovered earlier in the season, they one broke the golden rule of success when they let behaviour like this pass. If you are a producer it would time well spent, if you ensured you have an anti-bullying policy, or build it into your contracts from now on. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King, Jr. UNQUOTE I’ve got to wrap this up but before I do I must go back to the situation where I found myself being side-lined, and which led to a very aggressive bullying attempt by someone, that to be honest - I had always known was difficult. This was a situation where I did expect others to step up and help me – but I can only conclude that they didn’t want to put their head above the proverbial parapet for fear of being targeted themselves, and by doing so they chose to stand by and let me be abused. While a known bully is targeting one person, you see, it means they are not targeting someone else, and the others then feel safe. It’s a very sad and disappointing observation, but I believe that this is what was in play. In the long run of course, the bully will turn on them, and finally they too will realise that the time has come to stand their ground, or depart. Summing Up Desmond Tutu said “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” I was that mouse and in the situations, I listed above and would have appreciated the help of a bystander if it had been offered… and if I was ever a neutral in the past I am determined not to stand by and let a bully get away with it any more. The Bully has a Jekyll and Hyde nature - is vile, vicious and vindictive in private, but innocent and charming in front of witnesses; no-one can (or wants to) believe this individual has a vindictive nature - only the current target of the serial bully's aggression sees both sides; whilst the Jekyll side is described as "charming" and convincing enough to deceive personnel, management and a tribunal, the Hyde side is frequently described as "evil"; Hyde is the real person, Jekyll is an act. Tim Field UNQUOTE There are complicating factors in talking about bullies that I must mention, if you’ve not yet had enough. Issues raised when confronting BULLIES can be followed by counter-allegations of ill-treatment and unfairness and allegations of bullying will often follow on from disciplinary or grievance procedures. When you call out a bully, they may well instigate some form of tit for tat response so be prepared for this. To protect yourself you should "document any incident of harassment in detail and include the date, times, place, who was involved, what happened, and the names of any witnesses.” I use the call recorder app to help me out in difficult situations like this that may happen on the telephone. If you haven’t heard it then look back to Episode 27 - FIVE MORE FREE APPS TO MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE to find out more. Bullies melt like the wicked witch of the north when faced with facts and figures, believe me, and armed with facts you will always come out on top. My pain may be the reason for somebody's laugh. But my laugh must never be the reason for somebody's pain. Charlie Chaplin UNQUOTE Call To Action Your call to action today is simple. 1/ If you witness bullying, remember the words of Martin Luther King Jr “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” And step in and help. 2/ and If you are being bullied at the moment then use the tips that I have listed here to get back control. Hopefully, others will step up and help you, but if not, then: SET LIMITS. ACT QUICKLY AND CONSISTENTLY and call them out. BE CONFIDENT AND USE SIMPLE, UNEMOTIONAL LANGUAGE. And if that isn’t an option DOCUMENT THE HAPPENINGS TELL OTHERS OF YOUR PLIGHT And STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS COLD. Cool heads find solutions more easily than hot ones. Ending Bullies are bullish by nature and need to be called out. This doesn’t mean that they will stop their inherent bullying tendencies, but they will know that if they try it that they won’t get away with it. That’s been a helluva long episode but I couldn’t let another series pass without going into this topic and once I started I knew I couldn’t do it by halves. I want to thank everyone that’s spoken to me about their experiences lately and all of the awesome production people that have supported me over the years. I have worked and continue to work with some truly amazing producers, production companies and 1st AD’s etc who really care about how things are done and how people are treated. I am lucky to have been working for many years with the BBC who are all over any form of bullying and I’m eternally grateful for the help I have found there over the years. I’m also thankful to British Actors equity, Bectu and BAPAM for being there whenever I need them. I’d also like to thank Giles Alderson of The Filmmakers Podcast for sponsoring this episode. It’s a great show so get subscribing. I’ve got links to many of the references that I made here in the show notes and if someone would care to recommend any further links on this topic please do so and I’ll add them to the page. I’ll end with the words of Abraham Lincoln “I would rather be a little nobody, then to be a evil somebody.” For now, though, take control of your own destiny, stand up to bullies, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on FILM PRO PRODUCTIVITY! The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. References: https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/how-to-handle-bullying-at-work www.respectme.org.uk http://www.mightyfighter.com/bullying-quotes/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Bullying_Day  https://www.caba.org.uk/help-and-guides/information/dealing-workplace-bullying https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-and-the-pursuit-leadership/201602/bullies-cause Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A  

EPISODE 46 – MAILBAG SHOW 1 “Fake Friends and Overwhelm” Intro During the last few weeks, you will have heard my special six-part series within the series based on Napoleon Hill’s awesome book, the Law of Success in 16 Lessons. I have been waiting with bated breath to see how it went down and from the positive vibes it’s been getting on social media all seems to be well. It was a very serious undertaking which nearly dragged me under but once I had started it I realised that I couldn’t back down or deliver it to you half-@ssed. I hope you’ve all found it helpful. If you’ve not checked it out yet then please go back to episode 40 to listen to all 6 episodes in order. It’s over 3 hours of content which outlines A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS which is accessible to all. Please tell people about it and get them listening too. I plan to take the 6 episodes and make a FREE Udemy course with them for show promotion reasons so I’ll let you know when I get that together too. Today I am answering various questions which you have been sending in, and I’ll get on to that in a minute - but first I must tell you how I managed to make myself a productivity nightmare out of this episode before I even started – and how you can avoid it if you ever have to do something similar. The problem was that I asked people to get in touch with questions for the show but I was very broad on HOW TO DO IT. I created a rod for my own back as I have had questions in via Facebook, Twitter, the official website contact form, the official website’s speak pipe app, via WhatApp, my personal email address and the show one, Instagram messenger and verbally. Pulling these together was nightmarish. For at least some of the questions I was able to forward them to the official email address as they came in but as I didn’t do it for all when I got really busy and had to focus on the fight work at hand. As a result - I have really struggled to find all of the messages that have come in but I have done my best, For all future mailbag shows I will ask that messages be sent to the shows official email account which for the record is filmproproductivity@gmail.com with the word MAILBAG placed in the Subject line. Further to that, I would request that questions come in which only have up to 50 words in them. If you ever plan to ask folks for questions, whether you run a podcast, or if it’s just a social media post or something, I urge you to do the same. Now as I have been working on this I have decided to split this episode over two shows. Although I didn’t have a particularly vast number of questions - the ones you did hit me with were really quite complex to answer. Part 2 of this episode will be released as an inbetweenisode in January. Without further ado though, let's go on. Questions “I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” ― Mark Twain Unquote Ok so this first question, I’ve been struggling to cut down in length, but I’ve done my best – It’s from RHEA who is a screenwriter and producer in LIVERPOOL, UK. She says: I made a film with someone that I thought was my friend but too late realised that they were very controlling and just liked to be the centre of attention. My initial frustration was that they would say they had done things only for me to later discover when we were running out of time to get things done, that they hadn’t. I’d then have to do it myself, and they’d turn around and say ‘That was my job, you are just trying to take everything away from me!’ This happened time and again with important and imminent production level matters that the project would come to a standstill without. They’d put in the minimal effort like make one phone call and when they draw a blank, they’d just give up. One time I very luckily saw the very thing we urgently needed, an action vehicle; so-called the company there and then and got it. When I went to a production meeting with this person and the director, they seemed happy that I’d got what we were looking for, but as soon as I was home I got lots of long nasty messages because they hadn’t been the one to get what we needed, even though they had previously admitted to giving up on it. More often, they would openly criticise me IN FRONT of others. Once, in a room full of people they made a personal comment about me that silenced the room. Fortunately, those people then defended me. The last straw for me was listening to them talk badly about someone else as they did with many people. I stopped working with them after that and they became nasty. They’d tell lies and makeup stories to make me look bad and make them look better and they would always play the victim, although I’ve since found out that’s something they’ve always done. Their messages became abusive and threatening. I blocked every way they had of contacting me, but I know that any chance they’d get they’d try to make me look bad and gossip about me, even though I have never talked about them. I have discovered since, that a lot of people already knew what they were like but didn’t tell me because we were “friends” and even admitted that they had avoided working with me because of them. I know most people are grown up enough to listen to both sides of a story and get to know people before accepting what someone says about them, but it seems to be those few small-minded, not very smart people that believe a one-sided story, that stay in your head. If you’re friends with someone and put time, effort and in some cases money into projects with them to only too late discover that they’re not your friend – How do you get over and move on from it? …and not let the lies and gossip affect you? Better a good enemy than a bad friend. Plato UNQUOTE Okay, Rhea, there’s a lot going here and I’ve done my best to streamline your questions, I hope without losing too much of the content. Let me deal with your last question first - How do you not let lies and gossip affect you? "Zig" Ziglar was an incredibly successful American author, salesman, and motivational speaker who passed away in 2012. I quote from him often in my quotes of the day on social media as he gets right to the point of many of the problems that I have faced myself, and I trust his instincts and teachings. He said that we should “Live in such a way that if someone should talk badly of you, no one would believe it.” (repeat) You are not alone in having faced this sort of thing - I’ve faced it myself now and again as have many others. It used to cause me more concern than it does now, but I also understand how it can eat away at you, and burn up your mental energy and cause you upset and distress. Zig Ziglar’s statement should give you the assurance that if this person is as you describe them, that the people who matter and whose opinion you actually care about have already very likely sussed them out. Or if they haven’t, they will soon enough. I think your point that others didn’t want to work with you because of them backs this up. Remember too the words of Eleanor Roosevelt who once said: "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." In a quote attributed to David Foster Wallace, although I did have to go into the quote investigator website to verify that as my Google search attributed it to someones Facebook page in 2012 which is ridiculous- Wallace said: You’ll worry less about what people think about you when you realize how seldom they do. I was looking up who said, “What other people think of you is none of your business” when I found that one – but I never did find the answer. I’ll sum up on this though by also stating that what someone else thinks about you really does not matter. The only thing that matters is what you think about yourself. Do not give those who don’t even know you the power to determine your happiness. Take control of that – as you unhook yourself from other people’s validation, you become truly powerful. An article by medium.com gives this advice You cannot read minds, so stop acting like you can. We all have a kind of negativity bias so we usually assume negative things. How many times have you found yourself thinking “Oh they all love my dress”? Never. Our brains just aren’t wired that way and as a result, you are probably making the wrong assumptions. Your own thoughts are the only thing you can control. Marcus Aurelius said: “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts” so you need to intelligently take control of them and not let them be hijacked by others. I know it’s not always easy, but you can do this. When you are preoccupied with what other people think, you are not in control of your own thoughts. A focused mind is one of the most powerful things on earth, We are all living in the future, living in the past or trying to live in someone else’s mind. If you are worried about what other people think, you will never really focus on what you want in life. If you spend your limited mental energy worrying about other people you won’t have anything left to focus on what really makes you happy. Rhea’s first question was How do you get over and move on from a negative experience like what she went through with her once friend? I’ve had very similar experiences to what you describe, and I doubt it’s limited just to creative work. I think we all face similar problems when interacting with others in life and work. William Blake wrote It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. UNQUOTE I heard a new word today whilst watching a YouTube video – The word was POUTRAGE. POUT-RAGE. That’s someone showing an expression of petulant annoyance and attacking you when they are revealed to be divisive, lazy or deceiving in some way. When you took over from that person and solved the problems which they had created, you showed them up to be one or all of the above. From the sounds of things, all of the above would be pretty accurate. I’ve faced it myself, and I talked about it in an earlier show, I can’t recall where. I found someone with their hand in the proverbial till, and they created a smokescreen of POUTRAGE to cover up the fact that they were caught out. Pout-ragers don’t immediately back down because they can’t – they are too committed to their fake outrage - but they do eventually lose steam. In the face of facts, they get very loud and angry but it’s all smoke and mirrors. A good demonstrative example of this was that I once caught someone trying to scam me on my car’s dashcam. I pulled in behind a parked car and went into a shop. When I came out they had backed into me. They raged at me and ranted about how I had driven in and hit them and I simply said, I have a dashcam mate. They raged and raged and raged about it before buggering off. I posted that video on youtube to warn others. That video 100% proved they had lied and tried to scam me. Those without evidence to back up their actions eventually lose steam because they don’t want to highlight the fact that they are wrong or have lied. I’d say that your negative experiences on this film mirror many other filmmakers journey. My friend Bryan warned me of certain problems he’d faced on his first feature, and I, in turn, had many mirrors to his problems on my own so I think you can take heart in that you are not alone in your experiences. The biggest frustration I personally experienced is similar to your own - that “some people” - perhaps even professionals you have to work with – seemingly believe the words of the person who has been poutraging. I eventually let this go as those people that are unwilling to do a minimal investigation into claims, who accept what an enemy says about me or who despite overwhelming evidence still side with the poutrager, are not people I want to be connected. They who will soon learn the hard way that they have aligned with someone who is bringing them down. I shouldn’t say it but I smile quietly to myself now when I think of the foolish people who have not yet realised their error. You don't lose when you lose fake friends. Joan Jett UNQUOTE I’ve kinda covered getting rid of fake or bad friends in my episodes about toxic relationships etc so to finally answer your question directly, as I have wondered a little, I move on from bad or negative experiences by adapting and learning from them. I realise that’s another one of those productivity statements that sounds simple but is harder to put into action than it first appears btw. For that reason, I’ll go a bit further. To move on you must: 1/ Learn from the past but don’t dwell there. No matter how painful they are, take some time to reflect on your experiences and realise that they will actually benefit you down the road. I never made a second feature (at least not yet) but the bad experiences I faced on my first, and it’s still causing me strife btw, almost make me want to make a second one because I feel like the bad experiences taught me so much. Instead of doing a second feature though, I make this podcast to ensure that the experiences at least benefit others. 2/ Next, Get the pain you’re feeling off your chest. Venting to a friend or writing it down like you did here for this episode will have helped you. Expressing your feelings will help sort out what, if anything, needs to be done to move on. 3/ Try and avoid taking on the role of the victim. It’s too easy and sometimes it feels good, but the problem is, blaming others prevents you from going forward and removes your ability to take control. It’s a form of auto-suggestion that if you are not careful, might permanently make you the victim, and forever take away your control. 4/ Another effective way to let go of the past is to embrace the present. Keep yourself active and enjoy the current moment. Learn a new skill. Meditate. Exercise. Whatever it is, just live in the moment. Look back to episode 22 on Rumination to find other ways to break that cycle. It will in effect freeze up your ability to move on. 5/ Before moving on again you might want to Disconnect. Take some time away so that you can clear your head. Remove yourself from the situation by distancing yourself from the people, places and things that remind you of it. When you return to start a new project, you’ll have a perspective on the past. 6/ Another thing to do before returning to this and possibly making the same mistake again, is to take inventory of the people around you. Who is negative and always bringing you down? Who are the people associated with the past that you’re trying to move away from? You may need to move away from these people to find more positive people who will empower you. I often refer to Jim Rohn who said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. This relates to the law of averages, which is the theory that the result of any given situation will be the average of all outcomes. If you have even one lazy person, one negative person or one divisive or toxic person in that group it will greatly affect your ability to move on as you will always be carrying, covering for or being frustrated by them. This, in turn, will ensure that you cannot ever bring all your focus to bear on the matter at hand. Look back to episode 40 to find out about THE MASTER MIND which is effectively what you need to create if you want to move forward with others. 7/ The final piece of advice I’d give is, as much as it rubs me the wrong way in principle, all the advice that I can see out there says that If you’ve been hurt by someone you need to forgive them. Dr. Wayne Dyer says, “Forgiving others is essential for spiritual growth.” He presents 15 steps to help you forgive someone, which include things like embracing the past while moving on, making a new agreement with yourself, not going to sleep angry and being kind and generous. In my experience, which has been strengthened by the GOLDEN RULE presented in the last episode of THE LAW OF SUCCESS. Forgiving others helps you to move on as it disempowers those who have bullied, frustrated or cheated us. It’s distasteful at first, but powerful and effective. A fake friend likes to see you do well, but not better than them. Your negative experiences with that person on your project have been a costly lesson for you but one which will strengthen you as you go forward. Today’s second question for this episode comes from my friend Ian O’Neill of the How They Did It Filmmaking Podcast in Canada – He asks: How do you cope when overwhelmed by a project? Overwhelm is a 20-foot wave crashing into you. Repeatedly. Psychologist Marla W. Deibler described overwhelm as “feeling completely overcome in mind or emotion. When we think a stressor is too great for us to manage, we feel overwhelmed.” UNQUOTE Part of my answer to this Ian is encapsulated in season 1 of this podcast, which I almost called Save Yourself or From Burnout to Badass. I created FILM PRO PRODUCTIVITY to help people head off OVERWHELM and BURNOUT before it crashes upon them as I’d already had it pretty bad myself on my own first feature. In Episode 1 I introduce the concept of intellectually taking control of our lives through the principle of higher-level thinking because this allows us to get in a headspace where we can take on the productivity advice that I offer. Without assuming a higher level of thinking. Of intelligent and accurate thought, we are going nowhere fast. In Episode 2 I encouraged people to say “NO” to anything that didn’t further their own dreams and objectives – I continued this in the first part of the Law Of Success series, which talks about setting out a definite chief aim for ourselves. If you know exactly what you are trying to achieve, you can say no to anything that doesn’t take you closer to it. This frees up time and energy you would be giving away to others and allows you to bring it to bear on your own problems. Finally, in Episode 3 I introduced a system for prioritising what is important over what is not. Separating the important and the unimportant, from what is urgent and what is not, along with the principle of saying NO often - will save many of us from being overwhelmed in the first instance. Anxiety and fear are cousins but not twins. Fear sees a threat. Anxiety imagines one. Max Lucado UNQUOTE I do recognise however that it’s not always easy to do these seemingly simple things as life can be relentless as curveballs such as illness or changes in circumstances can get in the way. Your question was though, How do you cope when overwhelmed by a project? As I researched my answer here, I noted that Anxiety seems to be the most common cause of overwhelm. BTW I should clarify here that the overwhelm we are talking about is sometimes known as EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM - a state of being beset by intense emotion that is difficult to manage. When we relate this to projects, it manifests for many as STRESS AND ANXIETY and I will be taking that topic on later in the season as it’s a big one that deserves its own show. I might even make it my New Year episode. Who knows. Feeling overwhelmed has many faces. It might manifest as an intense emotion, such as anxiety, anger or irritability; worry, doubt or helplessness; and behaviour, such as crying, lashing out or experiencing a panic attack. It can affect our ability to think and act rationally and prevent us from performing daily tasks. As we lock up in its grip we seem to achieve less and less and get more and more overwhelmed by the tasks that sit before us. Psychcentral.com suggests you consider these 6 things when dealing with overwhelm. Accept your anxiety. Has fighting your feelings of overwhelm ever helped you erase them? Probably not. More likely, battling your emotions only boosted them. Think of acceptance as riding out a wave of overwhelm. Change overwhelm-inducing thoughts. Thoughts of uncontrollability or unpredictability are the backbone of overwhelm. It’s the unrealistic or unreasonable thoughts that spark our stressed-out reaction. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to what we tell ourselves and learn to create helpful thoughts. Let’s say you have a mile-long to-do list, and all you keep thinking is “I’ll never get this done.” That’s a damaging thought that can lead to distress and anxiety. It paralyzes you from problem-solving and taking action. It goes right back to the rumination thing I spoke about earlier. Rumination is a poisonous and damaging habit to get into. Try and intellectually break it’s cycle so ask yourself “In what ways might this [thought] be inaccurate, unreasonable or unhelpful?” then re-write them in your conscious mind - If you think “I may not get it all finished today, but if I work on it or if I seek assistance, I will likely get it done;” then this conscious thought will affect your unconscious mind and put you back in control. If you stick to, I’ll never get this done, let's face it – you are already in trouble. Stop multitasking.“’Multitasking’ by definition implies that we are doing too many things at once,” so shift your perspective and change your expectation that everything has to be completed right now ‘or else. Do things one at a time. Use some of the simple techniques I describe in episode 9 FOUR HACKS TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION – to help you achieve things. Focus on the “now”. When you’re consumed with what may or may not happen in several minutes or months, you can’t appreciate the here and now. Schedule time to plan for the future, so you can breathe in the present moment. Take a deep breath. Deep breathing encourages our body’s relaxation response. Sometimes you just have to ta a minute to get your head straight. It can make all the difference to your mindset and your stress levels. Take action. And that action doesn’t necessarily have to be related to the project which is causing you overwhelm. Just engage in an activity that you enjoy, such as listening to music, swimming, reading a book or taking a walk. This can be enough to jump you out of the negative headspace you find yourself in and offer a solution. I’ll add here that you should take a leaf out of the HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT episode and if you are having difficulty dealing with it as it is, break your project down into a series of smaller parts. This can be done even if you have already split it down once already. Divisions can always be subdivided. Not thinking of your project as one big problem is a very direct way of stopping overwhelm as when you can intelligently break it down into a series of small tasks that you can chip away at it. That overwhelm feeling, although it may not entirely go away, at least becomes somewhat manageable in that instance. This series is a good example of this. I am right now very frustrated that I still haven’t recorded the whole season as I was working so much and then picked up a cold, and even now have a chest infection which is slowing me down drastically. I feel frustrated but I don’t feel OVERWHELMED. Another thing I do to help combat overwhelm is that I have a whiteboard written up and in an obvious place in the house which shows the progress of this series. I can see how close I am to completing each episode – which in turn is split into research, write, record, create promo image, find a sponsor and create a promo video. It’s frustrating when I am only very slowly ticking stuff off but it’s not overwhelming as I can still see progress. One last thing that you should consider is to see what you can delegate to others. If you are trying to do it all yourself, you may find that you are feeling overwhelmed because you are simply taking on too much. If you can find people that will genuinely help, and who are not going to let you down, or betray you, as happened in Rhea’s case, then it will mean that you will progress further and faster than you will on your own. Listen again to episode 40 and the MASTER MIND LESSON as you must find people who will with you in HARMONY of purpose and effort. My final question for today is this – and it’s come in from quite a few of you. It’s going to sound like I have set this up but I haven’t – The question is what you can do to help the show? Well there are a few things that you can do to help REVIEW THE SHOW ON YOUR PODCAST APP. My good friend Gillian from The GoTo Agency in Glasgow always says sell the sizzle and not the steak. Reviews where people rave about the show give me great quotes which I can use to promote it. These reviews create a sizzle which makes others want to listen too. They are more valuable than you might think. RETWEETS AND SHARES ON SOCIAL MEDIA are more valuable than likes so if you have the opportunity to do so without boring your followers to death with them, please do so. TALK ABOUT THE SHOW in real life and on social media. If the show helps you, please talk about it. This helps the sizzle I mentioned before. ASK PEOPLE TO LISTEN. I have to admit that I am asking people to listen a lot myself when I meet them at work. I’m beginning to feel like it’s the kiss of death for getting a new subscriber though as I swear I don’t think anyone I talk to about the show ever actually listens to it. If you are out there listener – please stand up and let me know my efforts were not in vain. The biggest problem I face with this show is not content or production – It’s simply finding new listeners. It is an inconceivably difficult nut to crack. The listenership based on the information I have is about 650 to 750 downloads every two weeks which is up about 100 a week on last season, and as solo podcasts go, these numbers are really pretty good, but they are not GREAT. I want my listenership to grow as I make it to help people and so getting people to do that is the entire point of everything I do. It’s just... well – difficult. I make no money from this, far from it. So my frustration is that I just can’t figure out how to improve the numbers and although several listeners (Chris and Sheri are the most recent volunteers) have offered to very directly help me push it on out there - I can’t see where best to put my efforts. When I apply Napoleon Hill’s Accuracy of Thought lesson it starts to become clear that Social Media, as a tool for podcast audience growth, is a dead loss. I recently said on Twitter that 99.5% of my followers DON’T ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE SHOW, but the figure is nearer 99.8%. It’s demonstrably atrocious. Social media does not convert into listeners – it’s just the truth of the matter. There’s plenty of “marketers” out there trying to convince me that it does, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram trying to sell me their services, but I’m yet to see how that dollar commitment to marketing the show turns into any reliable listenership. There are other benefits to social media though, and many current listeners do interact with me there so don’t worry. It will continue! Call To Action Your call to action today is to as always consider what has been said. Hopefully, you can apply it to your life and work and relationships. If you really would like to help, then getting on to your podcasting app and reviewing the show would be massively appreciated. Ending As I mentioned before I have split the content of this show into two separate episodes. The 2nd Mailbag episode, should if all goes as planned, go out in late January. I think it will be called “Technology and The Science of ‘When’” or words to that effect. That last question there got me to thinking about my marketing. I removed this from the answer but feel it may be of interest to you. I have a few ideas to try, but feel free to get in touch via the contact page on the website if you are an expert in this field. I’m going to, over the next 9 months or so: Attempt to put up more video content, although I am yet to see evidence that this makes a difference to podcast listener growth. Sometime next year I will start putting the shows out on youtube. I think perhaps there is a listenership there. Offer myself up for interviews on other podcasts as their listeners may jump over to my show after listening tp those interviews. Anyone interested. Find influencers and celebrities to listen to and promote the show. So we’re just about done here - Next week I’m releasing my longest episode to date, which given that I wanted to shorten my episodes this season shows how well that’s been going. Hashtag DOH! Catch it though as it’s a really good one - It’s called BULLIES and THE SILENT MAJORITY. Let me end today with a quote from Will Smith If you're absent during my struggle, don't expect to be present during my success. Now take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on FILM PRO PRODUCTIVITY! The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. References: https://medium.com/@PetriB/3-reasons-why-what-other-people-think-of-you-is-none-of-your-business-a25d6e6ab10c http://www.quoteambition.com/quotes-fake-friends-fake-people/ Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

This episode is sponsored by George Wensley   Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast that helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 45 – THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS: PART 6   This is the final episode of this special interconnected series within the series focusing on Napoleon Hill’s powerful book THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS. In whatever walk of life you are in, WANTING TO BE SUCCESSFUL is a universal theme that I felt vital to explore here on the show and this book based on Napoleon Hills own lecture tour I felt was the key to it’s delivery.   Now if you’ve not yet heard the previous shows on this topic then I’d strongly advise you to go back and listen to episodes 40 through 44 before listening to this one. Seriously, go back now and get listening, or you will not get the best out of this series.   The content in these shows has been my interpretation or direct quotation of NAPOLEON HILL’s words from the book with here and there a sprinkling of information gleaned from Hill’s later life. The main change I make in all of this is in neutralising the gender every now and again simply because I want to make the lessons as accessible for today’s audience as Hill intended it to be in 1928. As proven by Lesson 15, Hill was all about tolerance, equality and inclusion and he wouldn’t want his words of 1928 to be misinterpreted as something intolerant to the ear of a 21st century audience.   Before I proceed to THE GOLDEN RULE let me once again start with this.   WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE. Now I’ve used this phrase to precede every lesson so far, but every chapter except LESSON 4 actually begins with these words "You Can Do It if You Believe You Can!" - I deliberately changed it to Hill’s later phrasing WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE as I believe he would have wished it to be so. Bearing that in mind let me proceed to the 16th and final lesson in Napoleon Hill’s LAWS OF SUCCESS book. That which you do not wish for yourself, DO NOT IMPOSE ON OTHERS. Umar UNQUOTE   LESSON 16 - THE GOLDEN RULE: This lesson is the Guiding Star that will enable you to profitably and constructively use the KNOWLEDGE assembled in the preceding lessons.     This philosophy of THE GOLDEN RULE is simply this "DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WISH THEM TO DO UNTO YOU." Put another way DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD WISH THEM TO DO UNTO YOU IF YOUR POSITIONS WERE REVERSED. Hill wants us to understand one thing very clearly here: That there is more power wrapped up in the previous lessons of this course than most could trust themselves with; therefore, this lesson is what Hill refers to as the - GOVERNOR – or LIMITER - that will enable YOU TO STEER YOURSELF SAFELY DOWN THE PATHWAY OF ALL THOSE WHO COME SUDDENLY INTO POSSESSION OF POWER. The rule is as old as time itself. It’s how we regulate our behaviour in civilised society and it’s the rock on which we build strength of character, as YOUR CHARACTER is but the sum total of your thoughts and deeds! Socrates said it this way DO NOT DO TO OTHERS what angers you IF DONE TO YOU BY OTHERS. Hill asks a question of this which you may have already been thinking and which those of us who just blindly accept such statements would not. He asks it as he has honed the art of accurate thinking within himself… The question he asks is why. WHY? What is the real reason for this kindly consideration of others?   His conclusion after years of study is this – That there is an eternal law which simply says WE REAP THAT WHICH WE SOW, also expressed as: AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP. In more modern speak we may say, WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND or in simpler terms once again, THAT YOU MUST EVENTUALLY FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS.     Hill states that not only is it advisable to “do unto others as you wish them to do unto you,” but to avail yourself fully of the benefits of this great Universal Law you must also “think of others as you wish them to think of you.” as the law upon which the Golden Rule is based begins affecting you, either for good or evil, the moment you release a thought. As usual here Hill gives many examples of this law in action but he also warns us that a passive attitude toward it will you bring no results; IT IS NOT ENOUGH, he says, merely to believe in this philosophy, while, at the same time, FAILING TO APPLY IT IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS.   If you want results you must take an active attitude toward the Golden Rule. A mere passive attitude, represented by belief in its soundness, will simply do you no good. Richard Branson believes in this principle. He says “Play fair, be prepared for others to play dirty, and don't let them drag you into the mud.” Which is a pretty awesome line in the modern tongue. What Hill is doing in this lesson though is ensuring that our character remains sound. Perhaps you have wondered, he says, why the subject of honesty has not been mentioned in this course, as a prerequisite to success, and, if so, the answer will be found here in this lesson. The Golden Rule philosophy, when rightly understood and applied, makes dishonesty IMPOSSIBLE. It does more than this – it makes impossible all the other destructive qualities such as selfishness, greed, envy, bigotry, hatred and malice.   When you apply the Golden Rule, you become, at one and the same time, both the judge and the judged - the accused and the accuser. This places one in a position in which honesty begins in one’s own heart, toward one’s self, and extends to all others with equal effect.   He presents in this lesson A CODE OF ETHICS to allow us to more concretely embody the law on which the golden rule is based.   In full this reads as follows:   1. I believe in the Golden Rule as the basis of all human conduct; therefore, I will never do to another person that which I would not be willing for that person to do to me if our positions were reversed. 2. I will be honest, even to the slightest detail, in all my transactions with others, not alone because of my desire to be fair with them, but because of my desire to impress the idea of honesty on my own subconscious mind, thereby weaving this essential quality into my own character. 3. I will forgive those who are unjust toward me, with no thought as to whether they deserve it or not, because I understand the law through which forgiveness of others strengthens my own character and wipes out the effects of my own transgressions, in my subconscious mind. 4. I will be just, generous and fair with others always, even though I know that these acts will go unnoticed and unrecorded, in the ordinary terms of reward, because I understand and intend to apply the law through the aid of which one’s own character is but the sum total of one’s own acts and deeds. 5. Whatever time I may have to devote to the discovery and exposure of the weaknesses and faults of others I will devote, more profitably, to the discovery and correction of my own. 6. I will slander no person, no matter how much I may believe another person may deserve it, because I wish to plant no destructive suggestions in my own subconscious mind. 7. I recognize the power of Thought as being an inlet leading into my brain from the universal ocean of life; therefore, I will set no destructive thoughts afloat upon that ocean lest they pollute the minds of others. 8. I will conquer the common human tendency toward hatred, and envy, and selfishness, and jealousy, and malice, and pessimism, and doubt, and fear; for I believe these to be the seed from which the world harvests most of its troubles. 9. When my mind is not occupied with thoughts that tend toward the attainment of my definite chief aim in life, I will voluntarily keep it filled with thoughts of courage, and self-confidence, and goodwill toward others, and faith, and kindness, and loyalty, and love for truth, and justice, for I believe these to be the seed from which the world reaps its harvest of progressive growth. 10. I understand that a mere passive belief in the soundness of the Golden Rule philosophy is of no value whatsoever, either to myself or to others; therefore, I will actively put into operation this universal rule for good in all my transactions with others. 11. I understand the law through the operation of which my own character is developed from my own acts and thoughts; therefore, I will guard with care all that goes into its development. 12. Realizing that enduring happiness comes only through helping others find it; that no act of kindness is without its reward, even though it may never be directly repaid, I will do my best to assist others when and where the opportunity appears.   As Hill nears the end of this lesson and the book itself he raises the point that “There are people who believe that the Golden Rule philosophy is nothing more than a theory and that it is in no way connected with an immutable law.” Mike Michalowicz of ENTREPRENEURSHIP MADE SIMPLE, explains that IMMUTABLE LAWS are the rules of our lives. They define you. They define your business. They are a blend of ethics, core values and self-assigned law, all wrapped up into one. They are the rules we have defined for ourselves, almost subconsciously, on what is RIGHT and what is WRONG.   Here he touches upon something which I raised just a few weeks ago in my episode DON’T DO ME A FAVOUR - They have arrived at this conclusion, he says, because of personal experience wherein they rendered service to others without enjoying the benefits of direct reciprocation.   When I created that episode and DISCUSSED THE LAW OF RECIPROCITY, I didn’t know at the time that Napoleon Hill had ventured into the same territory so I’m going to give it a little time here. Hill says: How many are there who have rendered service to others that were neither reciprocated nor appreciated? I am sure that I have had such an experience, not once, but many times, and I am equally sure that I will have similar experiences in the future. I, however, will not discontinue rendering service to others merely because they neither reciprocate nor appreciate my efforts. This is quite interesting to me as I did at one point discontinue a service to someone to whom I passed work that I couldn’t do myself. I woke up one day though as I had received a complaint about them, following my recommendation, and I realised in that instant that my goodwill had never been reciprocated during that whole time. Whether I stopped my recommendations because it was never reciprocated or whether I stopped it because a complaint came back to me is not something I’ve considered but it was probably a bit of both. Napolean Hill’s reasoning is as follows: When I render service to another, or indulge in an act of kindness, I store away in my sub-conscious mind the effect of my efforts, which may be likened to the “charging” of an electric battery. By and by, if I indulge in a sufficient number of such acts I will have developed a positive, dynamic character that will attract to me people who harmonize with or resemble my own character.   Those whom I attract will reciprocate the acts of kindness and the service that I have rendered others, thus the LAW OF COMPENSATION will have balanced the scales of justice for me, bringing back through one source the results of service which I rendered to an entirely different one.   The LAW OF COMPENSATION incidentally was proposed by Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his essay, "Compensation," – He wrote that EACH PERSON IS COMPENSATED IN LIKE MANNER FOR THAT WHICH HE OR SHE HAS CONTRIBUTED. The Law of Compensation is another restatement of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. The Golder Rule. Nothing in the Golden Rule says that others will treat us as we have treated them. It only says that we must treat others in a way that we would want to be treated. Rosa Parks UNQUOTE Hill asks If someone should fail to reciprocate your kindness - what then? He answers that We have profited, nonetheless, because of the effect of our act on our own subconscious mind! This is, of course, an extension of Hill’s belief in the habit of AUTO SUGGESTION and it’s exactly what I was talking about in my episode on favours. DON’T DO A FAVOUR IN EXPECTATION OF RETURN OF THAT FAVOUR. Give it freely and in time your kindness will be repaid.   If you need further proof that the GOLDEN RULE is worth your time and effort, consider how your hostile or unkind acts toward others bring back the effects of retaliation which is usually definite and immediate. THE LAW OF RETALIATION is more widely known as "An eye for an eye" This habit is a form of POSITIVE THOUGHT which develops in you a DYNAMIC PERSONALITY and feeds your SELF CONFIDENCE. It will help you to ATTRACT the forces you require to reach your DEFINITE CHIEF AIM.   Summing Up   It will hardly come as surprise to you that have stayed the course of all 6 episodes in which I delve into Napoleon Hill’s LAW OF SUCCESS that I am now about to recap on all of the lessons that have been presented. I’ll let the words of Mr Hill take you forward into this.   You have now arrived at the point at which you should take inventory of yourself for the purpose of ascertaining what qualities you need - to give you a well-balanced and rounded out personality. Fifteen major factors entered into the building of this course. I ask you to ANALYZE YOURSELF CAREFULLY, with the assistance of one or more others if you feel that you need it, for the purpose of ascertaining in which of the fifteen factors of this course you are the weakest, and then CONCENTRATE YOUR EFFORTS UPON THOSE PARTICULAR LESSONS until you HAVE FULLY DEVELOPED THAT WHICH THEY REPRESENT.     In the introduction Hill thanks ANDREW CARNEGIE, who suggested the writing of the course, and HENRY FORD, whose astounding achievements form the foundation for practically all of the Sixteen Lessons contained within. Finally he singles out EDWIN C. BARNES, a business associate of THOMAS EDISON, whose close personal friendship over a period of more than fifteen years served to help the author “carry on” in the face of a great variety of adversities and much temporary defeat which he had met with. In summary then, THE LAW OF SUCCESS is as follows.   LESSON 1 – The "MASTER MIND": is an invisible stronger third mind, developed through friendly alliance, in a spirit of harmony of purpose, between two or more minds. No two or more minds ever met without creating, out of the contact, another mind. This invisible creation is not always a "Master Mind." Though - That ONLY forms when two or more people work together in harmony of purpose and effort.   LESSON 2 – A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM: You must do away forever with aimlessness and fix your heart and hand upon some definite, well-conceived purpose. In your struggle for success, you should keep constantly in mind the necessity of knowing what it is that you want - Know precisely what your definite purpose is - utilise the principle of organized effort in the attainment of that DEFINITE PURPOSE. If you don’t know where you are going, then you’re never going to get there.   LESSON 3 - SELF CONFIDENCE: Believe that you are worthy of success and that you can attain it. Without truly understanding this - you will probably get nowhere with most of your goals. If you are not confident, then you cannot sell yourself in life.   LESSON 4 - THE HABIT OF SAVING: Formation of the Habit of Saving not only conserves that which you earn, in a systematic manner, but it also places you in the way of greater opportunity and gives you the vision, the self-confidence, the imagination, the enthusiasm, the initiative and leadership to actually increase your earning capacity. Amongst other things if you are trying to develop a HABIT OF SAVING then you must learn to kill the habit of unnecessary spending.   LESSON 5: INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP – Initiative is DOING THE RIGHT THING WITHOUT BEING TOLD. Leadership is essential for the attainment of Success, but Initiative is the very foundation upon which this necessary quality is built.   LESSON 6 - IMAGINATION: You will never have a definite purpose in life, you will never have self-confidence, and you will never have initiative and leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them.   LESSON 7 - ENTHUSIASM: A state of mind that inspires and arouses one to put action into the task at hand - it is contagious, and vitally affects not only the enthusiast, but all with whom he comes in contact.   LESSON 8 – SELF CONTROL: When you take control over the thoughts you are thinking, then you can take control of your success. SELF-DISCIPLINE IS THE MOST ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL POWER, because LACK OF IT works hardships on those who become its victims, and THOSE WHO DO NOT EXERCISE IT suffer the loss of a great power which they could use in the achievement of their DEFINITE CHIEF AIM.   LESSON 9 – THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR: If you are going to whine about your work, then you are not going anywhere. Do the work you have in front of you, then ask what else you may do. By doing this, you make yourself valuable, and you will surely reach a point where you are being paid handsomely. Valuable employees are... valuable. This is also and especially true when you are working for yourself.   LESSON 10 - PLEASING PERSONALITY: His advice is have one, and if you don’t have one, cultivate one. Mediocrity does not care if you are pleasant or not. Success DOES.   LESSON 11 - ACCURATE THOUGHT: Separate facts from mere information. Then separate facts into two classes; the IMPORTANT and the UNIMPORTANT, or, the RELEVANT and the IRRELEVANT. All facts which will aid you to any extent whatsoever in the attainment of your definite chief aim are important and relevant; All that you cannot use are unimportant and irrelevant.   LESSON 12 - CONCENTRATION: "Concentration is the act of focusing the mind upon a given desire until the ways and means for its realization have been worked out and successfully put into operation"   LESSON 13 –COOPERATION: The implementation of cooperation between yourself and others who are going to help you get to your goal. Cooperation must also exist between your conscious and subconscious mind so that they may work harmoniously in your favour.   LESSON 14 – FAILURE: Yes! Fail, and be happy that it is bringing you one step closer to success. Failure is inevitable, and it is a great step towards the right direction. Replace "failure" with "temporary defeat".   LESSON 15 –TOLERANCE: Don't practice prejudice or racism. It is IGNORANCE, and it is a barrier to success. Just see the best in people and situations, and focus only on your goal and the good for all.   And finally LESSON 16 – THE GOLDEN RULE: “Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you,” and to avail yourself fully of the benefits of this great Universal Law you must also “think of others as you wish them to think of you.” As the law upon which the Golden Rule is based begins affecting you, either for good or evil, the moment you release a thought.   Call To Action   Your call to action today is not only CONSIDER THE GOLDEN RULE but to take up this challenge which Hill lays out: Analyze yourself carefully, with the assistance of one or more other persons if you feel that you need it, for the purpose of ascertaining in which of the fifteen factors detailed in this course you are the weakest, and then concentrate your efforts upon those particular lessons until you have fully developed that which they represent.   I will make my breakdown of the 16 lessons I just went through available through the official website as a PDF download, so go there as a starting point. Also on today’s show notes, I’ll be giving the download links to all of the versions of the text that are available in the public domain, plus an audio download of his 1954 film which encapsulates this and YouTube links to boot.   PDF KINDLE OTHER READERS AUDIO VIEW 1954 FILM   Ending   So that is the end of this 6 episode mini-series. I hope that you have found it beneficial and I hope too that it leads you towards the success which you seek in life.   This has been a helluva undertaking for me which has shoved me beyond a few of my own deadlines, but I realised once I have started that to not properly cover it all would have been a disservice to you.   Thanks too to all of you that have sponsored these episodes and to all of the international listeners in Australia, Hong Kong, the US, Canada and Germany as I get a helluva a lot of downloads in those places. Wherever you are in the world I hope that these lessons have been useful and lead you towards success.   Next week, I will be responding to listeners questions, in a special MAILBAG episode, but for now, bearing in mind all that we have learned from Napoleon Hill over the last six episodes let me end with a quote from Thomas Sowell who said – “It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.   Insert of Napoleon Hill's voice.   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Law-of-Success-by-Napoleon-Hill-A-Quick-Overview   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu   Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination. Thomas Sowell UNQUOTE

  This episode is sponsored by U.S. repeat supporter Connie   Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast that helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 44 – THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS: PART 5   In whatever walk of life you are in, SUCCESS is a universal theme that will be of interest. This is the fifth of six interconnected episodes about Napoleon Hill’s powerful book and if you’ve not yet heard the previous shows then I’d strongly advise you to go back and check out episodes 40 through 44 FIRST before listening to this one. My aim is simply to give you a glimpse of the power that lies within its pages, but there is an order to the lessons that he presents and starting here may cause you some confusion.   For streamlining purposes I don’t always identify sections of quoted text but, for the record, much of the content is either my interpretation or direct quotation of NAPOLEON HILL’s words. The main change I make is in neutralising the gender every now and again because I want to make the lessons as accessible for today’s audience as Hill intended it to be in 1928. As we will discover a little later on, Hill was all about equality and inclusion. WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE It is through cooperation, rather than conflict, that your greatest successes will be derived Ralph Charell UNQUOTE LESSON 13 - COOPERATION: Hill concluded after his 25 years of research that it is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed and that the top of the LADDER OF SUCCESS will never be lonely as you can't help but bring others with you.   He first explains in this chapter that COOPERATION must exist between your conscious and subconscious mind so that they may work harmoniously in your favour through the use of AUTO SUGGESTION: As we have heard before, this is a form of self-hypnosis or self-induced psychological suggestion which individuals use to guide their thoughts, feelings, or behaviour.   We often hear talk of people using affirmations in this way as part of a morning ritual perhaps and I’ll be looking at AFFIRMATIONS in an upcoming episode later this season so I won’t spend too much time on this here today. In effect what Hill wants us to understand is that it’s a proven fact that the subconscious or what he calls subjective mind can be affected by the conscious mind.   When you impress any idea on your sub-conscious mind you do so WITH THE AID OF THIS SYSTEM: and when your subconscious mind works out a definite plan to achieve any desire with which you impress it, THAT PLAN IS DELIVERED BACK TO YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND THROUGH THIS SAME SYSTEM. This is the first essential part of this lesson in co-operation and a new angle on an old idea which we have previously discussed in the earlier lesson on IMAGINATION.   The second essential element of Co-operation IS THE MORE OBVIOUS ONE - that those who unite or group themselves together for the purpose of attaining a given end do so in the spirit of cooperation. In the first lesson this was discussed in terms of THE MASTER MIND principle and in the second we referred to this sort of cooperation as ORGANIZED EFFORT.   As we learned there, POWER is the ORGANIZED EFFORT with which we will gain success. We will hear more about the power of CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT and see the important part that it plays in the development of power in the final lesson. For now, I will say that the four most important factors that enter into the process of organizing effort are: · Concentration, · Co-operation, · Co-ordination and · ENERGY. PERSONAL POWER is achieved by developing, organizing and coordinating the faculties of the mind and it is the first step to be taken in the development of the potential power that is available through the medium of what we know as ALLIED EFFORT, CO-OPERATION, or GROUP POWER. True success in life, hill says, cannot be attained except through peaceful, harmonious, co-operative effort. Success cannot easily be attained single-handed or independently. If you analyse POWER, he continues, no matter where, or in what form it may be found, you will find organization and co-operation at the back of it. We are living in a world in which the law of the survival of the fittest is everywhere in evidence. Those who are “fit” are those who have power, and their power is ORGANIZED EFFORT. Even if it doesn't work, there is something healthy and invigorating about direct action. Henry Miller UNQUOTE Hill gives time in this lesson to make absolutely clear too, that we must become people of action if we are to achieve our DEFINITE CHIEF AIM. Action, in the sense that the term is used in this lesson, comes in two forms. One is physical and the other is mental. You can be very active with your mind while your body is entirely inactive, or you can be very active with both body AND mind. Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln UNQUOTE Hill wants us to know too that there can be as much ACTION in PREPARATION, as in EXECUTION. As the one putting together this podcast I can vouch for that. These six episodes have taken an age to prepare. But without my research, my re-writing and my intelligently concentrated accurate thinking on these topics, it would be a very thin and fragile series indeed.   Hill warns that we cannot become people of action if we are not fit, if we are addicted to substances or if we do not eat properly. I’m skimming over a lot of this here but there is one thing he highlights which again I will be tackling quite soon in another episode. WORRY.   “There is another enemy which you must conquer before you can become a person of action, and that is the WORRY habit. Worry, envy, jealousy, hatred, doubt, and fear are all states of mind which are fatal to ACTION.” He raised these points earlier in the 16 LAWS series when he was discussing SELF CONFIDENCE. Remember folks that Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength. Corrie Ten Boom UNQUOTE I really have to drive this episode on but as a final word on COOPERATION he points out that “the world pays you for WHAT YOU DO and NOT FOR WHAT YOU KNOW.” And he takes this further, saying “What the world really pays you for is what you do or what you can get others to do.”   SOMEONE WHO CAN INDUCE OTHERS TO CO-OPERATE AND DO EFFECTIVE TEAM-WORK, OR INSPIRE OTHERS SO THAT THEY BECOME MORE ACTIVE, IS NO LESS A PERSON OF ACTION THAN THE ONE WHO RENDERS EFFECTIVE SERVICE IN A MORE DIRECT MANNER.   He also talks of motivating forces and killing procrastination and a hundred other things, again and again returning to the earlier advice which he has given on achieving your DEFINITE CHIEF AIM in life.   “If you plan to attain the object of your chief aim through the co-operative efforts of others, you must set up in the minds of those whose cooperation you seek A MOTIVE STRONG ENOUGH TO ENSURE THEIR FULL, UNDIVIDED, UNSELFISH CO-OPERATION.”   This will be made far more achievable when you have developed your pleasing personality and enthusiasm skills which were discussed in earlier lessons. Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. Henry Ford Unquote WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 14 - FAILURE: Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street. Zig Ziglar UNQUOTE Failure is inevitable, and it is a great step towards the right direction so Hill suggests we embrace it and replace "failure" in our minds with the term "temporary defeat".   Moreover, he says, let us see if this temporary defeat is not usually a blessing in disguise, for the reason that it brings us up with a jerk and redirects our energies along different and more desirable lines.   I looked at this in my inbetweenisode WHY IT’S OK TO GIVE UP and again in my 1st show of this season BEST LAID PLANS and Hill here validates much of what I say there. I won’t spend too much time on his words here today but let’s have a brief look at his angle on it as how we deal with failure is an important lesson in the LAW OF SUCCESS.   STRENGTH GROWS OUT OF RESISTANCE; Hill reminds us, and we shall learn, in this lesson, that SOUND CHARACTER is usually the handiwork of set-backs, and temporary defeats, which the uninformed part of the world calls “FAILURE.” When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. Alexander Graham Bell UNQUOTE Hill starts this chapter with a list of seven personal anecdotes that demonstrate defeat and recovery, of newly opened doors and opportunities and in the end, he admits that “I am glad to have experienced so much defeat! It has had the effect of tempering me with the courage to undertake tasks that I would never have begun had I been surrounded by protecting influences. Defeat is a destructive force only when it is accepted as failure! When accepted as teaching some needed lesson it is always a blessing.   He continues - In view of what I have learned of the value of enemies, if I had none I would feel it my duty to create a few. They would discover my defects and point them out to me, whereas my friends if they saw my weaknesses at all, would say nothing about them.   Oh how telling that is. Have you ever considered it? An awful lot of us are stuck in a dead-end of work or life problems due to our inability to recognise or accept our flaws and it’s our friends' politeness, or fear of upsetting us, which is stopping them from helping. Again and again here, Hill points out that which I have not spoken aloud myself but which I have give some consideration over the years. Zig Ziglar says If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost. Hill’s embrace of the phrase “temporary defeat” is so overwhelmingly complete that he craves it but warns that we must have considerable courage too, to look upon it as a blessing in disguise.   Defeat talks to us in a language all its own, he says, a language to which we must listen, whether we want to or not. He points to the great men of his day who have battled their way to the top despite their failures, or temporary setbacks, and we could level comparisons of our own here too.   My favourite example is that of JK ROWLING: In 1995 all 12 major publishers rejected Harry Potter. A year later a small publishing house, Bloomsbury, accepted it and extended a very small £1500 advance. In 1997, the book was published with only 1000 copies. In 1997 and 1998, the book won awards from Nestle Smarties Book Prize and the British Book Award for Children’s Book of the Year. Today, Rowling has sold more than 400 million copies of her books and is considered to be the most successful woman author in the United Kingdom.   I could cite many others. Bill Gates, Stephen King, Henry Ford, or Thomas Edison. It’s hard I know whilst you are in it, as life just wears you down, but we can take heart in seeing that others have made it ahead of us. As I said right at the start of this 6 part mini-series, “Success is a very profound and interesting thing because the line of demarcation between success and failure is so slight that it is often hard to see where one ends and the other begins.”   Be thankful for the defeat which many call failure, because if you can survive it and keep on trying, it gives you a chance to prove your ability and to rise to the heights of achievement in your chosen field of endeavour.   WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 15 - TOLERANCE: Hill makes two significant statements about intolerance at the beginning of this lesson.   First: INTOLERANCE IS A FORM OF IGNORANCE which must be mastered before any form of enduring success may be attained. It is the chief cause of all wars. It makes enemies in business and in the professions. It disintegrates the organized forces of society in a thousand forms, and stands, like a mighty giant, as a barrier to the abolition of war. It dethrones reason and substitutes mob psychology in its place. Second: Intolerance is the chief disintegrating force in the organized religions of the world, where it plays havoc with the greatest power for good there is on this earth; by breaking up that power into small sects and denominations which spend as much effort opposing each other as they do in destroying the evils of the world. I thought I’d quote that opening directly as Hill is very specific and likely at the time was incredibly forward-thinking about all of this – He is saying don't practice prejudice or racism. IT IS IGNORANCE, AND IT IS A BARRIER TO SUCCESS. Just see the best in people and situations. Focus only on your goal and the good for all. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King, Jr. UNQUOTE It is obvious that anything which impedes the progress of civilization, such as intolerance, stands as a barrier for the individual; and anything that clouds the mind of the individual and stops his mental, moral and spiritual development, impedes, also, the progress of civilization. We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams. Jimmy Carter UNQUOTE So this whole lesson details a significant number of examples and studies of how INTOLERANCES in religion, in politics, in race relations and in differing cultural or family backgrounds are the direct cause of wars and disruptions and Hill’s point in all this is I think that INTOLERANCE is AN UNFORGIVABLE ELEMENT THAT DISRUPTS ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES OF HIS 16 LESSONS.   Without TOLERANCE our ORGANIZED EFFORTS will fail because the HARMONY that is required will be disrupted beyond repair by INTOLERANCE. ORGANIZED EFFORT and the actions of COOPERATION between us as we work towards our SINGLE CHIEF AIMs will be destroyed by INTOLERANCE and ACCURATE THOUGHT cannot be relied upon if INTOLERANCE is present within it.   Intolerance betrays want of faith in one's cause. Mahatma Gandhi UNQUOTE Hill ends this lesson with an essay on intolerance. These are the final words of that essay.   I am hoping I will find only human Souls, Brothers and Sisters all, unmarked by race, creed or colour, when I have crossed the Bar to the Other Side. For I shall want to be done with Intolerance so I may lie down and rest an æon or two, undisturbed by the strife, ignorance, superstition and petty misunderstandings which mark with chaos and grief this earthly existence.   Here endeth lesson 15 of the law of success in 16 lessons.   Summing Up   So, to sum up on this episode, let me go over the basics of today’s lessons.   LESSON 13 –COOPERATION: The implementation of cooperation between yourself and others who are going to help you get to your goal. Cooperation must also exist between your conscious and subconscious mind so that they may work harmoniously in your favour. LESSON 14 – FAILURE: Fail, and be happy that it is bringing you one step closer to success. Failure is inevitable, and it is a great step in the right direction. Don’t let it bring you down. Simply replace "failure" with the words "temporary defeat". And LESSON 15 –TOLERANCE: Don't practice prejudice or racism. It is IGNORANCE, and it is a barrier to success. Just see the best in people and situations, and focus only on your goal and the good of all.   Call To Action   Your call to action this week is to embrace your failures, and consider how they have brought you closer to success, taught you invaluable lessons and made you a person of character. Gather from them the strength to continue on, and re-write your negative feelings about your experiences, renaming them TEMPORARY SETBACKS instead of failures. “Success is a very profound and interesting thing because the line of demarcation between success and failure is so slight that it is often hard to see where one ends and the other begins.” Remember: No one has the right to brand you as a failure except yourself.   Ending Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson UNQUOTE The next episode will be the final show in this 6 part series within the series documenting the law of success in 16 lessons. After that, we will be back to the usual style of shows. Next time I will be recapping on all that has come before and introducing LESSON 16. THE GOLDEN RULE.   VIEW 1954 FILM I’ll end today though with a very famous quote of Mr Hill’s which I riff upon quite often here “You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.” Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Law-of-Success-by-Napoleon-Hill-A-Quick-Overview   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  This episode is sponsored by SHUG THE DUG PRODUCTIONS   Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast that helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 43 – THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS: PART 4   So yes, this is the fourth part of my series on Napoleon Hill’s powerful book and if you’ve not yet heard the previous parts then I’d strongly advise you to go back and check out episodes 40 through 42 first before listening to this one. My aim is to give you a fleeting glimpse of the power that lies within the book ad to open your mind to the possibilities that lie within its pages.   Now I won’t always identify sections of quoted text within this episode purely for streamlining purposes, but much of the content is my interpretation or direct quotation of NAPOLEON HILL. The main change I make is in neutralising the gender every now and again because I want to make the lessons as accessible and relevant for today’s audience as Hill intended it to be in 1928. Clothes and manners do not make the man; but when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance. Arthur Ashe UNQUOTE WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   This is a very big episode with a veritable Aladdin’s cave of new ideas, observations and advice. I would give this next lesson an episode of its own if I could but instead what I’d advise you to do is pause between the lessons or listen again to take it all in. I have augmented it with additional information from Hill’s 1954 film as it adds a lot to the equation which the original book leaves out. Hang on to your breeks and stand by. This is…   LESSON 10 – A PLEASING PERSONALITY: Here, Hill encourages us to arrange the outward appearance through which the nature of our personality is expressed, SO THAT IT WILL ATTRACT AND NOT REPEL. He wants us to realise that our personalities can become what he calls master salesmen working on our behalf. If we look at successful people and wonder how they managed it, but overlook the importance of analyzing their methods and the price they had to pay in careful, well-organized preparation and presentation - then we are NOT seeing the full picture.   Hill kicks all this off by describing PERSONALITY as the sum of our characteristics and appearances which distinguish us from all others. The clothes we wear, the lines on our face, the tone of our voice and the thoughts we think ALL CONSTITUTE PARTS OF OUR PERSONALITY and by far the most important part of our personality - is the part that is not visible - OUR CHARACTER.   Whether your personality is attractive or not, of course, is another matter. Italian designer Alessandro Michele says “The way you dress is an expression of your personality.” And that’s yet another point that Hill makes in this chapter. He says the same thing my mum did when I was going for a job interview or meeting someone for the first time, that people form first impressions of you from your outward appearance. I highlight this here as a reminder to us all, that things like this matter, maybe not TO YOU, but to the people you meet and work with. Whether you like it or not, if you want to increase your chances of being successful you can start by dressing in a way that attracts and doesn’t repel success. This doesn’t have to be a suit and tie of course, just appropriately for the world in which you live and work, and thinking about what would be most likely to bring you success in that environment.   Hill touches on this topic in his lesson on enthusiasm, where he talks about being able to wear WEAR NICE CLOTHES and how it will make you feel better and be more enthusiastic. There he explains that IF YOU LOOK LIKE A MILLION BUCKS, YOU'LL FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS, and you will quite likely FIND YOURSELF AROUND A MILLION BUCKS. The opposite is also true, of course, and this is to be avoided. I love these little, but incredibly telling, observations and this book is full of them.   He takes the time to talk about elements of success that no one would tell you to your face and so next he goes into personal hygene. YOU SIMPLY WON’T BE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU SMELL LIKE A RATS BACKSIDE. Wash yourself, wear deodorant, brush your teeth, use mouthwash and if you know you have a problem with sweat or bad breath or whatever - carry the things you need to stay clean and smell good with you. Whether you like it or not, and none of us particularly like it, you also need to regularly attend the dentist. Knowing your teeth are cared for and that problems with them are fixed, gives you much increased confidence. That confidence will be the key for you to open more doors to success. Ya know what I do almost every day? I wash. Personal hygiene is part of the package with me. Jim Carrey UNQUOTE Hill devotes a considerable amount of page space to something I’ve only vaguely ever thought about - the art of SHAKING HANDS. He believed that it forms an important part of our personality and points out that, like so many other things outlined here, it is an art which can be cultivated. Every trait which goes into your personality, he explains, is under your control and you can improve it so it will be whatever you want it to be.   Helen Keller was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Touch to her was a truly vital sense. She said – “The hands of those I meet are dumbly eloquent to me. The touch of some hands is an impertinence. I have met people so empty of joy, that when I clasped their frosty finger-tips, it seemed as if I were shaking hands with a northeast storm. Others there are whose hands have sunbeams in them, so that their grasp warms my heart. It may be only the clinging touch of a child's hand; but there is as much potential sunshine in it for me as there is in a loving glance for others. A hearty handshake or a friendly letter gives me genuine pleasure.” I have occasionally shaken someone’s hand only to feel it collapse under my light but firm grip. I describe such handshakes as fish-fingers which amuses me greatly but I admit it leaves me with a feeling of discomfort with the person who’s squishy fish finger hand I have just shaken. Hill explains his feelings on this one as follows, “ If there is anything which leaves me flat and unfavourably impressed when I'm introduced it's an extended hand which feels like a piece of cold ham”. There’s also the hand crusher, the person that catches you unexpectedly in an iron like grip that breaks bones. I looked this up on google. Littlethings.com says The Crusher is a handshake that is all about power and aggression.   Shaking hands is a lost art of prosperity which is surely worth a little of our twenty-first-century consideration. Napoleon Hill says, in general, that you should make your handshake firm and vibrant and that if you merely permit the other person to shake your limp, cold, lifeless hand, you are displaying what constitutes a negative personality. And I’m very well aware that today’s society would encourage us to dismiss all this other stuff because it’s what’s inside that counts, OUR CHARACTER, but we would be remiss to not consider the outer elements through which others will perceive and judge us as this is, after all, a series of lectures about SUCCESS. What’s inside is not the only thing that counts. It just counts more than anything else…   And so again Hill gives examples in this chapter of how external appearances, manners, a firm handshake or a gentle and mesmerizing voice when presented by salespeople have won him over and how if these salespeople with pleasing personalities were to visit him again he would happily sit down and listen for three-quarters of an hour enjoying their company. I’ve certainly experienced this myself. He gives examples so that we can learn from them and cultivate our own personality traits. This is something which he covers too in Lesson 7 Enthusiasm. We continue to shape our personality all our life. If we knew ourselves to be perfect, we should die. Albert Camus UNQUOTE I’ll post a youtube link in the show notes to show a great example of personality in sales so go check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EuA6hvDjg0&t=44s   Hill warns that cheap flattery has just the opposite effect. It repels instead of attracting. Analyze anone, he says, WHO DOES NOT HAVE A PLEASING PERSONALITY and you will find lacking in the faculties of Imagination and co-operation.   This lesson emphasizes at length the importance of making it your business to take a keen interest in other people and their work, to cultivate and work on your personality, and to be aware of your outward appearance. This is simply not something that is discussed these days, other than perhaps a mother nagging a child about looking smart, but I find it all quite intriguing as if we can consider it when others do not, it will give us the edge we may need to achieve success.   This year, for the first time ever, I had shirts and hoodies made up with fightdirector.com and Get Carter on them. I used to joke about having to prove myself on film sets on which I don’t know many people, that I should maybe have my CV printed on my T Shirt or a picture of me holding our Cineworld Audience Award at the BAFTAS, as some people try to sideline you as soon as meet you as they go through life offering up little or no respect to others. I’ve noticed now that things have changed. People ask me for my number far more often and proving myself to be competent when meeting new crews seems no longer to be a problem. It’s a fascinating subject this, and that’s why I’m giving it a bit more time.   Hill, himself, commits considerable time to character building through rigid self-discipline, self-control and autosuggestion. He provides a formula for character building and lists the factors that make a good personality. Here are just a few. · Your mental attitude is the most important trait of your personality. This is a trait with which you attract people to you and cause them to like you or repel them and cause them to dislike you. This is something Hill went into earlier on in the Enthusiasm lesson and which permeates the whole book. · The next most important trait of your personality consists of your flexibility of your mental attitude or your lack of it. If you have flexibility you adjust yourself to all the circumstances without losing your composure or allowing yourself to become irritable or angry. This is one I find easier to adopt the older I get. It’s a difficult skill to master though and I am still a novice. Hill explains here that you cannot control the actions of other people which might justify you becoming irritated by them but YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR REACTION to all such circumstances by exercising your trait of flexibility. · The third most important trait of a pleasing personality is the ability to control and direct your enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is one of the means by which you can give force to your words but you must be able to turn it on or off at will as definitely as you can turn on and off the water at the tap. Uncontrolled enthusiasm often makes people boresome. It also allows others to enter and influence you in ways you do not wish to be influenced. That’s an interesting observation – tagged in almost as a throwaway. Don’t get carried away by your enthusiasm and find yourself committed to another’s purpose. Stay on Target. Remember your DEFINITE CHIEF AIM. · The fourth most important trait of a pleasing personality is SINCERITY OF PURPOSE. The person who is not sincere with others is soon detected and rejected because no one is attracted to the person who deceives others. Possibly my favourite quote of Hill’s is this “Sincerity is one quality of character which cannot be successfully faked: Not even by the most astute rascal or the most efficient actor.”   I’ll end with a list of DESTRUCTIVE HABITS which Hill explains will limit our success. · One of the most destructive habits which make one's personality objectionable is that of BREAKING IN AND RUNNING AWAY WITH THE CONVERSATION when others are speaking. · Next, SARCASM expressed by insinuations and wisecracks which are not so wise is near the head of the list of habits which you give you a negative personality · and third VANITY expressed by either words or actions is sure to make one unpopular. · Fourth, INDIFFERENCE in listening while others are speaking is sure to be noticed and resented. It is more profitable to be a good listener than it is to be a good talker because you are always apt to learn something while listening to others but never will learn anything from hearing yourself. · Five. The attempt to FLATTER WHERE FLATTERY IS OBVIOUSLY NOT DESERVED will bring quick resentment from others and if they are wise that the flatterer wants something they will ensure perhaps you should not get it. · Six. The habit of FINDING FAULT WITH THE WORLD AT LARGE AND PEOPLE IN GENERAL is never very popular habit and it is no part of a pleasing personality. It is far better to direct conversation to the circumstances and things which are right than to complain of those which one believes to be wrong. · Seven. One of the very worst habits is that of OPENLY AND DIRECTLY CHALLENGING THOSE WITH WHOM ONE MAY NOT AGREE, where there is no obvious reason for doing so, except the desire to be on the opposite side. Oh I know a few people that just can’t resist an argument and it’s something on which today’s internet fed populace just thrives. For me it just feels like a waste of mental energy. Energy that can be placed elsewhere - into more positive action. · …and Eight. The habit of VOLUNTEERING UNSOLICITED ADVICE to others who have not requested it can make one an intolerable bore. Free advice usually is considered to be worth just what it costs - which is nothing but the patience with which to listen to it · …and Nine THE HABIT OF SPEAKING OF ONE'S PHYSICAL AILMENTS and personal problems may be tolerated by others but this habit will never make one welcome or pleasing. · Ten. The habit of ENDEAVORING TO CONVEY AN IMPRESSION OF SUPERIORITY through the use of words and topics unfamiliar to others is a sure fire destroyer of popularity. · 11 ENVY OF THOSE WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL is a trait which destroys a pleasing personality. The truly great men and women have all been known to be generous, sympathetic and joyous in connection with the good fortunes of others. · Twelve. SLOVENLINESS - in body posture and in clothing never attract but always repels others. Carelessness in body courage and posture is immediately traceable to a negative mental attitude. OK, I must move on, but I’ll end with this. Hill says that before you can make full use of the MASTER KEY TO SUCCESS you will need to make your personality pleasing. This will require courage on your part and honesty with yourself. A PLEASING PERSONALITY STANDS NEAR THE HEAD OF THE LIST OF ASSETS WHICH WILL MAKE ONE TRULY RICH. WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE. Accuracy builds credibility. Jim Rohn UNQUOTE LESSON 11 - ACCURATE THOUGHT: In this lesson we learn to sort "facts" from "information", and use AUTO-SUGGESTION in conjunction with FOCUSED THOUGHT. In a gun fight... Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything. You need to take your time in a hurry. Wyatt Earp UNQUOTE Hill straight off the bat warns us that unless you study this lesson with an open mind, you will miss the very key-stone to the arch of this course, and without this stone, you can never complete your Temple of Success. I’d add too that without accurate thought you’re going nowhere.   This is not WOOLY THOUGHT or BELIEF IN YOUR OWN HYPE or GULLIBLE THOUGHT. It’s ACCURATE THOUGHT and it involves two fundamentals which all who indulge in it must observe. · First, to think accurately you must separate facts from mere information. There is much "information" available to you that is not based upon facts. Don’t believe everything you hear on the internet, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, UNQUOTE · Second, you must separate facts into two classes; the IMPORTANT and the UNIMPORTANT, or, the RELEVANT and the IRRELEVANT. Only by so doing can you think clearly. So… · All facts which will aid you to any extent whatsoever in the attainment of your definite chief aim are important and relevant; · All that you cannot use are unimportant and irrelevant. I’ve covered PRIORITISING before many times with things like the focus funnel and the Eisenhower matrix so this shouldn’t be anything new to the regular listener. Focusing on the stuff that really matters is encapsulated very well in that quote of Peter Drucker who says “It is fundamentally the confusion between effectiveness and efficiency that stands between doing the right things and doing things right. There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency that which should not be done at all.” I have given this quote before as it’s a terrific pointer in the world of productivity.   The phrase WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER possibly originates here in The Law Of Success where Hill writes in regard to successful people that “Far from working harder than you, they are perhaps working less and with greater ease by virtue of their having learned the secret of separating the important facts from the unimportant”   Hill goes on to talk about other factors in ACCURATE THINKING as he talks about idle gossip and believing what one reads in the papers. This is so true about today’s world of FAKE NEWS and INTERNET FACTS that it could have been written this morning. He warns us too to accept that loose unsound opinions van be mistaken for accurate thinking but that most opinions are without value because they are based on bias, prejudice, intolerance, guesswork, hearsay evidence and out-and-out ignorance.   He goes on “the ACCURATE THINKER will not accept as such all that he sees and hears for the reason that it constitutes the rocks and reefs on which so many people flounder and go down to defeat in a bottomless ocean of false conclusions.”   Hill who trained as a lawyer talks of A principle called “the law of evidence; the object of this law is to get at the facts. Any judge can proceed with justice to all concerned if they have the facts upon which to base their judgment, but they may play havoc with innocent people if they circumvent the law of evidence and reach a conclusion or judgment that is based upon hearsay information.”   Hill points out that “The more successful a person is the less they are inclined to express wild unjustified opinions about anything – He warns us that often people he refers to as DRIFTERS or FAILURES have an assortment of opinions on about everything you can imagine”   In Hill’s 1954 address he gives us a simple rule to help us avoid being misled by unsound opinions expressed by other people. When you hear someone make a statement which your reason cannot accept or which you question or should for safety sake question for any reason whatsoever, ask this simple forward question. HOW DO YOU KNOW? Stand firm on that question and either force the speaker to identify the source from which he got the information he is endeavouring to pass on as facts or reject the statement entirely as if it had not been made. Do this no matter who is speaking or what may be his reputation for truth and veracity. Accuracy is twin brother to honesty, and inaccuracy to dishonesty. Nathaniel Hawthorne UNQUOTE Hill warns us too that “…it is true that most thinking of today, far from being accurate, is based upon the sole foundation of expediency. It is amazing how many people there are who are "honest" when it is profitable to them, but find myriads of facts to justify themselves in following a dishonest course when that course seems to be more profitable or advantageous.” An example of this may be the directors of companies that give themselves massive bonuses just before their companies collapse, leaving their former employees crying in the streets. Some, usually fair people, will simply lie through their teeth if it is advantageous to them to do so. Thomas Jefferson reminds us all “Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.” So remember that the accurate thinker deals with facts, regardless of how they affect his own interests, for he knows that ultimately this policy will bring him out on top, in full possession of the object of his definite chief aim in life.   Other points of interest within this lesson include: · If one man slanders another, his remarks should be accepted, if of any weight at all, with at least a grain of the proverbial salt of caution; for it is a common human tendency for men to find nothing but evil in those whom they do not like. · The moment a man or a woman begins to assume leadership in any walk of life, the slanderers begin to circulate "rumors" and subtle whisperings reflecting upon his or her character. The slanderers killed both Harding and Wilson, he says - murdered them with vicious lies. They did the same to Lincoln, only in a somewhat more spectacular manner, by inciting a fanatic to hasten his death with a bullet. This was written 90 odd years ago remember… Could have been written yesterday. · Here again and throughout the book, Hill goes into a long section about auto suggestion, which I briefly touched upon before. It’s a valuable thing. It uses what we know perhaps as VISUALISATION and AFFIRMATIONS to move us towards our DEFINITE CHIEF AIM. As a reminder - Write out a clear, concise statement of that which you intend to accomplish, as your definite chief aim, covering a period of, let us say, the next five years. Make at least two copies of your statement, one to be placed where you can read it several times a day, while you are at work, and the other to be placed in the room where you sleep, where it can be read several times each evening before you go to sleep and just after you arise in the morning. This is how Hill introduced us to the power of auto-suggestion on our own minds at the start of the book. · As an accurate thinker, it is both your privilege and your duty to avail yourself of facts, even though you must go out of your way to get them. If you permit yourself to be swayed to and fro by all manner of information that comes to your attention, you will never become an accurate thinker; AND IF YOU DO NOT THINK ACCURATELY, YOU CANNOT be sure of attaining your DEFINITE CHIEF AIM in life. Finally, I believe that this quote sums up much of the lesson in one sentence – let it guide you "I do not believe I can afford to deceive others - I know I cannot afford to deceive myself!" This must be the motto of the accurate thinker. Don't believe the hype. Wyclef Jean UNQUOTE WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE “One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” Tony Robbins UNQUOTE LESSON 12 - CONCENTRATION: Learn to fix your attention on a given subject, at will, for whatever length of time you choose, and you will have learned the secret passage-way to power and plenty! THIS IS CONCENTRATION!   The dictionary defines concentration as “the action or power of focusing all one's attention.” but Hill takes this much further and attributes CONCENTRATION to be what he calls THE MAGIC KEY OF SUCCESS. “Concentration, in the sense in which it is used here, means the ability, through fixed habit and practice, to keep your mind on one subject until you have thoroughly familiarized yourself with and mastered it. It means the ability to control your attention and focus it on a given problem until you have solved it.”   Hill devotes a considerable amount of time in this lesson to environment, to habits, and to memory. I won’t go into all of this but it’s an interesting reading nonetheless. I’d just say on the topic of environment though that when my office or home is untidy, it is usually representative of the state of my mind. Getting on top of housework or office tasks, in the sense of cleaning up your environment, will, in the end, make you more productive. You can't break a bad habit by throwing it out the window. You've got to walk it slowly down the stairs. Mark Twain UNQUOTE Defined another way, Hill’s CONCENTRATION is the ability to THROW OFF THE EFFECTS OF BAD HABITS, and the POWER TO BUILD NEW HABITS THAT ARE MORE TO YOUR LIKING. It means COMPLETE SELF-MASTERY. · The ability to think as you wish to think; · The ability to control your thoughts and direct them to a definite end; · And the ability to organize your knowledge into a plan of action that is sound and workable. As a productivity podcaster this is a virtual snapshot of probably about 40 or 50% of all of the advice that’s out there about getting things done.   For Napoleon Hill “DESIRE” is the starting point of all achievement and he states that AMBITION and DESIRE are the chief factors which enter into the act of successful concentration. Without them, he says, the Magic Key, or CONCENTRATION, is useless.   And he says we must not underestimate the power of CONCENTRATION just because it did not come clothed in mysticism or because it is described in simple language. All great truths are simple in final analysis, and easily understood; if they are not they are not great truths.   Use this Magic Key with intelligence, and only for the attainment of worthy ends, and it will bring you enduring happiness and success. Forget the mistakes you have made and the failures you have experienced. Quit living in the past, for do you not know that your yesterdays never return? Start all over again, if your previous efforts have not turned out well, and make your next five or ten years tell a story of success that will satisfy your most lofty ambitions. Make a name for yourself and render the world a great service, through AMBITION, DESIRE and CONCENTRATED EFFORT!   You can do it if you BELIEVE you can!   Most people lack ambition, and desire nothing in particular, but if your DESIRE is strong and YOUR AMBITION within reason the MAGIC KEY OF CONCENTRATION will help you attain it.   No unbeliever, Hill warns us though, ever enjoyed the benefits of the Magic Key.   Summing Up   So I’ve covered a lot of ground today and it’s but a drop in the ocean of the content of the book. Let me recap though.   · LESSON 10 – A PLEASING PERSONALITY: His advice is have one, and if you don’t have one, cultivate one. Mediocrity does not care if you are pleasant or not. Success does. · LESSON 11 - ACCURATE THOUGHT: Separate facts from mere information. There is much "information" available to you that is not based upon facts. Then separate facts into two classes; the IMPORTANT and the UNIMPORTANT, or, the RELEVANT and the IRRELEVANT. All facts which will aid you to any extent whatsoever in the attainment of your definite chief aim are important and relevant; All that you cannot use are unimportant and irrelevant. · LESSON 12 - CONCENTRATION: "Concentration is the act of focusing the mind upon a given desire until the ways and means for its realization have been worked out and successfully put into operation"   Call To Action   The easiest person to deceive is one's self. Edward Bulwer-Lytton UNQUOTE One of the many important points I covered today was about accurate thought - Don’t get bogged down in your own hype and don’t deceive yourself. If you have been failing to achieve success in something, I want you to answer this question. Why? Once you know this, you have a chance at solving the problem. That’s today’s call to action.   Ending   The next episode will be the penultimate in this series within series 3 about the LAW OF SUCCESS. I hope you’ll join me for more mind expanding lessons from Napoleon Hill’s incredible book. In the show notes this week I’m going to make available for download the audio from a film that Mr Hill made in 1954 – I’m not sure how though, but it will be there. If I can figure out the legalities of it I’ll make it available as part of the podcast too. By 1954 Hill had refined his laws of success quite considerably and it’s an interesting listen.   Lastly I’d like to thank James at Shug The Dug Productions for sponsoring the last two shows. It is very much appreciated.   It’s been another long one so let’s end now with a final thought from the late Stephen Keshi: People don't have to believe in you for you to succeed. Just work hard, and when you succeed, THEY WILL BELIEVE. Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Law-of-Success-by-Napoleon-Hill-A-Quick-Overview   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EuA6hvDjg0&t=44s https://www.littlethings.com/what-your-handshake-says-about-you/4 https://genius.com/Wyclef-jean-killer-mc-interlude-lyrics Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  This episode is sponsored by Shug The Dug Productions   Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast that helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 42 – THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS: PART 3   This is the third part of my breakdown of Napoleon Hill’s powerful book THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS but if you’ve not yet heard the previous episodes in this particular series then I’d strongly advise you to go back and check out episodes 40 and 41 before listening to this one.   My aim here is to give you a fleeting glimpse of the power that lies within the pages of the book. In the show notes for this episode I will give a link to A FREE DOWNLOAD OF A PUBLIC DOMAIN .MOBI VERSION OF THE COMPLETE TEXT which will play in many free e-readers. In the show notes of the last episode I gave a similar link to a KINDLE VERSION and in episode 39 a PDF VERSION. These can all be accessed via the official website filmproproductivity.com   TEXT DOWNLOAD LINK .EPUB   Now I quote with such regularity from the book that I won’t always identify sections of the text purely for streamlining purposes. Suffice to say that much of the content is my interpretation or direct quotation of NAPOLEON HILL. The only regular change I make is in making it gender-neutral every now and again, not for reasons of political correctness, but because I want to make what he says as accessible and relevant for today’s audience as he intended it to be in 1928. Imagination is more important that knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein UNQUOTE WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 6 IMAGINATION: Hill explains that there are two forms of imagination: · First there is what he refers to as SYNTHETIC IMAGINATION which consists of organizing and putting together of RECOGNIZED IDEAS, CONCEPTS AND FACTS arranged in a new combination. Very seldom, he explains, does anyone create an idea or anything else absolutely new. Nearly everything known to civilization is but a combination of something that is old. · Secondly there is what he refers to as CREATIVE IMAGINATION which operates through a kind of sixth sense and has its base in the SUBCONSCIOUS. It serves as the exclusive medium through which basically new ideas or facts are revealed. That’s kinda his take on it and it’s an interesting angle which I admit I had never before considered, but absolutely recognise. He goes on to say that “If you have mastered and thoroughly understood the preceding lessons you know that the materials out of which we have built our DEFINITE CHIEF AIM were assembled and combined in your imagination. You also know that SELF-CONFIDENCE, INITIATIVE and LEADERSHIP must be created in your imagination before they can become a reality, for it is in the workshop of your imagination that you will put the principle of AUTO-SUGGESTION into operation in creating these necessary qualities.”   Before I go any further I must give you the definition of autosuggestion: It is the hypnotic or subconscious adoption of an idea which one has originated oneself. It is like REPROGRAMMING YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND to believe what you want it to believe – Hill uses it to replace your old beliefs with new ones that will serve you better.   He describes IMAGINATION, in fact, as the hub of this course as ”You will never have a definite purpose in life, you will never have self-confidence, you will never have initiative and leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them.”   He states too that the “imagination can receive impressions or ideas and out of these it can form new combinations.” And he gives a multitude of real-life examples of how this manifests.   In one example Hill drives home that his friend and employer ANDREW CARNEGIE was a man of great IMAGINATION as he first created a definite purpose and then surrounded himself with men who had the training and the vision and the capacity necessary for the transformation of that purpose into reality. He did not always create his own plans for the attainment of his definite purpose. He just made it his business to know what he wanted, then he found men who could create the plans to get it.   Hill believed that this was not only imagination but genius of the highest order.   In this lesson Hill also leans heavily on TRAINING the IMAGINATION to weave new combinations out of old ideas. This is kinda interesting to me as many current authors of new productivity books are simply weaving the old ideas and research of Hill and those who came before him into new works. I’m doing that here in fact, now that I think on it. Al too often do I buy a new productivity book, only to discover that it’s a rehashing of ideas and principles which I am already aware of.   Hill takes the time too, to list in his examples, several great failures that came about as their instigators had NO IMAGINATION. Hill adds an interesting point too - THAT THE POWER OF DECISION GROWS WITH USE. If you’ve been suffering at all from Choice Paralysis that may give you a bit of hope for the future.   He gives more examples in this lesson than in any other chapter of the book but his point is far easier for us to understand these days than it was for the populace in 1928 – He is effectively saying DREAM, AND USE YOUR IMAGINATION TO HELP LEAD YOU TO THE ATTAINMENT OF YOUR GOALS and that DREAMS and ACTIONS, he states time and again, are closely related.   If you feel that all the new ideas have been used up, you are incorrect. The best ideas, he predicts, are yet to be revealed and put into the service of mankind. No, he won’t let a negative thought pass on this subject, and he was right. Can you imagine someone from 1928 seeing all that has been achieved in the years that have followed? Listen to Napoleon Hill folks, for the best is yet to come. “A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.” Charles Schwab UNQUOTE WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 7: ENTHUSIASM: Hill describes enthusiasm as A STATE OF MIND THAT INSPIRES AND AROUSES US TO PUT ACTION INTO THE TASK AT HAND and that it does more than this - it is CONTAGIOUS, and VITALLY AFFECTS not only THE ENTHUSIAST, but ALL WITH WHOM THEY COMES INTO CONTACT.   That latter part is especially relevant when thinking back to the lesson on INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP as spoken words and instructions without enthusiasm are often ineffective. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou UNQUOTE Enthusiasm bears the same relationship to a human being that steam does to the locomotive - it is the vital moving force that impels action. Simply mix enthusiasm with your work and it will not seem hard or monotonous.   Enthusiasm is one of the more powerful means by which we may put into action our education, experience and knowledge. Hill points out that the, idiom, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER is only a half-truth - for KNOWLEDGE BECOMES POWER ONLY WHEN IT IS PUT INTO ACTION FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF A DEFINITE OBJECTIVE.   Yes – I think that we all recognise these days that being enthusiastic about what you are doing makes it all more engaging and interesting and Hill explains that Enthusiasm is a vital force that you can harness and use with profit. Without it we would resemble an electric battery without electricity, he says, and he’s not alone in being enthusiastic about us harnessing enthusiasm. Aldous Huxley said “The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” And Dale Carnegie said “Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” Throughout Lesson 7 Hill gives immense detail and multiple examples of how enthusiasm compels us to act, and how it is contagious to those you act with. Mix enthusiasm with your work - do something you are enthusiastic about- and you will not get tired nearly as quickly.   Hill has a simple mechanical explanation of how enthusiasm spreads. He sees our brains as both an BROADCASTING STATION and a RECEIVING STATION for enthusiasm. It both sends out and picks up vibrations.   Just one example of this is taken from Andrew Carnegie. He believed that, if you were to turn loose someone with intense enthusiasm in an industrial plant employing thousands of people, this person's enthusiasm would very quickly reach and influence every person in the plant. What’s even more fascinating to me is that this is also true in reverse. Carnegie had realised that it makes not the slightest difference whether the enthusiasm was NEGATIVE or POSITIVE, CONSTRUCTIVE or DESTRUCTIVE. I’ve certainly felt ill will spread around a production like a cold wind as well as been on shows, Guilt for example, which I was on earlier in the year, where there was a general air of goodwill and enthusiasm for the work.   Carnegie said too that IN HIS SELECTION OF EMPLOYEES FOR PROMOTION the first thing he looked for was a person’s capacity to express themselves in terms of intense enthusiasm. To Carnegie ENTHUSIASM was one of the most important traits necessary for leadership.   Hills pragmatic approach in these lessons raises yet another point that some would be careful to avoid. That enthusiasm does not come naturally to some people. I’ll attest to that one too, as I’ve met some terrific bores in my lifetime. But all is not lost if you feel that he is perhaps talking about you. He suggests that “You adopt the HABIT of PRACTICING ENTHUSIASM in your conversations with your family and your business associates and he also points out that this habit will make you more popular with those who are close to you. He suggests when practising that you read for 10 minutes daily on subjects of your choosing as the means of acquiring the habit of enthusiasm. Soon you will have no difficulty in reading in a tone of enthusiasm in connection with the things that you like best and that will transfer into your day to day voice.   I need to move on but yes – Lesson 7: ENTHUSIASM is yet another powerful ally on your path towards success.   WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 8: SELF CONTROL: Aristotle wrote, “What lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.” On this subject Hill begins “Enthusiasm is the vital quality that arouses you to action, while SELF-CONTROL is the balance wheel that directs your action.” So to be a person who is well "balanced," you must be a person in whom enthusiasm and self-control are equalized.   Hill examines in this lesson the scope and meaning of the term self-control saying that a person with well-developed self-control does not indulge in hatred, envy, jealousy, fear, revenge, or any similar destructive emotions. A person with well-developed self-control does not go into ecstasies or become ungovernably enthusiastic over anything or anybody.   SELF-CONFIDENCE is one of the important essentials of success, but when this faculty is developed BEYOND THE POINT OF REASON it becomes very dangerous. I think we’ve probably all met at least one self-important egotistic nut job in our lives. I think that you will agree that they are quite unpleasant to be around.   In exploring this further he identifies a few traits of a person with great self-control.   · They will not permit themselves to be influenced by the cynic or the pessimist; nor will they permit another person to do their thinking for them. They will have taken possession of their own mind and directed it to whatever ends they may desire – specifically in achieving their DEFINITE CHIEF AIM in life. · They will stimulate their imagination and enthusiasm until they have produced action, but will then control that action and not permit it to control them. · They will not hate those who do not agree with him; instead, they will endeavour to understand the reason for their disagreement, and profit by it. · They will maintain their health through exercise and diet. In Hill’s 1954 film on the Laws of success he goes a little further. He says as a person with great self control: · You will have to gain mastery over your tongue by acquiring the habit of thinking first and then speaking after you are sure that what you save will benefit you and not injure others. A loose tongue often is one's greatest liability. · You will have to exercise self-discipline and master the common tendency to strike back at those at whom you have a cause REAL OR IMAGINARY for a grievance because your every thought and every act which benefits or injures another person comes back to you in kind GREATLY MULTIPLIED. If you feel that you must slander another person do not speak it but write it write it in the stands near the water's edge then move away from it until the tides have flown. · You will have to exercise self-discipline over all of your emotions particularly your emotions of love, hate, fear and sex. These are the BIG FOUR of your emotions and they can make you or break you according to the extent of discipline you exercise over them. Someone with poor self-control may have these traits. · They will have a habit of forming opinions before studying the facts. · They will have the habit of spending beyond their needs and he adds too that this habit will be passed on to their children. Finally your MENTAL ATTITUDE needs discipline and control at all times. Lacking in this particular discipline will drive away friends, destroy opportunities to get ahead, bring on physical and mental illness and make peace of mind impossible.   I could go on. Hill has a terrific rant about people with no self control MORTGAGING THEIR FUTURE LIVES TO BUY AUTOMOBILES which is still fairly relevant today I must add. “He who reigns within himself, and rules passions, desires, and fears, is more than a king.” John Milton UNQUOTE This is a TRULY VAST CHAPTER in which Hill again gives multitudes of real-life examples, but let me move to the end this sampler that I’m building for you. Hill puts forward that SELF-DISCIPLINE IS THE MOST ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL POWER, because LACK OF IT works hardships on those who become its victims, and THOSE WHO DO NOT EXERCISE IT suffer the loss of a great power which they could use in the achievement of their DEFINITE CHIEF AIM.   WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 9 – THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR. This entire lesson is devoted to the offering of evidence that it really pays to render more and better service than one is paid to render. Later in life Hill was still pushing this particular lesson and so it pays to listen up and see how you can utilise it. The habit of going the extra mile is the habit of rendering more service and better service than one is expected to render and doing it with a positive mental attitude. He refers to it to as THE MAGIC PRINCIPLE OF SELF ADVANCEMENT, and I just love that. “When You Do More Than You're Paid to Do, You Will Eventually Be Paid More For What You Do.” Zig Ziglar UNQUOTE There are many sound reasons why you should develop the habit of performing more and better service than that for which you are paid, despite the fact that a large majority of the people are not rendering such service.   By performing more and better service than that for which you are paid, you not only exercise your service-rendering qualities, and thereby develop skill and ability of an extraordinary sort, but you build a reputation that is valuable.   If you form the habit of rendering such service you will become so adept in your work that you can command greater remuneration than those who do not perform such service. You will eventually develop sufficient strength to enable you to remove yourself from any undesirable station in life, and no one can or will desire to stop you.   This, some of you may notice, is Hill invoking LAW OF INCREASING RETURNS and he helps us to understand it with this analogy - The farmer carefully prepares the ground, then sows his wheat and waits while the LAW OF INCREASING RETURNS brings back the seed he has sown, plus a many-fold increase.   He goes on to give examples of how it has worked well for so many and proves how it is applicable to our life and work… Henry Ford, he says, received more and better service than the average by paying more wages than the average.   At a single stroke, through the inauguration of that minimum wage policy, Ford attracted the best labour on the market and placed a premium upon the privilege of working in his plant and he gives further examples in plenty - stores taking back returns without argument, in order to keep their customer for the long term would be a good example. He goes on to say that you owe it to yourself to find out just how you can apply this law to best advantage.   To help you apply this rule to your life and work, Hill developed what he called the “QQ & A” formula which is a short form way of remembering, that the QUALITY of service render. plus the QUANTITY of service you render, plus the mental attitude in which you render service, determine the space you occupy in your chosen calling and the compensation you get from your services. That’s QQ&A.   Hill lists these specific benefits to help to convince you that this is not some hocus pocus but a powerful tactic which will benefit you greatly.   1. This habit will bring you to the favourable attention of those who can and will provide you with opportunities to promote yourself into a better circumstance. 2. This the great natural law of increasing returns will bring back greater than average compensation. 3. Following this habit will make you indispensable in your chosen occupation or calling therefore it will place you in a position to write your own ticket. 4. This habit will help you to excel in your line of work because each time you render service you endeavour to do a better job than you did previously. 5. If you work for a salary or wages this habit will give you preference when work is slack and others are laid off. 6. It will help you to benefit by the law of contrast because the others around you will not be going the first mile let alone the second mile. 7. Following this habit of doing your very best in all of your efforts and doing it in a pleasing mental attitude will improve your personality and make you liked by others/ 8. It will also help you to develop a keen and alert imagination because you will be continuously seeking new and better ways of rendering useful service. 9. It will inspire you to move on your own personal initiative instead of waiting to be told what to do a habit which is the first step in leadership. 10. Develop greater self-reliance and more courage to move ahead without the fear of criticism from others. 11. The one thing it does which if it benefited you in no other way would justify you in adopting it. It helps you to master the one habit which heads the list of causes of failure THE DESTRUCTIVE HABIT OF PROCRASTINATION. 12. Going the extra mile influences other people to respect your integrity and inspires them to go out of their way to cooperate with you in a friendly spirit. 13. This habit helps you to develop definiteness of purpose which is the starting point of all personal success and it stops you from drifting through life without knowing what you want or where you are going. 14. And here is the grand payoff which this habit gives you it provides you with the one and only excuse for asking for a promotion to a better station in life or a higher pay obviously if you are doing no more than you are being paid for then you are receiving payment for all to which you are entitled and you have not a single excuse for asking for more pay or a better position. If you understand this point and appreciate its significance to you… and 15. Last but not least the habit of going the extra mile conditions your mind to maintain a mastermind alliance with others. This is important, remember, as ORGANIZED EFFORT IS THE SOURCE OF ALL POWER. “Render more service than that which you are paid and you will soon be paid for more than you render. The law of increasing returns takes care of this.” – Napoleon Hill UNQUOTE Summing Up   So to recap on today’s lessons…   LESSON 6 - IMAGINATION: You will never have a definite purpose in life, you will never have self-confidence, you will never have initiative and leadership - unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them. LESSON 7 - ENTHUSIASM: A state of mind that inspires and arouses one to put action into the task at hand - it is contagious, and vitally affects not only the enthusiast, but all with whom they come into contact. LESSON 8 – SELF CONTROL: When you take control over the thoughts you are thinking, then you can take control of your success. SELF-DISCIPLINE IS THE MOST ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL POWER because LACK OF IT works hardships on those who become its victims, and THOSE WHO DO NOT EXERCISE IT suffer the loss of a great power which they could use in the achievement of their DEFINITE CHIEF AIM. LESSON 9 – THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR: If you are going to whine about your work, then you are not going anywhere. Do the work you have in front of you, then ask what else you may do. By doing this, you make yourself valuable, and you will surely reach a point where you are being paid handsomely. Valuable employees are... valuable. This is also and especially true when you are working for yourself. The Law of Increasing Returns states that by doing more or giving more service than you are paid to do, the universe will reward you with greater compensation than the money you gave up doing the extra work.   Call To Action   I am committed to delivering you this 6 part series within the series and I hope that you are finding it as enlightening as I did. I realise very much that there’s some big ideas being introduced here in rapid succession but to quote Napoleon Hill on this “Don’t be afraid of a little opposition. Remember that the kite of success generally rises against the wind of adversity – not with it.”   Your call to action today is to take a few minutes to simply consider all that has been said. If you have to then go back and listen again with a notepad and pen then do so, and I’ve got links to various downloads of the full text on the official website so go there and grab one if this series on the Law of Success is hitting the mark with you.   Ending Confucius says The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. We’ve got three more shows to go in this book series so I want you to stay with me. This is valuable stuff I hope you’ll agree – and with it you can change your life. I’ll end with the words of self-help author Karen Salmansohn who said - What if I told you that 10 years from now, your life would be exactly the same? I doubt you'd be happy. So, why are you so afraid of change?   Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.     References: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Law-of-Success-by-Napoleon-Hill-A-Quick-Overview   https://www.yourfriend4life.com/law-of-increasing-returns/ Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  This episode is sponsored by Encaptivate Films, the award-winning Edinburgh based producers of the feature film DARK SENSE   Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast that helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 41 – THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS: PART 2   Here we are now with part 2 of Napoleon Hill’s powerful book THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS, and before I get into it, IF YOU’VE NOT YET HEARD THE PREVIOUS EPISODE, which covers the introduction and the first two lessons in this series then you should really go back and check it out.   My aim with this 6 part series within the series is to give you a fleeting glimpse of the power that lies within it’s pages as I believe that this will OPEN YOUR MIND to the concepts and theories presented within. In order that you can delve deeper however, I will give a link to A FREE KINDLE VERSION DOWNLOAD OF THE COMPLETE TEXT AS ITS NOW IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. In the show notes of the LAST EPISODE, I GAVE A SIMILAR LINK TO A PDF VERSION. These can be accessed via the SHOWNOTES on official website filmproproductivity.com With realization of one’s own POTENTIAL and SELF-CONFIDENCE IN ONE’S ABILITY, one can build a better world. – The Dalai Lama UNQUOTE So today I’m tackling 3 more of NAPOLEON HILL’S 16 lessons and I’ll be quoting with such regularity that I won’t always identify sections of his text purely for streamlining purposes. Suffice to say that much of the content is my interpretation or direct quotation of NAPOLEON HILL’s words. The only regular change is making his words gender-neutral every now and again. This is not for political correctness, but because I want to make what he says as accessible and relevant for today’s audience as he intended it to be in 1928.   WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 3: SELF CONFIDENCE - If you can believe that you are worthy of success - you can attain it. Without this simple understanding, you will probably get nowhere with most of your goals. IF YOU ARE NOT CONFIDENT THEN YOU CANNOT SELL YOURSELF IN LIFE. As detailed in the MASTER MIND principle you will need the co-operation of others if you aim to attain success of a far-reaching nature, but you will never get that cooperation unless you vitalize your mind with the positive attitude of SELF-CONFIDENCE. “The development of self-confidence starts with the elimination of a demon called FEAR, which sits upon your shoulder and whispers into your ear, ‘You can't do it - you are afraid to try - you are afraid of public opinion - you are afraid that you will fail – you are afraid you have not the ability.’" UNQUOTE Regular listeners will recognise this demon from my episode the inner critic … but let’s hear what Hill has to say about it... A good chunk of this chapter is dedicated to recognising what he calls the SIX BASIC FEARS - fears which keep us from advancing to success. These are:   · The FEAR OF POVERTY is a terrible thing as the age in which we live seems to be the age of money worship. I think that could still prove true today for many. · The FEAR OF OLD AGE is connected to a fear of poverty – It grows out of distrust of our fellow man seizing whatever worldly goods we may possess. That seems a fairly realistic fear these days as the British government continues to go about extending the age of retirement and removing services whilst charging us the same or greater taxes. But I digress. · The FEAR OF CRITICISM is third up and takes on many different forms, the majority of which are petty and trivial in nature but Hill warns too, that Powerful and Mighty is the fear of CRITICISM! · FEAR OF ILL HEALTH must be closely associated with the fear of Poverty and Old Age, and Hill strongly suspects, and I can’t disagree with him here nearly 100 years on, that those engaged in the business of selling good health products have had considerable to do with keeping THE FEAR OF ILL HEALTH alive in the human mind. · The FEAR OF THE LOSS OF LOVE OF SOMEONE is fairly self-explanatory. · And the author ends this list with THE FEAR OF DEATH with the caveat that although it is the greatest fear “In truth no man knows, and no man has ever known, what heaven or hell is like, or if such places exist.” UNQUOTE His aim in identifying these fears is that if we can intellectually examine their source in ourselves, that that will take the first step towards eliminating them.   Hill gives numerous examples and explores how FEAR INHIBITS AMBITION.   It is a well-established fact, he says, that the faculties of the mind, like the limbs of the body, wither away if not used. SELF-CONFIDENCE IS NO EXCEPTION. It DEVELOPS when used BUT DISAPPEARS IF NOT. “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent Van Gogh UNQUOTE He offers up a self-confidence formula which starts with the aggressive continuous action towards the DEFINITE PURPOSE as I detailed in the last show, then DEDICATING 30 MINUTES A DAY TO BECOMING THE SORT OF PERSON YOU INTEND TO BE. This means that you must devote ten minutes daily to demanding of yourself the development of the factors named in these sixteen lessons. To have a clearly mapped out and written down a description of your definite purpose in life, EFFECTIVELY WHAT WE NOW CALL A FIVE YEAR PLAN. Finally, he evokes THE LAW OF ATTRACTION by stating to ourselves that we will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. You will succeed by attracting the forces you wish to use, and the co-operation of other people. The Law of Attraction states that whatever you focus on, think about, read about, and talk about intensely, you’re going to attract more of into your life. – Jack Canfield UNQUOTE In Hill’s 1954 film he describes a conversation which he once had with Andrew Carnegie, that I think is worth recounting here as I think it’s relevant. Bear with me while I repeat it: Carnegie said EVERYONE COMES TO THIS EARTH BLESSED WITH THE PRIVILEGE OF CONTROLLING HIS MIND POWER AND DIRECTING IT TO WHATEVER ENDS HE MAY CHOOSES At birth we arrive with the equivalent of two sealed envelopes One is clearly labeled THE RICHES YOU MAY ENJOY IF YOU TAKE POSSESSION OF YOUR OWN MIND AND DIRECT IT TO ENDS OF YOUR OWN CHOICE ...and the other is labeled THE PENALTIES YOU MUST PAY IF YOU NEGLECT TO TAKE POSSESSION OF YOUR MIND AND DIRECT IT In the one labelled RICHES is this list of blessings:   1. Sound health. 2. Peace of mind. 3. A labor of love of your own choice. 4. Freedom from fear and worry. 5. A positive mental attitude. 6. Material riches of your own choice and quantity.   In the sealed envelope labelled PENALTIES Carnegie continues is this list of the prices one must pay for NEGLECTING TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS OWN MIND   1. Ill-health 2. Fear and worry 3. Indecision and doubt 4. Frustration and discouragement throughout life 5. Poverty and want 6. And a whole flock of evils consisting of in the greed, jealousy, anger, hatred and superstition   My mission in life, Hill tells us, is to help you to open up and use the contents of the sealed envelope labelled riches. These lessons are the starting point in opening up those riches.   WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   Lesson 4: THE HABIT OF SAVING: It is obvious to all that the saving of money is one of the essentials for success, but the big question in the minds of those WHO DO NOT SAVE is: "How can I do it?" Hill goes into this though and explains that the saving of money is SOLELY A MATTER OF HABIT.   Formation of the Habit of Saving not only conserves that which you earn, in a systematic manner, but it also places you in the way of greater opportunity and gives you the vision, the self-confidence, the imagination, the enthusiasm, the initiative and leadership to actually increase your earning capacity.   Now I went into habits again just a few weeks ago and it was for very good reason. Habit Forming is an extremely powerful skill to master. Hill’s angle on this is that through REPETITION, any act indulged in a few times becomes a habit and today that few times is regarded as about 30 days or so.   For me habits are vital to form as they take the place of will power, which day by day we only have a limited supply of. If you are directing your will power every day towards your goals, you can begin to save its limited daily allocation by building habits and place it elsewhere. As the habit forms, it replaces the need for you to commit will power towards it. That, if I’ve explained it correctly, is the POWER OF HABIT.   In this chapter Hill brings us back to the DEFINITE CHIEF AIM lesson - you set up, in your mind, an accurate, definite description of that which you want, including the amount of money you intend to earn and or save. This is again something which I find many creatives avoid as some of us seem to have an inbuilt revulsion to making money from our work, or we have some sort of imposter syndrome incursion about charging too much.   If that sounds like you, you need to get over, around or go through that self-applied limitation and do what HILL suggests here. Let’s get passed your distaste and set a target figure to aim for. As with all our goals, if we don’t know where we are going, how can we navigate towards it?   This chapter is about saving money, let’s not forget it. What Hill is setting up here is a route to killing the FEAR OF POVERTY he mentioned in the previous lesson. “By urging on and demanding of your self-increased earning power on the one hand, and by systematically laying aside a definite amount of all your earnings, on the other, you will soon reach the point at which you have removed all imaginary limitations from your own mind and you will be well started on the road toward financial independence.” “Never spend your money before you have earned it.” Thomas Jefferson UNQUOTE Hill dedicates a subchapter here to what he calls THE SLAVERY OF DEBT. Debt, he points out, and don’t we know it, is a merciless master - THE FATAL ENEMY OF THE SAVINGS HABIT. Poverty, alone, is sufficient to kill off ambition, destroy self-confidence and destroy hope, but add to it the burden of debt and all who are victims of these two cruel task-masters are practically doomed to failure.   If you’ve ever had any doubt that this near 100-year-old book is as wise today as it was back then consider that sentence.   “Poverty, alone, is sufficient to kill off ambition, destroy self-confidence and destroy hope, but add to it THE BURDEN OF DEBT and all who are victims of these two cruel task-masters are practically doomed to failure.” He goes on – “None can do their best work, or express themselves in terms that command respect, or can either create or carry out a definite purpose in life, with heavy debt hanging over their head. Those bound in the slavery of debt are just as helpless as the slave who is bound by ignorance, or by actual chains.”   Hill doesn’t leave us hanging though; this is a book about success. He says “To whip the Fear of Poverty one must take two very definite steps, providing one is in debt.   First, QUIT THE HABIT OF BUYING ON CREDIT, and follow this by GRADUALLY PAYING OFF THE DEBTS THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY INCURRED.   Being free from the worry of debt means you are ready to revamp the habits of your mind and redirect your course toward PROSPERITY. Adopt, as a part of your DEFINITE CHIEF AIM, the habit of saving a regular proportion of your income, even if this be no more than a penny a day. Very soon this habit will begin to lay hold of your mind and you will actually get joy out of saving.”   I’d add to that there is a definite difference between being a skinflint and being frugal. Don’t let pride interfere with your financial situation. You can still be generous and kind, but be frugal also.   Now I can’t condense all of his advice on this but here are a few more bits of gold from this chapter. · Reserve Funds are essential in the successful operation of business! As a freelancer, I can’t agree more. I am currently owed literally thousands of pounds from work completed and without a reserve fund, I’d be fucked. · Next, Savings Accounts are essential to success on the part of individuals. It can’t be denied that the rates we are offered by banks at the moment are utter garbage. I got a letter from my bank a few years back explaining that I’d get 0.01% interest. Thinking it a misprint I went in, queued for 15 minutes, and was told it was true. Even knowing that though I recently started a savings plan which automatically takes £50 off me a week. I don’t need to have a habit of saving it as it’s taken via a standing order from one account to another and before I get my grubby little spending paws on it. When I need it though, it will be there. · The final snippet I will offer up from this chapter is this: The nickels, dimes and pennies which the average person allows to slip through their fingers would, if systematically saved and properly put to work, eventually bring financial independence. My mum used to say this. Count the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves. These days the pennies are not just foaling out pockets, they are forgotten payment plans and automated payments to gyms we never attend. Get saving your pennies by looking at where your money is actually going. Lastly, if you are trying to develop a HABIT OF SAVING then you must learn to kill the habit of unnecessary spending. As I said before, you don’t have to be a skinflint to do this, you just need to learn to control your spending and to be somewhat frugal. Frugal just means being careful with your money or food or other resources. Hill’s book gives multiple examples of FORMER MILLIONAIRES who now have NOTHING to their name as they were either born into money and didn’t value it or as they couldn’t control their spending habits. “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” Rosalynn Carter UNQUOTE WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 5: INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP: Elbert Hubbard said: "The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honours, for one thing, and that is Initiative.” And it is essential that I highlight that INITIATIVE IS THE VITAL QUALITY here, as when researching this episode I noted that many seem to refer to this as the Leadership lesson. INITIATIVE is associated with Leadership for the reason that Hill believes Leadership is essential for the attainment of success, but he also says that Initiative is the very foundation upon which this necessary quality, LEADERSHIP, is built.   So what is INITIATIVE? It is DOING THE RIGHT THING WITHOUT BEING TOLD and one of the peculiarities of LEADERSHIP is the fact that it is never found in those who have not acquired the habit of taking the initiative and referring back to lesson 3 it also does not flourish in those who have no SELF CONFIDENCE. "A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow." General George Patton UNQUOTE If you are to become a person of INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP Hill says that you must first master the habit of procrastination and eliminate it from your make-up? How many of our problems today come from procrastination? It’s one of those ninja-like enemies of productivity that I often harp on about and I’ve offered solutions to in the past. Hill too, has a formula for throwing this off which goes right back to our DEFINITE CHIEF AIM   He says You must form the HABIT of taking some definite action each day that will carry you one step nearer the attainment of your definite chief aim by having the initiative to: a) Do one DEFINITE thing each day, that ought to be done, without anyone telling you to do it. b) Look around until you find at least one thing that you can do each day, that you have not been in the habit of doing, and that will be of value to others, without expectation of pay. That’s likely my work on this podcast here… c) And 3) Telling at least one other person, each day, of the value of practising this habit of doing something that ought to be done without being told to do it.   This is an interesting one because most people are not in the habit of talking about productivity. I know. I ask people to listen to the show every day, people I meet, people I work with and the likelihood of them listening in is absolutely rock bottom. I do try though, I do try. Please do tell people about this show yourself too btw it’s essential that I get more listeners – but I digress.   The habit of initiative becomes fixed in proportion to the extent that it is practised. Hill writes these formulas in the format of a contract with one’s self. He doesn’t want us to keep these agreements in our heads, he wants a physical signed contract which we will adhere to – this is an interesting act as it kinda seals the deal and makes us consider, for a time at least, the advice he gives us on this.   The second thing Hill advises if you are to become a person of initiative and leadership is understanding that THE ONLY WAY TO GET HAPPINESS IS BY GIVING IT AWAY TO OTHERS. I can speak for this. Through this podcast, I gain a level of happiness myself by driving myself and giving up vast amounts of my time to creating and marketing these shows in the hope that they will help others. This gives me not a financial return, but one of satisfaction.   What’s interesting here is that Hill believes that “You cannot talk initiative to others without developing a desire to practice it yourself. Through the operation of the principle of Auto-suggestion, every statement that you make to others leaves its imprint on your own subconscious mind.” So talk about initiative to others, the same could be true of anything on this show that hits the mark with you. The more you talk about it, the more these positive and productive ideas take route in your own psyche.   The third point which Hill wants us to understand is that there are TWO BRANDS OF LEADERSHIP. One of them is as DEADLY AND DESTRUCTIVE as the other is HELPFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE. The deadly brand, which leads not to success, but to absolute failure, is the brand adopted by pseudo-leaders who force their leadership on unwilling followers… and I’ve met a few of those bullish charlatans in my lifetime I’ll tell you. “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a BULLY; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humour, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn UNQUOTE Hill acknowledges the PENALTIES OF LEADERSHIP and that LEADERS ARE NOT ALWAYS SPOKEN OF SWEETLY but he says that this should not deter you from becoming a leader. It is only "genius" that attracts the attention of critics. Nobody bothers slandering a person who isn't somewhere near the upper rungs of the ladder of success. I love this point as we see it every day in the media and in politics. It’s like it was written last week.   This chapter is overflowing with wisdom; it’s full of real-life examples and truths that even now are like a free buffet to a productivity fiend. Even if you don’t think yourself a leader or perhaps particularly if you don’t: Then you have to give this chapter real consideration.   He lists the qualities of a great leader including Moral Ascendency, Paternalism, Fairness, Initiative, Decision, Dignity and Courage and explains that you must give, give, give all the time as SELF-SACRIFICE IS ESSENTIAL TO LEADERSHIP. He talks of punishment and the essential fairness in also giving credit and finally he talks about intolerance “If you must give expression to prejudice and hatred and intolerance, do not speak it, but write it; write it in the sands, near the water's edge.”   Summing Up   I’ll end it there, but to recap, today we have covered:   LESSON 3: SELF CONFIDENCE - Believe that you are worthy of success and that you can attain it. Without truly understanding this - you will probably get nowhere with most of your goals. If you are not confident, then you cannot sell yourself in life. LESSON 4: THE HABIT OF SAVING - Saving of money is solely a matter of habit. Take his advice and make it happen. LESSON 5: INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP - Leadership is essential for the attainment of Success, but Initiative is the very foundation upon which this necessary quality is built.   Call To Action I’m cautious about giving you a call to action in all this as we are covering some very large topics here. If you can find a moment to simply discuss the topic of Initiative, as Hill suggests, this week then that is enough. Through the power of auto-suggestion this will start to instil action and initiative in your life to perhaps revisit this episode and put more of the advice here to good use.   Ending   These lessons are not intended as a short-cut to success, nor as a mechanical formula that you may use without effort. Their real value lies in the use that you will make of them, and not in the lessons themselves. The chief purpose of this is to help you develop in yourself the qualities covered by THE LAW OF SUCCESS. I will end today’s show with the words of Mark Twain "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Law-of-Success-by-Napoleon-Hill-A-Quick-Overview   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast that helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 40 – THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS: PART 1   That was Napoleon Hill speaking there in 1954 and during the next six episodes I will be introducing you to the concepts and principles which he first presented in his very powerful book THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS – It’s the book that his more well-known work Think and Grow Rich was based on as well as many many other self-help books and concepts which we find discussed in productivity circles today - And if you think you’ve got nothing to learn from something written nearly a hundred years ago, then think again. This is potent stuff.   Whilst still a young man Napoleon Hill met Andrew Carnegie a Scottish-American industrialist, business magnate, and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history. Andrew Carnegie is the third-wealthiest figure of the modern period (net worth of $310 billion). and came to understand that a formula for success could be outlined in simple lessons which anyone could understand.   He was commissioned by Carnegie to prove this statement and went on to spend twenty plus years of his life studying Carnegie and his associates to find this elusive formula.   During this time he was granted access to America's ELITE including the likes of Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Theodore Roosevelt, John D Rockefeller and Henry Ford. At first, he compiled his notes into a series of lectures which were personally delivered across the USA over a period of about seven years. These were then compiled into booklets and finally the manuscripts became published as a single volume known as “THE LAW OF SUCCESS” in 1928 – That book was only distributed to 118 of the very wealthy and successful men who had contributed to its content and one of these original copies was used to create a reprinted version of The Law of Success in 2010. One thing I’d like to say though about WHEN this was written - and I mention this as I find it a little hard on the ear myself - is that in 1928 it was commonplace to use the term “men” or “man” when speaking generally about HUMANKIND where today more gender-neutral words or phrasings such “they” or “those” would work instead. I will often, but NOT ALWAYS NEUTRALISE THE GENDER put forth in the text, however - I DON’T DO THIS when QUOTING DIRECTLY from someone, which I do often, or where it isn’t factually accurate for me to neutralise gender. For example, when I said there that the book was “distributed to 118 of the very wealthy and successful MEN who had contributed to its content” it’s because it’s factually accurate. As far as I am aware, he neither interviewed not distributed this to women, but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing for all of us to learn from it. Hill was all about inclusion and I’m certain that if he wrote this book today he would have made this adaptation. He would have been horrified that his positive words somehow made any section of his readership uncomfortable or feel isolated. I say this as a kinda fair warning that on occasion you will hear these gender-specific words and they may jar a little, but bear with me if you are easily “triggered”, as these lessons in SUCCESS are accessible and relevant to all, and the BENEFITS you will gain from them will MORE THAN makeup FOR A FEW ANACHRONISTIC and GENDER SPECIFIC QUOTATIONS. With that point made, let’s move on. The Law of Success was effectively condensed version into THINK AND GROW RICH, which wasn’t released until 1937. Rumour has it that this 9-year hiatus came about because the "authorities" felt that SUCH AN EXACT GUIDE TO SUCCESS, AS SEEN IN THE ORIGINAL, could be a threat to their roles in government and society. In THINK AND GROW RICH the concepts and ideas are diluted to make it shorter but it’s generally considered now that the real gold can be found in this -THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS.   Hill warns against PASSING JUDGMENT before having read the entire sixteen lessons. THOSE WHO TAKE UP THE COURSE WITH AN OPEN MIND, he tells us, WILL BE RICHLY REWARDED – so bear with ME over the next 6 episodes, KEEP AN OPEN MIND AS I PROCEED, and you will get a glimpse of the vision which Napoleon Hill set forth in the 1100 or so pages that make up the LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS.   You cannot push any one up a ladder unless he is willing to climb a little by himself. Andrew Carnegie UNQUOTE   These shows are a kinda six-part “series within the series” – and organised so as to introduce you to the concepts within the book - ON THAT NOTE MANY YOU WILL LIKELY RECOGNISE TOPICS WHICH I’VE TACKLED IN EARLIER EPISODES as the rules and theories which Napoleon Hill introduces here are intrinsically part of what productivity has become.   It’s worth mentioning too, that throughout his lessons, Hill doesn’t hold back on giving examples and if anything, it is this that truly separates it in content from THINK AND GROW RICH.   In the 1950s Hill filmed a series of lectures based on this work. He’d had a few years to develop his ideas and there are a few nuggets of wisdom from that, which I will use here. The first of these was this:   He said that “Success is a very profound and interesting thing because the line of demarcation between success and failure is so slight that it is often hard to see where one ends and the other begins.”   For those of us struggling with the many failures and disappointments that come along in life and work, it’s worth noting that Hill’s words predict for us SUCCESS with a slight shifting of our outlook and our actions. I hope that this short series of episodes brings you the key to that success.   On a final note, I’m switching around lesson 2 and lesson 1 from the book because Napoleon Hill did so later in life himself and because to me it makes far more sense this way around.   In this chapter though, Hill first suggests we read with a pencil and pad to hand as the lessons will “superinduce a flow of thoughts covering a wide range of subjects”. I realise that many who listen to podcasts are doing other things as they do so, driving, walking the dog or whatever, but if you can, I’d try and take a bit of a breather between the lessons in case I too, accidentally superinduce your FLOW OF THOUGHTS too much and you have a meltdown.   Without further ado, hang onto your seats and let’s look at THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS.   WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. Without a purpose and a plan, people drift aimlessly through life. Napoleon Hill Unquote LESSON 2 in The LAW OF SUCCESS is titled A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM: and here Hill states that “This lesson will show you how to do away forever - with aimlessness - and fix your heart and hand upon some definite, well-conceived purpose.” It is important that you recognize that all success begins with definiteness of purpose - with a clear picture in your mind of precisely what you want from life. Hill warns us NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF THIS IDEA DUE TO ITS SIMPLICITY. There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth. Leo Tolstoy unquote It’ll come as no surprise to listeners to this show that what we need to do is to set an objective and a time frame before we can achieve it, and that’s as true for a small task as it is for a life goal. I talk about this often as WITHOUT HAVING A SOLID AIM TO FOCUS ON YOU CANNOT EFFECTIVELY, EFFICIENTLY, AND AS DIRECTLY AS POSSIBLE, ACHIEVE IT. Hill’s specific instruction in regard to this lesson 2 - A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM is to “procure a neat pocket size a notebook” · and on page 1 write down a clear description of your major aim in life - the one circumstance or position or thing which you will be willing to accept as your idea of success - and remember before you begin writing that your only limitations are those which you set up in your own mind or which others to set up for you. Please be the master of your own destiny, and try not to allow yourself to be side lined into achieving someone else’s desires in place of your own. · On page 2 Hill asks us to write down a clear statement of precisely what you intend to GIVE IN RETURN for that which you desire from life. Hill firmly believes that there is NO SUCH THING AS SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. · Thirdly he asks you to memorize both of your statements WHAT YOU DESIRE AND WHAT YOU INTEND TO GIVE IN RETURN FOR IT and to repeat them at least a dozen times daily.” Humility leads to strength and not to weakness. It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them. John J. McCloy UNQUOTE Lesson 2 covers a lot of ground, not least of which is the time he spends on the importance of HUMILITY, which he describes as the FORERUNNER TO SUCCESS – but what Hill also gets into in this lesson is POWER. “Success is the development of the POWER with which to get whatever one wants in life without interfering with the rights of others.” To Hill, POWER is ORGANIZED ENERGY or EFFORT and his book is called the Law of Success as it teaches how we may organize facts and knowledge and the faculties of our mind, into a unit of power. THIS POWER, HE SAYS, BRINGS YOU A DEFINITE PROMISE: That through its mastery and application you can get whatever you want, with but two qualifying words - "WITHIN REASON."   This is a point on which I’ve hung my hat in the past, In episode 28 - YOU HAVE THE POWER I say BE CONFIDENT BUT NOT DELUSIONAL and when Hill says "You Can Do It if You Believe You Can!" he doesn’t mean you can become Harry Potter or ride a unicorn. It’s the sort of thing that you’d think doesn’t need to be voiced, but in my experience there are those out there that keep themselves back from success because they cannot recognise that they are in some way the problem, and it is they that keep themselves in check. No man has a chance to enjoy permanent success until he begins to look in a mirror for the real cause of all his mistakes. Napoleon Hill Unquote In the next lesson, we will look at how you can organize the faculties of your mind and the faculties of others, to co-ordinate and focus on your DEFINITE CHIEF AIM. The key-note of this entire lesson may be found in the word "definite." That any DEFINITE CHIEF AIM that is deliberately fixed in the mind and held there, with the determination to realize it, finally saturates the entire subconscious mind until it automatically influences your physical action toward the achievement of that purpose.   Your DEFINITE CHIEF AIM in life should be selected with deliberate care, and after it has been selected it should be written out as outlined before and placed where you will see it AT LEAST ONCE A DAY - I HAVE MY AIMS WRITTEN ON MY OFFICE WALL for example and ON THE WHITEBOARDS which I use every day. The psychological effect of this is to impress this purpose upon your SUBCONSCIOUS mind so strongly that IT ACCEPTS THAT PURPOSE AS A PATTERN OR BLUEPRINT that will eventually DOMINATE YOUR ACTIVITIES IN LIFE and lead you, step by step, TOWARD THE ATTAINMENT OF THAT THAT AIM. Hill says “Suppose your definite chief aim is far above your present station in life. What of it? It is your privilege - nay, your DUTY, to aim high in life.” It’s now that I get to the start of 16 lessons, but before I do, I want you to really consider what has been proposed here in this one. Don’t just let it pass and move on, pause the show if you have to and really consider what has been said. IF YOU HAVE TO SPEND A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS CONSIDERING HOW SETTING YOURSELF A CONTRACT TO ACHIEVE A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM, COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE THEN DO IT. Thomas Jefferson SAID Nothing can stop the someone with the RIGHT MENTAL ATTITUDE from achieving his goal; and NOTHING ON EARTH CAN HELP THE MAN (or woman) with the WRONG MENTAL ATTITUDE.   WHATEVER THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE   LESSON 1 - THE MASTER MIND: Hill discusses many things in this first lesson as he prepares and primes the reader for what is to come. He talks about how to STIMULATE YOUR IMAGINATION so that it will create PRACTICAL PLANS and NEW IDEAS, and how ORGANIZED EFFORT, IS THE SOURCE OF ALL POWER! Don’t skip passed this statement either – TAKE HEED AND CONSIDER THE WORDS - ORGANISED EFFORT IS THE SOURCE OF ALL POWER. If we set our minds to it, and can intelligently coordinate the efforts of the many, WORKING IN HARMONY, we can achieve truly great things. This isn’t a throwaway statement either. He really means it.   This is the principle through which you may borrow and use the education, the experience, the influence and perhaps the capital of other people in CARRYING OUT YOUR OWN PLANS IN LIFE.   It is the principle through which you can accomplish in one year more than you could accomplish without it in a lifetime if you depended entirely upon your own efforts for success. Hill explains that the MASTERMIND PRINCIPLE can also give you absolute protection against failure provided that your purpose is in using this principle is BENEFICIAL TO ALL WHOM YOU INFLUENCE.   Hill explains that the "Master Mind" is an invisible STRONGER third mind which is developed by a friendly alliance, in a spirit of harmony of purpose, between two or more minds.   I’ll say it again - AN INVISIBLE STRONGER THIRD MIND WHICH IS DEVELOPED BY A FRIENDLY ALLIANCE, IN A SPIRIT OF HARMONY OF PURPOSE, BETWEEN TWO OR MORE MINDS.   He clarifies too that NO TWO OR MORE MINDS EVER MET WITHOUT CREATING, out of the contact, ANOTHER MIND but warns us that this INVISIBLE creation is not always a "Master Mind.” as a MASTER MIND ONLY forms when those TWO OR MORE PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY of purpose and effort.   I’ve seen many of the theories behind THE MASTER MIND discussed in productivity circles over the years and it’s one that is of great interest to me. It is based on the idiom that SUCCESS DOES NOT COME WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF OTHERS - I haven’t thought about that particular concept very often but I’ve unconsciously been part of MASTER MIND groups at various points in my life and I’m very open to embracing it. I’ve had an awareness of it I think though, as I often think of Jim Rohn who famously said that “we become the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” In other words, if you spend a lot of time with a bunch of wasters, then you’re not going to be getting out of your rut anytime soon, and it’s highly likely you will become a bit of a waster yourself. If however you spend your time with high flyers you will follow most likely along that path too.   When discussing of THE MASTER MIND Hill says something similar to Rohn – He says “It has been found that a group of six or seven sales people may use the law so effectively that their sales may be increased to unbelievable proportions.” He adds the caveat though that “It is strictly for minds who trust each other and are interested in the good success of all parties involved.” In my experience, it is with those final words that I have seen many a MASTER MIND destroyed by selfishness and EGO.   On that note Hill advises that you “Control your mental attitude and make yourself friendly and agreeable with everyone with whom you are closely associated if you expect friendly cooperation in return. Indifference cannot create a mastermind alliance, and a negative mental attitude can bring you nothing but failure. Your mental attitude is the one and the only thing over which you have complete control.   Whilst researching this book, he reminds us, I had the collaboration of practically every outstanding successful man this country has produced during the past 50 years and I can tell you DEFINITELY that their success was due in main to their knowledge and application of the MASTERMIND principle.   Henry Ford's gigantic success may be traced to the successful application of this MASTER MIND principle, he says “With all the self-reliance a man could have, Ford, did not depend upon himself for the knowledge necessary in the successful development of his industries. He surrounded himself with men who supplied the knowledge which he, himself, DID NOT and COULD NOT possess. Moreover, Ford picked men who COULD AND DID HARMONIZE IN GROUP EFFORT.” – Hill talks elsewhere of how FORD’s true mastermind alliance was with HIS WIFE who supported and encouraged him.   In this chapter Hill also looks at WHY PEOPLE FAIL and WHY SOME PEOPLE ANTAGONIZE OTHERS WITHOUT KNOWING IT, and how SUCCESS is often a matter of TACTFUL NEGOTIATION. He also explains that EVERY HUMAN BEING possesses at least two distinct personalities; one destructive and one constructive. My default is self-destruction, and anything on top of that is a bloody lot of work. Gillian Anderson UNQUOTE Summing Up   The master mind is a simple enough thing to understand, although like many other concepts it is harder to put into practice. I’m going to end this episode here but over the next five episodes I will dip into each of the remaining lessons. These lessons are constantly relating to one another and I’ll refer back to these first two many times. In summary today though:   Lesson 2 states that you must do away forever with aimlessness and fix your heart and hand upon some definite, well-conceived purpose. In your struggle for SUCCESS you should keep constantly in mind the necessity of knowing what it is that you want - Know precisely what your definite purpose is – and utilise the principle of organized effort in the attainment of that DEFINITE PURPOSE.   …and Lesson 1 encourages to form A "Master Mind" - an invisible stronger third mind, developed through friendly alliance, in a spirit of harmony of purpose, between two or more minds. No two or more minds ever met without creating, out of the contact, another mind, but that this invisible creation is not always a "Master Mind." That ONLY forms when those two or more people work together in harmony of purpose and effort. Please consider the theory of THE MASTER MIND ALLIANCE. How can you create a harmonious master mind group that will further your purpose. I’m pretty sure I’ll be looking into this further in a future episode.   Call To Action If you haven’t done so already, then you need to start putting serious time into rediscovering your one chief aim. Consider it, focus on it, and move on with purpose.   Hill actually gives a CALL TO ACTION WITHIN THESE CHAPTERS. He reminds us that there is no such thing as something for nothing. Everything including your personal success has a price that must be paid and the only price you are requested to pay for the present is the effort necessary to do three simple things:   1. Decide definitely where you wish to be in what you wish to be doing during the next three years. 2. Decide how much money you desire to be making and what you are going to do to earn it. 3. Form a mastermind alliance with at least one person (he suggests in your immediate family although these days I’d advise caution on that front) and at least one other person among those to whom you are selling your services.   Gary Keller said “Success demands singleness of purpose. You need to be doing fewer things for more effect instead of doing more things with side effects. It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world.” In the next episode I’ll be firing straight into several more of Napoleon Hill’s Law Of Success lessons. If you are listening to these back to back though, I’d suggest giving yourself a bit of a breather between them as there’s some big topics here. In the show notes for today’s episode I’ll be including a link to a free pdf of the full THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS BOOK as it’s now in the public domain. You can access it via the official website @ filmproproductivity.com   PDF DOWNLOAD ON THIS LINK - CLICK ME   Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Law-of-Success-by-Napoleon-Hill-A-Quick-Overview   https://youtubemp3.today/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8EQWhQt9OQo# Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

 This episode is sponsored by Magic Monkey Films   Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast which helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 39 – DON’T… DO ME A FAVOUR   PLEASE NOTE THAT THROUGHOUT THIS TRANSCRIPT I AM USING THE UK SPELLING OF THE WORD. THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME MEANING AS THE US SPELLING "FAVOR".   Today I’m going into another in my TELL IT LIKE IT IS series of shows which have proven to be very successful in the past – These are episodes where I talk about a problem which it’s likely we may all have come up against but which out of politeness or awkwardness or some other reason we just don’t discuss. This is one which has bit me in the ass a good few times over the years. Before I get into it though, I am increasingly conscious that I may come across as a moany old git, but I do draw upon my own experiences for these shows, and offer them up in good spirit not in the name of negativity but as signposts of danger, and with the hope that through my failures you will prosper. Benjamin Franklin said · Most people RETURN small favours, · ACKNOWLEDGE medium ones · and REPAY greater ones · with INGRATITUDE. - UNQUOTE For me, this has proven to be one of the greatest TRUTHS of life. Oh yes - today we are talking about FAVOURS.   We all know this of course: a favour is a common thing - the dictionary describes it as: an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual. Synonyms include a good turn, service, kind act, good deed, act of kindness, kindness, courtesy, indulgence. And let me add that it something that is given with no expectation of return. Today though, I need to dig deeper than that.   The first thing I want to say is that there’s a MARKETING RULE called the RULE OF RECIPROCITY – which says, “we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided for us.” If someone buys you a birthday gift therefor or invites you to a party, you’d do well to remember to invite them or buy them one in return. This isn’t necessarily because we are inherently good humans, but “by virtue of the reciprocity rule…we feel obligated to the future repayment of favours, gifts, invitations, and the like.” In other words, reciprocity is a deeply-ingrained human behaviour. It would appear in fact, that all people, from all societies, practice this rule.   So with a favour these days comes an unspoken, inference for some people of a return of that favour. In fact, we often hear a response of I owe you one when a favour is received. I just want to raise this here, as this is in fact where some of the muddiness in regard to favours is rooted. That muddiness of favours goes both ways btw. William Hazlitt said “Our friends are generally ready to do everything for us, except the very thing we wish them to do.” unquote I first realise that I had a problem with people “doing me a favour” when I was directing my first short film, a 3 part mini-series we called The Rage based on the 28 days later films – The film currently has millions of hits on Youtube incidentally, and voted 5th best fan film in the world by dreadcentral.com a few years back – so check it out. That all sounds great I know, but it was just a low budget film we did for fun, which people gave their time for free to complete and which we took very seriously.   One day, as a first time director, I was trying to deal with a problem of rain hitting the lens and a moving camera, which looks really bad btw, when an actor friend of mine who was part of a group in front of the camera got rather upset with me – probably for not explaining what the issue was. He pulled me aside and announced to me that he was doing me a FAVOUR in being in the film and he threatened to leave. In order to keep things moving, I apologised but I have been kinda reeling from it ever since.   You see that “friend” was doing me NO FAVOURS AT ALL by threatening to abandon the project if I didn’t, in effect, obey him. The whole thing was difficult and even now, 12 years on, I never forgot it.   This wasn’t the last time that someone let me down very badly as they were “doing me a favour” though. Another actor on another job didn’t realise, somehow, that he was being paid to act in one of my films. He turned up 2 hours late and put the whole days shooting in jeopardy. In his mind, it just wasn’t important and he was just “helping me out”. It was a big disappointment which nearly resulted in me playing his part as we got that close to the edge there something had to be done.   I’ve realised through happenings like this that I needed to introduce rules to protect myself in future. I’m going to share these rules with you today. Do with them as you will. The FIRST OF THESE RULES was based on the experiences I just described – It is …NEVER LET ANYONE ON BOARD WHO THINKS THAT THEY ARE JUST DOING YOU A FAVOUR, as in my experience they will let you down, and when that happens - they will be doing you no favour at all.   Regular listeners will know that as a result of many very disappointing experiences in film making such as this, I have currently given up on making films, but for arguments sake: If someone wanted to come on to one of my projects, whether a low to no budget or a commercial endeavour with fees attached, they have to do so because they genuinely want to be involved, because it interests them or because it benefits them in some way. I no longer let anyone on board if they are “doing me a favour”. If you do this, you are introducing a chaotic uncontrollable element to the production which could cause you an immense amount of trouble in the long run.   Things like this - as I never did have much of a budget - just made the whole thing even more difficult. Incidentally, I never use the FOR EXPOSURE argument when making films and I always played fair on low budget films. I poured my money, time and energy into them, ensured that cast and crew were treated well and I never walked away with anything more than those that took part. I also assumed the position of the rule of reciprocity and time and time and time again in return, I helped those that had helped me.   As an aside, I recently had to drop out of a low to no budget endeavour in which I had committed my time, energy and resources, including significant finance before discovering that the project leader was receiving fees when no one else was. I got absolutely scammed beyond belief on that one and I will be talking about scams in a future show, but please please please be careful out there and never assume that you are being treated fairly. This was yet another boot in the balls which led to my getting out of filmmaking. I honestly tell these stores on the show here and think, people must think me a total idiot, well, maybe I am, but this world that we live in is a damned dangerous place, even for the wary.   On the flip side btw I have also learned that when I am “doing someone a favour” a real favour not a fake favour, is not a contract for future return of favour. As I said before a favour is “something that is given with no expectation of return.“ If I ever do a favour for someone, I’ll first ensure that I can actually deliver it, and if not I’ll utilise that powerful productivity technique I detailed in episode 2 - by saying NO - and I’ll suggest alternatives. If, however, I do help someone out I’ll do so without expectation of any favour in return. I suppose I learned this one the hard way too – I noticed that it’s particularly prevalent if I do a film or TV production a FAVOUR by reducing my rates. I can’t recall a time where reducing my rates, or lending equipment or props has ever led to a proper wage somewhere down the line, or a return of that favour later. It’s in this form of kindness that I’ve been kinda burned many times in the past.   I once lent swords to the Brunton Theatre for their Christmas pantomime. When the show ended its run though, they didn’t return them to me. I chased them down and they eventually did drop them back, about 6 weeks later - with one of them broken beyond repair. That’s how my favour of lending swords rather than renting them was replaced. A feature film I was second unit director on in Glasgow did something similar. I lent their art department a cracking blunted butchers knife prop, and a US ARMY ID pass straight from the set of the 28 weeks later feature film with a value of over £200. I never saw them again. That’s how that favour was returned.   I lent a prop pistol to the ORAN MOR, a theatre in Glasgow for a show. That was about 6 years ago. They repaid that favour by losing it and never paying me for its loss. I chased down the director and they said I’m sorry it’s gone. Not even an offer of repayment. Like so many losses over the years, usually in padding that I have bought for actors in productions, I wrote the loss off. I in effect bankrolled their unprofessional-ism and they likely went off to fuck up someone else’s good will.   If I list any more examples or list the number of freebies I’ve done for companies that later turned out to have budgets etc you will think me an even bigger idiot than before - a kind idiot, but an idiot nonetheless – and you would be 100% correct. For years I was that idiot, but not so now.   So to reiterate THE SECOND RULE I now have about all this is an important one that DOING SOMEONE A FAVOUR IS NOT A CONTRACT FOR FUTURE RETURN ON FAVOUR. It’s also not a guarantee of any kind of future re-employment if you give someone a special deal on a freelancer daily rate etc or of return of respect. If you get your head into this space – you are setting yourself up for future disappointment.   My THIRD AND FINAL RULE is that if I ever lend someone something, for example, a film production, that an INDIVIDUAL – an actual responsible human being - MUST SIGN FOR IT, ACKNOWLEDGE ITS VALUE AND GUARANTEE TO TAKE CARE OF IT OR PAY FOR IT IF IT GETS BROKEN. More ideally they should RENT IT FROM ME WITH A DAILY OR WEEKLY RATE and an ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF IT’S VALUE THAT THEY WILL REPAY IF THEY LOSE OR BREAK IT, OR PAY EXTRA RENT IF THEY RETURN IT LATE.   I think sometimes we can get a little confused in the creative industries and lose sight of the fact that show business is still a business. There are just too many unscrupulous people out there that will take advantage of us if we do not.   To sum all this up, you must never do anyone a favour with the expectation of gaining something in return or doing the favour without your true commitment to it in the first place.   A favour is just a favour– it does not legally create a debt of anything owed back to you in some way in return – or that you can later call upon to redeem. It’s just not a contract for future return of favour so don’t put any of your heart into it either as you will all too often be disappointed and that is bad for the soul. Bryant McGill says that “Giving is the master key to success, in all applications of human life.” So keep on giving back and helping others. This is not an order to deny kindness, or dismiss compassion, or even to avoid risk - far from it. “Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin unquote With that said though, I hope that my 3 rules will be helpful to you as you navigate your life and work. These are just my rules, but you may find them helpful. Never let anyone on board who thinks that they are just doing you a favour. Doing someone a favour is not a contract for future return on favour. If I ever lend something, that an individual – an actual responsible human being - must sign for it, acknowledge its value and guarantee to take care of it or pay for it if it gets broken. Call To Action Your call to action today is simply to consider what I’ve been talking about and take it forward into your life. Can you remember a time when one or all of these things have happened to you? Make a deal with yourself not to let it happen again. ________   I think as freelancers, creatives or just as human beings we often you do favours for people out of desperation – perhaps to be liked more or to be part of “the in-crowd” or because we are desperate to make the best impression or to feel more wanted or appreciated.   I did this episode as I felt this to be an oft-abused kindness which affects us all and I hope it’s been an interesting episode for you. Helping others is good for the soul, and is one of the 5 a day for good mental health that I keep mentioning here. Look back to episode 4 for information about that one.   Now big news here for all of your regular listeners. Over the next three weeks I’m releasing a special SERIES WITHIN THE SERIES of 6 connected episodes which will be released at 7pm on two consecutive nights SUNDAY AND MONDAY each week. In these shows I’ll be looking at NAPOLEON HILL’S book THE LAW OF SUCCESS IN 16 LESSONS and I will be giving you some of the most incredible advice on the topic of success that you will ever hear. As always it’s being delivered to you completely free so if you aren’t tuning in and listening then you are going to be missing out big time. As you know I try to make the shows accessible to all but this mini series in particular will be accessible to anyone from any walk of life so - if there’s a time to tell your friends to listen in IT’S NOW. If you want to know the secret of success, true success, not some made up fake sales programme about success, then the 3 hours of content that I will be releasing in those 6 episodes will lead you right there. And when that series within the series finishes I will be releasing the mail bag or listeners questions show which I’ve been talking about in four weeks time - so if you want advice with a productivity problem, or would like to get a tell it like it is type response on some relevant topic, please get in touch via the contact pages on the Film Pro Productivity website as soon as you can. Please also try out the speak pipe voice recorder on the websites contact page where if you can ask the question in 45 seconds, you can leave a voice message. It had been so long since I got a message through it that I checked last week that it was still working. It does work, and I’d love to hear from you on it. You can just access it through your phone, it’s dead easy. Surf via your phones browser to the websites contact page which is something like www.filmproproductivity.com/contact and hit Start Recording on the orange speakpipe button and you are off. If you don’t like it you can try again before sending. Finally thanks again to Ryan at Magic Monkey Films, he’s a magic guy and an awesome filmmaker and the sponsorship is greatly appreciated. There are still two episodes seeking sponsors this season so get in touch if you want to help.   For now though please - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.       Want to add a caption to this image? Click the Settings icon.     References: https://artplusmarketing.com/how-to-use-the-rule-for-reciprocation-in-content-marketing-2e1b283e24e0   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Last week, in a longer than usual episode, I spoke about the lessons I’ve learned from several successful crowdfunding campaigns. If that’s a topic that interests you then please go back and have a listen and if you are on a podcasting app right now then please remember to hit subscribe so that you won’t miss any of the new shows I have coming up.   Today I’m releasing release two shorter more on point episodes. This episode SWIM FOR YOUR LIFE is the first show where I’ve talked about fitness… it’s a very limited immersion (pun very much intended) in a topic that I feel may make a big difference to your life if you can go with it. There’s plenty of other stuff in here too if you are a non-swimmer so stay tuned! Now not only is STAYING ACTIVE one of the ESSENTIAL 5 A DAY FOR GOOD MENTAL HEALTH elements, but it’s also vital if you are to be as productive as you possibly can be. Maya Angelou says If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Before I’ll be talking about why going for a swim is something you may want to consider every now and again – but if you’re already thinking that you can’t fit anything new into your schedule then stop right there. I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy for everyone but it’s possible and I absolutely know that listeners that work in the film industry are often working crazy hours in unrelenting schedules, BUT THE MINDSET of I CAN’T can easily be changed into one of I CAN.   To change your mindset, you need to have a clear picture of what it is that you want – so - you’ll need to have a vision of what it would be like for you. When you visualise things that you want, it will act as a powerful motivating force, particularly when you’re struggling to find time to do something new or stay focused on something you are already committed to.   Simply put, if you can visualise what you want it makes it easier to achieve that GOAL. With a plan or strategy in place, you can work towards achieving it.   So in June there I tackled my first social media fast, which I later did an episode on – give it a listen if you haven’t done so already, and right now as I put together this third season I’m on another social media fast to write and record it. During the first fast, I decided to do something which I had recommended we all do in an earlier show. To exchange a bad habit for a good one. I exchanged social media for swimming.   And here we are with sound effects to spice up this episode, recorded by my own fair hand this morning – actually that’s not true – I had to download it in the end, because a swim class of about 40 old women came in and started doing water aerobics but I’ll gloss over that - don’t worry I’ll fade it out sooner rather than later and you can relax again.   At a glance exchanging social networking time for swimming is probably somewhat strange, but when I say exchange a bad habit for a good one, there’s really no rules to it. We are the MASTERS OF OUR OWN DESTINY after all. I simply wanted to use the time which I had freed up for something productive and SWIMMING had been on my mind for some time.   In an earlier show, I can’t recall where, I talked about taking something you used to enjoy, whatever that may be, reading, making model aeroplanes, playing netball, skiing, drawing, painting, coding, going to the theatre, playing tabletop games, horse riding anything at all, and then finding time to fit it back into your life.   The concept of doing this is to me very attractive, but the time I once had seems to have slipped through my fingers somewhere along the road and now I need to exchange time I am kinda wasting in order to indulge myself in those hobbies that I once did, or indeed in completely new ones.   As a kid I swam every week, my mum or dad would run me and my brother to Coatbridge baths and we’d spend, I think it was 45 minutes a session, swimming and playing in the water… we’d even been part of a sub-aqua club and it had been a major part of my life growing up - but somewhere along the line, my priorities changed - I went off to college - and I just… stopped swimming. Getting into a pool suddenly seemed to me to be just too much bother.   Over the years, I have occasionally ended up in a pool but usually for fights which take place in water. I certainly never, until recently that is, got back into the swing of going there for fun or for fitness… and I avoided it for a number of reasons, I think primarily because I became quite self-conscious for a while, which as I’ve prepped this episode and spoken to a few people, seems to be the reason that most to stopped going. Others stopped because it no longer seemed fun because it was better to spend their time with friends. I looked into this and several studies say that 70 percent of kids will quit sports, including swimming, by age 13.   I feel myself to be very lucky to be trialling and testing the techniques tips and tricks which I bring to you here. Swimming has not only worked for me, but it’s one that I feel I should bring to you today as I continue to swim as often as I can. If you can get back into the habit of swimming your life and your fitness will improve in many ways.   Lesson   Perhaps when you read the title of today’s episode, you said to yourself. That’s an episode about why you should go swimming as it’s good for you. Well, yes - you are correct, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be swimming. I know several people that don’t actually like the water, but perhaps what I’m doing is somewhat interchangeable for running or cycling if that’s the case. I know at least one non-swimmer that goes to the swimming baths and walks breadths of the shallow end, and it’s never of course, too late to learn.   I’ve been rolling about the ground and staging fights for 24 years and swimming for me is a really great option for fitness as my body, especially my knees, is not particularly happy about me doing impact sports anymore. Running is OUT for me. I just can’t do it. I also have a gym membership which due to injury I’ve not been doing lately but swimming, on the other hand, is ideal.   An article in HEALTH DOT COM lists a number of a number of reasons you should be swimming. It says:   1. It's a total-body workout. Swimming tackles everything from sculpting your back to toning your arms—all without having to pick up a weight. 2. It's joint-friendly. If you're recovering from an injury and are eager to build strength, then look into starting a swimming routine to stay fit. 3. It puts your body through a range of movements, helping your muscles stay long and flexible. 4. It doesn't require fancy equipment. That's right; you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to swim. All you need is a swimsuit. 5. It's a great way to burn calories. One hour of moderate swimming can burn around 500 calories. If I were to add to that I’d say you should go swimming because 1. You don't need to be a professional swimmer to benefit from going for a swim. Have fun with it, and enjoy being in the water. It can be an awesome way to wake yourself up and get refreshed! 2. It gives you time to think. It slows you down for a period of considered time, which can allow you to plan things out that are troubling you and just unwind. And the benefits of swimming also include: · being a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise · alleviating stress · improving coordination, balance and posture · providing good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions · providing a pleasant way to cool down on a hot day   Summing Up   I don’t want to preach to you about all this - my aim here is simply to get you swimming, not go on and on about WHY it’s a good idea. I think you probably already know that. I do want to add a few things though which might make the prospect more appealing. · Going for a swim doesn’t necessarily take an hour. I never go swimming each day in fact for more than 30 minutes. I am in the changing rooms and changed in 5, showered in 1 minute more and then I’ve dived in and am swimming for the next 10-15 minutes – then I’m out dried and ready 10 minutes after that. And even If I only have 20 minutes I’ll still go for a swim, so that I keep myself in the habit. Taking that a little further I’d point out that a five-minute swim is enough for me to get something out of it. I can get swimming in btw even if I’m shooting on location. I simply identify the nearest pool to the filming locations and plan it in. I was shooting a feature this summer and it was hot hot hot and I made sure found time every day to get to the swimming and it felt great. I came back and saw the others sweating away and I thought. This is awesome. One thing to consider too is that sometimes in the morning I’ll go for a swim, then shower, wash my hair and get ready there - before heading in to work. At other times I’ll fit it into a lunch or shooting break. I also try and find hotels if I’m shooting away from home that have their own pools. And even if you are in one of those crazy shooting schedules, you can still plan for a swim on a day off. It’s entirely possible to get a swim in, even with crazy long shooting days, if you put your mind to it.   And it is available in many places – although I appreciate it may not be easily available to all of you wherever you are on the planet.   Let me just add that many local councils or governing bodies do deals for regular swimmers. Glasgow charges a hefty £4.50 per swim but only £15 a month to swim in any one of their many facilities.   Call To Action   So have I convinced you? I hope so. Your call to action this week is to put a swim bag together of your swimsuit or shorts, a towel, goggles, shampoo or whatever you need to go for a swim and put it in your car or leave it by your front door.   At a point of your choosing within the next 7 days I ask you to take the plunge – literally – and go for a swim. When you get back home, I want you to hang your stuff up to dry and the next morning I want you to put it back in your bag and leave it once more by the door or in your car.   Build the habit of swimming as often as you can, and reap the benefits that it will bring you. Then check back in on me via social networking and let me know how you are getting on.   Ending   In the next episode, I’ll be talking in detail about habit-forming technique called Elephant Habits but I’ll finish today's show with the words of Aldous Huxley There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self. Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on swimmin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: http://www.hamiltonhealthandfitness.com/17-major-health-and-mental-benefits-of-swimming-daily/ https://www.trifind.com/blog/swim-every-day-top-5-reasons/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdJEqtm1FHs https://www.swimming.org/justswim/8-benefits-of-swimming/ https://www.elitedaily.com/wellness/swimming-challenges-body-results/1546014   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  This episode is sponsored by Shannon Sutton   In today’s episode, I’m going to be talking once again about HABITS. I’ve gone into them before in episode 13 - HABIT FORMING FOR A BETTER LIFE and I will be coming back to them again. The more you do something, the stronger and more efficient the connection becomes. Habit-forming, you see, is yet another essential part of self-improvement.   In episode 13 I used the quote by Aristotle "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." And forming STRONG HABITS - really working to ingrain them into your daily routine allows you to focus the finite amount of will power or shall I call it MENTAL ENERGY you have at your command to make things happen.   Habitually doing things that create or maintain a positive aspect to your life and work means that you can focus your daily time and energy into new things. Habit-forming, if you want to get ahead in whatever you are trying to do, just cannot be dismissed. Aristotle also wrote that “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” and a long time ago I realised the power of this premise would allow me to make enormously complex endeavours, simple.   Before I was successful in the world of film and TV I used to direct and design dramatic action which took place at large scale outdoor fire festivals. The stories were told visually using large, like 10-foot tall backpack puppets which were lit up from the inside, made by groups of people from the community and artists who had been brought in to oversee. Performances took place as part of a parade of lanterns held by thousands of people who passed repeating scenes of action as they headed for a destination surrounding a bonfire etc.   As the processions reached the end of their journey they watched as the elements of the dramatic story they had passed en route now came together to form a full and connected story – which was a great spectacle.   These events had literally thousands of people involved, and a bunch of professionals like myself coordinating them. I found them very engaging and really quite easy to put together though, as I simply treated each part of the complex beast as a separate piece which in turn had many subsections to it. I remember very well being in meetings where others who tried to imagine the whole escapade as a single thing would be blowing a gasket, and me calming them as in my eye it was really all very easy. It had its difficulties don’t get me wrong, but the solutions were often simple.   As I think back now I realise that it was my first foray into the world of productivity techniques and I’ve taken the principle, that complex things can be broken down into a series of smaller working parts, into my life and work.   Lesson “Habits are formed by the repetition of particular acts. They are strengthened by an increase in the number of repeated acts. Habits are also weakened or broken, and contrary habits are formed by the repetition of contrary acts.” ~ Mortimer J. Adler unquote I first heard the term ELEPHANT HABITS in an OPTIMIZE video by Brian Johnson, where he referred to the Book HABIT STACKING by Steven (SJ) Scott.   HABIT STACKING is a big subject but I’ll go into it a little here – It’s a simple way to get stuff done by GROUPING TOGETHER SMALL TASKS INTO PATTERN CHAINS and 'HABIT CHAINING'. Of grouping together small activities into a routine which you link to a habit already set in your day. This makes the routine memorable and anchors your new habits to an existing trigger, therefore making them easier to form.   My morning habit chain might go like this:   Wake up, Go to the loo, a minute of stretching, Brew a pot of coffee, Brush teeth, Floss, Shower, Make breakfast & drink coffee, Take vitamins, Mouth wash, Put washing and or/ dishwasher on, refer to my whiteboard list of things to do, pack my bag, Grab my swim stuff, head to the car.   Incidentally, I make packing my swimming stuff part of my morning habit of getting ready to leave the house as it keeps my habit of daily swimming in check. I hang my wet swimming gear up in the bathroom at night, so that in the morning as brush my teeth and head out I pick it up from where it has dried overnight, and I take it out into the car, ready for my later habit of going swimming that I talked about in the last episode. Then when I go for a swim, everything is there and I am ready. A very simple example of HABIT STACKING given by an Esquire magazine article on the topics is this: “Never remember to floss? Work it into your existing habits by flossing right before brushing your teeth. Assuming you're remembering to do that one that is...” In the HABIT STACKING book, Scott explains that not all habits are equal though and that the mistake people make is - they don’t take the time to UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD THEM - and that it’s important to create a distinction between the different habits that you’re trying to form.   He says there are three types of habits that you should add to a routine:   1. Keystone habits 2. Support habits 3. And Elephant habits   KEYSTONE HABITS can have a positive impact on multiple areas of your life—even if you’re not intentionally trying to improve them.   SUPPORT HABITS. Scott explains that not every habit can be a priority. In fact, you can only focus on a handful of keystone habits before you’ll feel overwhelmed, which is why it’s important to form “support habits.” These habits support the achievement of an important keystone habit.   And finally, ELEPHANT HABITS which is what I want to focus on today   – There’s a joke that kids tell or dad’s and uncles who are trying to be cool. It goes along the lines of How do you eat an elephant? With the response - One bite at a time. It’s not particularly funny but it’s exactly what is meant by the term ELEPHANT HABITS. The idea is that whenever you’re faced with a large complex goal, all you need to do is chip away at it in small chunks.   Many people don’t apply this mindset to their lives. When they’re forced to tackle large projects, they procrastinate or avoid them completely because the tasks seem insurmountable. This is exactly the mindset that I fought against during the fire festivals. Scott goes on to say that Elephant habits are designed to overcome the natural resistance that we all feel whenever we’re forced to do a potentially UNPLEASANT TASK too. And this is a something I still struggle with a little.   I know something must be done, but I avoid starting because dedicating a few days to it is a very unpleasant idea. An elephant habit, however, will allow you to tackle it in smaller increments. Steven Scott says that “The goal here is to chip away at a simple but time-consuming project in five to fifteen-minute daily increments.” He gives examples including De-cluttering your home, Organizing paperwork and Studying for an exam.   I use elephant habits literally every day. My increments for this podcast are much longer chunks but these chunks of times literally allow me to tackle each one of the 18 current episodes one chunk at a time. I do the same for learning on UDEMY courses. The issue I have had with them though is staying the course, literally, so I’ve begun to set long term deadlines for learning new things. At the moment though everything is put to the side as I prioritise this show and the many many fight jobs that I have on right now. The fight jobs are good work with great companies, but each time they come up they slow my inertia of podcast work, so beware of that.   Back to the HABIT STACKING book though and it says that “When you tell yourself that a task “only” takes five minutes of your time, it’s easier to convince yourself to get started. And what usually happens is, once you get started, you’ll find yourself doing more of that activity than you originally planned.” I certainly find this to be the case.   Huge tasks that I have used ELEPHANT HABITS to complete include, working at my parents house after they passed away to get it ready for sale, again though that took more than 15 minutes each visit, but a pattern of habit helped me achieve it, tackling risk assessments for involved and complex fight scenes and learning new things - it’s here that I do try and limit my time to shorter smaller bites as my ageing brain sometimes finds processing new content to be hard going.   Summing Up Jim Rohn says that “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Most creatives have a far-reaching vision which is limited only by the time and finances we have available. Both these resources can be extended however and larger and more complex tasks and projects can be completed if we approach them as a sum of their parts. Research shows it only takes between 21 and 40 days to develop a habit and building an elephant habit of chipping away at the tasks involved in creating your larger greater and more complex vision, is well worth the effort.   Call To Action   Your call to action today is to take a large or unpleasant task that you have to complete and look at how you can build an elephant habit, perhaps by attaching your habit to something you do already, to achieve it.   Ending   Next week’s episode is another in my TELL IT HOW IT LIKE style shows, and it’s called DON’T DO ME A FAVOUR.   Please bear in mind too that I’m still looking for your help with an upcoming MAILBAG OR LISTENERS QUESTIONS show so if you want advice on a productivity topic or to tell me about a problem you’re having then please get in touch via the contact pages on the Film Pro Productivity website. There’s a speak pipe option on there so if you’d like to leave a voice message please do use that option. Let me end today’s show with the words of Elbert Hubbard who reminds us that we should “Cultivate only the habits that you are willing should master you.” So don’t let bad habits take control of your life, limit your vision or steal your energy and it should be noted that Elbert Hubbard also said “Happiness is a habit – cultivate it.” Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.       Want to add a caption to this image? Click the Settings icon.   References: http://thelegacyofyou.com/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant-an-important-productivity-mindset/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LdhudFvJuE https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/20-quotes-to-inspire-you-to-change-habits/   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Today’s episode is sponsored by Outlander Stars Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast which helps film professionals and other creative people to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 36 – Crowdfunding: Lessons Learned Intro “If you launch your campaign with zero audience, you are launching to crickets.” — Khierstyn Ross “Crowdfunding Uncut” UNQUOTE Today, I’m talking about crowdfunding - If you have ever considered running a campaign of your own then there’s a few things which I’ve picked up along the way that you might find useful. As it’s still fresh in my memory and I’ve had a few messages about how I approach a campaign I thought it worth an episode. I see campaigns launched every week by filmmakers and artists and I’ve even seen a few film pros run them to get equipment or develop ideas. Running them efficiently and effectively and achieving success with them, however, is easier said than done. But first things first - What is crowdfunding? According to Wikipedia, it is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. It goes on to say that in 2015, over US$34 billion – yes you heard me right BILLION) was raised worldwide by crowdfunding. The modern crowdfunding model is generally based on three types of actors: the project initiator who PROPOSES THE IDEA OR PROJECT to be funded, individuals or groups who SUPPORT THE IDEA, and a moderating organization (or "platform") that BRINGS THE PARTIES TOGETHER to launch the idea. It has been used to fund a wide range of for-profit, entrepreneurial ventures such as artistic and creative projects, medical expenses, travel, and community-oriented social entrepreneurship projects. My experiences of crowdfunding are entirely based on the use of the platform IndieGoGo, but there are a myriad of well-known crowdfunding platforms with good to middling reputations. Some are perhaps better for business campaigns, others for creative purposes. The one I hear about most often is Kickstarter but the 10 most popular crowdfunding platforms in 2018 according to INC.com also included Patreon, GoFundMe, CrowdRise, PledgeMusic, Razoo, RocketHub and finally Give.  “Before you even start building your crowdfunding page, Start building a crowd first.” — Roy Morejon of Command Partners UNQUOTE So, just last week as I start this episode, I ran a crowdfunding campaign to raise finance for THIS season, but before I did so, as you may have heard in earlier shows, I thought long and hard about what I was getting myself into. I’ve done all this before, you see, and it’s a hell of an undertaking. I’ve run 4 successful campaigns using the crowdfunding platform IndieGoGo, but with each campaign has come a great commitment of time and energy and a genuine commitment to delivering what I promise to those that have backed me. If you run a crowdfunding campaign and fail to deliver that which you promise, you will have a hell of a time getting anyone to trust you again.   Even with my positive experiences in raising finance through crowdfunding in the past I was extremely cautious about running a new one now. One reason for this is that I believe you can only “drink so many times from the same well” and I have a rule about never running more than one in a year. I’d also say that with so many people at the same proverbial well, it can become muddied and make people less likely to back you. The other big reason that I really wasn’t keen was that it is a MASSIVE undertaking. By tackling a fundraiser I was committing a vast amount of my time and energy to promoting and managing it and the cost, in loss of those valuable resources felt too great. I did run it though, successfully, and the primary thing that swayed me was this – By the very act of running the campaign, I would be promoting the show. Raising finance to support my endeavour was a very powerful second reason, but finding new ways to positively promote this show is really difficult and the peripheral promotional benefits which go with a crowdfunding campaign finally won me over. Lesson So let me get into some basics. There are some elements they say you should always do with a crowdfunding campaign - A Catchy Title, A Compelling Video, An Explicit Goal and Timeline, A good explanation of "Why" you are running it, A List of Costs, Great perks and regular Progress Updates. If you think you can just roll up and put your hand out then you’re going to be disappointed. There are a few good examples that prove that a bad idea or even an improperly presented good one, will not hit its target. For example:  Corey Feldman's 'Elev8or 2 Ascension' album only got 15% of its $100,000 target. The reboot of TV show Good Times which only hit 1% of its $1,000,000 target figure. And the sequel to the 2014 Nicolas Cage fiasco “Left Behind”. The original film scores 1% on rotten tomatoes, so you can imagine the powerful feeling that lay behind NOT FUNDING that Kickstarter. Chris Muscarella of Field Company says about crowdfunding “Do your Homework. Trying to throw together a campaign in a few days and thinking that you will shoot the moon is highly unlikely.” Crowdfunding is not an easy way to free money so if you are serious about raising capital in this way, you’re going to have to work hard for it. Asking a bunch of people you do and don’t know to help you fund your dreams is far tougher and more time consuming than it sounds. It’s also a landscape which is changing all the time, so you can’t always, as I found out with my latest campaign, utilise the same techniques to get results. I’ll talk about that a little later. Mihail Klenov of Half Bikes says “You must always be honest with your backers about what you do and why you do it.” Each campaign or product is unique, but there are some things you can do to get closer to crowdfunding success. TRUST is probably the biggest issue when it comes to crowdfunding: When you have no prior record, you have to consider how you can generate credibility with backers. Simply stated - without TRUST you might not generate enough interest in your campaign and fail to meet your targets. CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLATFORM: This is essential and as I listed earlier, you have plenty of legitimate platforms to choose from. If you’re raising money for a film, then go to the platform where people who might want to back it go - Don’t go for a small local platform if there’s no interest in what you are pushing there already. Crowdfunding has an internet-driven worldwide audience, so go where the audience for your product or project is would be my advice. SET REALISTIC TARGETS AND A DEADLINE. Setting up the right targets and the time to achieve them is essential. If the target seems too outrageous, the backers simply won’t support you. And not only should you decide beforehand what your fund-raising goal is, but you should also specify timeline goals, production goals and any others needed to keep your project moving forward. This information proves you know what you are talking about and will allow your backers to get behind you. BUILDING INTEREST. This is a common fail in crowdfunding campaigns. Nine times out of ten you need to build interest in your campaign a good bit prior to it starting. This will help you to get an initial large boost to your goal. I kinda trailed that I was going to do this on the show here, but due to time constraints, I only got specific about it a few weeks before. I was aiming for the lowest amount that IndieGoGo allows though, so my target was as achievable as it could be and I didn’t feel too bad about it. One thing I must add is that most platforms will NOT put any effort into promoting your campaign for you. Generating interest in your specific campaign is entirely up to you, although occasionally you may get a random backer passing through on the platform. Just don’t rely on it. Fulfilment. This is one area that is so important. It’s also far trickier than it sounds. Your reputation hangs on your ability to not just deliver the crowdfunding goal, but also to provide your contributors with their rewards, perks or whatever you want to call them, in a timely manner. Some problems that can be associated with fulfilment include: Not budgeting for it. Not budgeting for postage and packaging. Communication problems: I have had quite a few issues with the delivery of perks for my campaign. I get email addresses from IndieGoGo as a download, but I made a rod for my own back by communicating with backers via Twitter and Facebook direct messaging, through the platform itself and via two different email addresses. My situation was further complicated by receiving three messages through my website’s contact page. Trying to collate and verify information from so many different sources was and still is a nightmare, so if you can, encourage all your backers to communicate to you through one email address. If you do that, life will be a lot easier, believe me. DO YOUR RESEARCH. Before you even start your crowdfunding campaign, do your research. Find out everything you need to know about crowdfunding - mine for success strategies. Not only should you know how to run a successful campaign, but you should also be aware of all the rules and regulations surrounding this funding source. This was an area on which I fell down a little on the last run. I had calculated just 5% in costs going to IndieGoGo, but the reality was that I was losing percentages of committed monies to credit card companies and even a £25 surcharge at the end to cover the disbursement of funds. Rather than the percentage of running costs for the campaign totalling 5% of the total it ended up at 14% through my not following the fine print. CREATE MARKETING MATERIALS. Once you know who your target audience is and, create high-quality marketing materials. Personalize materials to yourself and your message and if you are wondering what is most effective here. Its video. You must create video content, with you right out there on camera, if you are to be successful in raising finance. Your face will gain a backers trust. If you don’t appear on camera it makes backers uneasy. Get over your fear of cameras and get in front of one, or you will fail. MAKE THE REWARDS WORTHWHILE. While you're not REQUIRED to reward your backers, offering something in return for their support makes for a more successful campaign. Make sure that any reward you offer is worthwhile, as well. Some will be happy with just a thank you but try and ensure that at least one of your perks has value. I tried not to offer perks that involved postage and packing so my most valuable perk was the opportunity to sponsor an episode, and it worked. Without that perk, I’d never have hit the target. Clay Herbert of Fund Your Dream says “The best campaigns I have worked with tell a specific story to a specific group of people.” So with that in mind, my next tip is GET PERSONAL… That’s why I say get in front of the camera and talk - When people feel that they know you, they'll feel more comfortable with, and trust in, your goals. Opening up about yourself and your situation is a great way to help your campaign see more success. PROMOTE IT. Once you've published your crowdfunding campaign, start spreading the word. Share your campaign on social media, with family and friends, on blogs and anywhere else where you can get it out there. The wider your reach, the more potential you have for investors to see it. It’s essential to talk to your backers throughout the entire process. This also helps to build trust. While you don't need to tell them every detail, be as open and transparent as possible. Don't just pitch them or try to sell to them either. With all that advice given, here are a few tips on what NOT to do too. E-BEGGING. This is something I detest and another reason that I think long and hard before running any crowd funder: According to URBAN DICTIONARY.com, this is when some pretentious asshole (usually on Youtube) decides to solicit "donations" from his or her audience. Sometimes they try to hide their e-begging under the guise of elaborate "movie projects" on sites like indiegogo.com with laughable incentives like "Donate 100.00 and get your name in the credits" ... The irony is that most of these youtube "movies" cost only a fraction of the donations received. The e-beggar then pockets the rest as profit and then laughs all the way to the bank. E-begging preys on stupid people but if you aren't a complete sheep, you won't be fooled by e-beggars. EXCEEDING YOUR TARGET. Yes, it happens. I had considered what would happen if I exceeded the campaign total, and I implemented it - My stretch goal was unspecific though. I just said any additional money would go into promotion for the show. I didn’t mess about with it as I had already met my target and I was happy with that. One thing to be cautious of - is not being able to deliver your promised rewards so be cautious and have a plan for this eventuality. IF YOUR CAMPAIGN GOES VIRAL, YOU BETTER HAVE A BIT OF AN IDEA HOW YOU ARE GOING TO PROCEED. ALL OR NOTHING. Some great projects fail simply because their fundraising goal is just too high and the fundraising platforms will not distribute any funds if you don’t hit your target. Many campaigns raise a sizeable amount but get nothing because they didn’t meet the funding goal. Be prepared. Do your research. Don’t fall on this really obvious detail. NOT ENOUGH TIME. New Crowd funders fail to understand the process involved in crowdfunding and the need to build excitement and a community before launch. There is just not enough time during a campaign to do the outreach necessary for success. You need to build an audience and then launch a campaign. You will never have enough time to do it all at once. And I’m going to end this list of mistakes with one just as problematic. TOO MUCH TIME. Yes, you heard me right. As I said earlier, running these campaigns is massively time-consuming. Epically energy absorbing in fact, and your promotional content will be swallowed up with each and every day that you are committed to it. Just as damaging to your efforts will be finding yourself chained 24/7 to a campaign that goes on forever. When I planned the campaign for this season, I set it at 7 days, and even knowing I was setting myself up for a tight deadline, I went with it as I knew I could create and deliver the publicity and social media interaction required for that period. If I'd run it for a month I’d have needed a month of marketing materials and ideas. Running a shorter campaign for a realistic amount was for me the only option. Peter Dering of the founder of Peak Design says “Something we have done really well with our campaigns is that we are extremely transparent. We go to great lengths and to create and justify our designs.” Earlier I mentioned that some things have changed as I’ve run several campaigns. On this last campaign I realised that the social networks are hobbling our ability to use them for promotion – for example, Twitter no longer previews YOUTUBE. Instagram only shows its own content and Facebook is hit and miss with its 3rd party previews. You may have to create content to be hosted Separately on each platform now. For the record, Instagram is limited to 60 seconds but you can kinda get around this with Instagram TV. Facebook limits its own videos to 15 minutes which is quite healthy, and Twitter allows videos of up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds. If you are putting out video content therefor, perhaps put out short 60 second videos so that the same content can be hosted on all three platforms… I’m going to wrap this up now but here’s a great bit of productivity advice to add to all that I’ve said already – I used a really simple hack with my first campaign which ended up at 156% of my target. That hack was that I didn’t start from scratch. I found similar campaigns which had done well and worked up my content to be based on those samples. It’s a hack that only goes so far but one that works. Use someone else’s successful campaign as a blueprint to build a new one of your own. One example that I include now in every campaign is the use of a pie chart to show where the funds will go. It’s helpful to potential backers and it’s helpful for you in planning how you will place the funds when you raise them, but it wasn’t my idea. If you plan to run a campaign, spy out a few that you like and which you think really work and use them to inspire you. Summing Up Thanks for listening to this longer episode than usual. I just want to remind you once again that the primary reason that I eventually bit the bullet and ran a campaign for this season was, NOT financial, but to raise the profile of this podcast. Crowdfunding is a powerful force and for creative people, it’s one which you should learn to harness and embrace. It’s not however just about the money. Call To Action Your call to action this week is not to run a campaign, but to consider how it could help you achieve your dreams. Let it open your mind to possibilities you had not previously considered. Ending I’ll end today's show with the words of Anne Frank, who said: “No one has ever become poor by giving.” Thanks to all of you who helped spread the word or backed my campaign for this season – and thank you all for listening here today – now take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. References: https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/op-10-crowdfunding-platforms-of-2018.html https://medium.com/@catapooolt/15-profound-quotes-elucidating-the-essence-of-crowdfunding-df62fc58ea34 https://www.floship.com/7-potential-problems-with-crowdfunding/ https://www.crowd101.com/biggest-crowdfunding-mistakes-how-to-avoid/     Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Today’s episode is sponsored on behalf of CANCERSUPPORTSCOTLAND.ORG   Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity, the podcast which helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 35 – DEVELOPING A SENSE OF URGENCY Professor of Leadership at the Harvard Business School, John P. Kotter, says “A higher rate of urgency does not imply ever-present panic, anxiety, or fear. It means a state in which COMPLACENCY is virtually absent.” I talked about A SENSE OF URGENCY last season in my episode entitled DRIVE, but for me, it’s really one of the cornerstones of productivity itself. John Kotter’s quote there says it very well. This is not about panic, anxiety or fear (although you may have to fight them off a wee bit along the way) it’s about killing complacency and replacing it with something else. An "inner energy" that drives your forward, to complete on your plans, to hit deadlines and to achieve great things.   This is one of the productivity terms which I have drawn from the business world, but in all honesty, I’m not quite sure who coined it. It may have been Brian Tracy or H. Jackson Brown, but I’m going to settle for on John Kotter as he has literally written a book about it.   In the business world, according to an article written by Annie Sisk in Bizfluent.com, “a sense of urgency” refers to communicating to an individual or team that it’s imperative to act promptly, decisively and without delay. The phrase can be applied in the context of leadership and management, or in the field of marketing and sales. In both cases, the term describes a positive state of mind that smart marketers, managers and business leaders use to evoke in those they market to, manage and lead. In the context of the individual film pro or freelance creative, we can utilise a sense of urgency in all that we do as who manage ourselves and our careers.   I’ve been keen to do an episode about this for a while, and as I’m pulling all my energy into creating this new season the time now seems right.   I’ve been nurturing the sense of urgency that comes with having to create 18 publicly released Season 3 episodes requires, but even with that proverbial gun at my head, it’s been a slow start.   Like many things in productivity, it’s easy enough to understand the principles but sometimes difficult to put it into action. Distraction and procrastination, those two ninja-like enemies of productivity are ever-present.   The crowdfunding campaign helped me to focus and its success gave me new energy, but at the same time, it’s been a huge distraction. My mind had to go into a different place to raise finance and although the overall experience was very positive, and the campaign was successful, I’ve found switching out of “fundraiser mode” and back into “podcast host” mode quite a challenge - but you wouldn’t be listening to this now if I hadn’t gotten over it.   As regular listeners know, I like to utilise large whiteboards to keep my mind clear and organised. A few days ago I tidied them all up and started making daily schedules of tasks specific not only to my season deadlines, but also to roll out the application of funds raised. My sense of urgency is driven by these lists, and when I feel like taking a break or find my self being distracted I can go to them to find new things to do. This keeps the momentum going that fuels the feeling of urgency.   Even this strategy has had its problems though as yesterday I got caught up in a minor task, that of designing a promotional postcard for the show, that ended up taking me most of the day. PRIORITISING within my lists has now become a primary directive in my efforts.   Today I start, while my mind is fresh, and with yesterday’s distraction task out of the way, by working on the podcast first and foremost. Other tasks, which are perhaps less time-sensitive and which require less mental energy are deferred to later in the day. It’s with this system of checklists, prioritised tasks and a designated timescale for delivery (remember Parkinson’s law here) that my sense of urgency is being honed and leading me to success.   Probably the most powerful quote about URGENCY I’ve come across is from Martin Luther King, Jr. He said: We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there "is" such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action. Our own deadlines and goals may feel less important than that to which Martin Luther King refers, but we can still take energy and understanding from his words. We must fuel our own internally-derived sense of direction, motivation and compulsion to move or act in ways which benefit our lives, our projects, our careers, our passions and our family.   We must also learn to acknowledge the times when we assume an “I’ll get to it someday,” attitude. Putting off spending quality time with your child for example is not the same as putting off replying to an email. Get your priorities straight when honing your sense of urgency.   Let’s talk for a bit about why having a SENSE OF URGENCY matters. I’m going to be referring here to the article in Bizfluent.com again, as I’m not across the MARKETING and LEADERSHIP applications of the SENSE OF URGENCY concept. I’ll link to it as always in the show notes, which can be accessed through your podcasting app, or on my official website filmproproductivity.com “There’s significant power in employees and customers acting right “now.” Complacency, after all, is the enemy of progress. A failure to act promptly means that opportunities may be lost. Ultimately this will negatively affect the financial health of the company…” and I’d add to the financial health of the freelancer too… Thinking of ourselves as businesses is a definite sticking point for some creative people. I say, GET OVER IT, and LIVE A BETTER LIFE.   Lacking a sense of urgency in matters like this often leads to important issues continually being placed on the back burner. If we can learn to be responsive, flexible and nimble in our ability to evaluate and make decisions about new challenges and opportunities - we can only benefit by it.   To foster a sense of urgency, start with yourself. When you understand the “why” behind a particular goal or objective, and more specifically the “why now,” you must put it into action.   The article in BIZFLUENT says.   “Many successful managers and leaders find that increasing a sense of urgency around a particular project or goal is much easier when you get the employees' buy-in on the project from the start. Fostering a feeling of ownership and investment in the project makes a huge difference for participants.” If you’ve ever had to manage a creative team then this makes a lot of sense. It goes on to say that “Another proven strategy is to emphasize outcome-based results. Focusing on observable, measurable results helps you identify a successful outcome. This, in turn, means you can develop an internal sense of reward and satisfaction for completing a task, which helps increase your motivation level for the next project.” This is something I talk about in my 4 disciplines of execution episode. Finally, it says, “work to identify the reasons behind complacency in your team or workforce (I’d add, or in yourself). Most people seek fulfillment and satisfaction in their work. If they’re losing their motivation and their sense of pride in a job well-done as a group, there’s something that's contributing to their complacency and diminishing their all-important sense of urgency.” If that;s the case, it must be identified if you are to move past it. Brian Tracy loves this topic and he’s an awesome guy so I love him for his insight on it. He talks about creating a BIAS FOR ACTION and says “Most people talk the talk, but never really walk the walk. You need to treat action steps with a SENSE OF URGENCY. If something is important then learn to ‘do it now’. Don’t put things off - get them done, TODAY.” Summing Up   A sense of urgency helps turn “someday” and “later” into “today” and “now.” What’s that quote in fact that I’ve used here before? Someday is not really a day of the week you know… It’s kinda funny but it’s true.   If your bias for action is to put it off till tomorrow then you need to start reprogramming yourself and get rid of that delaying crutch. Change up your tempo to something a bit more lively, and as I’ve warned many times before - don’t wait for the planets to get into just the right alignment before you move – if you do that, THE RIGHT TIME will slip through your fingertips. BUILD MOMENTUM – remember it’s much easier to keep a body in motion, than it is to initiate that motion (BRYAN TRACY unquote) and PLAN YOUR WAY - decide on your goals, develop a list of the action steps you need to take, prioritize the list then EXECUTE IT – If you do this you’ll get into what they call a STATE OF FLOW, when all your senses are heightened and every element of your being is working towards a common goal. Finally, STAY ENERGISED, keep up your fitness level, drink enough fluids and eat properly so that you can MAINTAIN YOUR STATE OF READINESS.   Call To Action   Your call to action today is to utilise something known as the OWN PRINCIPLE to get you started. OWN has you ask yourself 3 questions, and I want you to ask yourself them right now. O– asks WHAT OUTCOME DO I WANT? W - asks WHY DO I WANT THIS? And N - ends with WHAT CAN I DO NOW TO ACHIEVE MY OUTCOMES? That’s OWN. OUTCOME, WHY, NOW. One last time - WHAT OUTCOME DO I WANT? WHY DO I WANT IT? WHAT CAN I DO NOW TO ACHIEVE MY OUTCOMES? I’ll end with the words of ‘Bob Proctor’: ‘Everyone should have a sense of urgency – it is getting a lot done in a short period of time in a calm, confident manner’. Later on this series I will be doing a mailbag episode, so why don’t you utilise this sense of urgency I’ve been cultivating and make a move to ask me a productivity question that I will answer in that episode? Don’t hand around though as I will be recording it in just a few weeks. You can get in touch via THE CONTACT PAGE on the website FILMPROPRODUCTIVITY.COM or on ANY OF THE SOCIAL NETWORKS. If you are struggling with something then I want to know about it. Get your act together and get in touch.   For now though, take control of your own destiny, get working on your sense of urgency, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on FILM PRO PRODUCTIVITY!   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://bizfluent.com/facts-5879843-sense-urgency-definition.html   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Today’s show is brought to you by the HOW THEY DID IT, FILMMAKING podcast.   EPISODE 34 – BEST LAID PLANS   So here we are with the THIRD season of the show which will roll out every Sunday at 7pm GMT for the next few months. Occasionally you may find me releasing a couple of episodes per week as this season we have 18 new shows and a few of them are connected. I hope that the topics I will be bringing you will be helpful in your life and work. English innovation strategy specialist Max McKeown says “Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win.”   I’ll be briefly talking you through season 3 today, but the episode is called BEST LAID PLANS for good reason, as often the plans that we make and attempt to put into action start to disintegrate about us and we need to stop, rethink what we are doing and make some changes before we move on again.   This subject has come up a few times on social media and is something I’ve had to deal with a few times myself this year.   Season Preview.   Baring in mind what I’ve just said, so this is subject to change, Season 3 will bring you more episodes based on the productivity techniques tips and tricks that have been working so well in the business and lifestyle worlds. These will include episodes about the 16 LAWS OF SUCCESS, ELEPHANT HABITS and DEVELOPING A SENSE OF URGENCY. As my TELL IT HOW IT IS episodes always seem to be popular I’ll also be including an episode about DEALING WITH BULLIES which is a particularly prevalent problem here and there in the Film Industry in my own country, and it may have some bearing in what you are dealing with wherever you are too. I’m wanting to do a show about BULLSHITTERS too but I haven’t figured out how to deliver that one yet without swearing. Bear with me.   Elsewhere this season I will be talking about STRESS and ANXIETY, ARROGANCE and PRIDE, IMPOSTER SYNDROME, something known as OUTRAGE PORN, CROWDFUNDING LESSONS, WHY WE SHOULDN’T APPLY FOR FUNDING and another recent discovery of mine called THE LABOR ILLUSION.   Most episodes will be based on the new 10-minute motivation format, which focuses down the show to one major topic without wandering too far, but some episodes such as CROWDFUNDING: LESSONS WERE LEARNED and this one here will run a bit longer as there’s a lot to cover.   The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry… wrote a paraphrased Robert Burns and that’s what I want to get into with this episode – you see we need to accept that no matter how carefully a strategy, a project, an – ANYTHING - is planned, SOMETHING may still go wrong. Mike Tyson says “Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.” This year I’ve been figuratively PUNCHED IN THE MONTH a number of times and my plans have tumbled like a house of cards about me. 9 months into my BEST YEAR YET strategy which I introduced to you in the New Year Special I have had to entirely abandon my plans and move my focus on to different things.   There were several specific happenings that contributed to the general fucking up my efforts, but far from having regret over the change, I am celebrating in newfound freedom. I am thankful for all of those who said “no” to me. It’s because of them that I am doing it myself. Albert Einstein UNQUOTE The BEST YEAR YET system is a good one but I made a MAJOR MISCALCULATION IN MY STRATEGY - I hung several major goals on something which I had absolutely no control over. A funding application.   In hindsight, it was completely stupid but at the time I was very certain that I was making the right move. I felt somehow that my time had come and with my best project, which I’d been working on for several years, I was sure that I’d be successful. Oh, how wrong I was - Historically I’ve never had any form of tangible support from funding organisation, but this time seemed different - or so I thought.   It was an application not for financial support but for access to a mentoring programme with a residential element. I spent weeks on the application and had a number of people help me to refine and improve my project so that it was tailor-made to fit the application. Even the application form itself was refined and bettered over a series of passes and I got the application in on time… and I thought it was pretty darn good - that’s when things started going VERY wrong.   I had unwitting stepped into a minefield of unpredictability, completely out with my control. After I submitted the application - which incidentally - only had a three-week gap for submissions, the organisation running the things suddenly decided to extend the deadline for applications by a further 6 weeks.   To put it simply, this was disastrous for my BEST YEAR YET STRATEGY as it knocked my next two deadlines together and ensured that I could not complete every subsequent goal to the schedule I had laid out.   Had I not only hung my hopes on this application, and structured several of my main goals around it I would have been able to save my scheduled BEST YEAR YET PLAN. When they moved the goalposts, I couldn’t even re-submit an improved application as my next MAJOR Goal was Season 2 of this show, which launched successfully and on time, but only as I had complete control over it. That was the last of my scheduled MAJOR goals to be met this year.   To cut a long story short in regard to my application - I didn’t even get an interview for that mentoring programme - and it was the straw that broke the camel’s already heavily weighted back. If you’ve already heard my WHY IT’S OK TO GIVE UP EPISODE, you’ll know that I threw in the towel on my filmmaking dreams. As one door closes, however, another one opens.   Lesson   Incidentally, there’s a whole host of reasons why I might have been rejected but as they didn’t deign to share them with me - I’m going to say that my project just didn’t fit the bill. Whatever the reason though, I had to deal with it – and it took me a few months to recover as it was an incredibly destructive mistake. Things are moving again now with my newly created PLAN B. Mistakes are a part of life; you can't avoid them. All you can hope is that they won't be too expensive and that you don't make the same mistake twice. Lee Iacocca UNQUOTE Dealing with change in life is something that we all have to face up to as we just can’t control everything - although I do know a few people who think they can.   When the worst happens though - how do you deal with it? Do you resist change and fight? Or… Do you go with the flow and adapt? Do you spiral into depression or do you handle it with positivity? Me personally, I do a bit of both. I might quietly rage or get down about something but eventually, I get back up and try again.   · Like the earlier quote I used by Einstein, we have to face up to the fact that PAIN IS PART OF GROWING. It literally pains me to know this as I learned it the hard way, but if I hadn’t had a breakdown a few years ago, if I hadn’t lost both my parents one after the other, if I hadn’t had terrible times with awful people again and again on terrible creative projects - then I wouldn’t be here now pushing out my positivity and receiving it back via this show. Hard as it may seem to swallow sometimes, EVERY STRUGGLE IS A STEP FORWARD and will make you better.   It was through these difficult experiences that I learned to say to myself that THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Remember that everything in life is temporary, and the pain we feel today will fade in time - new doors will open in life and in our work and in our relationships. I often say here, DON’T WORRY, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK, because as adults we don’t hear it often enough. WE SIMPLY WORRY TOO MUCH and IT CHANGES NOTHING. I’ll be tackling worry and anxiety in a later episode this season. ANOTHER THING THAT CHANGES NOTHING IS COMPLAINING. Everyone likes a good moan so if you have to, go for it, but cut it off sooner rather than later or you’ll never be able to move past it. Like my application analogy earlier. I thought I at least deserved an interview – but I didn’t even get that. Who am I going to complain to though? And will my moaning about it all, get me anywhere at all? Of course not. I just had to, like I've done so many times before, BITE THE BULLET… AND MOVE ON. Remember too, THAT OTHER PEOPLE’S NEGATIVITY IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM. Don't let people pull you into their storms. Pull them into your peace. Look back to my episode on TOXIC PEOPLE. Joel Osteen says You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people so when things don’t go as planned, you may want to look at who you are working with, before you start over – without them. Instead of being swept up in the negativity that comes when your plans fall apart, FIND A POSITIVE WAY TO MOVE PAST IT. We are human and we know it’s a total drag when things go wrong as it’s going to be a load of work to get things going again, but stay positive. I won’t use the glass as half full analogy, but Alphonse Karr has a great play on this in reference to negativity from others. He says Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses. WHAT WILL BE, WILL BE is something I find myself repeating to myself when things are playing out. SUCH IS LIFE. Sometimes accepting that a greater universal play is in hand and your plans have failed, is something you eventually must realise if you are to move on. I’m not saying give up too soon, I’m saying when all is lost, recognise your situation and accept that change is going to happen. And with all that said you must find the power to JUST KEEP GOING. Next episode I’m going to be discussing the SENSE OF URGENCY that we must develop in ourselves if we are to achieve our goals and our dreams in a timely manner. Have your moment of failure, and accept it. Then get back on your feet and dust yourself down. I’d like to end by saying that if your strategy has failed if you’ve miscalculated in some way, made an error or just a catalogue of bad choices - then learn from your mistakes before moving forward again with a NEW STRATEGY. Remember another famous quote from Albert Einstein Einstein said Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Summing Up   I’ve covered elements of this topic before but with the series of bad decisions and bad collaborations I’ve had recently, and the subsequent abandonment of my filmmaking goals this year - I felt I really had to revisit it.   I hope it’s been useful to you and has opened up your mind a little. I also hope that you continue to learn from my mistakes which I catalogue here - despite my best efforts to avoid making them.       Call To Action   Your call to action today is to think of a time where you have made a bad choice and ask yourself - Have I learned from this? Am I still making the same mistake? If you are, then give yourself a shake, and make a deal to never let it happen again. We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it. Rick Warren UNQUOTE Ending   Remember that YOUR SCARS ARE A SYMBOL OF YOUR STRENGTH so embrace your failures and if you are in a BAD place, remember the words THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Just breath and remind yourself that everything is going to be all right.   I’m looking for your help this season as I have an upcoming MAILBAG episode. It’s effectively a listeners questions show. Today’s topic came up in discussion with Glasgow Filmmaker Colin Ross Smith so your problems and questions are very useful for me in identifying the problems that you are dealing with – That in turn will lead to better and more on point shows. If you really want to help and need advice on a productivity topic or problem please get in touch via the contact pages on the Film Pro Productivity website. Don’t delay though as that show is coming up in just a few weeks.   Thanks again to Ian O’Neill form the HOW THEY DID IT, FILMMAKING podcast for sponsoring this episode. Ian’s show is one of my favourites so check it out and subscribe on all the good podcasting apps. Let me end though with the words of Henry Ford: Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.     • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/negative-people-quotes/ https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/failure.html http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/negative-people-quotes/ Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/support-one-more-year-of-film-pro-productivity/x/6579725#/ Hello and welcome to this SPECIAL INBETWEENISODE of Film Pro Productivity, the podcast which helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 33 – CHOICE PARALYSIS Intro Steve Jobs once said “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. Unquote One thing that is particularly true of many creative projects is that they don’t work to a known blueprint. We find ourselves often overwhelmed by the myriad of choices we could make to turn our dreams into reality. We find ourselves often overthinking our options or decisions about our careers or our finances. Have you ever spent so long thinking about a decision that by the time you make it, the opportunity has passed you by? That is what we will be talking about today. Prioritizing which I spoke about way back in episode 10 is an essential skill if you are working towards being more productive, but several times recently I have found myself in a situation of ANALYSIS PARALYSIS. That is the state of over-thinking about a decision to the point that a choice NEVER gets made. Have you faced analysis paralysis before? Do you tend to overthink your choices, to the point where you feel paralyzed and don’t make a decision? If you recognise this in yourself then listen up as this week I’ll be talking about how to overcome it. Anecdote I have been floundering a bit with this issue in recent weeks on how best to move forward with the show. Season 2 and its subsequent promotion was immensely time-consuming for me you see and I have a real feeling of apprehension in moving forward as the commitment of time and mental energy which this podcast requires is significant. Toiling with the uncertainty as to whether this show is worthwhile has undermined my confidence and with that wooliness of thought, I’ve been struggling with how to proceed. In my choice paralysis. I have been digesting and deliberating all of my options: Should run a crowd funder to pay for the second year of hosting or just bite the bullet and pay for it all myself. It would be a lot less bother and would mean that I could really get into season 3 instead of toiling over inbetweenisodes like this one and the substantial work that’s involved in crowdfunding. What if no one gives any money? Then I’ll have wasted even more time on stuff that doesn’t further the show. If it does work though it will save me a few quid and the campaign in itself will promote the show. I’ve also been considering how I can reach the people, creatives and film pros who will actually want to engage with and benefit from the show... I’m thinking about whether I should push the show onto Youtube too – to try and reach a bigger audience. The social media conversion of followers to actual listeners or subscribers is absolutely garbage at about 1% so I don’t want to spend quite as much time on it as I did last season - but by converting it to YouTube I’m creating another huge pool of work form myself. Many podcast gurus say podcasts shouldn’t go on YouTube as it waters down the potential subscriber list on podcasting apps but they also say promote where the audience is and I have a feeling I’ll find you there. Next, I have struggled with episode lengths and format choices, even trialling a mini-episode length which caused further confusion for me if I’m honest but which I’ll likely roll out in some form for a few episodes of season 3. Beyond that, I’ve also found difficulty with the most basic of podcast elements like deciding on what I am actually going to talk about. At the moment I have so many topics on my board that if I had the time I could create 2 new seasons but with bills to pay and other creative projects and business projects on my mind, I also need to keep earning money… There’s also a voice in my head that says quite often - you don’t have time for this - If you don’t create a new season you could work on your imminent business affairs, on promoting my fight direction work, on writing the first draft of a screenplay, on selling old kit on eBay to raise additional funds and the list goes on. You get the point - I’ve been getting distracted again and again and again and I’ve been paralysed by the choices before me. Lesson Choice or *Analysis paralysis is the state of over-thinking about a decision to the point that a choice never gets made. You face analysis paralysis when you… Are overwhelmed by the available options, Over-complicate the decision when it’s supposed to be quite a simple one, Feel compelled to pick the “best” and “perfect” choice, thereby delaying any decision until you do your research, or You feel a deep fear of making a wrong move, hence stalling yourself from making any decision, in case you make the wrong choice. If you want to learn more about simply prioritizing things then please listen back to episode 10, but if you are paralysed in any of the ways listed here, then listen on. Celestine Chua presents 8 tips for dealing with Choice Paralysis on personalexcellence.co which I’ll link to in the show notes. Here are a few pieces of advice from that article: Differentiate between big and small decisions. If the decision isn’t going to make a big difference a year from now and there are no serious consequences that will come out of it, then it is a small decision. Spend as little time as you need to nail this. Then, let go. If however, the decision will create major impact after a year and there are serious implications from making the wrong choice (such as marrying someone you don’t love), then it’s a big decision. For everything in between, give it some thought but don’t let it drag on for too long. Identify your objective. Every option has its pros and cons. Without knowing your end objective, you’ll forever be debating the relative pros and cons of each choice without a meaningful conclusion. Perfection is not the key. “Moderately okay” is. Unless you are dealing with a life-altering decision like who to marry and what career path to choose, perfection is not the key. Your goal is to pick a moderately “okay” choice in a fair amount of time, and then move on. Please listen back to my episode on perfectionism (episode 5) for more advice on this. Eliminate the bad options. When you have too many options, it clutters the decision-making process so list all the available options. Then, eliminate the bad ones. Get a trusted opinion. Consult someone with insight into what you’re asking about. Get expert advice from specialists who know what they are doing. It helps cut through the noise, get the information I need, and make the right choice. And this si something I find myself doing more and more these days, despite my frugal upbringing, pay and get expert advice from specialists who know what they are doing. Channel your energy into bigger goals, If you often face analysis paralysis with little decisions, here is my question to you: What are your goals for the next few years? Is there any goal you are procrastinating on? Work on them instead. As you shift your focus to the higher-level goals, you gain more experience and become better at making good decisions quickly. Nelson Mandela said “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” I quote this as before I could deal with my difficulty in choices I had to deal with the uncertainty of purpose which has been undermining my drive. I’ve revisited my reasons for doing this show and recommitted to them. Even if this show just helps one person out there and makes their life better as a result, then I believe it is worthwhile. Denis Waitley said “Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” With that in mind, I moved forward to solve my choice paralysis. Summing Up I need to work towards summing up on this episode and with that, I’ll remind you once more of Parkinson’s law – and it’s something that Celestine lists too. The law states that “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” so your work will take however long you allow it to take. If you set aside 15 minutes for a task, it’ll take 15 minutes. If you set aside 30 minutes, it’ll take 30 minutes. If you don’t set a time limit, it may take forever! A time limit alone could help you to make a decision if you are ever stuck in choice paralysis. Call To Action Your call to action today is to tackle something which has been stuck in a limbo of choice. Use Celestine’s tips to tackle the problem and move past it. Ending This is the second of 2 special episodes which I’ve put together to promote the IndieGoGo campaign to raise £500 to pay for the hosting packages and some marketing for year two of this podcast. Please help by spreading the word on social media or by buying one of the perks which include the opportunity to sponsor future shows. You can find the link to the campaign in the show notes and I’d be eternally grateful for your help. Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. References: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/choice-paralysis/ https://personalexcellence.co/blog/analysis-paralysis/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVH_bQ1Fk7U&feature=youtu.be   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

INDIEGOGO LINK - https://igg.me/at/filmproprodpod Hello and welcome to A SPECIAL EPISODE of Film Pro Productivity, the podcast which helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is Episode 32 – The Law of Single Handling Intro This is the first of two special episodes which will be released to support my crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to support this show for one more year. Details of how you can help will be given at the end of the show. Zig Ziglar says that “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” One of my earliest episodes, episode 3, is all about prioritising because it’s such a fundamental part of what improving our productivity entails. The law of single handling links very much to another topic I covered in Episode 10, Multitasking. Season 2 of this show and its promotion was so immensely time-consuming for me that I have a real feeling of apprehension in moving forward into season 3. I’ve been so indecisive in how to move forward that I’ve ground to a near halt. In the end though, out of urgent necessity, I have had to pin my resolve to the sticking post and almost literally tie myself to a laptop for a few days to get things done. There’s nothing like an imminent deadline to jumpstart you from inaction back into action again. Lesson Adam Sicinski on MasterMindMatrix.com says “You will maximize your performance and potential only when you discipline yourself to concentrate single-mindedly on your single most important task from inception to completion without distraction.” That is the law of single handling. Only in this way will you effectively optimize your output and productivity. Pro-level Basketball coach Bob Starkey says “The ability to start and complete your most important task determines your productivity more than any other skill.” And that MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE is only possible when you concentrate single-mindedly on the task—the most important task, and you stay at it until it is 100% complete. You see picking up a task, putting it down and coming back to it several times, dramatically increases the amount of time necessary to complete it.   Picking it up the task but REFUSING TO PUT IT DOWN UNTIL IT IS DONE enables you to accomplish vastly more in a shorter period of time than you ever thought possible. By disciplining yourself to concentrate single-mindedly on the most important thing you could possibly be doing, and then by completing that task, you increase the quantity, quality, and value of your output substantially. And the good news is that every time you complete a major task, you experience a surge of energy, enthusiasm, and self-esteem and can BUILD THE HABIT of disciplining yourself to concentrate single-mindedly until the task is complete. With this the all-important habit of task completion ingrained on your mind you program your subconscious mind to look forward to major tasks because you know how good you are going to feel when you have completed them. Summing Up So single Handling is perhaps the most powerful of all time management techniques. It can increase your output by as much as 500%. It can reduce the amount of time you spend on a task by fully 80% —by the very act of launching into the task and disciplining yourself to stay with it until it is complete. Call To Action You cannot do everything, but you can do one thing, the most important thing, and you can do it now. By setting goals and priorities, and then by selecting your most important task, you can dramatically increase your level of productivity and output. Vince Lombardi said that “Success demands a singleness of purpose.” So today’s call to action is to utilise the LAW OF SINGLE HANDLING by selecting your most important task, getting yourself organized, and then working on it wholeheartedly and without distraction until it is complete. Do this over and over until this habit of single handling is firmly entrenched. Increase your output by the 500% which Single Handling creates. Ending This is the first of  2 special episodes to promote the IndieGoGo campaign to raise £500 to pay for the hosting packages and some marketing for year two of this podcast. Please help by spreading the word on social media or by buying one of the perks which include the opportunity to sponsor future shows. This episode was completed in a single sitting, and it was difficult to ignore the phone, the social media, the people who I know passing me by in the coffee shop where I’ve prepped it, but I managed it by single handling. Master this and you will be more powerful than you can possibly imagine – and yes I realise I’m bastardizing a quote by Alec Guinness in Star Wars. I’ll end with the words of Alexander Graham Bell  “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. References: http://mastermindmatrix.com/knowledge-base/law-of-single-handling/ https://examinedexistence.com/12-fantastic-quotes-one-thing-not-multi-tasking/ http://www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/2016/inspiring-focus-quotes/ https://www.goalsontrack.com/blog/2018/03/28/the-law-of-single-handling/ Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity the podcast which helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 31 – WHY IT’S OK TO GIVE UP   If you Google why you SHOULD GIVE UP ON STUFF you’ll get a thousand hits that say the exact opposite - the message is strong and positive and seemingly sensible – NEVER GIVE UP – but this is not a black and white issue - there’s nuance here – You’ve already caught the episode title, and I say – let’s just wait a second here – and talk about this.   I mentioned in the last show in I’m waving the white flag and giving up on my passion for filmmaking – that is directing and producing films - AS I’VE HAD ENOUGH.   The amount of time and energy and money I have given to other peoples projects on which I have been invited, manipulated or otherwise drawn into, and on which I have been treated very poorly has gotten ridiculous. And many of these have never even seen the light of day.   And my own projects have been fewer and further between and have regularly been short-circuited as I’ve been let down by many of those that I put faith in - to the point where I find myself again and again - financially, mentally and creatively SPENT and no further forward for the effort.   To end this little rant I must also mention the complete waste of time that goes with interacting with the funding bodies in the UK, but that’s going to get a whole episode to itself in season 3 so I’ll leave it till then. In short, it’s a death to creativity following that path.   And I’ll frame this by stating that I am very passionate about filmmaking and making stuff that matters or is creatively interesting or fun or entertaining or all of the above. I’ve been passionate about it for years, and it’s been my main creative drive for at least the last 10 - but that passion has cost me dearly. I’ve got nothing much to show for it. A lot of awards yes: but in the grand scheme of things, seriously folks, they mean nothing at all. I’ve worked with some great people, and have had some fun and some creatively rewarding experiences and I am certainly proud of many of my films - but when looked at in the cold light of day the bad experiences far, far, FAR outweigh the good.   I’ve given up on a few friendships too - because some difficult, aggressive and manipulative people are just too abrasive to my life. Not having these people, no matter how talented or they are or how long I’ve known them – not having them in my life far exceeds the benefits I ever had from having them there. Every day I breathe a sigh of relief as I can be in control, without fear of the phone call or text that will manoeuvre my time and energy and wallet into someone else’s dreams or ambitions.   And I’m not the only one giving up on things. One friend of mine left a group she’d been working with for years as her priorities had changed and another gave up on screenwriting, a field in which they are both expert and experienced as he felt that the odds were being stacked against them – and for the record – I think they were too.   Lesson “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” — Seneca I list these examples to highlight that NEVER GIVING UP on something is romanticized in today’s culture, especially for creatives - but making the decision to give up on things or people you care about deeply about in order to get yourself back on track - is essential and often ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.   Time and again I talk here about increasing our self-awareness, of working ON your life and career at the same time as you find yourself living and working IN it. Self-analysis, though, is a great weakness of the creative, as romanticizing our work often blinds us to truths that would enable us to move on. It stops us from finding happiness and leads us into a headspace where we are no longer in control - FROZEN WITH AN INABILITY TO LET GO because we fear we may be perceived by others, or perhaps even in ourselves as failures. This is an extremely damaging place to be. F. Scott Fitzgerald said: “It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.” If you dig deeper in Google you’ll find some advice on this topic. LARA RUTHERFORD-MORRISON wrote an article for bustle.com which I’ll link to in the show notes called 8 Times That Giving Up Might Actually Be A Good Thing. She says - If you know in your heart that something is not going to work out. If you don’t want a thing (or person) any more. If pursuing your goal is making you really, really unhappy. If the only reason you haven’t quit already is because you’re worried about what other people will think. If the only reason you’re sticking with it is because you don’t know who you are without it. If pursuing this path, or staying with this person, is preventing you from going down a road that would make you happier. If your inability to accomplish your goal is making you hate yourself. Or If the idea of giving up floods you with relief. Then maybe it’s time you let go of that particular goal or dream or project or person, and give up on it.   MORRISON goes on to say that giving up doesn’t always make you a bad person, or failure, or a deserter, or whatever bad thing you’ve been telling yourself. Sometimes giving up means that you are someone who is mature enough to know when to cut your losses and move on, someone who has the bravery to protect your mental health, someone who is willing to take the risk of changing course.   Summing Up   I’m not saying that when you hit a bump that you shouldn’t persevere and I’m going to be tackling that topic in another show which will focus on Resilience, but I wanted to introduce to you today the possibility of a new way of thinking. When you consider everything, you must truly consider GIVING UP, and yes sometimes that might mean giving up on a dream, or a relationship or something else - that’s life– but it’s not the end of the world.   And we all have something in us that allows us to dream big, but we can get caught up in the vision or feel of the dream and that can stop us from seeing the bigger picture and re-evaluating our goal, or our dreams. It’s a positive mindset trap and that stops us from proceeding and succeeding with those goals.   I’ve given up on filmmaking in order that I can achieve other things, but I fully expect to revaluate my situation again and return, having had a holiday from the problems which will allow me to return with a freshness that could change everything.   Call To Action   Your call to action today is to take this opportunity to re-evaluate your situation – your dreams and relationships – and to seriously consider giving up on something or someone that’s holding you back.   Ending   Thanks again for tuning in to Today’s show. I hope that I’ve been able to help in some small way. You can help me still by spreading the word about the show. If you’re listening you could perhaps take a screengrab of it and put it out on social networking. With your help, the show will live on. I’m still planning a crowdfunder to pay for year 2 btw – so watch out for that in a few weeks time.   I’ll end today with the words of Napoleon Hill who said “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” Lao Tzu said “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, give up on something or someone that’s been holding you back and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: · https://www.bustle.com/articles/95182-8-times-that-giving-up-might-actually-be-a-good-thing · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Uyktpi6MA&feature=youtu.be   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A    

Show Notes: Transcript   Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity the podcast which helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 30 – LESS SCROLLING, MORE LIVING   The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung said “Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.”   I think that if he were alive today, he might say the same about social media, or more broadly about technology.   Earlier this year I broke one the unspoken social media rules by announcing on Twitter that I was going to quit social networking. At least I was - for the MONTH OF JUNE. But people say they are quitting all the time - to return a few months, weeks, days or hours later because they still need their fix.   I’d been hammering the social networking to promote this show from February through to May and I was tired of it. That said I do like social media. I like interacting with people, I like to hear feedback on this podcast and see people discussing it. I like the podcasters who support each other, I like the uber fans of shows like Outlander, and the boxer lovers who say my dog is cute. I like the film pros and the regular folk who get online and interact as a community. I follow their the links, watch their videos and read their chat - the thing is though that I like all of it a little too much - I needed to break the circle of addiction, so from the 1st till the 30th of June I went offline – And I kid you not - it was freakin’ awesome.   Editor Aysha Taryam said “Just as one goes on a fast or a body cleanse you owe it to yourselves to detox your mind, it will not be easy but easy never yielded lasting results.”   I found leaving social media easier than you’d think though. I planned it as I said, setting up some twitter, Instagram and Facebook posts to go out via the Buffer app and If This Then That or ifttt dot com to promote the show whilst I was offline and I just stopped. A long time ago, for time management reasons, I’d already removed all my notifications – but I deleted the apps from my phone and signed out of all the social networks on my computers.   And I didn’t miss it. Not at all.   I could go on at length about the various benefits of a social media fast, how it will improve your mood, how you will gain more free time or how you will get an improved sleep but let me focus on just one benefit today which will trump all others:   The main benefit of a social media detox is that it gives you an increased focus on what really matters. If you’ve not caught onto it yet “developing our self-awareness” is a large part of what this show is all about. That we must work on our life and career at the same time as we are living and working in it.   And I wasn’t aware when I went into this that my self-awareness would be so augmented by the experience but good lord it made all the difference. By removing the social networking/ phone checking habit from the spare moments of my life, I gained back those moments for thought, for planning, for focussing on what matters and for action. In the end, I realise that I needed to disconnect, in order to reconnect. And I achieved a few things along the way.   For example: I exchanged social networking habit for a swimming habit. Sounds like an unlikely alternative but it worked. I swim every day now and I feel better for it. My fitness is up, my movement is better, my knee injury is slowly improving and my mood is elevated. This benefit alone was worth the break. Next, I was able to coordinate and complete work on an unresolved family business matter that had been unresolved for 2 years. A huge amount of focussed work made this possible. Now, this might sound like a negative, but in the last two years I’ve had terrible experiences in filmmaking and I’ve decided I’m putting a stop to it. I’m not saying that I’m giving up but I’m not wasting any more time or money on projects or people where I am treated with disrespect, where I am manipulated or where I am scammed or mistreated in some way. The detox allowed me to genuinely consider my relationship with filmmaking and without the constant reminders that come up on there, I finally realised that, at least for now, I can do without filmmaking in my life and that I can better use my creative time elsewhere. This perhaps deserved its own episode so look out for it in season 3. I was also able to spend time with friends and to plan a holiday which I took last week - and to start to build the infrastructure for a new creative business idea. I was able to plan 28 or so new episodes for this show and a schedule for recording them. And finally, I was able to confirm that the time I’d been spending on social media promoting the show could be far better spent elsewhere. The reality is that only 1% of my social media followers and friends actually go on to listen to the show. The conversion of followers to listeners is very bad indeed. That’s just a few things that I achieved through my detox induced self-awareness peak but there have been many more.   Summing up   If you take one yourself you’ll learn to live in the moment and appreciate the life you’re living. You’ll regain time that is otherwise wasted and get on top of tasks that just never seem to get done, from small household chores to larger life-changing goals. You’ll also be able to make time for people, actual face to face time, not virtual - which is a far healthier way to maintain great friendships and relationships. Finally, you’ll also be able to avoid the competitive one-upmanship of popularity practices that, consciously or not, lead you to compare yourself to others and vie for your attention online. In 2011 the former Vice President of User growth at Facebook said “The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works.” He expressed regret for his part in building tools that destroy the social fabric of society.   Sanam Hafeez, a faculty member at Columbia University says “When you feel anxious because you haven’t updated your profile or aren’t ‘connected,’ that’s exactly when you should disconnect,” - “Being away for a month allows the brain time to create new neural pathways, which means new behaviours and routines begin to replace old ones,” - “So if you typically reached for your phone when you woke up to check Facebook, after 30 days, you would have adopted a new ritual, which is the new normal.”   Call To Action   Your call to action this week is to stop letting social networking dominate your life. I ask you to plan your own social media detox and stick to it. It’s as easy as just doing it, and when you’re finally offline, enjoy the experience and embrace your new found freedom.   Ending   One of the best quotes I’ve seen during my research is the title of this show “Less scrolling, more living” but I can’t locate the exact origin of it so I’ll just make it the title. I tried to keep this one shorter but kinda failed. I’ll leave it as it is and keep trying – these inbetweenisodes are tricky! There’s an awesome article on thegreatfull.com called tips for a healthier relationship with social networking which I urge you to read. I’ll leave a link to it and my other references in the show notes and I’ll be back again with another in-between-isode or two in about a month.   In the meantime - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://www.thegreatfull.com/tips-for-healthier-relationship-social-media/ https://twitter.com/The_Great_Full https://ifttt.com/discover https://buffer.com/ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/11/facebook-former-executive-ripping-society-apart   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Show Notes Hello and welcome to Film Pro Productivity the podcast which helps film professionals and other creatives to live a more focused, effective and HAPPY life. My name is Carter Ferguson and this is EPISODE 29 – TEN MINUTE MOTIVATION AND THE MVP   I often hear that subscribers are going to listen to the show again, “to take it all in” so this special “in-between-isode” is trialling a shorter more on point format to the show, between 5 and 10 minutes, but I’ll be making up for it by releasing twice the number of shows when season 3 launches in September.   I’ve not abandoned the regular format of the show though. You can expect episodes in season 4 and beyond to be a mix of both short and long formats and even include some interviews.   The Lean Startup by Eric Ries says that “If you cannot fail, you cannot learn.” and it’s not entirely clear to me yet if I can really get this to work, so I’m testing new formats between season 2 and 3 so that I can iron out any issues that are not yet apparent before I go ahead and record the 24 new season 3 shows. Testing your PRODUCT or in my case FORMAT before diving headlong into things is what I’d like to go into here today.   A few years ago I got one of the first prosumer 360 cameras in UK. I realised that the technology was amazing and that there weren’t many people doing it and I immediately made moves to offer it professionally. I bought the website name of 360 Film Scotland, had logos designed, had t-shirts and fleeces made up all branded and put it out there that I was available for work. I trained down in London at no small cost, shot loads of freebies to put on the site and push out there that I was available and the work was really cool and what happened? Nothing. No one was interested. Or to put that more directly, no one was interested in paying for it. It was a real battle as people just didn’t know what it was. There were other problems too. YouTube hosted 360 videos but they weren’t available yet on Facebook or Vimeo, and another thing, 360 videos were a nightmare to make. They were hugely time-consuming and the earlier software packages didn’t work too well with each other. I wasted more money on the full latest version of premiere and bought special plugins to add logos etc and at the end of it all, after a huge amount of effort, I threw in the towel.   Here’s the thing - If I’d taken a few weeks to test of the concept BEFORE I jumped all in, I would have discovered many of the problems which in the end caused me to abandon the project and move back to regular film making. Which between you and I, I far prefer.   I quoted from The Lean Startup earlier as author Eric Ries details the concept of the MVP within it. Like the other productivity techniques from the business and lifestyle worlds, I believe that the principles behind developing a MVP or Minimum Viable Product can be applied directly to the creative and film worlds. “A minimum viable product or MVP, is one with just enough features to satisfy early customers, and to provide feedback for future product development.” Niamh Isobel Reed in “The Startup” points out that “minimum” and “viable” are not substitutes for ‘lazy’ or ‘settled for’. It means the simplest that your product can be. Creating a MVP forces you to boil down your concept to the core functions it needs to have, in - to solve a problem simply, elegantly and effectively. It allows you to get feedback from your customer base or in my case here my listener base or audience and adapt it to improve.   Now a screenwriter will usually sketch out their story line or plot before diving into a full blown 1st draft and we could consider this outline to be the MVP of their script. A designer will make sketches of various elements of a production before they commit to a presentation of their concepts to a producer or director so this isn’t entirely new information.   Summing up   I learned a few things from my experience with 360 Film Scotland. I found the limitations of 360 video and realised that really – I wasn’t that fussed with it. It’s amazing technology and it has its place for sure - but in the end, it really wasn’t for me. The thing is, of course, I could have found all that out before I committed quite as much time, mental energy and money into it if I’d first trialled it in principle as a MVP.   Call To Action   Your call to action today is - If you are planning something new - why not build yourself a minimum viable version of it first - and find out if it will actually work if it will have an audience or if it will even hold your interest. You can add the bells and whistles later.   Ending   In the next episode, I’ll be talking about the benefits of TAKING A BREAK FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. I’ll end todays show with the words of children’s author and designer Eric Carle “Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don't forget to have art in your life - music, paintings, theater, dance, and sunsets.” Now - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity.   • The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu • You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com • You can follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity • Please support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review.   References: https://medium.com/swlh/what-makes-for-a-good-mvp-26826949a7c0   Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  This show is the last of season 2 and today I will encourage you yet again to take control of your life and work and dreams and ambitions by adopting the productivity techniques that I have talked about here on this podcast. Call it a motivational talk if you will, but by recapping on some of the key techniques I have introduced here, I will show you how you can gain back control of your life and take positive action to move forward. As usual, I will do a quick recap on last week’s episode before moving on to the main subject and that show simply recommended 5 more awesome and mostly free apps which are useful for improving your productivity. One thing I have discovered since releasing it is that Apple no longer has the Call Recorder app I recommended in their store, but I have linked in last week’s show notes to several similar apps in order to cover this. Sadly it does seem that Apple is charging for a number of apps that you get for free on Android but I guess that’s the way they roll. If you missed the episode then please go back and check it out as there are some awesome apps in there that will make your life a hell of a lot easier. I’ve wasted too much time on apps that are supposedly good for productivity but have turned out to be not much use in the long run. What I can guarantee is - if you adopt and utilise any of my suggestions, and it’s worth noting is that they are largely free to download and use, that you will thank me later. Can I just add that if you would like to recommend your own favourite apps for productivity for inclusion in a future episode then please get in touch as I’d really appreciate your input on this topic.   THE LESSON Kenneth Branagh’s definition of success, he says, is CONTROL. This doesn’t mean that he’s a control freak - it just means that he wants to be driving the bus. In his career, in his personal life, in whatever he does. I believe that if you don’t actively take control by assuming a level of higher level thinking as I talked about in episode 1, then the chances of you getting where you want to go in your life, or in your career will be near zero. Getting yourself to a place where you are in CONTROL is the basis of this episode. It’s all too easy to get yourself into a state of mind where you feel trapped. Where you feel like you are missing out on your dreams or your goals and ultimately in your happiness because of a decision - or a series of decisions you had made along the way. Those decisions, oftentimes made out of necessity, which were the correct things to do at the time, might ultimately leave you with a feeling of dissatisfaction or indeed, downright unhappiness with where you are now in your life or your career.  You may feel that although you are successful and happy in one area of your life and work that you have lost control or direction in another.  I’ve called today’s show YOU HAVE THE POWER, but I was very close to calling it SAVE YOURSELF. You see buried under the weight of the day to day distractions, commitments, fears and anxieties that you find yourself sometimes lost or trapped within, it really is only you and ONLY YOU that has the power to get yourself out of trouble and back on track. My feeling is that unless you actively work to defeat these distractions and negative emotions that they will drag you down. They smother your hopes and dreams and cling to your time and your mental energy like barnacles – You have to take the hammer and chisel that the productivity techniques I talk about here offer you, and chip away these problems, one at a time. Once you start to do that you will soon get back control and create the ability to steer things in a direction of your choosing. Motivational writer and philosopher Steven Redhead says that you must “Start living by taking back the control of your life now! Create a life more in tune with your true desires.” There are a few parts to that statement I want to reiterate. The START LIVING part is essential – When you start to consider the larger picture, everything that follows will be driven by what you learn from it, and that can only happen if it goes hand in hand with the second essential part - CREATING A LIFE WHICH IS IN TUNE WITH YOUR DESIRES and I would add your VALUES. If you are unhappy, stressed, frustrated or simply lost, then you may feel that the life or career you’d hoped for is slipping away or is already so far out of reach that you have given up. You must remember though that stress and worry over your problems, depletes your energy reserves, solves nothing and actually blocks you from thinking about solutions. In the very first episode of the podcast I said that you should begin to work ON your life and career at the same time that you find yourself living and working IN it - and to do this you needed to develop that HIGHER LEVEL OF THINKING I mentioned a minute ago. I believe that we all have the power to take control, to a degree at least, over our lives but that it is only possible if we engage our minds in strategizing how to do it. Author of ALPHABET SUCCESS Tim Fargo said that “Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today.” and that “If you want to get ahead you must slow down and focus”. Fargo’s advice to “slow down and focus” is the key to getting back control. Look back to my episode on KILLING THE MICROWAVE MINDSET for more advice on slowing down btw. With well thought out, focused strategies we can create long term plans to achieve what we seek in life. Author Steve Maraboli says “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't.” Now productivity encapsulates a large degree of positivity, but sometimes I have to offer advice that is more of a REALITY SLAP than a positive affirmation of what you would like to hear. After I made my feature film, which was distributed by Cineworld and had some success, I was told by the main Scottish film funding organisation, that they would not fund my project development because someone else already had their backing and as someone new to the game there was simply nothing for me. They actually told me that they would NEVER fund me which was quite aggravating, but it was a REALITY which at least they were honest about. The reality slap I ask you to accept is that there is such a thing as SUPPLY and DEMAND. Everyone, right off the bat - can’t be the Director, or the Cinematographer, or the Writer, Designer, Lead Actor or Actress as these are limited positions. Some roles have tons of demand, while others have very limited demand. I don’t mean don’t aspire to that role, just don’t be shocked if the job isn’t there for you when you go looking for it and don’t be shocked if you have to be a camera assistant for a few years before the first opportunity comes along for you to be the DP. Remember that nobody owes you anything. Just because you want a position doesn’t mean someone is required to give you a job. You must demonstrate you can create value for people, or else they’ll find another person to get things done. Creating value means learning things other people don’t know btw. It means doing things other people aren’t willing to do. It sometimes means working for free to demonstrate you’re capable of performing. It means taking on tasks no one else wants and turning them into something better. It means working harder than everyone else. It means demonstrating you’re worth keeping around and worth paying for. And I want to just hammer this one home a bit further with this quote from Gary Vaynerchuk - “A penguin cannot become a giraffe, so just be the best penguin that you can be.” And one more by Charles T. Munger – He said “To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want. The world is not yet a crazy enough place to reward a whole bunch of undeserving people.” I wanted to make that point as there’s a fine line between confidence and delusion – and it’s important you recognise this. If you are getting hot and bothered about getting nowhere fast in your life or career, then persistence and patience maybe useful allies on your journey. If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while you’ll already have the productivity techniques at hand to help you clear the space in your life, your work, your time and your energy to take a breather for a wee while, make a plan and get yourself moving again… this time - in a direction of your choosing. I’m referring to the earlier Tim Fargo quote of course - “If you want to get ahead you must slow down and focus”. I’ve just spent 6 weeks (amongst other things it’s fair to say) writing, producing and hosting this podcast for which I receive no payment whatsoever but I’ve CHOSEN to do this and with that choice comes satisfaction. By assuming a position of Higher Level Thinking I realised that I at certain points in the year I can now afford to work on my own creative projects, this being one of them. I accepted that I don’t have full control over my year. That I can work on other cool and interesting projects with cool and interesting creative people during the larger part of the year to earn money and pay bills, but in the quieter parts of the year I have a tremendous opportunity to advance my own creative endeavours when my work is quiet. I am not sitting on a pile of cash here, but to a large degree at least I am in control of my own life and work. I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer to this question but I’d like you to ask yourself - WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU? It’s something you simply must consider if you genuinely want to take control and move forward. WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE? I can’t help thinking of Simon Synek’s book FIND YOUR WHY when I talk about this SO perhaps you should also ask yourself WHY YOU WANT WHAT YOU WANT? If you know what you are trying to achieve, and why you want to achieve it, then you will be able to determine what success will mean to you. Making these decisions will mean that you can focus on what really matters. Peter Drucker says “Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient that which should not be done in the first place.”, and what we are getting down to here is what I talked about in episode 3. That to give yourself the best possible chance of success, you need to PRIORITIZE WHAT IS IMPORTANT OVER WHAT IS NOT. Considering, as I said before, WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL AND WHAT YOU CANNOT will also save you a lot of wasted time and effort. Do you understand? I could go into a number of other factors here, but that’s what the full podcast episodes are for. A contender for chief amongst the lessons here is that - you must look out for toxic people who will get their claws into your time and energy and ensure that your own dreams always come SECOND. Listen to Episode 24 for advice on that one, or Episode 18 for advice on protecting your mental energy as that’s way up there in importance too, but I’m going right back to episode 2 to give you the final piece of advice on gaining control… You have to -  have to - HAVE TO – Learn to say NO. Zig Ziglar says “The first step to getting what you want is to have the courage to get rid of what you don’t.” I’ve written a note on my board for season 3  to do an episode on PEOPLE PLEASING which is a big problem for some of us, and it ’s likely a huge problem for you if you have trouble saying NO to people. Here’s the thing though. Unless you can find the strength within you to start saying NO to things that do not further your own dreams or goals in some way, then you will forever be putting your own dreams and goals second or third or tenth in line to someone else’s and you will NEVER gain control of your own life, or work or creative endeavours. Go right back to episode 2 and have a listen, it’s one of my earlier ones so forgive me if it’s less polished but check it out and take note as YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST LEARN TO SAY NO - you must get over this in built need to people please as the cost is too high. STOP WORRYING ABOUT UPSETTING PEOPLE – If they do get upset because you say NO is that someone you even want in your life anyway? Your life won’t fall apart because you’ve prioritised your own things over theirs. STOP FEELING GUILTY – Why is saying NO to someone causing you this guilt? Saying NO to someone isn’t a moral issue. Saying NO to someone isn’t doing anything wrong – so why feel guilty about it? The fact is that saying NO is doing something right for you, and in the long run saving you stress through overwhelm of over commitment. Stella Adler has a quote for actors which I think I can hijack for general use on this point.  She said – “You need a kind of aggression, a kind of inner force. Don't be only one-sided, sweet, nice, good. Get rid of being average. Find the killer in you.” Maybe you need a bit of that killer instinct to get what you want too. James Doohan, who played Scotty in Star Trek served as a captain in the Canadian Forces and led men into battle on D-Day, said later in life that he didn’t want control, he just wanted to be told what to do. He said he’s spent his military years ordering people about and when that career ended he just wanted to be the best actor he could be. At a glance that may seem that he didn’t want control but he made his decisions along the way, became the best actor he could be and he was happy.  Remember that to be in control you don’t have to be the boss. “You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.” Napoleon Hill, unquote. CALL TO ACTION As this is the last episode of the series, their likely won’t be any more than the odd inbetweenisode for about 3 months, so I think that’s plenty of time for me to give you a major Call To Action. If you want to gain control over your life, or your career, or your training, or your creative projects, or free time, or whatever you set your mind to then take the steps I have discussed and that I list here now to do so. Remember too to write all it down as when you take that action it greatly increases the odds of your succeeding in your endeavour. DECIDE ON WHAT SUCCESS MEANS TO YOU. Decide what you are trying to achieve. SAY NO TO ANYTHING THAT DOESN’T FURTHER YOUR DREAMS, GOALS AND AMBITIONS. This will find you time you thought you never had. PRIORITISE WHAT IS IMPORTANT OVER WHAT IS NOT. MAKE A PLAN. Write it down and stick to it. Slow down. PLAY THE LONG GAME. And 5 – BE CONFIDENT BUT NOT DELUSIONAL. If you follow these steps and you will gain control, slowly but surely over your life. Take control and make your life happy. ENDING Internationally renowned psychologist Irene Kassorla said, “The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand.” So if you feel trapped, restricted or cornered in some way don’t worry. This too shall pass. Take the steps I suggest to gain back control. You’re going to be ok. Everything is going to be alright. Thanks once again for taking the time to join me on this season. I hope it’s been beneficial and enjoyable for you to do so. I’ll take this opportunity to recommend a few filmmaking podcasts which you may find of interest. Check out Alex Ferrari’s awesome, Indie Film Hustle, Ian O’Neill’s How They Did It Filmmaking podcast, The Filmmakers Podcast which has a number of presenters, but I’ll give a shout out to Giles Alderson as he’s a great supporter of this show, and finally the very first podcast I listened to, the brilliant, Dave Bullis Podcast as I’ve been looking for an opportunity to plug it all season and it’s a great show. Next season I’m considering splitting the show with a new format of 6 interviews with productivity authors and 6 solo shows, but you’ll just have to wait and see what happens. It will come around in approximately 3 months and if you’re very lucky you will get a bonus inbetweenisode or two in the break. Please follow the show on Facebook @filmproproductivity or on twitter @filmproprodpod if you’d like to stay up to date with what’s going on. I also have personal accounts on Instagram and twitter @fight_director Now, take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next season on Film Pro Productivity. The music you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com PLEASE get in touch via the contact page on the website if you would like to suggest new topics for the show and I encourage you to use the Speak Pipe Voicemail service there as I love to hear who is listening – it’s completely free to use. Please support this podcast by subscribing, leaving an AWESOME review preferably on iTunes where it really seems to matter in podcast terms and by spreading the word and getting folk to listen. That’s why I do this after all. Have a great summer! Thanks: A Himitsu   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A Sources: http://www.sean-johnson.com/why-you-cant-be-anything-you-want-to-be/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc4Y72CpHwQ

  Today’s show is all about KILLING THE MICROWAVE MINDSET and replacing it with something much more realistic. If you can understand the concepts I will be raising here and apply them to your life and work, and particularly to your skillset and long term goals then somewhere down the line, they will deliver massive and impactful results. I’ll get into that a bit more in a minute but if your head has ever been filled with one single thought, or a string of thoughts or even a memory of something you just can’t change that just keeps repeating… and repeating… and repeating itself, then you have suffered from RUMINATION. In the last episode, I tackled this damaging affliction which kills creativity and sucks away your energy and I offered up solutions to help you beat it. For those of you that took on the call to action, I hope that it’s made a difference. Don’t forget that you can always update me with how you are getting on or even offer up new topics for future episodes via the official website filmproproductivity.com contact page or catch me on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @filmproproductivity. I do like hearing from you on this sort of thing and of course, if you missed last weeks episode please do check it out. This might be one of those slightly mind-bending episodes btw but hang on in there. The solutions are simple and very powerful. ANECTDOTE Let me set this up a bit by giving defining a term you may have never heard before. It’s detailed at urbandictionary.com and it is MICROWAVE MENTALITY – It means “having the attitude that if something can't be done in 5 minutes or less, it's not worth doing.” It’s a kind of a blight on the modern world and it’s a mindset that’s becoming quite prolific. James Randi once said that the New Age, that’s now if you are wondering, is “just the old age stuck in a microwave for fifteen seconds.” And I think I see his point… I really don’t want to sound like I’m dissing the people, but if you want an analogy to represent this problem then here it is. It’s an analogy I’ve used before - but once or twice a month – not a YEAR, a MONTH - I get a message from someone, usually a Karate Champion, saying they want to be a fight director and that they will “help me” in inverted commas – I don’t ask for or need any help - for free if I can give them work and get them on set as a fight director or an assistant. And I’m like, what do you know about drama? Almost always, the answer is NOTHING - but that they are willing to learn. In my experience – that’s not quite true. Now I used to try and help people like this but now I don’t. First reason, Helping create a competitor when there’s so little work about would be utterly stupid. Secondly, because most people want to be a fight director as it sounds cool and doesn’t care enough about what it entails to ever be any good at it. I remember being stuck next to someone on a train that was chatting up a girl. He said to her that he did film and tv fights and I was looking at him – Scotland does not have a big pool of fight pros – anyway I was looking at him and thinking. NO YOU DON’T – That conversation went downhill from then as by the end of it he was telling her he could get her wacky backy if she needed any… and thirdly because in my experience, most of these people are willing to give it maybe a few hours, up to perhaps – and I’ll push the boat out here – as much as a day - then they want the same rates, the same respect and the same profile that I have with 800 credits and 24 years of blood sweat and tears behind me. If I did try to help them, you’re almost guaranteed that within a week of working with me, the words FIGHT DIRECTOR will appear on their social networks. Some of these people might even make it and I wish them well, but this sort of microwave mentality is not based in reality. I spent 7 years learning dramatic combat techniques under the tutelage of a fencing master, founder member of the Society of British Fight Directors and Olympic Fencing Coach Prof Bert Bracewell BAF – over the course of a few months we learned hand to hand combat, then we learned fencing skills in foil then sabre (which is the best skill for actors to learn in my opinion) then I personally went on to epee and coaching skills in those weapons with the British Academy of Fencing and beyond that I moved onto a variety of new weapons with Professor Bracewell like rifle and bayonet, sword and shield, rapier and dagger, trident and net. You name it I covered it but at the same time during all of that, I was learning about drama, with a 3-year acting course and years of commitment to learning at Scottish Youth Theatre. Frankly, I am still learning about it now, through my own experiences negative and positive. Getting good at something, anything – takes time. But we all wish and maybe even try to go for the fast and furious route to the top rather than the slow and steady. Today's episode could even have been called SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE GAME – but let’s face it - it’s not as DRAMATIC as KILLING THE MICROWAVE MINDSET. We must break the microwave mindset with reality - in the words of Darren Hardy, “small choices + consistency + time = significant results.” LESSON The life coaching demigod Tony Robbins says "Don’t live in 'No Man’s Land,' that place where you’re not really happy, but you’re not unhappy enough to do anything about it. Don’t passively accept what comes your way; drive your life toward what you really want." Taking potshots at the life you want to gain, or the goals you are trying to achieve just won’t cut it – You need to be consistent. When you suffer from a microwave mindset, all you can think of is instant gratification. We need to accept that this just isn’t a reality - Think of ourselves kinda like LIFE CHEFS putting together the ingredients and letting them cook in their own good time so that we can achieve the longer term goals for which we aim. I’m maybe pushing it a bit with my poetic analogy there, but the point I hope is clear. I’m not just talking about the Millenial Mindset to which this accusation is often levelled. In this age of microwave meals, fast food, social networking, internet answers to any question, Netflix movies on demand and Amazon dropshipping the mindset of MUST HAVE IT NOW is spreading far and wide. If you don’t recognise the microwave mentality in yourself, whatever your age, then you will certainly recognise it in other people – and that’s a big step towards fixing it. It means you can take the High-Level thinking approach to dealing with it. The first step toward change is awareness. The best way to become aware is to measure. Writing it all down is key. - Darren Hardy There are two theories I want to introduce here that may help to disrupt the microwave mentality. I’ll talk about Frontloading in a few minutes but first off lets discuss compounding - The Compound Effect is a book by Darren Hardy which breaks down the power of compounding for use in day to day life and explains how the term can be attached not only to monetary gain but to that of skill learning and achieving your goals. The compound effect is the strategy of reaping huge rewards from small, seemingly insignificant actions. AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS - The COMPOUND EFFECT US: https://amzn.to/2XhXb06 UK: https://amzn.to/2NoOsVk Mark Twain said, “Progressive improvement beats delayed perfection.” Moving forward toward your vision in progressively improving increments will take you much further than waiting for the perfect moment to start or indeed cramming in a load of effort in one day then giving up. What’s most interesting about this process is that, even though the results are massive, the steps, in the moment, don’t feel significant. Whether you’re using this strategy for improving your health, relationships, finances, or anything else, the changes are so subtle, they’re almost imperceptible. These small changes offer little or no immediate result Most people get tripped up by the simplicity of the Compound Effect. For instance, they quit after the eighth day of running because they’re still overweight. Or, they stop practising the piano after six months because they haven’t mastered anything other than “Chopsticks.” Or, they stop making contributions to their ISA after a few years because they could use the cash–and it doesn’t seem to be adding up to much anyway. What they don’t realize is that these small, seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference. Small, Smart Choices + Consistency + Time will deliver a RADICAL DIFFERENCE to the results that you seek. The book THE COMPOUND EFFECT goes far beyond this in its scope and I’ll likely have to tackle it in another episode, but for now, I’ll leave it there. If you do want to read it through I’ll put links to it in the show notes. The COMPOUND EFFECT A very simple example is the saying 'you can't run before you can walk'; the procedural memory built while learning to walk is necessary before one can start to learn to run. Pronouncing words is impossible without first learning to pronounce the vowels and consonants that make them up (hence babies' babbling). Abraham Lincoln’s possibly greatest ever quote, and he has a few, is “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” And that nicely sets up the second concept for dealing with the microwave mentality - Front-Loading – That of focusing your efforts at the beginning of a task. The connection for me is very apparent - the earlier you start making changes the more the compound effect works in your favour. Front loading is simply a productivity tactic for accomplishing more tasks at the beginning of a goals life. I apply the term specifically to that of learning skills, in combination with the compound effect I talked about a minute ago. Despite our very best efforts, we all know that It’s way too easy to get off track given the very busy lives we all lead so FRONTLOADING encourages us to schedule our most important tasks at the beginning of the process. CREATIVITY BLOG 99U says “Spend less time worrying about planning exactly how long every activity will take you to do and more time front-loading your calendar by putting your most important activities with deadlines early in the day and early in the week. For example, something due on Friday should start appearing in your schedule by Tuesday afternoon. And your amount of planned to-do items should decrease from Monday to Friday with ideally little-to-no new to-do items on Friday.” Tied in with this is something called THE 50% SOLUTION - a productivity technique which I think applies particularly well to those of us in the creative world and it goes along with the idea of frontloading very well. The 50% solution is the act of getting the whole of a goal done to a 50% standard, or quality of work, and then perfecting it at a time when it will give you a measurable result. Perfecting it with a series of revisions at your leisure. You quite quickly get over the hurdle and the stress of having an incomplete task on your todo list and then you polish it up. I applied for a writing residency place in January of this year and I used this system to get me going. The deadline was the 25th. I scheduled in my diary to submit it by the 23rd, but I front-loaded the vital parts of the application and accompanying materials to be completed a week before that. By doing this, I not only submitted on time, I submitted with my 2nd, 3rd and even 4th drafts of parts of the application form rather than the 1st and least strong of them. The fact that they then extended the deadline by another 6 weeks made my heart fall I have to be honest, but I knew I’d given it my best shot. There’s another productivity technique in play here which is one of my favourites. It’s based on something called THE LEAN STARTUP. It’s a business principle that says, if you want to start say - a bakery – that you don’t start on day one selling say cookies, bread, rolls and I dunno - donuts. You start on day one by selling just donuts. You sell donuts for a few weeks, and talk to customers and see if they want something new. What might that be? During the few weeks of business you’ve learned how to make donuts even better, even cheaper and even quicker, and you’ve learned that your customers mostly want cookies. So you start making cookies, and you sell them next to the donuts and you see how it goes, and because you’re not worrying about donuts since you’ve mastered that skill and that business model, you can put all your new efforts into perfecting your cookies – If you get where I am going with this, you work hard to perfect one skill or research one area before you start the next. What you don’t do is try to do it all at once - mess the whole thing up - overstretch your resources - and learns new skills that you just don’t need. You could use front loading for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly goals as well. You can plan for the week on Sunday and get out of the blocks strong on Monday, accomplishing as many of your weekly tasks as possible in the first few days of the week. You can start out the first week of every month very strong and for your greater life goals try to make the first month of the quarter a big one as well. This approach takes a lot of discipline but does wonders for stress reduction and productivity. I’ve frontloaded my schedule of production for this podcast too btw. I’m launching 12 new episodes with the 1st being released on the 24th February but I’m aiming to have 10 episodes already batch recorded by the 11th. This allows me to go back and refine them before launch and after launch if I feel like it. It also leaves plenty of time for me to create the marketing resources that are required for the social networking. When I launch on the 24th I’ll have them all recorded. I won’t have to worry that I can’t meet my schedule. If you want to try frontloading your own tasks and goals here are a few tips to help you along the way. Start with the end in mind. Start with your long term goal and then work backwards. Write down your quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals as well as the tasks necessary to get you there. These process goals are landmarks you can tick off so that you feel you are moving forwards. When I finish this episode I will tick off Season 2 Episode 7 on my whiteboard and I’ll know I only have 5 to go. It’s really great for drive. Determine what is truly important. Prioritize the activities that will allow you to progress towards achieving your goals and do them first. The other stuff can wait. That’s episode 3 of this podcast. Go back and have a listen. Get an early start. If you get up an hour earlier than your competition every day and do something productive, you will have a 300 hour advantage over the course of a year. Think about how much can be accomplished with 300 extra hours! Don’t multi-task. It drives down performance and wastes time. Look back at episode 10 for a full episode on that topic. Just getting started often results in completing an important task. Look back to Episode 9 for advice on that one. SUMMING UP Summing up here I’d say that killing the microwave mindset involves waking up and realizing that time is slipping through your fingers and following the advice of American author H Jackson Brown Jr, who says “You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life.” One of the known traits of highly productive and successful people, companies, and countries and a trait that makes the difference between the average and the superior performers is commonly known to be that they have developed “A SENSE OF URGENCY”. If you want to move forward from the microwave mentality and take on the challenge that compounding your energy and reap huge rewards from small, seemingly insignificant actions, then you need to start now and strategize your way ahead. It’s advice that flows from the productivity world from everywhere I look. Bob Proctor says “Everyone should have a sense of urgency – it is getting a lot done in a short period of time in a calm and confident manner.” Les Brown says  “We have to live life with a sense of urgency so not a minute is wasted.” And Ralph Marston says “Success requires both urgency and patience. Be urgent about making the effort, and patient about seeing the results.” CALL TO ACTION Your call to action this week is to look at a goal, perhaps a skill that you want to learn, and schedule a period, a realistic period of learning for it. If you want to learn new editing software, for example, It could be an exercise regime or cooking or something else, but schedule a couple of frontloading sessions perhaps over a weekend for it, maybe 3 hours each day, or more if you can handle it, but keep it realistic. - Then schedule a month of 20-minute sessions each day for you to master it. Take the techniques I have discussed today and make them yours. ENDING I hope this has been an interesting topic for you. I find it all quite fascinating and I present it here as I hope you will do too. Izey Victoria Odiase “Our need for instant gratification is the reason we’re drawn to liars and hot air blowers.” Beware of the instant fix or shortcut to your long term goals. It’s rarely a reality. And to finish up - DON’T GIVE UP WHAT YOU WANT MOST, FOR WHAT YOU WANT NOW. Thanks yet again for choosing to spend your valuable time here with me and as always - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com Please follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Thanks for supporting the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. Sources: https://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com/4-strategic-ways-to-avoid-developing-a-microwave-mindset-when-building-your-business/ https://www.yourdictionary.com/front-load https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulative_learning https://www.business2community.com/sales-management/time-management-for-sales-the-front-loading-technique-01332415 https://www.inc.com/adam-vaccaro/frontload-weekly-work-schedule.html http://meaningring.com/2014/10/18/the-compound-effect-in-action-by-darren-hardy/ Thanks: A Himitsu   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  On this week’s show, I’m going to talk about RUMINATING. I mentioned it in passing on THE INNER CRITIC episode 6 I think it was, but I’ll be expanding on it here and offering solutions. Rumination can take over your mind, kill your creativity, bring you down, make you paranoid and kill your love for life. It’s a nasty, nasty piece of work. Before I go on to that though let’s talk about last week’s episode. So switch off your mobile phones, stop letting yourself get distracted and let me recap on PROCRASTINATION. It’s something most of us have a bit of a problem with so I hope you found the episode useful. If you checked it out, how did you get on with the call to action? Have you applied the solutions to your life and work and if so, how’s that worked out for you? Remember you can always get in touch via twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @filmproproductivity, or on the official website at filmproproductivity.com/contact. The more adventurous amongst you might even want to use the SPEAK PIPE SERVICE on the contact page to leave a voicemail. I genuinely love hearing from listeners so please check that out. My final word on procrastination is this, and it’s a quote from Karen Lang - “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” And if you really have to procrastinate make sure you do so by listening to this podcast. At least you’ll be moving forward in your productivity skills. ANECDOTE As I said a minute ago, today’s show is all about a rather nasty, creativity-killing, negativity forming, stress, anxiety and paranoia-inducing ailment called RUMINATION. The Cambridge dictionary describes rumination simply as “the act of thinking carefully and for a long period about something” but that doesn’t go even halfway towards describing what it really is. Another online dictionary hits nearer the mark with "to turn over in the mind," and says it comes from the Latin “ruminates”. Healthline.com hits far nearer the mark – It says “The process of continuously thinking about the same thoughts, which tend to be sad or dark, is called “rumination.” Later it says that “a habit of rumination can be dangerous to your mental health as it can prolong or intensify depression as well as impair your ability to think and process emotions. It may also cause you to feel isolated and can, in reality, push people away.” This starts to give you an idea of just how dangerous rumination is for the soul. If your head has ever been filled with one single thought, or a string of thoughts or even a memory of something you just can’t change that keeps repeating… and repeating… and repeating itself, then you suffered or are still suffering from RUMINATION. To me, and I haven’t had it in a long time I’m relieved to say, “RUMINATION”  is the nagging incessant part of your subconscious that replays your failures and what if’s and only focuses on the negative. It’s not so much a voice - like the negative inner voice or INNER CRITIC I’ve talked about in Episode 6 - it’s more likely to manifest as thoughts, emotions or resentments that just keep looping in our mind and will keep you awake at night. Typically we ruminate about the past, including perceived mistakes and missed opportunities. I say perceived quite deliberately as some people find themselves ruminating over NOTHING AT ALL. It’s an incessant repetition of a problem without resolution and is common in those who suffer anxiety and depression as these conditions cause our brains to become less flexible and able to deal with problems. Rumination makes us rethink again and again and again AND AGAIN what we should have said or done and keeps kicking at us when we are down long after we can do anything to change it. It replays the unfair treatment (REAL or IMAGINED) we have received by others, by the government, by our employers or friends or family. Things that most of the time we can’t change anyway – especially in the wee small hours of the morning when these looped thoughts take root. Rumination is born of our bad experiences and it won’t let you forget them. I think I’ve used this analogy before but it’s true. I was once stopped by the cops for using a mobile phone whilst driving. Trouble was – it wasn’t true. I was driving along minding my own business and got pulled over. These two cops would neither look at my phone which would have disproved them nor search my car for another phone, which they suggested I had hidden. For 10 months I awaited a trial for this as I refused to pay an on the spot fine nor receive the points they were trying to force upon me, and I actually had to appear at court twice. Once to see if I’d changed my mind, which was infuriating, and once for the supposed trial. I lost the job of fight director on I think it was Case Histories, a big Jason Isaacs drama because of those idiots that made up a story to meet their quota as both dates I was booked for fights on it fell on the two court days I had to attend. That incident lit the fuse that finally led me to completely lose the plot because I couldn’t handle the injustice. Even now, injustice stings me more than it should, in any form. I played the incident over in my head 10000 times or more over the 10 months, getting more and more angry but do you know what? I stood up in court and I won the case. Even now, although I am perfectly happy with my life and position, I feel a fear of the time I was angry for 10 months – and it was so damaging to me - who has ruminated so much over that one incident - over the loss of the work and over the injustice – that I will never go to the police ever again. The damage is so rooted by rumination and I simply can’t trust cops. That’s their fault for lying, that’s how I won the case by the way – I caught them in a lie - and the fault of rumination for ensuring I’ll never forget it. But don’t panic folks. That small damage is left within me, and I live with it, it’s no big deal. A destruction of my trust and a clouding of my outlook certainly, but for the larger part I got over it and all is well. Peter Kinderman says that “Rumination tends to be eased if we learn to be mindful; if we are able to be aware of, and understand how our own thoughts work.” And it’s with that mindfulness that I live happily now. Let’s look more closely at what it is, why we do it and some solutions. LESSON Professor of Psychology Sonja LyubomirskyI explains that “The combination of rumination and negative mood is toxic. Research shows that people who ruminate while sad or distraught are likely to feel besieged, powerless, self-critical, pessimistic, and generally negatively biased.” In an article in Psychcentral, and I’ll link to all these sources in the show notes, we discover that Ruminating as a thing is “characterized by overwhelming self-criticism and negative self-talk about one’s failures and shortcomings.” We think that if we’d just done something better or had been better, the outcome would’ve been more positive. It is also is characterized by black-and-white, all-or-nothing catastrophic thinking, which is referred to as CATASTROPHIZING by the way, and if you don’t do it yourself, I bet you know someone that does. When we ruminate, we think things like “Why me?”; “Why does this always happen?”; or “Why did he or she say that?” The research on RUMINATION is quite prolific but it’s not something that I often hear discussed. We know what Rumination is now, but the bigger question for me is - WHY DO WE DO IT? Well, According to the American Psychological Association, we RUMINATE for a variety of reasons including: The belief that by doing so, you’ll gain insight into your life or a problem. Having a history of emotional or physical trauma – sounds like that was the root of my problem when I had it. Facing ongoing stressors that can’t be controlled. For listeners for whom English is a second language STRESSOR is a noun which means “something that causes a state of strain or tension.” Basically, it’s something that causes you STRESS. So just to recap on that one - The third they list is Facing ONGOING STRESSORS that CAN’T BE CONTROLLED It goes on to say that rumination is also common in those who possess certain personality characteristics, which include perfectionism, neuroticism, and who have an excessive focus on one’s relationships with others. These individuals might be consumed by what others think. The article in Psychcentral suggests a few other reasons why rumination might manifest itself. According to “The Psychology of Success.” Blog: It’s just human nature to ruminate. Our brains, which evolved over millions of years to pay attention to danger, tend toward negative thinking for the sake of survival. “Back then, if we failed to detect threats, like a predator, a natural hazard, or some other kind of aggression, it could cost us our lives and the chance of passing on our genes.” As such, our brains — thoughts and beliefs — are wired to detect and attend to negative experiences instead of positive ones. They next suggest that RUMINATION may be common in Individuals who have low self-worth. These people use absolutes like nobody will hire me, or nobody likes me, or I have to do everything instead of searching for productive solutions to their issues. “PEOPLE WHO ARE DEPRESSED AND ANXIOUS tend to show this pattern of thinking more often,” Research has shown a connection between rumination and depression. “Rumination dampens problem-solving and keeps people trapped in a depressive state.” People who ruminate don’t have much confidence in their solutions, so they aren’t proactive about alleviating their pain. Plus, rumination often pushes people away, further feeding the depression. CEO David Sikhosana says that “Overthinking is best known as creating problems that are never there.” And that’s a big part of the problem that ruminators face. The rumination of things that don’t really matter, breeds paranoia for problems that just don’t exist. Some might say of course well, what's so bad about rumination, it's all about problem-solving right? Psychology Today answers that while it's true that problem-solving and planning are essential to overcoming a difficult problem, people who ruminate tend to take these activities too far and for too long. It goes on to say that: People who ruminate will often spend hours analysing the situation, even AFTER they've developed a plan for dealing with it. Sometimes people will ruminate about the problem so much so that they never develop a solution to the problem. This is where rumination becomes really problematic. If the situation has you in a bad mood, rumination will keep that bad mood alive, and you will feel upset for as long as you ruminate and if you ruminate on the problem for days, chances are you'll remain upset for days. In my own analogy remember I was angry for 10 months, and probably still suffered for another year after that before I finally settled. And the research is extremely consistent. People who ruminate are much more likely to develop problems with depression and anxiety. Rumination is also connected to many different forms of self-sabotage. For example, if you ruminate on something upsetting a friend did, or is perceived to have done, it's going to take longer to forgive that friend and get back to enjoying time spent with them. If you hold a grudge and constantly ruminate on what that friend did or is perceived to have done even if they are innocent, you will forever destroy that friendship. But I’m not going to leave you hanging. There are solutions to the problem. I’ve learned some of these the hard way so listen up so you don’t have to. For me, the surefire best way to beat it is to try and DISTRACT YOURSELF. That goes really for any worry you might have, whether it’s a relative in hospital or the loss of a relationship, or just generally being down. If you start to ruminate and recognise it, which is part of the solution btw - find a distraction to break your thought cycle. Call a friend or do a household task - preferably something a bit more engaging. Maybe watch a film or read a book – that worked for me. I’ve got the ultimate distraction and that’s my dog Angus – If I caught myself ruminating I’m certain that just walking the dog would go a long way to improving my mindset. STOP YOUR TRAIN OF THOUGHT. Think or even tell yourself “Stop!” or “No!” when you start to ruminate. You can even utilise my higher level thinking strategy to manoeuvre yourself out of trouble. Try putting your repetitive thoughts in perspective. Writing it down will help this. When it’s out of your mind you may just realise that the problem is not important at all, and might be able to let it go. Another technique might be to take this further - PLAN AND THEN TAKE ACTION. You could - instead of repeating the same negative thought over and over again, take that thought and make a plan to take action to address it. Write it down on a piece of paper and be as specific as possible and realistic with your expectations. Doing this will disrupt your rumination. Once you have outlined a plan of action, take one small step to address the issue. Refer to the plan you made to solve the problem you’ve been obsessing over and move forward step by step, to resolve it or get over it. If perfectionism and goal setting has led you to rumination with GOALS THAT ARE UNREALISTIC, you may have to just revisit them and make alterations. Setting more realistic goals can reduce the risks of overthinking your own actions. I scheduled a load of stuff to happen at the same time as I am working on this podcast, but the jumping around slowed me down and almost ground me to a halt. That was solved quickly however when I took on my own advice from the multitasking episode and simplified my schedule. Now I am only working on the podcast for a few weeks, and I’ve moved my other goal-oriented tasks till after the 24th February when this launches. I’m zooming through my podcast stuff now as a result. An article I read in psychology today which is my starting point for this solutions section, suggests that HAVING MANY SOURCES OF SELF-ESTEEM is important for keeping you in a better mood and reducing your risks of rumination. The more sources of self-esteem you have, the smaller the risk that you will fixate on your perceived shortcomings. The self-esteem that I believe they are talking about is treating yourself with respect and taking good care of your health, development, and environment. If you are open to growth experiences and meaningful relationships, tolerant of risk, quick to joy and delight, and accepting and forgiving of yourself and others then your self-esteem will strengthen. You could try MEDITATION. It can reduce rumination because it involves clearing your mind to arrive at an emotionally calm state. When you find yourself with a repeating loop of thoughts in your mind, seek out a quiet space. Sit down, breathe deeply, and focus on nothing but breathing. If you think it’s a bit mental or you are uncomfortable then check out the app called meetups, or you may have luck on Craigslist or Gumtree, and find a group nearby that you can learn with. Meditation is big these days and you won’t have to look far to find others who practice it. Try udemy.com for video courses on the topic if you prefer to learn alone. TALK TO A FRIEND - Ruminating can make you feel isolated. Talking about your thoughts with a friend with an outside perspective may help break the cycle. Talking through your concerns can help, but make sure you pick someone who won’t simply ruminate along with you. Oh and try to stay off social media. Releasing you woes there may make you feel good in the short term, but you’ll get dragged down by it if you don’t get the responses you hope for. You may get a bit of interaction at first but over time, people will switch off to you and you will feel even more isolated. Talk to someone. Find real human interaction. If you really need it – TRY THERAPY. A therapist can help you identify why you’re ruminating and how to address the problems at their core. If you feel that somehow that therapy is over the top, get over it. Therapy exists for a reason and if you’ve tried what feels like everything else then it’s gotta be worth a shot. It’s not half as expensive as you think it is either, so stop putting obstacles in your way and pick up the phone or send an email. It’s a good way out of the problem. Finally – and this is one that really worked well for me. SCHEDULE TIME TO WORRY. What I mean is, put it in your diary. Put in 10 minutes at a specific time of day and allow yourself to worry only during that period. This simple psychological trickery really works. You give yourself permission to worry at that point and you will be able to let go far more easily at all other times. It’s a bit hippy-dippy you might think, but it’s good. So there are a few good solutions for you. I hope that they will help you if you believe yourself to be a ruminator. And if you want to bring an end to your repetitive negative thoughts, here are some changes you can make to your life to help you out. BE PROACTIVE - Use your higher level thinking self to identify the problems in your life and then start taking actions to solve them, one step at a time SET YOUR OWN EXPECTATIONS. Constantly work on building your self-esteem by taking care of yourself and doing things you enjoy and excel at. CREATE A SUPPORT SYSTEM. Having friends and family members, and maybe even a therapist, will distract you from your ruminating thoughts and will boost your self-esteem. SUMMING UP To sum up you must realise that it is absolutely possible to stop ruminating. It starts with high-level thinking, the practice of working on your life and career at the same time you find yourself living and working in it. So each time you find yourself ruminating, make a mental note of the situation you’re in. This includes where you are, what time of day it is, who is around you (if anyone), and what you’ve been doing that day. Developing ways to avoid or manage these triggers can reduce your rumination and allow you to take back control. A lot of what I’ve presented has been from psychological journals tempered by my own experience but I’ll just chuck in a thought or two further on the matter as we finish off -  firstly I’d say to try and avoid AVOID BLACK-AND-WHITE THINKING. If something has gone wrong, or you made one mistake, it doesn’t mean that your whole life is doomed. Cut yourself some slack and teach yourself to realise that black and white thinking just isn’t reality. And remember when you’re feeling low, that it’s easy to get caught up in believing that bad things are happening because of you. Don’t allow yourself to believe that you’re a victim. Having a victim mentality will not lift you up, it’ll entomb you in your fears and enslave you to things like rumination. I’ll end with the words of author Colleen McCarty I’m tired of being inside my head. I want to live out here, with you. CALL TO ACTION Your call to action this week is if you have a problem with rumination or you think you know someone that does - to tackle it head-on with the advice that I offer here today. If you don’t then revisit the advice I gave in episode 4. The 5 a day for good mental health system, with the acronym alive. Stay active. Observe the world about you. Interact with others. Help others. Keep learning new things. It’s all good for your mental health. ENDING I realise that this episode is not a particularly film pro one at all, but it is something that everyone may suffer from, from time to time and hope that it’s been useful for you. I don’t choose these topics lightly and I think this is important. Next week I’ll be talking about productivity topics such as COMPOUNDING, and FRONTLOADING in an episode entitled KILLING THE MICROWAVE MENTALITY. It’s one of those mind-expanding concept episodes so I think you’ll like it. Earlier I quoted Professor Lyburmirskyl or Professor Unpronounceable might be more appropriate for me. I’ll end with another one of hers as for me it represents the spirit of this podcast. “If you're not happy today, then you won't be happy tomorrow unless you take things into your own hands and take action.” So please don’t allow yourself to get cornered into anything that makes you miserable. Take control, seize it if you have to, and save yourself. It takes a little courage to make it so but if you can stand on your own two feet and move freely in a direction of your choosing, you will be happy. Thanks again for choosing to spend your valuable time here with me. Please - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com Please follow my personal account on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director or follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @Filmproproductivity Thanks for supporting the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. Sources: https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-reasons-we-ruminate-and-how-to-reduce-the-cycle/ https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-ruminating https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/overcoming-self-sabotage/201002/rumination-problem-solving-gone-wrong https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/depression-and-ruminative-thinking.aspx Thanks: A Himitsu   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  This week we I’ll be talking about another topic which every one of us likely suffers from, from time to time - PROCRASTINATION. We’ll look at what it is and its causes and list a few techniques and tricks that can be used to burn it to the ground and let you move forward with what you have to do. Last week was my longest episode at 29 minutes so I’ll try and keep this one short. In that show I talked about what I like to call, COLLABO-HATERS – or BAD COLLABORATIONS and how to avoid them. The episode ended up quite long as in my experience there are a lot of them about. If you’ve not experienced them then lucky you, but check it out as maybe, just maybe, it will help you to protect yourself in future. I still, despite my best efforts, find myself working with difficult or untrustworthy collaborators but I am very well prepared to face them down these days.  If you’re considering collaborating, just make sure that 1/ The person you are working with is brilliant and will bring something useful to the table – if they don’t then frankly, you should just do it yourself, and 2/ That their personality and values are in alignment with your own - This is as vital as the first but is the more difficult to identify. I also have a collaboration agreement template which you can download for free in the episode 20 show notes. Incidentally, I took on the subject partly because it was on my mind, but also because of the success of season 1 episode 12 TIMEWASTERS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM. This podcast has a broad listening base but it appears that these, TELL IT HOW IT IS, episodes are very popular. Later in the season I’ll be examining the topic of toxic personality types and will post a few warning signs about them for the unwary amongst us. That’s going to be an awesome episode but now - at last - let’s talk about - PROCRASTINATION. ANECTDOTE Benjamin Franklin said, “You may delay, but time will not.” And don’t we know it? Time just nips away at us every day and with every moment that passes I am aware that I will never see it again. As deadlines loom in fact, my stress levels can increase and make my INABILITY TO TAKE ACTION even stronger. I remember when I was at school, well I remember vaguely through the mists of time, to be honest, but I do remember - that there was one sure way to step up and get things done – and it’s identified in this quote by American cartoonist Bill Watterson “You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic.” I jest of course as the trouble with last minute panic, is that it’s rarely going to generate your best work - in fact, it’s barely going to cover the bases. I still however sometimes find myself pulling out a task just as it’s due and scrabbling about to complete it. Creatives like film pros and other artists have the additional problem of having to be creative sometimes on demand and the process of creativity for me at least - is rarely a one-shot thing. I mostly create and then I review, then possibly seek advice on what I have. I then move on to a second draft for example if it’s a script or a refining recut if it’s an edit. The process of revising our work is a powerful one but that can’t begin until we complete that first draft, and as anyone who’s been through this process knows, that first draft is usually the most difficult. My favourite quote on this topic, which is attributed to Ernest Hemingway and I use very often is that “the first draft of everything is shit”. Once you understand that basic premise and the power of the statement based on the works of the man who said it, it makes tacking your own first draft a lot more attractive. Time and again, and I’ve used this analogy in another episode, just after I shoot something, but before I edit, I find myself locked in a PROCRASTINATION LOOP. Checking social media and cleaning the house suddenly become the most vital tasks on my to-do list and I generate a sense of urgency for doing them first. In fact, I can find any number of far more important matters like organising the contents of a drawer, or surfing on eBay for stuff I don’t need which, had I not had a specific, perhaps imminent task to do, would probably be significantly less important in my mind. My procrastination in a situation such as this is fed by fear. I worry that what I have filmed is no good, or will not cut together as I’d imagined, and 9 times out of 10 this is completely unfounded. If it’s not unfounded btw your procrastination is maybe based on a worry or knowledge that there’s something tricky in there you are going to have to sort. Just remember that things are rarely perfect first time about. You can always revise and improve in future passes. And to dunk that one in the net, here’s a quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci who said: “It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.” He’s not wrong. THE LESSON In the novel David Copperfield, Charles Dickens writes that “Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” So like many of the subjects that I tackle here, proven of course by the previous one by Da Vinci, procrastination is not just a problem of the modern age, and although I am sure that social networking HAS contributed to the problem, we must also remember that Dickens didn’t have the advantages of the easy to reach research and inspiration that the internet offers us now. James Clear, in an article that I will link to in the show notes, says that “Human beings have been procrastinating for centuries. The problem is so timeless, in fact, that ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle developed a word to describe this type of behaviour: Akrasia. Akrasia is the state of acting against your better judgment. It is when you do one thing even though you know you should do something else. Loosely translated, you could say that akrasia is procrastination or a lack of self-control. The modern definition presented on a quick Google search is “the action of delaying or postponing something.” with synonyms such as dithering, delaying, and stalling. I list all this here, but I have a suspicion that if you are listening, that you know EXACTLY what procrastination is. Some of you may even be listening to this podcast when you KNOW you should be doing SOMETHING ELSE. Hopefully, this episode will get you back into action. So that’s what it is, but the bigger question is why do we do it? Do you think that you procrastinate because you are disorganized, lazy, or, worse, or because you just don't care enough! The chances are that this is simply not true. Procrastinators are very often smart, capable, hardworking people - they just can't get things done on time and can't seem to figure out why. There’s an article in Psychology today that asks 9 questions that could help you get to the bottom of your own why, and the answers may reveal the real reason behind your procrastination. When faced with a task, do you think of all the ways it could go wrong? Do you picture how important people in your life might react if you failed? Do you believe it's better to not try at all than to try your best and fail? If you answered "yes" to these three questions that may mean, like I have described in my edit analogy, that you have a FEAR OF FAILURE is behind your procrastination. The thought of putting in effort but still failing makes you anxious, so you choose avoiding and to procrastinate instead. The next three questions are: Are you overwhelmed by the possibility of new responsibilities if you are successful? Do you subscribe to the idea "If I do well, then others will expect more of me"? Do you feel your success will lead to other people finding out the "real you"? A "yes" to these three questions, may mean you fear not failure but SUCCESS. Procrastination protects you from the higher expectations and greater responsibilities that may come with succeeding. Like those who procrastinate because they fear failure, you keep yourself safe from facing your true limits by avoiding the challenges and putting things off. Do you believe that if you're going to do something, you should try to do it perfectly? Do you find it difficult to persist when things aren't going just right? Would you rather avoid doing something than do it imperfectly? If you identify with these, then perfectionism may underlie your avoidance. Because you believe that things should be done perfectly, the result is that NOTHING GETS DONE AT ALL. When faced with a task, you become overwhelmed and frustrated - paralyzed by impossible standards. While the reasons for procrastination may vary, the results are often the same - a seemingly endless cycle of anxiety, avoidance, and shame. Nothing gets done, and you can't enjoy anything with that guilt hanging over your head. I’m talking here like I’ve never tackled the topic before but of course I have. It’s difficult to do a podcast on the subject of productivity without some crossover between the episodes, and many of the techniques I will present here to overcome PROCRASTINATION are covered in depth in other episodes. Indeed the first topic of the season, that of drive will feed in directly to what I am saying and for some of you that identified with the final 3 questions there, top of the list of reasons for procrastinating is likely to be Perfectionism which I tackled in Season 1 episode 5. You can always go back and listen to those episodes, but since you’re here let’s get into some solutions you can apply right now and discuss ANTI-PROCRASTINATION STRATEGIES. This advice will be of no surprise to any regular listener of the show, but write it down. You can proactively tackle your work by writing down the tasks that you need to complete and specifying a time for doing them. Seriously. In all things, procrastination or not, remember that if you write a task down, you are 80% more likely to do it. I write it down on whiteboards in my office and at home so that it’s in sight and in mind. Several studies show that self-forgiveness can help you to feel more positive about yourself and reduce the likelihood of procrastination in the future. So forgive yourself for procrastinating in the past and move on. For some people the promise of a reward is helpful. If you complete a difficult task on time, reward yourself with a piece of cake or a coffee from your favourite coffee shop. That’ll make sure you notice how good it feels to finish things! The principle behind self-help groups is that peer pressure works. Find a fellow procrastinator or a friend and ask them to be your ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER. You can set each other monthly, weekly or bi-weekly tasks or goals and hold one another accountable. This only works if you both take it seriously though and see last week’s episode on bad collaborators to ensure they don’t drive you nuts at the same time. Next try some of my anti-procrastination systems from episode 9 – FOUR GREAT HACKS TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION. THE ONE TOUCH RULE, THE TWO MINUTE RULE, THE 5 MINUTE RULE AND THE 10 MINUTE RULE. These in their various forms will force you to tackle tasks as soon as they arise, rather than letting them build up and overwhelm you. They are very effective techniques which I use every day. Another article in Psychology today which I’ll link to in the show notes suggests that you should “Rephrase your internal dialogue. The phrases "need to" and "have to," for example, imply that you have no choice in what you do. This can make you feel disempowered and might even result in self-sabotage . However, saying, "I choose to," implies that you own a project, and can make you feel more in control of your workload.” But there’s a couple of specific things that I find particularly useful in keeping that procrastination habit at arm's length. The first is to Minimize distractions. Turn off your email and social media, utilise the do not disturb function on your phone and avoid being near a television or a PlayStation or whatever app or toy you like to use to distract you. My particular habit is Youtube addiction and I have to be very careful when researching these shows that I don’t end up watching cat videos or lens and kit reviews instead. The second is that there’s a book called EAT THAT FROG by Brian Tracy which is easily one of the most famous books on productivity and overcoming procrastination out there. I’ll link to in the show notes – but in simple terms, it suggests that you do your most important (could be difficult, awkward or stressful) job first. If you get those tasks that you find least pleasant out of the way early it will give you the rest of the day to concentrate on work that you find more enjoyable. In the book, Brian Tracy comes back to this 4-part combination over and over. 1 Select Your Most Important Task 2 Begin Immediately. 3 Work on It Single-Handedly. 4 Finish It!! In total, he outlines 21 great ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time so if you want to get into this even further, check it out. Just don’t let investigating anti-procrastination techniques in effect become your procrastination “crutch”. Just remember the 4 rules. Select Your Most Important Task Begin Immediately. Work on It Single-Handedly. Finish It!! It IS that simple. AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS - EAT THAT FROG US: https://amzn.to/2VnjGPF  UK: https://amzn.to/2BQDBz7 As a wee additional for you Keep a To-Do List to prevent you from "conveniently" forgetting about unpleasant or overwhelming tasks. Prioritize your To-Do List using the techniques described in Episode 3, which was the third of this shows preseason episodes. It’s available right now on your podcast app. And I’m quoting here from some article I found but can’t lay my hands on, Become a master of scheduling and project planning. Use tools to can help you to plan your time effectively, and reduce your stress levels. Tackle the hardest tasks at your peak times. Do you work better in the morning or the afternoon? Identify when you're most effective, and do the tasks that you find most difficult at these times. See the episode on mental energy to understand more about this, your most valuable, and finite resource. Set yourself time-bound goals. Seriously folks. Putting stuff in your diary will make all the difference to your drive. I’ve done several episodes on goal setting and the 1st of this season is all about drive so if you need a boost. Check them out. And finally, utilise the plethora of available task and time-management apps. I recommend Google calendar and TO-DOist and again I’ve done an episode on this so look back and have a listen if you want more suggestions. SUMMING UP Alan Dean Foster says that “The thing all writers do best is find ways to avoid writing.” If you recognise that in yourself, then I hope that this episode has been helpful to you. Like all the techniques, tips and tricks I recommend here, I actually use these things and they work. I also RECOGNISE when I am procrastinating and I think that in itself is very valuable. If we can’t be honest in ourselves about this sort of thing then we really aren’t going anywhere. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”. CALL TO ACTION And your call to action this week is to take your tasks, and if they are in your head, please, for the love of god write them down. Then use the system presented by Brian Tracy in EAT THAT FROG and Select Your Most Important Task Begin Immediately. Work on It Single-Handedly. And Finish It!! That’s all you have to do to beat procrastination and get yourself moving forward again. Remember the words of the late American author, Janet Dailey “SOMEDAY is not a day of the week.” ENDING Thanks once again for choosing to spend your valuable time here with me. Please take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, BEAT THAT PROCRASTINATION and join me NEXT TIME on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com Please follow the show on twitter @filmproprodpod or find me on facebook @filmproproductivity. My personal accounts on twitter and Instagram are @fight_director Please support the show by subscribing, leaving an AWESOME review on iTunes spreading the word! Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/in-the-age-anxiety/201301/get-it-done-in-2013-how-overcome-procrastination Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A  

  Today I will be talking about a subject that no one ever seems to discuss but it’s one that creatives have to endure perhaps more often than most. Whereas I can admit that sometimes collaborating on a venture can be awesome, there are times when it just ISN’T a good idea for productivity or for your sanity or career or goals or bank balance to do so. I’ll also discuss specific types of collaborator that you MUST learn to avoid. I’m itching to get into today’s podcast but as always though, let’s look back at last week’s episode and discuss how you are getting on with PROTECTING YOUR MENTAL ENERGY. That was another one which I feel very passionate about. It’s of such vital importance to our productivity levels that now that you understand what it is, I am hoping you have already started implementing measures to protect it. Please check back if you missed it as it presents some information which. Like today's episode, isn’t raised too often and really should be. This week I’m talking about creative collaborations with people, but not just any people. I’m talking about the ones that I’ve seen all too many of in my short time on earth– I’m talking about what I like to collectively call collabo-HATERS. Steven Spielberg talks about collaboration - he says “When I was a kid, there was no collaboration; it's you with a camera bossing your friends around. But as an adult, filmmaking is all about appreciating the talents of the people you surround yourself with and knowing you could never have made any of these films by yourself.” ANECTDOTE My professional behaviour and many of my own values were learned during my time as a student at Scottish Youth Theatre. The standard of training which I got there made some of my later, supposedly higher level training pale to near insignificance, and one thing that we did a lot of was COLLABORATION. Perhaps more correctly stated, it was ENSEMBLE WORK where COOPERATION was key - but within that ensemble the talent level was high and the spirit of collaboration was strong. We worked closely together to form tight performances based on a mutual passion for the theatre and mutual respect for each other and formed great long lasting friendships along the way. We staged some outstanding critically acclaimed shows and the spirit of collaboration, although firmly under the directorship of an incredible artistic director Mary McCluskey, was infused through all of it. In recent years though, I am sorry to say that I have found it increasingly difficult to find true collaborators “in the wild” as it were... I mean I have found many team players and good people, but it only takes one bad apple to ruin a creative project. They say that there is no “I” in TEAM …but these days I’m more likely to say – well that depends... The COLLABORATORS I’m specifically talking about are likely to be a partnership between two or perhaps three creatives who perhaps head a team such as a writing team, a director/producer or writer/director or co-writing partnership but I’m sure they exist in many other areas too. I can only talk of my own experience here. Sadly, I have LEARNED THE HARD WAY that getting hitched to the WRONG collaborator CAN lead to utter misery and a lot of angst and a lot of wasted time and mental energy. THE LESSON Harry Truman once said that "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." When true collaboration happens the way it's supposed to, everything becomes better. You SHOULD find yourself working faster, finding mistakes more easily, being more creative, raising the bar of quality and producing overall better work. I know this as I experience it on film sets every week. The well-oiled machine of a truly collaborative team effort especially when led by a steady hand is a beautiful thing but… …that said I’m sure that I am not the only one that has been scarred by the unpleasantness of bad collaboration. I suspect in fact that this is a situation which many of us face every now and again, and if you have been particularly UNLUCKY you will have found yourself in negative creative partnerships all too often. … and there’s really not that much out there, on the internet at least, that discusses what I perceive as quite a serious problem for creatives. There are a few articles aimed at writers, authors specifically, which I’ll put links to in the show notes but generally speaking it’s a lot of positivity about how awesome it is and next to nothing about how crap it can be too. I have the beginnings of an identification system, for recognising useless, flaky, untrustworthy or plain dangerous collaborators, or as I coin them here - collabo-haters. And I’m doing an episode on it as you need to watch out for these types of people. They will destroy – DESTROY – you’re creative projects and they will break your heart, dissipate your passion and ware down your soul - if you let them. Here are a few archetypes of bad collaborator.  These can stand alone or in their worst incarnations will be a combination of more than one type. By far the most common type that I have come across is THE HIJACKER. The HIJACKER you see is the supposed collaborator that sooner or later tries to ASSUME OWNERSHIP, IN PART OR ALL, OVER YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS or PROJECT. I feel like I’m the first to raise the topic of hijackers in creative work like filmmaking. I touched upon them I think in an earlier episode but let's get into it. The lowest level for me is, to put a name to it for this podcasts sake, the Low-Level HIJACKER. That’s the person who tries to invite themselves onto your project without you actually asking them. Typically this will be someone who turns a conversation about what you are doing, by the time you get to the end of it, into a project that they are doing with you. For example, you say, I’m doing this wee film about such and such, which then becomes them responding, oh we should do this in it. And you are like woh woh whoa there - “WE”? That’s the sort of person that somewhere down the line after you have shot it without them, will be overheard telling someone else how they came up with the idea but they’ll never usually try to take on a larger hijack as its just lies. I should perhaps have referred to them as the bullshitter, but you certainly don’t want to get into a collaboration with one of those either. Another low-level hijack might happen with someone further down the line in meetings when a team member tries to shift the direction of a meeting in a direction that suits them and won’t allow it to get back on track. To avoid this use Oprah Winfrey’s system for all meetings. She asks right at the start. "What is our intention for this meeting? What's important? What matters?" – and with that bookend in place, a meeting can be kept on target, and a low-level hijacker attempting to sidetrack the agenda can be kept at bay. So that’s what I will call, for the purposes of this podcast, a LOW-LEVEL HIJACKER. Now - A MID TIER HIJACKER - might manifest as a daily crewmember visiting set who has a skill. I’ve seen it in a camera operator who had decided they knew better than everyone else and just wouldn’t shoot what they were asked to do. I see these types quite often on either low to no budget projects or on bigger budget films where you perhaps have a first time director – For me when it happened, I let it slip at first, as I thought - this guy really knows what he is talking about and AS I HAVE A SORT OF BRILLIANCE VERSUS PAIN IN THE ASS SYSTEM which I apply when I work with people I figured - He acts like he knows what he’s on about – He acts brilliant. Maybe he is! WHEN THAT BRILLIANCE SCALE TIPS INTO THE PAIN IN THE ASS AREA, THOUGH, YOU REALLY NEED TO BE WARY. Sadly with the camera operator, I’m talking about, when I saw his work in the edit, it just wasn’t that good at all and I realised I should probably have pushed back a little more and made him shoot what he was asked to do. A daily helper doesn’t have a long invested interest in what you are doing you see, and some people like to come in and “save the day” and move off again. Sadly, like with the low tier hijacker, the only guarantee in their work is that they will be telling other people how they saved you in the time they were on set when they hit the pub later that day. Another MID TIER HIJACKER will perhaps be someone who hijacks your time or if you have listened to the last episode, who hijacks your mental energy. This goes into the area of time wasters which I tackle in episode 12. Time wasters will hijack your time by playing on your goodwill, or guilting you into doing something that suits them down to the ground and benefits them greatly, in the guise of it being a good idea for you, but in reality they leave you, in the end, feeling tricked or conned in some way as your own goals are left behind whilst you effectively work for them rather than with them… With HIGH-LEVEL HIJACKERS we hit Defcon 1 BEWARE BEWARE – These are ones that come in under the radar, and gain your trust - then do a less than brilliant job along the way, make mistakes and leave you to clean it all up, wait till it’s all finished, disappear completely for a few months of post-production telling everyone how wonderful they are and then when the film goes into the public eye they try to run off with the prize… And If you hear in my voice that I’m talking from experience here you’re f*ckin beeped outright. But even they are not the ones that annoy me the most. Those are dangerous people but the hijacker I detest most of all is the one that steals your voice or your reputation to use for their own ends. I once had an armourer call me and ask who someone was that had used my name to try and hire AK47’s for a job. I swear to god I had no clue who that person was – Turned out to be an extra. Someone else inferred I was a producer on their film and actually succeeded in borrowing two action vehicles in my name. I got called by the person that loaned them whilst he was on set who said who the hell is this assh*le ? Beeped out and I swear, I totally swear I had never met them! I did know who he was, but I only from reputation, and it was bad. He’d used images from a big show at Stirling Castle which I’d spent 3 months doing fight direction on in a document he’d sent out saying he was a stunt man. He wasn’t a stunt man either and he had NOTHING to do with that Stirling Castle event whatsoever. You’ll get people like that try to attach your name to film productions in development and even use your resume to gain trust until they get what they want and then they turn around and burn you. They’ll say they got there on their own and you get side-lined. These people exist and I dislike them intensely. So that’s the HIJACKER and I am sure there are more examples. But there are other types of collabo-HATER too. I got a bit of feedback on twitter for this section, and I won’t name names as I don’t want to get them into trouble but the first one that came up was THE FLAKE. That’s the collaborator that just turns into a loon and embarrasses you in front of a client or your crew or just in general and you find yourself inching away from them literally and figuratively. These people rear their ugly heads only once other people start interacting with them, and you realise that either they have no people skills at all or they are just plain rude and disrespectful. I hate seeing people treated with disrespect and it immediately turns me off a collaboration. I don’t like being embarrassed or finding myself having to apologise for someone, who appears to represent me. I’ve been lucky in this field, I’ve not got into bed as it were with too many FLAKES. The UNPREPARED is another collabo-hater that came up on my twitter discussion about this topic. That’s the person that turns up on the day when it’s all important that everyone is on the ball and you discover that they haven’t listened at the meetings, haven’t read the script or charged their batteries or prepared in any way and these collabo-haters are very common. I usually find that this is some guy or gal that’s got it into their mind that they are somehow DOING YOU A “FAVOUR”. They’re usually late too incidentally. I had this happen to me on a film of mine. Everyone was getting paid but this one guy somehow missed that tiny detail and called to that he was going to be late. In his mind, it was some unimportant short film. He arrived into a situation where I had some 40 cast and crew and a full dressed location set and a local star actor involved before he realised that it was a full serious shoot. He actually said, I didn’t realise it was gonna be like this, and I was thinking, so when you thought it was a p*shy wee film you were going to just give it your least possible effort. Believe me, you never want anyone on set that has it in their mind that they are doing you a favour because when they let you down, they’re doing you no favours whatsoever. Another I have identified is THE UNWELCOME GUEST. I heard a story that there was a really cool new production company formed and they were doing great stuff. They didn’t have much money though and the next thing I heard that someone had come along to help out. This wasn’t really someone they’d invited in, he’d kinda invited himself and was working for free. After he had his foot in I heard he was trying to creatively change or lead what they were doing and had caused what we in Scotland would call a stushy – or a great deal of upset. They had a devil of a time getting rid of this guy and getting creatively back on track to where they were before this uninvited collabo-hater came along. Michaela Watkins who plays Valerie Meyers in Casual says that Film and TV production is COLLABORATION and I absolutely agree with her, EVERYONE'S JOB IS INVALUABLE in the collaborative teamwork that takes place on and offset with all departments but as I work through this list I’ll just remind you that I’m largely talking about lead collaborators. I’m aware that this is another long episode so thought I should jump in with a reminder! The next collabo-hater is THE CHERRY PICKER This one is self-explanatory perhaps. The cherry picker wheedles their way through a production sometimes working quite hard, but leaving all the jobs they are disinterested into their co-collaborators. Cherry pickers need to be identified and dealt with as soon as possible. That said I will qualify this one as you may find that you match quite well with a cherry picker. I’ve seen awesome collaborations between people who enjoy the administrative side and those who love the creative. I raise it here as a problem collaboration if you have two people that really have the same skill set - it can be very disheartening for the one left to pick up the difficult and less engaging jobs within the partnership and in that situation ultimately IT WILL FAIL. THE SIDELINER is like a substrata of the hijacker and will start cutting you out of communications and make arrangements behind your back. These people think they are clever and if you let them get away with it they will become MARTYRS telling everyone who asks that without them, the production would have fallen apart. I’ve felt a bit like that myself sometimes but I think I’ve got over it now. I cut these people off as soon as it becomes clear that I’m becoming a glorified secretary and not an equal collaborator. This happened on a project on which I became the producer. After about two weeks I was finding out stuff I should have been aware off from the start and I got dropped right in it at an important meeting. After that and a third strike where he was just plain disrespectful, I dropped that guy like a hot potato and sent him a list of production co-ordinators instead. I was on board as a creative and active producer but he, it turns out,  did not want me to influence the project in any creative way. When I left, his project died. These people need fools about them that will do the hard work so they can start to play the part of CHERRY PICKER I mentioned a minute ago. And some of the hijackers will try to sideline you along the way too – Be aware of this as they’re some agenda usually behind their actions. THE COPYCAT – This is the person or organisation sometimes that STEALS YOUR BLUEPRINT. I’ve had it happen to me numerous times and this is the hardest one to spot. They’ll come on board to work with you, but sometimes as early as the next week you’ll see them using your templates or running a similar thing. My cousin is a painter and decorator – he has this with apprentices. I mean everyone has to learn somewhere but I tell you what I notice these days. Some people want a fast track to the top. They don’t want to do the hard work and gain the experience. They want what you have now. At least once a month I’ll get an email to fightdirector.com basically saying. I want your job. Please teach me for free asap. I’ll come on set and help you. YOU may recognise that one as the UNWELCOME guest. Look I could easily go on but I’ll leave it there. These are just a few examples of the sort of collabo-haters that are lurking in the creative world and you are far more likely to find that they are a collection of the ones listed here rather than just being one of the archetypes. You may find your own unique breeds out there too, but how do you deal with them? There is an old business concept that says you should hire slow and fire fast. That you should take your time when bringing someone into your organization and if it is not working out, let the person go quickly. It’s not quite that simple in real life but it’s worth considering. I need to temper that advice a little though by saying that if you wait too long to consider, all the best people might be taken. Use your heart to determine if a collaborator will be good for you, or not. SO WHAT’S THE SOLUTION? Finding out too late that you are working with a bad collaborator is awful. No other way to put it, but you needn’t as I have done all too often, throw in the towel and shut it down. There is no one best solution but… A good first step is to try talking honestly, respectfully, and directly with the problem collaborator about the issue. If you have set up clear agreements, which I’ll talk about at the end here, then revisiting them can make conflicts easier to settle. The goal of your conversation might be to gently inform your collaborator that the things are straining as they might not even be aware of it. You can identify which of your goals may be at odds and identify possible solutions together. It’s not easy, but it’s better than most of the alternatives. If that doesn’t work, you might try asking someone in a position of authority to mediate—a producer or someone in a similar position, or a respected, disinterested neutral third party. Sometimes though the best option is just to put up with it for the time being, but not carry out any further work together. In a worst-case situation, you will likely have to abandon a project. BUT I HAVE ANOTHER SUGGESTION Don’t collaborate in the first place. There I said it. Here’s the thing right - The first line of defence against getting hitched to the wrong collaborator is to ask yourself, do I actually want to have a collaborator? You should really ask yourself - Do you even need a collaborator? I know soooo many creatives that make the major mistake of inviting people to collaborate on a project without ever thinking it through. They’re so keen to tell people about it and get people involved in their next big scheme that they end up sharing it out and promising roles in it and crew jobs when it shoots. You need to learn to develop what I’d call a HABIT OF CARE and STOP THIS BEHAVIOUR. It’s just as important sometimes to learn not only when to speak up, but when not to speak at all. I also know creatives that, especially when they are putting something together and I’ve done it myself too, who will invite someone on board that really doesn’t have the skills or the drive or the standards or the talent sometimes, or if they do they’ll be invited on to help, not because they are needed, but really just to make the writer or whatever FEEL BETTER about what they are doing. This is a fast track to collabo-hating because when that person lets you down or disagrees with you and derails your project they’ll still have their name attached to it – ­­- and you won’t be able to get rid of them. If you invite someone on to co-write with you for example and you eventually sell the script and you know in your heart that you did all the work, you’ll STILL have to give away half the earnings to them. Just to make you feel better because you got a bit scared or lost faith in yourself in the early days. You didn’t need a collaborator to share everything with – what you actually wanted was ADVICE. You could have talked to a friend, you could have PAID a script doctor or other professional, you could have done anything other than pull in someone that wasn’t fully behind what you were doing AND SIGNED AWAY HALF THE PROJECT. I get approached by folk all the time asking me to read their scripts and inviting me on to produce or direct and in all honesty, I don’t have time anyway but what I say to them is this – You don’t want me to take your script or idea and work with you to take it further unless you want to pay me to do it of course as then I’ll be invested. To which they will be like – what? But I’m a creative genius and I’m gifting you this opportunity – But I still say - you want to do that yourself – Because most people will not be as passionate about your story as you will. And people don’t like to hear it but I’m doing them a favour believe me. I know people that have fallen out with me over that advice and you know what, that bothers me a little but – I stand by it. So with all of that said, somewhere along the way you’re going to decide yes, I DO NEED A COLLABORATOR on this one - so how do you find the RIGHT one. Well for a start you look out for all the negative signs that I’ve already listed here. You spot those signs and you avoid these people. Then you utilise that HABIT OF CARE and you choose carefully. Check them out. Ask others who’ve worked with them what they are like. It’s then you might find out that they constantly miss deadlines, or they act like they know what they are doing but really don’t. You find out then that though titled as editor or writer or director or whatever that someone else pulled them through it! And that happens all the time. You might discover that they don’t listen to feedback or are always going to go with their own ideas over yours, they’re all "take" and no give or they are terrible communicators. It’s amazing what can be discovered with a little bit of a background check and if you are getting into bed with someone creatively speaking you want to know if they are going to pull their weight. And when you’ve checked all this and you both think, you have found the right partner you then do the right thing and sign a PRE-NUP. Yes, I’m going to end all this with COLLABORATION AGREEMENTS and to sweeten the deal I’m going to include my own collaboration agreement for FREE DOWNLOAD within the show notes. A collaboration agreement is a PRE-NUP – It sets out what will happen if one or the other of you lets the other down and locks you together so you have a commitment to each other when you sign it. It sets out the terms in full, with dates and timescales and credits, and fees etc. and if you find that one or the other of you is not really willing to give up titles or whatever when things get real like this and they have to sign, then you find out well before you get into bed with a collabo-hater. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TYyxHUJn8h-IUdz7y4meBCzzJ_9KOk4n/view?usp=sharing  When collaboration is great it is truly great - in the words of fellow Scot James McAvoy “Filmmaking is a miracle of collaboration.” SUMMING UP To sum up, please remember that when everyone is NOT equally invested in an overall purpose and goal things start to fall apart fast. At the start, I said that I don’t fully agree that there is no “I” in TEAM … and these days I’m more likely to say – well that depends... Well, what I was getting at there is that I personally like a pecking order. I like to know where I stand and sometimes what you need to be is not the benevolent collaborator. Sometimes you have to be the team leader, and make solo decisions and taking that further sometimes you need to be the boss. The one in charge that listens to your teams' ideas and decides what way is best to move forward. Collaboration is sometimes just not a good idea! Brigitte Nielsen said it well and I think it’s appropriate – “I like to be controlled, but that doesn't mean controlled like a dog.” You can be a great collaborator and still be a great team leader. I set out into my career very much as a collaborator and I still enjoy that spirit of collaboration in all that I do. But I say the SPIRIT of collaboration quite specifically as ACTUALLY - I no longer seek true collaboration unless it is with truly BRILLIANT people. Take my advice btw and try to ONLY WORK WITH BRILLIANT PEOPLE. My best collaborations in recent years have been with Bryan Larkin, who is so much better than I am at so many things, but our skills have been complimentary and when we work together the work is always well received. Just be careful that in any collaboration you find yourself in THAT YOU HAVE NOT ACCIDENTALLY BECOME THE COLLABO-HATER YOURSELF. CALL TO ACTION The call to action this week is not specifically related to the content. It’s just to ask for some help. I'd really love for you to spread the word about the show. I have about 120 subscribers. I’d love to get more people listening and I need your help to do so. Please just tell someone about the show. Have a talk about collabo-haters and encourage them to check in and listen. I do this podcast as I want to give something back to the professional film community and the more people I have listening the better it will be. ENDING Now - I hope I’ve not totally put you off the idea of collaborating - just give you a few words of warning along the way. In the words of the Indian spiritual master, Amit Ray remember that “Collaboration has no hierarchy. The Sun collaborates with soil to bring flowers on the earth." For now though - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, watch out for collabo-haters and join me next week on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website at filmproproductivity.com Please follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @filmproproductivity Or follow my personal accounts on Instagram and Twitter @fight_director Pleas support the show by subscribing, spreading the word and leaving an AWESOME review. Without your help, the show will never find a new audience. Sources: https://www.smartsheet.com/collaborative-teamwork https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2017/08/22/bad-coauthors-how-to-avoid-them-and-what-to-do-when-you-have-one/ https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/oprah-winfrey-uses-same-3-sentences-to-get-every-meeting-off-to-perfect-start.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucalufZoCYY Thanks: A Himitsu   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  Today we’ll be delving into a business productivity system called the 4 DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION aka the 4DX which I believe will be applicable to the world of creatives like film pros. I won’t make this too long an episode as the system is fairly quick to follow but before I go onto it let’s look back at last week’s episode and which talked about Protecting Your Mental Energy. Mental energy you see is over and above time and money and skills and everything else, IS YOUR MOST FINITE AND VALUABLE ASSET. When you’re mental energy is depleted you are less able to be effective and just one side effect of this is that you can be easily manipulated. Have a listen if you missed it and get protecting your own MENTAL ENERGY. You can thank me later. ANECTDOTE In the words of that famous philosopher, LL Cool J, Stay focused - go after your dreams and keep moving toward your goals. I’ve talked a lot in the show about how focus is important if you want to get things done, and to get things done you really need a strategy, and if you have a strategy it must be designed to work towards your goals. Today I’m going to discuss how to execute on the strategies which will lead to you achieving your goals. The difficulty we face once a strategy is decided you see is EXECUTION OF THAT STRATEGY or the delivery if you don’t quite follow, your strategy. I am just about a third of the way through researching, writing and recording this season and I have a plan to get it all done, but it’s a tight and driven schedule of work and life gets in the way really every day. Today I’m slipping as I’m recording this right at the last possible minute. Nothing catastrophic will happen tomorrow but if I continue to miss the scheduled process goals for my main goal, roughly an episode every 4 days then by the time I hit my target date, I’ll be behind by at least a couple of episodes. Now I can pick them up after and the audience won’t really know if I am clever about that, but I have another series of new goals which land on the 1st of March, so if I miss my season 2 launch date it will bang into those goals and they will be put back. If I’m not careful my focus will change from aiming for success to just ensuring that I don’t fail which is a different matter. There are lots of things messing me up today. Last night I got an unexpected email about the second Dead End film and had to give up time then and again this morning to deal with it and I didn’t sleep well as it was involved. My car is off the road and that’s slowing my schedule too. I’ve scripts to read and communications to make and hoovering and shopping and life, in general, to contend with and come the 11th February I’ll be back shooting at the BBC so my time will shrink even further. In reality, I need to record as many episodes as I can before that date, which at time of recording is just 19 days away, so really one every three days and these things take time – in effect I’ve so much going on that I’m suffocating and my ability to take action is diminishing. My time and energy is getting sucked away. That situation that struggle of life and work and other things, disconnected from my main goal - is described in the Sean Covey, Chris McChesney and Jim Huling book THE FOUR DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION which calls it THE WHIRLWIND. When putting together the book they surveyed over 200,000 leaders around the world to find out why they struggle to execute - the answers varied, but the authors realized all their answers had one thing in common. The main reason leaders and teams routinely fail to execute promising strategies and important team goals are because they spend all their energy dealing with the whirlwind. The FOUR DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION is a system which cuts through that whirlwind of everyday life etc and I’ll be referencing the book throughout today's show. As always I’ll link to it in the show notes with a full transcript. AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS US: https://amzn.to/2H0PNQU UK: https://amzn.to/2EuoVHu LESSON The book says “The real enemy of execution is your day job! We call it the whirlwind. It’s the massive amount of energy that’s necessary just to keep your operation going on a day‐to‐day basis; and, ironically, it’s also the thing that makes it so hard to execute anything new. The whirlwind robs from you the focus required to move your team forward.” – unquote And it goes on to say that “The whirlwind is urgent and it acts on you and everyone working for you every minute of every day. The goals you’ve set for moving forward are important, but when urgency and importance clash, urgency will win every time." Dwight D. Eisenhower said that “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” I‘ll post the image for this in the show notes but he had a priority system which I’ve mentioned on the show before but never actually delved into. You can only benefit from the Eisenhower Method if you are willing to commit to making radical categorization of your daily tasks. This Method requires that you group your tasks and activities into four priorities, separated in a visual layout. So it’s a box if you can imagine with 4 quadrants. Priority 1 tasks are both urgent and important. Priority 2 tasks are important but not urgent. Priority 3 tasks are urgent but not important. Priority 4 tasks are neither urgent nor important. And here is how you can handle your tasks based on those Principles. Important/Urgent quadrant 1 tasks are DO TASKS – Get them done immediately and personally e.g. crises, deadlines, problems. I focus on these important things and take into consideration when they’re due. Important/Not Urgent quadrant 2 tasks are DECIDE TASKS and are done personally e.g. calling friends and family, researching, planning, gym, strategy. Unimportant/Urgent quadrant 3 tasks are DELEGATED TASKS e.g. interruptions, meetings, booking flights, some research, possibly some social networking. Unimportant/Not Urgent quadrant 4 tasks are DELETE TASKS just dropped e.g. time wasters, trivia, spam email, telemarketers, or you could include checking social media or watching TV. I’ve found that every time I’ve let urgency trump importance, I’ve regretted it. – Unquote, Trent Hamm So, that’s been a little aside but within what I am talking about here that may turn out to be quite useful. Coming back now to THE FOUR DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION the writers of the book discovered through their interviews that executing a promising idea or important goal amid a raging whirlwind requires discipline. It requires the discipline to deal with urgent items while remaining focused on what’s important. The sad truth is that this becomes a struggle which is almost always won by the Whirlwind, which dooms your strategy from the beginning. Why is this? Well, according to the Four Disciplines of Execution methodology, it’s because even the boldest strategy for moving forward won’t have an impact unless you centre it around execution. In the Whirlwind which is just all of the things, you need to do on a daily basis to keep things chugging along. They need to get done, but they don’t actually move the needle on your strategy. This leads to a struggle for attention. On the one hand, you have this Whirlwind of daily activity that demands your attention. And on the other, you have the high-priority responsibilities that will ensure your strategy is met. The Four Disciplines are all about realizing this and putting in place the practices you need to make sure the most important work gets done first. When combined, these four disciplines will allow you through determined action to achieve their goals on a regular basis. So what are they? Well, I’m going to refer partly to a summary produced by www.ProductivityGame.com here and combine it in with some more info. Jim Huling says that “Execution starts with focus.” and Jim Rohn said “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” - Discipline #1 is THE DISCIPLINE OF FOCUS. The first discipline requires sustaining the whirlwind at its current level while you advance towards what it calls one WILDLY IMPORTANT GOAL or WIG - W.I.G. A Wildly Important Goal, it actually says one or two but let’s keep it simple –remember the more you try to get done, the lower the odds of success of each of the goals you seek to achieve. Extraordinary results can only be achieved when you are clear about what matters most.  As simple as this principle may sound, few ever master it. To find your wildly important goal, DON’T ASK: “What’s most important?” If you ask that question, you’ll inevitably focus on the whirlwind because everything in the whirlwind seems important. Instead, ask yourself: “If everything else remained at its current level of performance, what one achievement would make everything else seem secondary?” In other words, if you didn’t need to worry about anything else for the time being, what one goal would you focus on right now? Try using the Eisenhower matrix if you are having trouble. And whatever that goal is you must be specific about it. The way they put it is that you must move from X to Y by (insert date here) So as an example again, my current goal is to Launch Season 2 – to get from where I am now as I record this on the 23rd January  and get from the 4 episodes I have recorded already, to 12 episodes recorded by the 24th of February. I have a super clear goal. The book says “Once you stop worrying about everything else going backwards, you can start moving forward on your WIG.” unquote Discipline 2: MEASURE LEAD BEHAVIOURS. With unlimited time and resources, you could accomplish anything.  Unfortunately, your challenge is usually the opposite. There are two measurements you can focus on while executing: LEAD BEHAVIOUR measurements and LAG RESULT MEASUREMENTS. Lag result measurements are measurements of the results you want. Lead behaviour measurements are measurements of the essential or critical day‐to‐day activities that lead to the results you want. With this podcast, if I create more content (lead behaviour) I’ll get more people listening, and more subscribers. And that’s a (Lag Result) In sales, for example, more sales calls (lead behaviour) lead to more sales (lag result). If you‘re learning a new skill, say the functions of a new camera, then the more time spent studying it and using it (lead behaviour) leads to more confidence in working it and faster operation of it (lag result). Measuring results can be frustrating though because it takes time for your actions to produce measurable results. That’s why they are called lag results. If you measure a value you can’t immediately improve, your willingness to execute will diminish. However, when you focus on a metric you can influence every day or every week, like a lead behaviour, you’ll sustain your level of execution. Seeing daily/weekly signs of improvements will increase engagement and drive the execution of your WIG. Your WILDLY IMPORTANT GOAL. Discipline 3: KEEP SCORE - Without a scoreboard, you or your team will lose track of your measurements, forget the score, and lose the will to win. Therefore, you need to create a scoreboard that includes your WIG (title), your lag measurements (line chart from left to right), and your lead measurements (bar chart below the lag measurements). I’ll post an example in the show notes. If you’re improving the lead measurement, and that lead measurement is corresponding to improvements in the lag measurement, then you’re winning. It’s suggested you write this up somewhere it can be seen I’ll be trying it out on one of my many whiteboards. The thing about keeping score is, well think about it in sporting terms. How much more engaged to fans and players get when their goals start to get scored. It really lights a fire to win. So disciplines 1, 2 and 3 according to Franklin Covey are nothing more than creating a winnable game and discipline 4 is how we play that game. Author Catherine Pulsifer said “at the end of the day we are accountable to ourselves - our success is a result of what we do.” and Discipline 4 is the discipline of accountability. No matter how brilliant your plan or how important your goal, nothing will happen until you follow through with consistent action.  4DX brings the practices that drive accountability and follow through, despite a whirlwind of competing priorities. The fourth discipline of execution requires setting up weekly accountability meetings with teammates or peers (not bosses or managers) but as a freelancer I suggest you put aside a session per week, I have half an hour on Friday afternoons in my diary, to assess how you are getting on, write up your progress and hold yourself accountable to stay on course. This is half an hour a week where you can also work on your life and career in a period where you are not living and working in it. Holding regular weekly accountability sessions like this or with people at your level (called WIG sessions) ensures you stay in the game. When you set up reoccurring weekly meetings with teammates or like‐minded peers to discuss your efforts, you strengthen your commitment to execution. During your WIG sessions (When working in teams these are usually 15‐minute weekly accountability meetings), do three things: report on last week’s commitment, or write it up if you are an individual, review the score and describe or detail in writing the actions you took to advance your WIG, and Commit to a lead behaviour improvement or a specific deliverable for your next week. SUMMING UP The book says If you ignore the urgent, it can kill you today. It’s also true, however, that if you ignore the important, it can kill you tomorrow. I hope that my potted version of the system has been of interest to you and I think it’s a really cool angle to approach getting things done. The book, of course, expands monumentally on the simple principles which I have highlighted here and as I said before, there will be a link to it in the show notes. I’ll end with a quote from Paul J. Meyer who said that “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” CALL TO ACTION Your call to action this week is to decide on a WIG or wildly important goal and figure out your X to Y by a specific date. If you are uncertain of your WIG then see if you can cut through that whirlwind of life and work and whatever you have on by applying the Eisenhower matrix to it. Move forward with your strategy towards your WIG and execute using the 4 principles I have detailed here. ENDING Next week I’ll be talking about a subject which I am sure will hit a mark with most creatives. It’s a long episode but you’re going to get a lot out of it. The topic will be Bad Collaborations, or Collabo-Haters as I have coined them. Until then please take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website at filmproproductivity.com Please follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or Facebook @filmproproductivity or catch me on my personal accounts on Instagram and twitter @fight_director Thanks for supporting the show by subscribing, telling people all about it and forcing them to listen at gunpoint if necessary and please leave an AWESOME review. Sources: Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJDliThj7g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADORZuvw9pw https://www.thesimpledollar.com/separating-the-urgent-and-the-important/Thanks: A Himitsu   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  Today I am going to be talking about Mental Energy and why ABOVE ALL THINGS it must be protected. I’ll talk about what it is, how to ensure it isn’t wasted and the huge difference that protecting it will make to your life. Last week I took on the rather involved topic of DRIVE and really went in depth to talk about what it was and how to find it and move forward. For those of you that have checked it out, I hope that it’s been helpful. Now I really agonise over the topics which I bring to you here and even change the topic altogether if I feel that it isn’t working. I measure the strength of an episode’s potential in the prep period and as a solo podcaster that means that I apply the lessons to my own life and work and only bring you things which I personally find to be impactful on it. In episode 2 (check it out of you haven’t already) I covered the topic of saying NO, as in my life, adopting that little word, and using it often, has meant that I have been able to take back control. I use it as kind of a shield. I let requests which will not further my goals, or which are not in alignment my values bounce off it so that I can say Yes to the things that really matter. It’s a simple premise but it will make a monumental difference to your life if you give it a try and the subject that I am talking about today, MENTAL ENERGY AND HOW WE MUST PROTECT IT, is closely linked to it. ANECTDOTE One of my favourite tweeters is Isaiah Hankel, and in his awesome book, THE SCIENCE OF INTELLIGENT ACHIEVEMENT he says that “Mental energy is the world’s hottest commodity. People are going to try to steal it, drain it, and suck it up every second you’re awake. Yet very few of us protect it. Few of us know how.” AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS US: https://amzn.to/2VgMR6M  UK: https://amzn.to/2VfxVG3  And if it wasn’t for Isaiah and his hashtag of #HARDTALK on twitter I wouldn’t have been able to put a name to this topic at all – He clarified my own opinion and I am eternally grateful to him for that. I am a total fanboy of Isaiah Hankel’s and we will be looking at what he says about all of this shortly. I’ve been working professionally in film and tv for 24 years now, and during 18 of them, I was caught up in what I will call a FREELANCER FEAR of letting people down or missing out on opportunity. Of not being able to pay my bills because I didn’t get enough work and that FEAR bred a sort of DESPERATION LED drive to be always reliable, to over deliver and to take not only every single paid job that came along but also to help everyone else no matter the cost to my own life or savings or time. I had this deep-set worry that my not being there and ready and willing would mean I let someone down. In the short films that I was making I covered the ass of anyone who was falling behind and tried to anticipate the problems of each and every department because I worried that, in the low budget world in which I was creating these films, that I was somehow unhelpful or might be seen as taking advantage of them and on those films it was ALWAYS MY OWN JOB THAT I came to prep last, and in the end - in day to day life as well as professionally - I stretched myself so thin that eventually, I snapped. And I’ve gone on about this before and don’t want to sound like some sort of martyr, but I snapped because I just never protected my mental energy. I didn’t understand what it was. I didn’t have the skills that I talk about each week on this podcast, all of which can be applied to make your life and work easier. I never had a podcaster (I didn’t know what a podcast was to be fair) telling me to think smart, to protect my mental energy and to say to me – Don’t worry. Everything is going to be alright. And remember - “Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.” Unquote. – Dale Carnegie So let me say that to you now. DON’T WORRY I’m here to help. Everything IS going to be alright. LESSON To get into this topic and help you understand what exactly I’m on about I must ask you this. Have you ever been asked to do something paid or otherwise and replied I’m sorry - I don’t have time? If so, great. Learning to say no in action, which I’ll get into later, but can you think of a time when you’ve said no, I don’t have time, but really did? When you had time, but not the energy to get involved?  What I suppose I am saying is have you ever said no and made an excuse or even apologised to someone because you were tired out? or because you wanted to just watch tv? or because you just wanted time to yourself? When you just didn’t have enough headspace to take on new things. It’s not that you didn’t have TIME to help someone, but you just didn’t have the head space. Well, that head-space is the mental energy I’m talking about and it’s YOUR MOST FINITE RESOURCE. Amy Morin, author of 13 things that mentally strong people DON’T do says that “Wasting brain power ruminating about things you can't control drains mental energy quickly. The more you think about problems you can't solve, the less energy you'll have leftover for more productive endeavours.” Has your brain ever been so cluttered with unfinished tasks, commitments to other people, grand plans and small ones, regrets of things long past, worries about what other people think or just might think or letting someone down, or with wording the emails you feel you need to reply to, or shopping lists of things to buy, birthdays to remember, and any other thing that gets stuck on your mind, that you feel so fatigued that you just can’t seem to achieve any of it That’s what happens when you don’t take care of and PROTECT YOUR MENTAL ENERGY. And the end of that journey by the way - is burnout. I quoted from Isaiah Hankel earlier as it’s his angle on all this that most precisely aligns with my own, and there’s a lot of articles on this subject out there – for me though, the only one that I fully agree with, is Isaiah Hankel because he doesn’t pull his punches. He says that “Mental energy is YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET. Without it, you won’t have the enthusiasm, motivation, drive, and physical energy to live a full rich life. - The problem is this asset DEPRECIATES RAPIDLY every day.” And that depreciation comes about through distraction. It’s why I urge you in episode 3 to do a brain dump and prioritize, and get all of your thoughts and tasks and worries out of your head and onto a piece of paper or a whiteboard. It’s why the first major topic of the entire series was about learning to say NO. The subject of Mental Energy is detailed at length in Isaiah’s excellent book, THE SCIENCE OF INTELLIGENT ACHIEVEMENT, and even that title, you may notice, aligns very closely with The Higher Level Thinking which I encouraged you to adopt right from episode 1. Isaiah points out that although “People carefully protect the money in their bank account and the time in their calendar, they do little to protect their attention.” And “Attention”, he says “is the gateway to your mental energy. WHERE YOUR ATTENTION GOES, YOUR MENTAL ENERGY FLOWS.” He also quotes several scientific studies in the book, stating that we only get about an hour and a half to two hours of peak mental energy and five hours or less of “near” peak mental energy each day. For the rest of the day, your mental energy levels are medium to low at best. But don’t worry - The good news is that if you get enough good sleep, your energy replenishes 100%. So now that we know WHAT IT IS, and how VALUABLE IT IS - I think it is especially valuable if you regard yourself as a creative and are constantly having to come up with new things, and out of the box thinking and solutions, then HOW DO WE STOP IT FROM GETTING AWAY FROM US and GET IT UNDER OUR CONTROL? “Taking back your mental energy is not a cakewalk. It’s a dogfight.” Says Isaiah Hankel, as it depletes so quickly again each and every day and every DISTRACTION, everything on your mind, will have a pull at it and tear a piece off. He also reminds us that more often than not you will discover that the direction in which your attention is flowing will be in the direction that suits someone else’s objectives. That’s the battle he is referring to. I go on and on about taking control of your own destiny, and getting control of your mental energy is a major part of that. You see your brain hates change and it likes distraction. It wants you to stay in this comfort zone of distraction you’ve created, wasting your energy on the wrong things—so it works to keep you there, but you can’t let it linger. SO HOW CAN WE BEGIN TO SAVE OURSELVES? Well, we’ve about come full circle as I’m back to using the word NO. If you want to protect your mental energy you need to get back control of your life and start saying no to the things in your life that really don’t matter, and saying NO as I have said before is as much about stopping yourself from saying YES as it is about saying no. You don’t have to say yes to anything that doesn’t further your own dreams or goals, no matter how it may make you feel. You need to shake off the negative connotations of the word and realise that far from being a negative force on your life, the word no is really the most positive. When you get back a modicum of control in your life by saying no to those things that don’t really matter, you will find yourself with time to consider those things that really do. Isaiah Hankel says about this, and again I’m totally in alignment with him, that you should Set “NO” as your default response. He says “Start rewarding yourself for being selective. Every time you say “no” you get one step closer to achieving TRUE SUCCESS.” He also says that we can protect our mental energy further if we stop “burning through our mental energy on emotional drama and the key to doing this is to learn to walk away from energy draining people.” Now I won’t go fully into this here as later this season I’m doing a whole episode on it but toxic people, Energy Vampires and Negative and Energy draining people—people grow stronger by feeding on your attention, who play the victim and create all kinds of drama to steal away your attention must be AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. We can also improve our odds by surrounding ourselves with positive people. Isaiah says to “Find people who energize you and keep you on track towards your goals. Then, hold onto them.” Humans are naturally social people. Building relationships makes us happy and gives us energy. Spend time with people who think positively, and have a lot of energy, and talk in a positive tone. It will make think more positively and give you energy. We can also take on activities which increase our mental energy levels. “Don’t forget to allocate time to friends and family, hobbies, etc. These activities provide excitement and keep you motivated. It seems counter-intuitive, however taking a break from work can actually help you get more work done. Having fun stimulates your brain in a way that improves energy levels.” And I’m going to ask here – is there anything you used to do, even as a child that you now no longer do but wish you did? Why don’t you consider doing it again? Seriously, why don’t you? By using the word NO you have created elbow room to manoeuvre in your life – so re-join that netball team, or make a model aeroplane or go hillwalking or whatever. It’s good for the soul. Also - Keep your mind stimulated but not overworked. Mental challenges will give you energy, but too much may leave you fatigued. Without enough challenge, you may become bored and lethargic. Try learning a new skill to stimulate your mind. And there are many more things you can do like meditate, or go for a walk etc but my favourite is to Declutter Your Mind – Do the brain dump. Get all of your thoughts on to a blank page or whiteboard – Please go back and listen to episode 3 to find out more about all this. Declutter your mind by delegating, setting reminders, taking notes, and keeping a calendar. Get it out of your brain and assess quickly what is vital and important in it all, what is incomplete and needs to be completed to give your mind a break – These incomplete tasks will really drag you down btw – and what you can completely illuminate. To avoid making mistakes, and to declutter your mind, keep as much as you can outside of your brain. For example, if you set a meeting with someone, put it in your calendar so you no longer have to remember it. Keep a to-do list. It will enable you to be more present and conscious of what you’re doing in a given moment. Delegate what someone else can do for you. These are all ways in which you can protect your valuable mental energy. SUMMING UP “Your mental energy is going to plummet throughout the day, certainly. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s only bad if it’s being wasted on people and activities that are pivoting you away from true success. Be selective and start saving your most valuable resource—mental energy—for the best things in life, not the worst.” Isaiah Hankel I would normally expand a little on the topic here but as Isaiah said it so well I’ll leave it at that. Well almost – I take grander ideas in these podcasts and focus them down to the essential but there’s something Isaiah points out in the book about having depleted mental energy and I personally think it’s the most important part of all of this. When your mental energy is depleted you become more easily manipulated and you can find yourself caught up in things that are not in alignment with your goals or your values. You need to be very wary of this happening to you so keep a raised level of awareness in regard to it and be careful out there. CALL TO ACTION Your call to action this week is to do a self-assessment. A brain dump to assess what’s there. Use the Prioritizing strategy from Episode 2 to help with this. Firstly illuminate the unimportant. Then look at what you can automate. Emails or weekly shopping for example. Then see what you can delegate – and do it. Next what is down there that you can put off until another day and deliberately procrastinate on it. It’s not important enough right now to take up brain space. And that will leave what is important, and concentrate on that. Move the details of your important stuff into a diary or an app and keep your brain free of this excess junk. Keep it clean and your mental energy will stay for longer. And if you’ve done a proper brain dump you’ll see that a lot of the stuff that’s been on your mind is not urgent, and some of it just isn’t even important and you can let all of that go. And if worry is your problem, I’ll be revisiting that topic later in the series. For now though remember the words of novelist  Arthur Somers Roche who wrote that “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” Don’t let worry for things that might never happen, drain your most finite resource. Mental Energy. ENDING Thanks again for listening. Please please please spread the word about the show and get more people listening in. I need you to spread the word for me as there’s only so much I can do with no money and social networking. If you do fancy supporting the show btw there’s a direct link to donate on the official website too. It’s at the bottom of each page. It costs about £300 a year to keep it going and at the moment I pay for that myself but as you never know who is listening I thought I’d throw it out there! Next week I’m delving into the principle of the FOUR DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION. I’ll be talking about how you can have the goals and the plans but if you don’t have a clear means of executing your strategy you can still get stuck in the seeds. The 4DX as it’s known will help you out of that. Until then please take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, PROTECT THAT MENTAL ENERGY and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website at filmproproductivity.com Please follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or Facebook @filmproproductivity or catch me on my personal accounts on Instagram and twitter @fight_director Thanks for supporting the show by subscribing, telling people all about it and forcing them to listen at gunpoint if necessary and please leave an AWESOME review. Sources: https://welldoing.org/article/why-mental-energy-is-your-most-valuable-asset https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJvTloFVqts https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/8067675.Isaiah_Hankel https://buddhaimonia.com/blog/10-daily-rituals-that-will-increase-your-physical-and-mental-energy https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/15-ways-boost-mental-energy-levels.html   Thanks: A Himitsu   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

  And it’s good to be back with the 1st episode of season 2 and today the subject is DRIVE. How to find it, how to maintain it and how to harness it. I always start new episodes by recapping on the last but today I need to recap on the last two. Episode 15 was all about setting and achieving your goals and was placed at the end of season 1 as it’s an absolutely vital one –If you KNOW your goals then you can focus on what is IMPORTANT and PRIORITIZE those things over others. I also released a NEW YEAR SPECIAL which details Jinny Ditzler’s incredible book Your Best Year Yet. If you missed that one then I urge you to go back and check it out. I finally completed my plan for my best year yet on the 4th January and have been using it to drive me towards my own goals for this year and I guarantee you if you take it seriously that it will do the same for you. I’m going to flag it as essential listening for you if you are serious about productivity. Before I go to DRIVE I’d like to talk about a few changes that I have made this season as a result of what I have learned from the last. You may have noticed over the course of season 1 that the episodes got a little longer than the 10 minutes I’d started with originally. I realised as the season went on that points which require the listener to think about and absorb new information, needed longer pauses placed after them before I moved on to the next topic and started lengthening the gaps in recording after I’d made a point to allow for better comprehension by the listener. So as I move into season 2 you can expect shows to run at nearer the 10-20 minute mark as a result and a couple of them will get up to nearly 30. It really depends on the topic. ANECTDOTE DENIS WAITLEY the American motivational speaker states that “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” And the athlete ROGER BANNISTER who was the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes said something similar “The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.” Generally speaking, I seem to have what is referred to as DRIVE. I’m not a hundred percent sure when or where I got it, but I have it. At least I have it sometimes… I had the drive to get off my butt and prepare this podcast for example and to be truthful as I finalised my research and wrote up my notes to record this I could happily have sat down and watched some TV show or relaxed instead. But I didn’t. And here is why. Last year I made a decision that this podcast was something worth doing and I created 15 episodes. No one paid me to do it. I just decided to start and here we are. I am recording this podcast because I want to do it. For most of us, however, wanting to do something is just not enough. So what additional SPECIAL POWER did I muster to bring this episode to you right now? You really want to know? It’ll sound like I’m bullshitting so be warned… I er… WROTE IT DOWN. That’s it. That’s THE SPECIAL SAUCE I used to make me move my ass… and you may have caught this from me in an earlier episode but there’s NOTHING QUITE LIKE A DEADLINE to give you a kick up the backside and create a bit of DRIVE. I simply decided that season 2 will launch on the 24th of February, and maybe it might slip a week if I get a lot of work, but I’ll aim for the 24th of February and I’ll research, write and record 12 episodes which will be ready to release by that date. These deadlines are part of my Best Year Yet plan and one of my 10 larger goals for the year, so I took that goal and that release date and I worked back from it. I wrote that this episode, number 17, would be completed by the 12th of January, and I’ve done the same for the next 11 episodes recording every 4 days or so after that. This is no small task, but I’m doing it. I record in batches before the release of a full season, and I have written what Jenny Ditzler refers to as process goals in my Google diary, to ensure that each and every episode, and it’s social networking marketing images etc will be ready by the time I launch. But what else is involved in finding your drive? Putting aside the obvious one that gets us to work (earning money) let’s look at some others. How’s about DETERMINATION for one. That’s part of it. It might be determination to win, or just to beat someone else to the finish line, or maybe it’s just to achieve something for yourself, but with DETERMINATION, you can fuel your drive. Hand in hand with that is probably PERSISTENCE. Relentless persistence. There’s an awesome Napoleon Hill quote that goes “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” And that’s one I find hard to argue. PASSION too is a contributing factor. Let me throw an Oprah Winfrey quote at you for that one Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. FOCUS is part of it too, as without that I’d have been sidetracked along the way. It’s one of the cornerstones of productivity and I’ll Pull out my old Bruce Lee quote book to push that one home. He says something like, the SUCCESSFUL WARRIOR IS THE AVERAGE MAN, WITH LASER LIKE FOCUS. I suppose another reason, off the top of my head, is commitment. I announced in the previous episode that this season will launch and I have to deliver, for want of a better way of putting it, to save face not only with those that listen but for myself. And then there’s DEDICATION. I had a whole host of reasons for doing this show, and I am dedicated to continuing it. As I said earlier, I want it to help people and that makes it all easier. Frank Lloyd Wright was quoted as saying “I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” So with all that said I also think I know why, on occasion, I LOSE DRIVE ON MY OWN PROJECTS and I think its FEAR that halts me. I’ve experienced this time and time again just after I shoot something, but before I edit. A sense a fear that if I try to pull it together into a finished piece, that I will somehow have messed it up, and that the people I have worked with on it will be disappointed or that it will just be no good. I cover this topic quite specifically on my episode about the inner critic, but here it is again, alive and well and killing my drive. THE LESSON If you feel that you have lost your drive, believe me, you are not alone. We all find ourselves in a slump of sorts now and again, and some people really just never seem to get out of it. We have all sat NOT doing things WE KNOW WE SHOULD and gotten MORE AND MORE FRUSTRATED as we see others in our field advance and move forward while we seem to be stuck in neutral. I would think you may agree with me that, as creatives, we often lose DRIVE not just for work created for others, but also for our own passion projects. What I am focussing down on here is perhaps MOTIVATION. What motivates the drive within us? Well, there are two sides to that. You have: Intrinsic Motivational factors: Deeply personal values and beliefs. These are what I draw on in creating this podcast for example. And Extrinsic Motivational factors: and these would be tangible rewards, such as pay, or even consequences like punishments. The carrots and the sticks. The Daniel Pink book entitled DRIVE, which I’ll link to in the show notes, presents many scientific studies which prove believe it or not that tangible extrinsic rewards actually undermine feelings of autonomy and actually result in decreased motivation. AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS US: https://amzn.to/2E6Xh1J   UK: https://amzn.to/2Et72Je  Quoting directly from the book, he says… “When it comes to motivation, there’s a gap between what science knows and what business does. Our current operating system–which is built around external, carrot-and-stick motivators–doesn’t work and often does harm. We need an upgrade. And the science and research show the way.” He is specifically talking about BUSINESS in this quote – I’d like to point out though, that the creative industries can only consider themselves INDUSTRIES if those of us within them think, at least on some level, in terms of business. And show business is show BUSINESS after all. Whether you are listening as a film professional, other creative or simply as in interested individual getting into a business mindset can be no bad thing for your productivity. “If you don't drive your business, you will be driven out of business.” said the Scottish-born American founder of Forbes magazine B. C. Forbes I raise this as if we want to learn how to master our own creative drive then we should begin to understand what is behind it. We need to engage our high-level thinking again. Daniel Pink says that DRIVE has three essential elements: Autonomy – the desire to direct our own lives. Mastery — the urge to get better and better at something that matters. Purpose — the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. So let me expand on that as you must recognise these elements in picking up and dusting down your own drive. I’ll go on to some applicable solutions shortly. So Autonomy – that’s just a fancy name for doing what you want to do. If you have autonomy you are more likely to have DRIVE. It’s also one of what they call the six principles of adult learning that adults are internally motivated and self-directed. When you make choices relevant to your own objectives and you have the freedom to assume responsibility for those choices, then you are more likely to find the drive you need. That’s Autonomy. Mastery is the next one. Quite often you will find that drive comes easily in learning new skills, or in skills for which you are improving, or just want to get better at. It’s NOT about IN-BORN GENIUS or talent for these things. It’s just about getting better at what you do. If you are seeking mastery of something you will find the tenacity of effort required to get there. Seeking mastery of any skill or task, and the feeling that you are improving are strong contributing factors in achieving inner drive. All great masters go through a rigorous apprentice phase as they learn not only about the topic at hand but about themselves. It’s through that process that the focus to improve is better, and with that comes drive. “Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” ―W. Clement Stone /Unquote Finally Daniel Pink talks about Purpose: The yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. Perhaps we are talking about destiny here or certainly a deep desire to achieve a worthwhile endeavour. I suppose that’s where I find the drive to do this podcast. A NEED to do what we are here to do. “Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” Said John F. Kennedy, unquote. So now that we have an idea of the principles behind what creates a strong inner DRIVE a little more fully, let's look at a few solutions and hacks to get things moving. I’ve based this section on an excellent article from THE CUSP which I’ll link to in the show notes. Firstly: GOALS – episode 15 was all about goals, and in terms of drive they help because not knowing how to start is the most daunting part. Whatever you are doing, whether it’s writing an essay, or shooting a film or loading that dishwasher - Figure out one specific goal that’s achievable now. When you see the path, it’s easier to forge ahead. Be specific though and write it down, that is probably not necessary for the dishwasher goal, but I digress. I’ve said it several times before. Scientific studies have proven that if you write something down, even on a post-it note, it doesn’t have to be a novel - Then you are 80% more likely to do it. Next - And a few of the rules that I talk about in episode 9 are based on this, JUST START IT – The problem most of us have is that we’ve got no momentum. Make a commitment not to complete your task but to do just a few minutes of it. When you get started, you may just find that you complete the whole thing. Next, BUILD ON LITTLE WINS and FORGIVE TINY LOSSES - When you keep your stakes small, your achievements encourage you to keep going, and you can easily rebound from misfortunes. If you washed a load of dishes, for example, it’s easier to put them away while you’re there. Conversely, who cares if you didn’t edit your film today? Forgive yourself for not doing the whole thing, and sync up the footage instead so that you are more ready to edit tomorrow. You’re still working towards your goal. Make these larger goals a sum of their smaller parts. RECOGNISE EBB AND FLOW - You physically can’t maintain energy and focus all the time. You’re not a machine. Try attacking a task, in short, intense bursts interspersed with breaks, rather than trying to ‘push through’ or ‘stick at it’. And don’t overcompensate for a bad day by trying to work twice as hard the next. You’re setting yourself up to fail and establishing a vicious cycle. GET SUPPORT - “Motivation comes from working on things we care about. It also comes from working with people we care about.” —Sheryl Sandberg /Unquote - True drive comes from within – but it’s nicer with passengers. Spending time with family, friends, colleagues and mentors – meeting for coffee, or even a quick phone chat – can help you enrich and recharge. Gravitate to energetic people who make you want to be better. But beware social media. Don’t waste hours in a feedback loop of checking notifications and thinking up witty comments. You’re only making procrastination feel productive. I’m guilty of that one… TREAT OTHER PEOPLE AS INSPIRATION, NOT COMPETITION - Because everyone wears their game face on social media, you can get the false impression you’re lagging behind. Everyone struggles sometimes, with something. Remember with social networking too that you’re not seeing reality, you are seeing the edited highlights of someone’s life. The photo which they have chosen to release, not the one in which they look like a fat oaf. BTW I’m particularly good at deleting pics in which I look like a fat brainless oaf from my phone before any would ever be released publicly. And remember that other people’s success doesn’t make you a loser. You need to adopt an “If they can make it, so can I!” attitude. I was the year below Kevin McKidd at drama school and when he left he I think did a tour of The Silver Darlings and then was in TRAINSPOTTING. I bumped into someone that was in his year and I said, isn’t it amazing about Kevin? That guy was so down, so annoyed at Kevin’s success that I think even now, 25 years later he’s still annoyed. Kevin was always brilliant, and I was genuinely happy for him. Try and kill the negativity and adopt the “if they can do it, so can I” attitude. In addition, the novelist Michael Korda points out that “One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.” In an article published on LIVEITFORWARD.COM the creator Kent Julian talks about how to Get Your Drive Back if you’ve lost it somewhere along the way. I think this advice is invaluable. He says DO NOT Try Harder, and I absolutely know where he is coming from on that. Figuring out how to get your drive back is not about exerting more energy or pushing harder, it’s about creating space to find your mojo. The first secret to how to get your drive back is to slow down and intentionally look inward. He calls this approach leading your life from quiet and just like you have to stop driving to put gas in your car, LEADING YOUR LIFE FROM QUIET allows you to stop pushing to put fuel in your life. This is exactly why I say in episode 2 that getting back control of your life starts with saying NO often, and meaning it. That gives you the breathing space to start gaining control. Kent says that the key for him is to set up a regular time to lead your life from quiet and to follow through with it consistently. I suggest that you set aside an hour or so at a specific time every week to consider where you are at, and what you need to do to move forward. His second tip is to Live It Forward. He says yes, stop pushing, but that doesn’t mean you should completely stop moving. You should live it forward by taking small, positive steps every day. Don’t look for one, big, magical step to take that will somehow solve everything. Mojo builds as a result of taking consistent, simple actions every day. As you take these positive steps forward, your drive will begin to build again. The American-Italian racing driver Mario Andretti says that Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek. SUMMING UP I’ve largely been talking about drive to do bigger life-level tasks here today, but if you have trouble with getting the drive to do even small tasks then you may want to try one of the anti-procrastination hacks that I talk about in episode 9. That’s available right now on iPlayer or the Android app of your choice. “Motivation will almost always beat mere talent.” Said Norman Ralph Augustine unquote Please remember that external motivators like money and praise can only go so far. You’ll need a strong inner drive to take you to the finish line. By utilising some of the techniques and understanding some of the motivating factors that I have discussed here today you will be able to form and move forward with drive and motivation. CALL TO ACTION One of my most powerful weapons in tackling daunting tasks is to split them into smaller chunks. Your call to action this week is to take something for which you have lost all drive and revisit it. See if, by splitting it down into smaller chunks you can get it started again. If you don’t have a specific task in mind, then assess your day to day tasks and see if, by splitting them up into parts they can be tackled, and become a sum of their parts. These smaller parts will be easier to get into than the whole, daunting thing. Utilise the “Sum of Its Parts Theory” and take from this episode the advice you need to rekindle your drive. That drive and motivation are within you. And never forget the special sauce. WRITE IT DOWN. PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY. BE SPECIFIC. Not every goal can be achieved in 5 minutes, or a day or an hour or a year. There’s no need to rush. In the words of Pablo Picasso - “It took me a lifetime.” ENDING The topic of Drive was requested in a kinda roundabout way by Anna @u_no_me_2 on Twitter but in the interests of true transparency, I was already planning it at the time. I know a lot of people struggle with it and I hope you’ve found the episode worthwhile. Just before I go I’d like to recommend a show called The Filmmakers Podcast which I’ve been listening to for about 6 months now and it’s awesome. Supporting indie film has been something the filmmaker's podcast has taken great pride in and they’ve been promoting other people’s work and campaigns over the year and a half they have been going so why not give back and keep supporting indie film. Giles is also an awesome retweeter of my @filmproprodpod tweets and I owe him one. Please follow them on Twitter @filmmakerspod or look to my own account @filmproprodpod or the show notes here for links. So thanks again for giving me your time. Have a great week ahead and as always - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music you can hear right now is Adventures by A Himitsu You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website filmproproductivity.com Please follow the show on twitter @filmproprodpod or find me on facebook @filmproproductivity. My personal accounts on twitter and instagram are @fight_director Please support the show by subscribing, leaving an AWESOME review on iTunes spreading the word! Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc https://liveitforward.com/how-to-get-your-drive-back/ https://thecusp.com.au/10-simple-ways-reignite-drive-motivation/11107 https://www.success.com/15-inspiring-quotes-about-living-your-life-on-purpose/ Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A  

  Hello and welcome to this preseason mini-episode of the show which continues to do well and today the figures say that it’s actually up 11.8% over the previous 14 days of downloads. I’ve been working very hard to ensure that the new season is filled with awesome, mind-expanding and motivational PRODUCTIVITY ADVICE, not just for film pros, but which is largely accessible to all. I have been preparing  12 new episodes which will officially launch on the 24th of this month with episode 17. That show looks at what fuels our INNER DRIVE and gives us momentum. The season will as before be released at 7pm on Sunday nights we will run right through till mid-May. Episode 18 is called Protecting Your Mental Energy and looks specifically at how protecting that finite resource will make a vast difference to your life. Episode 19 investigates how to act on the plans and strategies that you have put together to move forward. Many of your strategies will fall down in their execution but there are ways to combat this. Episode 20 talks about how sometimes, collaborating with other creatives can be a complete nightmare. It details the problems that can arise and how to get around them. Episode 21 tackles that most common of productivity problems PROCRASTINATION. It talks about what it is, why it happens and how to deal with it. Cracking on with Episode 22 I raise a subject, not often discussed but one which can really mess up your creativity and your mental health. That episode is all about the nasty piece of work we call RUMINATION. In Episode 23 I dive headlong into a top which is plaguing the modern age and is known as the MICROWAVE MINDSET. I’ll talk about how the fast and furious way of doing things is not always the best strategy and why slow and steady, oo err missus, wins the day. Episode 24 is all about TOXIC PERSONALITY TYPES and is another in my very popular series of TELL IT HOW IT IS episodes. Just like my season 1 episode TIMEWASTERS and HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM and Episode 21 BAD COLLABORATORS (Which I laughingly call collabo-haters btw) shows, I’ll investigate 6 archetypes of toxic personality and give you a foolproof solution on how to deal with them. Another popular episode from last year was my one on productivity apps. Episode 25 follows this up with a number of suggestions for browser plugins which will strengthen your productivity at absolutely no cost. I think I’m going to change my Episode 26 topic to that of SHOOT WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT. I’ve still to record episodes 25-28 so I reserve that right as I batch record these episodes before the season launches to ensure their delivery. At the moment it’s on my board as Jealousy, Anger and Regret, but I think that may sit better in Season 3. Episode 27 is a follow up to the season one Episode 5 Awesome Apps to make you more productive and is called, wait for it, 5 more awesome (and mostly fee) apps to make you more productive. I didn’t know how those eps would be received but they are remarkably popular so I’ll keep on going with them. The season will end with Episode 28 in which I think I’m going to present a good old motivational speech. Now I reserve the right to change my mind and I have a Plan B backup topic of the 16 Laws of Success. You’ll just have to wait and see. John Green says in Paper Towns that “The pleasure isn't in doing the thing, the pleasure is in planning it.” It’s a total party here at my end making some 3 and a half hours of solo content, NOT, but I do it all for you. Please stand by for the new season. It’ll be with you before you know it. Mark Twain said that to succeed in life you need two things. Ignorance and Confidence. I have both in spades. And Abraham Lincoln’s perhaps most famous quote, as I see it anyway, is “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” I’m still sharpening the axe here, but the 1st episode of episode of season 2 will be my first swing at the tree. I hope you’ll join me by spreading the word, subscribing and leaving an awesome review. You can follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod and on Facebook @filmproproductivity. You can also get in touch using the filmproproductivity.com contact page. If you have any requests for future episode topics please do drop me a line or use the speak pipe recorder on the contact page and leave me a voice mail. I should probably end this episode by saying something positive. I’ll use the words of Lyndon B. Johnson “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” Now take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’, get your productivity socks on and stand by for Season 2, of film pro productivity! Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

      As the current year ends, you are likely promising yourself that next year is going to be the best year of your life. Now I don’t want to burst your bubble but the chances are that you will find yourself living the same life as always and according to Business Insider 80% OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS WILL GET BROKEN BE FEBRUARY. In this episode, though I’m going to discuss HOW TO KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS AND PLAN FOR YOUR BEST YEAR YET.   Jinny Ditzler, the author who I will be talking about a little later says, when talking of the year that has passed, that “The principal value of our mistakes and failures is our ability to learn from them”.   And it’s with that idea in mind that I present this episode as it’s in alignment with the higher level of thinking that I encouraged you to adopt in episode 1.   American author of self-help books, Melody Beattie, says that “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. “ And that “We can help write that story by setting goals.”   In the last episode I talked about setting goals and to some extent, this show will expand upon that topic. I’ll add here that although this episode is launching at New Year, I REALISE THAT YOU MAY BE LISTENING TO IT PERHAPS HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR and if that’s the case just remember that You don’t need to set new goals at the break of a new year. Let your new year be tomorrow or a week from now if you feel you need a run up to it.   You don’t need to passively sail through your life. You must learn from the mistakes of the past and strategize your journey through the year ahead.   So the next chapter of your life is yet to be written and I need you now to take control and engage your higher level thinking self in helping you to shape it.   ANECDOTE   This year, on a number of levels, especially professionally, has been my best year yet. I directed fights on 6 or 7 high-level UK television shows, which amounted to 65 episodes in all, on a couple of short films and on 3 features and by utilising the Pareto Principle I made more money with less effort than I had put in on previous years. In addition to that, the short film which we’d made in Hong Kong a year or so ago has at latest count I think won 32 or 33 awards and been nominated for a further 20. I also, through the use of a 12 week year (listen to episode 11 for more on that) launched this podcast with its first 15 episodes, 16 including this one which goes out just before New Year and successfully created and launched the associated social media accounts and official website. I topped the year off by co-producing, co-directing and arranging fights on another film in Hong Kong which if the footage is anything to go by, will be quite a spectacular action piece.   With all that said and done I must admit that I veered away - last minute - from the episode which I’d been planning for New Year, which was about dealing with and recovering from burnout – GIVEN MY PREVIOUS LIST THERE I THINK YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE I WAS COMING FROM ON THAT ONE – but I redirected my efforts into what you are listening to now partly because I felt my own burnt out feeling would have dragged this episode down somewhat and partly as, let’s face it, looking forward to a new and even better year is a far more appropriate and positive topic for a special episode.   THE LESSON   So all that I achieved last year came about before I’d even heard of a book entitled Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler, but I’ve discovered that it aligns nicely with my own philosophy and it’s something I am using to plan my own year ahead. Jinny Ditzler presents simple and straightforward strategies based on a structure of self-questioning and if you do her exercises, you will be one step closer to changing your life with a strategic action plan based on the data you collect from your own self-analysis. BTW I must thank my friend Gillian Dick of the Goto agency who introduced me to Jinny’s book at this point. Gillian takes great pride in telling me that she has fallen asleep listening to this show on occasion so hopefully, she’s not nodded off listening to this one yet! Thanks, Gillian, just give yourself a shake, it’s halfway through already.   Jinny Ditzler’s now fairly famous book, which I’ll link to in the show notes of course, is titled Your Best Year Yet! But it’s more fully titled as Your Best Year Yet!: Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever - And it’s these ten questions I’m going to discuss today.   Please buy the book via AMAZON my affiliate links. Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2QRnuuk Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/2Rly5gU   The book says that if you take 3 hours out of your life to answer these 10 questions you will DISCOVER THE LIFE YOU COULD BE LIVING.   It goes on to say that answering the 10 key questions about your expectations, accomplishments and dreams for the future, will aid you in creating an effective plan for realizing your most important goals for the next 12 months.   I’m not going to pretend that in this short podcast like this I can cover the depth of detail of the book but I’d like to introduce the questions to you here and encourage you to think about them.   1. The first question the book asks is What did I accomplish over the past 12 months? What do you feel good about? Often we are so busy in our lives that we don’t take a moment to congratulate ourselves on our successes – so it asks what have you done that you can be proud of, in life, in work, in learning, in your relationships, or charitable work, or earnings, fitness or whatever? Jinny starts with a leading question about your accomplishments as this leads us in a positive direction AND POINTS OUT THAT WE RARELY THINK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED IN A DAY LET ALONE A YEAR. She uses a diagram called the CYCLE OF PRODUCTIVITY, which as a productivity junkie I was immediately attracted to. In this diagram she points out that missing out the acknowledgement or praise section of the cycle is a dangerous shortcut as without it, IT DEGRADES OUR MOMENTUM IN THE CYCLE OF PRODUCTIVITY AND MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO START AGAIN. To take new action and start future work. Especially after a difficult year, it’s really important that you take time to RECOGNISE OUR SUCCESSES.   2. The second question is What were your biggest disappointments? James Joyce said that “Mistakes are the portals or discovery”, and I believe we have to embrace our mistakes and forgive them so that we can move on. So what dreams did you miss out on in the year past, what expectations weren’t fulfilled? Did you miss out in love? Put on weight, or even just fail to lose any? Whatever your disappointments you must list them here. Again I’ll batter on about the fact that if you put things in writing you are 80% more likely to do them SO DON’T MISS OUT THE WRITING PART IN ALL THIS. By writing these disappointments down you will clear them from your mind. Jinny describes this as pulling the weeds of disappointment and failure from your mind. Again writing them down helps you to recognise and deal with them. Letting them go puts you in a place where your self-assessment, which is the point of these ten questions, is NO LONGER PRIMARILY BASED ON FAILURE. By listing them she wants you to forgive, forget and learn from them. To bin, that excess baggage, dissipate resentment and FINALLY JUST LET GO.   3. The third question effectively asks of the previous two questions What did you learn? The book encourages us to ask, what was the secret of my success? What worked? What did I achieve? And, What didn’t work and why? What would have worked better? What’s the lesson? Taking that further Jinny asks What do I need to change in the way I operate? How can I do things differently? What advice can I give myself? Have I been honest? Etc and from that she asks us to turn the answers into personal guidelines. She lists some of her own guidelines as PUT MY FAMILY FIRST, ASK FOR HELP WHEN I NEED IT, RELAX, DO WHAT I KNOW WHAT TO DO, FACE THE MUSIC etc. ---- Even three questions in I’m hoping that you guys have started considering buying the book. This simple approach could change everything for you.   4. With Question 4 Jinny asks How do you limit yourself, and how can you stop? This is a powerful question and it’s not something I think that I’ve ever considered. It’s simple but if you’re honest in answering it then the answer will be very enlightening. She further asks here - What has it cost me to limit myself? In what ways have I benefited from it? And - Am I willing to stop limiting myself? This is quite an involved chapter so I’m not going to say much more here. Getting through these questions and assessing the answers will perhaps be the key to unlocking your special powers in the year ahead. BY NO LONGER LIMITING YOURSELF, or recognising it when we do, YOU CAN SHAPE YOUR FUTURE FAR MORE PRECISELY AND REFRAME YOUR MIND INTO A NEWER LESS LIMITED ONE. We must recognise our limiting actions and re-write them with a new paradigm that cancels out the limiting factor and allows us to move on. A simple example of this could be that your limiting paradigm is to believe that only you know what is best and the empowering paradigm may be that you succeed more quickly and achieve more with the support of others.   5. The next of the ten questions is What are my personal values? WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU, WHAT VALUES REPRESENT WHO YOU ARE? What values do you want to demonstrate, and what effect do you want to have on others? Now, this is a topic which I’m going to delve into even deeper in another episode as I think that as time goes on and as we have our ups and downs in life our values can become a little lost. If you feel that way too, then hang on in there and I’ll get an episode about that and about how we can utilise affirmations to help reshape out values somewhere down the line. SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME. For now, though that was question 5 of the Best Year Yet, but…   6. Question 6 asks What roles do I play in my life? (Father, wife, teacher, student, writer, consultant and so on) This question is asked so as to get an overall view of all the aspects and responsibilities of your life. If you find yourself chasing your tail on your to-do list then redefining your role may help you to gain focus there. KNOWING YOUR ROLES IN LIFE PROVIDES DIRECTION, it places who you are, your values etc – at the centre of your life. This self-awareness of role and values puts you in that driving seat that I keep battering on about.   7. Following on from this question 7 asks Which of your roles is going to be your major focus for the next 12 months? Ahhhh you were wondering the point of question 6 perhaps? Well, here it is. You are being asked to narrow down those roles and that’s not perhaps as easy as you thought. This chapter, however, presents you with various means of narrowing down the options and focusing on the one that matters. Intuition is perhaps the strongest part of this but if you have trouble deciding the book will help you out. It poses questions such as - IN WHICH ROLE DO I WANT TO HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH? If I could put one problem behind me, once and for all, what would it be? And the answers to these questions, amongst others listed there, can inform your decision process. DECIDING WHAT TO FOCUS ON INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE ALL THINGS WILL ALLOW THAT AREA OF YOUR LIFE TO FLOURISH.   8. Question 7 is very much tied to Question 8 which asks, What are your goals for each role? Now my last episode was all about setting and achieving goals so you should be all over this one, but I’ll talk a little bit about Jinny’s angle here. She starts by pointing out that which we have discussed already –that PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOALS, ACHIEVE MORE RESULTS IN THEIR LIVES. Jinny’s system of goal setting, however, is quite rightly tied together with the values she asked about earlier. She points out that “People whose goals are aligned with their values achieve more satisfaction and fulfilment.” And that lesson is of great value here. I’ll say it again - “People whose goals are aligned with their values achieve more satisfaction and fulfilment.” That’s something that can certainly be lost as we drive our way through life or through a career. She goes on to say that “When you change from wishing and whinging to setting powerful value-driven goals, you move to a more positive and productive life” and goes on to talk about being specific in your goal setting as I suggested last week. She further pins these goals down to a time-specific deadline with not just annual goal deadlines, but monthly, bi-monthly & quarterly ones too. Jinny splits these time-specific power goals into Result goals and Process Goals. Something which I’m going to try and do myself. An example might be Result Goal: Make a feature film by this time next year. Process goal: Write a page a day for the next 90 days to get the first draft by three months from today. Check out my episode on creating Habits (I think its episode 13) to find out about more about that one. This chapter is huge so I have to move on but as I’ve said before this is a book I encourage you to buy to find out more – So without further ado, the book next asks…   9. Number 9 - What are my top 10 goals for the next year? You probably have a ton of goals and subgoals on your to-do list and Chapter 9 helps you to further narrow them down and to limit them to a top ten. A shortlist of ten you see gives you a map with which to plan your year. You can begin to reduce these goals by reviewing again the first 7 questions and reminding yourself of your new paradigm, your re-written plan to circumvent the limitations you have previously placed upon yourself. With your values and primary role or roles in mind, you will, THROUGH A PROCESS OF PRIORITIZING AND ELIMINATION, form your list and it's with that top ten that you can start to plan YOUR BEST YEAR YET! This plan will take the form of a simple page which includes guidelines derived from your earlier answers, a new paradigm to rewrite an existing limiting one, a major focus or breakthrough you are going for and your top ten goals for the year.   10. Finally, question 10 asks How can I make sure that I achieve those goals? Well, you’ve written it all down and that’s a great place to start but the book offers what it calls THE FOOLPROOF SOLUTION, and presents 3 questions to ask yourself at any time you are uncertain. Firstly you must ask yourself What’s the next step? And simply identify what actions are required and just take those steps – and the advice on moving forward once this is done is to JUST DO IT. It next asks Who can give you the support you need to achieve your goals and shift to your new empowering paradigm? There may well be someone you know that can advise you. And lastly Does the way I see the problem limit my achieving it? Removing the internal limiting factors and focusing on your new paradigm, should receive as much attention as the goals themselves. This chapter also covers pitfalls such as negative thoughts which disempower us and the negativity of others, and urges us to be aware of end goal thinking – something I’ve suffered from myself and instead reminds us to try and enjoy the process. It goes on to cover prioritizing and other topics which if you are a regular listener to the show you will already have some awareness of.   The book ends with a workshop chapter which lists the ten questions in a format in which you can easily follow and answer in the blank spaces provided. In short, this is a simple guide with powerful results and for the sake of a few quid and a few hours of your time, you will find that it can pay back quite considerably.   Jinny’s ten questions are ones that I encourage you to answer and even if you think you are doing well and don’t need the help. She says that “The coming year is just your best year so far - they can get better and better as the years go by.” Her point, of course, is that EVERY YEAR THAT COMES CAN STILL BE YOUR BEST YEAR YET. You thought last year was good? WELL WAIT TILL YOU SEE WHAT’S COMING!   SUMMING UP   Get yourself a copy of the book via the links on the show notes for this episode on filmproproductivity.com and I’ll get a bump back from the sale, which in turn will help to support the podcast. Well, I say that but to be honest it’s not happened yet – but I live in hope. Jinny is also active on some social networks so I’ll add links to those too. The book is a real keeper and you will find yourself using it again and again and if you are anything like me, buying copies of it for others too. – Michael Josephson said “Approach the New Year with the resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day. ” and I hope that the lessons of Your Best Year Yet will enable you to find that resolve. Everything is easier with a plan, and Jinny Ditzler’s book is one of the quickest ways of creating one.   H Jackson Brown said “DON’T LET WEEDS GROW ABOUT YOUR DREAMS” so keep that in mind as you move forward into the new year. Ending   I didn’t recap on episode 15 today as this topic wasn’t far off from that one, but I will do when I launch season 2.   As you may be aware, the previous 15 episodes were batch recorded, and I did that to ensure that when I said in episode 1 that 15 episodes would make up the preseason and season 1 that what I promised to release would absolutely happen. I like to think that I have a reputation for reliability and so if I say I am going to do something I really try to guarantee that it happens. Batching btw is an excellent tool for any similar tasks that you may want to do yourself. But what it meant though is that this is the first episode where I’ve had the opportunity to respond to the feedback of the first 15 episodes and I have to say that the response to the show has been outstanding. This is still only a fledgeling podcast but I’ve got a good strong core group of subscribers and have had in the region of 30-40 messages of support since launch. From experienced screenwriters and filmmakers to just people who love the content, the response has been excellent, which is good because if it wasn’t I probably would have thrown in the towel. Creating these shows is a hell of an undertaking as it’s expensive to maintain in both cash and time terms.   I’ve been especially pleased to hear that the show has pushed several filmmakers on to shoot and complete their own films too with 3 films completed from what I hear due to inspiration is drawn from Film Pro Productivity. That’s not something I ever thought would happen so I’m really pleased to hear about that sort of thing. Please continue to interact with me on the social networking pages or through the official website as hearing from you really does, as Clint Eastwood is fond of saying, make my day.   On that note I have a plan for the next season with topics such as Dealing with Stress, why you shouldn’t collaborate, manipulators and other toxic people and drive but if you have a particular subject that you’d like me to cover, if you are struggling again and again with the same problem and don’t know how to solve it please do get in touch and tell me all about it. I will do my best to cover the topic in a future episode. I’ve only had two speak pipe messages since launch but why not give it a try and leave me an up to 90-second audio message on Film Pro Productivity dot com’s Contact page.   Finally, I want to plug the podcast of fellow filmmaker Ian O’Neill which is called How They Did It Filmmaking. In his show, Ian interviews awesome filmmaker guests in a casual and engaging format which I just love. Ian launched his show perhaps two or three weeks before I did and I see him as a kindred spirit in this creative podcasting world. He even interviews me along the way so obviously, that’s a particularly gripping episode! You can subscribe to his show on all the usual podcasting apps or catch him on twitter @Hfilmmaking or @ianwrites and you can also track him down on Facebook @howtheydiditpodcast and Instagram @howtheydiditfilmmaking if you prefer those platforms.   You may have noticed that I’m letting episodes sit now at round about the 20-minute mark. That’s a deliberate change which I’ve made to the original format. I found ten minutes just too tight to get the lessons across, and unlike in film where we so often tighten up the edit, I have come to the conclusion that when editing a podcast, just a few beats more silence after points have been made ALLOWS THE LISTENER TO FULLY UNDERSTAND AND PROCESS THE INFORMATION. So I speak a little slower, ramble a little more and pause on occasion, but it all adds to a more engaging format and that’s what really matters in the end.   I’ll finish today’s special episode with a quote from the great poet Alfred Tennyson who said “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’…”   Thanks once again for giving me your time and Please - Take control of your own destiny, Enjoy planning your own BEST YEAR YET, keep on shootin’ and join me once again for season two, sometime in late February, on Film Pro Productivity.   · The music you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu · You can view the show notes for this episode on the official website at filmproproductivity.com · And subscribe on the podcast app of your choice on android and apple devices · You can follow the show on Twitter @filmproprodpod or on Facebook @filmproprodutivity or catch my personal accounts on Twitter and Instagram @fight_director · Please support the show by subscribing, leaving an AWESOME review especially on iTunes and by spreading the word. If you can get just one more person to listen it would make a huge difference.   Thanks: A Himitsu Image: Main Photographs were taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin. Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A Sources: https://www.facebook.com/jinny.ditzler https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/1-habit-inspiring-leader-jinny-ditzler https://blog.12min.com/your-best-year-yet-summary/ https://theinvisiblementor.com/your-best-year-yet-by-jinny-ditzler-10-tough-questions-to-ask-yourself/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jinnysditzler?trk=author_mini-profile_title https://twitter.com/Jinny_S_Ditzler https://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-resolutions-courses-2016-12?r=UK&IR=T

  EPISODE 11 – Committing to a Twelve Week Year   “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” — Fitzhugh Dodson On this week’s show, I will be discussing the concept of the twelve week year, how I used it to get out of a creative rut and how it can be used to focus your vision and complete goals quickly. It’s a bit longer than usual episodes but it’s filled with valuable and important stuff. Before I go on to that though, in last week’s episode I set out to discount the myth that multitasking is somehow a more productive way of working than just doing one thing at a time. The ONE THING AT A TIME PHILOSOPHY is not the easiest thing to do, and I perhaps find that especially true for creatives. As we constantly find ourselves thinking of more and more things we could develop or work on within ourselves or our creative projects, be they films or whatever, we often trip over the last idea we had with a fresh new one and short circuit it. Multitasking does exist of course, as any mother or father working from home with a toddler at their heels will confirm, but in productivity terms, it’s incredibly inefficient and as we get older we simply become less and less able to pull it off. If you missed the episode do scoot back and have a listen as it’s got some good food for thought in there but if you did and have been giving it a try, as always please get in touch via twitter or the website links and let me know how you are getting on. If you have a particular element of your life or work that you are struggling with then please get in touch and I’ll see if I can work up a new episode to help you to deal with it. ANECDOTE Sadly I lost my brilliant dad at the start of 2017 and just a few months later I lost my amazing mum too. It was not a good year and by September I found that I was struggling to get things done in both life and work. I always seemed to be a step behind and I was firefighting my way through everything last minute, that’s if I got things done at all. I’ve talked about firefighting a few times here and YOU CAN WORK THAT WAY BUT what it does is that it takes your attention away from larger problems and those problems play heavily on your mind. It also makes your goals secondary to whatever the current problem is that you are dealing with. It got to the point several times in the years leading up to my own first twelve week year where I had to just stop and those that follow my twitter feed will know this, I have to shut it down to allow me to focus on what is absolutely vital. The white noise that I talked about in episode 3, just saturated my thoughts with 10’s If not hundreds of small to large sized tasks and commitments and I got heavily bogged down and kinda lost. Of course, now I have ways to avoid this, but that’s really because I was able to get myself out from under a host of problems by committing to a 12 week year and in turn that started me on my way to high-level thinking. It’s worth saying that even productivity systems can become white noise if you try to follow too many at once, but I found the 12 week year and basically, with a fairly thin understanding of it I threw myself in. I’ll go into it in detail a little later but I usually describe it to others as taking your new year’s resolution, what you want to achieve by that same time the following year instead of putting it 12 weeks away. For example, let’s say you want to make a short film. You say. I want to write, shoot and edit a short film by this time next year that’s my vision, that tells a story that I want to tell, or you want to learn how to edit by this time next year, or you want to make a change in career by this time next year, or you want to lose a few pounds or here’s one, you want to launch a podcast by this time next year. Instead of saying by THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, the traditional way you instead put that goal just 12 weeks away. So a twelve week year simply takes the focussed energy at the start and end of a new year’s resolution - The first six weeks and the final six weeks of the year and misses out the middle bit. The 9 months of the year where you got distracted from your vision. It focuses your time and energy and makes achieving your goals a real possibility. “People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.” — Earl Nightingale My goal when I set my own 12 week year up was to clear the decks of incomplete projects, unfinished personal matters and promises to help others out within that time and I largely succeeded. I successfully killed off projects that were going nowhere, completed tasks that had been lying unfinished for well, some of them, years and I either end lined or escaped from all but two other matters. One was a project I’d been dragged into and that the producer simply wouldn’t let go, and I found myself in the end, out of politeness, agreeing to extend my involvement – I shouldn’t have done it but I did, and the other was an insurance claim for water getting into my house which in the end I simply had to concede to as a kind of half agreement with them a few weeks later – by that stage it had been two whole years unresolved and the 12 week year put real pressure on them. I learned that corporate matters like an insurance claim are very difficult to get working to your speed. Everything else though and I’m talking some 11 or 12 quite complicated matters, as well as many many smaller ones, got resolved within the 12 weeks. Of note is that NONE of the people that I gave deadlines to for the release of my voluntary creative involvement, actually completed or indeed really even started their projects within the 12 weeks I gave them to do so. These were creative projects which I can only assume were started by people on a whim, and they had called me or invited me on board and this was before I taught myself to say no of course, but they never went anywhere. It’s not that they couldn’t keep up with the pace that I set, THEY COULDN’T EVEN TAKE THE FIRST STEP ONTO A PACE – THERE WAS NO PACE. I’d been sweating and giving up mental energy to these projects when the people who apparently were driving them were really just waiting for me to do it for them. That realisation and my higher level self’s acknowledgement of it made saying no to future involvements all the easier. I did try another 12 week year just after the first, trying to pull together within it both this podcast and a web series and that 12 week year failed, well kinda failed and the reason was that I was 1 – Uncertain of exactly what I wanted to do with this podcast and my goal was therefor unspecific, And 2 – That the project I’d let slide on the previous 12 week year slammed right into my one and took all of the spare time that I’d worked so hard for, off of me. I had to manhandle that project to completion and if I hadn’t it simply would never have shot. In effect, I dropped my own project in favour of someone else’s and killed my second 12-week plan myself. All really out of politeness. I’m quite aware as I work on these episodes that at times I may sound harsh, or unsupportive or negative even but I have deep regrets from wasting my time and energy with experiences like this, and I must tell you that giving up your own hopes and dreams to commit to furthering someone else’s vision, no matter how nice they are, is not a good thing for the soul. I’m currently nearing the end of my 3rd 12 week year, and my goal with this one – to launch a podcast on the subject of productivity by the end of September 2018. How am I getting on? THE LESSON So committing to and completing a 12 week year is really pretty difficult but if you can get through it, and NOT GET DISTRACTED you will achieve a hell of a lot. I present this episode as I know just how powerful it is and I absolutely believe in it. The TWELVE WEEK YEAR IS a PRODUCTIVITY SYSTEM created by BRIAN P MORAN and his business partner MICHAEL LENNINGTON, outlined in a NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING BOOK (link in the show notes) and an accompanying website of the same name that debunks traditional goal setting, using annual goals, as an ineffective goal-achieving approach. The 12 Week Year Is Not About Mustering More Discipline, Willpower, Organizational Skills, or A better Mindset, it is simply a focussed approach to goal setting which takes your long-term vision and brings it closer. Please buy your copy through one of my Amazon Affiliate Links. I get a small cut and it helps keep teh podcast costs down a wee bit.  AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2RUaj98 AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2yfN3tW RESEARCH ON NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS suggests that when you set one and commit to it on the 1st of January that it is very likely that you might put in a good effort towards that yearly goal for 5 or 6 weeks at the start of the year, hitting the gym or writing down ideas etc. but by the time you are 6 weeks in, that LIFE AND WORK AND OTHER MATTERS will have taken your focus and frayed it, diluted it and you’d probably have abandoned your goal to deal with what was immediately on your plate. It goes on to suggest that maybe towards the end of the year you pick it back up again, and say to yourself, well I must do that thing that I said I would, and you might return to the gym, or perhaps you may have decided just to let it go. AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE TWELVE WEEK YEAR The 12 Week Year is a highly practical guide for taking you from thinking about the things you should be doing to push your business or your project or your life forward to actually doing those things. I’m basing my next section on an article by Carrie Dils called How to Squeeze a Full Year out of 12 Weeks. I did a good bit of additional research but I really liked her conclusions. There are 4 stages to this: Firstly you must SET “PILLAR” GOALS “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” ― Diana Scharf Now I’ve kind of avoided getting specific on goal setting so far in this podcast but the time has come for you to start thinking long term. The whole point of higher level thinking is to intelligently move yourself towards your own goals be they short or long term. And you need to start thinking about it if you haven’t already – The question is this - What is your long-term vision for your life? Where would you like to be true about your life in 10 years. Would you like to be debt free? Would you like to have a family? Would you like to achieve a certain salary? Own a holiday home? Move your career to a significant place? This will be your pillar goal. Take your time with this. Get to grips with it. I’ll revisit goals again and again on this show. For now, the idea is to pick 2-3 core goals for each 12-week cycle that serve your larger vision. Did you know that - If you write a goal down the probability of you doing it goes up 80%? Write a compelling vision of the ideal future that you’re working towards. The second stage is to GET RID OF ANNUALIZED THINKING Imagine getting a week’s worth of progress made in one day. Think critically about the tasks that are truly most important to your goals and spend your time on those things. What can I focus on in the next 12 weeks that are in service of my Pillar goals? Plan the daily or weekly tasks that serve those 2-3 primary goals and if your daily activities aren’t supporting those goals, you’re doing the wrong thing. Create habits to make taking regular action as easy as possible. Here are some examples that serve my current goal of creating this podcast. Create the website that supports the podcast. Learn how to submit to iTunes. Create test episodes to learn from. And how have I tackled these? I stopped my involvement in other peoples creative projects in order to focus on my goal. I tried three different word press designers, wasted time with them, and I eventually took over and built it myself in Wix. I researched how to get onto iTunes by following you tubers and listening to podcasts that talk about the subject. I hired a friend with a podcast to advise me on creating this one, and I recorded tests and rerecorded episode 1 three times before settling. I narrowed my focus, out with the day to day work of fight direction which is incredibly busy this year I must add and I focussed only on my podcast goals in my spare time. I deliberately avoided being drawn into other ideas and projects that took my fancy. Thirdly - DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING. Planning is some of the most productive time you can have. You have to set focused tactical goals. Plan what strategies and actions will move you closer to your goal and your future success. To achieve a year’s worth of work in the next 12 weeks requires a style of planning and execution that forces you to shed the low-value activity that keeps you stuck. Engage with the word tactical and don’t be afraid to say no to things that will distract you or slow you down. You have to make a detailed plan, with dates to hit - and stick to it. My detailed plan for his podcast has three elements to it: 1 Be ready by the 12th of September – My ideal launch date. 2 Have 15 episodes researched written and recorded by that date. Today is the 7th and I am on episode 11. I will put off recording 12-15 as I’m not in Glasgow so cannot complete. I will however complete by the 20th. 3 To launch with a website which will support the show and is simple to look at but offers the opportunity for expansion. The website planning is very complex in itself. I have been getting up early - between5.30-6am in order to complete a little bit of work on the podcast every day. As I near the end, it is slotting into every spare moment that I can find, between risk assessments, travel and fights. Lastly – YOU SHOULD KEEP SCORE Make your goals SMART That is (Specific. Measurable. Actionable. Relevant. Time-sensitive.). If you can’t measure progress, how do you know how you’re doing? Keep score so you know what’s working and what’s not so that you can make adjustments along the way. It enables you to celebrate wins and consciously identify problem areas. Here are some common problems that you may face along the way. COMMON MISTAKE #1: Trying to change everything at once - This is the number one mistake people make. Start with one thing and do it well. Once you get a few wins under your belt, you’ll gain skill and confidence with the system and you’ll be able to achieve even more. COMMON MISTAKE #2: Not having a strong enough “why” You absolutely MUST have a compelling personal vision. This is the “why” behind what you want to accomplish and achieve. It provides the motivation to follow through and take action, even when you don’t feel like it. Don’t get caught up trying to please someone else or copy someone else. Find your own why. COMMON MISTAKE #3: Not tracking your actions. This is important because you are what you repeatedly do. You are always building habits, either by intention or by accident. Tracking is a daily reminder that you’re growing. COMMON MISTAKE #4: Going it alone - If you’re serious about achieving your goals, the best thing you can do is tell others about it. There’s an African proverb that says, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” So share your vision & goals with a friend or a colleague. In the productivity world, there’s something called an accountability partner. I’m sure if you put some effort into it you can find someone who it would be mutually beneficial to share with. SUMMING UP Brian P. Moran says in the 12 week year that “the number-one thing that you will have to sacrifice to be great, to achieve what you are capable of, and to execute your plans, is your comfort.” I’ve gone into some detail here but the book covers this topic very well. Follow the link in the show notes to get yourself a copy. It’s got so much value in it that I’ve really just had time to touch upon here. In the interest of honesty, I have to admit that I have deliberately put back my launch of Film Pro Productivity from the 12 September to a bit later in the month. The reason for that? I’m directing fight sequences simultaneously on 3 different television shows now and one is on the Island of Shetland at the top of Scotland, one is on the Isle of Skye to the North West and the other is in Central Scotland, In Glasgow. I simply can’t make my own launch date as I have to follow the work. If I launched on the 12th, which tbh I can, then I would not be able to promote it. I have delayed a little to gain a lot. This twelve week year episode is my first foray into the subject of goal setting. I hope that you’ve found it useful and inspiring. “One part at a time, one day at a time, we can accomplish any goal we set for ourselves.” — Karen Casey CALL TO ACTION I’m not going to suggest that as a call to action for next week you begin a 12 week year – all I ask is that you think about how it could work for you and start deciding on your life and work goals. That’s enough for now. ENDING Next episode I’ll be talking about Timewasters and How to deal with them – I’ll try and make it a shorter episode! For now though, thanks so much for listening – and I urge you to take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me NEXT TIME on Film Pro Productivity. The music that you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode11 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe to the podcast and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would spread the word and leave an AWESOME review.   Sources: https://carriedils.com/book-review-the-12-week-year/ https://12weekyear.com/ http://www.asianefficiency.com/systems/12-week-year-mistakes-2/ Thanks: A Himitsu Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Show Notes EPISODE 10 – MULTITASKING (The myth) Transcript Thanks again for clocking in and listening to the show. I really appreciate the fact that you are willing to give this podcast your time from whatever hectic schedule you find yourself in. If you like what you are hearing and want to help the show then the best way to do that is to just tell people about it, subscribe to it, and to leave a great review. I want to build an audience and although I’d be happy to know that it helps just one person out, good audience numbers will, in turn, help me to have faith that it’s all worthwhile. On last week’s show, I gave you 4 productivity rules to hack procrastination and get things done. If you missed that episode then check it out as it’s a doozy. As usual, I’d love to hear how you are getting on with the techniques and concepts that I talk about here and you can get in touch via the contact page on filmproproductivity.com. Why not leave a message for me on the speakpipe voicemail service I have there? H you in person would be really quite amazing. One other thing I want to say at this juncture is that I will do an episode on goal setting towards the end of the season or maybe even at the start of the next as without clear long-term goals, much of these productivity techniques effectively become tools for fighting fires as it were – Tools for dealing with the more immediate problems that come up in our life and work. Once you have a vision and a goal to reach they will in turn support that and help you to move towards it. I look at this 1st season, and the preseason too as kinda being themed for those suffering overwhelm and burnout so I have that in mind as I choose topics. The tools for fighting these productivity FIRES that come with overwhelm will buy you time to stabilise your position and starting looking towards those long-term goals.  THIS WEEKS INTRO This week I am talking about multitasking and why it’s a bad thing for productivity. You’ve likely heard the old adage that HE WHO CHASES TWO RABBITS, CATCHES NEITHER – or maybe you prefer SHE WHO CHASES MANY RABBITS CATCHES NONE. Simply doing one thing at a time is the most direct way to be EFFICIENT and ultimately PRODUCTIVE in what you set out to do. If you “chase too many rabbits” or too many “goals and objectives” simultaneously then you will likely find that you end up with none of them at all. To choose to follow one idea when our brain is churning out a 10 new thoughts a minute though, can be very difficult, but until you can get over that hurdle and get yourself focussed on one thing then you’re guaranteed to dissipate your energy and slow down your journey towards whatever goal you have in mind. ANECTOTE I personally don’t find this easy by the way but I’m getting better at it. Even as I sat down to write this episode I had to stop myself from doing too much at once. Although I have a clear idea of what I wanted to say I found myself with a copy of Garry Keller and Jay Papason’s awesome THE ONE THING book at my side, about 8 or 9 different tabs on the subject opened on Google, and social networking pings and addictions luring me to look at my phone every 2 minutes – I was jumping from one the other to build up the episode and offer new things and new ideas but it was slowing and slowing and the episode was going nowhere. I’ve had to stop and take on my own advice. Now the phone is off, the book and tabs are away and I start again with only one thing in mind. To create an episode on this topic that will make a difference. Just before I go onto the lesson I just want to say that the book, THE ONE THING I mentioned a minute ago is awesome, and I will do an episode review of it somewhere down the line for sure. I’ll put a link to it in the show notes but although I’ll touch on some it’s key messages here it covers way more than these basic concepts and I can highly recommend it. Gary Keller points out in THE ONE THING that “Multitasking is a lie” which is kinda where I’m going with this episode. THE LESSON Messing two things up at the same time isn`t multitasking” The constant jumping about of the mind really slows us down. That’s one of the fundamental problems with the multitasking. Every time you switch, you need to refocus on a new thing, and that in turn takes a bit of time. When I first looked into this I heard this example. If you count, 12345 you can do it in like 2 seconds. And if you go through the alphabet a,b,c,d,e, then maybe 1 or 2 seconds works, but if you have to do both at the same time, 1a, 2b, 3c, 4d, 5e then the total time is nearer 5 or 6 seconds. For me, in that one example, that’s multitasking proven to fail. And a win for the DO ONE AT A TIME ideology. Concentrating on a single task is one aspect of something called FLOW, or the FLOW state of mind. WIKIPEDIA says about this, quote “In positive psychology, flow, also known as being in THE ZONE, is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting loss in one's sense of space and time.” Put simply then, if you are jumping about you really will never hit any sort of flow. New York Times Columnist David Brooks points out that “A person who is interrupted while performing a task takes 50% more time to complete it and make 50% more errors.” I used to think that multitasking was something I was good at, and I had a sort of pride in it, but I have come to realise now that it just slows me down and if anything it stops me from achieving my goals. I might feel busy and productive but the reality is that I still jump about between tasks and with every jump I slow down and lose more and more time as I tune back in. I can kinda multitask “a bit” but only on a very basic level. For example, I can walk the dog and listen to a podcast, but to be honest, that’s maybe slightly unfair on my dog Angus who demands somewhat more attention than at times I want to give. You’re almost guaranteed too that 5 or six times in the walk I’ll yank the headphones out of my ears or their socket when I throw a ball, and I have to reset it. But by doing this I am kinda doing more than one thing at the same time. If I multitask on most things, however, I am literally just doing a bit of one and a bit of another and then returning to the last one and doing a bit more. When multitasking, the quality of your work goes down, and your understanding and comprehension goes way down with it. More often than not when I meet a new person I instantly forget their name – because my mind is somehow distracted and unable to process or retain the new information. I’m terrible for this and I really have to work at it. So multitasking short circuits the short-term memory, meaning that very often we have to revisit things which if we’d done one thing at a time we would have managed. When doing several things at once, your mind is divided between them and it’s guaranteed that your mistakes will multiply. The name forgetting thing is a good example. An AD introduced himself to me on set yesterday and I was straight in and working out a fight and I had to covertly ask his name a wee bit later. I’d totally not taken it in. You see when I'm multitasking: I can listen, ignore and forget at exactly the same time. And today’s fast-paced digital world where we have phones pinging every couple of minutes and apps to which we become addicted makes focusing on just one thing all the more difficult. Maybe you have more willpower than I do, but if you want to stop procrastinating and get stuff done. Let's start by putting that phone far away – like in another room, and by using the do not disturb function, by just deleting the apps that suck your time away time and time again or even by turning it off! Yes, I went there – turn your phone off, then your productivity will increase as your focus on the task at hand narrows in. I have a freelancer stress thing about my phone that goes beyond the app addiction btw. It’s a hang on from the days when I really needed the work. I feel that I can’t miss a call or that if an email comes in I must answer it right away. I’ve basically had to deal with that. I know it’s a thing. My higher level thinking self, knows it’s not that important and so when it comes to meetings or even visiting family or friends I try to switch my phone off. Unless I know that I am expecting something important. The thing is EMAILS generally DON’T NEED RESPONDED TO RIGHT AWAY and unless that important CALL is expected, you can ALWAYS just CALL SOMEONE BACK. We can chill out. Everything is going to be alright. We all know too that checking your phone whilst you are in a meeting or with friends, then it’s kinda rude and disrespectful but can find ourselves doing it nonetheless. In a meeting, it means you are not on the ball and if you a professional then you should bring your “A game”. Flight mode, silent, do not disturb or preferably off are all better options than checking your Facebook feed whilst the director talks about their vision. Have a notebook and a pen. That’s what you really need. And you can always doodle if you have to. Just give others your full attention and show respect. Be IN THE ROOM. If you are running a meeting then ask people to turn their phones off. I know many go paperless now on ipads etc but they can still have their devices on flight mode if you ask them to. Before I wrap this all up I need to talk a little bit about mindfulness here. This is a productivity pod but I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that saving time and energy is not really about fitting in more and more work. Becoming more productive simply means to be more efficient and effective. I said this in episode 1 and its important – it’s kinda the whole point in fact - If we can be more effective , save time, be better, be more productive we will move forward in our goals and as we do that and achieve great things, it will free up more time for family and friends, and for us to think about our health and ultimately improve our outlook and spirit. Never lose sight of that. Buy yourself a break. I’m open to the possibility that you do not like what you hear here or that you totally disagree but if you genuinely want to be more productive, significantly more productive - then you just have to learn to do one thing at a time. SUMMING UP Gary Keller says that SUCCESS DEMANDS A SINGLENESS OF PURPOSE but even knowing all this I still find myself checking emails when I should be working, and checking Twitter and Instagram when I should be paying attention to the people in front of me. And I still end up on Youtube watching cat videos and the knight rider theme played on the Banjo (Which is awesome btw but I digress). If you can do one thing at a time and not get bored by the focused effort, not check your twitter feed or play a game every couple of minutes and interrupt whatever, then you are far more likely to succeed. CALL TO ACTION I’ll be revisiting this subject now and again as there’s a little more to it that I think will be useful for you. I don’t want to overload you with too many applications of this. In learning, as I learned myself when I became a fencing coach many years ago, we all need a period of reflection on a topic, to think about it and ingest and consider it before bringing in more. Take these gaps between episodes to consider what I’m introducing and try the techniques out. Try to kill that nasty multitasking habit you’ve gotten into, or your forever distracted by technology way of working you have developed once and for all. This episode covers a simple but powerful message. Give it a try. You’ll thank me later. ENDING So thanks again for tuning in - Next episode I’ll be talking about my TWELVE WEEK YEAR and how I used it as an escape plan to move out of an overwhelmed rut and onto the path of productivity. For now, though, take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me NEXT TIME on Film Pro Productivity. The music that you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode10 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then spread the word about the show and I’d really appreciate it if you would leave an awesome review. References:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2017/02/06/want-to-be-more-productive-stop-multi-tasking/#59de681955a6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)#0 https://www.ics.uci.edu/~gmark/chi08-mark.pdf  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4bmWPM_LWU Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin.   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A

Show Notes EPISODE 9  – FOUR COOL HACKS TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION Transcript   So I’m a good bit into the podcast now and I feel that I’m doing alright. I hope you’re finding possibilities in what I’m presenting here and that they are working for you. I think that any early troubles with the Podcast feed or syndication have been dealt with now but if you ever do have trouble with it then grab the Podbean app from the link on my website. Film Pro Productivity is syndicated all over the place but Podbean is my media host and will always have the new episodes first. It’s a free app and it’s available for IPhone and Android. I also post the latest episodes on the website as they launch and you can grab them there if you prefer to listen on your desktop. Last week I introduced the very simple 5 second rule and talked about how it can be used to overcome obstacles, and cheat the brain into conquering your fears. I’ve been trying that one out and it certainly does work if you can buy into it. THIS WEEKS INTRO Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder. Mason Cooley This week I’m going to squeeze in 4 more productivity “rules” that I know will make your life easier and continue to help you to beat procrastination and just get things done. I’m talking about the one-touch rule, and it’s close cousin the two minute, then I will move on to the 5-minute rule and the 10-minute rule. These rules have much in common but if you can get to grips with them individually they’ll help you to decimate your task lists and kick procrastination right in the mammy daddy button. ANECTOTE My fightdirector.com email address receives a vast number of messages every day and if I don’t pay attention to it overwhelms me. On many occasions, I’ve found myself having to stop everything else just to work back through those emails and deal with the backlog. The simplest productivity technique of all is the DELETE button but once it’s done its job I’m left with a plethora of small to mid-sized replies, links and follow-ups to deal that just can’t be avoided. I started looking for solutions and ways of thinking that could help me clear my backlog of incomplete tasks quickly and efficiently and s. I’ve been messing about with these sort of things for a few years now - some float to the top and get used more than others and a few start to become habit - Nowadays I find them coming into play in day to day life without me consciously considering them. The four rules that I am introducing today are solutions to procrastination problems. It needn’t be emailed, it could be telephone calls or just simple jobs about the house - It can even be larger tasks that you’ve split up into chunks. That’s called chunking btw and that in itself is an awesome productivity method. THE LESSONS Firstly I want to introduce to you The one touch rule which simply means that you must process a task the first time you touch it. YOU MUST PROCESS A TASK THE FIRST TIME YOU TOUCH IT. It was formalised by Productivity consultant Ann Gomez and it’s more of a guideline or a hack than a rule but if you adopt it, you’ll find that most of the little tasks that can clog up your vision, and deplete your mental energy start to disappear. Ann also points out that it builds the habit of starting things only when you're ready: She explains and I quote, “It's a simple trick to help you batch your work into scheduled, focus blocks: you won't open an email until you're ready to give it your full attention, or you'll decline to accept your co-worker’s rough draft until later when you know you'll have the time to sit down and do it.” I use this all the time now, especially when collaborating on scripts with my colleague Bryan. I ask not to be sent updates as they come up but I schedule time to look at new drafts and complete my work on them at one sitting. It’s immensely useful and saves both of us from wasting time. Beyond that specific use, I use it to blast small tasks like email sorting right out of the water, to generally prioritize better and I force myself to stop leaving tasks half-finished. That just clogs up my brain and messes me up. The two-minute rule is another simple strategy. I first saw it in David Allen's bestselling book, Getting Things Done and I threw it out there at the end of the 1st episode in very basic terms as I felt I should introduce at least one technique before asking listeners to join me on episode 2 - but here it is in a little more detail. It’s also an anti-procrastination hack. All of these small rules can be used in that way but there’s a bit more to them. They can generally be used to tackle tasks that aren’t actually that difficult to do. The 2 Minute Rule overcomes procrastination or as it’s sometimes known laziness by making it SO EASY for you to start taking action that you can’t say no. It’s surprising how many things we put off that we could get done in two minutes or less. That’s the rule in action - if you have a task that takes less than two minutes, just do it now. You got an email to respond to? Do it now. You got an online payment to make? Do it now. Need to pack the dishwasher. Do it now. Need to send an invoice, or send a thank you text, or make the bed or whatever you have to do, just do it now and it’s done, and it's behind you. If you don’t then these small easily doable jobs build up and suddenly you’re looking at 10 or twenty of them and they’re on your mind and they’re a mountain of work. If you shoot them down as you go, then they are gone and you’ll be able to focus on the stuff that matters. Doing them as you go has the fringe benefit of giving you an on-going feeling of accomplishment and this buoys your spirit and brings confidence and positivity into your life. A good example and its something that I do every day is just to make my bed. Now this, like many of the productivity techniques I adopt, might seem to be unimportant but think of it like this. That minor achievement, every day, means that I am leaving the house, even with early starts on film shoots with at least a small sense of accomplishment before I leave the house. My day actually starts very early and I achieve usually a lot more, but we’ll talk about the 5 am miracle at another time.  Can all of your goals be accomplished in less than two minutes? No, but every goal can be STARTED in 2 minutes or less. And that’s the point. Small accomplishments like this start to become a habit and large jobs split into small parts, become after time, a sum of their parts, and complete. So that’s the basics of the two-minute rule. Give it a try to see if it’s something that will work for you. Get your head in the right space and see what you can either deal with in two minutes or that you can begin or chunk into two-minute bites. Once you’re sitting down to do something you may find, kinda like the one-touch rule that you complete it in that sitting. Thinking of it as a two-minute commitment though will possibly trick you into doing more. My next rule again links into that and it is known as The 5 Minute Rule. Kevin Systrom the billionaire CEO and co-founder of Instagram came up with this simple trick to tackle procrastination. It’s similar in many ways to the 2-minute rule but is worth tackling separately. Kevin’s 5-minute rule states that “If you don’t want to do something, make a deal with yourself to do at least five minutes of it. After five minutes, you’ll end up doing the whole thing.” According to Psychology Today, we procrastinate because of. LACK OF STRUCTURE. Without knowing why we are doing something or when it is to be done by we find ourselves putting it off. We find ourselves checking Facebook instead of doing work and today's easy online access makes this easy. I’m a terrible addict of Youtube, but when I’m focussed on a specific task with a deadline my focus becomes much sharper. UNPLEASANT TASKS. Any task we consider unpleasant, boring, or uninteresting is one that we can find ourselves putting off to another day. Here procrastination occurs when you postpone tasks because they are not imminently important. If there is good reason to put them off, for example, because you have higher priority tasks to deal with first, then that’s fair, but if not, why not just deal with them and move on? SELF-CONFIDENCE. When difficulties arise, people with low self-confidence develop doubts about their ability to accomplish the task at hand, while those with strong beliefs are more likely to continue their efforts. I cover this topic in the episode about the inner voice. Episode 6. If self-confidence is a problem then check that one out. I think this is particularly true of some creative roles in the film industry. A close cousin of lack of self-confidence and one I know all too well. Avoidance is a well-known form of coping with anxiety. Procrastinators will postpone getting started because of a fear of failure and evidence also indicates that procrastination is associated with high levels of stress. To relieve stress procrastinators shift their focus away from the future toward more immediate rewards in order to avoid challenging high-priority tasks. …and I personally can take procrastination much further - I’m a black belt in procrastination. I’ll procrastinate over even the opening of an email, because I’m frightened and anxious that it will cause me bother, like clash with a job I have already started or create more unnecessary work for me. If I have things running smoothly, I get the fear that an email or the returning of a phone call will upset my finely organised day or week and I’ll try and dodge it. So the five-minute rule tricks our brains into thinking that we can dip quickly into a task, but once we are in there it also makes room for us to re-assess our position and, after ultimately overcoming the initial burst of effort to get started - it allows us to choose to give it more time. You might not want to do it at first, but once you have started and committed just 5 minutes, you will likely decide that you might as well get it finished. The momentum created by starting a task is carried forward should you choose to give it more time. And once you’ve started, you just might find that you have a more positive attitude toward the task than you thought beforehand and actually want to give it more time and mental energy. Also if the task you have started at first seemed vast, then once you are into it, it may feel more achievable and less impossible just because you are moving forward. So that’s the 5-minute rule, but wait a minute did I not do a full episode on the 5-second rule in episode 8, then how many rules can there be? And can you handle one more – If yes - what is The 10-minute rule? Well, put simply it states that - Every task on your to-do list should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. If tasks longer than 10 minutes, then break them down into smaller tasks or delegate it to someone else. This rule involves setting the alarm on your phone or a stopwatch to go off after 10-minutes and that in turn focuses your efforts into a very tight timescale. This isn’t about tricking your brain, this is about setting yourself forced deadlines to complete specific tasks. To help you to follow concept this let me talk about Parkinson's law - Which is the adage that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion" – This is an awesome concept and is so true it makes me laugh. It goes hand in hand with my episode on perfectionism too. If I say give myself a week to write notes on a script I’ve been sent, I can guarantee you I will take a week, but if I’m given 4 hours to do the same job I bet ya I can get it done. No, it might not be perfect but I’ll get it done. That’s Parkinson's law in action. It’s incredible to see what you can achieve when you consciously commit to the ten-minute rule. It’s like an extension of the High-Level Thinking I batter on about and all it takes is a bit of conscious effort to make this work. I want you to find those easy ten minute tasks or break a larger project into ten-minute bites and set a timer. It can be an email reply, a phone call, a brainstorming session - whatever. This stuff is always easier of course if you remove any distractions so get your phone and that time destroying app you find yourself on all the time, you know the one, and either delete it or get it the hell away from you. Actually yeh – delete that app in fact as you’ll need the ten-minute timer on your phone. That app’s a great distraction, isn’t it? Get rid of it. You know I’m right. And that do not disturb function on the phone is just a click away remember. Hit that too. Now set the timer and get to work. That’s all you need to do. SUMMING UP I always like to end episodes with a quote a Brainy Quote threw up these, Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. Wayne Gretzky a Canadian Athlete came up with that one and I love it, but more commonly I hear “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.” ― Mark Twain Not everything is urgent and not everything needs done today, but if you know you have a problem with procrastination and you can feel things getting on top of you then grab hold of these techniques and start applying them - You’ll find that life will get a little easier and as a side effect you might find yourself a little happier too. CALL TO ACTION These rules really work btw but you need to engage in them and commit. You might be asking yourself, how does this work? It doesn’t make sense. Well suck it and see. That’s all you need to do with the things I discuss here. There’s a lot of info in this episode and I’ll detail all of it with links to resources in the show notes, which can be found at filmproproductivity.com/episode9. Take just one or all of these techniques and give them a test drive. The one-touch rule, the 2-minute rule, the 5-minute rule and the 10-minute rule. All are similar but different. All are highly effective if applied correctly. Abraham Lincoln said that “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” If procrastination has snuck up on you and you are in a bit of trouble then grab one of these rules, apply it to your life and work today and things will get easier. ENDING Thanks again for listening - Next episode I’ll be talking about MULTITASKING AND WHY DOING ONE THING AT A TIME IS A FAR, FAR FAR BETTER OPTION. For now, though, take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me NEXT TIME on Film Pro Productivity. The music that you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/Episode9 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would spread the word and leave an AWESOME review. Sources: https://lifehacker.com/stop-leaving-tasks-half-finished-with-the-one-touch-ru-1626933101 https://jamesclear.com/how-to-stop-procrastinating https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-10minute-rule-it-seems-crazy-but-it-will-revolutionize-your-productivity https://qz.com/work/999979/the-five-minute-trick-that-helps-instagrams-ceo-crush-procrastination/ Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin.       Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A  

Show Notes EPISODE 8 – The 5 Second Rule Transcript On this week’s show, I will be talking about MEL ROBBINS 5 SECOND RULE and how you can use it to cut through indecision, Beat fear and uncertainty, hack procrastination, Become confident, Share your ideas with courage, Stop worrying and feel happier. Before that though, in the last episode, I detailed how the Pereto Principle can be applied to our lives and work, to save time and effort on the wrong things. Have you been able to identify something in your own life or work in which the 80/20 rule can be applied? If you have then have been able to make it work for you? I’d really love to hear from you so please remember that you can call into the show using the speakpipe recorder on filmproproductivity.com’s contact page or get in touch via twitter @filmproprodpod if you want to report in. THE LESSON I’ve got so many anecdotes about missed opportunities and risks not taken in my life that I could fill out a full episode just on that, but amongst them all, it’s very probably opportunities missed when working with people that I admire that I regret the most. It took me three times working with John Gordon Sinclair for me to actually pluck up the courage to discuss Gregory's Girl with him, a film that I absolutely love. TBH it was my friend Fin that told him I was a fan in the end. I directed fights on a movie with Idris Elba and Clarke Peters in it too, it was called Legacy and was shot by Black Camel Pictures in Glasgow. I regret not asking for my photo with these two amazing actors. I talked myself out of it. I talked myself into just sailing along and not engaging too much as I was in awe. When all is said and done I should have asked one of those amazing actors if they’d consider being in one of my films. I didn’t ask, and I have regrets… This week I decided to try a new productivity hack. It was to listen to the audio version of a book rather than reading it. I chose Mel Robbins 5 Second Rule, which I listened to on Audible whilst I was driving to and from work and at the gym. It was an excellent exercise and the content was strong - I figure that while it’s fresh on my mind I should bring it to you – I’ll also post a link to it in the show notes as it’s got far more to it than I can possibly go into here. I’d also like to say that Mel reads the book herself on Audible and it’s a great listen.  She is passionate and enthused about the technique which she first raised on a Ted talk that you can view on Youtube. That was in 2011 and I’ll put a link to it in the shownotes. Right up front, I’ll clarify, just as Mel does, that we are not talking about a rule for picking up dropped food. But Mel’s 5 Second Rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it. I’ll say that again If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it. This Rule is a simple, one-size-fits-all solution for the one problem we all face—we hold ourselves back. The secret isn’t knowing what to do—it’s knowing how to make yourself do it.  Mel’s Ted Talk is called How to stop screwing yourself over and I love that title, as I do think that we sabotage our own efforts time and time again through politeness or upbringing or fear of letting others down. The thing is, if you watch the TED Talk, The 5 Second Rule is something she says literally in the last two minutes, but it’s so essentially simple, and actionable that it’s spawned a book and a whole ethos. Mel explains that The 5-second rule is a way of harnessing “activation energy”.  That’s a chemical term, but it’s one that serves Mel’s productivity rule well. She says that the moment you feel an instinct or a desire to act on a goal or a commitment, use the Rule. When you feel yourself hesitate before doing something that you know you should do, count 5-4-3-2-1-GO and physically move towards action. Through little acts of courage, the 5 Second Rule makes you less afraid over time. But the “right time” might never come, so you just have to start. The 5 Second Rule helps to override your feelings, a tactic which is called psychological intervention. There is a window that exists between the moment you have an instinct to change and your mind killing it. It’s a 5-second window. And it exists for everyone. So - How does this work? Just start counting backwards to yourself: 5-4-3-2-1 – Mel tricked herself into getting out of bed when she really didn’t want to, the morning after watching a rocket launch – and how did she do it? How did she stop herself from hitting snooze again and again on her alarm clock. Well she counted down 54321 and took action. It’s as simple as that. In whatever you are doing, as soon as you reach “1” – push yourself to move. The counting down focuses you on the goal or commitment at the same time that it distracts you from the worries, thoughts, and excuses in your mind. 5 seconds is all it takes. But if you don’t act on an instinct within that 5-second window, that’s it. You’re not doing it. She breaks this down further and explains that there are 5 elements to the rule. “The moment you have an instinct…” which Mel defines as any urge, impulse, pull, or knowing that you should or should not do something because you can feel it in your heart and gut. These instincts are the urges. They are the “knowing” that you should do something even if you don’t “feel” like doing it. “To act on a goal…” and her point here is that it’s an instinct that’s tied to a goal. The “gut feelings” when our hearts and minds are trying to tell us something. And usually, these gut impulses are tied to greater goals. “You must push yourself…” The Rule is about pushing yourself even when you don’t want to. It’s about taking control of your own life, one push at a time. The moment comes. You feel the instinct. You know it’s tied to a goal. Right now. It’s a window of opportunity. Your brain wants to shut this instinct down. It’s going to do it. But, in that moment, you take control. “To move within 5 seconds…” Physical movement is the key. All you need to do is move in the direction of your instinct. If you do not take physical action WITHIN 5 SECONDS, your brain will kill the instinct. You do your countdown. 54321 And then you GO. You take action. This could mean a number of things. It means saying something you’ve been holding back. Speaking up at a meeting. Putting on your running shoes. Grabbing that healthy snack. Holding your tongue instead of saying something mean to your partner. Sending that email to a potential client or mentor. Anything that’s related to your goal. These 5-second windows, as she calls them, are the critical moments between you changing your life and your brain stopping you. “Or your brain will kill it.” If you don’t physically move within 5 seconds, your mind WILL kill your dreams. Your brain is like an overprotective, irrational, “helicopter” parent. It has 3 basic jobs. It narrates your life as you live it and catalogues your memories. It operates your body’s functions. And it protects you from danger. How does it protect you? By keeping you from doing anything that feels scary, hard, or uncertain. So the 5 Second Rule is a way to outsmart your brain by changing hesitation into ACTION. The book is full of real-life stories of the 5-second rule in action, with examples such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King to those that follow Mel’s lead these days and use the rule in their day to day lives. It’s a tool that creates massive change. Those 5-second windows add up. In almost any situation, there’s an application for the Rule. SUMMING UP Mel Robbins also points out that “from each small act of courage, more courage follows. It compounds and says that hopefully when you’re old, you will be able to look back on a courageous life.” Much of this episode uses the words of Mel, but I felt that was a good quote to end on. CALL TO ACTION Before you doubt all this, try it out. Try it yourself. Mel Robbins rule first touted in that Ted Talk just 7 years ago, allows you to create great drive in yourself, find courage where there was none and to seize the opportunity when it arises. In this week’s call to action, I urge you to get to grips with the 5-second rule. When that alarm goes off, don’t hit snooze. Count 54321 and get up. When you see an opportunity to talk to someone you admire, count 54321 and talk to them, don’t let your brain take over. When you are stuck and need to make any decision hit 54321 and you will find the decision has been made, subconsciously for you and you will be able to move on. ENDING Thanks again for listening - Next episode I’ll be talking about The One Touch rule and other systems which will allow you to deal with the day to day slog of getting stuff done! Until then - take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music that you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode8 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would spread the word and leave an AWESOME review. Mel Robbins Ted Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp7E973zozc Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin.   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A    

  EPISODE 7  – APPLYING THE PARETO PRINCIPLE Before I go on to that though, thanks again for choosing to spend your time here with me. I really do appreciate it. Last week I spoke about silencing the INNER CRITIC and how to use your positive inner voice to fuel your drive and put you firmly in the driving seat. I would love to hear how you are getting on with that and any of these techniques I raise here. Also about what you are struggling with out there, so if you have a moment to spare click onto the contact page at filmproproductivity.com and leave me a message. Your feedback will be very useful in helping me to plan future episodes. I’m slowly refining the podcast and if I can understand what other pros are struggling with then I can create new episodes to cover those topics. The speak pipe on the contact page allows you to leave a message and your message could be included in future episodes. THIS WEEKS INTRO On today's show I’ll be looking at one of The Productivity Worlds most effective strategies – often referred to simply as the 80/20 rule. ANECDOTE In January I started applying the Pareto Principle to all of my fight directing work. My premise was this. I was tired of having my time wasted by low paying fight days, and even more tired of jobs which were a pain in the ass and messed me about. I, therefore, started saying NO (a premise I detail in episode 2 of this season) to any work that I didn’t want to do. If it’s not a HELL YEH, then it’s a NO, remember? I also decided to not hunt down work on which the communication with potential employers was bad. If I was availability checked for example, and then left hanging, I stopped phoning them and asking for info. If they want me they will find me. The result so far, and as I put together this episode its August, well the result is the I am doing less work, for fewer companies and I am getting paid more money. I’ve had people knocking down my door to ask me on board, and yes once or twice I’ve still had my time wasted but overall I’ve owned it and had the best financial year of employment I’ve had in the last 10 years or so. To further prove my point, do you think I would have produced this podcast if I’d been fannying about with time wasters and amateurs? The Pareto Principle works, but what’s it all about? If you enjoy this episode and would like to know more about the Pareto Principle please support this podcast by buying the book The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch through my Amazon Affiliate link. I get a small bump for any sale made (Doesn’t have to be what I am linking to either!)   US: https://amzn.to/2DktgOX UK: https://amzn.to/2OI3dCF   THE LESSON The Pareto Principle is also known as the Pareto Rule or the 80/20 Rule. It was named after economist Vilfredo Pareto originally referred to the observation that 80% of Italy’s wealth belonged to only 20% of the population. He became somewhat obsessed with this ratio, seeing it in everything. For example, he observed that 80% of the peas in his garden came from 20% of his pea plants. It is sometimes referred to as “The Law of the Vital Few”. The basic principle that 80 percent of consequences come from 20 percent of the causes or an unequal relationship between inputs and outputs has been drawn into the productivity world and has had a massive impact. So roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Let’s apply that to my anecdote there. I realised that 80% of my income was coming from 20% of my clients. By effectively ignoring or giving minimal time to everyone else I was able to focus and give a better commitment to my remaining well-paying clients. Adversely I’d say that 80% of my hassle comes from 20% of my clients, so the added benefit of not chasing them down or deliberately side-lining them was that I no longer had all that hassle. I had hassle with well-paying jobs but then that was well paid. It was worth a bit of hassle, but any poor paying big hassle jobs went in the can and I at the other end got lots more time off to work on what I want to do. Do you get it? Do you see why The Pareto Principle is awesome yet? Let’s look at it in more detail. AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE PARETO PRINCIPLE It must be noted that the Pareto Principle is the observation (not law) that most things in life are not evenly distributed. It can mean that: 20% of the workers produce 80% of the result 20% of the customers create 80% of the revenue 20% of your clients cause 80% of your heartache 20% of your effort creates 80 % of the finished work 20% of criminals commit 80% of the crimes. 20% of pub-goers consume 80% of the alcohol. 20% of car drivers cause 80% of the accidents. Or looking at it another way: 80% of value is achieved with the first 20% of the effort 80% of work is completed by 20% of your team We spend 80% of our time with 20% of our friends. From my personal point of view I can say that: 80% of my fight work uses 20% of the techniques and skillset that I have. 80% of the time I spend on the phone is virtually useless. If I didn’t enjoy Twitter and interacting with the community there I would shut it down, and occasionally when things start to get on top of me I do. If you’re interested in speed reading then you might agree that 80% of the value in a book can be gleaned from 20% of its content. I wear 20% of my wardrobe 80% of the time. I’ve done a bit of a Steve Jobs on this in recent years and tend to wear the same style of shirts and jeans and boots every day. I have multiple sets and I just don’t have to think about it anymore. That’s really a comment about decision fatigue which I’ll get into on a later episode. As a final example and if we are to believe Woody Allen: 80% of success is just showing up – that makes some sense if you consider that "showing up" is 20% of the effort… Richard Koch, who wrote the book The 80/20 Principle explains the common misconception that the numbers 20 and 80 do not need to add up to 100. They are cause and effect – meaning they are not of the same denominator. It just so happens that the observation made by Pareto was 80/20 - I’ll quote from him here as he is the main man when it comes to this and I’ll put a link to that book in the show notes. “The numbers don’t have to be “20%” and “80%” exactly. The key point is that most things in life and work are not distributed evenly. It doesn’t have to be a literal 80-20 ratio — for example, 70% of the effects can be contributed by 15% of the causes or 60% of effects can be contributed by 30% of the causes. The percentages of effects and causes don’t have to add up to 100% either — 80% refers to the effect while 20% refers to the cause, meaning they are not of the same denominator. It just happened that Pareto’s observation was 80-20 (rather than 70-20 or 60-10).” I watch a lot of YouTube, frankly too much YouTube – I’ll have to do an episode on YouTube addiction once I figure out how to beat it. There’s a guy on there that talks about language hacking and I only speak English so I’m useless when I’m anywhere else so I’ve watched a few of his - His whole system and he’s released a lot of books on this - is based on the principle that the 20% of the words in any language account for 80% of our usage. By making a list of words organized by how frequently they’re used, and studying just those, he can account for a significant portion of daily usage. He also had another hack which effectively says that a lot of other languages use versions of English words and that you should learn them first, but that’s me getting side-tracked. Very interesting though and its a terrific real-world example of The Pareto Principle in action. So let’s look at how this can actually be applied to our life and work in the creative industries. If 20% of your tasks bring 80% of the results – on any specific goal – then this means that we can accurately find the tasks which must be made a top priority. We can prioritise these tasks over other less important work to achieve maximum results with the least effort. With that knowledge, we can become highly efficient with our time and prioritise with that knowledge For me, the whole 80/20 principle thing is a way to prioritise. It allows me to focus on the vital - the 20% high-value tasks, rather than spreading myself thinly across everything. It allows me to say, my time is not worth that effort – whatever it may be – and I can delegate the less important work, automate it, postpone it or just remove it altogether. Look to episode 3 if you want to know more about prioritising. SUMMING UP So let me sum up. Richard Koch says that: “Conventional wisdom is not to put all of your eggs in one basket. 80/20 wisdom is to choose a basket carefully, load all your eggs into it, and then watch it like a hawk.” I can’t believe I’ve done this many episodes without referencing Tim Ferris – well here we go at last. Tim says “Doing less is not being lazy. Don't give in to a culture that values personal sacrifice over personal productivity.” What a great line eh?  Why the personal sacrifice – what is it getting you? Heartache? Stress? Let it go. Value your own time more. Listen to Dale Carnegie who said  “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” – That’s the 80/20 rule in action. CALL TO ACTION So if  The Pareto Principle is the prediction or observation that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Can you assess any aspect of your own life or work where you can apply it? If the answer to that is yes, then what are you waiting for? That’s this week’s homework. Assess your own task list and apply it – I am certain you will find something in there to which this applies. ENDING Thanks again for listening - Next episode I’ll be talking about Mel Robbins’ 5 second Rule and how you can use it to cut through indecision, Beat fear and uncertainty, hack procrastination, Become confident, Share your ideas with courage, Stop worrying and feel happier. For now, though, take control of your own destiny, silence those negative thoughts, keep on shootin’ and join me NEXT TIME on Film Pro Productivity. The music that you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode7 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would spread the word and leave an AWESOME review. Sources: https://www.amazon.co.uk/80-Principle-Expanded-Updated-Achieving/dp/0385491743 Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin.   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A    

    EPISODE 6 – DEALING WITH YOUR INNER CRITIC   In this episode, I’ll be talking about negative and debilitating thoughts and how to handle them. Last week I left you with my thoughts on perfectionism and why it’s a really bad thing. I wanted you to stop trying to be perfect and start living your lives. That was your homework. I have a feeling that for those of you who tried it will have given some real results. Are you aware of your inner voice or inner monologue – The part I’m talking about today is more aptly named the inner CRITIC – it’s that voice in your head that will troll you and put you down at every opportunity. It’s talking to me right now, literally right this second. It’s saying. This is a waste of time. No one cares. It’s saying, what if I get this wrong? I don’t know how to launch a podcast. People are not going to be happy about me giving out advice – what makes me so special? It’s saying Film Pro Productivity is a terrible name for a podcast anyway. It’s saying lots and lots of negative things about everything that I do, everything that I plan and everything that I create. It’s more persistent than any internet troll, any annoying idiot on a forum and any film critic out there. The film critics that think they are cutting when they review other peoples work, are nothing NOTHING compared to that inner voice that’s whispering in our ears during every step of the creative process and saying this, whatever it is you are doing – just ain’t good enough. This inner critic can be totally self-destructive. If we listen to it. THE LESSON I have my own opinions about the topics I raise on Film Pro Productivity but I do a good bit of research on them before I bring them to you so that I can bring you a more rounded opinion. On this topic, however – and I think this s particularly relevant to those working in creative industries such as film - there wasn’t much. I mean it’s out there but it’s thin on the ground, it’s sometimes disguised under different headings, but you have to dig. I found good information in some online articles aimed at women as it happens, although this is definitely a problem which both sexes have to face, and I think particularly for CREATIVES. One article details a survey that Activia did where they asked women what was holding them back from reaching their dreams? 80% of the time, the answer was themselves. There are of course positive and negative voices to our inner monologue. On one shoulder we have a devil with a pitchfork and horns but on the other we have an angelic saint wearing a halo. At least that’s what they look like in the cartoons. Each one is saying don’t listen to the other guy, whispering in our ears and influencing our lives. Of course, in truth, they are far more complex characters. I’d go for a sarcastic internet hater (the ones that lurk on forums just waiting for you to say something they can disagree with) versus a sensible guiding mentor, teacher or even a supportive parent but the visuals for them are a lot more complex. If I split our inner monologue into three different parts though: The INNER VOICE – is the positive voice that supports, calms and reassures us - born from our sense of right and wrong and our sense of goodwill, family and friendship. It gives us drive and is fuelled by passion. This inner voice should be considered as our guide. It’s the voice that says Let’s do this. Get up, brush your teeth, pay your bills, write that script, go to the gym, phone your mammy and don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright. It’s the voice that calms you, allows stress to wash over you and that says well done, good job and sometimes, lets you just walk away. The much quoted Derek Sivers line - if it’s not a HELL YEH, then it’s a No, comes from that inner voice advising us that maybe this job or task or invitation is not good for you – It is looking after your wellbeing. You won’t ever get this voice mixed up with the inner critic as the inner critic will be grabbing you round the throat and whispering poison in your ear - but you might feel that you have lost touch with reality a little and there are solutions to that. I’ll do a future episode on affirmations which will go into this in a bit of detail. Consciously curated affirmations can act as a crutch for those feeling lost out there. The second element would be what I have talked about in detail already - The INNER CRITIC –If we let this bully take control, it will feed our self-doubt, pick on our weaknesses and say we’re not good enough, not worthy enough, not charming enough, not experienced enough and if we start listening to it we are going to stop ourselves before we even start. There’s a third part to this perhaps which I’m going to tackle in a mini-episode which I’ll release just after this and that’s Rumination. It’s like an extreme form of the inner critic but it’s not so much an inner voice, more a replaying of experiences emotions or thoughts in an endless loop that keeps you awake at night and wears away at your soul. I’ll talk about it separately as it needs a bit of time to get into, but we can tackle it and we will. DEALING WITH THE INNER CRITIC The way I see it, there’s a fourth part to all this. The part that listens to the negative voice. The silent partner that passively gives the critic an ear in which to catastrophize... You. Let’s give permission to that silent partner to speak up. My favourite example of a creative overcoming their inner critic is.  JK Rowling - Harry Potter was rejected by 12 publishers before BLOOMSBURY picked it up for an advance of just £1500 quid. It’s now sold over 450 million copies worldwide. If she’d listened to her inner critic she’d not have persevered and the world would have missed out on an absolutely cracking set of stories. I’m certain that JK Rowling had a few moments along the way where she said to herself – What am I doing? But she persevered, shut down that negativity and drove what she believed into completion. Support this podcast by purchasing anything at all through my affiliate links. The Harry Potter Complete Collection is not a productivity book but it's still awesome... :-)   US: https://amzn.to/2MSFBtk UK: https://amzn.to/2I5bZbh   What can we do to combat the inner critic? It’s easy to say just ignore it, but perhaps trickier in practice – what we can do once we have recognised that it is there is to implement strategies to live with it or disrupt its influence along the way. In time you will build habits that will give you back control. First Things First - How’s about you just give yourself a break? Don’t concede to the enemy within. If you recognise what I’ve been talking about where you can handle it - this podcast will help you to recognise when the critic is in the driving seat and it’s then that you can say no to the negative voice and take over. Building up our belief in ourselves and our self-worth is key. I get a LOT of fight directing work in the UK – It’s how I pay my bills - but it took a visit to China and after just a few minutes of watching the amazing Donnie Yen direct a fight sequence for me to realise - that wow – He works exactly the same way I do. I’d forgotten how good I was as I almost always work on my own. It’s easy to forget how good you are at what you do if you live and work in a vacuum. It’s also too easy to stop yourself before you start. One of the principles of good mental health is to get out there and experience the world. If you find your inner critic gets to be just too much – try going for a walk. Hit the gym. Meet a friend for a coffee. Just the change of environment can make the difference and help you to remember that you are in control. You can also defeat the inner critic before it starts by planning ahead. Define what your tasks are very specific. Plan what you want to achieve and don’t want when you start on something. One article I read said that the inner critic will make incomplete and undefined tasks an “amorphous blob of un-do-ability” which is a wonderful description. That’s what your inner critic will make of unspecific tasks. Listen to my episode on prioritising and use the brain dump technique and prioritising strategies to define exactly what is important. With a written plan you can save yourself a lot of time and give your work focus. That plan might allow you to break larger tasks down into a series of smaller more edible tasks, to effectively make them a sum of their parts. Parts so small that the inner critic will find it harder to combat. Using the techniques from my episode on perfectionism will also allow you move on. Don’t catastrophize! I used to be really bad for this. Stop yourself from dwelling on worst-case scenarios, and all the things that could possibly go wrong and look towards what is realistic. I had an unbelievable conversation with a young assistant director at the Edinburgh Film Festival this year. He’d convinced himself that no one wanted to hire him but the reality was he hadn’t actually sent out a Resume or told anyone out there that he was available for work. It’s amazing how debilitating that critic can be. His solution was to take action, and I advised him to do so. In the words of Winston Churchill – Success is not final – Failure is not fatal – it is the courage to continue that counts. Taking action is my solution to many of these debilitating situations, and to do that you need to develop Drive. A subject which I’ll commit an entire episode to later on. It goes hand in hand with the self-belief that I mentioned a minute ago. Constant unchecked movement will create a snowball effect and allow you to develop a habit of work that your inner critic will be unable to stop. One other action you might take if you have reached an impasse with your inner critic is to share your thoughts with someone else. Getting out of your own head; Like I talk about in my earlier episode on Prioritising in fact, and hearing feedback from someone else that you trust will silence your inner critic quite effectively. Talking it over with a friend will give almost always give you a realistic perspective if what you’ve been doing is catastrophising - presenting a situation as considerably worse than it actually is. SUMMING UP The Psychologist William James said “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” The weapon therefor and the choice of how you wield it is yours - You are the master of our own destiny. CALL TO ACTION Use the techniques I’ve talked about today to tackle your negative inner thoughts and you will find that you will have a more productive and happy life as a result. Next time it happens. Catch yourself and question it. Use your positive inner voice to fuel your drive and put you firmly in the driving seat. ENDING Thanks again for listening - Next episode I’ll be talking about THE PERETO PRINCIPLE and how it can be applied to our work in the creative industries. For now, though, take control of your own destiny, silence those negative thoughts, keep on shootin’ and join me NEXT TIME on Film Pro Productivity. The music for this podcast and that you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode5 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would spread the word and leave an AWESOME review. Sources: https://joshkaufman.net/getting-things-done/, https://tinybuddha.com/blog/5-immediate-and-easy-ways-to-silence-your-inner-critic/, https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/compassion-matters/201305/4-ways-overcome-your-inner-critic Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin.   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A        

  EPISODE 5 – PERFECTIONISM & WHY TO AVOID IT On this week’s show, I will be talking about how PERFECTIONISM is NOT the way forward if you want to be PRODUCTIVE and HAPPY. Before we start though last week I detailed the 5 a day for good mental health system which I had attached to the acronym ALIVE. I hope that it’s been a good topic of discussion for you and its helped a few people along the way. If you missed it you can access it right now on the podcast app of your choice or at filmproproductivity.com/episode4 THE LESSON Leo Tolstoy in AnnaKarenina says “If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.” so this is no new topic of discussion In productivity terms, PERFECTIONISM, or dealing with the problems that arise as a result of perfectionism, could have been split over two episodes as it’s a huge topic. It is something that tied me down for years - I have found it a major hindrance in my life. Good was never good enough and good enough was rarely PERFECT. Now I’m ABSOLUTELY NOT saying here that we shouldn’t have high standards but perfectionism is a trait which will more often than not leave you frustrated and dissatisfied with your work even if it’s excellent. It can incapacitate you if you let it, create strain on your relationships, damage your health and leave you constantly unhappy and disappointed. I used to think that my perfectionism was a strength, in fact at one point in my life it was on my Resume for like 2 years. I was obsessed with getting things right, I still am, to be honest, but I am no longer a perfectionist. International productivity author Stephen Guise wrote a book about this called How to be an im-perfectionist – That’s a far better description of how I see myself now. Stephen says If you don't manage to reframe perfectionism as a damaging and inferior mindset, the illusion of its superiority will thwart your desired changes. You can support The podcast by buying the book How To Be An Imperfectionist by Stephen Guise (or indeed anything else via this link) from Amazon. I am an Amazon Affiliate and get a supportive bump back for the podcast from any sale. Alternately hit the DONATE BUTTON at the bottom of the page :-)   US: https://amzn.to/2xGP9lp UK: https://amzn.to/2OI0ARj   Shortly after I made my feature film, I had a colossal breakdown and only then did I begin to realise that perfectionism was what had put me there. I was diagnosed as having a dissociative disorder and PTSD – Yes PTSD – who would have thought that making a low budget feature film would lead to similar mental stresses to those returning from war zones? During my recovery, I signed up for health classes the STEPS organisation, which I think are now called Wellbeing Glasgow.  One was called Dealing with Stress – and every 6 weeks in Glasgow at that time 130 new people started with that class – stress today is an epidemic and it is killing people. In the hand-outs that we got with the classes, there was a list of things that led to stress, anxiety and depression. Top of that list was the word PERFECTIONISM. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The thing that I had always thought was a positive trait was, I suddenly realised, the likely reason that I had gone bananas. My obsession with getting things perfect, and rarely achieving that goal, had been destroying me. It’s not PC to say this anymore, but I was having a nervous breakdown. I couldn’t remember things, I had no confidence left, my perception of reality was skewed and I was frightened and totally burned out. But the realisation that everything doesn’t have to be PERFECT is something that many people find hard to swallow - I mean what’s wrong with wanting things to be perfect right? Well – wanting things to be perfect is normal, but becoming obsessed with achieving perfection can be paralysing. It cramps your life and leads to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, stress and other mental health issues - and all of that, in turn, leads to damaged relationships, a problematic work-life balance and ultimately loss of joy for life. You see as a perfectionist. There can be no room for mistakes. They spend a crazy amount of time correcting tiny mistakes that ultimately don’t make a difference. They are hypercritical, taking the finish of what you are doing to a level far beyond that which others would deem excellent. Things have got to be done their way, and that’s a very specific way. They find it very difficult to find good people to work with and many people won’t want to work with them for fear of miss-footing and drawing their wrath. As a result, they disregard their health, compromise relationships, take on more and more and all of that leads to more and more pressure, lack of sleep and stress. Even if they delegate, they keep worrying about it. They micro-manage, even when things are going well. They become obsessed with the end result. They don’t care what it takes to achieve the goal, and if they don’t make it, they feel like a failure. They even get hung up on past perceived “failures” because they just can’t let go even years later. They can’t stop thinking about work, because they are afraid everything will fall apart without them. Their, what I would call, inner critic is forever trolling them and comparing what they are doing with what someone who has done it for years has done. So they are immensely hard on themselves. Because their standards are so high they become huge procrastinators– I don’t know the number of filmmakers out there that have made films and not even released them as they have lost faith in what they are doing. It’s not perfect so it has no worth. They become perpetually locked in a state of preparation, waiting for the right moment to proceed. For the perfect alignment of the stars which will result in the perfect product. It’s crippling. No matter what they do, it’s never enough. Success is never enough for that inner voice I mentioned earlier. It’s a motivation killer because they hold themselves to unachievable standards and much of the time they don’t even start. It is ALL or NOTHING. We're constantly worried about your work being judged – which is not surprising as in this social networking age we will be. And finally they leave themselves no room to get better – They have forgotten that we all need to make mistakes in order to learn. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW TO BEAT PERFECTIONISM If you see yourself in what I’ve just been describing then fear not, WE CAN BEAT THIS ADDICTION TO PERFECTION, REPROGRAM OUR VIEW OF REALITY and STILL ACHIEVE BRILLIANCE IN WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO. I beat my addiction to perfection with this simple premise - I asked myself in whatever it was I was doing: Is this perfect? NO Then I asked myself - Is it good enough? and my good enough is really very good btw – and if it isn’t good enough I will do more but if my truthful answer is YES - if it meets my minimum standard – Then I will give myself permission to move on. I just won’t allow myself to get hung up in a perpetual loop of micro improvement and I will proceed with imperfection. I’ve seen that this is also the conclusion that many others in this field have come to. Stephen Guise’s solution is effectively the same as mine but adds another level. He has a floor and a ceiling to his high standards. His im-perfectionist lives between the floor, or the bare minimum standard for it to be ok, to be good, passable, and acceptable and a ceiling – which is a magical dreamlike perfection, the highest possible standard. He explains that the perfectionist who seeks the highest possible standard makes that their floor, and in turn that makes their ceiling unachievable – On that basis, the PERFECTIONIST will NEVER REACH PERFECTION. Changing your standard from the unachievable to a very high standard frees you up from all the other problems that come with it. Try going for 80 or 90% of perfection. That’s a much more achievable aim. Eliminating perfection from your life is NOT a THAT’LL DO philosophy. It allows you to set high achievable standards. As we embrace imperfection we need to kill the ALL OR NOTHING MINDSET by accepting that there is a natural progression to things. We can advance my question by asking - Is it good enough FOR NOW? Can I let this stand FOR NOW and improve it at a later date? Writers will do it in their drafts and redrafting process, gradually improving. Students will study to get better and as their understanding of a topic or skill broadens they will improve. The best analogy is perhaps the one of learning to ride a bike. You have to practice to get better and eventually the training wheels will come off. You can’t immediately achieve brilliance – You should work your way towards it. On that same topic, we must stop comparing ourselves to others. Applying constant pressure on yourself to meet the unrealistic standard that a competitor or mentor that has 20 years more experience than you sets is the ultimate route to procrastination. Fear of your work not being of a high enough standard will simply make you stop because you are holding yourself to an ideal they can't possibly reach. Yet. We also need to focus on the positive and on the things we are doing well. We can’t linger on our doubts and allow the inner voice to paralyse us. Switch off your negative self-talk. We must also make health our priority and stop sacrificing rest in the name of work. Care for yourself. Make fitness and eating priorities in your life and don’t let stress creep up on you. One that I am trying to figure out right now and I am having some success with is that we should embrace the process and not be so target oriented. Stay in the moment and enjoy the task. Don’t make your happiness depend on whether you hit a goal or miss it. Having goals is a truly great thing but if the bar is too high then it will just be demotivating. We must figure out our work/ life balance and not go down the slippery slope of obsessing over our work at the cost of missing our families or our partners. We must value our relationships and personal life. If you put 100% of your energy into work you will leave no room for anything else, including your own downtime. We must learn to delegate, and that’s something I’ve raised in earlier episodes of this podcast. You may feel that it’s easier and faster for you to do everything yourself but that’s not really the case. It may be done a little differently from how you would like it done, but if you find good reliable people to work with, and relay your instructions well, then whatever task you delegate will get done. Here’s a secret that I use to get great work done by others. I only work with brilliant people. You’ve got to hunt for them, but they are out there. We must prioritise our tasks and ignore the less important. A perfectionist will try to do it all and dissipate their energy. If you can prioritise, and I spoke about that in my last podcast, then you can focus on what is the most important without being hung up on the small details. SUMMING UP My all-time favourite quote on this topic is by ― Ernest Hemingway who said that “The first draft of anything is shit.” I’ll balance that last quote with one by Lao Tzu who says that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. I love this one as it captures the spirit of recovery. When you understand the ideas that these quotes demonstrate, and realise that DONE is better than PERFECT, it opens the door for us to write that first draft, or make our first film, or record our first sound or paint our first painting or even – as I am proving here – create your first podcast. I’ve spent a lot of time on my podcast but it’s anything but perfect. I know that, and I am releasing it anyway. I don’t compare it to the awesome podcasts that are already out there but I do allow them to inspire and educate me. I celebrate them as I put this one together. I silence my inner critic and release my imperfect Podcast to the world, and I do it with courage. No one is going to hear it if I don’t release it so here it is. Completed and out there. I’ve fought through my procrastination, launched with imperfection and know that I will get better as I create more and learn from my mistakes. For now, though I hope that it has been useful to those who have listened and that you will be able to take the ideas which I have presented forward and into your own life and work. That filmmaker that’s frightened to release his film as it doesn’t compare to Spielberg’s latest masterpiece CALL TO ACTION How many of you have slaved over the wording of an email for example – working at it to be perfect? Was that email really that important that it deserved an hour or more of your time? Probably not. That’s a tiny example of perfectionism intruding on your time and mental energy. Spot this perfectionism and work round it. TEACH YOURSELF TO CARE A LITTLE LESS. I just want you to stop trying to be perfect and start living your lives. That’s the homework. ENDING If you want to tell me how you are getting on with the productivity concepts that I talk about here then I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch via the speakpipe recorder on filmproproductivity.com’s contact page or on twitter @filmproprodpod. If you can take a minute or two to tell me what is working for you and what you are struggling with then I’ll do my best to feedback in future episodes. Thanks again for listening – This has been a big episode so Next time will be shorter – I’ll be talking to you about ALIVE - a simple acronym to improve your mental health. But for now, just take control of your destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music for this podcast and that you are listening to right now is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode5 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would spread the word and leave an AWESOME review. Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8pti-Swh_E&t=59s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAoakO64ixA, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/better-perfect/201611/9-signs-you-might-be-perfectionist Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin.   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A    

  Show Notes EPISODE 4 – 5 A DAY FOR GOOD MENTAL HEALTH A.L.I.V.E. This week I’ll be talking about 5 simple steps to a happier life through mental well-being using the acronym ALIVE. ANECTOTE We have designated Mental Health Awareness Weeks every year. In Europe it’s in May, in North America, it’s usually the end of September into October. World suicide prevention day is on the 10th September every year. 1 in 5 people across the world suffer from some form of mental illness. It’s a topic that we need to talk more about. We need to eliminate the stigma about mental illness and talking about it is a great way to start. I first came across the 5 A Day for good mental health system when I was attending stress classes run by Glasgow’s STEPS program, now called Wellbeing Glasgow. In that 6 evening course, it was raised and presented as part of the class and detailed the books that accompanied it. Later on, I went on to volunteer with the course leader Dr Jim White on media matters. The 5 a day system had made a great impact on me but as I questioned him on it I couldn’t recall them all. At that time. Neither could he. It was some weeks later when I travelled with my brothers to Moniaive in Dumfriesshire to attend my Aunt Jean’s funeral, that my brothers and I came up with the acronym ALIVE to remember the system. If anyone ever wonders where this episode was born, it was there in that car, and this podcast is my first effort to get it out there. THE LESSON Before I go into my own interpretation for this let’s talk about 5 A DAY FOR MENTAL WELLBEING. It was borne of a European Union survey on mental health which for the life of me I’ve never been able to track down. Now, this 5 a day system is touted everywhere, and quite rightly as it’s a brilliant and effective system. It consists of 5 elements.   Connect Connect with the people around you: Your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Spend time developing these relationships. Put five minutes aside to ask someone how they are Arrange to meet up with friends that you haven’t seen in a while Join a local group or club and meet new people in your community   Be active You don’t have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of football. Play Pokémon Go! Find the activity that you enjoy, and make it a part of your life. Go for a short walk at lunchtime Discover a physical activity you enjoy and one that suits you   Keep learning Learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. So why not sign up for that cooking course, start learning to play a musical instrument, or figure out how to fix your bike? Sign up for a class and learn something new Rediscover an old interest, such as cooking or gardening Take on a new challenge to make or fix something   Give to others / or Volunteer (your time) Even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a thank you, or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering at your local community centre, can improve your mental wellbeing and help you build new social networks. Volunteer your time for a cause you are passionate about Spend time with someone who you know has been having a difficult time   Take notice Be more aware of the present moment, including your feelings and thoughts, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness “mindfulness,” and it can positively change the way you feel about life, and how you approach challenges. Set aside time to practise mindfulness or take up yoga Take notice of how your friends or colleagues are feeling Spend time outdoors, enjoy the fresh air and notice what’s around you So these are quite simple steps which we should all be aware of, but how do we easily remember them. ALIVE My system uses the appropriate acronym ALIVE. A - Stay active, keep moving every day. L – look about, observe the world about you, watch a sunset, smell a flower, I – Interact with others, get out of the house, V – volunteer your time, you don’t need to start a podcast, just help someone with the little things like lifting their shopping, mowing a lawn, or just lifting up the phone and lastly E – Educate – Keep learning – that is the key to your future. Try Udemy or listen to more podcasts. Keep that brain active and keen. If a specialist doctor couldn’t remember these off the top of his head then I can assure you that we need this. It’s my gift to the world. Take it – fly with it – spread the word. Just telling people about this will make you feel much better about your own troubles. It’s a great conversation starter and it really helps those in need. Productivity is as much about gaining a happier, healthier life as it is about getting more done. Having poor mental health is as sure to stop you working as anything else. SUMMING UP “When your mind is in a dark place it is difficult not to think in shadows.” ― Charlie Hasler, Words From An Unlikely Poet With one in five people suffering this means it is likely that you or someone in your immediate family or someone you work with is struggling with their mental health. Can you imagine them having to deal with that stigma? A stigma that causes people in need of help to keep it to themselves! Dealing with mental illness is extremely hard on its own, doing so in silence makes it that much harder. CALL TO ACTION This week's call to action is - if you know someone with a mental health concern, reach out and talk to them. Let them know that while you may not understand what they are feeling, you are there for them and are supportive of them. Share this podcast, or the ALIVE acronym to help get the conversation started. There will be a full transcript on the website. I want you to memorise the ALIVE acronym and talk about it often and keep spreading the word. ENDING Thanks again for listening and for giving me your time. I’d like to thank Doctor Jim White and the STEPS team in Glasgow for helping me in my own struggles and I dedicate this episode to my old friend and creative colleague Keith Munro who we lost some years ago. Next episode I’ll be talking about PERFECTIONISM and how it can be applied to our work in the creative industries. For now, though, take control of your own destiny, silence those negative thoughts, keep on shootin’ and join me NEXT TIME on Film Pro Productivity. The music for this podcast is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode4 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would leave an AWESOME review. Sources: https://www.livingwell.org.au/well-being/five-ways-to-mental-wellbeing/ https://www.samh.org.uk/about-mental-health/self-help-and-wellbeing/five-ways-to-better-mental-health Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin.   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A  

Un maravilloso episodio donde cito una conversación que tuve con Aleja, Juli y Lui acerca de la Reputación y el Reconocimiento. Además, estoy estrenando micrófono para que cada día los episodios sean una experiencia más agradable.Espero te guste bastante y recuerda dejar tu comentario en spreaker o en cualquiera de mis redes: http://www.danielmoncada.coInstagram: danielmoncadal Facebook: danielmoncadal*La música que hoy uso de fondo es propiedad de: Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQEMusic provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8–––• Contact the artist:x.jonaz@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://twitter.com/ahimitsu1https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFw...Good For You by THBD https://soundcloud.com/thbdsultanCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-K_YSjqKgvQ

Un maravilloso episodio donde cito una conversación que tuve con Aleja, Juli y Lui acerca de la Reputación y el Reconocimiento. Además, estoy estrenando micrófono para que cada día los episodios sean una experiencia más agradable.Espero te guste bastante y recuerda dejar tu comentario en spreaker o en cualquiera de mis redes: http://www.danielmoncada.coInstagram: danielmoncadal Facebook: danielmoncadal*La música que hoy uso de fondo es propiedad de: Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQEMusic provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8–––• Contact the artist:x.jonaz@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://twitter.com/ahimitsu1https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFw...Good For You by THBD https://soundcloud.com/thbdsultanCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-K_YSjqKgvQ

   PRIORITIZING In this episode, we will be looking at how to prioritise your tasks and gain clarity of mind that will allow you to move forward. Before we start though: have you been actioning the word NO from last week’s episode? I started with NO for good reason – it’s going to stop you sliding down whatever slippery slope you are on. Whatever time-consuming rabbit holes you have found yourself in. This week’s topic is prioritising because saying NO to the wrong things means that you can start saying YES to the right – Saying NO liberates you from non-essential commitments and makes much more room for you to say yes to what is meaningful and important to you. It opens up free time by giving you choices. NO being one that will stop the influx of new commitments, MAYBE which will buy you time to think about a commitment and YES which comes from knowing that commitment is something that furthers your end goals something you really want to do or perhaps just something that pays the bills. But how can you decide what’s important and what is not? THE LESSON I nearly called this episode WHITE NOISE AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THROUGH IT as that’s often how I feel when I get bogged down in my THINGS TO DO list – It’s a foggy buzzy place where I can get lost and sometimes I find myself obsessing over things which when all are said and done, are just not important. That fog, no matter how driven you are, can drop down and, in productivity terms at least, hide from you what is important, and cause you to slow down and meander into a rhythm of unproductiveness. About a year ago I picked up 6 retro  VHS camcorders from a college that was getting rid of them. I had them sent to me and all in it was about £200. Great deal and I had a plan for them. I was going to give them to fellow filmmaker friends with a challenge, I’d give them a camcorder and a single tape which costs about £2, the means to capture from them which was another £10 and I was going to ask them all to make a short film to a deadline with a prize of keeping the camcorder and something more for the winner – It would be fun right? Wrong. I ended up chewing over how I would do this for months, and it was always on my mind. I had a Ton of other far more important things to do, fight contracts that required constant attention, relationships, I had just got a puppy, I had my own films I was trying to develop and a load of house-related problems and personal matters that needed my time and time. When I stopped for a moment and looked at what I had on my todo list it was probably 6 months later and I was drowning. Within two minutes of assessing what I had to do, I realised I had to dump this camcorder idea. As I stopped and took stock I realised it was a total waste of time and money. I mean if I’d been a millionaire playboy with plenty of free time maybe I could have done it with my friends one weekend, but I’m no millionaire. By simply eliminating this task not doing it I was able to: Save a load of money. Save a load of hassle - communicating and organising an idea which other filmmakers would likely not have the time to actually do anything with. These people have businesses and families. Save a load of time. This project wouldn’t have taken 5 minutes. It would have taken weeks and possibly months of time I didn’t have. Free up my mind for more important things. Getting what’s on your mind and onto paper, or on to a whiteboard as that’s my preferred medium, allows you to honestly assess what is important and what was not. My time consuming altruistic camcorder idea which would ultimately led to me giving away my those camcorders just didn’t fit with what I was about at that time. I only realised that though when I stopped and assessed all that I had on my mind. Prioritising starts with what I call a BRAIN DUMP. Get a whiteboard or a just a piece of paper, but whiteboards are cheap and really give you a good chance at tackling this sort of thing. I actually have 4 large whiteboards in my office and one at home for doing this sort of thing. Get that whiteboard and Dump whatever is on your mind onto it. Get it all out there. Any incomplete task, anything that’s on your mind and anything that is slowing you down. If you’re using a whiteboard and run out of space you can always photograph it and type it up and start a new board btw. If you enjoy this episode and would like to support the show, please buy whiteboard through my Amazon Affiliate link. I get a small bump for any sale made (Doesn’t have to be what I am linking to either!) Thanks! Whiteboard US: https://amzn.to/2xGP9lp UK: https://amzn.to/2NvDMro   Now the task of getting everything onto a whiteboard or a piece of paper starts to make a difference to your mind. That working space that’s been holding these ideas and worries starts to free up. That RAM or headspace can be put to better use than remembering all these incomplete tasks. Just having that host of tasks in your head will actually tire you out. In 1927 a Russian psychologist called Bluma Zeigarnik found that waiters remembered orders only as long as the order was in the process of being served. When we hold multiple things in short-term memory, we have to rehearse them continuously, otherwise, they would disappear. This requires a lot of cognitive effort and the more things we are rehearsing the more effort. The Waiters had better recollections of still unpaid and incomplete orders but after the completion of the task — after everyone had paid — they were unable to remember any more details of the orders. This trick now known as the Zeigarnik effect is very well applied by soaps and serials. The episode ends, but the story doesn’t. Thus you get stuck in a cliffhanger. Software designers do the same things with games. The point is that this is a thing, it’s been understood for years and it’s something you can deal with. HOW TO SAY PRIORITISE So now that we know that we have gotten these tasks out of our short-term memory and on a whiteboard or a piece of paper we can now apply one of several systems to help us to prioritise. The "Eisenhower Method" stems from a quote attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower: who said "I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent is not important, and the important is never urgent." I’ll detail that system in the show notes but my preferred system is Rory Vaden’s focus funnel. The way this works is - If you can imagine a funnel wide at the top and getting tighter as it goes down, you would run you to do list through this. This dilutes your list into a priority list. ELIMINATE – What can you get rid of. For me, it was, amongst other things, the camcorder thing. It was an incomplete task or loop in my head and it took up space for no good reason. AUTOMATE – Examples DELEGATE – Dog Walking. PROCRASTINATE – till a later date CONCENTRATE – This is the dilution of what is important.   SUMMING UP The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule but to schedule your priorities. Stephen Covey I’ll look at the bigger questions of life purpose and life goals which will, in turn, inform your priorities in a later episode but the combination of a Brain Dump and the Focus Funnel system will help you to navigate your way through the white noise of everyday life and work and start to get back on top. Straight off the bat, decide what of your to-do list can be eliminated – combine that with a  bit of honesty in yourself and the word NO I talked about last time, and you are well on the way to escaping that overburdening feeling of obligation you may have gotten yourself into. CALL TO ACTION Let's get that white noise out of your head and onto a piece of paper, or a whiteboard. Apply the focus funnel, which again will be shown as a diagram in the show notes and you will soon get back control. Remember that you are driving the bus, not some unimportant commitment or incomplete task. ENDING Thanks again for listening - Next episode I’ll be talking about PERFECTIONISM and why it’s a really bad thing. Good luck in the week ahead. Buckle up, take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. The music for this podcast is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode3 If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would leave an AWESOME review. Sources: https://www.southwesternconsulting.com/roryvaden/blog/the-focus-funnel/focus-funnel-from-procrastinate-on-purpose-by-rory-vaden/ Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin. Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A  

    Show Notes Episode 2: HARNESSING THE POWER OF NO Transcript THIS WEEKS INTRO In this episode, I’ll be talking about how the word NO can turn your life around and get you on the road to success. ANECTOTE Saying no is very near the top of the productivity techniques that I use most often – Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best. John C. Maxwell Too many commitments that do not serve your own goals and objectives in life or within a specific project only lead to overwhelm and burnout. I should know. I’ve been there – My first feature film was shot before I’d ever heard the word productivity. During that project I found myself picking up and dealing with every incomplete task that came my way. Given that I was already Exec Producer and Director on the film and had more than enough to worry about, this had a predictable outcome. I put myself under so much pressure and strain that after it all ended I had what they used to call a nervous breakdown. I made many mistakes on the film, but if I’d just said NO more often and avoided the evil they call PERFECTIONISM, (which I’ll be talking about in episode 4) then I’d have had a happier life, an even better film and certainly a healthier outcome. I eventually realised that for want of a better word I had to start being more SELFISH – or to put it more kindly I needed to be less ALTRUISTIC. THE LESSON Learning to say NO is a lesson that I learned the hard way. Avoiding burnout starts by saying NO often, and meaning it. It seems simple, but why do so many people find it difficult? For me saying YES seems to come from an internal need to be Nice - to be incessantly agreeable. You may find yourself saying YES because you want to impress, or gain favour, or maybe because you have an inherent fear of rejection and don’t want to disappoint people, make them angry or just appear unkind. Perhaps you say it just because it’s your default answer – you might not really understand why you say YES – If it’s just born out of habit then it’s one that can be and must be changed if you are to give yourself the best chance for success. If you say yes to everything that comes your way you’ll never be productive. If you say yes to things that really don’t light your fire, or that don’t further your dreams and goals then you are doing yourself a disservice. You’re likely spreading yourself so thin that you’re doing the person you’ve said yes to a disservice too. You’re not only setting yourself up to fail but that in turn will get you stressed out and create feelings of anger and resentment for the person that’s you’ve said yes to. It’s a bad route to follow. Saying NO starts by STOPPING yourself from saying YES and you can do that if you put a bit of work in. We’ll be talking about getting our priorities straight in episode 3 but you really have to know what you want and work towards your own goals, without getting side-tracked or manipulated to further other peoples priorities above your own instead. By saying NO to any unimportant tasks, requests and even thoughts we can avoid a lot of angst and if you’re already in over your head - begin to reclaim your life. So: First of all, you need to DECIDE WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE and make YOUR OWN goals, objectives and prosperity your first priority. I’ll be working on this in episode 3 but for now… STOP BEING NICE – Guard your TIME by saying NO to unnecessary requests. Other people’s goals, that don’t in turn further your own in some way, are NOT your responsibility. STOP BEING NICE – Guard your MONEY by refusing to be the easy touch. Other people's financial problems are NOT your responsibility. Make NO your default answer. One thing to absolutely be aware of is manipulators. They are out there and many might not even know they are doing it but they use a series of underhand diversion or set up tactics which the less aware amongst us may fall for. Manipulators will say things like, this would be really good for you, but you can question that – will it really? Why? They’ll use flattery to pull you in. Oh, I really love your work, I’d love you to be involved. They will try and guilt you into it, saying things like well you said you would help, or even blame you for something not working out unless you come on board – this is sometimes called blameshifting – without you, this won’t work. I need you. YOU will ruin their #Blank if you don’t help. Or I helped you, and now you owe me – This is something which may also not actually be true – Did they help you or did they just think they helped you? Even if they did and you want to help, what cost will it be to your life, your work, your relationships? How’s about the term gaslighting? Are you aware of this one? Some people will entirely make things up and try and convince you that you said or did something that committed you to their purpose. The less aware amongst us will out of politeness accept what is said, but it must be challenged. Some people will out and out threaten you. If you don’t help me then I’ll use your competitor for example. Manipulators are everywhere and their tactics are diverse. Avoid them. If you get in with these sorts of people and say YES, then be prepared for your involvement to NEVER END. They will move the goal posts and pull you further and further in. HOW TO SAY NO. Learning to say no was not an easy road for me. I still struggle with it but I am aware and I am getting better. When I first started thinking about this – I’d actually googled it in stressed out state and Google started me on the path - I  stood back and looked at where my career and my bank balance was going it as a result of my non important commitments to other people films and lives and that made saying NO much easier. This is something you need to practice so start small by using it in your day to day life, I found it really difficult, and still do, to be honest, but I practiced it when ordering a coffee – would you like to upsize that? NO, and then just started making a definite no, without an appended apology to more important matters. Of course not every opportunity has a yes or no answer but, you can buy yourself time by saying I’ll think about it and get back to you if you are uncertain. SUMMING UP I’ll end this episode with a quote from Akiroq Brost “Learn to set boundaries. In short, learn to say no. Don't guilt and shame yourself. Say no to people and things you don't want. Just say no. It is your right, it is your time, it is your energy.” ― Productivity starts with you taking control of your own life, your own destiny. Remember every time you say YES  to one thing you’re saying NO to something else. CALL TO ACTION If you have difficulty with saying no, then start practicing it today. Your homework for this week is to do just that. Practice with the small things and work up. By applying this rule and making NO your default answer, you’ll start to recover time, and stem the flow of lost energy which you give to other people. The hours here and there which you’ve given to other people, will become yours, the money you’ve loaned out to never see again will stay in your pocket and the creative energy which gets dissipated by playing someone else’s tune will remain yours to invest back into your own creative projects, your own work life and relationships. ENDING Thanks again for listening - Next episode I’ll be talking about getting your priorities straight and getting what’s on your mind into a system which will help you to, on a very simple level, clarify your thoughts and identify your priorities. That episode is available right now as I launch so buckle up, take control of your own destiny, keep on shootin’ and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity. This episode was produced by Stephen Rowan and the music is Adventures by A Himitsu. You can view the show notes for this episode at filmproproductivity.com/episode2  If you’re struggling with something you think I can help with or would like to tell me how you are getting on then please get in touch via the contact page on the website. Alternately you can get me on Twitter @fight_director or follow the show @filmproprodpod Please subscribe on the podcast app of your choice and if you are in the caring/ sharing mood then I’d really appreciate it if you would leave an AWESOME review. Sources: https://psychcentral.com/lib/learning-to-say-no/, https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-say-no-to-anyone-even-a-good-friend Thanks: A Himitsu, Stephen Rowan, Dave Bullis Podcast, Podcraft. Main Photographs taken on the Giordano UK shoot by Bryan Larkin.   Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://www.soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox https://www.youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library https://www.youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 ––– • Contact the artist: x.jonaz@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ahimitsu https://www.twitter.com/ahimitsu1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFwu-j5-xNJml2FtTrrB3A  

En el episodio de hoy quiero compartir contigo mi reflexión de 1 año de vida lleno de aprendizajes para la mente que han llevado mi vida a otro nivel y que por ende, a ti también podrían llevarte a otro nivel.Espero te guste bastante y recuerda dejar tu comentario en spreaker o en cualquiera de mis redes: http://www.danielmoncada.coInstagram: danielmoncadal Facebook: danielmoncadal*La música que hoy uso de fondo es propiedad de: Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQEMusic provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8–––• Contact the artist:x.jonaz@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://twitter.com/ahimitsu1https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFw...Good For You by THBD https://soundcloud.com/thbdsultanCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-K_YSjqKgvQ

En el episodio de hoy quiero compartir contigo mi reflexión de 1 año de vida lleno de aprendizajes para la mente que han llevado mi vida a otro nivel y que por ende, a ti también podrían llevarte a otro nivel.Espero te guste bastante y recuerda dejar tu comentario en spreaker o en cualquiera de mis redes: http://www.danielmoncada.coInstagram: danielmoncadal Facebook: danielmoncadal*La música que hoy uso de fondo es propiedad de: Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQEMusic provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8–––• Contact the artist:x.jonaz@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://twitter.com/ahimitsu1https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFw...Good For You by THBD https://soundcloud.com/thbdsultanCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-K_YSjqKgvQ

Bienvenidos al 4to episodio de metahumanos. Hoy me senté a grabar sin un guión alguno sobre mi experiencia emprendiendo, luego de renunciar a mi trabajo de 6 años atrás. Un episodio donde me dejo llevar por la emoción del momento sin estructura alguna, queriendo dejarte un mensaje sobre la confianza, el valor y el merecimiento.Espero te guste bastante y recuerda dejar tu comentario en spreaker o en cualquiera de mis redes: http://www.danielmoncada.coInstagram: danielmoncadalFacebook: danielmoncadal*La música que hoy uso de fondo es propiedad de: Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQEMusic provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8–––• Contact the artist:x.jonaz@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://twitter.com/ahimitsu1https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFw...Good For You by THBD https://soundcloud.com/thbdsultanCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-K_YSjqKgvQ–––• Contact the artist:thbdmusic@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thbdshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoXf...

Bienvenidos al 4to episodio de metahumanos. Hoy me senté a grabar sin un guión alguno sobre mi experiencia emprendiendo, luego de renunciar a mi trabajo de 6 años atrás. Un episodio donde me dejo llevar por la emoción del momento sin estructura alguna, queriendo dejarte un mensaje sobre la confianza, el valor y el merecimiento.Espero te guste bastante y recuerda dejar tu comentario en spreaker o en cualquiera de mis redes: http://www.danielmoncada.coInstagram: danielmoncadalFacebook: danielmoncadal*La música que hoy uso de fondo es propiedad de: Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQEMusic provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8–––• Contact the artist:x.jonaz@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://twitter.com/ahimitsu1https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFw...Good For You by THBD https://soundcloud.com/thbdsultanCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-K_YSjqKgvQ–––• Contact the artist:thbdmusic@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thbdshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoXf...

Bienvenidos al 3er episodio de metahumanos. Hoy hablaremos de un grandioso libro llamado Secretos de la Mente Millonaria. Compartiré un poco de reflexiones que este me dejó luego de leerlo durante 2 meses y medio. Recuerda dejar tu comentario en spreaker o en cualquiera de mis redes: http://www.danielmoncada.coInstagram: danielmoncadalFacebook: danielmoncadal*La música que hoy uso de fondo es propiedad de: Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsuCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQEMusic provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8–––• Contact the artist:x.jonaz@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ahimitsuhttps://twitter.com/ahimitsu1https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFw...Good For You by THBD https://soundcloud.com/thbdsultanCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-K_YSjqKgvQ–––• Contact the artist:thbdmusic@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thbdshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoXf...