What Jeremy Cowart taught me about starting from scratch

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They say the hard part is starting; taking that very first step when you’re standing still; finding the energy and the courage to begin to move toward your dream.

What they don’t tell you is that after you do that you have to take another step, and from my experience that’s where things get really tough.

The first step is more about motivation. You have to change something. You have to lean forward and move your feet back under you to keep from falling. The first step is scary, but technically not as difficult as the next.

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Back From An Adventure

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I’m back. Back from an adventure. I never planned to leave. I never intended to go so far. It just happened. An accidental adventure I guess.

And although the outcome isn’t what I had planned, it’s a road I am proud to have explored.

The start

Don Miller says that every character enters a story because of an “inciting incident.” They have to get fired from their job or sign up for a marathon. A ring has to be purchased, and they have to jump into the discomfort and fear. Otherwise the story will never happen.

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Back (soon) From An Adventure!

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Funny thing about living a Life Stoked, it often doesn’t leave time to write about it! The past few months I’ve been trying my hand at creating a software startup from scratch. It’s been an amazing journey (roller coaster more like it)!

I rediscovered what it means to truly put yourself out there, and struggled through a lot of personal battles between the starting line and where I am now. It was in the truest spirit of living a Life Stoked I set out on that adventure, and although it’s been trying and torturous at times, I’m very grateful for it.

Lately I’ve missed the Life Stoked blog a lot though, and so I’m planning on returning to regular posting soon (once I reach a good milestone on my software startup).

I look forward to seeing you all soon!

- Deacon

PS: Have you gone ‘all in’ on a dream before? How’d it turn out?

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Why I Almost Quit, And What Saved The Day

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don't get stuckA few months back I was down on myself for not making much progress towards my biggest goal. Every day I woke up and dreamed about what success would feel like. I worked hard too, so you can’t just play the “dreamer” card on me.

I just wasn’t moving forward.

Even though I’d been using the quarterback method for a while to help me get things done I was struggling to find results. It didn’t feel good.

I’ve been stuck here before, and this is the part where the questions start flooding in:

  • Am I really cut out for this?
  • Am I wasting my time?
  • Shouldn’t I be farther along by now?

Is it time to give up?

When those scary questions start to show up, you’ve got to act fast before they destroy your dream.

Luckily I had a secret weapon.

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5 Limitations Holding You Back – And How To Turn Them Into Strengths

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Stuck on the highway in the desert.

In 1975 Stephen Spielberg was in the middle of directing a movie that would become a Hollywood classic. The revolutionary techniques used in this film would forever change the movie industry. Once it was completed and released he would shatter box office records.

But there was one major problem.

The shark wouldn’t work. Day after day production was delayed to repair the most sophisticated and expensive animatronic equipment ever built. And without a working shark, it was going to be pretty difficult to make the movie Jaws.

With anyone other than Spielberg at the helm Jaws would have been a theatrical and financial disaster. Yet somehow, Spielberg was able to take the limitation of a broken shark and make one of the greatest movies of all time.

How?

Spielberg understands that limitations can be a good thing. They can force you down new paths to find creative solutions. The end result is often better than you ever could’ve done with no limits.

We’ll come back to Spielberg and Jaws in a minute, but first I want to show you five common limitations and how you can transform them into a strength instead.

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What Do I Do Next? The Simple Way To Make The Best Decision

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half-pipe-snowWhen you’re working towards a goal there are always more things to do. Every day you have to make choices about what to do next, and what to put off a while. There’s only so much you can get done in a day!

Choosing what to do next is one of the most important decisions you make. Get it right, and you’ll rocket towards your goal. Get it wrong, and you’ll flounder around forever.

I’ve done both.

The difference was how I chose what to do next. Here’s something I learned from Tony Robbins to help you decide what action to take next.

Do the thing you fear the most.

List all the things you think you need to do to take the next step to your goal. Find the one that really scares you. Do it next.

How I got this wrong

Years ago I decided I wanted to start a business helping people do better with their money. I’ve always been into personal finance, and I thought this would be a great way to do two things I love: helping people win, and personal finance.

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