Author: Martin Rooney

Rooney Rule: You are a product of your priorities.  And so are the products that you produce!

Now that my new book Coach to Coach is coming out in a few days, a lot of people are asking for my advice how they can take on a major project like writing a book.  When I tell them the list of things they have to do in order to get something like a book done, many give me a classic excuse: “I am too busy to do that!”

That is when I smile and ask if it is ok for me to play forensic investigator for a moment. (As you may or may not know, forensic science is used to examine the evidence of a scene to help determine the innocence or guilt of a suspect.)

If they say “yes,” then I do a little exploring into their lives and the supposed reasons behind why they are so busy.  We usually discover that time was never the criminal behind why the books they wanted to write or the goals they wanted to achieve are not being completed.  The evidence usually shows these people have the time.  Their crime is not being busy; it is their lack of priority.

Now how about you?

If I did a forensic investigation of your life over the last 6 months detailing everywhere you spent your time, what would I find?  Imagine I had a log of all your internet searches, your social media surfing, the TV and movies you watched, and the apps and texts resulting in your screen time.  What would it tell me about you and your priorities?  Does the thought of me peering into your life like that make you nervous?  Well, not only would the evidence tell me how much time you were spending per week on those things, but the details of what you were doing would also tell me what you value as the most important use of your time.

And if the thought of the results of this investigation sounds a bit scary, then that fear should be all the more reason that a change in your priorities might be long overdue.

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”  Goethe

Even though my book Coach to Coach is releasing, I know you may not be interested in ever writing a book.  But I am sure you have something different in mind that you would like to achieve.  Most people I meet also usually want to lose weight, make more money, learn a musical instrument, develop a new skill and or improve their relationships.  But then when I investigate those same people’s actions with them, those same people spend little or no time on any of those things.

The crime again isn’t a lack of time or a lack of ideas; it is a lack of priority.

Would you like to do any of the things listed above?

Is there some achievement or skill you really want?

Well what are you currently doing about it?

After examining how you are spending your days, if your answer to the last question is “nothing,” then maybe you don’t really want it as bad as you think.  Or maybe you just have to be reminded to get your priorities straight.

And even when you have your priorities straight, they are eventually going to change again.

Once my new book was written, I thought I had done the work.  Then I was quickly reminded by the publisher that the work hadn’t even started yet!  There were websites to build, testimonials to get, podcasts to secure, speeches to book, blogs and emails like this to write and much more.

As you might expect, I told everyone I was too busy.  I didn’t think I had the time.

And then luckily a mentor of mine not only did a little forensic science on my own life to prove I had more time than I imagined, but he gave me the following story which I needed to hear in order to help me reset my priorities.  And ironically for me, the story had to do with 5 simple things.

The Jack Canfield “Rule of 5”

You may have heard of Jack Canfield.  If not, then you are surely familiar with his series of books that he co-authored with Mark Victor Hansen called Chicken Soup for the Soul which now has over 225 books in print and a total sales of over 500 million copies worldwide in 47 languages. Today Jack is a world-renowned speaker on a number of business related topics.  But back in the early 1990’s, he was an unproven author trying to figure out how to sell books.

He and Victor Hansen thought they were trying everything.  They were seeking advice from other authors and were given even more ideas.  As a result, as you can imagine, they too thought there wasn’t enough time to create a best-seller.  They too decide they were “too busy.”

Confused with all the choices of how to spend their time, Canfield and Hansen received a simple, yet profound lesson from a spiritual teacher. To teach the lesson, he used this analogy of a lumberjack chopping down a tree:

“If you go every day to a tree and take five swings at it with an axe, eventually, no matter how large the tree, it would have to fall down.”

Using this idea, Canfield and Hansen created what they called “The Rule of Five.” The idea behind the rule was they would commit to taking five daily actions that would sell some books. So, every day after that, the authors would do at least 5 different things each day that would move the book forward.  They had not only made making that list a priority, but with The Rule of Five, they insured they would be taking actions each day that aligned with the priority.

Those 5 things could be anything, but had to match somehow with the priority of becoming a best-seller.  They sent books out, they did interviews, they made calls and talked to anyone who would listen.  5 things a day; day after day. And just like the teacher had predicted, the large tree fell. Today that series of books that no one was originally interested in became known as “the publishing phenomenon of the century” by Time magazine.

Did you do everything you wanted to do yet?  Is there still something great inside of you waiting to come out?  Is there a large tree out there still waiting to be chopped down?  Where you are in life is exactly where you are supposed to be.  Where you are and what you have right now are a reflection of what you have made a priority up until this point.

Using another analogy, only what you water will grow.

Want to do a better job getting what it is your desire?  Well, whether it is chopping down trees or watering them, both actions require consistent action.  Instead of reinventing the wheel, take a page out of Jack Canfield’s book and start doing 5 things a day until you have what you want.  Need a little direction?  Here is my Simple 5-Step Priority Formula:

Step 1: Decide What You Want.

Step 2:  Make It A Priority.

Step 3:  List 5 Things Per Day To Get Closer To The Thing You Want.

Step 4:  Do Those 5 Things Consistently.

Step 5:  Don’t Give Up Until You Get What You Want.

If it sounds too simple, give it a shot.

It is not only exactly what I used to research and write my latest book Coach to Coach, but also how I sold the book, got the testimonials, did the marketing and got the word out in emails like this to you.

Why did I do it?  Because the book was my biggest priority.

How did I do it?  With a little list of 5 things everyday.

Start doing the right 5 things every day and you will welcome the forensic scientists to investigate how you became such a success!

Rooney Rule:  What you value in life will eventually determine your value.

My new book Coach to Coach is just a few days away!  Did you order your copy yet?  As special incentive to order before the March 10 release, I have created value for you in my “Get One, Give One” special offer.

If you order two copies and email me your receipt for the purchase of of Coach to Coach, I will personally send you my “15 Daily Exercises For A Coach” and my “Coach’s Creed” which are both never-before-released PDFs that will be valuable reminders of your special job.

GET ONE GIVE ONE HERE:

Only a few days left!  If you value the power of a coach, please join the movement of making a world of better coaches and one of your 5 ways to do that today is to help me with an order of Coach to Coach.

Can’t wait for you to read it!

Yours in Strength,

Martin

Successful people find the best place to pay things forward while the unsuccessful wait aimlessly in hopes of a payback.

If you haven’t figured it out from all my latest emails, I am obsessed with books.  Over the years, as my love for books grew, I didn’t just become interested in reading them, I became very interested in the process of writing them too.

Yes, I am proud of the books on my shelves that I have both read and written (Stephen King said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”), but I have also traveled the world investigating the “magic” behind what has made some of the most famous books in recent history possible.

Some examples of my writing adventures include:

I have been to The Elephant House in Edinburgh, Scotland, and sat exactly where JK Rowling would nurse a cappuccino and wrote her Harry Potter series.

I have been to Ernest Hemingway’s writing room in his house in Key West, Florida and also sat in the chair where he wrote in Paris, France.

I have stood in awe in the home in Amsterdam, Holland where Anne Frank was hidden behind a wall and wrote her classic diary.

After those experiences and many others, I questioned whether I had the “right stuff” in place to write my best book.  Maybe in order to be more like those other authors, I wondered if I too had to find the right place or time for the “magic” of inspiration.

Maybe I needed the perfect chair?

Or was it the perfect weather?

Perhaps I needed an office with perfect view?

Or would inspiration only come with the perfect challenge or life threatening circumstance?

I was sitting around for years waiting for “perfect” to happen.  Because everything never felt “just right,” I delayed myself with the same excuses people use when wondering whether to start a workout program, fix a relationship or change careers.  I always stalled in the faith that the perfect moment would eventually show itself and I would just know when the time was right.

What a sham!

The book gnawed at me.  For years, Coach to Coach would say, “Now!” and I would battle back and say, “Not yet!”  But when I finally gathered the resolve to write my book, I had an epiphany.  I realized there was only one “perfect place” to write it.

Like every other author before me, I discovered the only place I could have created my best work.  And I am happy to share with you that your perfect place or time will have nothing to do with the chair or weather.

The only perfect place I could write the book was IN THE NOW!

The only reason I didn’t write the book sooner was because I was spending too much time in either the past or future coming up with reasons why I wasn’t ready.

I looked back into the past and I would be blocked from writing by fear.

Then I would look ahead into the future and I would be blocked from writing by anxiety.

Fear and anxiety, as I have come to understand them, are just worrying or stressing about something that may or may not happen.  When I started to see that neither one is real, I decided to stop spending my time there. It was only until I left those two places and joined the NOW that Coach to Coach was written.

The past can be a trap.  So can the future.  Until I decided the NOW was perfect, I was spending all my time digging through my past to write blogs.  I would also spend so much time thinking ahead and worrying about future podcasts and events.   Both of these acts took my thoughts and actions away from the only place I could do anything about it; from the present.

I instead started to examine the “here and NOW” and found my greatest work inside: Coach To Coach.

You have probably heard the classic story about the battle of the Two Wolves.

I had a battle going on inside of me too, but my battle was between three wolves, not two.  Even though there were more characters in this story, the moral was the same:  The wolf that is going to win is the one you feed all the time.

Which one of these three wolves are you currently feeding the most?

WOLF #1 THE PAST

This wolf would constantly remind me there was a time I wasn’t a writer at all.  And it would ask questions like, “Do you remember all your weaknesses and the struggles involved with getting a book done?” and  “Remember all those failures and setbacks you’ve had?”  This wolf would challenge me to question whether I was ready to have this book fail too?

And all those old thoughts in the past would keep fighting for my attention to distract me from the now.

WOLF #2 THE FUTURE

This wolf would constantly remind me I might not be able to write a good enough book.  And it also would give me questions like, “What if no one likes it?” and “What if you make a fool of yourself?”  This wolf was also great for constantly challenging me about all the work, editing and marketing that would have to be done.

And with all those thoughts on the future would keep fighting for my attention to distract me from the now.

WOLF #3 THE NOW

This wolf was much more positive than the others.  This wolf would remind me, “you can be anything you want to be and do anything you want to do!”  This wolf would challenge me by saying, “Let’s take some action now and see how it goes” and “If you don’t feel like it, get started and maybe you will feel like it.”  This wolf would challenge me that the past isn’t real anymore and the future isn’t real yet either.

The past and the future are both illusions that stop you from doing something now.

Your past does not dictate your future, so stop fearing it.

The future isn’t real yet, so stop worrying about it.

If you don’t have what you want, ask yourself WHICH WOLF ARE YOU FEEDING?

Now with Coach to Coach being released in a few weeks, I have learned if you feed Wolf #3 and do the things you know you need to in the NOW, you will be happy about how your past and future turn out.  In fact, if you do it right, they might just turn out perfect.  I hope this email has inspired your to take action. While you are feeding Wolf #3, a perfect time to order my new book Coach to Coach is NOW!

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE

Yours in Strength,

Martin

P.S. If you want more inspiration and want to hear these emails come to life, check out my Into The Roar Podcast.

If you would like to find out how to have me present for your team or your business, Write Me Here.

Now that you know I have a new book releasing in 3 weeks, you may wonder if it was “hard or painful” for me to write.

If you can believe it, writing my new book Coach to Coach wasn’t painful; it was actually a pleasure.

After all the writing I have done over the years, I have come to enjoy the process of writing and editing.  It may sound crazy, but I not only enjoy looking for errors and ways to make my work grammatically correct, but I also relish looking for new ways to more positively affect people with my writing style.

So, to me, sitting down for hours creating and editing is not painful.  Just like someone who may sit down at the piano and play for hours for the joy of it, writing to me is pleasure.  The story in Coach to Coach had been trapped inside me for so long, it was actually invigorating to finally let it out.

There was, however, one part of every book I have ever written that is the toughest.  This is the one section in which I am always afraid I will make a major mistake.  And that mistake has nothing to do with my ability to understand grammar or punctuation.  That mistake has everything to do with my understanding of people.

So, what is the hardest part of a book for me to write? 

The Acknowledgements!

The Acknowledgements is the section where, after all the hard work of doing your best to show the world what you’ve got, you have to be humble and show gratitude to all the people who helped you out.   When I was writing the acknowledgements for Coach to Coach, I realized the process was like making my Gratitude Journal public.  And because of that, I was afraid to leave anyone out.

As I was writing my Acknowledgements, I spent time looking at every stage of my life and did my best to identify the key people who helped me to be able to write the book.  As the list got bigger and bigger (it eventually spanned over 200 names) I realized two important lessons:

#1  You never do anything alone.  You have a lifetime of people to thank for the things you have achieved.

#2  After you put the names on paper and publicly thank those people, you actually feel better.

On your road to success, it’s easy to forget the people closest to you who helped with the construction.  It is easy to think you reached your goals all by yourself, but this exercise of reviewing my life and thanking the people who have made my success possible was a real eye opener.

What is your Acknowledgements page?  When was the last time you reviewed your life and created a list of people to thank?  As I hinted in #2 above, not only will it make your relationships stronger, it can actually make you healthier too!

Don’t believe it? Well here are some interesting facts about having an “attitude of gratitude” you should know.

Numerous studies on the benefits of gratitude have shown keeping a gratitude journal and or thanking people can increase your long-term happiness by more than 10%.  Research on gratitude has also discovered writing in a gratitude journal can even your reduce blood pressure by 10%.  In addition to those heart benefits, research has also shown keeping a gratitude journal also caused improvements in exercise patterns and a reduction in physical ailments!  And if those weren’t enough to get you thanking people, gratitude is also linked to decreased depression and improved recovery times from traumatic events.  So, if there is anything you should take from the stats above, you should spend some time each day on being thankful for what and who you have in your life by building your own acknowledgements page!

Now that you have heard some benefits, how are you currently showing gratitude on a daily basis?

Are you taking advantage of the health benefits mentioned above?

I get it.  Maybe being gracious doesn’t come naturally in your fast paced day.  Maybe you weren’t raised in a home where gratitude was the prevailing attitude.  And yes, it can be tough to figure out where to start.  Well, I have created the following gratitude primer to help you.

The first place you can start is by writing your own Acknowledgements page!  Even if you haven’t written a book, I suggest that you still do it.

Use the first two steps to make sure you don’t leave anyone out.  And then I will give you 5 simple ways to make sure all the important people you remember know about it too.

How To Write Your Acknowledgements Page

1.  Break up your life into easily designated sections.

a. Start with your School Years

Start with your grade school, then middle school, then high school, and college.  Think back on each section and make a list of the people you need to thank for helping you at every stage.  Teachers and mentors should comprise a lot of the list.

b.  Next break down your past Jobs

Examine all the jobs you’ve ever had.  Look at how your current career has been built up according to jobs or years on the job.  Bosses and co-workers should add more names to your list.

c.  Think back on the all your Teams

Did you play any sports or were you part of any clubs growing up?  Make a list of the teams and then a list of all the coaches and teammates who made you better for today.

d. How about your “Besties”

Who were your best friends growing up?  How about during school and different stages of your life.  Although you may no longer be in contact, they are still worth thanking for helping you.

e.  Did you have Hobbies?

Was there ever a music, martial arts or Girl or Boy Scouts program in your life?  If there was, the odds are the people running them had something to do with who you are today.

f.  Anyone Famous in your life?

Just because you may not know them personally does not mean a person hasn’t helped to shape you.  Are there any authors, actors, sport stars or tv personalities who have influenced you positively?  List them.

g.  Don’t forget your Family

The easiest names to remember are also the most common people leave off the gratitude list.  Just because your family “should know” they have helped you doesn’t mean they know it.  List every one of your family members who has been a person of influence.

2.  Spend Some Time Detailing Out Your List

Once you review sections a-g above, you should have a big list of names of all the people who have helped you in your life.  Go through it again to make sure you didn’t leave anyone out.  Take your time and more names will magically appear.

3.  Thank Them!

So, now that you have your list, it is time to do something about it! With that big list you have created, now you can and should reach out to each one of those people and offer some thanks.

This exercise should have helped you recognize the power and influence the people have had on you from your list. If you really spent the right amount of time on it, you should also have discovered that the real goal in life should be to get on as many of other people’s gratitude lists as possible.

One of the greatest hungers a person has is to be appreciated; to be acknowledged.  Knowing this, it is one of the best gifts you can give someone else.  And as you are about to see, thanking someone is not just about writing down their name on a piece of paper.  There are better ways you can show your Acknowledgements.

Want to make someone else’s Acknowledgements page?  Here are 5 surefire ways to do it:

5 Ways To Live The “Attitude of Gratitude”

1.   Send An “Acknowledgement” Card

Once you have your list made, one of the best “old school” ways to let someone know how they have helped you is to write a note or card to them. Although everyone seems to know this one, few people do it. Think about the power of getting a note of appreciation in the mail. Now think about how you and the other person will feel when you do it.  Get some cards, envelopes, and stamps and get going.

2.  Give A Compliment

In my new book, I remind you that a big part of coaching is to actually recognize and reward people for a job well done.  A great way to do this if you don’t want to send out notes is to give out compliments. You can make someone’s day by giving out compliments on little things that you may take for granted. If you see something you like, let a person know about it. You will be surprised how it helps both you and them.  Make an effort to give out 5 compliments a day for the next week and see if you can stick to it.

3.  Make A Public Announcement

Let someone know exactly why you are grateful to have them in your life and do it in front of other people. Make sure the Acknowledgement is specific and planned out.  Giving out praise in public is always an amazing way to make someone’s day and create a moment that person will never forget.

4.  Throw A High Five

It is my firm belief that everyone can use a high five. That doesn’t just mean people you work with, it means your family and friends too. When you give the high five, let the other person know that you are grateful for having them in your life. A great place to start might be with one of your best coaches!

5.  Offer Your Congrats

Too many people want to save the “good stuff” for themselves as if by recognizing great acts there is less “good stuff” for them.  Wrong!  When someone you know is celebrating a cool achievement, offer your sincere congratulations and be genuinely glad.  Spend each day looking to congratulate someone on a job well done and it could be the most valuable habit you develop in 2020.

Now that you should be well on your way to becoming a master of gratitude, I want to conclude by offering some gratitude to you.  As a reader of my work (and if you have made it this far into the email), I am grateful you took the time to listen to what I have to say.

If you have enjoyed my emails, you are going to LOVE Coach to Coach and I promise if you get a copy, you will want to get a copy for someone else too.  That could actually be the best way to thank someone for helping you!

I created my “Get ONE Give ONE” special with this in mind.  If you order two books, I will send you 3 free coaching bonuses as a special gift. Just sent the receipts to me and I will send the  back to you with a note of thanks.

HERE IS THE LINK WITH MORE SPECIALS TOO

I promise the book makes a great gift and is going to help a lot of people.

Thank you for joining the mission of making a world of better coaches.

Yours in Strength,

Martin

There are people better, faster and more enthusiastic than you at things that either waste your time or you don’t like doing!

After a couple decades of building businesses and coaching people, I have found that the toughest thing isn’t doing the hard work.  My biggest challenge was freeing up my time to do the hard work that matters most.

Speaking of hard work, in just a few weeks I will be releasing what I consider my best book, Coach to Coach.  It is an easy-to-read parable about coaching that is going to change the way people interact.  Because it is going to create the successful coaching mindset that many coaches were never given, it is also going to improve the lives of people who read it as well as the lives of the people around them.

The more people I tell about Coach to Coach, the more questions I receive about the book.  One I was asked recently was, “What is the single most important decision that led to writing the book?”

Was it deciding on the college I attended?

Was it deciding on who I married?

Was it deciding on the career path I selected?

Was it deciding to give up my original career as a physical therapist and help people around the world with Training For Warriors?

No, it was none of those.

Although those were all big decisions that in some way contributed to my new book, perhaps the single most important decision that led to the book was deciding NOT to mow my lawn!

Confused by how such a small thing could lead to such a big development?  Let me explain.

Rooney Rule:  In order to have what you want, you may have change your current relationship with the value of your money and time.  And that may involve one of the hardest things to do: Delegation.

My delegation story that made Coach to Coach possible began almost 15 years ago.  At that time, when I would come home from a full day of work at the gym, I would be subtly reminded by my wife that I still had to mow, edge and weed my ever-growing lawn.

This weekly reminder and the act of mowing was nothing new.  I had first been given the job of mowing my family’s lawn when I was about 11 years old, so after 20 years of weekly mowing, weeding and edging, the job had become a habit.

In terms of the mowing, I was pretty efficient at it and I have to admit, I never minded getting outside, clearing my mind and doing some yard work.

But as I was trying to further my career, I realized I never had enough time left at the end of the week or month to do the bigger things I wanted to accomplish.  And, as a coincidence, I also didn’t seem to have enough money left either.

So as I started researching in books and courses how to make more money, I kept hearing how the best leaders delegated certain types of work.  I also learned building the right team could free up your time for the important things to finally get done.  I memorized words like “efficiency” and phrases like “return on investment.” But those ideas only took root when I was forced to identify what my time was worth.

Even though it didn’t seem like the 3-4 hours a week I was spending on my lawn was that bad, I started to realize my time could be better invested.  Especially when someone else could do my lawn faster and better for just 25 bucks a week.

Although that may not sound like much money and a no-brainer to trade for my time, that 25 dollars was hard for me to pay at first.  After all, I had mowed my lawn since I was 11 years old and with two kids (at the time) and trying to save for their futures, every dollar mattered.

But I had to understand that there was a more valuable way to use my time.  At 25 dollars for my 4 hours spent, there had to be a better way to earn more than 6 bucks-an-hour.

In order to justify paying someone else to mow, I had to come up with ways to spend my time that was worth more than 6 dollars an hour.  So, I uncovered a pretty simple 4-step process: I had to value my time, find something more valuable to do, DELEGATE the unimportant and then do that more valuable thing.

Although those 4 steps and an extra 3-4 new hours a week don’t sound like much, they add up if used wisely.  4 hours a week turns into 16 hours a month.  16 hours a month turns into 192 hours a year.  And 192 hours a year turns into 1920 hours in a decade.

What could you do with almost 2000 hours to focus on a topic?  That is almost fifty full 40 hour-work-weeks just on one topic!  Now looking back, this trade of about $12,000 allowed me to increase my value and skills so I could eventually write Coach to Coach.  This trade of money for time freed me up to read.  After I had read for years, I also used those hours to learn to public speak and to write.  And after thousands of books read and almost a dozen books written, Coach to Coach and the skills I have developed are worth much more than what I traded in dollars.

GET YOUR FREE BONUSES BEFORE THE OFFER ENDS MARCH 1st

Rooney Rule: You must be strong enough to carry out the little things today if you ever want to carry home the big awards tomorrow.

So, where did the book all start?

It started with my lawn and a hand-me-down lawnmower.

I was strong enough to mow, but not to stop. It took me too many years to learn to say “no” to the things that mattered least. You need to build the strength to say “NO” to the things that are stealing your value or wasting your time.  And you may actually have to pay money to do it.  But that is ok as long as you are trading that money for an even greater value (so, freeing up time doesn’t mean watching more TV or social media!). So, my challenge to you is to delegate something starting now.  But then you must also fill that time with something much more valuable.

What is something more valuable you always dream of doing but never have the time?

What is it that you are wasting your valuable time on that is stopping you from your dream?

What big project would you do with 4 weeks of free time this year?

What shouldn’t you be doing?  Here are 4 quick ways to discover if you should be delegating something from your life:

1. The easiest way to know if there is something you shouldn’t be doing is that you hate it.

2.  In addition to disdain, you have no interest in getting any better at it.

3.  During the activity you keep finding yourself saying, “why am I doing this again?”

4.  You could have someone else do it and this act would save either money or time.

If any of the above are true, time to figure out your value, get a plan and DELEGATE.

Yes, I mowed for 20 year and was good at it.  Yes, it gave me a chance to “zone out,” but unlike the grass I was cutting, I was never growing.  When I think about how many thousands of hours I spent over my life mowing lawns, I wish I could have them back.

I could have read.

I could have written.

I could have learned another language.

No matter what, I could have used those hours to become more valuable.

After I finally paid someone else to do my lawn, I found valuable time I never knew I had.  And those hours that were freed up were worth much more than the 25 bucks I was paying.  And what has that decade and a half of free time been worth to me since I used it wisely?  A lot more than 6 bucks-an-hour and both my new publisher and I can guarantee you that!  And when you read Coach to Coach I bet you will believe it.

GET YOUR FREE BONUSES BEFORE THE OFFER ENDS MARCH 1st

Delegating work can be tough to do.  My advice? Don’t think about the reasons you can’t afford to do it. Instead think about the reasons why you can’t afford not to do it.  And don’t forget you are helping two people when you delegate.  Delegating not only gives other people an opportunity, but it also gives you your opportunity too.

Pick something today and hand it off to someone else.  It could be something simple that leads to your greatest work 15 years from now.

Something simple like mowing your lawn.

Yours in Strength,

Martin

P.S. Dont miss the FREE BONUSES and COACHING EDUCATION that comes with buying your copies of Coach to Coach before March 1st.

Check out the amazing offers here:

“Beware of distractions disguised as opportunities.”

This past weekend, I traveled to San Francisco to present on the power of coaching.  In addition to the presenting, workouts and social media pics and videos, there was one thing you didn’t see: the 5,000 miles of flying.  Now that the new year has started, I looked back on my 2019 and found I again logged over 100,000 miles in air travel.  That total consisted of over 80 different flights that took me to a number of different countries and allowed me to experience different languages, food and cultures.

After deeper reflection on 2019, although some of the new places I visited like Cyprus and Kuwait were unique, there was one thing I found to be constant at every one of the places I visited this year: War.

Now before you get the wrong idea, the war I saw waging had nothing to do with people’s beliefs or differences.  And even though the weapons that were being used were often handheld, they were probably not what you would expect.

In fact, I would be so bold to say that if you are reading this, you are fighting in this same war too.  Actually, you are fighting it right now.

The war I am describing is the war for your attention.

Did you know the world is fighting for your attention?  Every day, the moment you turn on your phone or computer or TV, the battle begins.  And that battle isn’t being fought against amateurs; you are waging war against some of the best and brightest minds in the world desperately trying to distract yours.  This war, as you may have experienced in the last year or two, often feels like a losing battle.

But before you think I am contributing to the problem, I want you to know I am on your side.  Today I will give you one math formula how to successfully fight and win this war.  With this formula, you can regain control of not only your attention, but also your life.  And I know it works because it worked for me.

If you are familiar with some of my personal philosophy, for a long time, I have been stating the most dangerous word in the English language is “busy.”

After all my travels this year, however, the word “distracted” is now running a close second.

If you are like me, you are more distracted than ever.  If all the things going on in your life (work, family, hobbies) aren’t enough, society has now added a layer of social and virtual distractions that are making you feel more busy, stressed and depressed than ever.

And why do we feel the stress?  Because we are spending our time on NUNI at the expense of the NUMI.  We keep being distracted by Non-Urgent Non-Important things that keep us from the Non-Urgent Most-Important things!

And how do I know?  Because I have fought on the front line of this war for the past few years too.  And even as this fight pushed me nearer to distress and depression, this battle only increased in intensity by asking for even more of my daily attention.

But there was one thing last year that helped me battle.  One thing that helped me fight against the stress and distraction that gave me back a sense of composure and control.

What was this magical device?  That one thing was a piano!

If you haven’t heard (or been reading any of my emails!), I am releasing my new book Coach to Coach.  This book is the one that I had been talking about writing for years, but now I realize that unless we had gotten an electric piano for my third daughter this year, I don’t think the book would have ever have happened.

Why hadn’t I written my book?

I was distracted!

For the last few years I told anyone who would listen I was going to write a parable book about coaching.  I told my colleagues.  I told my friends.  I told my kids.  We would even discuss the characters and storylines.  In my head, I had it all planned out.  I even started taking notes and had an outline. I knew what I wanted to write and I knew the book would help improve people’s lives.

So why couldn’t I do it?

Because of the constant distraction!  I used to tell people that my ability to focus was my strongest asset.  And looking back, I was slowly losing both the war and control of my greatest strength.

Hours a day were being spent on things that were neither important or urgent.  Whatever “shiny object” or fire that needed to be put out that would pop up on my phone or computer screen would have me spending my day totally reactive.  Sometimes I would even forget why or what I was looking for in the first place.  And as a result, I just couldn’t find the time or energy to get down to writing the book I knew I needed to share.  I was continually falling prey to the minefield of distractions that the war was laying out there for me.

And then my daughter gave her father a taste of his own medicine.

My kids have phones and computers too.  And as a result, they are also caught in the middle of the crossfire for attention.  And the problem is they are much younger than when I started serving in the battle.  So, my wife and I are trying our best to control screen times and websites visited in order to best keep our kids focused.  But even that has been more of a losing battle.

One day, in an effort to steal back her attention, I told my daughter she needed to practice the piano more.  We had gotten it for her and she really wasn’t spending much time on it besides her weekly lesson.  And in comparison to the time she was spending on her phone, the piano was losing the fight.  But after my suggestion for more practice, she challenged me:

“Well, if I am going to play the piano instead of being on the phone, what are you going to do?”

I blurted out that every time she played the piano, I would write that book I was always talking about.  She didn’t believe me.  This lack of belief both called me out and woke me up.  So we made a deal and shook on it.

As she sat down at the piano, I put away my phone, got out my computer and started writing.  And once I got my focus back, I just didn’t stop!  Coach to Coach was completely finished not long afterward and I learned all it really took was a little inspiration and a math formula.

So, what is the Simplest Battle Tool I Can Give You? Addition by Subtraction!

Rooney Rule:  Sometimes you have to remove something little in order to gain something big.

In my case, I had to remove a number of distractions, and those had to do with predominantly my phone.  I just had to have the discipline to subtract this one distraction from my life and then writing the book became easy.

What did I do?

I made a schedule of the time I would write.

I kept the phone completely off for the hours I was writing.

I turned my email off on my computer for the hours I was writing too.

I stayed consistent and focused during the times I scheduled.

Without the distractions, I fought back and finally got my most important work done.

What are your biggest distractions?

How much time do those distractions really cost?

What or how can you subtract something to make a big addition to your life?

My suggestion is to make the list of your biggest distractions that are holding you back.  Next make a list of ways you can subtract those distractions.  To make things even easier for you to fight the war for your attention, here is my 5-step “Distraction Detox” program that can get your time consumption problem under control and you focused on the things that really count:

Your Distraction “Detox”

Step 1:  Recognize The Distraction

Before you can decide where you want to go, you have to know where you are.  And if you want to know what is currently holding you back from where you want to go, you have to identity the distractions that are stopping you.

Action Item:  Make a list of all the things that are leading to you wasting your time.

Step 2:  Just Say “No”

Simply recognizing the distraction is not enough.  Once you have identified how certain things are distracting you, you have to make the conscious decision to give them up.

Action Item:  Set a hard schedule for yourself in order to best avoid the distraction.

Step 3:  Get Rid Of The Distraction

For some distractions just saying, “No” won’t be enough to stop them.  Your phone is designed to get you addicted and the same goes for other powerful distractors in your life.  So, just saying you won’t look at social media may not be enough to get away for the time you need.

Action Item:  Lock away or remove the distraction for an allotted time per day.

Step 4:  Subtract The Distraction From Your Life

If #2 and #3 still don’t work and your distraction is just too powerful, your last choice is to remove the distraction completely.  Will power may not be enough.  For instance, if I have peanuts in front of me, I can say I won’t, but I will still eat them.  So how to I avoid eating too much? I JUST DON’T BUY THEM!  So, if your distraction is TV, cut your subscription. If it is social media, leave the platform.

Action Item:  Commit to completely remove the distraction from your life.

Step 5: Add Something Worthwhile To Fill The Space

Once you have found the successful way to remove your distraction, you have to make sure you don’t fill this open space with other unproductive distractions.  Think about your big goals.  Use this free time to fight back and do something worthwhile.

Action Item: Make a list of the things you really want to do and do them.

What else do you need to subtract?

How did I write Coach to Coach?  In addition to removing distractions, I also subtracted my excuses.  I used to make excuses that I had to be on my phone and computer all the time because of my business. But I put my phone away.  And I put my excuses away too.  And then I was finally able to forget the small screen and see the big picture.

Have you read a good book in a while?  Or have you been distracted?  I hope you read Coach To Coach and agree that it was better than me scrolling through my phone or cleaning up my email inbox.  If nothing else I am sure you will agree it was worth paying a little attention.

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After you read it, I hope the book itself inspires you to continue to fight the war for your attention and leads you to your next great work. I also hope you distract some other coaches and parents you know and share the lessons inside.  This book is not disguised.  It really is a good opportunity.

Yours in Strength,

Martin

P.S.  Want to hear these emails come to life?  Check out my INTO THE ROAR podcast for more inspiration.

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Want me to present for you and your team?  Check out how at www.coachinggreatness.com

There are some things you may know about me and some you don’t.

I am sure you know I have a new book, Coach to Coach, that is about to hit shelves and stands in March.

I am not sure if you know I am allergic to dogs.

As you can imagine, growing up wasn’t always as fun as a result of this allergy.  There were a lot of kid’s houses I couldn’t visit and sleep overs that were missed.  There were also a lot of holidays that were cut short because of my wheezing and puffed up eyes that would always come along with an aunt’s, uncle’s or friend-of-the-family’s dog.

Now don’t get me wrong, even though dogs were like my Kryptonite, I really like dogs.  I actually wish I could own one too, but that isn’t in the cards for the Rooney Family (3 of my daughters are not allergic, but one is just like her dad).

Over the years, I have learned how to interact with dogs without having an allergic reaction.  One way to do this is to simply stay outside.  Another is to make sure that if I do pet a dog, I wash my hands immediately afterward or before touching my face.  By learning these “hacks” to my allergy, I have been able to enjoy some of the joys of being a dog owner without having to actually own one.

So, now when I get a chance to have some fun with dogs, I don’t miss it.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interact with three different dogs and learned three different lessons.  Each one is powerful and can change your life.

3 Dogs, 3 Lessons

Dog #1 Maverick

My friend Howard has a big German Shepherd.  He is one of the most energetic and powerful dogs I know.  And I also know this: If you have a ball to throw, he will be your best friend.  And not because he likes you; but because he is obsessed with catching or fetching that ball.  When I throw a lacrosse ball with him, sometimes Howard will fake him out with a false throw.  Maverick will not cease looking for the ball even when it isn’t there.  Then when Howard does give him the ball again, it is tough to get it back.

The lesson for you?

What is your lacrosse ball?

What I really mean is what are you obsessed with? What is something you will do anything to chase and won’t give up on until you possess it?  What is it that you will work so hard for once you have it and would take a German Shepherd to get you to release it? And I am not just talking about passion here.

Even passion will only get you so far.  Everyone is a little passionate about something.  The most successful people I know are not just passionate about what they do.  They are obsessed.  It consumes them and as a result they do the things it takes to be great that other people just won’t do.

When I need to blow off some steam, I go to the gym to train.  For the last 25 years, if I don’t do something in the gym at least 4-5 times per week, I don’t feel well.

In a way, you could say I am obsessed.

But over the last few months, I have realized I have an obsession that makes my workout schedule seem distracted at best.

My new book Coach to Coach has become my “lacrosse ball.”

I wanted to make a contribution using something I know that could make an ongoing difference.  I couldn’t stop chasing the idea until it was written.  I wouldn’t let it go until l had a publisher.  I latched down on famous people for testimonials and when I do get this book in my hands on March 1, it may take a German Shepherd to pry it from my hands.

Are you obsessed with anything right now?

What is your lacrosse ball?

Dog #2 Ace

My neighbor owns a border collie.  This dog, however, isn’t really my buddy like Maverick.  When I walk to get my kids at the bus stop, this dog will race to the other side of the street, stop and growl and relentlessly bark at me.  And I mean showing his teeth with aggression.  I never understood how he developed the discipline to stay on his side of the street instead of crossing to attack.  Then I found out that my neighbor had installed an “invisible fence.”  This  is a boundary that is created and will shock the dog if it tries to cross the invisible fence line.  My neighbor said that once the dog understood the boundaries and the potential pain that might come with crossing it, the dog never attempts to cross the street.  Even when the fence is off!

Another great lesson!

What about you?

What is your electric fence?

Do you have any invisible fences you are still minding that don’t exist anymore?  Is there an old

belief or limitation that is still holding you back?  The successful people I have met are always pushing their limits.  They are always extending their boundaries.  Even if it is occasionally painful at first.

I wanted to write Coach to Coach for a long time, but there were invisible fences holding me back.  I imagined I wasn’t a writer.  I didn’t think I could write an inspirational story that a publisher would be interested it.  I was stuck barking about this book I was going to write, but for a long time this bark had no bite.

I pushed my limits and it was a little bit painful.  When I wrote Coach to Coach, I pushed a new boundary by writing a coaching story instead of a textbook like I was used to.  The process of editing and marketing created more pain, but I kept moving forward in spite of it.  Even though there were times I started to not believe I could do it, I shut those invisible fences off and kept going.

Is there anything holding you back and what can you do to turn it off?

What is your electric fence?

Dog #3  JoJo

My dad has a half pug/half Jack Russell named JoJo.  Not long after I moved out of my parent’s house, they got him (my parents had to get rid of their pugs when I was born due to my allergies and I don’t think they ever really forgave me).  JoJo is the most loyal dog I have ever seen.  Not only does he actually keep my dad on schedule, but the minute my dad leaves the house without him, JoJo will howl like a wolf until he returns.  But the howling of loyalty is not the best lesson I got from JoJo.  It is about how he reacts to when he sees my dad or when he sees me or my kids.  He actually SMILES!  And when he does, his tail is always wagging too.  And because he gets excited about you, you get excited about him and he gets his belly scratched just like he planned.

Another great lesson.

What and who are you most enthusiastic about?

When you get excited about someone else, they have no choice but to be a little excited about you too.  So how about you?  Are you always smiling when you see the people you care about?  Are you always wagging your tail and showing the world what you are excited about?

JoJo Rooney Rule: Life favors the enthusiastic.

My new book Coach to Coach has a few chapters dedicated to one of the most important skills you can learn: enthusiasm.  To be a success, you have to be enthusiastic about others and the things you are spending your time on.

As you can probably tell by all my emails, my tail is always wagging when I am thinking about this new book.  And that is because I am so enthusiastic and excited to have you read and grow from it.

I hope this email inspires you to better understand yourself, but that it also gets you to take a chance on the book and get excited about it too.

You can order it here and learn about all the Free Bonuses and Specials I have until March 1st.  I promise it might give you the inspiration to pass through your invisible fence and chase that lacrosse ball you have been thinking about.

Yours in Strength

Martin

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King Jr.

All the things that matter will eventually lead to the start of a great life if you add them up correctly.  It is all about the “interest” you receive when you let the things that matter “compound.”  When you think about the term “Compound Interest,” money probably comes to mind.

Speaking for another of the greatest minds of our time, Albert Einstein went as far to hint that compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe by saying:

“Compound interest is the 8^th wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.”

Yes, Compound Interest can be used to describe money.  If you are financially smart, invest your money wisely, and allow it to compound over time, you can watch it grow.

But now that I am releasing my latest book, Coach to Coach, I have seen there are other things that compound than just your money.  And after I explain them to you, you won’t have to be Martin Luther King Jr. or Albert Einstein to recognize they may be even more important. (And if you compound the items I have discovered correctly, you will probably end up with more money by default!)

I am releasing what I consider my greatest book, Coach to Coach.  It is a parable about the most impactful things I have learned not only for being a better coach, but also for a parent, spouse, teacher, teammate and person.

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And how did I learn these wonderful ideas?  Through Compound Interest!  And now looking back on my career, I realize none of this compounding had to do with investing in the stock market; all of it had to do with investing in myself and others.  And that type of compounding is what coaching is all about.

This may come as a surprise.  The book was actually easy for me to write.  Sound egotistical?  Wrong.

Before you start to believe I am over confident, here is the truth: Coach to Coach would have been the hardest thing in the world to write 20 years ago.  In fact, writing the book back then would have been impossible.

Why?  Because 20 years ago I had not yet acquired anything to compound upon to write it!

So what are all the things that have compounded over the last 20 years that made writing the book so easy now?

Here is a list of the things that have added up and accumulated over time to make Coach to Coach a reality:

All the thousands of books I read.

All the thousands of workouts I performed.

All the hundreds of seminars I attended.

All the hundreds of seminars I instructed.

All the years of coaching I received.

All the years of coaching sessions I taught.

All the hundreds of speeches I delivered.

All the hundreds of relationships I developed.

All the thousands of mistakes I made.

All the thousands of lessons I learned.

I do not write that list to impress you, but impress upon you all the things I have had to do in order to produce the new book.  But you see, I also like to think compounding isn’t just a long-term product of your “to-do” list, it also has to do with your “not-to-do” list too.

The list above are all the things I did over the last 20 years that have compounded to make me who I am am and gave me the ability and knowledge to write Coach to Coach.

But there are as many things I didn’t do over the last 20 years that have also compounded to make me who I am and gave me the time and energy to develop the ability, knowledge and relationships that went into writing Coach to Coach.

So, just like continually adding money to your investments will enhance it’s ability to compound, removing unwise spending habits or bad purchases can also enhance your nest egg as well.

And again, compounding is not just about your money.  The same idea holds true for the energy and time that you devote to areas of your life such as health, relationships, career and hobbies (like in my case, reading and writing.)  Enhancements in all of those areas will be due to the compounding of both the things you choose to do and not to do.

So, here is is another list of what has also compounded over the last 20 years to make Coach to Coach possible:

All the thousands of t.v. shows I skipped.

All the thousands of unhealthy meals I avoided.

All the harmful relationships I ended.

All the harmful drugs I never took.

All the hours of lines on which I didn’t wait.

All the hours of video games I didn’t play.

All the “fantasy” leagues I never joined.

All the “fantasy” social media I didn’t surf.

All the thousands of junk emails I deleted.

All the thousands of junk hours of screen time I missed.

So, your life will compound according to what you do and also what you don’t.  And at the end of all that compounding, you will have something to show the world whether you like it or not.  All of my do’s and don’ts finally added up to produce this one short book of which I am quite proud.

When you read it, I am hoping you will write me to deliver a complement most people eventually get when they have let a talent, skill or hard work compound over time:

“I can’t believe how good it is!”

Just like an athlete that does something you can’t believe.

Just like the musician that performs at a level you can’t believe.

Just like the businessman that has success you can believe.

But now that you understand the process, most great feats shouldn’t be that hard to believe at all.  Just like writing a best-selling book, the three feats above don’t start in a day.  What you see is simply the visible extraordinary end result.  What you don’t see the hidden ordinary hard work that compounded over decades to make the ordinary into extraordinary.  Here are 5 simple questions you can ask yourself today to start your journey toward future greatness:

What is a major area of your life that you would like to improve?

What is your “to do” list that is going to compound in the future?

What is your “not to do” list that is going to compound in the future?

What is going to be your compounded great work that people will be unable to believe?

What is the one thing you are going to start with today?

Whatever you are doing today is compounding in the future.  Make sure it is toward something positive that you really want. Twenty years from now is going to happen, you might as well do something now to make sure no one can believe what you do then!

Take a look at your schedule and make sure you are doing the right things that matter and avoiding the wrong ones so your energy and time will compound to give you what you will want in the future.

I hope one of the “good” things that is going to help you on your compounding journey is Coach to Coach.

“Good and evil increase at compound interest. That’s why the little decisions we make every day are of infinite importance.” – C. S. Lewis

Do the good thing and get Coach to Coach, if you like it, please recommend it to someone else.   That kind of compounding will create ripples to help a lot of people.

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My mission is to make a world of better coaches.  I believe with better coaches, many of the challenges facing us today can be overcome.

Coaching is a thing that matters.  And in order to make sure the world knows about Coach to Coach, I will not remain silent about it.

Yours in Strength,

Martin

P.S. If you want more inspiration and want to hear these emails come to life, check out my Into The Roar Podcast.

If you would like to find out how to have me present for your team or your business, click this link:

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In my last blog, I told you about my steps for overcoming the “No’s” you may receive in your life.

Yes, I shared the success story behind how I got famous people behind my new book Coach to Coach, but I also said something important that you may have missed:  Sometimes, no matter what you do, you are going to get some “No’s.”

Life, after all, is a series of rejections.

Your life, therefore, won’t be determined whether you get some rejections. The outcome will be a result of what you do after that rejection.

The successful people of the world didn’t get less rejection from life.  In fact, they often got a lot more.  They are often just a little more successful than the rest because they never gave up until they eventually succeeded.

Lesson:  Rejection is only final if you allow it be.

What do I know about rejection?  You might think because I have a new big book coming out with a top publishing house that my life is rejection-free.  Well, not only am I going to show you all the rejections I have received in my writing career, but also how I overcame them so you can learn to move on after the next rejection life throws at you.

Although you may be familiar with my first best-selling book Training For Warriors, you may not know it got a bunch of rejections before it ever found a major publisher.

In fact, the process of overcoming rejection after rejection for the book took almost three years until someone was finally interested in listening to what I believed the book could do.

During those two and a half years of rejection:

I was told I was nobody.

I was told my topic wasn’t interesting.

I was told there wasn’t an audience.

I was told I didn’t have a big enough platform.

I was told I wasn’t going to cut it as a writer.

I was rejected.

Then I was rejected again.

And again.

But I kept writing.

I kept believing.

And anytime I thought about giving up, I reminded myself there were a lot of authors who had experienced the same rejection until they had broken through.  In fact, when you look at the interesting “Author Rejection Halls of Fame” below, many of the top authors you may recognize, would never be household names (and a reason you had to read in high school!) if they had given up after the first 10 or 20 rejections!

Author Rejection Hall Of Fame (Part 1)

Carrie by Stephen King was rejected 30 times.  His wife actually pulled it out of the garbage after the 30th rejection and submitted it again to finally get a publisher!

Anne Frank’s amazing The Diary of a Young Girl was rejected 15 times.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle was rejected 26 times.  Did Oprah know that before she made the movie?

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell was rejected 38 times.  Tell that to Scarlett O’Hara!

The original Chicken Soup for the Soul from Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen was rejected 144 times!  Imagine if they gave up at 100.

Just like the authors listed, for my original book, I didn’t give up.  I kept pushing and finally I got a publisher to believe in what I knew would work.   Training For Warriors was finally signed and published.

Finally after years of rejection:

I was told I was a somebody in my industry.

I was told I had an interesting concept.

I was told had a big enough audience.

I was told I had a large enough platform.

I was accepted.

Interesting fact: most books don’t sell 1,000 copies in their lifetime.  Now over 10 years of being an officially published author at a major publishing house, my books have sold almost 250,000 copies and as an author I am considered a winner.

So, I tried for a second book and guess what?

I GOT REJECTED AGAIN!

I was told my idea couldn’t be done.

I was told I wasn’t qualified.

I was told the project would cost to much.

I was rejected.

Then I was rejected again.

And again.

But I kept writing.

I kept believing.

Through the process, whenever I would think about giving up, I would remind myself of the other authors who kept going:

Author Rejection Hall Of Fame (Part 2)

One of my favorites from high school, Lord of the Flies by William Golding was rejected 20 times.

Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 was rejected 22 times. Sounds like irony to me!

Dr. Seuss’ first book, And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street was rejected 27 times.  I wonder if he had a poem for that experience!

John Grisham’s A Time to Kill took 28 rejections.  Sounds like he did have time to kill after all!

I kept pushing forward.  My second major book Ultimate Warrior Workouts not only got signed and led to a three-year project of me traveling around the world, but it also went on to be another Amazon best-seller too.  And because of that success, for my third book, I tried to cross over to a new audience.

And guess what?

I GOT REJECTED AGAIN!

I was told it wouldn’t work.

I was told I didn’t have traction with this audience.

I was told women didn’t want to be warriors.

I was rejected.

Then I was rejected again.

And again.

But I kept writing.

I kept believing.

Through the process, I would remind myself that if I wanted to be a writer, it was almost a rite of passage to experience rejection.  In fact, after learning the following, I started to believe you can’t consider yourself a successful writer if you haven’t first be rejected:

Author Rejection Hall Of Fame (Part 3)

Gertrude Stein submitted poems for an incredible 22 years before she finally got one published!

Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was rejected 121 times.

George Orwell’s Animal Farm was rejected because “there is no market for animal stories in the USA.”   Two of my daughters have read it for school recently thanks to Orwell not giving up!

And the ultimate Rejection Hall of Fame inductee:

Then welfare recipient and now Billionaire J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was rejected 12 times and she was told “not to quit her day job.”

If J.K. could do it, so could I!  So I kept pushing until Warrior Cardio became a reality and another best seller selling almost 50,000 copies and being printed in multiple languages.  And because of that success, this past year I wanted to do something new.  Something more impactful.   Something I had not done before.

And in order to sell my latest book Coach to Coach I had not forgotten all the lessons from my three previous series of rejections.

This time, I knew what “they” would say.

This time I imagined the rejections I would receive and wrote a 20 page proposal that overcame them.

This time, I had the book cover designed and finished.

And when I sent it all to the biggest publisher, this time THERE WERE NO REJECTIONS!

And the only reason was because I had learned to ignore the rejections I had received for the 20 years before.  A rejection is the stepping stone to success. The more you get, the more you learn.  The more you learn, the less chance you have of getting a rejection in the future.

Where is an area you have been rejected?

Did you let it stop you or are you going to keep going?

What rejections are you letting stop you?

Are you not smart enough?

Not strong enough?

Not talented enough?

Not rich enough?

Don’t have the education?

It’s not the right time?

You never did that before?

You had the wrong parents?

They are all lies and it is up to you if you are going to believe them.

But after 35 years of training, my strongest anatomy aren’t my biceps, it is my “thick skin.” How thick is your skin?   To help you thicken it, here is my simple 5- Step system for dealing with the next rejection that comes your way:

5 Steps To Becoming “Unstoppable”

1.   Anticipate there will be rejections.

2.   Develop solutions for the rejections you anticipate.

3.   When you get them, don’t let rejections stop you, let them teach you.

4.   Keep learning, keep going, keep believing and keep asking.

5.   If you get another rejection, start back at step 1.

Put those steps to work.  I dare you!  If you learned anything from my message and the stories of the authors above, the greatest thing you ever do might be right after you push forward in the face of your next rejection.

Next time you get rejected, don’t get upset.  Get excited.  The best is yet to come…

“Why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me.” – J.K. Rowling

Coach to Coach is my masterpiece.  Not just in writing, but in what I have learned about overcoming rejection.  After 20 years of writing and rejection, I know I finally got it right. I am not sure if Coach to Coach will be bigger than Harry Potter, but I know how you can help.

Please purchase a pre-sale copy or two at the link below.  And please tell a coach you know that could use it.

No rejections accepted!

How To Get Your Free Bonuses and Coaching Education

Yours In Strength,

Martin

P.S. If you want more inspiration and want to hear these emails come to life, check out my Into The Roar Podcast.

Do you want a better job?  Did you ask for it?

Do you want a better relationship with your family?  Did you ask for it?

Do you want more money?  Did you ask for it?

Bold Success Statement:  A lot of what you wish you had in your life may be missing because you were just too afraid to ask.

I have heard that most of the things you want are waiting for you on the other side of fear.  I have also heard that FEAR stands for “false evidence appearing real.”  So, if fear is what is holding you back and fear is something you made up in your head, one thing you should not be afraid of is asking for something you want!

Rooney Rule:  If you are going to stop chasing a dream because you got a “No,” at least make sure that “no” didn’t come from yourself.  At least get the “no” from someone else!

If you are a long-time reader of my work, you would probably conclude I am a positive guy.  I wish I could tell you I was always as positive as now, but that wasn’t the case when I was younger.  Whenever I gave myself a “no” when I was growing up, however, my mom always gave me a helpful reminder by saying, “If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get.”

Most people give themselves a “no” before they ever take a shot at asking for a “yes.”  And that little misstep is why most people never take the first step toward their biggest goals and dreams.

How do I know?  Because one of my biggest goals and dreams has just come true.  If you haven’t heard, I have a major book called Coach to Coach coming out with one of the biggest publishing houses in the world.  The book will be in stores and distributed around the globe.   And none of it would have happened if I listened to my internal “no’s” and stayed too fearful to ask for a “yes.”

The following is the story of how I learned to overcome some of the biggest “no’s” I have given myself in a long time.  And if you use the tips listed below, it can lead to your dreams coming true too.

Producing a major book is no joke.  It is actually a lot of painstaking work.  There are a number of steps from outlining, writing, selling the book, negotiating, editing, design and marketing that make producing a book such an arduous project it would be easier to give yourself a “no” before you ever get started.   

Over the whole year process of getting Coach to Coach completed, writing the book wasn’t the tough part.  The information in Coach to Coach had been sitting inside of me for years.  As I explained in my previous blog on Coaching Greatness, I just had to free myself up from the non-important things that were keeping me “busy.”  I never told myself I couldn’t write a book, so when I said “yes” to myself, I got down to business and wrote.

Getting a publisher wasn’t the tough part either.  I have had publishers before and wasn’t giving myself a “no” there.  I submitted my work without fear and they (Wiley Publishers) immediately recognized how good and relevant the book was and I was immediately signed to a book deal.  And man, was I happy to get a “yes” from the same publisher of Jon Gordon, Patrick Lencioni and the world-famous Dummies’ series!

Even the editing wasn’t tough enough to make me give myself a “no.”  I have spent so much time studying and writing over the last decade (and because of the thousands of mistakes during the editing of my previous books, articles, blogs and emails like this) so there wasn’t a lot to correct.  I didn’t say “no” to myself that I wasn’t a writer, and it was a real honor to have two editors tell me “yes” I was actually a pretty good one.

So where did I hit my first “no’s?”   Looking back, the hardest part of the year-long process to complete Coach to Coach was just a two-week span out of the whole year.  During these two weeks, I was initially paralyzed by all the “no’s” I was giving myself.  And ironically these “no’s” were stopping me from getting the most important “yes’s” to make my dream for the book complete.

Why did I revert back to giving myself a “no” before allowing someone else?  Because  I was challenged to get testimonials from famous coaches, authors and athletes of influence and only given two weeks to do it!  Since I didn’t even have the hard copy book to show anyone, the “no’s” came back fast and furious.  But I didn’t even wait for “no’s” from them. In addition to the fact I didn’t have a book to show off, I also gave myself a “no” because I was afraid people wouldn’t want to read a digital manuscript and of that they were too busy.

I forgot my mother’s advice and for a few days I did nothing.  I kept coming up with all the reasons that people would probably say “no.”  I kept finding reasons to give myself “no’s” before I asked anyone:

Coaches were busy and in season.

Authors don’t want to be rushed to read someone else work.

Athletes don’t want to be bothered.

Not only did I keep the list of “no’s” going, but I was also wasting days and running out of time.  What I wanted was on the other side of fear.  And I was paralyzed all because of False Evidence Appearing Real in my own head.

I am not proud to say this, but I even started to really cop out and play with the idea that I didn’t need any testimonials.  Maybe the book would be fine without them.

But that was when I remembered my mothers advice and used the antidote to fear: action.

I committed to at least ask and kept repeating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Get” to myself as I started sending out email requests.  Each one I sent increased my resolve.  With each email, I gained more power by realizing the worst someone could say was “no,” but that was better than never even taking a shot!

I started with the lowest hanging fruit with some of the athletes I have trained and coaches with whom I have worked.

And you know what?

They all not only said “yes,” but they were also happy to read the book and gave enthusiastic testimonials!  Getting some “yes’s” gave me confidence and then I decided to shoot for the moon.  I made a dream list of people and I went for it.

After a lot of emails and hours of phone conversations with amazing people, my fear actually turned into fun!  Along the way, some of my fears were confirmed:

Some coaches are “too busy.”

Not everyone feels like reading a book in a week.

There are people that don’t want to be bothered.

But I kept asking.  And I kept getting results.

Did I get a few “No’s?”  Of Course.  But I got far more “yes’s” and I couldn’t be more proud of the people who are behind the book.

Here are just a few of the people and the testimonials they sent.  Look at these names!  Every one of them would not have happened if I stayed too scared to ask for a “Yes.”

5 Steps To Get More “Yes’s” In Your Life

1.  Make A List Of What You Really Want

Before you can ever get a “yes” you have to decide what you want in the first place!  Make a list of the things you would really like to achieve.  And don’t start by giving yourself a “no” in terms of the size of the ask.  Shoot for the moon.  You might hit a star.

2.  Figure Out Who You Need To Ask

Once you know what it is you want, you need to make a list of the people who can help you to get it.  I have learned there is always someone out there with the power to “push the button” you need for help.  Make your list and don’t be afraid of the person.  They might just be honored to help you out.

3.  Figure Out How You Need To Ask

After you have the people you need, you have to determine what is the best way to contact them.  Is it just an email? A phone call or voice message?  Social media?  Whatever the method, you need to come up with the best way you believe to make a good impression.  And be sure that your contact is scripted and sharp.

4.  Stop Listening To Your Own “No’s”

Now that you have your list and method, the toughest part will be overcoming your own fears and doubts.  They will try to get you to procrastinate or skip taking action on your goals.  Remember that your dreams are waiting on the other side of that “no” and if anyone is allowed to give you one, it is not you.

5.  Ask For What It Is You Want

The last step is the ask.  Push the send button.  Take a deep breath, dial the digits and call.  Whatever you do, don’t waffle or waver.  Be clear and ask.  And whether you get a “yes” or “no,” be thankful for their time and the power you will gain the next time you ask.  With repetition comes confidence!

The 5 steps above work.  But they will not work if you never take them.  And there are only two reasons why you won’t do it: You are either lazy or afraid.

And what is the antidote to both?  Taking action and simply asking for what you want.

Each time you overcome your fear, you get more courageous and then eventually do the hero’s deeds.  You can turn your fear into fun too!

Did it work every time?  No. I got some rejections, but once I was rolling, they only fired me up to do more!  Sometimes life is going to give you a “No.”  But as I found with all the great people that decided to promote and help my book, when you ask in the right way, you just might get a “yes!”

And if you would like to get more than one copy, here are some specials and discounts to make it an offer you can’t refuse:

Get Coach to Coach and some amazing Free Coaching Education Bonuses here!

Now for my big ask:  Will you please buy my book?

I am really hoping for a “yes!”

Thank you for getting the book,

Martin

Over the last few months, I have fielded a couple of common questions:

“What happened to all the emails of my latest adventures?”

‘When are there going to be some new Into the Roar podcasts?

My answer:  I needed a “break.”

By the end of this email I am sure my big explanation will have you as excited as I am about why I took my little “Sabbatical.”But first let me explain why I have seemed a little “distant.”

After 6 years of weekly emails and two years of weekly podcasts, I finally reached what I have often referred to as the most dangerous word in the English language:  Busy.

Yes, even me.

I had so much going on with my business and personal life that the additional hours a week I put into writing and podcasting were putting stress on me and my relationships.  I felt like I had something even bigger inside of me to share, but I never had the time to do anything about it.  So, instead of complaining (and yes, even I started with that!) I decided to see what I could do about it.

I started with taking a week off from blogging and podcasting.  To be honest, I felt like I was letting you and everyone else who followed my work down.  Quitting was hard.  Although it was difficult to quit the habits I had developed, you will learn today that quitting a few little things opened the door for something much greater.

But before my big reveal, let me ask you, “Have you completed the big goal that you know is waiting inside of you?”

If you are like most people, you might have answered, “No.” When I ask people why they haven’t reached their biggest goals or produced their greatest work, usually the answer is the same one I had: they are just too busy.

“I am too busy to work out.”

“I am too busy to spend time with my family.”

“I am too busy to get enough sleep.”

“I am too busy to eat right.”

“I am too busy to start on my big project.”

You might feel guilty giving those answers, but I know what you are talking about.  You know why?

Because my life had grown too busy too.

Seemed like I had made everything small in my life take importance over the big things.  I had a consumption problem and didn’t want to admit it.  And no, I am not talking about food or alcohol issues; yet my consumption problem was just as damaging for my health and family.  I was consuming too much of my time with distractions!

I had lost sight of what is important.  This inability to exactly decide how to consume information was consuming valuable time.  I was missing things my children were doing.  I didn’t have the time for what was most important.  Yes, even “Mr. Discipline and Productivity” was finding it harder to fit in his family and workouts.  Why?

Because all the little things in your life can block the big things from happening.

In order to get my life under control, I had to assess where I was spending my time.  I had to do what I now call my “Busy Inventory.”

I first detailed out my day where I was spending all my time.

Then I assessed what was the ROI on the time I was spending.

I didn’t like what I found.  I discovered a lot of time spent and not much to show for it.

Then I did a iPhone update and my findings got worse.

If you have an iPhone, and you have done a recent update, you may have found you can get a lot of data about your “screen time.”

After completing my “Busy Inventory,” I came to My Time Problem Diagnosis: My phone was consuming too much of my time.

Why?  Because I was making what could be one of the greatest mistakes you can make:  I let my NUNI take the place of my NUMI.

I was letting the Non Urgent Not Important things stop the Non Urgent Most Important things from happening.  And most of it had to do with my phone.  Although I made the initial excuses that my phone use was “all for work,” I knew had to be more efficient.  I was living like work was the thing of most importance and everything else happened if there was any time left.

Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be much time left over at the end of each day.  Because I was “so busy,” I needed a drastic change.  I did 5 things that not only led to me feeling better, but also to my BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:

I have my new book called Coach to Coach coming out in March!

This book is the book I always wanted to write.  This is the book everyone was always asking me to write.  This is the book I consider my greatest and most impactful work.  Using my best material and coaching lessons from my last two decades working with top athletes and organizations, I wrote a coaching story.  Yes, that’s right!  I decided that since everyone always loved my stories, I would write a completely new story as a vehicle to teach my most important coaching and life lessons.

The publishers loved it and fast tracked it and the great news: you will be able to read it in March!  You can pre-order the book at the link below which will also tell you about some exciting special deals and bonuses worth up to $10,000!

COACH TO COACH BOOK PRE-ORDER SPECIALS AND BONUSES

Would you like to do something bigger?

Do you have a big project or great work still sitting inside of you?

Well my greatest work would never have happened if I couldn’t replace my NUNI with the NUMI things.  And once I found the time and stopped making the excuses, I sat down and did it!

Here is my 5-step process how I was able to make Coach to Coach happen:

5 Ways To Produce Your Greatest Work

1.  Cut Your “Screen Time”

The first step on my Sabbatical was to make the conscious effort to cut screen time.  This involved scheduling when I turned on and off my phone.  I found a bunch of hours a day that weren’t as busy as I thought.

Action Item:  Pick out times when your phone, computer and TV are going to be turned off.  Schedule your screen time and the things you will get done when the phone is powered down.

2.  Go Back To The Drawing Board

An ROI on my time proved I was putting out a lot of content.  It wasn’t that I didn’t love writing, but I wanted something evergreen and of bigger impact.  Blogs and posts aren’t lasting.  And the reason I was missing my NUMI was because I was too “busy” on the short term to work on the long term.  I decided to take a few months off from non-stop content creation and go to the drawing board that would help me create something more impactful.

Action Item:  Examine how you are spending your time.  Then label how much of that time is NUNI and NUMI.  Decide where you should be investing your time and make a list of the big things you want to do.

3.  Commit To Your W.I.N.’s. (What’s Important Now)

Once I had my list, I committed to spend more time with my family.  I coached my daughter’s high school track team, and made every meet and event for my other daughters too.  I got up with them in the morning before school and put them to bed at night.  I also committed to writing Coach to Coach.  The combination of the coaching lessons I learned and the importance of more time with family were the inspiration for my new book too.

Action Item:  Decide what are the NUMI you will go for each day and make the commitment to make them happen.

4.  Set The Time And Place Each Day

After the commitment, the next step was setting a schedule and environment.  I anchored myself to a time and place each day to work.  Instead of “waiting” to “feel” like working, I designated my desk at 9am each day as the place the work would be performed and uninterrupted with the phone off.  This lead to me knowing where and when I had to be to get done what I had committed to.

Action Item:  Decide on a time and place you are going to work on your NUMI and put it in your calendar.

5.  Do “Deep Work”

The final step was all about action;  I got down to the real work.  Coined by Georgetown professor Cal Newport, the concept of “deep work” refers to,“Professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”  I did the deep work and the new book is the result.

Action Item:  With 1-4 in place, it is simply time to get working until your masterpiece is created.

Using the tips above, I was able to free up time for the important things in my life.

I am sorry I have been a little distant, but I had to take charge of my life.

The distractions had blurred the line between what was important and what wasn’t.

And by gaining clarity and then taking action on my W.I.N.’s I was able to create something even greater for you.

I hope you order Coach to Coach. Now that it is complete, I am happy to have a new NUMI: reconnecting with you!  Again, you can check out all the pre-sale specials and bonuses here:

GET YOUR COPY AND SAVE $1,000’s HERE

Over the next few weeks, I am going to be sharing all the lessons I learned from writing the book.  Not only will these lessons educate you, but I am also hoping they are going to help you produce your great work too!

Yours in Strength,

Martin