Failure Helps You Succeed

Growing up, I always thought that if I could do everything perfectly, I would be safe and happy in life.

Throughout my life, I made absolute perfection to be my goal in everything I did. I prided myself on the fact that I hardly ever made mistakes, and things came easy to me.

And then, reality struck. One day I realized the truth that I could not do anything perfectly in life. Even the things I thought were perfect - I had cognitive disassociation about and was believing lies about my life as not to feel the pain of admitting that my life was not perfect!

I think everyone can relate to this in some way or another.

You will never achieve your goals in life if perfection is your goal.

Sure, you might hit some micro-goals - small milestones of perfection, but those big dreams will always escape you.

Perfectionism is a pursuit to validate ourselves. It proves to us and everyone else around us that we know what we are doing, and they can trust us - or so we think.

Underneath, we are lying to ourselves and everyone else about what is going on deep down inside us. We feel like a failure at nearly everything and are avoiding that feeling with everything inside of us to avoid pain or punishment!

Sadly, this is the cycle many people are on. I was on this cycle for years.

Failure is one of the greatest things we can ever experience in life.

When we fail, we give ourselves a chance to learn.

Perfection is a pipe dream. We will never achieve perfection. Even if you live a life that you think is perfect, it's the flaws that make it beautiful. Eventually, we all come face to face with our humanity.

Did you know that you will achieve your goals faster by embracing failure than avoiding it?

So often people believe that to reach their goals, they have to do everything perfectly.

We could believe this based on an experience we had as a child - or something else.

Ultimately we must embrace failure as a teacher, to guide us to the things we need to learn.

Failure is such an excellent teacher and is one of the best things we can experience because it points us to the truth!

When we try to pretend everything is perfect and live a facade, we will repeat the same negative deadly patterns in our life.

When we embrace the fact that maybe we don't know everything, and it's ok to make mistakes, then we can grow!

This week, please make a list of 3 things that you're avoiding doing out of fear of failure.

Pick one of them, the easiest one to do.

How bad would failure hurt? What would happen?

Why are you avoiding it?

What would the benefits be?

Start to make a declaration to go after this thing - and a plan to execute on your goals.

We can not accomplish anything when we fear to fail at it. But we can when we are ok with failure happening and learn to grow.

We must open ourselves up to learning instead of stuffing down the part of us that wants to learn, treating that part of us as an inadequate version of ourselves.

Listen to the voice inside of you that is pointing to what you need to do, and start making a plan to take action this week!

Failure will not define you when you embrace it as a teacher - learning to grow from the lessons you learn along the way.

No one is going to come alongside you to pick you up either after failure. You are the only one that can kickstart your life to go after your dreams.

Are you ready? You are worth it. Let's go this week.

How To Write When You Aren't A Good Writer

Do you struggle with writing? I used to a while back but I started doing this simple thing:

I would record myself talking and then edit it later. What technology these days we have so many options to do this. We can record our voice to something like Evernote. We can record audio and get it transcribed. We can record a video and get it transcribed and edited.

We have apps like Grammarly that can edit our grammar with artificial intelligence to become a better writer. Learn the best flow to getting your information out on paper. Learn the best flow to get your thoughts out of your head.

This could be sitting down and just writing, rambling. This could be talking into your phone, this could be making a video and having the conversation edited but the most important thing is getting the thoughts out of your head and into time and space. 

Writing is not limited only to what you type with your fingers. Writing has to do with extracting what's in your head and refining it into something that other people can use. Writing is not merely words on a paper but creating thoughts in a construed way that flow and are easily understood to impart an idea to somebody else.

You may argue, “no writing is written on paper” the end of goal could be that. All of us have a unique flow, especially in 2019, to getting our thoughts out. If you're somebody that is more comfortable just talking and recording and having conversations with people, record your voice and get it transcribed.

Even this article right now, I decided to use this method. Opened up my Evernote app, I press record, I started talking into the app and then when it was done I got it edited.

I edited it it with Grammarly and now here's the article.

It took me no more than 5 minutes to do this and I have an article. Weirdly enough I made up so many excuses for why I wasn't able to do an article.

You'll notice this is the first article I've had since July and then I had an epiphany, I was being too hard on myself about my method for writing.

I went back to my original writing method that I use so well five, six years ago by recording my voice, transcribing it and editing the transcription.

I think often we become embarrassed because we use non-traditional methods to reach the end result. You have to find the method that works best for you. For some people, writing is sitting down and typing. Others, it is talking.

For me, I can talk a narrative much better and easier than I can write it with my fingers, which is why I often when I make my video content on social media. I may have paragraphs written at the end but that's only after I got the idea out on video. Find the flow that works best for you.

Just because somebody else said to do it one way doesn't mean that’s the only way to do it. Sadly we have a culture that's restricted to believing that there's only one way to reach an end result. This is a lie.

Find the one that works best for you. As long as you got to the same end result, how you got there doesn’t matter!

The saddest part about our culture is that we shame people that don't get to the same place, the same way that we do. This creates division and is divisive instead of connecting and unifying us. We're all different. We're all unique.

We have different purposes and different ways that our brains operate. It’s time to start having more self respect for yourself and not paying attention to just what other people say or what you were taught in school by your third grade English teacher. We have tools now that help us with grammar. 

I am terrible with grammar and spelling. I will be the first one to tell you that I'm not good at it. It's my worst skill. That's why I'm thankful for an artificial intelligence platform like Grammarly that helps with grammar. So try it today! If you have something that you want to express to people write it out, talk it. You can make pause.

While I recorded this audio I made massive pauses verbally because I was thinking about what I was going to say next. I wasn't subject to having to do it perfectly. Then I was able to go and edit it.

When I go to record something on video, it's often because I can string it together in a fluid thought. This topic is one of those areas that I'm not the most confident in but I know that what's in my head needs to get out on paper. So I decided to use the method that I'm telling you to use to record this. You'll notice how well this article came out. In the end, try it yourself.

Use some of the tools that may be on your phone. Most of our phones these days have voice to text and it's very accurate. Google and Apple have both invested millions and even billions of dollars in artificial intelligence technology to translate voice to text. Utilize it to help you create better content and write faster. 

As you do this more often you'll be able to come up with better articles, better video content and better snippets for social media content but you have to start with something. 

Often inaction and the excuses that we tell ourselves of what we're not good at, limits us to stay stuck where we are right now. It's time to break the box and take the lid off and start utilizing what we are good at. To shore up and hone in the areas that we aren't good at, we can use technology and other people around us to help us.

When it comes to writing, apps like Grammarly and the voice to text on your phone make it great. If you're a good talker, a good speaker, if you're somebody that is really good at writing already, I'm surprised that you got to the end of this article but that's okay.

I would recommend that you write and then take what you wrote and speak it on video and use your writing as notes for video. That'll help you become better at articulating things on video as well and it'll be a loop that's where you can help extract what's in your head and get it into one place to impart it to someone else.

The written word is a way of imparting energy to other people, same with the spoken word, same with video. Find the format that works best for you. We want to use multi-channel forms of media, written audio and visual. You will need to learn how to do all three but find the one that you have the strength in and use other people and technology.

Mainly technology when you start and don't have the budget for staff to reach more people across all of these various media channels and methods.

These Powerful Choices Will Help You Reach Your Goals Faster

For you to get a different result in your life, you have to be willing to learn something new!

So often, I find people are looking for a mentor or coach to validate that they are on the right track.
 
 This becomes very counter-intuitive and co-dependent on the coach continuing to either affirm or correct what’s true or not.
 
 For us to grow to the next level, we have to be willing to learn something we’ve not done before, and even tear down the shaky foundations of our life that we’ve had up to this moment in time.

One of the biggest things I’ve seen people struggle with reaching their goals is looking up to others for approval and validation that what they are doing is “ok” and right.
 
Then, double whammy, they never make themselves vulnerable enough to learn something new – and ask questions because of fear of realizing that they didn’t have it all together in the first place!

So we stay stuck in this delusion of “I will be ok when” and “One day I will reach a place where” – while we continuously rely on other people to give us the power to go after our dreams.
 
 We’re looking for others to be the catalyst for us to reach our goals.
 
 The fact is this will never work. Me saying that right now may be offensive to the delusion that some people believe because what else could be the case?
 
You have to take responsibility for yourself for your choices. Discipline yourself to do the things that you want to do, without ever needing anyone else to hold you accountable!

It’s time we stop looking to others to validate that we are on the right track, and we start just moving the path forward on our own.

And now we come face to face with our fears: judgment, not fitting in, punishment, getting in trouble, criticism.

We have to be ok with criticism to go after our goals and move forward in the face of it!
 
 Stop allowing critics to disempower you from going after your dreams!

You have to believe in yourself enough to do the thing that’s inside you!
 
 You have to set up a filter of what you take in, and sometimes shutting down voices that are not benefiting you!
 
 These could even be voices of your past, family members, friends, people who you’ve respected before, and they have your best interest in mind – BUT – because they have to also come to grips with the responsibility in themselves for why they are where they are – you can no longer allow them to dictate your choices or direct your path.
 
 Now, this becomes very lonely for a second because we are left with the shell of who we’ve been in our lives, and the future that we are becoming.
 
 As soon as you leave the past behind and stop trying to resurrect the old ways of being, you will be able to reach your goals so much faster.
 
 You will attract the friends, the help, the mentors, the leaders, the resources that you need to reach your goals!
 
 You will start to notice by turning your reticular activating system on that you were headed in the right direction all along.
 
 The truth is this: We don’t need other people to change for us to reach our goals. We don’t need even to get anyone to agree with us to achieve our goals.
 
 We have to give up the need to try to control everything around us, the messages, the people, the influence – and learn to control ourselves: what we are letting in.
 
 This is knowing when to ignore things, and when to pay attention. This is not letting everything that comes at you distract you. This is being focused on where you are going – by being PRESENT at this moment in time to trust the process and know that you are on the right path.
 
 If any doubt creeps in, we often rely on going to others to tell us if we’re on the right path or not, and there’ a time a place for this, but you need to make your circle small that you take input from — less than 3-4 people.
 
 You can have a relationship with many others, but not to the point where you let them influence the direction you are headed!
 
 Choose wisely the voices you listen to – and believe in yourself to know that the path you are on is the best path for you.
 
When new information comes along, it’s ok to change your choices and change directions. Eventually, we reach a crossroads: where we can decide to circle the same mountain again or move in the course of our destiny.
 
 If you’re someone who’s at that crossroads, or maybe you don’t know what direction to go, that’s what this group is for, the grow your life podcast. To help point you in the direction that will help you reach your goals in the fastest possible manner, without sacrificing your integrity, your family, your health, or your relationships!

 Sometimes there’s time to set boundaries. We have to learn to say “no” when we mean “no’ and “yes” when we mean “yes” and not let the fear of what other people might do keep us stuck, living a life that is opposite of what we were both made to do – and desire to live.
 
 When we align our lives with the divine call of God on our experience, there’s a convergence that happens where our desires and God’s desires are the same.
 
 Then we reach a place where we can ask God, “Direct my footsteps.” We know the voice of God in our life because we are attuned to hearing it! We can trust that what he says is true and right!
 
Then it comes to having wise counsel around you. Sometimes there’s wise counsel for one season that is no longer wise council for another season. We have to learn to let the old stay where it is in the past and keep moving forward toward our destiny!
 
 No one is keeping you from your goals but yourself. No one has the power to do so, but you.
 
 It’s time for you to pick yourself up and start walking forward without looking back – one foot in front of the other!
 
What’s the right choice to make? Ask questions! Start asking people that you can trust. When you get differences of opinion, consider the source of where you’re getting your answers from and then ask yourself, “Is this going to serve me towards my goals or hinder me.”

Pay attention to the voices that you’re listening to. Are these people who’ve been there before and gotten the results that I desire, or are they just repeating something that sounds good and tickles my ears?
 
Then learn to trust yourself. Keep the promises that you make to yourself. Have a track record with yourself to reach your goals. There’s nothing terrible about trusting your instincts. You can trust yourself.
 
 This will be the only way for you to go to the next level, and start making the decisions that will have a lasting impact on your life!

Client Email: Best Practices For Email Marketing

This was a letter that I sent to a client that I consult for marketing about email best practices. I think in general people know what to do with email, but these often forgotten and missed points are overlooked:  

—————————————-

From the desk of Jeremiah Krakowski

Dear Client,

When doing email marketing, we have to follow best practices. The #1 reason people mark emails as spam is that they get emailed too often. Here's a great article on this:

https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/email-marketing/2019/02/the-surprising-data-about-how-often-to-send-promotional-emails/ 

When sending emails, it's all about cultivating a personal relationship with people first, and secondary is about what you want them to do or what you are promoting.

This is why the best marketing emails always engage people to be a part of the story.

People have a choice to delete or read your email. If they’re sick and tired of what they are getting, they won't even open it and mark it as spam. You want people to be interested in what they are reading. This interest always starts with the subject line - something that invites them to open it up.

Sometimes it's good to be very general even "Exciting news for the new year" or "hey, how's it going" sometimes works. Other times we use more specific marketing language.

The less often you email people, the more likely they are to open.

Also spacing emails out is important.

We must care about the people receiving the emails more than we care about what we can get from it.

Everything starts with good copywriting. If our focus is just what we are trying to tell people, it's more effective to never email anyone in the first place.

We have to cultivate, nurture and respect the relationship of email like we would anyone. Every address is important to us, and they should get value from each email, not just promotion.

This isn't the law that needs to be worried about, but something to consider. It's really a "do unto others' type thing. Everyone is sick of emails, so treat them how you would want to be treated.

Consider what we would care about if we got the email ourselves! What would make us open the email? What would make us feel connected without, instead of just another name and email on a list?

Be blessed!

Jeremiah Krakowski

ps… If you want to work with me, coaching you in your business, sign up for your free 30 minute strategy call with me here: jeremiahkrakowski.com/coaching

Waiting For Perfect Scenarios Is A Path To Failure

For the last six months, every time I think about writing a blog post, I get hit with what I call "F.O.M.O writers blocks" meaning I have too many ideas to write about - and am afraid of them all being the wrong ones, so I didn't write anything.

Now, here we are: Tuesday, January 7th, 2020 - and I still didn't have a blog post up yet!

Over the last 6 months, I've gone on an incredible personal development journey that started right around the time of my LAST blog post! It started with reading a number of spiritual books, as well as leadership books to grow in my spirituality, and my leadership (duh).

One of the number one things that leaders have to do - or they will fail - is making decisions.

Consistent, fast decision making is the number one thing that separates those who are a success from those who are not. Meaning: fear of missing out and decisions are the causes of most failure for leaders!

You see, when we are presented with many decisions, and we don't make any of them - we are effectively catalyzing failures.

The truth is, without action, failure is guaranteed, but the action has a precursor - called decision making. Every action always follows a decision, so the number one thing that prevents success that I've noticed is waiting too long to make decisions.

And here I am, six months later, still haven't decided what to write a blog post about - indecisive, and nothing.

Now I could beat myself up for this and get down on myself - or I can get over it quickly and start writing a blog post!

So here it is, my new year decision making an action. It's no longer ok for me not to write blog posts, so that's what I will be doing!

I've spent my whole life waiting for things to have the perfect scenarios for me to make decisions, and I realized - that waiting is what has held me back the most, more than anything else in my entire life!

It doesn't matter how successful you've been in the past: if you allow slow decision making to touch you - you will fail. And then you'll get a chance to learn the lesson that you have to make decisions faster.

So now, I have started only spending 2-3 minutes on making decisions, and maybe 5-10 minutes on more significant choices. If I need advice or feedback on something, I'll get it, weigh the options and make a decision.

You have to learn to make decisions - right or wrong - quickly - and do something. Not making a decision and staying right where you are will guarantee you will never progress and move forward.

Waiting to decide what questions to ask to get the input you need is one of the worst hamster wheels I see so many people on that I coach. It's time to stop doing that.

Start asking the questions you need to get the answers that will help you move the needle. If you've ruminated on a decision for weeks, it's time to stop doing that.

Make decisions quickly, and keep moving forward!

A great place to ask questions to help make decisions in your business is my #GrowYourLife community. You can join here: https://jeremiahkrakowski.com/community

Speed & Growth Are The Most Important Thing You Must Improve In Your Business

In your business, all of your problems can are solved by increasing how fast you can acquire capital/revenue, how quickly you grow and then, continuously accelerate that growth over time.

This goal, above everything else, provides you with exponentially more revenue than you will ever need. Allowing you to sustain yourself in up and down seasons and double down on what's working when things are profitable!

There's no time to waste to "do everything perfectly" and get things done the way some business class or marketing book told you!

The time is now to grow and grow big.

Amazon wasn't profitable for years, even to the chagrin of many on wall street, but they did this because of the long game.

Here's some examples from Amazon, Facebook & Apple computer.

The bills were paid, the taxes were deferred (lol), and they reached the most people to then accelerate to the next level. Facebook is the same way, along with Instagram!

Apple Computer only succeeded because they got a working prototype on the market faster than anyone else did for a cost more people could afford!

What I'm specifically referring to here is this: if you have a goal, always take the path that brings in increased revenue or capital the fastest, prioritizing which one you can do the quickest.

You must have a "revenue generation mechanism" from the start of anything — something to bring in money to build with.

If you don't have this, you will need an outside investor to provide capital, which is why I mention both revenue and capital here. I see people take 1-3 years even to generate revenue sometimes. This only works IF you have capital coming in from an outside source! If you don't have outside capital to sustain your growth, you have to generate it!

Stop waiting around for everything to be perfect before you take action.

Get some revenue into your business right away, as quick as you can, either generated yourself or from an outside investment - and then get some quick wins on the books!

From here, then you can compound this cashflow to grow things further, always prioritizing growth and speed, over anything else.

If you do this, you can grow and won't hit roadblocks, speed bumps along the away.

So often, we can allow our own ego to say "I have to do everything perfectly and do it the way it should be done before I can succeed" and we miss out on years of what could be possible just by focusing on growth and acceleration!

Get some wins, and then build upon them. Don't build just for the sake of building, build to win, and build to last. This happens only by focusing on what we can accomplish the fastest, not what can we do perfectly the first time.

Allowing yourself the ability to fail and make mistakes lets us learn at an accelerated rate, including what doesn't work as well as what might not fit the market, so that we can quickly adjust to what will work and get results.

I did a video on my FB Live about this today, and I think it’ll help drive this home for you even more. Enjoy!

Let me know your thoughts on this, as well as be sure the join the #GrowYourLife community on facebook.