12 Prompts, Pokes & Prods

I wrote 56 blogs & stories this past year; some great, some so-so, but each of them had a prompt, a poke or a prod. Here are just a few of those pokes to help inspire you to keep your head in the game:

1) Revisit, reimagine and reconsider that which you say must be completed, resolved, manifested or begun. Remind yourself what it is you really want. Remind yourself what your biggest most important dream/goal is. Remind yourself what truly matters to you. Then ask yourself, “What am I committed to?”

2) Focus on improving. Everything you’re good at today you sucked at in the past. That’s because you kept improving.

3) Assess Your Strategy. If you continue to repeat the same tactics and schemes over and over, convincing yourself that you’re doing something different; your fans, customers and clients will move on to something new, your numbers will start to drop, your results will continue to decline and that dream you have of making it will eventually begin to dwindle…just when you were expecting it to peak. Not budging from your tired old strategy is a lousy strategy.

4) Your time is so precious. Why waste it on rechecking emails, continuous media updates and irrelevant social media that steals your focus, invades your creative thinking and robs your precious time?

5) If procrastination couldn’t be ass-kicked, there would be no Steve Jobs, Irving Azoff, Tarana Burke, Beatles, Jeff Bezos, Gaga, JZ or Swift.

6) Review your support team and inner circle, including staff, agents, managers, bandmates, sales team, coaches, consultants, techs, partners, etc.. I know it can be a heavy scene to split with people you work with (and like). However, a heavier scene is continuously putting up with the pettiness and incompetence of others at such an emotional, physical and monetary cost to you. Don’t flinch or choke on this one. If issues need to be addressed or personnel changes need to be made, don’t be afraid to pull out Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. Truth be told, YOU are the CEO of your world. And the goal is to work with the most talented people who are aligned with your vision and committed to the task at hand—not to wait around for people to change or grow up.

7) Remain vigilant and aware of those signs that tell you when it’s time to change direction or toss in the towel. While “never quit” may be our mantra, there are times when changing course is the only real intelligent thing to do—so you can recover, regroup, reorganize and reinvent a new game. Not to mention loose the stress and reclaim your sense of Self.

8) Don’t Fake It! “Truth” is by far the most magnetic and attractive attribute, and we all crave it like a drug. Especially during these crazy “point-the-finger” days when everything is so transparent. If you express the truth in your art, music, business, marketing, writing, life, etc., your fans and customers will support your mission and join your tribe. If you try to “hype it,” they’ll see through the ballyhoo like Superman sees through brick walls.

9) The last person you should consult when you’re faced with a big challenge or stuck in indecision is yourself! If it’s that important, bring in a trusted confidant or personal consultant to help you sort through the details.

10) Don’t complain about how hard it is. Everyone who has ever made it in showbiz worked hard. Rather, revel in how great it is to work hard on something worthy of giving it everything you’ve got.

11) Give it back! Giving and receiving are different aspects of the same energy. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep that energy circulating in our lives.

12) Don’t Do Anything Stupid! You’re an artist, an entrepreneur, an independent, crazy, creative genius! I know it can be tough; however, it’s a GREAT life, and the only life for you! Don’t screw it up!

Important because every choice we make and every step we take triggers a series of extraordinary circumstances that will ultimately determine our destiny.