Bryan Collins - This Is Working

Ive created a FREE FOCUS checklist. It will help cut hours off your workweek. If you want to get this checklist, visit http://bryancollins.com/this-is-working

Donald Trump.

I spent almost an hour each day between 2016 and 2018 reading about him. Like many, I found his ability to control a news cycle mesmerizing. I should have known better.

Several years ago, I worked as an Irish journalist. Back then, I learnt the primary concern of 24-hour news is capturing our attention.

I dont even have time to spend hundreds of hours a year reading about Donald Trump. Ive three small kids, a career as a copywriter within the B2B industry and a side business.

Im the guy who tells aspiring authors to write a little every day, and yet, I found myself on The Washington Post website day after day reading about Trump.

Ive tried to focus and found myself wanting for more.

Ive prepared for important meetings only to check my phone beneath the desk when they start.

Ive spent money and dozens of hours taking courses in social media marketing and still felt behind.

Ive bought book after book and complained about not having enough time to read. So why did my weekly screen time report say Ive spent hours on news websites and social media?

Ive found no peace at the bottom of an empty inbox because more work is inevitable.

Ive put in 60- and 70-hour workweeks and tried to switch off at the end of the day by clicking on yet another notification.

Instead of switching off, Ive gone in search of just one more dopamine hit from a feed or a device.

I, like many entrepreneurs I know, complained of feeling behind, overwhelmed and overworked.

The tools we use every day are becoming increasingly powerful, but many of them are broken. Instead of enabling us to achieve more, theyre chaining us to our desks, office or devices.

We are fighting in a war for our peace of mind, and many of us are losing.

It doesnt help that entrepreneurs celebrate grinding out one 12-hour day after the next.

Rise and grind.

Hustle.

Push forward.

And burn out.

Whats more, old methods of working are failing. Endless meetings, phone calls, and a proliferation of inboxes challenge even the most effective of us.

Today, the modern worker is competing in a race where everyone must Keep up or quit.

Instead, you need a new way of approaching work that protects from the daily assault on your attention.

Success in the marketplace belongs to the entrepreneur or executive who masters the art of focus.

Success belongs to you.

Modern work is tough, but some entrepreneurs and executives have figured it out. Theyre building profitable businesses or careers and still finding time for living.

I wrote This Is Working for entrepreneurs and executives who want to succeed at work or in their businesses. This book will help you find time for work and for everything else life offers.

It features entrepreneurs and executives who are turning their ambitions into reality.

Top executives. Athletes. Professional gamers. The New York Times best-selling authors. Six- and seven-figure freelancers.

Those unafraid of ambition possess the endurance and long-term thinking of a marathon runner. They know the answers to questions like,

What should I learn today to succeed in the marketplace tomorrow?

And,

How can I push harder while avoiding working on the wrong things or burnout?

Thats what well cover in the first part of this book.

Once established within your industry, youll discover business is a game, and its one you can play to win.

Instead of grinding out 80-hour weeks, you need a system that sets you up for success. That includes deciding what types of work to focus on versus delegating to a team member or freelancer.

This is a tough but worthwhile challenge for todays executives and entrepreneurs.

In the second part of this book, youll also learn how to start work faster and finish work on time.

Youll also discover the power of deep focus and saying no so you can achieve far more within a normal day.

If you earn a promotion or hit a revenue goal for the year, congratulate yourself.

Reward your team.

You could even take a break.

Work forms only one part of modern life. Knowing when to pause or get away for a holiday is a valuable skill. I want to show you how other successful entrepreneurs recharge.

The final part of this book contains advanced strategies for capitalizing on success, much like a top trader.

Its human nature to want more, but success sometimes comes with new problems.

Youll learn how to manage others on your team, or if youre a business of one, freelancers.

No matter what you do, self-reflection is the cornerstone of growth. Reviewing what worked and didnt work in your business will help you advance faster.

Finally, if youre an aspiring entrepreneur or side-hustler, youll learn when to quit your job and double down on your best professional bets.

Yes, youre fighting in a war for attention, but its one you can win.

Train Hard, Start Strong

Training for the Dublin City Marathon taught me more about motivation than any pep talk.

I ran by myself around the small town where I live, an hour outside of Dublin. I trained alone in the evenings or sometimes in the mornings after the kids went to school.

My motivation came from within as I felt tired of spending my evenings playing video games, watching television shows on Netflix or reading about Donald Trump.

Later, I joined a nearby athletics club and trained with more accomplished runners. Each Monday and Wednesday evening, we ran intervals around an all-weather 400-meter track.

To an outsider, we must have looked like hamsters trapped on an exercise wheel. But our training demanded intense focus, and I was hooked.

I was able to keep up for 30 minutes. Then my calves seized up, and Id move over to the side of the track to recover.

The other athletes continued lapping me for another 45 minutes without stopping.

Are you seeking a promotion? What would winning new customers mean for your company? Is your project a life-long personal ambition?

Before you embark on a big personal or professional project for months or even years, write down five to seven reasons why youre going to focus on it.

Keep your reasons in a file alongside details of the project and document what success looks like. Its good practice to combine internal and external reasons.

For example, I want to write a nonfiction business book because its a lifelong ambition, is an internal reason.