by Kirby Hasseman
How many of you have ever started a new year (or a new quarter, or a new week) with the very intense desire to improve your fitness? Raise your hand…everyone. You had decided that “enough was enough.” You were going to put in the work. You were going to follow the plan. You had a goal in your mind. You had new “workout shoes.” You were fired up and you were committed. And you failed. Sound familiar? It does to many of us…me included. We know what to do. We just struggle with the discipline to do it. You know the quote I use all the time… The greatest distance in the world is the distance between “I know” and “I do.” I think the same is true for success in content marketing. As a matter of fact, I see a lot of similarities between success in fitness and in social media! Don’t believe me? Here are 10 ways Content Marketing and Fitness are the same! 1. Success takes a long time: One of the common misperceptions that causes frustrations in both is that results happen quickly. They don’t. The best plans for both start extremely slow and show only incremental progress at first. 2. You need to focus on the day…not the goal: If you continue to look at the marathon, you will get discouraged quickly. You don’t need to run 26.2 miles on day 2 of training for the marathon. You just have to run 2. The same is true with content. You don’t need a million followers. You just need to do the work today. 3. Consistency is Key: You can’t work out for a week and take 2 weeks off and have 6 pack abs (trust me, I know). The best success comes from consistent work. 4. It’s important to track progress: Most training plans have you weigh yourself at the beginning (and take pictures). That way, when you are frustrated, you can see how far you have come. The same is true with content. Start with your traffic baseline. The progress will be slow…but then you can look back later to your progress. 5. Most people start fast…and can’t keep it up: I started P90X the first time and went out of the gates like crazy. Then I could not lift my arms for a week. We have all see the company that started off with a Facebook page like crazy…and then have not posted in 2 months. 6. Most people use the same excuses about why they can’t do it: I know. You don’t have time. Bullshit. Yes you do. Do it or don’t do it. Your call. But time is not your issue. 7. The best plans do a little every day: You don’t have to go out the first week and run 25 miles. It’s often better to start slow and build up. The same is true on the content side. Start slow. There is no point firing out at a pace you can’t maintain. 8. The best people are intentional: You don’t have to (and probably shouldn’t) work out every day. You need to create rest days to let your body recover. But you need to do it on purpose. If every day becomes a rest day, then the routine is over. If you follow a plan, it’s much easier to stay on track! 9. The first 3 months are the hardest: In the program P90X, it’s 90 days for a reason. In that time you can create a habit in your day to workout. And you START to see results then. The work isn’t done. But that’s when it starts to become a part of you. 10. Most people know what to do…but aren’t willing to do it: Fitness and fad diets are huge business. We all want the shortcut. But if we eat less (or better) and work out more, most of us will get results. The fact is, we know that. Most of us are just not willing to DO it. These are just 10 ways that Content Marketing is like Fitness. There are more. So let’s put the excuses to bed. Create a plan. Then, let’s get to work! Make sure you never miss an update (like a mental workout). Sign up for our VIP newsletter here!
by Kirby Hasseman
Labor Day (weekend) is over. The kids are back in school. Football is back on TV.
This, my friends, is a great time of year to look at your goals to end the year!   I love to set goals. I love to work toward something. But the reality is, we all get off track from time to time. Summer is a perfect example of where many of us struggle to stay on top of our goals.   But that is in the past. You have the chance for a new beginning starting today.
January is NOT the only time to set goals. You have a blank slate. You have 4 months until the end of 2019.   What do you want to do before 2020 starts? What do you want to accomplish before the holidays? What do you want your life to look like? When you break down your goals into smaller chunks (like you can now), you can make the chase more of a sprint than a marathon. So let’s get your goals on paper for the end of the year.
What is one goal you would like to accomplish in the areas I call the 5 F’s?
These areas for goal setting are Finance, Fitness, Faith, Family and Fun.
Spend some time and be introspective. This is the mental homework that most people are unwilling or unable to do. What is one thing (large or small) that you would like to improve in these areas?
Once you have this goal (or these goals) written down, spend just a little time to think about some basic activities you can do to move you in that direction. For example, if you want to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year, you might consider adding a workout plan to your daily routines. Or you can might consider decreasing your calorie intake. Either way, they are basic daily activities (that you can control) that will move you toward the goal.
You are in the last 4 months of the year. What do you want to change? How do you want to grow? Now…what are you willing to DO to make that happen? Go get it.
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by Kirby Hasseman
It seems like everywhere I look I see people and organizations that want full-time results with part-time effort. They are looking for the magic button, the pill or the process that will magically turn a week of effort into a lifetime of achievement. Life doesn’t work that way. And to quote the Princess Bride “anyone who tells you differently is selling something.” Whether you want to improve your fitness, create a sales organization or build an audience, the rules are the same. You need to put in the work that no one seems to notice, for a long time, to become an overnight success. You have to put in full-time work. Every day. If you aren’t willing to do that, you have to question whether you really want to achieve the goal (whatever that is) in the first place. Want to make sure you never miss an update (or a kick in the pants)? Sign up for the VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
In the book Finish by Jon Acuff, he argues that “perfect” is the enemy of “done.” He gives example after example of “perfect” talking you out of starting or continuing with your goal, because it would not be good enough. This is right on. Think about all of those new exercise plans. You start off like a ball of fire. You work out each and every day for a week or two. Then you miss a day. Then you fall completely off the wagon and give up. We have all been there. That’s why Jon says that one of the most important days is “the day after perfect.” It’s actually easier to keep things rolling when you are on track. But the moment you get off track, “perfect” convinces you to give up completely. I bring this up because it’s part of the reason I was able to convince myself to do this blog every day. I know that in order for Google to find a blog post in it’s algorithm, the post has to be at least 300 words. When I learned that, I felt like every post had to be 300 words, or what was the point? That was “perfect” talking. These posts (and any writing for that matter) needs to be as long as it needs to be to get the point across. No longer. So I gave myself permission at the beginning of this journey, that if the post was not 300 words, it was totally okay. It still counted. It was more important for me to show up every day. If I did that, the rest would take care of itself. So stop letting “perfect” talk you out of doing. Make a deal with yourself. As Jon Acuff would say, it will help you give yourself the gift of “done.” Finish is a great book (and a great audiobook) and you can find it here. And if you want to make sure you never miss an update, you can sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for a tradition like no other! Each week, our very own Jeff Wickerham takes the time to highlight a specific promotional product that he thinks YOU should know about! 
This week Jeff is highlighting the Hot/Cold pack! Watch the video above and learn more. Want to check pics, costs and more? Click here! And if you never want to miss our content, sign up for our VIP list! Each week we make sure you see our latest content and get some special offers too.
