Could You Create Your Own 24 In 24?
Ever have that awful feeling of looking in the mirror and not liking what you see?
Exactly what it felt like when Kim showed me his Goodreads app in late November. His way of keeping track of all the books he had digested through a calendar year.
For me, in that one otherwise fleeting moment, it felt like getting clobbered by a thunderous Mike Tyson punch to the jaw. In mere seconds, Kim was reminding me of how far I had fallen as a reader. How much what was once a good habit had fallen into a miserable state of disrepair and decay. Like many of you reading this now, the list of excuses numbered well over 101, starting and ending with “I don’t have the time” and “I’m just too damn busy”.
And yet, I know better. I know excuses are for losers. I know that for anyone to be taken seriously as a published author, one must first become a dedicated daily writer. And the best way to become a half-decent writer is to become a prolific daily reader. The better the books you read, the better you think and write. Or as that famous medical and literary mind known as Dr. Seuss expressed:
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”.
Dr. Seuss
Books are gifts that you can open again and again
They let you travel without moving your feet, packing bags or hopping on an airplane. A uniquely portable form of magic that ensures you are never alone.
It’s been said that readers are leaders. If you are curious about exploration, contemplation and imagination, and thirst for a different journey through 2024, this post was written specifically for you.
Discover how 24 In 24 just might be the most adventurous solo trip you take this year on this edition of Leaders & Legends.
“There is no frigate like a Book to take us lands away” EMILY DICKISON
With the advent of a New Year, I’m fairly certain that you have a discipline or a skill you would love to improve. Perhaps you seek a higher level of excellence in your chosen profession, achieve proficiency or mastery of a certain hobby or pastime. No matter what your intentions are for the next 355 days of this fresh calendar year, it is reasonable to assume you have tried and experimented with sundry goal-setting techniques and tracking methods to try and keep your personal horse on course.
Now that New Year’s has come and gone, can we all say in a loud, boisterous voice … “Resolution. Schemosolution”!
We’re exploring the discipline of reading today. But, this approach could apply to anything that strikes your fancy. Dieting. Fitnessing. Snowboarding. Dog Training. Crocheting. Cooking. Investing. Guitaring. Painting, Parenting. Public Speaking. Pro Wrestling and any other form of human endeavour you can think of.
Regardless of the personal mountain you are trying to climb, feel free to borrow this astonishingly simple approach, inspired by my friend Kim McMurdo from Charlesglen Toyota in Calgary, AB. As soon as Kim showed me his high-tech app, I knew in a heartbeat, I needed a low-tech equivalent. And maybe you do as well.
Something easy to remember and damn easy to execute.
I call it 24 In 24.
Defying Busyness and Embracing Literary Ambition
No matter how busy the schedule, finding time to go start to finish with 2 books each month does not seem to be a Herculean task. Two books a month equals 24 for this calendar year; a literary consumption level that will far exceed what transpired both last year and the year before. Combined. In other words, busyness has been kicked to the curb as an excuse. If it’s important enough, you and I will find a way to make our ambition a reality through daily, consistent habits … even if our approach doesn’t align with what the goal-setting parrots squawk about with cookie cutter acronyms that push us towards S.M.A.R.T. Coining a simple phrase like 24 In 24 is already paying dividends with one book down (The Storyteller by Dave Grohl) and two others well underway including Hometown Hockey Heroes by Sportsnet Central anchor and fellow Maritimer, Ken Reid.
A Powerful Phrase: Igniting Inner Treasures and Choosing Our Spark
The overarching premise that drives 24 In 24 is something you can do as well.
1. Think of the ONE THING you want to improve or master this year.
2. Work your imagination mojo. Get inspired by a killer lyric or movie line. Come up with a short, powerful phrase that firmly anchors your objective in your mind. An original mantra that you don’t need to write down, but one that becomes firmly embedded in your brain. A mental sticky note that becomes your own version of “Abracadabra”!
Once that phrase you conjured up out of thin air truly becomes yours, then it’s “Voila”! You will soon be slam-dunking your way to greater achievement like a latter-day Michael Jordan at his first NBA All-Star Game. You will shock and delight yourself with the force of your own daily bursts of creativity, making you feel like you’ve left the resolution robots and goal-setting imitators covered in so much of your hard driving dust.
Dave Grohl summed up 384 pages of his book with this one phrase: “What you think, you become, What you feel, you attract, What you imagine, you create.” Another creator named Walt Disney once said:
“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island.”
Dave and Walt know that our greatest treasure lies buried within us. Always has. Always will.
But a good book always has the explosive power to help us light our own fire. We have no one else to blame. We always have a choice to provide our own spark.
“Show me a family of readers, and I will show you people who move the world”
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
p.s…. This initial Leaders & Legends post for 2024 is also a way to introduce our next BIG LITTLE LEGENDS MASTERCLASS. Our next in-person MASTERCLASS is scheduled for February 14th in Dallas, TX. With one click you can see how the BIG LITTLE LEGENDS MASTERCLASS is ideal for small companies and solopreneurs who want to make a make a substantial splash in their market. There is a limit of only 4 companies for each in-person MASTERCLASS. Click here and we can schedule time for an exploratory chat.
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