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Woosley Coaching

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40 Before 40 – May Update

My birthday is on the 8th of January, so I’ll be posting my 40 Before 40 updates on the 8th of each month. Here’s the May update:

The year is flying by! But I’m starting to cross a few more items off of the list and some are within reach for June. I may make some adjustments and substitutes in the second half of the challenge, but I’m all about having a flexible plan!

For the original list and more info about each item, go to WoosleyCoaching.com/40

Completed

  • 13) Visit Congress or AL Legislature

    • April 24th – It took a few months of rescheduling but I finally got to Montgomery! It was quite an experience seeing how government works (or doesn’t, depending on the day and the topic). Such an honor to represent my city and school system, as well as all of the public school systems in Alabama. Met with several legislators and was even recognized from the floor of the House!

  • 26) Complete first 5K race

    • March 9th – The Gator Hustle 5K in 33:36 minutes.

  • 32) Complete a fast

    • March 30th – No soft drinks for 40 days before Easter.

Making Meaningful Progress

  • 1) Daddy/Daughter Getaway

    • Still planning for a trip to Atlanta this summer. Trying to talk her into two nights so we aren’t as rushed, but she doesn’t like being away from mom!

  • 4) Get gloves and play catch with Anna and Ian

    • Being the awesome dad that I am and try to be, I took the kids one Saturday so my wife could have a day to herself. We went to the store, got gloves and tennis balls, then went to the park to throw the ball around. It was fun, but it’s going to take some practice to be real fun!

  • 7) Start recycling

    • Plastic, newspaper and aluminum cans bins are full and overflowing, but I’ve been traveling so we’re behind on turning them in. Soon!

  • 11) Read the entire Bible

    • Just finished 1st Chronicles and am on page 446 of the 1339 pages in my Bible. That’s 33.3% completed and I’m just one day behind according to the guide in the back of my book. Long lists of names and genealogies is slowing me down, and the Psalms are tough, but I’m in good shape.

  • 12) 12 Dates with My Wife

    • Date number four was a simple one. Simply an evening at home without the kids, eating Subway and watching a movie. Or was it WWE Smackdown? I can’t remember, but I do remember enjoying the time together!

  • 14) Publish first book

    • The book is really, really close to being finished. That means it’s 99% complete but the last 1% is going to kill me! So many little things to correct and adjust, but it’s off to the printer for a proof copy within two weeks, and will launch officially in June. Pre-sales starting soon…stay tuned! It’s titled Conquering the Entrepreneur’s Kryptonite: Simple Strategic Planning for You and Your Business

  • 15) Produce 10 products (ebooks, audio programs, etc.)

    • The book will be one (and the big one!), but I just completed the first in a three-part teleseminar series outlining the contents of my book. It was fun, and it was recorded. Product number one just needs to be polished and added to the storefront!

  • 18) Finish office

    • Trim was completed two weeks ago and the floors were installed last Thursday, but I’m in the middle of a two week business trip so I haven’t even seen them yet (except for a picture from my wife). But last weekend I visited IKEA for some furniture (stuffed into my Honda Accord) and this weekend I’ll paint the trim and move in. Finally, a place to work of my very own!

  • 21) Consistently wake up between 5-6 am

    • April was a decent month, with ten days before 6 am, including three weeks with three early mornings. Working too hard this past week to do well though…time to re-engage.

  • 24) Make 100 blog posts

    • This post makes 16 since the beginning of the year…the book simply takes priority right now. Soon I’ll launch the pre-sales pages and will be posting excerpts, but my project management series will be delayed a bit.

  • 25) Ride a Century (100 mile single bike event)

    • I’m scheduled to ride the JDRF Nashville charity ride in September (WoosleyCoaching.com/jdrf). But on April 27th I rode 51 of 60 miles for the Bo Bikes Bama ride in Cordova, AL. My new Trek Domane 5.2 carbon fiber beast helped a lot, but the hills kicked my butt. So the century mark in August may happen at the flat Hotter’N Hell 100 ride in Wichita Falls, TX (where I used to live). But first I have the North Alabama Bike MS ride in June (more hills!).

  • 27) Drive a race car

    • Still waiting for new dates to be scheduled at the local track.

  • 28) Complete second Spartan race

    • With everything else I have going on, the Spartan Race doesn’t seem like that big of a deal anymore. It’ll be fun, and I may not say that halfway through.

  • 31) BMI 25 or less

    • Started the year at about 27, and now I’m down to 25.2! Two more pounds and I’ll hit my target, even if it’s only for one day. But I’m thinking with all this running and biking and eating better I may lose another 5-10 pounds. Plus it’s been fun seeing people after a year and them asking if I’ve lost weight! It’s not like I was every huge, just a bit more round than I needed to be.

  • 33) Record 2M steps in 2013

    • I don’t love running, but I do love putting up big numbers! I set two new personal daily records within the last two weeks with 22,057 steps and then 24,230 steps. Through yesterday I’ve completed 747,931 steps and I’m now about 25 days ahead of schedule.

  • 35) Ride over 1200 miles

    • Add almost 100 miles since my last update. I’m at 247.67 miles logged, and once the half marathon is over, I’ll focus more on biking.

  • 36) Wildcard #1: Attempt a Half Marathon

    • I ran 10 miles on Sunday. Crazy. In just 11 more days I tackle the full 13.1 course of the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon. Some minor injuries are slowing me down, but I’m able to keep going. Under three hours is the goal, with 2:45:00 realistic (though Hospital Hill awaits).

  • 38) Wildcard #3: Make My Military Shadowbox

    • Purchased a great looking shadowbox frame at IKEA…just need to gather my medals and insignia and get to work on it.

No Update to Report (Yet!)

  • 2) Father/Son Event
  • 3) Teach Ian to ride a bike
  • 5) Host a party
  • 6) Have a getaway weekend with Heather
  • 8) Have a family service project
  • 9) Visit a museum or attend a symphony/play/opera
  • 10) Family Vacation
  • 16) Conduct group coaching course
  • 17) Conduct first STRATOP
  • 19) Establish LLC
  • 20) Start a podcast
  • 22) Teach a community class (other than FPU)
  • 23) Join/Start Local Mastermind/Networking Group
  • 29) Attend a NASCAR event
  • 30) Take a firearms safety class
  • 34) Complete the Manitou Springs Incline
  • 37) Wildcard #2: Send Letter to My Address in England
  • 39) Wildcard #4
  • 40) Wildcard #5

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FREE Preview of My New Book

Tonight I host the first of three teleseminars that outline the contents of my upcoming book, Conquering the Entrepreneur’s Kryptonite: Simple Strategic Planning for You and Your Business.

Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:

This is a book for people with ideas. If you don’t have more ideas than you need, or at least one really good challenging idea, go find another book. What is it that you want to achieve? Whatever it is, it’s not going to be easy. Not if it’s something BIG worth doing right. The goal is for this book to make it easier, and in doing so, make it look like it was easy to anyone who didn’t see the blood and sweat you poured into your idea.

This is not a complicated and boring planning book. This is a fun and simple framework that will help you organize your chaos, prioritize your focus and get more done!

I’m very excited about this project and I believe it can help a lot of people grow and build amazing businesses. But it can also be used by an individual to change their life and the lives around them.


RedHR

Please join me for the preview calls (pre-register to get access to the replay even if you can’t join live):


Conquering the Entrepreneur's Kryptonite

May 7th – Preparing to Plan Teleseminar (8 pm ET)

In this class I’ll outline the foundational concepts needed for planning, including common roadblocks, the power of passion and keeping it simple.

CLICK HERE to Register!

RedHR

May 22nd – Building a Strategic Plan Teleseminar (8 pm ET)

I lead my clients through a process and tool called the Simple Strategic Plan, or SSP. In this class I’ll give a high level overview of the SSP and how you can get started with your plan right away.

CLICK HERE to Register!

RedHR

June 4th – Executing the Plan Teleseminar (8 pm ET)

Plans are meaningless unless they are put into action. In this class I’ll outline some tools and techniques that are needed to get the most out of your strategic plan.

CLICK HERE to Register!

RedHR

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Knowing When to Say When

Last Saturday I participated in the 2nd Annual Bo Bikes Bama cycling event in Cordova, Alabama. Bo Jackson, recently selected as the greatest athlete of all time by ESPN, started the event to help raise money after tornadoes devastated parts of Alabama two years ago.

I signed up for the 60 mile ride, which was 15 miles longer than my personal best last September. I almost talked with Bo and I easily pedaled past baseball legend Ken Griffey, Jr. I also spent a lot of time riding and talking with Andre Holland, an actor in the new movie 42 and on the NBC show 1600 Penn. Sadly though, I wasn’t able to complete the entire 60 miles.

At mile 47, after flying downhill at more than 32 miles per hour, I faced yet another in a long series of hills. Where I live in southeast Alabama, it’s very flat. There are no challenging hills to climb, but there are none to fly down with reckless abandon either. As I looked up the hill, I knew I wasn’t up for it. So I pulled over to rest for a moment and my legs seized up. The cramps in my thighs eventually dropped me to my knees, and a nice lady with a truck offered to give me a ride (her son is a pro cyclist).

There was no pride left in me to object. So I hopped in the truck and she took me to the next rest area four miles away. The rest and refreshments helped and I thought I was strong enough to press on, so with just nine miles to the finish line, I set out.

I made it almost four more miles. I had given everything I had and then some. It was time to quit before I had an accident or got seriously injured. I also had a 290 mile drive home and an American Cancer Society Relay for Life event that evening whispering that it was time to call it quits.

I don’t quit easily and normally this would have been a major bruise to my ego. But as I waited by the side of the road for the second time that day, with riders and cops and ordinary citizens checking to see if I was okay, I had time to think about it. I was okay with quitting because it was the right thing to do and because I had done all I could possibly do. Sure, I thought about hitting the road again after 10 minutes of rest, but I also knew I couldn’t make it to the finish safely. Another kind stranger gave me a ride to the finish line (and on my drive home, I rescued a lady who’s car was smoking…pay it forward!).

Knowing when to say when is wisdom. Quitting is smart if pressing forward blindly is stupid and dangerous. So I was okay throwing in the towel.

Will it happen again? Probably. But the other side of quitting is analyzing why I had to in the first place. Next time, I’ll train harder, eat better and sleep more the night before a ride. I haven’t even been cycling for a year, so there’s plenty of room to learn and grow.

I have two or three more “next time” rides coming up later this year. Time to find another gear!

Final stats on the day: 3:39:54 riding time covering 51.63 miles (~14.1 mph average). That’s a distance, time and pace I can be proud of!


James at the start of the 2013 Bo Bikes Bama ride.
At the start of the 2013 Bo Bikes Bama ride.

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40 Before 40 – April Update

My birthday is on the 8th of January, so I’ll be posting my 40 Before 40 updates on the 8th of each month. Here’s the April update:

With a quarter of the year in the books, I’m making significant progress and having a very meaningful year so far. But I’m starting to sense that time is slipping away as well. There are a lot of items yet to get started and I’m wondering if I bit off more than I can chew. But I’m pressing forward anyway to see how far I get. After all, if I do 30 out of 40, it’ll still be an incredible year!

For the original list and more info about each item, go to WoosleyCoaching.com/40

Completed

  • 26) Complete first 5K race

    • The Gator Hustle 5K is in the books! I ran the 3.1 mile course in support of our school system in 33:36 minutes, a personal record and honestly destroying my goal of under 36 minutes. I’ve had several training runs since that show I’m getting even faster, though I’m also dealing with some foot stresses and having to pace myself a bit more as I prep for the half marathon in May.

  • 32) Complete a fast

    • It’s not my biggest accomplishment, but did successfully avoid all soft drinks for 40 days before Easter. I was never a huge drinker, and I won’t be now. But the last week or so was still really tempting!

Making Meaningful Progress

  • 1) Daddy/Daughter Getaway

    • Active planning is underway for a trip to Atlanta this summer. It’ll be a repeat of our first trip (Anna’s already nostalgic I guess). Can’t wait!

  • 7) Start recycling

    • Recycling bins are getting full! We have plastic, newspaper and aluminum cans ready to be bagged and turned in.

  • 11) Read the entire Bible

    • I don’t believe I’ve missed a day of reading yet. Into 2nd Kings now on page 354 of the 1339 pages in my Bible. That’s 26.4% of the Good Book and I’m ahead of pace by a few days.

  • 12) 12 Dates with My Wife

    • Date number three is in the books. Sometimes you take what you can get…I was driving home from Georgia and my wife had the kids otherwise occupied for the night. So she drove east while I drove west and we met for dinner east of Mobile.

  • 13) Visit Congress or AL Legislature

    • Somehow things have fallen through in January, February and March. Hoping to get to Montgomery to visit the Alabama Legislature in April but who knows!?!

  • 14) Publish first book

    • I completed my second edit of the entire book last week. It sits at about 30,000 words and 160 pages. Now I’m working on layout and cleaning up a few things. I have a proofreader lined up and the draft is off to a great mentor to write the forward. Some titles are stewing around…should be ready to send in for a proof copy by my next update.

  • 18) Finish office

    • Drywall is done. Walls are primed and paint is purchased. Trim carpenter hired. All that remains is a little finishing work and flooring! I can’t wait to move out of the garage.

  • 21) Consistently wake up between 5-6 am

    • Nine days before 6 am in the last month, including three mornings in a row twice. The morning time has been helpful for framing the day and getting work on the book completed. Time to ramp it up a notch.

  • 24) Make 100 blog posts

    • This post makes 12 since the beginning of the year…I was very focused on working on the book last month, but I have outlined a bunch of topics for my series on the basics of project management (starts very soon).

  • 25) Ride a Century (100 mile single bike event)

    • Last month I registered for the JDRF Nashville charity ride in September. Please consider donating at WoosleyCoaching.com/jdrf. But I may hit the century mark in August at the Hotter’N Hell 100. I’ve also signed up for a the 60 mile Bo Bikes Bama ride on April 27th, and the North Alabama Bike MS ride in June. Oh, and I gave in and ordered a newer, faster ride…a Trek Domane 5.2. This biking thing just got very real!

  • 27) Drive a race car

    • LivingSocial had a deal in December. I bought it for my and my wife. We were supposed to hit the track on St. Patrick’s Day, but the event was canceled. We’re just waiting for new dates to be scheduled at the local track, t hen off to the races we go!

  • 28) Complete second Spartan race

    • All the running and biking is getting me in much better shape than when I ran my first Spartan Race. I’ll be ready and do well!

  • 31) BMI 25 or less

    • Started the year at about 27, and now I’m down to 25.9! It’s just a number though. What’s more important is how I feel. Losing 10 pounds to get there will be a bonus (and I’m down five already)!

  • 33) Record 2M steps in 2013

    • All the running and focused effort on getting steps in is working. Through yesterday I’ve completed 553,034 steps and I’m about 14 days ahead of schedule (which includes my slow January).

  • 35) Ride over 1200 miles

    • Between the open road and my bike trainer, I’m now at 157.5 miles down. Training for the century is going to get a lot more serious in the coming months, so I should hit 1200 without problem.

  • 36) Wildcard #1: Attempt a Half Marathon

    • Training is going well, in spite of a two week break due to some foot pain. I’m pushing through it now and getting faster and stronger. With just under six weeks to go, I’m fairly confident about finishing. It won’t be easy, but I’m all in now. My goal is to finish in under 2 hours, 30 minutes (with a gold medal goal of under 2 hours, 15 minutes).

No Update to Report (Yet!)

  • 2) Father/Son Event
  • 3) Teach Ian to ride a bike
  • 4) Get gloves and play catch with Anna and Ian
  • 5) Host a party
  • 6) Have a getaway weekend with Heather
  • 8) Have a family service project
  • 9) Visit a museum or attend a symphony/play/opera
  • 10) Family Vacation
  • 15) Produce 10 products (ebooks, audio programs, etc.)
  • 16) Conduct group coaching course
  • 17) Conduct first STRATOP
  • 19) Establish LLC
  • 20) Start a podcast
  • 22) Teach a community class (other than FPU)
  • 23) Join/Start Local Mastermind/Networking Group
  • 29) Attend a NASCAR event
  • 30) Take a firearms safety class
  • 34) Complete the Manitou Springs Incline
  • 37) Wildcard #2: Send Letter to My Address in England
  • 38) Wildcard #3: Make My Military Shadowbox
  • 39) Wildcard #4
  • 40) Wildcard #5

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