Categories

FinishYear

Six Things I Learned About From Becoming A Finishing Quitter

FinishYear/ Quitter January 24, 2013 • Comments

(Today’s guest post is by Davonne Parks, author of 28 Days to Timeliness: Tips and Confessions from a Semi-Reformed Late Person.)

I’ve had a dream for years, but I allowed busyness, fear and other excuses to get in my way. Then I stumbled across Jon Acuff’s blog, and I read about Finish Years and Quitters. I was intrigued, so I kept reading the blog, then I bought Jon’s book. A Quitter and a Finisher at the same time?  Impossible, right? But being a Quitter isn’t just about quitting a job. According to Jon, being a Quitter is about being “someone who quits average. People who refuse to accept common and instead dare to live out the talents and gifts they’ve been given.”

It was scary but I did it. Thanks in part to the motivation I received from Jon’s posts and from reading Quitter, I decided to quit normal and finish a dream. I also learned a few things in the process:

Keep Reading —›

92 days til’ 13.

FinishYear October 1, 2012 • Comments

Go ahead and say it,

“I can’t believe it’s already October!”

“It will be Christmas before you know it!”

“Where did the year go?”

Get it out of your system. The truth is that year was not dramatically shorter or faster than any other. But last January we said it would be different.

Keep Reading —›

Sunday Summary – Week 34 FinishYear

FinishYear September 2, 2012 • Comments

Week 34 of FinishYear is done! September is here! (It’s not too late to join FinishYear with us! Here’s what we’re doing.)

For the last 8 months we’ve been sharing a quick summary of how we did that week on our Finish List.

Here’s my list of goals, and the summary of the progress I made:

1. Make the Quitter Conference awesome for people who attend.
This week I announced a special 7AM session we’re having on Saturday morning. And I announced that we’re having a fellow Quitter design the stage as a way to celebrate someone’s dream of being a set designer. The conference sold out, but you can watch it live on Friday night online. Sign up for the broadcast!

2. I am going to finish reading 12 non-fiction books this year. One per month.
Finished the book “18 minutes.” I’ve started a new one about the difference between an insight and an idea.

3. I am going to finish running the Nashville half marathon Saturday, April 28th in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Done! Good week. Crossed over half a million in “fuel” on my Nike fuelband. I’ll review the product in the months to come.

4. I am going to finish writing a new book in 2012.
This week I get the book back from the second round of edits with the editor!

5. I am going to finish a box of thank you cards this year as a sign of my gratefulness.
No cards. This surprises no one.

6. I am going to finish handwriting out the entire book of Proverbs in a moleskine notebook.
Finished!

That’s how I did.

How was your week?

What on your Finish List went well? What on your Finish List needs more attention next week?

Sunday Summary – Week 32 FinishYear

FinishYear August 19, 2012 • Comments

Week 32 of FinishYear is done! August is halfway done. (It’s not too late to join FinishYear with us! Here’s what we’re doing.)

For the last 8 months we’ve been sharing a quick summary of how we did that week on our Finish List.

Here’s my list of goals, and the summary of the progress I made:

1. Make the Quitter Conference awesome for people who attend.
The awesome was huge this week. I announced 4 amazing speakers who will be joining us at this year’s Quitter Conference for the first time. We’re almost sold out and I’m getting really excited about how fun this one is going to be! (If you want to join us on September 21-22, sign up today!)

2. I am going to finish reading 12 non-fiction books this year. One per month.
Almost done with the latest book I’m reading, which is called “18 minutes.”

3. I am going to finish running the Nashville half marathon Saturday, April 28th in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Done! Good week on this front. I went to the gym 3 times and ran 3 times.

4. I am going to finish writing a new book in 2012.
I turned in the rest of the book! That means I’ve turned in two rounds of edits and we’re closing in on a completed manuscript!

5. I am going to finish a box of thank you cards this year as a sign of my gratefulness.
No cards. This is not surprising.

6. I am going to finish handwriting out the entire book of Proverbs in a moleskine notebook.
Finished!

That’s how I did.

How was your week?

What on your Finish List went well? What on your Finish List needs more attention next week?

Sunday Summary – Week 31 FinishYear

FinishYear August 12, 2012 • Comments

Back in the swing of things! I was out the last two weekends on vacation and tried my best to say offline. Sorry for no FinishYear updates, but here we go!

Week 31 of FinishYear is done! July is sneaking to a close. (It’s not too late to join FinishYear with us! Here’s what we’re doing.)

For the last 8 months we’ve been sharing a quick summary of how we did that week on our Finish List.

Here’s my list of goals, and the summary of the progress I made:

1. Make the Quitter Conference awesome for people who attend.
In addition to creating a video about 10 reasons you shouldn’t come to the Quitter Conference I also worked with the team to get the final details ready for a big announcement tomorrow and this Wednesday. I am thrilled about what we’ve worked out for this conference. More details tomorrow! (If you want to join us on September 21-22, sign up today!)

2. I am going to finish reading 12 non-fiction books this year. One per month.
I’m on track for this one!

3. I am going to finish running the Nashville half marathon Saturday, April 28th in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Done! I ran three times this week and am debating whether I’ll run the Nashville half marathon next year.

4. I am going to finish writing a new book in 2012.
I turned 160 pages back to the editor last week. The plan this week is to go through a round of edits on chapters 6-8! Almost done with this one.

5. I am going to finish a box of thank you cards this year as a sign of my gratefulness.
No cards. This one continues to haunt me.

6. I am going to finish handwriting out the entire book of Proverbs in a moleskine notebook.
Finished!

That’s how I did.

How was your week?

What on your Finish List went well? What on your Finish List needs more attention next week?

Play like this.

FinishYear/ Random August 1, 2012 • Comments

It’s the end of July.

We all made resolutions and goals and promises in January. And then, in what feels like the blink of an eye, December will sneak up on us and make us wonder, “Where did the year go?”

Today, though, I want us to pause and realize we’ve got 5 months left in the year. We’ve got more than 150 days left to hustle and work and laugh and play at the things that matter to us.

It’s a new month. A new chance to dust back off something that was important in January, but got lost in the bustle of March. And, as you do, I want to show you a photo that inspired me to look at August in a new way.

It’s a basketball card I found in a box of my old stuff in the attic.

In the photo Gary Payton is firing off an amazing pass.

Keep Reading —›

Sunday Summary – Week 29 FinishYear

FinishYear July 22, 2012 • Comments

Spent the weekend in Atlanta with some friends. TIme for a FinishYear update!

Week 29 of FinishYear is done! July is sneaking to a close. (It’s not too late to join FinishYear with us! Here’s what we’re doing.)

On every Sunday in July, we’ve been sharing a quick summary of how we did that week on our Finish List.

Here’s my list of goals, and the summary of the progress I made:

1. Make the Quitter Conference awesome for people who attend.
Last week’s Quitter Conference came in the form of a live chat we did to talk about dream chasing. We had more than 700 people on the chat, which was a blast. Can’t wait to do the real thing at the conference as hundreds of people from all over the country get to cheer each other on.  (If you want to join us on September 21-22, sign up today!)

2. I am going to finish reading 12 non-fiction books this year. One per month.
Moving right along on this one. I’m reading through a lot of books as I work on goal number 4.

3. I am going to finish running the Nashville half marathon Saturday, April 28th in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Done! I went to the gym twice this week and ran two times as well.

4. I am going to finish writing a new book in 2012.
I meet with the editor all day tomorrow! I need to cut about 25 pages of content, but I’d always rather cut than have to add.

5. I am going to finish a box of thank you cards this year as a sign of my gratefulness.
One card. Not a great showing, but it’s still forward motion.

6. I am going to finish handwriting out the entire book of Proverbs in a moleskine notebook.
Finished! Wasn’t writing through Mark too but now I might give that a rest. I’m just curious about doing a different approach to that book of the Bible.

That’s how I did.

How was your week?

What on your Finish List went well? What on your Finish List needs more attention next week?

Teaching My Son How Not To Be a Quitter

FinishYear/ Quitter July 20, 2012 • Comments

(This is a guest post from Kimanzi Constable. You can read his blog “Tales of Work,” or follow him on Twitter @KimanziC. I asked him to write this because I loved how he’s living out the idea that big dreams are always multi-generational.)

Teaching My Son How Not To Be a Quitter

If you have ever listened to Dave Ramsey, you probably have heard him talk about changing your family tree. While I thought I knew what that meant, it finally made sense this year.

For the last ten years, I have worked in a job that has not only made me miserable but has negatively affected the rest of my life. Everyday, I thought about quitting, but I didn’t know what I could do or what I was even qualified to do.

I made excuse after excuse. Until the summer of last year, I finally took action on my dreams. I self-published an eBook and put it out to the world, expecting to be rich and famous within a few months. You know how that worked out, right?

Keep Reading —›

Sunday Summary – Week 28 FinishYear

FinishYear July 15, 2012 • Comments

I’m writing today from Franklin, TN, about to head out to the neighborhood pool with the whole family.

Week 28 of FinishYear is over! Can you believe we beyond the half way point for the year? (It’s not too late to join FinishYear with us! Here’s what we’re doing.)

On every Sunday in July, we’ve been sharing a quick summary of how we did that week on our Finish List.

Here’s my list of goals, and the summary of the progress I made:

1. Make the Quitter Conference awesome for people who attend.
We’ve got four surprise speakers who will be coming to the conference! We were able to get four of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met to come share some really powerful ideas about dream chasing. Can’t wait  (If you want to join us on September 21-22, sign up today!)

2. I am going to finish reading 12 non-fiction books this year. One per month.
Right now I’m reading “The Creative Habit” and I dig it. I feel good about this goal.

3. I am going to finish running the Nashville half marathon Saturday, April 28th in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Done! I started running with two new folks in my neighborhood this week. They are a lot faster than me and it’s been awesome having people that will push me beyond my comfort zone. I ran three times this week.

4. I am going to finish writing a new book in 2012.
This week I am gathering the remaining ideas I have in preparation for the meeting with the editor on Monday, July 23. I built an “idea catcher” and this is essentially me emptying it to see what is worth developing and what idea doesn’t need to be added to the book. The manuscript is already done so I’ll be hyper selective about adding new ideas.

5. I am going to finish a box of thank you cards this year as a sign of my gratefulness.
Four cards! I wrote four cards! Great week for this one. Granted, that makes four cards in the last 10 weeks or so.

6. I am going to finish handwriting out the entire book of Proverbs in a moleskine notebook.
Finished! Didn’t do anything on this one this week. I’m trying to write the book of Mark, but it’s slow going.

That’s how I did.

How was your week?

What on your Finish List went well? What on your Finish List needs more attention next week?

Sunday Summary – Week 27 FinishYear

FinishYear July 8, 2012 • Comments

I’m writing today from Franklin, TN, about to run out the door and speak for the fourth time today at Cross Point.

Week 27 of FinishYear is over! Sorry I missed last week! (It’s not too late to join FinishYear with us! Here’s what we’re doing.)

On every Sunday in July, we’ve been sharing a quick summary of how we did that week on our Finish List.

Here’s my list of goals, and the summary of the progress I made:

1. Make the Quitter Conference awesome for people who attend.
This week I announced that anyone who attends the conference is going to get a copy of my new e-book, “101 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Published My First Book.” I want to make sure that I spend the next two months finding as many awesome, helpful things I can give attendees. We also secured three other speakers for the conference. I can’t wait to tell you about them! (If you want to join us on September 21-22, sign up today!)

2. I am going to finish reading 12 non-fiction books this year. One per month.
Last week I finished Michael Hyatt’s great new book, Platform. I learned a ton. This goal is going well.

3. I am going to finish running the Nashville half marathon Saturday, April 28th in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Done! Not a great week as far as working out goes. It was approximately 800 degrees in Nashville and I didn’t run much.

4. I am going to finish writing a new book in 2012.
We scheduled a meeting with the editor. This one is about to be wrapped up!

5. I am going to finish a box of thank you cards this year as a sign of my gratefulness.
Zero cards. This one might need to be set loose.

6. I am going to finish handwriting out the entire book of Proverbs in a moleskine notebook.
Finished! I’m working on the book of Mark but didn’t do much this week.

That’s how I did.

How was your week?

What on your Finish List went well? What on your Finish List needs more attention next week?