My Rules: Part One

 I'm exhausted. I just got into Bozeman, Montana at about midnight. I was too tired to go directly to sleep. I was up at six AM because my body is still on Florida time. Jet lag is a real thing. I am in Montana this time because my eldest daughter will be starting at Montana State University in a week. We're moving her in. I'll be heading back alone to an empty house. Even the dogs are with a sitter so they won't be there to greet me. Careful what you wish for. I do enjoy my alone time, but I'm no different than anyone else in that I want everything on my own terms. My daughter finishing high school a year early and moving far from home is something to be proud of. I just wish I could rearrange the terms. I'd like her to stay home until shes ninety. Just kidding. There I go not being careful what I wish for.

I am sitting at the little desk in the room. My laptop is open. The familiarity ends there. The desk is cluttered with all kinds of stuff. An ice bucket, a small coffee pot, my backpack, a purse, a hat. I look up from my screen to see me staring back at me. If I was prettier, that may be a perk, but mirrors distract me as I am as conceited as anyone else. I wonder if I look good for my age. The light of the screen isn't flattering, and I don't. I look old. Maybe I'm tired. Maybe I'm a little sad. Maybe I should avert my eyes lest I depress myself further.

This has me thinking of my personal rules for writing. I've never articulated them. I do have them, I know I do, but they're ingrained in me. They don't require review. I don't need to check them before writing like a pilot reviews a checklist before takeoff. I just do. So, here goes:

1. Eliminate distractions. Seems pretty simple, right. I'm not just talking about barking dogs and screaming kids. If you're an insecure narcissist like me, don't have a mirror. If you're a news junkie, or a social media junkie, disable your internet and leave your phone in another room. It's not that it becomes impossible to focus, it's just that focusing in an environment littered with distractions takes energy. This energy is better applied to your writing, or painting or crocheting, or whatever. By the way, Cafes aren't the best place to write, but they are a good place to be seen, which can be a helluva distraction.

2. Make yourself comfortable. If you're chair is too low or too high or the light is too bright or too dim or the room is too cold, you're not going to be at your best. Set yourself up for success, not disappointment.

3. Schedule your workday. Writing, or any artistic or entrepreneurial endeavor that you're pursuing on spec, should have a time dedicated to it. I am a morning person. I usually wake up around five and start writing around six and go until just before nine. Sometimes I put in a little overtime. Sometimes I run out of steam early. Sometimes, I don't follow rule number one and I end up wasting two hours reading news or making sure my coffee is just right or telling my dogs how much I love them. If you don't devote time to your craft, or to any goal, it's just a wish, and a dream, and this is the real world. This ain't no fairy tale.

4. The work matters more than the title. I've met plenty of would-be writers who love saying they are writers. They love wearing turtlenecks and slurring their words a la Gore Vidal or acting uncomfortable in social situations like David Foster Wallace. They should all try to be a little more like J.D. Salinger. No one is impressed by you saying you're a writer. I could say I'm a doctor but I promise you don't want me removing your gall bladder. I wouldn't trust me to cut your fingernails. The doctor is the person who did the work. They went to med school, they did their residency and rotations and all that jazz. They've earned the title. Why would writing be any different?

I'm sure there will be more to this. Consider this essay, like its author, a work in progress. But this is just me. Write your own rules, and don't break them. Shatter them! But only if you find they are holding you back.

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He lives in Hollywood, Florida. He has published eight books, which you can find here.

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Embracing Change

I am not a full time writer. I write every morning and sometimes in the evenings. I have a day job. It's a stressful job. It pays well and I make a nice living.  My job demands a lot of me and I have to deliver or I won't have it.

I have a mortgage, a car payment and two kids in private school. I am not a popular enough writer yet to support all that. So, I work.

I just started working from home. Same job, same responsibility, same goals. No suit and tie! Life is good.

I've always written at home. I have a small desk in my bedroom. I wake up early and get to work. In the old days, I worked until it was time to shower and shave and head to the office. Now, I write, then I walk my new puppy. I come back, shower, maybe shave, and I get to work... in a different room in my house.

It's important to separate my creative life from my commercial life. I don't like to think about writing when I'm doing anything else, and I don't want to think of other things during my writing time. I get better results this way. The point is that you should compartmentalize. You'll get better results.



Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He lives in Hollywood, Florida with his family.  He has published eight books, which you can find here. 

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The Business Part 2

If you'd like to read the first part of this blog series, click here.


I was talking about the difference or the contrast between writing and the business of writing. I am not good at the business side of writing. I know I can be and I have no doubt I will be, but at the moment, I suck at it.

I suck at it because I haven't learned how to do it. Once I learn it, look out world!

I have earned my living for the past several years in sales. I know how to sell. I make a fine living at it. I have just always found it easier to sell things, than it is to sell myself.

I wake up very early every morning. Usually before five AM. I start writing around six AM. Writing is the only thing I've ever been disciplined about.

I mention that because if you don't have the discipline to write, you're wasting your time reading this. Be gone!

I should also mention that this is being written for those who wish to go the self-publishing route.  If you are hoping to be published by a big house and they are going to throw big money into promoting your books, you are dismissed. I don't want you laughing at me. Be gone!

I submitted my work to agents and publishers many years ago and then stopped. I wrote for myself and never shared a word. Now, I'm back and I want to do it myself. Wish me luck!

Before you try to sell your writing, make sure you have something to sell. I stalk Facebook and Reddit "writer" groups where people spend a lot of time asking questions like, "What should I name my character?" and other nonsense. I have news for you: if you don't know what to name your character, which should be the easiest part of the process, there is nothing on any social media group that will help you. You are dismissed, follow the best sellers.

If you have written the book and it is ready for release into the wild, read on...

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He lives in Hollywood, Florida. He has published eight books, which you can find here.

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Productivity

How do you do it all?

Has anyone ever asked you that? Have you ever met someone and wondered how they do it all? There's a simple answer: they don't. They prioritize. No one does everything.

I have five priorities:

1) Family
2) Working (being a provider)
3) Writing
4) Reading
5) Alone time

I manage to get all of these. My family is, obviously, the most important thing in my life. Everything I do to take care of them and to earn their respect. So, I guess the first one is easy since everything I do is, in some way, for them.

I work hard. I earn a living. Not millions, but a solid income that provides food and shelter and vacation twice a year with the occasional weekend getaway.

I write because it's what I want to do with my life. I would love to make a living as a writer. As yet, I don't. Once I do, I'll quit my job. So, while writing is something I love, I treat it like work. It's not a hobby. It's not something I squeeze in between reruns and social engagements. I write. Period.

Reading is important to me as an individual and as a writer. I think we all need to read more. It gives me sanity. It makes me a better writer, and more importantly, a better man.

Alone time is key to mental survival. I drive myself to work and home every day. This is alone time. I often call my parents in the morning (okay every morning) to say hello but the drive home is mine. I listen to audio books or music or the sounds of the world. I drive a convertible and when the weather permits, driving with the top down is great therapy for me.

This is my daily routine. How do I find the time?

I wake up early, around five AM. I write for a couple of hours then I read. Phone calls in the car to mom and dad. I try not to work more hours than necessary. I'm not lazy, I just go to work and I work. I make every minute count (for the most part.) I take a lunch break every day. Often alone, sometimes with a friend. When solo, I read while I munch. I listen to a book in my car on the way home and have dinner with the family. I read as I digest. Later when the kids are asleep I make the sweet love to my wife (sometimes, I'm old) and sleep about six hours.

No, I don't watch TV. A little once in a while. Sometimes on the weekends, but I don't keep up with the Kartrashians. I don't watch the bachelor at the whorehouse, and I certainly don't watch news. Life is depressing enough

So, decide what matters. Make a list of what matters. Toss out everything that doesn't matter.

Get.
Shit.
Done.

Keep writing,

Adolfo

Composure and Credibility

I’ve spent over 20 years in the event business. I’ve been a waiter, a coordinator, planner, and provider. I’ve worked events ranging from baby showers to carnivals, corporate meetings, weddings… name it, I probably have done it.

And no matter how many events I work, no matter how diverse the attendees, no matter what the aim of the event is, there is one universal truth: someone is drowning in a glass of water, unable to handle the pressure, and is in a panic.

The first problem with panicking is that it destroys your credibility. I understand the pressure is real. I understand timetables. I know you have a lot of plates spinning. I just don’t care about your little problems because they are manageable.

When you panic, it makes it near impossible for you to focus. If you’re panicking, you’ve lost confidence, so you no longer have confidence in your staff. You’re trying to do their job for them. Now one person is doing the work of the many, and very likely doing it badly, while the many are standing around with nothing to do.

I’ve seen this enough to know that there are usually a few reasons why this happens.

Disorganization. Yes, it’s an obvious one, but a common one. Countless times, I’ve heard everyone from the coordinator to the florist, asking where their whatever is. Of course, things will get misplaced. The important thing is to make sure you brought the thing in the first place. And then try not to misplace it.

Tardiness. Tardiness wrecks credibility. On time is late. Especially when you’re supposed to be in charge. Especially when you know things will go wrong. You owe it to your client, to your crew and to yourself to be early. Like, way early.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve waited for a planner to show up only to arrive a few minutes before showtime, in a panic, barking orders at people. As we like to say: A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

The need for attention. Too often, people want the attention that comes with being in charge. They love being the driving force, even if it means they’re driving everyone crazy. Perhaps they make mountains out of molehills because they think people will be impressed by their boundless energy. They want to give the impression that they are successfully navigating through the tempest they created in their own little teapot. More likely people will be put off by their frenetic display of incompetence. People who act this way in front of clients rarely get rehired.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe these people just don’t know what the hell they’re doing.

I’ve chosen event planners because they are a familiar example but the same rules apply to any position in any industry. Losing your composure will hurt your career and your standing with your peers. The easiest way to avoid losing it is by being organized and on time. It really is this simple.

Here’s how:

Plan the work and work the plan. There is no excuse to not have a schedule. You can use a paper one. There is a schedule on your phone. GMail provides a schedule. NO EXCUSES. Plan every minute of your day. I understand that there will be unexpected phone calls, client visits, problems, and the like. I understand these hiccups will get you sidetracked. No matter. Put out the fire and get back on schedule. Schedule the time you go to sleep and the time you wake up. Schedule the time you get on the road in the morning. Schedule your mealtimes. Schedule everything. Give it a try. I promise, it’ll be life changing.

Easy tips to not destroy your credibility by drowning in a glass of water:

1. Be on time. Late people suck. You should know that if you’re late, people are talking about you and it ain’t pretty. Being early gives you a chance to assess the situation in real-time and to brief your crew. I recently set up an event at a local country club. Simple affair for about 25 people. We were early. The problem was that the prior event that had used the room wasn’t done yet. Our event was an upscale birthday party for a 14 year-old girl. The event wrapping up was a golf tournament. We had to work around them. So we not only had to set up a party in a short window, we had to work around a bunch of sweaty drunk men who were lying about their golf scores and claiming their silent auction prizes. Had we been disorganized or late, we would have never gotten the room set on time.
2. Prepare in advance. You should be ready for whatever it is by no later than the night before.
3. Write out a plan. Put it on paper and make sure anyone who could conceivably need a copy has a copy. I say paper because it’s reliable. Paper doesn’t need to be charged. Paper doesn’t require wi-fi. Paper will serve you whether you are a Mac or a PC. By all means, rely on your tablet if you must, but please have a paper backup.
4. Be organized. Know what goes where and who should be doing what. You don’t want people standing around doing nothing anymore than you want them running around doing everything… or worse, not knowing what they’re doing.
5. Remain calm. This ain’t rocket surgery or brain science. No one will die if something goes wrong. All you have to do if the train goes off the rails is remain calm, get the train back on the rails, and get the job done.

So get out there and do the job without the drama. You can. Drop me a line if I can help or to share your insights. You can always find me at adolfo@adolfojimenez.com

Adolfo Jimenez lives in Hollywood, Florida, and is a Certified Speaker, Trainer, and Coach with the John Maxwell Company.  He consults with entrepreneurs and businesses, primarily in the areas of customer service and sales. 

He is the Director of Someone To Laugh At, a stand up comedy workshop; HostAnOpenMic.com, and CruisingWithComedians.com; Adolfo is the co-owner of Abdaliz Custom Bakery, which you can visit at www.abdaliz.com.

He can be reached at adolfo@adolfojimenez.com