I almost cheated myself this morning by publishing a video I have sitting around on my computer, rather than taking the time to write a post, like I said I would in today’s 90 Days to a SMASHING Success video.

The more I thought about publishing an old video the more it sat wrong with me. The more I felt like I was cheating myself.

And then I got to thinking… That’s exactly how I wasted chunks of my life… I cheated myself… I took the easy way out. I didn’t put in the work when it was called for.

In building Bridging the Gap I want to live A Life Not Wasted, and the only way I can do that is to not cheat myself!

So please, Please, PLEASE evaluate your life and your business and determine where you’re cheating yourself. And stop doing it now!

If I can help, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

~Ivan

Skye and I just got back from a car ride we took so we could get Alexander to take his daily nap (yeah… I thought starting a business is challenging… sometimes it’s easier than getting a two year to take a nap!), and while we were out she said something she heard on the radio today (she’s been driving a lot):

Just because you’re passionate about something, such as starting a business or changing your diet or whatever it may be, doesn’t mean that this new endeavor is going to be easy.

Skye went on to say that statement came from a husband and wife who were being interviewed on air because they had recently written a book about living a life of passion. Basically, discover what you’re passionate about and then go do that (there was a similar post I really enjoyed by John Saddington over at Tentblogger, check it out here).

And one of the bits of feedback that this couple has been constantly confronted with is people who have read their book (if I can find out who they are I’ll link it up, but right now Skye doesn’t remember who they were) and then contact this couple and say, “I read you’re book. Now I’m trying to go after what I’m passionate about, and it’s hard! I thought that since I was passionate about it it’d be easier for me.”

The couple went on to say that this is one of the biggest myths out there regarding passions, that simply because you’re passionate about something pursuit of that passion is going to come easily to you.

No, no, and NO! They say!

The couple went on to say that passion is not only something that is very heartfelt, but the definition also implies pain and suffering. “It’s not called ‘Passion of the Christ’ because it was all joy and roses!” Here’s a link to some definitions of “passion“. Notice that one of the definitions about 60% of the way down the page is: 9. the sufferings and death of a Christian martyr

Wow! Talk about something I’ve been wrestling with lately (that’s why Skye listened to the interview was because she thought it would be useful for me (don’t I have the best wife ever!!!!)).

Ever since this update on the status of the goals for the 90 Days to a SMASHING Success! project I have been feeling a little down. Honestly, it’s been before the status update, because I think about my progress, or lack there of, towards the goals I establish on a regular basis.

I’ve been thinking, and have actually said to Skye a few times, “If A Better Way of Business is what’s on my heart, why isn’t it coming easier? Why is it so difficult to get this going? I thought it would be easier than this.”

And those are true, honest statements of feelings and thoughts I’ve had.

But over the past several days I came to the realization that just because I’m now chasing after something I’m passionate about, just because I am now pursuing something both near and dear to my heart, that does not mean it’s going to be easy.

It does not mean it is not going to take massive amounts of work and effort.

It does not mean that just because I created a project with a 90 day time frame that my “success” will happen in that same amount of time.

What it does mean is that I now know something that is very near and dear to my heart. I now know what I should be focusing my efforts and attentions on.

And when I’m upset, frustrated, and ready to throw in the towel, I can stop myself and ask, “Are you really going to give up your passion just because it’s not easy?! Are you really going to quit chasing after what’s in your heart because it’s not happening in the short amount of time that I arbitrarily established?! Seriously?!”

To that I say, “No. No I’m not going to give up and walk away from what’s on my heart. I will fight my way forward!”

So I boldly say to all of you who are reading this, “Just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t mean it’s going to come easily to you!”

But hopefully what that passion will do is when you’re down and others are thinking you’re out for the count, you’ll dig down deep into your heart and you’ll get back up. You’ll fight with all your strength to see your passions come to “life”. You won’t give up. You won’t give in.

~Ivan

Since Friday, I have posted three videos regarding the changes that are taking place here at A Better Way of Business (check them out here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). There are definitely some massive changes coming this way.

In light of all this change I was asked a great question this weekend:

With all the changes going on at your business, what’s the content going to look like going forward?

Great question!

The changes here at A Better Way of Business are actually expanding the topics I will be addressing, but focusing in on who I’m speaking to.

Allow me to explain.

With the changes occurring here at A Better Way of Business I’m actually going to have two separate major categories of blog posts going forward, and these major categories were mentioned in the change videos I linked to above.

1. A Life Not Wasted – impassioned pleas to convince you to stop wasting your life and helpful tips, methods, and strategies on how carry this out.

2. A Better Way of Business – practical advice on how to start a business around the passions in your heart.

Content that’s going to fall under the category of A Life Not Wasted is actually going to be similar to the majority of past posts that you’ve seen here. Post such as: Do Something and Do you want people to watch YOU burn?

Example of content that will fall under A Better Way of Business is as follows: What’s a P&L, and all the guest posts from the One Thing Series.

So going forward I intend for all posts to have at least one of these major categories associated with it. This will greatly aide your navigation of the site if you’re looking for only one type of advice on a particular day.

A few posts will have both of the major categories attached to them. These posts will be more general announcements that would affect both areas of the business (such as the above mentioned Change videos).

Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to be doing two things of importance to this discussion.

1. I’ll be going through all the old posts and re-categorizing them according to the new method.

2. I’ll be creating a limited number of minor categories (currently planning for 10 to 12 in total, split half and half between the two major categories) that will fall under each of the major categories. The intent is for future posts that appear on Bridging the Void to have at least one major category and one minor category.

I have my work cut out for me! Be sure to keep your eyes open for all the changes going on here at A Better Way of Business (and if there’s anything you notice that I can do better, please let me know!).

~Ivan