Sherri May & Co.

I recently participated in the Warrior Dash in picturesque Florence, Arizona. The Dash is basically a 5K on steroids; it has a series of obstacles that runners must overcome before getting deemed with the distinguished Warrior status (and a stylish furry, Viking helmet). With my intimidating face paint ready, I quickly learned this race wasn’t for the faint of heart…

The obstacles involved crawling under barbed wire, over barricades, through a car junkyard, rappelling down steep walls, jumping over fire and finally crawling through a graveled mud pit to the finish line. I knew this day would be a memorable one, but I had no idea it would also pack a few life lessons under its brazen belt.

What I Learned
Life is constantly throwing obstacles at us. Sometimes they have a little more subtlety than a flaming mud pit, but at times, they can feel just as daunting. Here are a few tips to handle the toughest challenges:

1. Keep calm and carry on — this is one of our favorite quotes here at Sherri May & Company. When the going gets tough, just take a few deep breaths and know you have the strength to take on anything (including but not limited to, bounding over a junkyard of cars).

2. Just like eating an elephant – As the old adage goes, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. We’re not recommending you hunt down a lumbering pachyderm but when you’re faced with an intimidating task, don’t get overwhelmed by the bigger picture, just take it one step at a time. Click here for more tips on this.

3. Find support — Unless you’re planning on living a life devoid of human contact (I’m looking at you, Henry David Thoreau), it’s important to find your support system and use it. Whether it’s your significant other, parents, distant cousin, or your Yorkie named Charles– it’s not a bad thing to fall back on your safety net every once in a while.

My next challenge will be running the Tough Mudder in January. This 12-mile race was designed by British Special Forces to “test all-round toughness, strength, stamina, fitness, camaraderie and mental grit.” Obstacles include a 12-foot Berlin Wall, monkey bars suspended over a freezing lake, and hanging live wires that give runners a shocking surprise.

No matter how intense this seems I know I can succeed if I work hard, take it one step at a time and find support in the process.

Every so often, I’ll come face to face with my archenemy– Writer’s Block. I’ll sit and stare at the blank white page and blinking cursor (its evil side-kicks), desperately seeking inspiration that never comes. But thanks to a recent post on Copyblogger, I finally discovered the ultimate kryptonite to my writer’s block. Here’s what I learned:

Quit Multi-Tasking
In order to battle writer’s block, I’m taking cues from renowned copywriter, Eugene Schwartz. This author and writer produced countless ads and 10 successful books. So what was his secret?

He created a schedule that required intense focus for shorter periods of time, which meant cutting out the multi-tasking. According to the article on Copyblogger, he would sit at his desk with coffee at hand, set his timer for 33.33 minutes and follow these simple rules:

He could drink coffee
He could stare out the window, or at the wall
He could sit and do absolutely nothing for 33.33 minutes
He could write the ad
He could not leave the chair for any reason
He could not do anything else

After 33.33 minutes, he would stop writing, even if he were mid-sentence. He’d take a 10-15 minute break, reset his timer and continue. After following this schedule 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, Schwartz became an acclaimed author and copywriter.

The Experiment Begins
Even though I’m only on the first day of following Schwartz’s Writing Regiment, I’ve already noticed the time I’ve spent staring at a blank page has drastically diminished.

Although, I admit it was a struggle at first. My first attempt to reach the 33.33-minute mark lasted a whopping 6 minutes before I broke a rule by getting up to grab a bagel. My next attempt lasted 16 minutes, but as I finish this blog, I’ve proudly reached the 33-minute mark (twice).

Keep in mind this effective strategy isn’t just for writers; it can be used by anyone who needs to tackle a daunting project. Just sit down, coffee ready, and devote 33.33 minutes of uninterrupted time on your project. Take a quick break. Repeat as necessary. And give the multi-tasking a rest.