Ron Kness Writing

5 Ways You Can Use a Journal for Professional Development

Journals are not just for recording your innermost thoughts, your dreams or the events of the day. Using a journal can be a powerful way to ignite your professional development. You probably already have a work notebook for things like task lists or meeting notes. Consider using journaling as part of your everyday work life for professional development as well. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

1. Self-evaluation
You can use your work journal as a way of assessing your performance. Take regular pulse checks of your achievements, the times you hit your targets or brought on new clients. Make a note of any feedback you receive. Reflect on how projects went, what went well, what you would change. By the time your annual performance review comes around, you’ll be well prepared.

2. Analyze your current job
Sometimes jobs can evolve. It can be a useful exercise to sit down with your position description and see how the current reality matches up. Are you doing things that aren’t listed? Are there things you should be doing but aren’t? If your position has grown beyond its official description, maybe it’s time to ask for a re-evaluation of your job.

3. Do some blue sky thinking
You are more than your current job. Use your journal to scope your future career options. What motivates you? Are you satisfied with where you are going? Where do you want to be in five years? In ten years? Is this an industry where you want to get to the top, or would you like a change? Are you motivated by money or by wanting to do good in the world? Maybe you would prefer a better life/work balance, or you want to travel.

4. Build a strategy
Once you’ve worked out where you want to go, you can use your journal to help plot a future that’s right for you. This can form your career map, strategic plan, and Gantt chart. Think of all the steps you need to take to achieve your goal, from scoping the corporate ladder for opportunities to researching your chosen sector.

5. Do a skills audit to see what you need to learn. What other resources do you need? You might need a savings or investment plan to back your idea. Consider searching out appropriate mentors. Have a look at what you can start to do right now to kick start you on your journey.

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5 Ways A Journal Can Jumpstart Your Creativity

Keeping a journal is not just recording the events of your life or how you’re feeling. It can be a way of supporting your creative life. It’s a low risk, private as you want, way of writing down your ideas, your dreams and your resolves. It can be very instructive to read the journals of writers, artist, and actors and get an insight into how they used journaling to grow and develop in their field.

Here are five ways keeping a journal can enhance your creativity.

1. It provides a safe space
Between the pages of your journal, you can keep safe all those ideas that are just starting to form, that are not quite ready to be explored on canvas or turned into a short story, book or article.

2. It quiets your inner critic
Journaling can help shush your inner critic, that little voice that polices all your thoughts and ideas. Research has shown that when you write without expectation, the part of your mind that acts as a censor steps aside and lets you get on with it. Journaling, free writing or morning pages allow you to write for the sake of it, no editing, no agonizing. And that frees up your creative flow!

3. You can develop your voice
Journaling is freeform, messy writing. No one is going to read it, so you can be free to test out and build your voice. It’s a time to experiment, explore styles and not worry if it doesn’t work.

4. Journaling can allow ideas to form
As you get into the creative flow of journaling, you free up your mind to start spawning new ideas. The process makes space for ideas to well up, ideas you may not have had if you were trying too hard. And there’s no commitment to take any of them further unless you want to, and it feels right.

5. You can write about what matters to you
Your journal is yours and yours alone. You can write down your secret fears; you can write your truth. Once it’s down on paper, then you can decide if you want to do anything with it. You can take aspects of your truth and turn them into a poem or a painting. Journaling gives you practice in acknowledging and embracing your truth. And your art will sing more authentically because of it.

Be sure to download our free report on how to jumpstart your creativity with journaling!

5 Easy Steps to Starting A Dream Journal

Do you sometimes have vivid dreams or dreams that seem to be full of messages you can’t quite decipher? Maybe you’ve had good ideas or answers to problems in your dreams.

The problem is that often you forget your dreams, or the essential details stay just out of reach. Maybe a dream journal is the answer? Keeping a dream journal will allow you to capture the essence of your dreams and maybe see patterns in the messages coming from your subconscious. Here are five easy steps you can take to start keeping a record of your dreams.

1. Be prepared to write down your dreams
You need to be able to write down your dreams before you even get out of bed. Before you go to sleep, set the conscious intention to journal your dreams, send the message to your brain that you want to remember as much as you can.

Keep a pen and notebook on your nightstand so you can reach out and grab them without having to search around. You can also jot down notes in your smartphone. The important thing is to get it in writing!

2. Journal before you do anything else
Even before you’re properly awake, you can capture as many dream details as possible before full consciousness sweeps them away. Even checking the time can be enough of a distraction to allow your dreams to seep away.

Write without critiquing and try to get down the things that feel important to you.

3. Write down the essentials
It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember every detail of your dreams. Sometimes you might wake up and not be sure whether you dreamed or not. Write down whatever you’re feeling or what emotions you wake up with. Just focus on getting into the habit of writing every morning.

4. Make connections between your dreams
After a while, you’ll be able to see patterns in your dreams. Do you dream about the same person or the same situation? Are you in the same place? Analyzing your dreams for common threads and images can help you read your dreams and understanding what they’re trying to tell you.

5. Use your dreams to improve your life
Once you can see how your experiences, your worries, your hopes, and fears are reflected in your dreams, you can use that information to make changes in your waking life. As you address the anxieties that surface in your dreams, you’ll start to live a calmer, less stressed life and even sleep better.

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4 Journal Prompts to Help You Discover Your True Self

Keeping a journal can be one of the most powerful tools for working through issues, unburdening your problems and connecting with your inner self. It can give you a quiet space to find your voice in a noisy world. It’s easy to feel undermined by social media or your Inner Critic telling you what you ‘should’ be doing, how you’ll never get there and generally that you’re not good enough. Journaling can help quell those loud outsiders and focus on what’s important. You.

Here are some prompts to help you get started.

1. What do I write about?
The famous ‘tyranny of the blank page’ can be off-putting. But accept that feeling and commit to writing whatever comes into your head for ten or fifteen minutes. Set a time and write whatever comes into your head. It doesn’t matter if it’s not Pulitzer Prize-winning prose, it’s about getting into the writing flow. It’s okay to start by writing “I don’t know what to write about,” or even “I don’t want to write about my job.” By getting that reluctance out of your head and on the page, you’ve already cleared the way to start to resolve the issue.

2. What feels good right now?
Journaling about the good things in your life can help reset your focus on the positives around you. It’s easy to get stuck on the things you don’t like, but how often do you take time to write down what is good? Think of the last thing that made you smile, or the highlight of your last vacation, write down the big stuff and the small. Start a list you can come back to when you’re not feeling so good.

3. List your good qualities
Most people tend to focus on the things they don’t like about themselves. Forgetting that everyone is a mix of talents and flaws. Write down ten things that are great about you. What makes you special? Do you have you a green thumb? Do you make great slide presentations? Do dogs and little kids gravitate towards you? Are you funny, helpful, insightful, compassionate? Make a list that will make you smile when you go back to it.

4. Talk with your older self
Imagine yourself as a wise, experienced older person. Someone who has seen good times and bad, who has weathered the ebbs and flows of life. Project into the future and ask future-you for advice on how to live your best life. What should you concentrate on? What should you avoid?

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5 Bullet Journal Basics to Make It Easy for Everyone

You’ve probably heard about bullet journaling, but maybe not been quite sure if it’s right for you. Keeping a bullet journal can make your life more organized, more efficient and more fun. Here are some basic tips to help get you started.

1. Don’t go overboard
Bullet journaling can be as big as you make it. At first, it’s tempting to put your entire life into your bullet journal and go nuts with colored markers, stickers, and special notebooks, but you really don’t need all that stuff.

You need one notebook and one pen or a set of markers. Focus on the important things you need to get organized and keep your planning achievable and straightforward.

2. Get into a routine
Bullet journaling works best when it’s part of your daily routine. Set aside a particular time when you’re not too rushed so that you can set up your daily tasks. It doesn’t matter if it’s the night before or done first thing in the morning, the important thing is that you find a time that works for you and you stick to it.

3. Make it your own
Don’t compare your way of bullet journaling to what you see online. Your bullet journal needs to be the right fit for you and no one else. You might like strict lists or balloons and arrows. You can make it as pretty or as plain as you want. Your bullet journal doesn’t have to be a work of art, but it does need to work for you.

4. Play around and experiment
By all means, play with colors and stickers and different formats as you find out what works for you. But don’t be afraid to stop doing what’s not feeling good. Maybe you prefer daily, and weekly planning and monthly planning isn’t your jam. That’s fine! Play around with different spreads until you find a good one.

5. Include a habit tracker
Everyone has several habits they want to develop. But they’re not always easy to stick to! Whether it’s flossing your teeth, getting to the gym, doing yoga or checking your spam filter, make sure you include these must-dos in your bullet journal.

You’ll see where you’re slipping up or maybe which tasks your subconscious isn’t interested in, and you’ll feel a sense of achievement when you check them off your daily list! Most importantly the ‘should-dos’ gradually get integrated into your routine and help you live your best life.

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4 Things to Outsource When Publishing a Book

If there were ever a Kryptonite for authors, it would be this: trying to do everything yourself. Maybe you think that’s the best way to do it. Maybe you worry that you just don’t have the time to hire and train someone.

But when you insist on doing everything yourself, it takes longer to publish your book. The finished product isn’t as strong as it could be and you struggle to gather readers and find your tribe. It’s much smarter to consider outsourcing in these four key areas…

The Book Cover

This is your almost advertising tool and you want it to be a good one. When you research best-selling books in your niche, pay attention to their covers. Look for patterns you can spot—do all the covers use a certain font or the same basic colors? What elements are common? Which covers stand out?

You can find a book cover designer by asking for recommendations from other authors you know. You can also try looking on a website like Fiverr to find a good graphic artist.

The Formatting

Formatting your book correctly for the various publishing platforms is essential. Nothing is more disappointing for buyers than being unable to read your book because it won’t display correctly on their favorite device.

The Editing

Everyone makes mistakes in their books. Maybe you attributed a quote to the wrong person, misspelled the name of your hometown, or had several embarrassing typos. A good editor can polish your words until they shine.

Sometimes, authors are tempted to skip hiring an editor but if there’s one person you really need on your team, it’s a strong editor. Your book can overcome many flaws but if the content contains too many errors, readers will give review it with a single-star and leave negative comments.

The Marketing

Publishing your eBook is only half the battle. Once it’s up on online, you need to begin marketing it regularly. This involves hosting contests, getting interviewed on podcasts, setting up social media advertisements, guest posting on other blogs, building a street team, crafting press releases, blogging on your own site consistently, attending live events, and more.

Fortunately, you don’t have to manage everything yourself. You can hire a virtual assistant to take some of these tasks off your plate. This frees you up to get back to working on your next book or selling your products.

Outsourcing can be a wonderful experience, if you hire the right professionals. They’ll help to ensure that the writing, publishing, and marketing of your book flows smoothly.

But if you have not yet published a book, but would like to do so yourself, then get my free 4-week ecourse “30 Days To Becoming a Published Author”.

3 Surprising Reasons to Publish a Book on Amazon’s Kindle

When it comes to publishing your book, there’s no shortage of platforms to use. However, one of the most popular is Amazon’s Kindle store. Here’s why you should seriously consider using it…

Amazon makes it easy. Some publishing platforms use too much jargon or have complex steps that take hours to complete. With Amazon, you can have your book published and making you sales within just a few hours. If you run into trouble, you can also post to the Kindle Boards, which are filled with helpful authors who want to give back to other writers.

Amazon makes it free. Years ago if you wanted to self-publish your book, you had to pay a printing service to do it. That fee could range anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand (or more). Fortunately, Amazon leveled the playing field for everyone when they made their Kindle program free for any author.

Even better, you control the price of your book. You get to decide how much your book is worth and what it sells for. Traditionally published authors don’t get to do this—they have to go with whatever price tag the publishing house decides to set.

Amazon gives you exposure. The truth is that Amazon has one of the best algorithms out there. It’s constantly working to predict what their customers will love next, which means they’re always suggesting new books to readers.

But in order to get Amazon to suggest your book, you’ll need to get a few reviews up. Reach out to 70-100 reviewers that read in your genre or on your subject matter. Offer them a free book in exchange for an honest review.

Not every reviewer will have time to post about your book, but most authors get 10-20 reviews this way. When Amazon sees the reviews begin rolling in, their algorithms will go to work on your book’s behalf.

You can also choose to publish your book exclusively on Amazon’s Kindle platform. If you do that, you’ll get included in their special promotions of books, gaining you more exposure by potential readers. Even better, you can have a special sale or promotion period during this time, which can boost your book’s ranking.

If you haven’t already, consider publishing your book through the Kindle program. Your book will be more visible and you’ll still have all the perks of being a self-published author.

And if you have not yet published a book (but have one in you dying to come out, but are unsure of how to start), then get my free 4-week ecourse “30 Days To Becoming a Published Author”.

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Write Your Book Yourself Or Outsource It?

You want to publish an eBook but you’re not sure how you could go about it. You could write it yourself or you could hand the task off (outsource) to a trusted writer. However, you’re torn between the options and you’re not sure which one is right for you. Here are three quick questions to ask before making your final decision:

Do I Have Time to Write?

Think about how long it takes you to write a blog post or short report. Does it take you all night to write a 2-page blog post or three weeks to churn out a short report? There’s nothing wrong with being a slow writer. But be honest with yourself—how long will the book realistically take you to complete? Can you really write it in a week? Or will it take several months?

Do I Have the Budget to Outsource?

Outsourcing a project can be fun and easy—if you’re working with a professional writer. If you’re dealing with a bad writer, you could spend hours trying to fix their terrible work and wondering why this book is so hard.

However, keep in mind that with a professional writer a professional price tag also comes in the bargain. Be prepared to pay a good wage to a talented writer you trust to complete your book on time.

Do I Enjoy Writing?

Before you make the final decision, consider the writing process. Do you get bogged down when writing blog posts or short reports? Or do you zip through writing content with ease and joy? Is it something that you leave feeling energized or drained?

There’s no wrong or right answer to outsourcing your book. Some marketers love writing and wouldn’t dream of hiring someone else, while others prefer to leave content creation to a ghostwriter.

It is smart to have an outline if you plan to outsource it. This will help the writer you hire see what your vision is and what topics he (or she) should cover in each chapter.

If you have not yet published a book (but have one in you dying to come out), then get my free 4-week ecourse “30 Days To Becoming a Published Author”.

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3 Ways to Grow Your Sales by Becoming a Publishing Author

Publishing a book is a great way to build your platform and reach a wider audience. However, your book isn’t just a one-time project that you put on the shelf and forget about after it’s been published. It’s a valuable marketing tool that can help you grow your sales. Here are a few ways you can use your book to sell more products or services…

Add a Call to Action

Your book should end with a strong call-to-action. Invite your readers to take the next action step to get deeper into your funnel. Depending on the topic of your book, you might ask readers to join your membership group, start coaching with you, or snap up one of your consulting packages.

If you didn’t end your book with a CTA, don’t despair. Even if your book is already published, you can still edit it to add a strong closing. If readers enjoyed your book, they’ll be curious to check out your next offer!

Look for Podcasters

Once you have a CTA up, it’s time to get the word out about your book. You should find podcast hosts in your niche and reach out to them. Ask if they’re looking for guests and if they are, volunteer to chat with them. You never know where this connection might lead!

Go Live

Use websites like Facebook Live or YouTube to show up for real discussions with your readers. Encourage them to share your live feed on their favorite social media network so even more people can discover you. Be sure to mention your book at the end of your broadcast!

Promoting your book and using it as a sales platform doesn’t have to be difficult. Focus on providing value to your readers and they’ll never resent you for sharing your content with them.

If you have not yet published a book (but have one in you dying to come out), then get my free 4-week ecourse “30 Days To Becoming a Published Author”.

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True Freedom: Make Your Summer Business Plan of Attack Your Year-Round Approach

Save Time Over the last little while, I’ve shared a few tips on getting more done with less time and obviously, our focus has been on keeping things together through the many wonderful distractions of summer. But keep in mind, the approaches we’ve discussed can certainly apply all year round. Most of us started our businesses because we wanted freedom and really, we have it right here for ourselves when we need it.

My time here is done (for now), but I thought I’d do a little wrap up of what we’ve talked about, so you can create the schedule for your business that you want.

• Be Disciplined: It may seem contradictory to tell you to be disciplined when you’re actually seeking freedom, but the more disciplined you are, the more time you will have to do what you really want to be doing. Setting your work hours and planning your work days go a long way to ensuring you have time to do everything you set out to do.

• Be Flexible: On the other hand, not everything has to be written in stone. Sometimes we take on more than we can chew. Other times, we focus on things that just don’t work and we need to make a change. Don’t be afraid to make changes that are good for you and your business.

• Get Help: I can’t stress it enough, but don’t go it alone. If you’re doing everything, you’ll forever be chained to your computer. Hire an assistant, take on a business partner or even barter where you can.

• Focus on What You’re Good At: When you have a team in place, it’s easy to focus on the stuff you like to do and do well. It’s much easier to stay disciplined and motivated when you get to do what you love.

Plant Seeds • Plant the Seeds Now: Whether you’re planning a vacation or something unexpected happens, having things in place will help you go far. That includes building your team, growing your mailing list, developing a steady stream of traffic and all the things that you need to keep your business moving along.

I appreciate the time you’ve given me here and I hope that the time you’ve invested will give you back manifold. Enjoy the rest of your summer and enjoy every moment of what you do.