Chris Brogan Newsletter

Emigrate from a Nation

It's time for you to fill out a few forms, pack your bags, and hug the neighbors, because you're leaving. It's time to escape the nation of Procrasti. And I have some ways to help.

Procrastination comes from a lot of sources, some of them, not as obvious as others. For one, you might be procrastinating because you've said yes to too many things (this happens to me a lot). You might be procrastinating because you don't clearly understand the directions. These are some situational reasons for procrastination. Let's walk through a simple system to help curb procrastination.

Procrastination Eliminators:

* Limit Glass Time - This includes TVs, game platforms, laptops, cell phones, and anything with a screen. I include computers from the recreational side. A half hour of Farmville can easily be turned into a half hour of quality business activity or networking.

* Limit Switching Costs - It's hard when you multitask. For short bursts of time, cut off Twitter, your Inbox, Facebook, and everything else that will distract you.

* Stop Saying Yes - The more you can say no, the more time you have to be excellent at what you're doing. (I have to work very hard on this).

* Align Constantly - Ask yourself this question ALL the time: "Is this helpful to my goals?" This goes a long way towards killing procrastination.

Procrastination Fixers:

Note: if you take more than 30 minutes on the following, you're probably procrastinating.

Step 1: Define what needs doing. Without knowing all that's on your plate, you don't know what you're procrastinating on, do you? Write a very quick/simple list. There are a million ways to do this. Don't obsess over HOW, because that is also procrastinating. Write out the list of what needs doing by when.

If you want a way to declutter your lists, check out Leo Babauta's book, The Power of Less. (affiliate link).

Step 2: Define which are most important, which are urgent. The best system I've ever seen for this is David Allen's Getting Things Done. (affiliate link) I am absolutely the worst at using this system. It doesn't work for me, or I'm too multi-threaded to better make use of the system. Just the same, without some level of prioritizing, you won't get to the things that matter.

Step 3: Quilt your time. There are two ways we find time. One is by scheduling blocks to do work. The other is by quilting. I first wrote about this http://www.chrisbrogan.com/time-quilters/ in 2006. Essentially, stuff things you have to do into the little pockets of time where you can find them.

Step 4: Execute in small bites. It's so much more rewarding to accomplish tasks. If you can, break every task into small bites and get some done every once in a while. (This is from David Allen's "next action" ideas in GTD).

Step 5: Take breaks. I know this seems like the worst advice for a procrastinator, but if you know that you've scheduled breaks every 20 minutes or every 40 minutes, then any task becomes easier to do. How hard is it to do pretty much anything for 20 minutes?

Step 6: Reward your success. If you don't praise and reward yourself for your hard work, there's no internal value and that means you won't likely do more of that. Make sense?

This isn't the end-all of how to manage procrastination, but then again, you don't have time to read too much more. Get the nuggets, absorb them, try them out, and see what you can incorporate.

For the rest of the newsletter, go here: CB Newsletter

FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 Producer Chat

Will Cotto Put the Breaks on Pacman's Plans for Seven Titles in Seven Divisions?

This Saturday Manny Pacquiao will fight WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto for a chance to win his seventh title in seven different weight divisions, something no boxer in history has ever done. In his most recent fights, Pacquiao dominated Oscar De La Hoya in a fight last December where De La Hoya didn't answer the bell in the ninth; and this past summer he destroyed former Welterweight and Light Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton in two rounds. Cotto, a two time Welterweight Champion, picked up his second Welterweight belt defeating Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO title and successfully defended the belt in his first defense against Joshua Clottey this past summer. Immediately after that fight, plans were being made for the Pacquiao-Cotto fight which boxing fans will be treated to this Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel.

There's been a lot of talk around the catchweight of 145 pounds that has been agreed upon though imposed by Freddie Roach and the Pacquiao camp. Some are calling this a bit of a headgame but I wonder if making Cotto fight only a pound less than what he normally fights at may have actually benefited Cotto more. Though he has gotten into the gym earlier than he usually does for fights, the thoughts that he would overtrain (such as De La Hoya seemed to going down to 148) don't seem to be manifesting. In fact, the extra training has not only brought his team closer together but Cotto seems to be the best shape of his life and looks to be getting stronger as he nears Saturday's fight night and the 145-pound mark. The one thing that he hasn't been able to replicate in training with his sparring partners is the speed that he will have to contend with this Saturday.

On the other hand, Pacquiao's star seems to be shining more than ever and though he's always had other interests outside of the ring, this past year has kept Manny busier than ever. Pacquiao wanted to train for train for the fight back in the Philippines in the northern mountains of Baguio. Roach actually suggested the team train in Vancouver (would've been awesome) but thoughts of a rainy city pushed them to decide to head to the motherland. Ironically, the islands were pounded by a number of typhoons while the Pacquiao camp was set up in the PI and Manny himself looked to be affected wanting to help out wherever he could.

Pacquiao further saw himself seeming distracted when training in Manila as fans continually sought to get a glimpse of their hometown champion, while also finding time to do television appearances to talk about his career and upcoming fight. Add to this is Floyd Mayweather's schooling of Juan Marquez, who Pacquiao won twice and lost once against, in September setting up a possible next match against the Filipino Buzzsaw and it's easy for people to contend that Pacquiao may not be as focused as he could be for what should be his biggest fight of his career.

The questions now become, though he has always been a multi-tasker out of the ring, will these distractions finally catch up with Manny? Will Pacquiao find that focus he needs to win his seventh title in a seventh weight class? On the other hand, will the extra training for Cotto which seemed to have made him as strong as ever, be enough to counter the speed of Pacquiao's fists which have been described in the past as blinding razors that come at all angles. If the winner was decided in training camp, as many in the industry allude to, then the edge may go to Cotto.

That's just a few of the many thoughts I have going into this fight this weekend. And at the end of the day, all it takes is one big punch in the right to turn a fight around or to end it completely. I asked our community on the forums what their predictions are for the fight. Personally, before the training began I thought Manny would defeat Cotto early, but after noting how each camp has prepared for the fight, it really looks like Cotto could put up a decent fight defending his title looking as good as he ever has. Regardless, I'm still picking Pacquiao FTW and see him being too much for Cotto to handle stopping him in the 8th.

Here are some of the community predictions:

"I pick Pacman in 11 rounds, or a decision, I can't really see him actually knocking down Cotto, but I can see him stopping Cotto on cuts." ~mi_hee-fan

"Manny Pacquiao by UD. The fact of the matter is Roach is not going to teach Pac to rush in there Bob Sapp style. Pac is going to pick Miguel off with hit and run tactics all night. And for those who are unsure of Pac's chin, he has been hit flush and has not been KO'D yet." ~j-bels08

"His chin ain't bad but it ain't good either. I don't say this because I hate him, he is one of my favourite fighters, but Cotto will KO him big time." ~I-The_G-Man-I

"I think Cotto by decision because the fights at 145 pounds i think Cotto will hurt him early then Pac-man's heart will keep him in the fight but Cotto will win on points." ~Evanz14

"I didn't believe Freddie when he said Manny would KO Hatton within 3 rounds or when he said KO De La Hoya in 8. He was shockingly right about both. Looking at where Pacquiao is right now, at his peak and prime, and how Freddie Roach is such an evil genius, I can't predict what round but its gonna be a KO win for Manny." ~pinoyboi516

"I think Manny wins this. I think he will knockout Cotto in less than 8. Speed is greater than power. Manny is faster and very strong. Cotto will go to the body but Manny will sidestep, make him miss, and make him pay with counters." ~reznick8

Look out for the official EA SPORTS Pacquiao-Cotto simulation by the game team to be released this week.

Competing FTW

Everyone is a little bit competitive in their own way. Whether you play real life sports or sports video games, competition is what determines the best above the rest. For years EA SPORTS has set the benchmark in sports video games. And year after year gamers around the world connect to settle differences between foes, team-up to defeat rivals, and play their favorite sports with as much passion as the athletes that grace the real-life stage. This year is no different and with a stable of titles on the shelves, EA SPORTS fans are busier than ever competing FTW in their favorite sports games.

EA SPORTS Challenge Hits Anaheim
Alongside the guys at the Major League of Gaming, we've got our next round of Live gaming battles in Anaheim, CA, where some of the best sports-gamers in the nation will put their PS3 skills to the test. All the Madden Spectator passes have been sold out, though there still are some remaining for FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 and NBA LIVE 10 gamers for this weekend's live tournament. With some serious prizing, the competition is tough and it's no wonder the best from the entire nation find their way to compete at these live events.

Title Update and DLC Brings New Battles to FIGHT NIGHT Round 4
On the topic of tough, there are none tougher than the chins on Brizzo and Mahar (the 'Mike' variety) as the FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 producers will be fielding community questions about the upcoming title update, with game adjustments that the fans have hoped would be changed and haven't been shy voicing about on the forums. Well, just as they were critically vocal about what they wanted changed, it's these guys that have done a 180 themselves singing the praises as the team looks to deliver improvements that will enhance online play and further make the game even more realistic than it already has been. Check out what the title update consists of here.

If you're on the Playstation Network, Brizzo and Mahar will be hanging out Club Fight Night in the EA SPORTS Complex wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving on November 25th between 3-4PM PST. Catch the producers there if you have any questions or feedback for the guys. Or even just challenge them to one of the games in the EA SPORTS Complex.

For those that have a few bucks saved up come December, the next set of downloadable content will also include three new boxers and two new Game Modes, including Ring Rivalries and Old School Rules. Community members are chompin' at the bit for a chance to box with Evander Holyfield, Sonny Liston, and Bernard Hopkins and I can't wait to see some of the battles that'll come out of these new additions to the game.

If you haven't yet stepped into the ring, there's no better time than now as gamers can pick up the game for only 40 bucks. Get your buddy a copy so you can get online and beat the s!@# out of each other this holiday season. I wonder if I should copyright that...it could end up on a Hallmark card.

Compete and Chat with the Game Producers
Especially if you have an XBOX 360, you'll want to grab a copy as we'll be hosting another Community Playdate, FIGHT NIGHT style, after the title update and DLC drops. Look for more details to come on the December 9th playdate and live chat soon.

NHL 10 fans had their chance to match up against me and some of the devs last week. For about six hours members of the community got a chance to talk to the producers and give some game feedback while testing their stick-handling skills and going FTW against some the team's best. Check out the recap of the NHL 10 Community Playdate here.

Compete for a Chance to Play the Best in the Gillette Champions of Gaming
Back to the topic of competitions while the PS3 gamers battle it out in Anaheim this weekend, you XBOX 360 owners better brush up on your online skills as the Gillette Champions of Gaming makes a return for another year. Earn a shot at playing the world's best athletes including none other than Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, or even Rodger Federer. The qualifying rounds start soon so if you play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, FIFA Soccer 10, NHL 10, FIGHT NIGHT Round 4, or Madden NFL 10 bring your game online for a chance at some ultimate glory.

So as I said, there's a lot of competition going on. With all the competing going on though, the one thing that remains is the sportsmanship; the "Good-Game's" after the battles and the nods to your opponents for their nice play. Let's not forget that even the pro's meet at the on the middle of the battle field for a handshake after a game.

It is the competition, after all, that brings the best out of us and pushes us to be better every day.

Now that, I did read on a greeting card.