Have you ever been stuck getting a project off the ground?

I have a solution for you.

Call it an experiment.

If you treat it like an experiment there is no wrong way to get started.  You are merely testing.

Once started you can make adjustments to your approach.

Most projects fail because they never see the light of day.

What experiment can you launch today?

Have you ever been REAL?

It is my belief the biggest risk you will ever take in your life is not being real.

So many people I know are trapped living someone else’s life or vision.

People do this for various reasons, peer pressure, fear of rejection, family values or other social reasons.  I can understand why this happens, maybe you have been made fun of or felt the disappointment in you by a parent or spouse, but is it really worth it?  Do you really want to live somebody else’s life?

I have attended numerous retreats and seminars where people have had the opportunity to be themselves and let their guards down.  The resounding messages I have learned from these experiences are people are very much alike, and people think they are very much different.  That is an interesting statement, we are alike but inherently we feel different.  Maybe the truth is we are all very much different but have the same fears.

Over the last few years I have been focusing on being myself as much as possible.  A favorite business networking event I attend is called “Your Business is Personal,” meaning is there really anything in life that is not personal?   If everything is personal then why are we living such separate lives?  In my quest to bring my personal life to all that I do, I think they call that having personality, I have learned I have missed out an many opportunities.  Opportunities that were not presented because no one knew about my interests or passions.

Earlier I mentioned the well known risks of being yourself, which can be summed up with one term REJECTION, but there are other risks.  If you are not being yourself you might attract friends, spouses, careers and lifestyles that are not a match.  That is a big price to pay.

On the other side, by being yourself you might find there is that life you always dreamed of waiting for you.  How many years are you going to waste being something that you are not?

If you are not being yourself then who are you?

Be Real, it’s worth the Risk and Reward.

Photo Credit – Sundeip Arora of Sundesign

Some people are just flat out lucky.

Some people are flat out prepared.

Some people are both.

If I were a betting man, I would bet on the person who practices and prepares for their dreams.  Most people will believe that person is lucky, but more often than not they are prepared.

Preparation and luck are strange bedfellows.  Preparation seems to bring the best out of Luck.

Ladies and Gentleman, my bet is on Preparation.  Are you ready to Ante Up?

When you hit it big you can thank me for this request.

Buy your freakin name as a “Dot Com” today.  I am serious.  Go to GoDaddy.com right now and buy it.

“Do Not Pass Go!” until you buy your domain name.  Keeping with the “Monopoly” reference, you have to think of “YOURNAME.COM” as the “BoardWalk” of web properties.  I promise you for only $10 a year you will thank me.  If you should hit it big you will want to develop this web property and promote yourself.

I speak from experience when I say do it now.  I have been trying to buy BrianMonahan.com for over 10 years with no avail.  Some other scum sucker named Brian Monahan bought it up and has squatted on it for years.  I can’t blame him.  He knows I am working hard to build my personal brand.  Luckily Brian Monahan.net came available this past year and I snatched it up.  I am in the early phases of developing the domain but it already shows up well in search results on Google.

If you are still with me and have any web savvy I recommend you go pick up other web properties using your name.

Here is a quick checklist:

• Twitter.com/yourname
• LinkedIn.com/in/yourname
• yourname@gmail.com
• yourname@yahoo.com
• Facebook fan page using your name as the address

If you are lucky and have a really unique name you probably have nothing to worry about but if you have a name like mine which has become almost John Smith in the USA you might have some challenges.  Remember anybody can buy your name and if you hit it big somebody probably will.  In fact I am considering buying up names of friends and family who I think are going to hit it big and resell them their names for a profit later.

Seriously, please buy YOURNAME.com today.  I promise you it is worth the investment.

Warning do not search for your name using Network Solutions you will pay to much for it there and I have heard that people have come back to find their name purchased and hijacked for a ransom (seriously) from a foreign country.  I use a program I downloaded from LiberateDomains.com to safely search the availability of domain names I might purchase.

Once you own your own domain name and other web properties you can now develop web content to promote yourself or career.  This may feel a bit narcissistic but think of it like having a 1-800 phone number with your name in it but better.  When someone asks how can I reach you, just say, “visit my site YOURNAME.com” my contact information is on the website.

If for chance your name is not available, GoDaddy often makes suggestions that are pretty good options.

Good luck, I promise you it is worth it.

For those of you reading Expert in the Rough looking for personal branding tips, this is by far the most important one I will ever give.

Twitter has changed the world with a simple little question “What are you doing?” I know you haven’t asked but I figured since you are still reading you just might be interested in all of the “balls I have in the air.”  I won’t be limiting myself to the Twitter standard 140 characters, instead think of this post as a Twitter Novel.  A short story updating you about your favorite Expert in the Rough.

I started the Expert in the Rough blog initially with the idea of sharing the wisdom I had learned reading all the experts, but with my spin.  I then thought personal branding just might be the blogs focus, but I have settled into the idea that Expert in the Rough is just my personal inspirational blog.

• A place for me to test the waters
• a place to practice writing
• a place to find discipline
• a place to let the voice inside out,
• a place for you to find ideas and inspiration (I try to convince myself it’s for you) blogging can feel so damn narcissistic sometimes.

I don’t think it’s an accident that last year my creative juices came alive, I believe the spirit of my little girl Ella, cooking in the womb might have stirred up something inside of  me.  If you take a look back I was on par to hit a 100 posts late last year, I was on fire, but I am barely over 80 almost a year later.   I was silly to think that I could possibly continue my blogging with a baby on the way.  For the record, YES I was high on blogging and I had no idea that a newborn was like Kryptonite for blogging.

I hung up my blogs so to speak, and accepted the fact that I had a higher calling but the voice inside started to yell,  “YOU GOTTA BLOG.” The truth is my hard work leading up to the birth of my baby has served me well.  Even with 6 plus months of limited time to blog, my momentum is still strong.  YES, life is settling in and I have found some slivers of time to let my voice out so to speak.

Over the last few months, I have come to terms with my new life.  I have decided Expert in the Rough is going to be a blog about whatever I want to write about, whenever I want to write it and YOU WILL LIKE IT!!!  I have learned blogging is more broadcast and less conversation.  However, my goal is the latter.   I was reading a book this past week and it said, the only way to be successful writing is to write from the heart.  So here it is.  From the heart.

So, what in the world am I up to?

• Raising my beautiful daughter Ella
• Learning what it means to be a family man
• Holding on to my arrogant belief that I can beat the down economy, a good application of arrogance by the way
• Writing from the heart at Expert in the Rough
• Letting my worlds collide; work, play, and passion I no longer separate, I am Brian Monahan no matter the circumstance
• Meeting Point Cincinnati, my Social Media Experiment to provide a venue for the Cincinnati Meeting and Event Industry to Collaborate
• Do You PK? Pecha Kucha Night Cincinnati – a project I am collaborating on with other Cincinnati area visionaries bringing Cincinnati a new medium for presenting
• InnerWorks, LLC a collaborative business with family and friends, created so we all could share our unique experiences helping others to live their dreams.
• Prestige AV & Creative Services, my employer who graciously allows me to live out my dreams and mix and match my passions with my career, and provide for my family
• Taking it day by day, lowering my expectations for the short term, having faith in putting one foot in front of the other.  Post by Post, Word by Word
• Checking off speech after speech at Toastmasters, on the road to the speaking career I have always dreamed about
• Expert in the Rough – you’re here, I think you probably get it by now

I thought this might clear up “What am I doing?”

“If I only had more time to follow my dreams,” is a common complaint I hear from folks who feel stuck between the world they have and the world they want.

Sure, I could go into all kinds of rants about how this is just an excuse or how they need to re-prioritize their time, but I have a much simpler plan.

First, accept the fact that you do not have the time to follow these dreams. Instead of fighting your lack of time, embrace it. Instead of biting off more than you can chew and filling your life up with more stress, just accept the fact that you life is full indeed!

After all, you have chosen the projects you are currently undertaking for a reason and that is just fine. Maybe you need to pay the mortgage or overdue medical bills. Perhaps you are currently raising a child. Believe me, these are all valid reasons for being too busy. Ok. You are correct. You just don’t have the time. Or maybe you do! Maybe, just maybe, following your dreams might take less time than you think.

Now to my second point, I think its time you lower your expectations! (You won’t see that line in many Rah, Rah motivation books). However, one big dream must start with one small step.

So, here is your new strategy! This pearl of wisdom is something I like to call “Without a Shadow of a Doubt.” It goes something like this…

Without a Shadow of a Doubt:

* I will take one writing class in 2009 (instead of I want to write a book).
* I can walk for 20 minutes a month (instead of I want to be healthy and lose 20 lbs).
* I will not eat Ice Cream on Monday’s (instead I want to eat healthy).
* I will write one Blog Post a Month (instead of I want to share my ideas with the world).
* I will call my sister on her birthday (instead of I want to be closer to my family).
* I will take one long weekend vacation each summer (instead of I want to travel and relax).
* I will request registration information for the local university by the end of the year (instead of I want to study to be a lawyer).

The key is that whatever you commit to must be so simple and so clear that you have no chance of failing.

WARNING: Jedi Mind Trick Alert

My goal for this technique is really just…

* To get you moving and hope the law of inertia takes effect i.e. an object in motion tends to stay in motion (so now you are moving).
* To gain passion through experience. The act of engaging in an action related to your dream builds positive energy.
* To do more than you commit to and that will make you feel good.
* To recognize that you have more time than you think.
* To realize you can drop something less appealing in your life and fit in something in line with your dreams
* To gain confidence by committing to an action and keeping your commitment
* To find new ideas and resources while engaging in your action related to your dream

I just hope you make some step, any step and “Without a Shadow of a Doubt” you will be on your way to the life you always dreamed.

Image Credit: Mike Wade

Thanks to Richard Terpening for being the very first guest post on Expert in the Rough.  Read on.

What can I contribute to Society?

-Make a contribution to my favorite organization.
-Donate things I no longer need to the local mission.
-Donate blood
-Volunteer my time to the community.

After a trip to my local shopping center, I discovered a simple suggestion.

Contribute Courtesy

An effective display of this conduct is to simply smile. A simple smile can change attitudes. A simple smile can create a pleasant day.

So I will simply end this with a simple

-Richard Terpening

Richard is the author of “Literature of a Liberated Runner”

Description:

What do you think about while you’re running? Literature of a Liberated Runner is the Literature of my Long runs. When I am out running I am free from distress. I have a clear mind that explores concepts that I am never consciously aware of. I become a child, a poet, a soldier, a saint, and I find myself in different adventures and with new ideas. I also have the ability to think clearly about issues that need to be resolved. This is a book of essays, poems, and short stories that I created during my long runs.

You can purchase his book on Lulu by clicking here.

I have not read his book yet but I am going to download it today.  I am very excited since my blogging spark began when I started writing my blog Running Revelations.