Last week, I sent out an email with the subject line “A simple, effective recipe to get going”.  

In that email, I quoted a few lines from Ryan Holiday’s Stoic missive, The Obstacle is the Way.

Yesterday, a reader replied to that email:

I ordered the book. It’s just arrived, and what I’m thinking is “When am I going to get around to reading it?”

To which I replied:

(with a hint of playful encouragement)

The obstacle is the way!

Truth be told, this never-ending game of catch-up with my books is something I’ve experienced myself.

Even today, when I glance at my bookshelf and the books piled high on my bedside table, window sills and office floor, it feels a bit like sitting in a sinking boat trying to bail the water out with a teaspoon.

It brings to mind an idea I heard American supercoach Michael Neill talk about on one of his trainings.

Michael called this idea "John Grisham Time". 

Michael explained how he’d often be super busy, rushing from one thing to the next, not a moment to catch his breath…

All until a new John Grisham novel came out!

As soon as it did, Michael noticed his time suddenly seemed to open up. And even though his day was still jam-packed with barely a second to spare, he miraculously found a few minutes here and half an hour there to read the book.

So much so that he’d always polish off Grisham’s latest thriller in a matter of days.

Quite the eye-opener. 

As it happens, John Grisham Time is also a perfect example of another of Michael's ideas.  

That idea?

His simple recipe for how to do anything.

If John Grisham Time helps you move forward with books, this recipe helps you move forward in any area of life.  

It's the recipe I offered to readers in that email last week.

One reader who took me up on this offer reported back as follows:

Very thought provoking! I like this approach. It feels very spontaneous, fresh and true.

Another reader simply said this:

Thanks a TON!

This is genius!

Seems like this recipe struck a chord. 

So if you missed my email last week and you'd like to get your hands on this simple, bold and mysterious recipe for how to do anything, here's one more chance.  

The details are below:

***

I’ve always had ambitious ideas, goals and dreams. 

When I left uni, I felt a pull to try playing poker professionally. When I was having magic lessons, I had an idea to take a magic show to the Edinburgh Festival. And a few years into the 9 to 5, I got an itch to take six months out to travel the world.

All these ideas felt exciting, energising and alive with possibility.

But I never did any of these. The how always kept me stuck.

How do I get started?

How do I know if this will work?

How do I know if this is a good idea?

How do I decide between options A, B and C?

How do I stop overthinking and just do it?

My usual strategy was to wait until I had more information, more time or more certainty.

But I never had quite enough information, time or certainty. So I stayed in limbo and wondered why I never did the stuff I wanted to do.

Something changed for me last year during the seven month certification training I took with American supercoach Michael Neill.

On the training, I heard Michael say three short words to describe a recipe for how to do anything.

The more I looked, the more I saw how this recipe sits behind pretty much everything I get done.

In case you’re wondering – it’s not a recipe like “hedge your bets”, “do everything twice” or “throw money at the problem”.

If anything, it’s simpler and bolder than these. 

But this recipe is also a bit mysterious. I won’t pretend otherwise.

It’s less map, more compass. It’s a recipe that requires some reflection and a willingness to stay open.

Equally, this recipe isn’t a secret.

If you go to one of Michael’s YouTube videos or his podcast and click play, you’ll probably hear Michael mention the exact recipe after a few hours.

But if you’d rather not do that, you don’t have to.

I’ll send you the recipe instead.

All I ask is this:

Hit reply. In your reply, tell me one thing you’d love to do but don’t know how to do.

In return, I’ll send you this simple, bold and mysterious recipe for how to do it – and for how to do anything you’d like to do.