We were 20 feet off the ground, suspended among the treetops in a dense forest in Western Massachusetts.

My little girl looked up. “Daddy,” she said, “I’m scared…”

She just turned 8, so I wasn’t surprised. What did surprise me, though, was that 30-minutes and 6 stations into her first ever high-ropes course, this was the first time she voiced her fear. She’d pretty much flown through every challenge, scampering across wire bridges, floating block ladders and navigating itty bitty platforms wrapped around trees high above the earth without a hint of hesitation.

People keep talking about what a huge time sink social media can become…

But, I’ve noticed something else happening with increasing frequency. It seems like more and more bloggers and social media regulars are actually living their lives through social media, rather than living extraordinary lives outside of social media and blogging, then tapping it as a means to share their experiences with a like-minded community online.

And, I have to confess, since selling my last company and coming down off my book launch, I’m feeling a bit like I’m one of them.

Picture this, your 20 year reunion is coming up and looking to made a huge impression…but you you’re feeling a bit, um, huge. Truth is, you’ve needed to lose about 100 pounds for years, but now there’s a reason and a target date.  The event is 6 months away, so it’s doable but extremely aggressive.

Question is, what do you focus on in order to maximize the likelihood of success?

Two major approaches offer radically different advice.

It’s no secret I’m madly passionate about entrepreneurship, marketing and the health and fitness world. Which is why I’m psyched to share an article I’ve been working on for some time over at my CareerRenegade.com blog, called, “Marketing From The Heartbeat Out.”

Here’s how it starts…

One of the biggest mistakes I see entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes make is treating product development, marketing and sales as three independent pursuits.

Truth is, they are all hopelessly intertwined parts of the same process. And, without fail, the more innovative energy you give to the first, the less time, money and energy you have to spend on the last two.

Ever wonder what the real deal is with visualization?

Whether you call it visualizing, simulating, vision-boarding or something else, the technique has been the talk of the personal-development town for years.

Problem is, many proponents:

• Overlay a metaphysical basis for it, leaving all who do not buy into the woo-factor skeptics, and
• Focus exclusively on something called “outcome” visualization that’s been shown in university studies to be less effective than the rarely discussed “process” visualization.

Time for a bit of debunking and pulling back the curtain on how to do it right…

I recently finished reading a book that blew me away, called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

Unlike so many other books that have the words “mindset” and “success” in the title, this was a serious book that steered clear of pop psychology and soundbites and offered a simple, yet astonishingly empowering concept that will forever change the way I approach challenges…and teach my daughter to do the same.

It’s not based not on abstract metaphysics, but on hardcore research conducted by the author, Stanford University Professor and acclaimed developmental psychology researcher, Carol Dweck, Ph.D. The fundamental idea was that, from the time we are little kids, we approach challenge with one of two mindsets:

It’s time to tell me what you REALLY want…

I’ve been blown away by the reception to Career Renegade, “the book.” And, Ive also been overwhelmed by the volume of requests to offer something more than the book, from private launch consulting to retreats, coaching, advanced marketing trainings, social media seminars, copywriting clinics and more.

Thing is, I don’t want to offer anything that you guys don’t want…your time and my time are just too important. So, I’ve posted a survey that lists variety of potential programs and offerings that have been requested, along with very brief descriptions and possible fees (nothing is set in stone). I’d really appreciate if you would take a minute and share what’s most appealing to you, if anything, or add anything you’d be interested in that’s not there.

I see it all around me. And, yeah, lately, I’ve fallen prey to it, myself…

I’m the guy who’s usually insanely effective at focusing in on what I want, plotting a course, then doing anything and everything to make it happen. I’m “That Renegade Guy.” Got a cape and everything.

So, I’ve been wondering “what’s up with me?” lately.

Damned if it doesn’t suck just a little bit when you’re confronted with your own humanity and fallibility. Turns out, I’m great at giving everyone else a break…not so good when it comes to me.

[Guest post from Wisebread.com's Lynn Truong, co-author of 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget]

Working from home sounds like a very simple concept. But there are a lot of built-in structures and boundaries inherent in a going-to-the-office job that we often take for granted.  Recreating those boundaries when our home and work is one and the same is a crucial part of achieving a work-life balance.

The personal battle