We'll Run A Mile Naked... If We Don't Achieve This 😳

Better late than never! A couple of us boys were out either sick or at VidCon, we'll let you guess who's who.

Nevertheless, we're back with another log, and it's one you can both participate in and hold us accountable for! This week, we're starting a 12-week challenge. Join us, won't you?

Here's Captain McMahon for a bit more of an exploration into why.

Something I’ve discovered recently is that working hard and being busy are two different things.

Has my calendar been filled to the brim? Absolutely. Have I barely slept? Sure. Have I been working hard? I… don’t know.

In fact, the last couple months have probably been the most occupied I’ve ever been. Neverending client expectations, live workshops and all of this Out West stuff means I’ve been at my desk 14 hours a day - but I can’t help but feel I’ve been on autopilot.

It’s been said a million times - the only real attribute a successful content creator needs is consistency. It’s such a nuisance that I find it so hard to attain.

I’ve lost some of my creative spark - that energy for ideas - to make space for button-pressing. The thing is - I know if I continue down this path, I’ll lose all inspiration for the craft as a whole. Creating stuff for me is key for my survival. It’s time to get the gears going again.

Introducing the Out West 12-Week Objective. Many of you will have related so far - and I think the culprit lies in the lack of a target. It’s the case for me at least.

Over the next 12 weeks, all three of us will pledge to complete a SMART goal - a goal that’s both measurable and achievable. Tejas will go into more detail below. Weekly, I’m hoping to post one video, as well as finish the pre-production for the next one. It’s not unrealistic, but it’s not guaranteed.

Which is where things get exciting. We all know that goals are good for us. But how often do we stick to them? What if, for every missed objective - you had to run a mile naked? Or get a tattoo? Or drink a pickle juice coffee?

Over the next 3 months, every time one of us fails our weekly objective, we’ll spin a wheel. This wheel will decide our fate. Take a look:

Other punishments include an ice bucket, a hot chili, public embarrassment or paying $20 to one of you lucky folks. They’re silly, of course. But I think they might just shake things up.

I implore each of you to make your own 12-week goal. Let us know in the comments section!

HEY GUYS. Apologies for this rough log – I’m writing this like 4 days overdue however… we are here :)

I’m beyond pumped about the next 12 weeks. In biz school I learned about these things called SMART goals, an acronym that stands for…

• Specific - The goal has to have as much detail as possible.

• Measurable - Tracking progress is crucial.

• Attainable - I also want to be a billionaire in 12 weeks, but not gonna happen.

• Relevant - We are here to be better creators, the goal is going to be around that.

• Time Bound - 12 weeks.

This format makes goals go from “I wanna lose weight” to “I plan to lose one pound a week for the next 12 weeks by eating at a 500 calorie deficit.”

We are all here to be better and this newsletter is to serve as your accountability partner. Danny said his goal above, mine is…

To post 3 shorts a week for the next 12 weeks with a focus on systemizing it.

What does systemizing mean? I’ll touch on that in next week’s log ;)

Last weekend, I partook in something that reignited an interest in me that I haven’t had since I started TikTok over a year and a half ago. It was amazing, but now, I guess I’m sort of at a crossroads.

If you can believe it there’s a convention entirely dedicated to playing card shuffling. Cardistry-Con is an annual event where people from all over the world meet up in one city for a weekend and do Cardistry (think of juggling with playing cards). However, since the pandemic, the event has been put on hold for three years - the last one was in Portland OR, literally my backyard, in 2019. Everyone convened this year in San Diego, excited to get back to the community and see friends from all over the world.

Growing up a huge portion of my online identity, maybe all of it, was tied to playing cards. Making videos about close-up magic and montages of crazy moves I’d create built me quite a wide audience. I loved it - I had fans and friends all over the world, I was getting paid from brands to make videos. I had truly found my niche.

When I started TikTok, however, I wanted to challenge myself to not be a cardist. I think deep down, I wanted to see if I truly had legs without a deck of cards acting as my crutch.

Slowly but surely, I backed away from the Cardistry community, not really participating in the online community as I had before. A switch flipped, and I started becoming a different person.

And I’m very thankful I did. I’ve made so many friends in the TikTok space and gotten really close with the other two very talented people here. But last weekend at the convention, I was reminded of how much I really do love Cardistry. It really, really appealed to my inner child in a way that I didn’t foresee coming.

So here I am. At a crossroads. Maybe you can point me in the right direction.

I want to continue growing as a short-form creator on TikTok, but also want to return to the status I had in the Cardistry community. I’ve split my brain in half and don’t know which side to choose.

I think the answer is glaringly obvious - do both. Who cares? It’s not that deep. The path in front of me forks left and right, but I think the best option is to push right through the middle.

I’ll be participating in this 12-week goal as well! Starting as soon as you read this sentence, I’m pledging to post at LEAST twice a week on my TikTok with an emphasis on authentic personality-based content, and at least one feed post a week on my Cardistry IG.

I’ll be holding myself accountable, but could use all the help and support I can get.

If you had to set a 12-week goal, what would it be? Now, what would the smart, most efficient version of that goal be? Make it accomplishable, and something you'll be proud of looking back on in three months' time.

See you next week!