In the first half of this extended conversation with SJ Scott, the author outlines his journey from an obscure desk at Kindle Publishing to his successes of today. His newest book “Habit-Stack for Humanity” is a master class in forming sustainable everyday processes, and after several successful books, the results speak for themselves. In Part II of this interview with MindTeam Solutions, Scott elaborates on his blueprint for leveraging gains.

0:22 Found in Translation

One key element of Scott’s skyrocketing sales in the eBook marketplace is his uncommon focus on foreign publishing. Releasing work in various languages is an obvious way to expand a base of readers around the world, and in his view not enough authors take advantage. He opens the conversation by detailing the process step by step, starting with working out a relationship with a translator. Once the profit potential of an author’s work is established, publishing companies may begin to reach out on their own.

2:52 Guaranteed Performance

Although Scott has entrenched himself as a thought leader in the eBook space, he still points to his earliest habits as a driver of his continuing success. Asked to comment on those he finds most effective on a daily basis, he emphasizes the importance of daily nonfiction reading to sharpen the mind. He also commits a few concrete concepts for improving his professional or personal life to paper each morning. Another regular practice he encourages is taking weekends off to allow his mind to recharge and prevent burnout.

4:59 The First Straw

Most people desire to establish the habits that define the most successful versions of ourselves, but many of us fall short. Asked to distill what keeps him so committed to his process, Scott reaches into his personal experience. Like many of us, he set arbitrary target dates for his new improved self like “after New Years’” and “next Monday” only to delay his debut time after time. He eventually arrived at the conclusion that his issue was one of focus. It was much more effective to focus on one or two everyday habits needing improvement.

7:03 A Work in Progress

Running contrary to popular belief, Scott derides the merit of the drastic life overhaul. In his experience, he has rarely seen an attempt to totally transform one’s lifestyle in a relatively short period succeed. Bringing the concept of “ego depletion” into the discussion, he highlights the reality that as human beings we have only a finite measure of willpower. Every action that runs counter to our desires proportionately saps that willpower. Only by making reasonable demands of that willpower reserve over time, we can achieve lasting results.

11:37 Never Plan on Plan A

The words of 19th Century Prussian General Moltke the Elder filter down to us through history as “no plan survives contact with the enemy.” Recalling this enduring truism, the conversation turns to maintaining our focus on improvement even during life’s inevitable challenges. Balancing his career with his young children has cemented the value of adaptability in SJ Scott’s mind. He emphasizes the importance of having plans to work around consistent hiccups…and of course, staying within our boundaries with a simple “no.”

Connect with SJ Scott:
Website- https://www.developgoodhabits.com/my-books/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/groups/182058985596545/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/habitsguy