Burdens of a Dream Workbook: My Lessons Learned

WORKBOOK My Lessons Learned Craig M. Chavis Jr. Copyright © Craig M. Chavis Jr. - Monday, December 14, 2020 3

Copyright © 2020 Craig M. Chavis Jr. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Published by Author Academy Elite P.O. Box 43 Powell, OH 43065 www.authoracademyelite.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – for example, electronic, photocopy, recording – without the prior written permission of the author. The only exception is brief quotes in printed reviews. ISBN: 978-1-64746-548-3 (Paperback) ISBN: 978-1-64746-549-0 (Hardback) Available in paperback and hardback. Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers printed in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by the author and Author Academy Elite, nor does the author or Author Academy Elite vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book. This work depicts actual events in the life of the author as truthfully as recollection permits and can be verified by research. To maintain anonymity, some scenes have been compressed, some dialogue has been recreated, and some names and characteristics of specific individuals have been changed to respect privacy. Creative Direction and Book Design by Craig M. Chavis Jr. Cover Design by Jon McGregor and Debbie O’Byrne www.burdensofadream.com

Methodology I initially wrote my first book, Burdens of a Dream: 33 Actionable Nuggets of Wisdom for the Creative Entrepreneur, to inform people about the realities behind what it takes to become an entrepreneur. But, as I grew and continued progressing within my respective entrepreneurial journey, I realized entrepreneurship was much more profound than merely creating a business—it was also about creating a life full of abundance and void of regret. Now, I am sure you may be wondering what that means, but when I defined a creative entrepreneur as “anyone who takes a calculated risk to create something out of nothing and share it with the world,” I had unknowingly opened up a door that led me to discover my coaching philosophy that is centered around becoming the entrepreneur of your life. With this new perspective, my outlook on life changed, and I painfully observed too many people living unfulfilled lives because they let their dreams fade away into the abyss. To avoid this danger, I committed to becoming the entrepreneur of my life and started living with purpose, intention, and a burning desire to continue evolving into higher and better versions of myself. As a result, my business also began to flourish because the success of anything we create is directly correlated to our decisions, mindset, and belief systems. Although nothing worth having comes easy, you too can experience this paradigm shift by applying the lessons learned from my entrepreneurial journey. This workbook is strategically designed to help expedite this process, and everything you need to start on the right track is contained in the following pages. √7

Instructions To receive maximum results from this workbook, please: 1. Read Burdens of a Dream: 33 Actionable Nuggets of Wisdom for the Creative Entrepreneur, all the way through to gather a general understanding of the book’s overall messaging (about 90 minutes of reading time in total). 2. Re-read every chapter of Burdens of a Dream: 33 Actionable Nuggets of Wisdom for the Creative Entrepreneur (Introduction through Conclusion) one-by-one (about 3 minutes reading time each); and fill out every corresponding workbook chapter (Introduction through Conclusion) one-by-one (completion time may vary). 3. Fill-out the Entrepreneur Readiness Self-Assessment at your leisure (completion time may vary). 4. Visit www.cre8ivecraig.com/value to pursue the next steps in your entrepreneurial journey. 5. Do not forget to check off the completion box at the bottom of each page before moving onto the next. √ 8

Checklist Before you begin filling-out the workbook, please make sure to have the following items at hand: 99 My first book, Burdens of a Dream: 33 Actionable of Nuggets for the Creative Entrepreneur 99 A pen, pencil, or marker 99 A glass of water, tea, coffee, or beverage of choice 99 Access to a quiet and peaceful space with no distractions 99 A relaxed and open state of mind 99 Faith, belief, and the utmost confidence in your abilities to become the entrepreneur of your life 9

The Entrepreneurs Credo Name: Despite my present circumstances, I promise to answer my calling to abandon the status quo, follow the road not taken, and discover the person I am truly meant to become. Date: Signature: 10

Table of Contents Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................................12 Chapter 1: Growing Pains...........................................................................................................................................14 Chapter 2: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…..........................................................................................................16 Chapter 3: M. A. G. I. C.................................................................................................................................................18 Chapter 4: Pattern Recognition.................................................................................................................................20 Chapter 5: Discover Your Gifts...................................................................................................................................22 Chapter 6: Start Where You Are.................................................................................................................................24 Chapter 7: Human Behavior Reveals All..................................................................................................................26 Chapter 8: Collaborate and Elevate..........................................................................................................................28 Chapter 9: Processes for Profits................................................................................................................................30 Chapter 10: Purposefully Seeking Purpose...............................................................................................................32 Chapter 11: Weather the Storms of Life....................................................................................................................34 Chapter 12: Selfish and Selfless...................................................................................................................................36 Chapter 13: Carpe Diem................................................................................................................................................38 Chapter 14: Treat Yo’ Self..............................................................................................................................................40 Chapter 15: The Power of the Pen..............................................................................................................................42 Chapter 16: Scarcity Fuels Resourcefulness.............................................................................................................44 Chapter 17: Base Hits Outscore Home Runs.............................................................................................................46 Chapter 18: Own Nothing, but Control Everything..................................................................................................48 Chapter 19: Eyes on the Prize......................................................................................................................................50 Chapter 20: The Point of No Return...........................................................................................................................52 Chapter 21: Trust, but Verify........................................................................................................................................54 Chapter 22: The Devil is in the Details........................................................................................................................56 Chapter 23: Blood, Sweat, and Energy.......................................................................................................................58 Chapter 24: Go with the Flow.......................................................................................................................................60 Chapter 25: Closed Mouths Don’t Get Fed................................................................................................................62 Chapter 26: Murphy’s Law............................................................................................................................................64 Chapter 27: Leverage Strategic Partnerships...........................................................................................................66 Chapter 28: Burnout is Real..........................................................................................................................................68 Chapter 29: Pay Attention to Subtle Warnings.........................................................................................................70 Chapter 30: Ego Death..................................................................................................................................................72 Chapter 31: F. A. I. L........................................................................................................................................................74 Chapter 32: Remember Who You Are.........................................................................................................................76 Chapter 33: A New Hope...............................................................................................................................................78 Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................................................80 Entrepreneur Readiness Self-Assessment..................................................................................................................81 11

Introduction 1. Who are you? 2. What is your current life mission, vision, and purpose? • Mission (what do I do?) — • Vision (where will I be?) — • Purpose (why will I do it?) — 3. Is your current life mission, vision, and purpose in alignment? Why or why not? 4. List your current top three personal values: • Value 1 — • Value 2 — • Value 3 — 5. Why are these values important to you? 12 | Introduction

6. List your current top three goals in life: • Goal 1 — • Goal 2 — • Goal 3 — 7. Are you in the process of achieving these goals? If not, what is preventing you from doing so? 8. List three unique skills/talents that you currently possess: • Skill/Talent 1 — • Skill/Talent 2 — • Skill/Talent 3 — 9. Are you currently leveraging your skills/talents within your present job, profession, or career? Why or why not? 10. If you didn’t have to worry about time or money, what would you do with your life? Introduction | 13

Chapter 1: Growing Pains Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. —Tony Robbins NOTES 14 | Growing Pains

Actionable Insights 1. How does this chapter quote make you feel? 2. What does this chapter title mean to you? 3. What is your biggest takeaway from the story in this chapter? 4. How can you apply this chapter’s nugget of wisdom within your life? 5. Summarize this chapter using your own words. Q NUGGET OF WISDOM The creative entrepreneur views their present struggles as prerequisites for future success and resiliently fights through adversity. Growing Pains | 15

Chapter 2: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions… If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much. —Jim Rohn NOTES 16  |  Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…

Actionable Insights 1. How does this chapter quote make you feel? 2. What does this chapter title mean to you? 3. What is your biggest takeaway from the story in this chapter? 4. How can you apply this chapter’s nugget of wisdom within your life? 5. Summarize this chapter using your own words. Q NUGGET OF WISDOM The creative entrepreneur defines their priorities, visualizes their future, and builds a plan to accomplish their goals. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…  |  17

Chapter 3: M. A. G. I. C Creativity is the state of consciousness in which you enter into the treasury of your innermost being and bring the beauty into manifestation. —Torkom Saraydarian NOTES 18  |  M. A. G. I. C

Actionable Insights 1. How does this chapter quote make you feel? 2. What does this chapter title mean to you? 3. What is your biggest takeaway from the story in this chapter? 4. How can you apply this chapter’s nugget of wisdom within your life? 5. Summarize this chapter using your own words. Q NUGGET OF WISDOM The creative entrepreneur is a visionary that possesses the unique ability to manifest abstract goals into consciousness. M. A. G. I. C  |  19