How to Get Your Message Heard: What I Learned From Michael Hyatt’s Platform

When I started reading Platform by Michael Hyatt, I wasn't prepared for what I was about to get. The amount of fantastic information this book contains is insane!

Normally, I underline my books and not much else, but Platform had me dog-earing page after page. I didn't want to forget all of the things I wanted to get done!

Whether you're looking to start a blog or to just flex your creative muscle, Platform has the information you need to get going in the right direction.

I've been reading Michael's blog (MichaelHyatt.com) for over a year and I had the opportunity to meet him in person this past November.

Michael has one of the most successful websites of any individual in the world. When I learned of his book, I immediately added it to my list to buy and read. I'm so glad I did!

In Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World (affiliate), Michael has provided entrepreneurs and business leaders the foundation for effectively getting our message into the world.

Regardless of your goal in life, you still have a message you want other people to hear.

The Top 9 Takeaways from Michael Hyatt's Platform

Keep a To Do List

Everyone should have a list of things that they want to do. Whether it's a list of what you want to do today or what you want to accomplish over your lifetime, you should have a list.

Maybe you want to save up the money and buy a vacation home. Or maybe your list includes something closer to home like getting a newer car.

Whatever it is, keep a list so that you don't forget and so you can have a reminder of why you're working so hard!

Get Creative

Life can get monotonous. Go to work, come home, eat, go to bed.

Rinse.

Repeat.

If you're like me, you enjoy your routine. But life can be so much more interesting and exciting if we add a little creativity. Try a new restaurant or vacation somewhere new this year.

If you're writing a blog, have a variety of topics that you like to write about.

The other day, my wife asked me how things were going. My response? “Same ole, same ole.”

Shame on me for not getting creative and doing something outside of my routine!

Be Aware of Life's Speed Bumps So You Can Avoid Them

I'm a very analytical person. In fact, it's one of my Strengths Finder themes.

I like to look at details, analyze problems and evaluate the results. That has helped me to learn from experience and spot potential pot holes and speed bumps down the road.

You don't have to be analytical to be able to see and avoid speed bumps; though you may have to practice at it. Avoiding speed bumps helps you keep your velocity and get to your goals faster!

Be Intentional

While reading The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth (affiliate) by John Maxwell, my book club and I went through an exercise.

We each came up with three lists:

1. things we should do more
2. things we should do less
3. things we should eliminate

You know the conclusion that we came to?

We each realized we needed to be more intentional with our time.

Be intentional about your work, about spending time with your family and even with taking vacation. If we don't plan our time, someone will do it for us.

Anticipate and Prepare for the Future

Similar to how we need to be aware of the speed bumps, we should also plan for the future.

I'm sure you want to retire someday; plan and prepare for that. If you'd like to change jobs (or careers) someday, begin preparing for that now.

To me, this circles back to being intentional with my time. I may not know what I want to be doing five years from now but I can prepare for the opportunity when it comes along.

Assume you're going to be successful and start preparing now (Tweet that!)

Some Things Are Important, Other Things Aren't

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (affiliate), Stephen Covey wrote that there are four types of activities:

• Urgent and Important
• Not Urgent but Important
• Not Important but Urgent
• Not Urgent and Not Important.

Try to focus on the things in your life that are urgent and important, and try to delegate the rest. No one does this perfectly, but think about what you could accomplish if everything you spent time on was both urgent and important!

Communication is Critical to Leadership

Everyone has an opinion.

I share mine here on my website. Down at the bottom of every article and blog post that I write there is a comments section. If you haven't already, I hope you'll comment and share your thoughts and ideas with me.

I really believe that dictators dictate and leaders communicate. I want to chat with you!

Alternatively, if you aren't communicating with your leader, it's time to start. Communicate your goals to them and they can help you achieve them.

Give Before You Ask

Right now I'm offering my one-pager, 7 Essential Blogging Resources, to everyone who subscribes to my blog. Please sign up if you haven't done so already. I won't sell your information to anyone else and it is only me who has access to it.

If you're going to be a truly great leader, you have to see, think about, and treat people in a whole new way. You also have to share your message in a way that connects with people.

It's All About Connections

More often than not, we see companies as big, faceless bureaucracies. The monolithic businesses whose stocks are traded on Wall Street.

Even the smaller businesses are often very business-like; cold and detached. But a blog can change all of that.

Blogs are meant to create a connection between the writer and the reader. They're meant to share successes, failures, things going well and even the missteps and mistakes.

We like personal connections and we crave them. The prevalence of social media outlets like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are evidence that we desire human connection, even in this digital age.

When I was asked about the most influential book I'd read in 2013, two books came to mind. Platform by Michael Hyatt, and (affiliate) Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuck.

If you have a message to share, both of these books should be at the top of your reading list; especially if you hope to take your life, and your success, to the next level.

Question: What are some of your must-read books of 2013? What will you be reading in 2014?