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Curious about the Freedom Journal? Well, you should be. Here's why –

Remember that feeling – the first time you set an important goal?

You were full of passion and determination. You began with the conviction that yes – you CAN.

But you know how the story usually goes.

Life happens. You have too many things to juggle and too little time. Or, you procrastinate, putting things off for later.

Failing to complete goals can be frustrating. Sometimes setting goals is the issue. With the Freedom Journal, this can all change.

What is the Freedom Journal & How Does it Work?

What if you had an incredibly simple system that helped you to accomplish your goal in 100 days?

That's exactly what the The Freedom Journal does.

It's a simple, yet powerful tool created by American entrepreneur John Lee Dumas, founder of one of the most popular podcasts in the world, Entrepreneurs on Fire.

EOFire has featured a community of renowned and inspiring entrepreneurs like Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Barbara Corcoran, Tim Ferriss, Brian Tracy, and over a thousand others. The incredibly popular podcast gets over a million downloads every month.

John Lee Dumas has been featured on various channels including ABC, CNBC, FOX and several popular blogs. In less than three years, EOFire has grown to generate annual revenues of 7 figures.

The Freedom Journal, launched in San Diego as a Kickstarter project in early January 2016, raised more than $453,803 from more than 7,063 backers within a month!

My co-founder Joy Ghose, happens to be one of those backers and we are really excited about John's latest project.

Since it was published, nearly 30,000 copies have been sold. How have so many copies sold?

The Freedom Journal is more than just a paper self-help book. It is a learning process and an accountability partner that has become the reason entrepreneurs succeed. It is the key to increased productivity.

Whether it was luck or law of attraction, I was able to interview the podcasting genius and creator of the Freedom Journal himself. Here's what he had to say about the contents of the Freedom Journal:

Peter:

What is The Freedom Journal and how does it help people?

John:

The Freedom Journal is a faux leather-bound physical book that guides you through how to set a SMART goal and then leads you in accomplishing that goal in 100 days. It helps people through:

daily and nightly accountability;
10-day sprints;
quarterly reviews;
daily affirmations and recommended resources; and
so much more!

All of this is part of The Freedom Journal, so it will hold you accountable and keep you on pace to accomplishing your goal in 100 days.

Now, you don't need 100 days of free time to use this book. The point of the journal is to address your objectives and projects within your current life through step-by-step coaching, daily tasks and goal setting.

Who is the Freedom Journal For?

The journal is for anyone wishing to achieve big goals. Whether you are looking to start a business or complete one of your many projects, the Freedom Journal can liberate your ideas and bring them to the level of reality. That is, if you do the work.

Though the book is available as an aid to everyone, Dumas wrote it to help entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into material successes.

When I asked Dumas about his inspiration for the journal, here's what he had to say:

Peter:

What was your inspiration for creating The Freedom Journal?

John:

After interviewing over 1,200 entrepreneurs, I realized that they have 1 thing in common that sets them apart: they know how to set and accomplish goals. The biggest pain point I see from those who are not able to do this is they lack accountability. So I created The Freedom Journal to be just that: your accountability partner to help you accomplish the goals you set.

As you can see above, Dumas highlights a few key characteristics needed to accomplish goals.

Feel like you don't have one or more of these traits? No worries. The Freedom Journal will teach you goal setting techniques so that you can create a successful action plan. The journal will also lead you to be more accountable through daily tasks and nightly recaps.

Some successful entrepreneurs who are using the Freedom Journal include:

Andrew Warner, Founder of Mixergy
Chris Brogan, CEO of Owner Media Group
Omar Zenhom and Nicole Baldinu, Co-Founders of The $100 MBA
Josh and Jill Stanton, Co-Founders of Screw the Nine to Five
Tim Paige, Conversion Educator at Leadpages

Snag a copy of the freedom journal and you could soon be an entrepreneur on fire.

How to Use the Freedom Journal

Set a SMART Goal

According to JLD, you can't use this book to address just any goal. It has to be a "SMART" goal.

Here's John's perspective:

Peter:

In your experience, what's the key differentiating factor that determines whether someone achieves their goals or not?

John:

Whether or not someone achieves their goal has everything to do with discipline and focus; but whether or not someone sets a goal that even has the potential of being achieved has everything to do with that goal being SMART. If you set a SMART goal: Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant and Time-bound, then you actually have the opportunity to accomplish it. So many people skip this step and just say "I want to lose weight", or "I want to start a business" – you can't put in a plan in place and execute on a goal that isn't SMART.

Let's go over SMART goals in detail.

Specific

Your goal must be clear. What is it that you want to accomplish? What are the benefits? Is it going to take place in a specific location? Who will be involved?

Measurable

Your goal must be measurable so that you can track your progress. Can it be defined by a number or time? If you have a goal to lose weight, how much weight?

Attainable

Keep in mind, the point of the journal is to complete a goal within 100 days. Becoming the president of the United States or building a fortune 500 company may not suffice.

Relevant

Your goal must be relevant to your current life. Choose something that will make a big impact! When choosing a goal, ensure that it is worthwhile and appropriate for this time in your life.

Time-Bound

Finally, your goal must be able to be carried out over a period of time. This is the power of the 100 day process. Your ideas and dreams will no longer be suppressed by life's hectic collection of commitments and tasks. Applying a number of time restraints to your goal is critical to making it a reality.

Once you have narrowed down and refined your goal, it's time to construct a plan of action.

Create An Action Plan

Podcasting Entrepreneurs on Fire didn't come easy. Among focus and discipline, Dumas says that a plan of action was crucial to his success.

Peter:

You host one of the most popular podcasts in the world and have interviewed over a thousand people in just three years. What key productivity habits have contributed to your success?

John:

Discipline and focus are two things I reference all the time. Productivity is about putting a plan in place, and then actually scheduling time on your calendar in order to execute your plan. I do this for every project or task I work on – no matter how big or small. If you don't schedule it, you're not making it real.

I would say the biggest productivity hack I've employed that contributes directly to the success of the business is batching. I do 8 interviews every single week – on 1 day. That means the podcast, which is the foundation of the business, is taken care of in just 1 day, leaving me 6 other days to focus on other integral areas of the business, like building community, marketing and growth tactics.

This is where the Freedom Journal steps in. The journal lets you create daily and nightly action plans that lead to the accomplishment of micro-goals within your big goals.

In a daily entry you will write about your day's intentions and focus. You will also write about what you aim to have accomplished by the end of the day. Here's an example:

Writing down objectives on a daily basis will formulate an organized, multiple step process, making it easier to cross tasks off your list of to-dos.

Sprint for 10

One of the reasons that the Freedom Journal is so effective is that it breaks the 100 days down into digestible chunks of 10-day sprints. Through recaps of your 10 day sprints, you are able to view your level of achievement on a larger scale. Here's what a sample first sprint looks like:

Once the sprint ends, you will write a recap similar to this one:

10 day sprints are another great way to address micro-goals that lead to big success.

Complete Quarterly Reviews

Every quarter the Freedom Journal initiates a quarterly review. This unique step is a chance to evaluate your level of progress and contemplate what still needs to be completed.

In a quarterly review, you will evaluate:

Your largest accomplishments over the 25-day span
Areas that need improvement in the next quarter
Things you are proud, excited and surprised about
Thoughts, ideas, and musings about the quarter

Though the Freedom Journal gives you the tools and strategies needed to become successful in your goals, the effort will still come from you. Therefore, it is crucial that you embody a couple of traits while using the Freedom Journal.

Be Accountable

The Freedom Journal is intended to be a guide and an accountability partner. Without accountability, accomplishing goals is not possible. Here's why:

Peter:

Why is an accountability system so crucial to accomplishing your goals?

John:

Because without accountability it's way too easy to let distractions get in our way. Without accountability we have trouble focusing, and when we only have ourselves to report to, it becomes very easy to let things slide. When you have proper accountability in place and the discipline and determination to CHOOSE freedom, then the sky is the limit.

If possible, you can even bring in a real-life accountability partner. Either you can both use the Freedom Journal to set and achieve goals, or your partner can observe your daily entries and reflections, and keep you accountable. Regardless, learning the skills of accountability will lead to greater success within your overall life.

Exercise Your Choice!

In the end, whether you succeed or not is up to you.

Peter:

There are so many talented people with an idea and a dream who are not taking action because they doubt themselves. What's your advice to them?

John:

You get to choose.

No one can make you decide that it's time to start living the life you want, and we ALL have doubts. The imposter syndrome is strong, and it wants you to be comfortable and settle for normal. Start surrounding yourself with the people who are doing what you want to be doing so you're lifting yourself up instead of bringing yourself down. Creating a new future requires making changes, and you get to choose whether or not you start making those changes.

You are free to make the choice – to set a goal, commit to it, and pursue it. Each of these choices will take you in the direction of success and gratitude for your hard work. As long as you commit to take action towards your goals, you are in control of your success. As John says, we all have doubts, but successful people choose to take action despite their doubts. There's nothing left to it. Beat your procrastination and get started!

Where to Buy the Freedom Journal

Take action by getting an issue of the Freedom Journal today. Not sure if you are ready to buy? Check out this free 30-day sample.

Want to share the Freedom Journal?

JLD provides an email copy so that you can share the journal with your community of email subscribers. In the link above he even created an email template for you to share.

If you want to further ignite your fire, check out the Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast. Hear inspiring entrepreneurs like Tim Ferriss talk about their journeys to success. Get suggestions for the best entrepreneurial events and conferences of the year.

The Fire app is downloadable on both Apple and Android devices.

For a lot more of John's ideas, follow him on twitter. For more productivity and focus strategies, check out the Mastery Journal.

Have a question? Send us an email or comment below!

The Freedom Journal has partnered up with Pencils of Promise and a portion of EVERY Freedom Journal sale is helping fund the construction of a school in a developing country.