Chapters 1–4: A New Way to Think About Time 🔑 Summary: These chapters challenge the traditional mindset of annual goal-setting and introduce a powerful concept: what if you treated every 12 weeks like a year? This new lens creates urgency, clarity, and focus. Instead of coasting through long timelines, you compress planning, execution, and reflection into tight, productive cycles. The authors argue that successful people don’t always know more—they execute more consistently. They also break down how vision, planning, and accountability are critical to making meaningful progress every 12 weeks. 🧠 Reflection Questions (Poet Edition) ✍️ What “poetry project” or goal have you been dragging out for months that you could complete in the next 12 weeks? (A book? A tour? A new service? A signature poem? A brand launch?) 🧭 What is your 12-week poetic vision? (If this were a mini-year, what would you want to accomplish creatively and financially?) 🛠 What systems or habits are currently blocking your momentum as a poetry business owner? (Be honest—are you waiting until it’s perfect? Avoiding marketing? Failing to schedule?) ⏳ Do you wait until you “feel inspired” to work on your business, or do you have structured work time? (This book says structure beats inspiration every time.) 📈 What does success look like for you on March 31, 2026? (Because if you're following the 12 Week Year... “next year” is only 12 weeks away.)

We’re getting back to our monthly reading rhythm here in the network, and we’re kicking things off strong to prepare our minds and businesses for 2026! ✅ It’s December 15th, and we’re closing out 2025 with intention. Our final read of the year is: 👉 The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran Because why wait until January to build momentum? Let’s learn how to accomplish more in 12 weeks than most do in 12 months. ✨ The 2026 Book List will be uploaded soon inside the Classroom, so stay tuned and get ready to read with purpose! 🗣 Drop a comment if you're reading The 12 Week Year with us this month! https://www.amazon.com/arya/webplayer?asin=1663702713&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amazonAsin=B08DFFS7K8&useRelativeUrl=true&initialCPLaunch=true&isSample=true&isHomesteadCaller=true&isMobile=false&ref_=adbl_dp_dt_cloudplayer_anon_preview

🧠 Simplify. Focus. Flourish. This month, we turned inward to get outward results. In Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, we were challenged to break free from overwhelm, eliminate distractions, and focus our energy on what truly matters. “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.” For poetry business owners, creatives, and entrepreneurs alike — this book was a wake-up call and a roadmap. 🔑 Here are 5 Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Do fewer things, but do them exceptionally well. 2️⃣ Saying “yes” to everything is costing you more than you think. 3️⃣ Boundaries are your creative superpower. 4️⃣ Clarity creates leverage. 5️⃣ Less but better = more impact. From cutting back on projects that aren’t aligned, to protecting our creative time, to saying “no” with confidence — Essentialism gave us tools to build poetry businesses with more purpose, peace, and power. 💬 Now we want to hear from YOU: What was your biggest insight, shift, or “aha” moment from Essentialism? Drop your thoughts, quotes, or favorite chapters below 👇🏽 Let’s grow through this together. And stay tuned — August’s Book of the Month is on the way! 📖🔥

Poets, it’s time to declutter your mind, schedule, and business! After last month’s deep inner work with The Mountain Is You, we’re shifting into strategy with this powerful next read: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. This book isn’t about getting more done — it’s about getting the right things done. It’s for anyone feeling stretched too thin, saying yes to too many things, or losing clarity on what really matters. 🔑 What you’ll gain: ✅ Clarity on what’s essential in your poetry business and life ✅ Permission to say NO without guilt ✅ More energy, more impact, and less stress ✅ A mindset that values depth over distraction ✅ A practical approach to building a life that aligns with your highest contribution This book is going to challenge the way you think about productivity and focus. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, overcommitted, or off-course — this is the book to realign and reset. 📖 Grab your copy this week and share a quote or takeaway using the hashtag #PoetryBusinessNetwork 💬 Discussion prompts will be posted weekly in the classroom! Let’s simplify to amplify this month. Drop a comment if you’re reading with us!

Transforming self-sabotage into self-mastery Throughout this month, we took a courageous journey inward through the pages of The Mountain Is You — a powerful and practical guide for anyone ready to stop standing in their own way. 🌋 The Core Message: The mountain isn’t something outside of you. It’s the internal barrier you must overcome.Whether it’s fear, limiting beliefs, unhealthy habits, unresolved trauma, or emotional suppression, you are both the problem and the solution. Wiest makes the bold — yet freeing — statement that self-sabotage is not a sign of failure, but a survival mechanism rooted in outdated beliefs. 🔍 Key Insights from the Book: 1. Self-Sabotage Is Misdirected Self-Protection Wiest explains that we often block our own growth not because we’re lazy or unworthy — but because our subconscious minds are trying to protect us from discomfort, uncertainty, or the unknown. “When you are not getting what you want, it is because you are subconsciously resisting it.” 2. Your Triggers Are Your Teachers Instead of avoiding or reacting to emotional triggers, the book teaches us to lean in and examine what those reactions reveal about our deeper wounds. Growth begins when we see our triggers as signs of what still needs healing. 3. Rewiring Your Beliefs Is Essential for Growth If you believe you’re unworthy of love, success, or happiness — your actions will reflect that. Wiest emphasizes the importance of reprogramming your beliefs through awareness, repetition, and aligned behavior. 4. Emotional Intelligence Is the New Self-Discipline Learning to feel and process our emotions (instead of avoiding them) is foundational. Emotional suppression creates blocks. Emotional honesty sets us free. 5. Rock Bottom Is a Starting Point The book reframes breakdowns and burnout as the body's way of forcing you to change. The moment you feel stuck or defeated is the perfect moment to rebuild — from the inside out. 🧠 Why This Book Matters for Us: In the Poetry Business Network — where we are literally becoming the business — this book hits home. Every poet, entrepreneur, artist, and visionary faces the internal mountain of self-doubt, procrastination, fear of failure (or success), and perfectionism.