The 90-Day Challenge is now over.  Now what?  Well, the first thing I need to do is catch up on my work on the Quattro Boosters website.  I still need to write a new intro, and I have fallen behind on our Quattro For Life Phone call reviews.  That will be the first bit of writing I do.  Once I get caught up, it should only take a night and a half each week to keep up.  I hope to be caught up by the end of the year so I can get back to my real passion:  writing.

I have a script I wrote years ago.  It’s a Christmas story – isn’t that appropriate?  Actually, every year at this time I feeling like pulling it out and working on it, but then I don’t.  But now I’ve learned that I have the discipline to do it even with my busy life.  Maybe I’ll join another 90-Day Challenge to keep me accountable for my progress and then a second challenge to novelize it – that would be a bigger challenge.  After that, I have two other story ideas that I want to script and novelize.  By doing it this way, the script acts as an outline for the novel, and I can promote my story in two different mediums, and selling it in one medium would help sell it in the other.

Getting back to Quattro, there are a lot of resources out there that can help us grow our business.  For example, there are a lot of Facebook pages on MLMs and all the Quattro training to review.  One catch-22 about the challenge is that I learned about all these resources out there, but then had no time to investigate them.

Having Kris being in the Loscon art show again has made me want to be in the art show again as well.  Now, I cannot claim to be an artist, I consider my drawings to be high resolution stick figures.  I know full well that it’s my gags that sold my drawings and not any artistic ability on my part.  But I would like to improve on that.  In the end, it’s not a whole lot of money, but it’s fun, and I miss the fun. 

I would also like to get back to my Lego.  I haven’t collected or built anything of my own since last December.  I’ve been an awful AFOL (Adult fan of Lego) and it’s time to build a train to put under the tree.

What it boils down to is that I need to get back into balance – which is what Quattro is all about.  Ever since Kris and I became Quattro reps, we have been spending most of our spare time on our Quattro business, and little on anything else.  I don’t regret spending the time on Quattro – the education has been amazing, but I’ve been ignoring my creative side and it finally slapped me in the face.

So the big picture:  I would like our Quattro business to replace my day job, then my writing to replace that.  I think our Quattro business will take off first because we’ve been working at it longer, but if it turns out the other way around, that would be a wonderful surprise.  And as for my video’s and blogs, I’ll be posting once or twice a week when I have something of content to say.

So here’s to a new year and a new start. 

To infinity and beyond…

Dennis Cherry

It’s hard to believe that 90 days have gone by since the challenge started, but here we are on the last day.  There were a few days where we didn’t feel like doing it, but we did it anyway.  There we a few days that I didn’t know what to video or blog about, but I would manage to find a topic.  Sometimes it was hard, but overall it was fun and a valuable experience.

The Most important thing I learned from this was discipline.  The discipline to do a video and a blog for about an hour every night.  Before this, when we were working on our Quattro Boosters website, there were nights I would come home tired and not want to work on anything, but I couldn’t do that with this challenge.  The accountability we all have to each other was a big bush to keep us all going.

The second thing I learned was to follow my passion.  This is something you hear over and over again at Quattro, but with one particular Quattro For Life phone call, it hit me hard.  My passion has always been writing, and I’ve been ignoring it for years.  I’ve let things like every day life get in the way.  But now I’ve learned the discipline to work on it every night, and the confidence to be successful. 

The third thing was a realignment with Quattro.  While it is not my ultimate passion, I still feel very strongly Quattro’s education and business opportunity.  I am still committed to making Quattro Boosters a successful business for Kris and myself, but I see it as more if a means of support until I can be a successful writer. 

I have also learned that there is still so much more to learn.  There are so many websites and Facebook pages that can help grow our business, but doing the challenge every night as kept me from having the time to explore them all.  The universe just keeps expanding.

Thank you, Quattro,

Dennis Cherry

We learned discipline – had to to get the video and blog up every night. We can apply this in future projects and be sure now that it is possible for us to give it our all and see it through, despite the outcome.

We learned perseverence – there were many nights I wanted to say, “screw it” and skip a night. I have to thank my husband Dennis for talking me out of my lethargy and continuing on. He was an inspiration to even just sit back and watch. He got videos up despite relatives going to the hospital, despite getting all his teeth removed and the terrible pain and discomfort he endured up until a week or two ago (yes, he was in some form of pain or another THIS ENTIRE TIME SINCE THE SURGERY) AND despite having a miserable cold after the surgery. I don’t know another human with so much determination to see something through to the end.

I learned flexibility, more creativity than I thought I had (and I thought I had a lot before!) and that you learn more and different things than you set out to when you embark on a self-improvement journey. A lot of people are, to put it bluntly, too chicken, too lazy or make excuses that they are too busy to even start on one. It is those people I pity because they will NEVER BE MORE THAN THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. And really, how lame are those excuses when we only have one shot at life? Think about what you are doing with your life RIGHT NOW. Are you happy? Are you fulfilled? Does your life have meaning and purpose? Mine does and so can yours. The only one holding you back IS YOU.

I said in my YouTube video tonight I would go over my goals here tonight in my blog, but I am going to save that for tomorrow. It’s getting late and this wrap-up is all that is needed to be said tonight about the fact that…

I FINISHED THE 90-DAY CHALLENGE…What is your challenge? What will you do to change your life?

Today was the Loscon blood drive.  Kris and I met the American Red Cross truck at 9:00 am.  The driver set up the tables beds and Alyx machines (machines that take out two pints worth of red blood cells, an give you back your plasma) and we set up the cantina and made fish balloons.

Fish balloons have become a tradition at the Loscon Blood drives, but in keeping with the theme, I had to Billy Mays them.  So I gave them black eye brows, moustache and beard.  Buy the time we opened at 11:00 am, we had thirteen people waiting in line.  The blood drives, themselves, have become a tradition at Loscon, and  we have many regular donors.  So for me, it was non-stop balloon making until the end of the drive at 5:00.  Even then, some of the nurses wanted fish balloons, so I made some more. 

During half-time at the masquerade, we held the raffle for three prizes:  a $25.00 gift card, a $50.00 gift card and a membership to next year’s Loscon.  And here was a Loscon first; non of the winners were in the room!  They can pick up their prizes late at Con Ops. 

This was a real fun day for me.  I got to be Billy Mays all day.  At first, you might not think I’m in costume, but when I start talking real loud and using exaggerated hand gestures, everybody gets it.  I also got to do something important to me for the community.  I collected blood for the American Red Cross right at the time of year they need it most. 

Next year the theme of the convention is Steam Punk, Urban Fantasy and Clock Punk.  We’ll have to come up with a theme for the blood drive to match. 

De-Mays-a-fying,

Dennis Cherry

A lot of people go to Loscon, the Los Angeles Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, in costume.  Some go as their favorite superhero, some as their favorite Star Wars or Lord of the Rings character.  Some even go as their favorite anime character.  Me?  I’m going as pitchman Billy Mays.  This is because I’m promoting our “Now How Much Would You Bleed Blood Drive?”  Today, I had a lot of fun with exaggerated hand gestures and yelling the following:

“Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.  More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day by people who are injured or sick.  How much would you bleed to help your community?  But wait!  The demand for blood transfusions is growing faster than donations, and less than 38% of the population is eligible to donate!  Now how much would you bleed?  But wait!  If you give at Loscon, you will receive all the homemade cookies and juice you can eat and drink.  And while supplies last, you will receive a free Red Cross T-shirt.  And that’s not all!  You will be entered to win a $25.00 gift card, a $50.00 gift card or a free membership to next year’s Loscon!  Now how much would you bleed?  People drive for miles for an opportunity to donate like this, but you can give right here at the hotel between panels.  So what are you waiting for?  ACT NOW!”

Tomorrow is the big day.  Our goal is 42 donations.  Our best every was 52, so I’m confident we’ll hit and pass it.  This time of year is when the American Red Cross is in the most need of blood.  So please consider giving during the holiday season.

ACT NOW!

Dennis Cherry

Life is good and getting better =)

It has been a while since I’ve been in the Loscon Art Show. I used to be semi-regular, trying out new mediums and experimenting with new designs in jewelry, beaded bags, doll clothing and gifts such as handmade jewelry boxes, hair picks and costume masks. This time I am bringing bags, masks and my new beaded bottles. It is exciting to be participating again, especially adding my bottles. They have been such a joy to create, I can’t wait to share them with everyone.

Dennis and I will be at the convention all weekend. If we aren’t at the Blood Drive or in a panel, you’ll be able to see me sitting in the lobby, con suite or anywhere the lighting is good and I can bead. Come by and say Hi and see what I’m beading next.

Today is Thanksgiving!  Tomorrow is the official start of the Christmas season.  During this time of the year, many people start worrying about putting on extra pounds with all the goodies that are around.  If you are one of these weight-conscious people, I have some good news.  You don’t have to worry.  In fact, you can easily loose pounds during this time of year.  I’m here to reveal a secret that weight loss companies like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers don’t want you to know.  And that secret is that Christmas calories don’t count!

It may hard to believe at first, but through the magic of Christmas, Christmas calories really don’t count.  Say you stop at Jack in the Box for lunch while you are doing your Christmas shipping.  You have a Jumbo Jack fries and an eggnog shake.  You may feel guilty about your extra calorie intake, but you guilt is probably misplaced.  The burger and fries will make you fat, but the countable calories from the eggnog shake equals zero – that’s because it’s a Christmas food.  So if you want to feel satisfied with your lunch and not add to your calorie intake, skip the burger and fries and have two eggnog shakes! 

So here’s a simple weight loss plan for the holiday season:  for breakfast, have some scrambled eggs and a bowel of Christmas Crunch.  We already covered lunch at Jack in the Box.  And for dinner, have a nice soup or salad, then as many Christmas cookies and pies as you want!  You can also have cheese spreads with crackers, beef sticks and cheese logs.  Eat all you want because they don’t count!  The Swill Colony catalog is full of foods that don’t count.

There is one danger I must warn you about.  A few people have taken it too far and have eaten nothing but Christmas food.  In doing this, you can actually starve to death because you are not taking in any calories that do count.  And you may not notice because calories that don’t count will still leave you will feeling satisfied.  So just like any other diet plan, moderation is the key.

So how can this plan help you control your weight during the rest of the year?  Simple, just stock up on tins of Christmas cookies and popcorn, keep some Christmas pies in the freezer, and have some candy canes and truffles in your cupboard.  Then during the year, when you start to feel a little but chunky, work those into your regular diet.  I’d mention fruit cake, but nobody ever eats those. 

So here’s to a slimmer you by 2010.

Sorry Jenny Craig,

Dennis Cherry

The trick was not only devoting an entire day to working on one particular business – I have done that before and not gotten as far as I have in two short days – the trick is also in something called, “time management”. Understanding time management and our relationship to time shifts one’s perceptions of time (as it did mine Monday) and allows the user to get much more done in shorter a time. But even that wasn’t enough. Eight weeks of intensive training has led me up to this point – the point to allow the concept of time management the fertile ground to work. Every lesson builds on the ones before. This is an important concept to remember.