It's Ok To Relax And Here's How To Do It

Push harder. Do More. Work Smarter. Be Awesome.

These are the phrases we tell ourselves to keep moving forward, to keep finding more success, or at least find what brings up the most satisfaction in our passions.

And these are the things you should be doing. Most of the time.

If you continually push yourself to the extreme, never giving yourself time to breathe, guess what? You'll crash and all of the balls you were juggling will come crashing down.

Sometimes you just need time to recuperate.

Ryan BonaparteJanuary 11, 2016Exercise, Health, Passion

Can You Take A Hit?

We’ve all been there. Things are going well. The future looks promising, and even if you’re not 100% sure how your plans are going to work out, you’re pretty confident it’ll be ok.

And then it happens. It could be an illness, a missed opportunity, or failed test. Your world seems to crumble a little bit. What you were holding out for didn’t materialize and you’re left holding the pieces of your plans that now seem to be completely useless.

Now what?

Ryan BonaparteDecember 14, 2015Quitting, Action, Motivation, Journey, Success

What Is Actually Holding You Back?

Do you have a dream?

Most people have a dream of where they think they'd like to be in 5, 10, or 20 years. Something that they are aspiring to, something they are working towards, some place they want to see themselves in.

That dream is probably a bit of a stretch goal, not really something that is achievable overnight. There are probably more than a few steps in between here and there.

One thing I often ask myself and others is, "What is actually holding you back?"

Ryan BonaparteOctober 31, 2015Goals, Action

Work Smarter and Harder

We’ve all heard the advice, “Work Smart not Hard.” At its core, the saying focuses on the topic of effective effort. Effective effort can be summed up as making sure that you are work towards your actual goal and not just working to get stuff done.

Working smart is not enough to achieve your goal.

Ryan BonaparteSeptember 29, 2015Work, Effort, Goals

How Can I Help?

"How can I help?"

This is one of my favorite questions to ask people and it has improved my life immeasurably.

It's a counterintuitive approach and most people probably won't understand why it's a valuable mindset. That's ok. It took me a little while to get it. How can asking to give something, whether that's your time, money, or energy, come back to help you? Simple.

Ryan BonaparteAugust 25, 2015Help, Communication

The New Edition of Crazy Enough To Try!

That's right, Crazy Enough To Try has been updated with new content!

You may have noticed that there haven't been too many posts here lately. That's because over the past few months, I've been dedicating most of my writing time to pushing out the 2nd edition of Crazy Enough To Try. And I'm happy to say that it came out wonderful.

PopularRyan BonaparteAugust 4, 2015Book, Passion, Writing

How To Use Your Weekends Wisely

Most of us are pretty busy during the week. We're going to work or school, cooking, cleaning, taking care of our families, and taking care of ourselves (if we can find the time of course). So needless to say, me telling you to take on another activity is probably not what you want to hear. Who has the time?

However, one thing that has helped me push through more than one project when at my busiest was this:

Use my weekends wisely.

What do I mean by this? Let's take a step back first.

Ryan BonaparteMay 29, 2015Work, Hobbies, Time, Passion

Build Your Confidence To Build Your Dream

When it comes to building your dream there's one thing that I can guarantee. No one's going to build it for you.

We take a lot of things for granted in life, and having others carve a path in front of us is definitely one of them. I'm often shocked at how much I assume is just going to fall into my lap, with little to no work on my part.

We all know it, but we don't always believe. Building a dream takes hard work and dedication. It takes a level of commitment that a typical project just doesn't need.

It also takes confidence.

Ryan BonaparteMay 18, 2015Dedication, Confidence, Passion

What If You're Frustrated By Your Journey?

Incorporating your passions into your life can be an awesome experience. I love it when I find myself doing exactly what I envision my passions to be. I just feel a sense of purpose mixed with a drive to continue on and push further.

But what if you get frustrated before you make it to that point? What do you do to keep going?

Ryan BonaparteApril 29, 2015Frustration, Patience, Passion, Journey

Conversations on Passion: Emily Worden of eThreads

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled or know someone who would be a great fit, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

I met Emily at a workshop she gave on business marketing at Miranda's Hearth, and was immediately impressed. I had previously flipped through her book Make. Sell. Repeat., an awesome guide for starting businesses, and had been looking forward to learning more. With both a book and a custom bag shop, eThreads, Emily has a ton of experience in creating and living her passions.

Read on below to get the full story behind her journey from a DIYer to a full time businesswoman.

Ryan BonaparteApril 2, 2015Conversations on Passion, Passion, Crafting, Business

How Far Are You Willing To Take Your Passion?

I recently saw the movie Whiplash for the first time, and it was pretty powerful. If you haven’t seen it before, I strongly suggest giving it a watch. As a former band kid, I could relate to the passion both Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons exhibited for their craft, even if I didn't have that same passion myself.

Without giving anything away, I can say that the main concept driving the plot was the fact that Miles Teller's character pushed himself to be the best drummer he could be. And he was willing to go through hell to get there. He was wiling to give up pretty much anything in order to become one of the “greats”.

After the final scene, I sat thinking about how this relates to an individual’s pursuits of their passion in real life.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 25, 2015Passion, Sacrifice, Happiness

Are Your Hobbies Killing Your Passions?

Most people who know me know that I am a gamer. I really like video games, and have played them for many years. Give me a few minutes and I could talk your ear off about some of the new titles that recently came out or the latest technologies being used to make games more lifelike.

Recently, I finished playing what was one of the longer games that I've played, and within the game there is a timer that keeps track of how long you've spent on this play through. As I took a final look at my time, I couldn't help but think.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 22, 2015Passion, Time, Hobbies, Choice