Peter's $5,000 ticket to ride

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Have you ever done something that your friends or family thought was a bit weird?

Well, I bet it wasn't as weird as this...

In 2015, an American by the name of Peter Shankman purchased a $5,000 business class ticket for a return flight to Tokyo from his home in New Jersey.

A few days later, Peter headed to the airport.

At check-in he was asked the usual questions about whether he had any luggage and whether he'd packed it himself.

But Peter Shankman had no luggage.

Apart from the clothes he stood up in, all he had with him was his ticket, his laptop and his mobile phone.

Which reminds me…. several years ago I received some pretty intense questioning at Stansted airport when I checked in for a flight to Malaga with no luggage and no carry-on bag. I just had the clothes I was wearing and a toothbrush in my jacket pocket – for the simple reason that I was going to a stag do and figured I wouldn’t be going to bed and could share someone else’s toothpaste.

Anyway, back to Peter…..

After clearing security more easily than I did, Peter headed to the gate where he boarded the 14-hour flight to Tokyo.

The flight was uneventful with no turbulence, no delays, and no near-death experiences.

And yet, when they touched down in Tokyo, Peter felt an immense sense of relief.

After disembarking and stretching his legs for a few minutes, Peter then got back on the same plane and flew straight back to the USA.

So why did he do it?

Was it because he was the pilot?

No!

For starters, if Peter were the pilot he'd have had to rest for a while before flying again.

And not even Ryanair makes the pilot buy his own $5,000 ticket before flying!

Nor was Peter making this trip to collect something he left behind in Tokyo on a previous visit. After all, there are much cheaper ways of getting reunited with your lost property.

I'll save you trying to guess...

The reason Peter Shankman spent $5,000 and 28 hours flying to and from Tokyo in one hit was because he had a book to write.

And, as someone with ADHD, he knew that the only way he could get that book finished was if he put himself in an environment where there were no distractions.

No phone calls.

No wifi.

Just him and a laptop for the 14 hours it took him to fly to Tokyo.

So why am I telling you this story?

Well, I often speak to business owners who tell me they know they should be writing blogs, sending emails to their list, or posting more on social media to get more leads, but...

They can never find the time to write anything.

Maybe you can relate to that?

But here's the thing...

I don't think it's lack of time that stops you creating content. I think it's a lack of focus.

So here's what I suggest you do (assuming you don't have a spare few grand to spend on a flight).

Once a week, take yourself somewhere different. And do your writing there.

It could be a coffee shop or a local hotel lounge.

It could be a coworking space or (if you've still got one) your local library.

It could even be a different room in your home or office from where you normally sit.

That change of scene is often all it takes to put you in the zone for writing.

The other thing that helps is if you already have a bank of ideas of what you're going to write about during these weekly sessions.

And the best way to do that is to plan out your content in advance.

That might sound like a big task, but this week's sponsor, Masters in Marketing, can help with exactly that...

They’re giving away a free Excel Toolkit with 10 customisable templates – including a content calendar to help you plan your writing sessions, plus campaign planners, budget trackers, and more. Click the link at the bottom of this email to get your free toolkit.

Having a clear content plan means you'll never sit down to a blank page wondering what to write. Instead, you'll have a roadmap of topics ready to go – making those focused writing sessions far more productive.

And if you want even more guidance on how to create content that actually generates leads, check out my book Building an Automated Lead Machine.

It will show you exactly what types of content work best for attracting your ideal clients, plus how to create a simple system that brings in leads on autopilot.

>> Click here to get your copy of Building an Automated Lead Machine

So here's to fewer blank pages and more focused writing sessions!

All the best,
David.

PS – You don't need a $5,000 plane ticket to find focus. But you do need a plan. Download those free Excel templates from Masters in Marketing and map out your content for the next few months. You'll be amazed at how much easier it becomes to sit down and actually write when you know exactly what you're writing about.

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