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Joe Bunting

@joebunting.com

300 followers 630 following 540 posts

Writer, Founder, Makes Things, Dad Wrote The Write Structure Crowdsourcing Paris … other books Built https://thewritepractice.com https://automatonarmy.com https://shortfictionbreak.com https://writecoach.ai … other things ❤️ Books Man U Tech Games

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Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 19h

So who's in your corner? For me: my wife, my parents, my friends (Ben, Dustin, Danny, Matt). How about you?

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 19h

It wasn't until I discovered that perseverance is never done alone that I started getting breakthroughs. Every acheivement takes a team of people believing in you when you don't believe in yourself.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 19h

Growing up, I quit everything. Sports. Music. Writing. I was convinced I lacked the discipline to truly be successful.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 1d

Because failures are inevitable. But you're only a failure if (the people around you let) you quit.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 1d

I wrote books that were complete flops.
I started blogs that reached 5 people.
I created businesses that lost money.

The path to success isn't about avoiding these moments. It's about having people who help you get back up when they happen.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 2d

When I failed, the most valuable feedback I received wasn't "try harder."

It was "try something different."

Failure rarely comes from one big thing. It's a thousand tiny miscalculations adding up. More effort with the wrong approach just gets you to the wrong destination faster.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 3d

If you're not hitting your goals, look around you. Who are you surrounding yourself with?

Or are you surrounding yourself with anyone at all?

Isolation is the enemy of growth. Community requires honesty about where you are so others can help you get where you want to be.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 4d

Nobody accomplishes anything truly meaningful alone.

To reach your potential, you need coaches who've been there, peers walking alongside you, and supporters who believe in your vision (even when you don't).

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 5d

I didn't date my wife so I could become a writer (obviously).

But I wouldn't be a writer without my wife.

The people in your life are both the journey and the destination. They shape who you become far more than any goal you achieve.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 6d

Am I becoming someone who shows up consistently, who chases after what's important to him with pasion and persistence?

Because identity matters more than the results. (The results matter too!)

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 6d

Should I quit _____ (insert goal)?

I ask myself this all the time.

Is my goal realistic? Worth the effort? Is it even possible?

I'm not always sure, to be honest, but the answer I keep coming back to is that the goal itself is just a starting point.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 7d

And yet, I have one thing I never had when I was 17. The strategic grit to keep going even when it feels crazy.

Don't limit yourself. Get strategic.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 7d

My goal for running is just to run as fast as a baseline high school athlete.

From that perspective, as an almost 40 year old, it feels both humbling and ambitious.

Humbling because I'll never be 17 again. Ambitious because I'm not 17 anymore!

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 8d

Result? Cut my 5K time from 30+ minutes to 25:47.

Still 5+ minutes from my sub-20 goal, but the progress is real. Now it's time to get feedback and make adjustments.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 8d

I believe you can achieve anything with deliberate practice. But does it actually work?

I'm testing it. After 30 weeks of running training:

• Consumed countless books and youtube videos
• Followed a structured process with clear goals
• Ran 30+ mile weeks for 6 months
• Had a team supporting me

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 9d

Over a long enough timeline, the clock will always catch up to the identity.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 9d

One of the questions failing to hit a goal should bring up is, "What do you REALLY want"? Is it about the goal or the transformation, becoming a better version of yourself? The time goal matters, don't get me wrong. But the best goals are always about IDENTITY.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 9d

I "failed" at my running goal. After 30 weeks of training, I ran a 25:47 5K, nowhere near my sub-20 minute target.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 10d

Before: 1-2 runs a week
Now: 6 runs a week, rain or shine even while travelling and often while sick
Before: 5-15 miles a week max
Now: 30+ miles a week

I still have a long way to go. But I know that I'm building the tools to get me there.
This is why ambitious goals matter—even when you miss them.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 10d

7 months ago I set out to run a sub-20 minute 5K. I just ran 25:47, still almost 6 minutes off target.

But the numbers don't tell the whole story:

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 11d

I'm thinking about re-launching my wild travel memoir where I let the internet dare me through Paris (from trespassing through illegal catacombs to eating cow stomach). New cover, new title, new edits. It's been almost 7 years. Should I do this?

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 12d

How many cups of coffee do you drink on an average day?

I drink 4. That's a normal amount right? RIGHT?!

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 13d

I've watched brilliant writers never finish their books and eventually walk away from writing altogether. I've also watched less talented but more determined writers build thriving careers. Talent is nice but persistence always wins in the long game of being a writer.

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 18d

I also run, play soccer, am learning French, and support Man U (pray for me). Glad you're here. :)

Joe Bunting @joebunting.com · 18d

My books hit the WSJ bestsellers list, several Amazon bestsellers list, and have also sometimes been complete flops! But sharing stories with the world is the biggest honor of my life, behind my family.