Jon Acuff's Blog, page 17

Overcome Resistance and Embrace Restraint: The secret formula to achieving your dreams with THE Steven Pressfield

Why is following a dream so hard sometimes? You know what you want, and you know what you need to do to achieve it, so why hasn’t it happened yet? I’m thrilled to have my long-time mentor, Steven Pressfield, join me for an episode all about doing the thing we all want – to live out our dreams. Steven is the bestselling author of countless screenplays, novels, and nonfiction books, including Gates of Fire, Turning Pro, and one of my all-time favorites, The War of Art. In this episode, we talk about taking consistent steps toward your dream, quieting distractions, Obi-Wan Kenobi moments, King Kong, and so much more!

The post Overcome Resistance and Embrace Restraint: The secret formula to achieving your dreams with THE Steven Pressfield appeared first on Jon Acuff.

Interruptions, overwhelming tasks, long goals, and day jobs: How to win 4 situations everyone faces.

There are endless distractions that are constantly taking us away from the things we try to accomplish. Some are innocent, like when your kids need help with a school project. Others are more frustrating, like a job that constantly cuts into your personal time. Regardless of what the distraction is, it makes moving forward with your goals harder. That’s why in this episode, I’m teaching you how to overcome four of the most common things that get in the way of progress: interruptions, overwhelming tasks, long goals, and day jobs. By the end of this episode, you’ll have the tools to keep moving toward the finish line of your goal even when everything is trying to get in the way.

The post Interruptions, overwhelming tasks, long goals, and day jobs: How to win 4 situations everyone faces. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

How to get the cheat codes from people smarter than you, AKA find a mentor. (Part 2)

The number one thing a mentor can give you is cheat codes. That phrase may sound too good to be true, but it isn’t. Great mentors have great cheat codes, and cheat codes make accomplishing your goal a lot easier. In Part 2 of this special micro-series, we’re wrapping up our conversation on establishing and maintaining a thriving mentor relationship. I’ll share the questions to ask your mentors, what to do if you’re having a hard time finding a mentor where you live, and most importantly, how to accelerate the goals you’re working toward with your mentor.

The post How to get the cheat codes from people smarter than you, AKA find a mentor. (Part 2) appeared first on Jon Acuff.

How to build your own time machine, AKA find a mentor. (Part 1)

Mentors are like time machines. They’ve been to the future you want, and if you ask them, they’ll tell you how to get there too. In this special two-part micro-series, we’re talking about how to find a mentor, how to maximize the relationship, and how to marry your goals with their expertise. Tune in to learn about the qualities every mentor needs, your responsibilities in the relationship, how to ask a potential mentor to partner with you, and so much more. By the end of this episode, you’ll join the league of time travelers that are shaving entire years off their biggest goals.

The post How to build your own time machine, AKA find a mentor. (Part 1) appeared first on Jon Acuff.

The 4 Mistakes Public Speakers Make & How You Can Avoid Them

Welcome to our final week of Summer School! This week, we’re talking about what I think is the best job in the world, public speaking. I know some of you shuddered just thinking about getting on a stage to talk to people, but before you freak out, hear me out. You may not have any aspiration to be a professional public speaker (but if you do, you’re going to LOVE this episode), but there will be times in life when you have to communicate your ideas to a group of people. That could be in a team meeting at work, on a Zoom call with a client, or with your family and friends. No matter if you’re speaking to 5 people or 500, I want you to feel confident and maybe even excited, so this week, I’m going to share 4 mistakes to avoid so you can crush your communication every time.

The post The 4 Mistakes Public Speakers Make & How You Can Avoid Them appeared first on Jon Acuff.

5 Steps I Use to Write New York Times Bestsellers

Welcome to Week 3 of the Summer School series! This week we’re talking about the five steps I use to write New York Times Bestselling Books. We’ll discuss the common pitfalls most aspiring authors make, the paradoxes of self-publishing, the exact process I use to create my drafts, and so much more! If you want to write a book, you’re going to love this episode.

The post 5 Steps I Use to Write New York Times Bestsellers appeared first on Jon Acuff.

5 Stupid Simple Steps to Jumpstart a Healthier Life

People constantly come up to me and say, “Wow, Jon, you are so tall and fit…how do you do it?” OK, that hasn’t happened yet but I’ve started doing CrossFit and I’m pretty sure that exercise even makes you taller so we’ll see. What people do know about me is that I’m a goal nerd and avid runner that’s crushed a lot of my fitness-related goals. That’s why in week 2 of our special Summer School series I’m going to teach you a few easy ways you can live a healthier life and reach any health goal you have (I promise it doesn’t involve the tr**dm*ll). I hope you brought an apple because class is about to begin.

The post 5 Stupid Simple Steps to Jumpstart a Healthier Life appeared first on Jon Acuff.

8 wicked easy ways to charge more for your side hustle

Class is in session! Welcome to week one of my special Summer School series. I’m constantly asked about four different types of goals: side hustles, health, writing and speaking. So, for the next 4 weeks I am going to answer 1 question for each of these topics! Up first, side hustles! Why? Because roughly 90% of the entrepreneurs I interact with don’t charge enough money for what they do. Of that 90%, the majority of them are not just undercharging, they’re grossly undercharging. I would argue that not charging enough is one of the biggest problems facing entrepreneurs right now. That’s why I’m giving you eight ways you can charge more for your side hustle! Try them out and I guarantee you’ll start to see the results you want.

The post 8 wicked easy ways to charge more for your side hustle appeared first on Jon Acuff.

How to change your crazy uncle’s mind about politics. – My conversation with David McRaney.

Can people actually change their minds? Why does anyone do anything? And what do genies (yes, like the wish-granting-guys-that-live-in-lamps) have to do with it? David McRaney is an author, journalist, lecturer, and the creator of the blog You Are Not So Smart, which became an internationally bestselling book, later followed by You Are Now Less Dumb. David currently hosts the popular You Are Not So Smart podcast and speaks internationally about irrational thinking and delusion. He joins me for an unforgettable conversation about opening a pet store after a life-altering car crash, the truth about people with off-the-chart IQs, the origin of birthday parties, and so much more. For more from David, check out his latest book, How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion.

The post How to change your crazy uncle’s mind about politics. – My conversation with David McRaney. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

Unoptional Joy: Why prioritizing your happiness is crucial to your success with Valorie Burton

So many of the messages we receive in the world try to convince us that success is the key to happiness. But what if that’s backward? America’s Life Coach, Valorie Burton, argues that happiness is actually the key to the success we crave, and she’s got the research to back it up. Valorie is a bestselling author of 13 books, podcast host, and the founder of the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute (CaPP). She’s served clients all over the world through her speaking, coaching, and writing. She joins me for a conversation on prioritizing your happiness, positive psychology, and resilience strategies that will help you achieve your goals. For more from Valorie, check out her latest book, Let Go of the Guilt!

The post Unoptional Joy: Why prioritizing your happiness is crucial to your success with Valorie Burton appeared first on Jon Acuff.