Jon Acuff's Blog, page 30

January 3, 2019

20 things I’d tell you over coffee. (Or more likely, queso.)

If you and I sat down for coffee and you asked me for 3-5 of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about finishing things over the years, here’s what I’d probably talk to you about:


1. How to pick the right goal to finish. (The wrong goal is really distracting.)


2. The 1% difference and the power of small wins.


3. 8 ways to refine your goal.


4. 3 ways to find out what you REALLY want.


5. How to get a baseline for your goal that propels you forward.


And if the coffee was amazing and we had extra time, I might tell you about the next 5 ideas as well:


6. How to hire the “How Kid” and let him work his magic.


7. Practical ways to keep comparison from tripping you up.


8. 3 ways to bomb on purpose (And why you need to).


9. Breaking down our actions into “Increase” and “Decrease” lists.


10. How to interview your past to increase your chances of success.


And if coffee turned into lunch and this coffee place miraculously had great chips and queso as well, I might keep going with:


11. The important difference between announcing a goal and asking for accountability.


12. Why you need a wig.


13. The power of sprint weeks.


14. The tips and tricks I use to fight off perfectionism.


15. Dealing with anger (and why it’s sometimes a good thing.)


And if the chips were unlimited and the queso was endless, I’d probably hit these next five without even realizing it:


16. Why motivation is a terrible fuel (and what to do instead).


17. How to identify obstacles ahead of time.


18. Dealing with the haters.


19. How micro-challenges can get you through a slump.


20. Finishing without stress.


Do you know what’s so special about those ideas?


Those 20 ideas are all video lessons in The Finish Course. There are 10 more in addition to these 20, as well. And for today and tomorrow only, you can get The Finish Course for only $299, $200 off the regular price of $499.


What is exactly the Finish Course?


It’s 30 videos that guide you through step-by-step goal-setting and goal-achieving exercises. It’s a beautifully designed digital workbook to walk you through what it really takes to finish something you care about. It’s a checklist to help you chart your progress through the material.



What kind of goals will The Finish Course help you finish?


+ Losing weight and getting into the kind of shape you’ve always wanted.

+ Finishing your first (or latest) book (with less stress than you thought possible)

+ Running your first 5K.

+ Building better relationships with your spouse and kids (no matter how busy work gets)

+ Decluttering a garage that has haunted you for years


The clock is ticking because at midnight tomorrow night, registration closes.


Buy now and get instant access. You can start the course immediately or wait until you’re ready, but if you don’t grab this deal now you’ll miss it.


Starting is fun, but the future belongs to finishers.


Ready to be one? Sign up today!


The post 20 things I’d tell you over coffee. (Or more likely, queso.) appeared first on Jon Acuff.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 03, 2019 06:13

December 31, 2018

Doing a comedy set was terrifying. Here’s why I did it.

For 10 years, I told anyone who would listen that I was going to do comedy someday.


I didn’t know how.


I didn’t know when.


I didn’t know where.


All I knew was why.


I love to make people laugh.


But, I was terrified of it.


That happens sometimes when you run from something you care about a lot. The longer you run, the bigger the fear gets. Your desire to do the thing grows larger but the fear always outpaces it, mutating at a rate that’s even faster than your hope.


The more I talked about doing it, the scarier it seemed. The more I avoided actually doing it, the more difficult it seemed. The more I dreamed about doing it, the more complicated it seemed.


Finally, I decided to try. Ten years felt like long enough to wait.



It was not easy. I spent months and months working on the material. I did dry runs with live audiences and stood there awkwardly as jokes that worked in my head bombed on stage.


Finally, the night of the show arrived and I waited in the green room.


I speak at 50 different events every year and always feel a little bit of nervous excitement, but that night was different. Ten minutes before I went on, a fresh wave of panic washed over me and I honestly thought to myself, “I could get out this back door and run away before anyone noticed.” I had a vision of myself sprinting down 8th avenue in Nashville, running from the thing I’d run from so many times.


Instead, when they called my name, I walked through that door and up onto the smallest stage I’ve ever been on.


The set wasn’t perfect. There are things I’d change if I had the opportunity to do it again. Some parts were messier than I would have liked, but I didn’t care.


I did it.


I checked that item off a ten-year someday list.


And I learned something.


I wish I had done it sooner.


That feeling is not uniquely mine. Almost everyone I’ve ever helped with goals had that same feeling. When you finally do something you are afraid of you always wish you had done it sooner.


Today is a good day to discover that for yourself.


It’s January 1st.


It’s a great season to try something you’ve been running from.


Maybe you want to write a book.


Maybe you want to run a half marathon.


Maybe you want to finally declutter your life.


Maybe you want to lose ten pounds.


I don’t know what you’re running from, it could be one of a million things, but I do know something.


It’s been long enough.


If you’re ready, and I think you are, I dare you to give the Finish Course a try. Sometimes when we don’t know where to begin, the thing we need the most is a plan.


I created one based on my #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller “Finish” that has helped tens of thousands of people just like you. The course is 30 super helpful, encouraging and most importantly, practical videos that will teach you how to finish the things you care about so much. It includes a custom checklist and a huge workbook with a ton of activities to help you make real progress on your goal. (And this week it’s for sale at the lowest price we’ll do all year.)



Telling people I was going to do comedy someday was fun, it honestly was. They’d pat me on the back and cheer me on, not knowing that I hadn’t actually done anything.


I said, “Someday” so often that I forgot something simple, I have the power to turn someday into today. You do, too.


Fear might be getting real loud right now, so let me repeat that.


You have the power to turn someday into today.


It’s true, even if you don’t believe it just yet.



YOU HAVE THE POWER TO TURN SOMEDAY INTO TODAY
Click To Tweet



Talking about my dream was fun, actually finishing it though? That was a whole lot better.


Quit running. Start doing. Let me show you how. Sign up for the Finish Course today.


Jon


The post Doing a comedy set was terrifying. Here’s why I did it. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

1 like ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 31, 2018 21:00

December 19, 2018

How the right kind of data can prevent disaster.

I’m not a naturally organized or data-focused person.


Excel scares me to death and math is my mortal enemy, but researching my latest book, “Finish” taught me something important:


Data kills denial which prevents disaster.



Data kills denial which prevents disaster.
Click To Tweet



Our emotions lie to us all the time, especially in the midst of a big project.


For me as a writer, my emotions will tell me things like, “The last thing you wrote was easier. This shouldn’t be taking this long. If you were a better writer, this would be easier.”


But you don’t have to be a writer to experience that. The same thing happens in other areas of our lives.


“You’re terrible at finishing exercise programs, you should just quit.”


“Your business is barely growing, you’re a terrible entrepreneur.”


If our emotions can’t be trusted, what can?


The answer is data.


Data tells you the truth.


Data steps in and says, “No, the last writing project was just as difficult. Look at these numbers, look how long it took.”


Data doesn’t lie. (Read chapter 7 of “Finish” for a full breakdown on how to use data in your goal.)


The problem is, finding the right data to use is sometimes difficult.


As a writer for the last twenty years, the data I’ve tracked for my goals was always the same, word count. I’d tell myself, “Today I am going to write this amount” or “This week I want to write 5,000 words.” And it worked, for a while.


Then I started to notice a huge flaw in that approach – editing.


How do I measure word count if I spent the day editing or tweaking? Was it only new words that counted? If I wrote 1,000 words on Monday and edited them on Tuesday, did I fail on Tuesday?


The system started to get complicated and overwhelming, which is the opposite of what a goal is meant to do.


A goal is supposed to add clarity, not confusion.


So, I started doing something different. Now I measure hours, not words.


Now, instead of getting obsessed with the word count, I focus on keeping track of the amount of hours I’ve written.


Writing counts. Editing counts.Tweaking counts. Staring out the window because I’m not sure if “Troll” or “Goblin” is a better word counts. (It’s goblin by the way.)


The same principle applies to you, no matter what it is you’re working on in your life.


For example, if you’re trying to get healthier, maybe instead of tracking your weight you should measure “time spent working out” instead?


Fight your emotions with data, but make sure it’s the right data. Make sure it brings clarity, and not confusion, to the goal you’re trying to finish.


Jon


P.S. This idea first appeared on my Writer’s List. If you’d like a new idea on writing emailed to you each week, sign up here.


The post How the right kind of data can prevent disaster. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 19, 2018 21:00

December 13, 2018

Here’s the worst gift I ever gave my wife.

What’s the worst gift you ever gave someone?


I’ve given some terrible ones over the years. I would love to say it’s because my personality style doesn’t value gifts or maybe it’s not my love language, but that’s not the truth.


The truth is that sometimes I just wait until the last minute and wing it.


The worst gift I ever gave my wife Jenny is a pair of snowshoes when we lived in Boston.


Here’s why that particular gift was so dumb:


1. She’s from Florida and hates the winter.

2. I only bought one pair. I guess I just imagined her going off to snowshoe in the frozen tundra by herself?

3. They were expensive and we didn’t have any money. When I buy bad gifts, I like to overspend, too.

4. She hadn’t expressed the slightest indication that she would ever want snowshoes.

5. I gave them to her the year we were trying to move back to Georgia, a state not exactly known for its thick, powdery snow.


We still have the snowshoes in our attic somewhere. We haven’t used them once in 16 years and I think we keep them more as a monument to foolishness than as a means of transportation.


That was a dumb gift, but over the years I’ve learned that there’s something amazing you can give just about everyone on your list – belief.


There’s something powerful that happens when you give someone a gift that says, “I believe in you.”


When I started writing books about goal setting, I started to see this happen. A wife would come up to me at an event and say, “I’m giving my husband your book. I see something in him that he doesn’t see in himself. I want to help him see it, too.”


The something was always different. Sometimes it was a writing goal or a career goal or a small business goal.


That’s to be expected I suppose, spouses should believe in each other. That’s how a good marriage works. What caught me off guard was when kids would buy one of my books for their parents. They’d always say the same thing, “My dad wants to write a book.” Or “My mom wants to start a business.” The words were different because the goals are different but at the heart of them was the same message – “I believe in somebody.”


Christmas is the perfect time to give someone a bit of belief because January is right around the corner.


In January, even people who doubt they are capable believe in themselves a little bit. It’s an amazing time to encourage someone because they’ve got a brand new, fresh year ahead of themselves.


I have two things that I think make great gifts for people you believe in.


1. The Finish Paperback.

2. The Finish Calendar.


At $11, the Finish Paperback is a fun, easy way to give someone a kickstart to their year. Plus, if you order it before December 31st, you get a free 12-part video series and a workbook.



The Finish Calendar is a roadmap to adventure. At 25” x 36” it gives you a massive look at the year ahead and comes in paper or dry erase since plans always seem to change. For the first time ever, it also includes 12 bonus pieces of content from me to encourage you along the way in 2019.



Maybe when you read this, someone came to mind. Maybe when you read this, YOU came to mind. Some of the best gifts we’ll get this season are the tiny ones we give ourselves. Like an $11 book or a dry erase calendar that says, “I believe. I believe 2019 is going to be the year I finally do that thing.”


Believe in your family.


Believe in your friends.


Believe in the simple question of “What if?”


A little belief will take you a lot further than snowshoes.


Buy the Finish book here.


Buy the Finish Calendar here.


The post Here’s the worst gift I ever gave my wife. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 13, 2018 11:31

December 10, 2018

7 ways I use this piece of paper to have an awesome year.

I need to warn you about something.


In this video, I have on an amazing sweater. It’s covered with playful foxes and you will be very tempted to get distracted during this short clip. I implore you to enjoy the foxes briefly but then focus on the content.


Today I want to tell you 7 ways I use my favorite piece of paper. Click below to watch the quick video. (Again, get ready for the foxes emotionally.)


Click here to watch this video now.



Want to plot and plan your own adventures with an amazing calendar in 2019?


Order a 2019 Finish Calendar today!


The post 7 ways I use this piece of paper to have an awesome year. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 10, 2018 10:09

December 5, 2018

Help me light the way home again this year.

I sat in a circle one cold Wednesday morning. Thistle Farms, an organization that has helped women escape from the bonds of trafficking, prostitution and addiction, invites volunteers to sit in this circle once a week.


Inside, the women who work at Thistle Farms and are going through the two-year residential program share what they are grateful for that week and challenge you to do the same.


I’ll never forget when one woman said, “Last night, when the temperature hit freezing, I was thankful I had blankets and a place to sleep inside. I always think about the women who are still out in the cold on nights like that.”


And then we lit a candle to light the way home for that woman.


Today, you might not be in the circle, but you’ve got the same opportunity.


My goal this month is to help sell 1,000 candles which will mean employment for six more women at Thistle Farms. (Check out this short video Ty and I filmed about the campaign!)



That’s a lot of candles but I think we can do it.


The concept is simple, more candles = more light = more women finding their way home.


Thistle Farms’ hand poured soy candles burn with the promise that Love Heals Every Body. Blended with pure essential oils, and handcrafted by women survivors, each candle sold helps to provide sanctuary, healing, and employment for women. (They’re such high quality candles that Whole Foods carries Thistle Farms products!)


If you need a gift idea for someone, need a great candle for your own home, or just want to do something kind for a stranger, buy a candle today.


You will even save 10% on your order when you use the code ACUFF18 at check out!


Thanks in advance for being part of this adventure with me. There are a lot of women in Nashville and at the 50 other sister homes around the country who will sleep inside tonight instead of under highway passes because you cared. You gave them the chance to stand on new ground.


Buy one here and be sure to use code ACUFF18 at checkout!


Jon


P.S. Last year, we exceeded our goal of selling 500 candles within days of announcing the campaign. This year, we’re stepping it up! Click here to be a part!


The post Help me light the way home again this year. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 05, 2018 21:00

December 3, 2018

Jordan sent me an email. I want to get one from you, too.

A few weeks ago, a guy named Jordan Geist sent me an email. Here’s what it said:


In 2017, I was tired of quitting on a bunch of goals and resolutions just weeks in, I had basically not worked out since college and read the first chapter of maybe 10 different books, so I was excited to hear about “Finish.”


Jordan and I have a lot in common. I have 10 different half started notebooks on my book shelf. I’ve half trained for races, started complicated carb hating diets and almost written more books than I can count.


How about you? Have you ever found it hard to finish a goal? You’re not alone. According to a University of Scranton study, 92% of all resolutions fail.


Jordan’s email continued:


In December, I finished Finish as the only book I finished in 2017.


As an author, I am required by literary law to tell you that any month is a great month to read my book! The truth is, December, January and September are the best months for a book like “Finish” because you have natural calendar momentum that will help you.


After I had thought up some 2018 “goals” of 24 books and running a marathon that I already knew I’d quit in January, I cut those to 12 books and a 10K upon reading your book.


Cutting your goals in half flies against every aggressive, red bulled Instagram motivational advice you hear, but it actually works. Why? It’s based in research. I partnered with a PhD named Mike Peasley to create the concepts in “Finish.” We studied nearly 900 people for six months as they worked on goals. One of the things we found is that people who cut their goals in half are 63% more successful in the long run. But did it work for Jordan?


I’m currently reading book 27 of the year, ran a 10K in April and am registered for the Dallas Half Marathon in December (and have lost 20 pounds, my wife thanks you too).


Instead of having a crazy goal that he’d give up on, Jordan read “Finish” and had a practical plan that actually works.


I think I can genuinely say I’ve utilized every concept in the book, and never laughed so hard reading one either.


I don’t like reading boring books and neither should you. Finishing a goal is hard enough without wading through advice that will put you to sleep. I think the story about the ping pong coach I hired is one of the funniest things I’ve ever written. (And most ridiculous things I’ve ever done.)


I love Jordan’s email and I’d love you to write me one after you read “Finish” and actually accomplish your goals.


Maybe there’s a pair of pants you want to fit back into or a book you want to write or a business you want to start.


Regardless of your goal, this is the best time to get Finish.


Why?


The paperback version came out today and it’s only $11. And for a limited time, I’ll send you access to the Finish Video Series – 12 videos expanding on the ideas in the book, plus a workbook – for FREE when you email me your receipt. (Click here to get your free video series.)


Starting is fun, but the future belongs to finishers.


What email will you write me in 2019?


The post Jordan sent me an email. I want to get one from you, too. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 03, 2018 21:00

November 14, 2018

Stools are the worst.

I don’t know who first decided you should give a speech from a stool, but that was a terrible decision that somehow became a trend.


It might work at a bar, as you lean over and tell the bartender your woes, but a stool is terrible on stage.


Here are three reasons I never use stools, or even small chairs, when I speak.


1. It makes me look shorter.


Nothing establishes authority like a speaker who has legs dangling off of a stool like an eager four year old who somehow found his way on stage. You might be taller than me, but stools tend to be oversized and your legs are going to swing. I promise.


2. Smoothly getting on or off a stool is impossible.


You know who looks good climbing onto a stool or small chair? No one. It’s an awkward look, even if you’re not also trying to deliver a cogent speech.


3. It’s easy to fall off a stool.


Why would you possibly trust your whole stage presence to a piece of furniture that has been dragged around a venue? Know what I never put my faith in? The structural integrity of a stool that has been sitting under a stack of chairs in a storage closet for six months until three hours ago.


Let me illustrate that last point with a photo.



I took this at an event recently. That stool is designed to throw you off. Look at the front. It’s slippery and curved downward to make sure you slide off it the minute you sit down. That’s not a stool, that’s a booby trap.


Is it weird that I have this many thoughts about stools? Sure, but I’m not about to send you into the wild without real information about the pitfalls of public speaking.


Never trust a stool.


Want more ideas about giving awesome speeches? Sign up for my weekly speaking email!


The post Stools are the worst. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

1 like ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 14, 2018 21:00

November 7, 2018

3 Secrets to a Healthy Work-Life Balance

How do you balance work, business travel and family life?


It’s a question I get all the time for all the reasons you think.


Let me first say that I’m not an expert at this. I don’t always get it right, but I have learned a few things over the years that I want to share when it comes to the idea of work-life balance.


These ideas have been learned from 15 years of working for someone else and 5 years working for myself as an entrepreneur.


1. Balance isn’t the goal.


Why? Because perfect balance is a myth. It doesn’t exist.


The reason it doesn’t exist is because every life has seasons. April is challenging for accountants. December is challenging for people who work at churches. The fall is when I speak. The winter is when I write all month long. The summer is when I gain too much weight from too much cheese.


Almost every profession and life is like this in one way or another, so the idea that work-life balance is this singular thing that can be achieved and maintained all year round is not a reality I believe in.


I spoke once in July and a dozen times in October. Think that affects how much time I spent with my family during those months? Of course it did. Balance would mean I try to speak the same amount of times each month all year long. But the spring and fall are conference season. That would be like an NFL player, yes our body types are similar, saying to his coach, “We play too many games in the fall. Can’t we play one game a month, all year long?”


I didn’t shame myself into feeling guilty in July because I wasn’t working as much. I knew that season was coming in October. Likewise, I’m not going to spend October feeling guilty that I’m not with my family as much. That’s what happens in October, and it’s why we did so much family stuff in July.


Your profession might have a different rhythm or schedule than mine, but don’t shame yourself in a natural season of busyness. Be present when you can be present. Admit the season you’re in and lean into it.


2. I don’t demonize work.


Once in a while I remind my kids that the fun things we do don’t happen without the time I spend working.


When I took my daughter McRae to New York City earlier this year I made it a point to remind her that the reason I was able to be there with her on a Friday afternoon creating fun (expensive) memories was that I was away on business a month earlier.


Did I bring it up several times a day during the trip to beat her over the head with it? No. But I did mention it, just to remind her that work is a part of life, and that it’s a good thing because it makes some amazing experiences possible.


To the best of my abilities, I don’t demonize work in front of my kids. I want them to respect it, and I also want them to realize that because of it, we can make some awesome memories as a family.


It’s crazy that in our “I hate Mondays” culture we criticize our own jobs vocally in front of our kids for 18 years and then act surprised when they don’t like to work in their 20s.



How you talk about your job today impacts how your kids will think about their jobs tomorrow.
Click To Tweet



Whenever I can, I tie my work into the fun things we get to do in real life as a family.


3. We share calendars.


Like a lot of families these days, we use shared calendars to our advantage in the Acuff household as much as possible. Whether it’s digital or paper, we’ve found that communicating our activities and planning time together leads to less hassle and more awesome.


At any time, my kids can look at our shared Google calendar and say, “Oh dad has a phone call,” or, “Oh dad is out of town that day,” and know that I’m not available. Likewise, I can see when I’m supposed to take someone to swim practice so I don’t double-book myself.


We also use our gigantic Finish Wall Calendar to plot out adventures for the year so we can see how much time we’re spending together as a family during every season. (We plan in dry erase, because life when you’ve got a family is very rarely lived in ink. Something unexpected always happens!)


It kills me that in every other area of our lives we plan when things are going to happen, but when it comes to family time we assume that it will just magically appear like a double rainbow. Of course it won’t! We don’t just hope family time happens, we plan it (and track it) strategically on our wall calendar.


(This is my favorite, by the way. I’ve been using it for 8 years. You can get yours here.)


Balancing work life and family life perfectly is a myth. Every profession and every season is different. Lean into the season you’re in, don’t demonize work, and plan your adventures with your family ahead of time.


Jon


P.S. For the first time ever we added some digital content to the Finish Calendar! For the first 6 months of 2019 you’ll get new ideas from me on how to be productive and effective with your time when you order your wall calendar. Get yours here.


The post 3 Secrets to a Healthy Work-Life Balance appeared first on Jon Acuff.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 07, 2018 21:00

October 29, 2018

10 things I’m doing in the next 2 months.

In two months, I will be 43 years old.


When I was 23, I thought that 43 was the equivalent of 83. Surely, once you are in your 40s you have to start eating calcium chews for your brittle, brittle bones. Vision probably goes too, better stock up on blueblocker sunglasses that make it look like only one very specific part of your body is from the movie, “Tron.” I assumed when you were 43 years old you met your friends for coffee somewhere quaint that had an adequate senior citizen discount.


My view of 43 is a little different now that I’m about to hit it. So is my view of me.


There are still moments when my own head feels like a vast, unknowable wilderness to me. I make mistakes I didn’t see coming and worse than that, repeat the same mistake approximately 19 times before I think, “Wait a minute, I see a pattern …”


But at the same time, I’ve learned a few things about how I work best.


For instance, if I don’t have a goal, I don’t do anything.


I’d like to tell you that continuous, incremental improvement is my default and it happens organically like jazz. I just look up one day and realize, “Wait a second? I’m in great shape! My marriage is amazing. My friendships are rock solid!”


Unfortunately, that is not the case. My default isn’t discipline, my default is donuts. (It’s actually queso, not donuts, but the rhythm of donuts was better and rhythm is a dancer.)


So, this year, I’m trying something new.


I’m calling it “10 ’til 19.”


I’m going to do 10 different things between November 1, 2018 and January 1, 2019.


I tend to coast this time of year but realized recently that there’s still a ton of time left in 2018. I also realized that I’m a workaholic and need to make sure I have some fun goals.


What am I doing for my 10 til’ 19?


Here’s my list:


1. I’m officially closing the office from December 22 – January 1.


Over the last few years, I’ve launched courses on January 1st, which meant the team and I had to work over the holidays. That’s not any fun. This year, I’m closing the office for a couple of weeks. I’m going to treat me and my team the way a great boss would. (I’ll share more about this in the entrepreneur’s email I send out once a week.) My wife and kids will be thrilled that I’m more present this Christmas and I think the time off will be wonderful.


2. I’m launching the “Finish” paperback on December 4th.


My latest book “Finish”, which was a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller, is coming out on paperback! I’m going to do my best to get it to as many people as possible because the stories I’ve heard from people who used it over this last year to complete their goals have been awesome. (For example, I have a bookshelf at home full of books people wrote using the principles in my book.) You can get a copy of the hardcover right here.


3. I’m going to read the last three Harry Potter Books.


My kids bet me that I couldn’t read the whole series from September 1 to December 31. I have three left and I plan on finishing them! (I never finished the last book years ago because I didn’t want it to end and my kids teased me mercilessly.)


4. I’m watching all the Harry Potter movies with my kids, even the Deathly Hallows Part 1.


We’ve had a real HP resurgence at the Acuff house this fall. During Christmas vacation, we’re going to watch all eight movies.


5. I’m writing my book proposal.


I have a new book proposal I’m really excited about. On November 1, I’m going to take all the ideas I’ve been working on and put them into an official book proposal. (I’ll share more about this in my weekly Writer’s List email I send out.)


6. I’m reading, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.


For years, I’ve loved James’ approach to habits and was thrilled when he put his work into this awesome book. I am looking forward to reading this one. (James didn’t ask me to do this, I’m just genuinely excited about this book.)


7. I’m going to get Jenny some thoughtful Christmas gifts.


Every January, I think to myself, “Next year I am going to put a lot of thought and time into the gifts I give Jenny for Christmas.” And then life gets in the way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not shopping at Walgreen’s on Christmas Eve for her presents, but I know I could really wow her if I was more deliberate.


8. I’m going to ski once in Salt Lake City, Utah.


My buddy Randy lives near Snowbird and I really want to grab two days of skiing in December with him.


9. I’m running a 5K with McRae on December 1.


Running with my youngest daughter is a great way to connect with her and we found a fun race in Nashville.


10. I’m doing a screentime challenge with L.E.


My oldest daughter L.E. and I are doing a screentime challenge to deliberately limit the amount of time we spend on our phones. (If your teenage daughter is game to limit phone time, you jump at that opportunity!)


Is that all I’ll do over the next two months? Nope, I have a lot of other commitments I’m looking forward to. In addition to those fun projects, I’m going to be more deliberate about connecting with friends.


Will it be perfect? Nope. If the snow in Salt Lake City doesn’t show up early enough, I can’t really do anything about that. If I need to send some emails out when the office is closed, I won’t beat myself up either. The goal works for me, I don’t work for the goal. If I want to change it, I will.


But, I’ll definitely have fun along the way and I know I’ll do a lot more than I would have without any goals.


How about you?


You’ve got two amazing months left in 2018.


What would you put on your, “10 ’til 19?”


I dare you to make your own list.


P.S. This is the calendar I personally use every year to track my goals.


The post 10 things I’m doing in the next 2 months. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

2 likes ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 29, 2018 22:00