Jon Acuff's Blog, page 43

The dumb mistake I made because I was afraid of the wrong people.

“My haters get to tell me how to live my life.”

I might never admit that out loud, but sometimes that’s exactly what my actions say.

Case in point, when I do a book tour, I try to be vocal about it online.

I’ve learned over the years that if you don’t tell people you’re coming to their city, they won’t come to your event. Novel thought, right? People can’t attend events they don’t know exist.

As I plan for the event, I put the information on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and my blog. Each time I do, I hear a small voice inside say, “You’re bothering people too much with your announcements. They’re tired of hearing you talk about the events. Someone is going to get mad and criticize you.” So I pull back, I flinch and start posting less. The fear of that invisible hater edits my actions.

I only emailed my readers one time about my 15-City Do Over tour. I was afraid that someone would get mad. I was afraid people would angrily unsubscribe or worse mark me down as spam. So I went to all the trouble of traveling thousands of miles across the country and only sent out one email.

One night, after I posted the photo of the event I did in Kansas City, someone tweeted, “I wish I had known you were coming to town. I would have loved to have gone.”

In that moment, I realized I was performing for my foes, not my friends. I was so worried about pleasing people who didn’t like me that I under served the people who do.

Who was I concerned about offending? One or two people who weren’t going to attend the event anyway? That’s what really kills me.

The people who don’t like what you’re creating are not the audience that matters. Trying to convince them to like you, your business or your service is a terrific waste of time. And in focusing on people who don’t like you, you often ignore the people who matter – your friends, your clients, and your fans. You end up quieting your voice to please other people.

Sometimes, in our desire to win over people who don’t like us, we ignore the people who do.
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I wrote this idea as part of a collection of essays called, “Living Loud in a World Full of Haters.” It’s a special resource you get for free when you sign up for the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge, a video course I made that teaches you how to accomplish your goals.

I taught it to 10,000 people last year and 2,500 people in January. It’s crazy what you can do when you get plugged into a private community of supporters and learn how to hustle on you dreams. Registration ends Friday night at midnight, so tomorrow I’ll probably stop talking about it.

Until then, this is your invitation. I don’t want you to miss it, you can sign up right here.

But even if you don’t, make sure that in whatever you do, you don’t let the hate get you down.

Use your voice.

You’re the only one who has it.

Use your voice. You’re the only one who has it.
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When I found out Rick’s plans, I had to tell everyone.

“Why would Rick give me money?”

Isn’t that the question we all have about Rick?

Come to think about it, I’ve never had a bad experience with a guy named Rick. I even liked Rickie Lake, although that might be because I always get along with people who have bodies of water in their names. Justin Timberlake, Billy Ocean, River Phoenix, etc.

I digress, back to Rick.

Recently, Rick Theule, posted this on Facebook:

Just so we’re clear, I didn’t know he was going to do that. I didn’t write that. I didn’t come up with that.

Rick said that he went through the 30 Days of Hustle last year and didn’t think the January course would be worth it. He signed up with great apprehension, but when he got the videos and everything that the course included, he loved it so much he didn’t want anyone else to miss them.

Rick is awesome.

Not only that, when I tracked him down he said I could offer that same money back guarantee to my entire group of readers. (I really want to call it a “30 Day Money Rick Guarantee.”)

So if you’re on the fence, Rick just knocked you off. Amazing years don’t happen by accident. Rick knows that and wanted to make sure you did too.

Amazing years don’t happen by accident.
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If you don’t love the course, if you don’t get a ton out of the 30 videos, 8,000 word workbook and private community, Rick will refund your money.

If you don’t learn how to hustle on your goals, get more done and have fun along the way, Rick will refund your money.

If you don’t like the black v-neck sweater I wear in the videos, Rick will refund your money.

He’s just that kind of guy.

So, are you in?

Today is the last day to get the lowest price of $60. The early bird rate disappears tonight at midnight.

Rick believes in the course, but more than that, he believes in you.

Sign up today!

 

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The cage fighter, the book writer and you.

I know that when you see my body, the first thing you think is, “Cage fighter.” Given the state of my core, it’s hard not to assume I’m proficient at mixed martial arts or at least some sort of obstacle course where you pay money to have people throw you in mud and shock you with electricity.

But I’m not a cage fighter.

You’re probably thinking of John Hackleman. He’s the one who runs The Pit, one of the top training dojos in the world. Don’t believe me though, ask UFC legend Chuck Liddell, who John has trained since 1993.

Why do I know John? Because he signed up for the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge. Here’s what he had to say about it:

Now, if you’re thinking my 30 day video course is just for cage fighters, I’d like to introduce you to Rae Ann Parker. She’s writing a book and said this about the challenge:

We’ve heard from one cage fighter, one book writer and now it comes to you.

Why should you join the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge?

I could say the 30 different videos you get, the 8,000 word workbook that is jam packed with tips, or the helpful checklist, but I think the biggest reason to join is the community.

As a member of the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge you get access to one of the most encouraging private communities on the Internet. I said that approximately 97 times in 2015, but here’s Ingrid Griffin’s opinion on it:

Why does community matter? Community calls us to heights we cannot call ourselves.

Community calls us to heights we cannot call ourselves.
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All this feedback was unsolicited. (As a general rule you shouldn’t try to force a cage fighter to do anything.)

But, when I asked the January members if they’d recommend the challenge to a friend, here was the response:

Why am I telling you all of this? Because we’re doing a February round and registration opens today!

Starting on February 1, I’m going to take a whole new group of people through the most inspiring, content rich goal crushing video course on the planet. (I was going to say “in the galaxy” but they just discovered a 9th planet and who knows what they’re up to.)

The course is worth $1,000, but I want to make it as accessible to as many people as possible. So this week, until Wednesday at midnight, it’s only $60. (The price jumps to $90 on Thursday and then closes for good on Friday at midnight.)

Does your goal need a boost?

Do you want to get unstuck?

Do you want to do something that thousands of cage fighters and book writers and accountants and firemen and stay at home moms have already loved?

Sign up for the 30 Days of Hustle today!

P.S. There’s a 30-day money back guarantee. Simply put, if you don’t love it I’ll give you every penny back!

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The question a 10 year old asked me that changed how I see money.

One night at dinner I told Jenny about a new opportunity a client offered me.

As I told her about the details she said, “You shouldn’t take that offer. That opportunity has nothing to do with your passion. It’s outside your strengths and mission. Why would you take it?”

I immediately said, “Well, the money is good.”

Without missing a beat, my 10 year old daughter piped up and asked, “Why would you ever do something just for the money? You already have some.”

Sometimes little kids drop big grenades.

Kids believe in “some money.”

Some money is awesome. You can buy some candy and some pants and some stickers and some of just about anything. Some is the best.

Kids think you need some money. Adults think you need “enough money.”

If you get enough, then you’ll be happy.

If you get enough, then you won’t be stressed out.

If you get enough, then you’ll be brave and can do that thing you’ve always wanted to do.

The problem is there’s no such thing as enough money. It’s a myth like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster or kale chips that taste as good as regular chips.

I’ve chased enough money before. For years I made my success my identity. I thought if I got enough money I would be enough. What a mistake that was. I had to lose success to realize all the money, all the accomplishments, all the fame and all the stuff would never be enough. The problem is that money is a something that pretends to be an everything.

Money is a something that pretends to be an everything.
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I hope you make money. Make a lot of money. Money is fun. We took our kids to Disneyland last week and that cost money. I’m not against money, but I’m done with enough money. There’s no such thing and like a 10 year old told me, some money is a lot more fun anyway.

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Beyond New Year’s Resolutions, 3 ways to crush your goals all year long.

It’s easy to make New Year’s Resolutions.

The Internet is chocked full of motivational statements to push you along.

You get new running shoes for Christmas.

You shake your fist at your scale.

You swear to your manuscript that this is the year it will be completed.

And then January 1st comes and goes and the stickiness of the year sets in.

The buzz wears off.

Usually by mid January our momentum starts to drag a little. A day off from the goal turns into two days turns into three. All the motivational Abraham Lincoln quotes plastered on top of photos of lions on Instagram can’t help us. (My favorite one is where the big lion is looking at the baby lion and it says that thing about how believing in your dreams empowers visions of destiny something something something positive words something. You know that one? It’s the best.)

How do we move beyond New Year’s Resolutions? How do we crush our goals all year long?

That’s the question I’ll be addressing in a free webinar next Wednesday night, January 27 at 7PM Central.

There are 3 things that can help you hustle on your goals all year long.

They’re simple, they’re unexpected and dare I say, they’re even fun.

Don’t miss this free event next week.

Sign up here!

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If you have time to binge watch TV, you have time to hustle.

Everyone I know is busy.

We have too many emails, too many meetings and too many commitments.

I haven’t met anyone in the last 5 years who said, “I just have too much free time.”

We are all too busy.

But just as we gripe about our bloated calendars, we discuss the TV shows we are watching.

Not just watching, binge watching.

That used to be a bad word. In the 80s, “binge” had a negative reputation indicating something unhealthy.

The word binge was whispered about people who had no self-control. “Did you hear about Tim and the Rolos? It’s just terrible. He binged on the whole bag like they were peanuts. But they’re not. They’re chewy caramels covered in milk chocolate. Dark if you’re fancy and think you’re better than everyone. He binged!”

Now, that word is a product benefit used to sell shows and movies and cable sign ups.

I’m OK with that. I like TV. I love Netflix. It’s one of my favorite apps on my iPhone.

What I’m not OK with is us pretending we’re busy and then binge watching things.

Please stop telling me you’re too busy to hustle on a dream and then tell me about how you binge watched Making a Murderer.

If you’ve got time to binge watch Making a Murderer you’ve got time to work on a dream.
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When our words betray our actions, we miss the simple truth about time:

1. You have more time than you think.

2. You make time for things that matter.

Time is funny that way. If we really want to find it, we usually can.

You don’t get to use both B words in your life. You can’t say you’re too busy and at the same time give in to the binge.

It’s one or the other.

Watch a show. Watch a thousand shows, just don’t tell me you’re too busy to hustle on your dreams.

There’s always enough time for the things we care about.

There’s always enough time for the things we care about.
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The best gift you can give yourself in January.

If it took you 7 years to gain some extra weight it will take longer than 7 days to lose it.

If it took you 24 months to go into debt it will take longer than 24 days to get out of it.

If it took you 10 years to fill your garage with clutter, it will take you longer than 10 minutes to clean it.

This January, when it takes too long to accomplish your resolutions, make sure you give yourself something important – time.

Slow results are still results.

Slow progress is still progress.

Slow progress is still progress.
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Slow change is still change.

Don’t beat yourself up when the clock or calendar refuses to change fast enough for you.

Great things take great time.

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The man in the street with the midnight vacuum cleaner.

I wasn’t expecting to see him there in the crosswalk.

I thought I was mistaken at first. Who walks down the street with a vacuum cleaner in the middle of the night?

I took a picture of him to make sure I wasn’t just seeing things. The photo looks like I’ve captured some sort of blurry suburban bigfoot.

I thought about that guy for months because deep down I knew what he was doing.

He was working. He was walking to a bus stop for his night shift job. Or he was walking home from his second shift job to steal a few hours of sleep before his next job started.

You don’t carry a vacuum cleaner because it’s fun, easy or glamorous. Dogs in baby carriages is definitely a thing now but I’ve yet to see someone else accessorizing their look with a Hoover.

I don’t even like carrying my vacuum cleaner in our house because it’s just tall enough that I have to do this weird T-Rex arm motion to make sure it’s elevated 6 inches off the ground as I walk.

No, that guy was carrying it because he was hustling. He was not giving up. He was charging into the night to keep a commitment. Maybe to a family safe at home asleep. Maybe to a mother he was taking care of. Maybe to a dream he promised to fulfill years ago.

Most people don’t hustle. Don’t be most people in 2016.
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You might not carry a vacuum in the middle of the night this year, but you’ll have a chance to hustle.

You’ll have a chance to do the little things no one else wants to do.

You’ll have a chance to get back up, whether from failure or just an alarm clock that refuses to give you even 9 more minutes of snooze.

I know you will because I’ve already connected with hundreds of you in the new 30 Days of Hustle private community.

It’s full of people just like you who don’t quit. Who do the unsexy, unseen, unglamorous work that every big dream always requires of all of us.

Today is the last day to join the challenge. It closes tonight at midnight Pacific. I’ve talked about it a lot this week, but I’m about to stop. If you want in, sign up today because this is your last shot.

Grab the vacuum this year. Hit the streets. Join the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge and head into the night or the morning or whatever time it is that you need to get your hustle in gear. There are 30 videos, a workbook and a wildly supportive community waiting for you.

Here’s to a year of hustle!

P.S. If you sign up for the 30 Days of Hustle and don’t love it, I’ll give you all your money back. Don’t wait until Saturday and wonder, “What if?” Sign up before midnight today!

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30 ways to kick start 2016!

It’s New Year’s Eve!

Is it me or is that holiday never quite as fun as you think it’s going to be?

In the movies, everyone is always at a crazy party, kissing people with balloons and streamers and fireworks.

That has never been my experience. Maybe I’m just lame.

New Year’s Eve parties are 100% cooler in your head and the movies than they are in real life.

New Year’s Eve parties are 100% cooler in your head and the movies than they are in real life.
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But I do get excited about December 31st because it means we are on the edge of a brand new year. You’ve got a clean slate! There are 12 fresh months headed your way.

If you want to have an awesome New Year, do as many of the following things as you can:

1. Pick a goal.

2. Find your why.

3. Get your how.

4. Make it fun or it won’t get done.

5. Win with when.

6. Make where a priority.

7. Fight for community.

8. Create a vision of where you’re headed or you won’t start.

9. Cut your goal in half. Half? Yes, half.

10. Find your triggers.

11. Use the two most powerful words to overcome obstacles.

12. Grab data as fast as you can.

13. Find a who ahead of you.

14. Build a personal library.

15. Mark your progress or you’ll never know you’re making any.

16. Make your way through the dip, when it feels time to quit.

17. Get a big soundtrack for your big adventure.

18. Admit that balloons fly higher without anchors.

19. Reach new heights with new tools.

20. Batch! Batch! Batch!

21. Rest or burn out. The choice is yours.

22. Give up perfect.

23. Think of hustle as a lifestyle, not an Axe body spray.

24. Drag your excuses into the bright light of truth.

25. Turn the whole thing into a game.

26. Look into tomorrow if you want to change today.

27. Be grateful.

28. Forget a watchman, go set a timer.

29. Use the power of habits.

30. Be brave enough to brag.

Why did I pick those specific 30? Because for 18 months I’ve been working on something called the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge. I took 10,000 people through this 30 Day Challenge and those are the titles of the lessons I teach.

I turned each one of those into a new video and the next round starts January 4th.

Registration ends on Friday, January 1st at midnight Pacific. (You can sign up right here!)

It’s only $60 and if you don’t love it, if your 2016 isn’t awesome as a result of joining my crazy fun community of hustlers, I’ll give you all your dollars back.

The best part, by the way, is the community. There’s something really fun about getting plugged into a group of 1800 people working on dreams just like you.

Either way though, tomorrow’s the last day to sign up.

If you join, awesome! You’ll get all 30 of the videos mentioned above, a special workbook, a checklist, access to the private community and other fun prizes. (Here’s a quick video about the challenge!)

If you don’t sign up, no problem. Get a goal, get a community and get hustling. (Use that list of 30 actions as a starting point.)

The 30 Days of Hustle isn’t for everyone, but the need to hustle is.

Here’s to a big 2016!

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It’s only too late if you’re dead.

The New Year is upon us but so is an old fear.

It’s too late!

You missed your chance. It will take too long. Your ship has already sailed. You’re too old! The window is closed. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Why bother?

The doubt parade has no balloons but it does come with plenty of words.

And it starts a lot earlier than you think.

I met a 23-year-old in Kansas City this fall who told me he already peaked. He used to have a dream job and now he didn’t. It was too late for him to do something else.

He was 23.

This fear is persistent.

When it hits you in 2016, when the shine of a New Year’s Resolution wears off in February and you worry that you don’t have time to become the person you’ve always wanted to be, remember this:

It’s only too late if you’re dead.

If you’re not, you’ve still got time.

If you’re still breathing, there’s still time to change your life.

If you’re still breathing, there’s still time to change your life.
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How do I know?

Because a 72-year-old joined the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge.

He’s going to use the challenge to learn piano.

The week he signed up he ran a 10K on Saturday and a 5K on Sunday.

He’s 72.

What’s your excuse?

Because it can’t be that it’s too late, because that one’s a lie.

Whether you’re 25 or 45 or 72, it’s never too late.

I can’t wait to hustle with my new friend this January.

Don’t miss your chance to join me, him and 1700 other people who are done with excuses. You might always have a chance to change your life, but your shot at the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge (with 30 awesome videos that teach you how to hit your goals) ends Friday, January 1 at midnight Pacific.

Sign up today!

Don’t listen to fear.

It’s never too late.

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