Jon Acuff's Blog, page 44

Dear perfect Elf on the Shelf parents, an open letter.

Dear perfect Elf on the Shelf people,

stop it.

Seriously, quit it.

You’re making the rest of us parents look horrible.

It’s only December 8th and do you know what our Elf did last night? I’ll show you:

That’s right. He’s in a freezer. Why? Because when our Elf on the Shelf iPhone “hide the elf” alarm went off, we were out of ideas. Let’s pause for a second. That’s right, we had to set a freaking alarm to remind ourselves to hide this thing. We are the worst parents.

Dear perfect Elf on the Shelf parents, please stop making us look horrible.
Click To Tweet

So Jenny and I decided, “Let’s put him in the freezer. That’s a thing. We’ll make him hold a popsicle. That’s whimsical or something. Whatever.”

I think he’s sitting on a loaf of bread or maybe some ham. I don’t know. I don’t care. The day before that I made him sit on a bunch of copies of Do Over. (Product placement!) The day before that he hid in a jar. Why? Because jars are easy for me to open. Don’t judge me. You don’t know my life.

Then I get online and see photos of your elf. You’ve built a trapeze with the elf hanging from the roof of your house with some sort of homemade jet pack. The day after that he’s driven your car into the front yard and left some clever message spelled out with Skittles. You’re making the rest of us parents, who hide the elf in the Christmas tree 9 times in December, look bad. Plus, you’re not showing all of your elf days online, just the greatest hits. (That’s the photographic equivalent of putting the song “Christmas Shoes” on repeat.)

And don’t tell me you got that photo in one take. You didn’t. You took at least 10 photos of that scene, I guarantee it. You tried 5 filters before you found the perfect one.

Do you understand what that means? We’ve become Elf on the Shelf paparazzi. You also never show the after photo. The one where there are ants all over your counter because you left a trail of powdered sugar footprints when the Elf had a powdered sugar snowball fight with a teddy bear named “Prickles.”

I think next year Jenny and I are going to have to move houses because we’ve run out of ideas. This is our 8th year. If this is your first, I totally give you a free pass. Have at it. But if you and your spouse are holding brainstorming meetings in November for elf planning, we’ve got a problem.

If you hold brainstorming meetings in November for elf planning, we’ve got a problem.
Click To Tweet

It’s exhausting.

Please stop,

Jon

p.s. If this is you, please sign this petition by forwarding this or sharing it on Facebook or tweeting it or doing anything you can to get it into the hands of perfect Elf on the Shelf people. They must be told.

The post Dear perfect Elf on the Shelf parents, an open letter. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

“Why not me?” might be the most powerful question you ask in 2016.

In 2007, I started a blog. A coworker named Ryan Sweet told me I should and I thought, “Why not me?”

In 2008, I gave my first paid speech at a small conference in Oklahoma. I was terrified but I thought, “Why not me?”

In 2010, I published my first book. Fear told me I was unqualified, but I thought, “Why not me?”

After sleepwalking through my 20s, asking those three words in my 30s woke me up and launched on a crazy fun rollercoaster ride.

It’s not easy to ask that question. Although it sounds simple, it usually feels dangerous the first or thousandth time you do it. “Why not me?” isn’t just a question. It’s an invitation. It’s a slingshot. It’s a fuse.

“Why not me?” isn’t just a question. It’s an invitation. It’s a slingshot. It’s a fuse.
Click To Tweet

Last year, I asked 10,000 people that question. They answered and lost weight. They wrote books. They started businesses. They went on more dates. They accomplished a thousand different resolutions while the rest of the world was giving up by the third week of January.

I’ve invited you to join the 30 Days of Hustle this week. The early bird registration price of only $30 ends tonight. Maybe you haven’t done it because you don’t have the time or you don’t have a perfect thing you want to work on or you feel unqualified. Maybe you’re suspicious of any email that has a big green sign up button like this one.

I don’t blame you for feeling that way one bit. I feel that way some days too. That’s why I need community. That’s why I need plans. That’s why I need encouragement. That’s why I created the 30 Days of Hustle to begin with.

Maybe this year you’ll join this rowdy group of hustlers who dare to turn dreaming into doing. We’ve definitely got room for one more pirate on this ship.

I hope you do. (And in the next 12 hours, because it’s the cheapest way to join the party.)

But if you don’t, please promise me you’ll still ask that question. Promise me you’ll still say those words. Promise me you’ll start the year with that simple idea:

“Why not me?”

P.S. If you ask that question and get even a little bit curious about the 30 Days of Hustle, watch this.

The post “Why not me?” might be the most powerful question you ask in 2016. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

Results are more fun than resolutions.

In a few weeks I turn 40. When I was 20 I thought that age meant you were half dead. I distinctly remember thinking, “Whoa, people in their 40s are super old! I hope they get enough calcium for their brittle, brittle bones.” Now that I’m almost 40, I’ve completely changed how I think about that age. If Jay-Z can do 40, so can Jon!

I’ve also changed how I think about resolutions. In four decades on the planet, save for the times I’ve jumped in the air, I’ve learned something simple. Results are more fun than resolutions, but you don’t get the first without the second.

Results are more fun than resolutions, but you don’t get the first without the second.
Click To Tweet

If you’re having a hard time coming up with a resolution, here are 37 resolutions you could pick from:

1. Be able to do 50 pushups in a row.

2. Complete all my tax returns on time.

3. Give my notice at my corporate job to make a living on my passion.

4. Launch a new blog.

5. Make at least one connection in the industry I want to break into.

6. Get my house clean enough for company and keep it there.

7. Write a Bible study based on an idea I’ve had for a long time.

8. Cut out all soft drinks and lose five pounds.

9. Start an LLC and start raising finances for it.

10. Try juicing.

11. Complete all the paperwork necessary to become a foster parent.

12. Sell several art pieces and secure a booth at a local boutique.

13. Lose eight pounds.

14. Submit a short story to a magazine.

15. Practice piano 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

16. Focus each day on worrying less.

17. Prep and finish three furniture pieces.

18. Do one extra nice thing for my spouse every day.

19. Walk 10,000 steps five days a week and work out three days a week.

20. Learn about and start a new eating plan.

21. Spend more time marketing my business.

22. Wake up earlier and spend more time reading.

23. Keep a daily journal the entire month.

24. Do a random act of kindness for someone each day.

25. Write chapter one of my new book.

26. Ask my wife on more dates.

27. Write at least one new song.

28. Clean my house and get rid of as much junk as possible.

29. Focus on saving money for a plane ticket to Europe.

30. Be in bed before midnight every night.

31. Create a new online course for my blog.

32. Lose ten pounds.

33. Host my first webinar.

34. Launch and market my first video game.

35. Get accepted to the World Race.

36. Set up an Etsy shop and sell my first painting.

37. Be kinder to myself and think more positive thoughts for a month.

You know what the best part about this list of resolutions is?

Those aren’t resolutions. Those are results from some of the folks who went through 30 Days of Hustle last year. Every single item on that list is something that someone accomplished during the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge last year. There were 10,000 people who went through the program and the results they had were awesome.

So, if you’re ready to trade resolutions for results, join the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge.

(And remember, the Early Bird Window closes at midnight PT tomorrow. Don’t miss it!)

The post Results are more fun than resolutions. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

The Top 9 Questions About the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge

The response to the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge so far has been amazing!

Over 600 of you have already signed up to be a part of the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge next month for the 50% off Early Bird registration rate!

Remember, in 3 days it goes away (midnight on Friday), so don’t miss out – register now!

I’ve also received a bunch of great questions, so I thought I’d share a few of the best ones to let you know a little bit more about the challenge.

Question #1 – I’d like to go through the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge, but January is a tough month for me. Can I go through it in February?

Of course you can go through it in February. The Challenge is set up so that you’ll get the full 8000-word workbook before the challenge begins, and then daily emails throughout January. You can read through the emails when you get them, or set them aside for February, that’s up to you.

You do need to register this month though, because the only two windows to sign up for the challenge are now through Friday (half-priced at $30) or Dec. 28 – Jan. 1(full-priced at $60).

Question #2 – Is it true that your wife Jenny will be a part of the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge material?

Yes, 100% true! We’ve talked about doing a book someday, and that still might happen, but for now we’re really enjoying being able to share ideas on video. Jenny will definitely be a part of the videos, and honestly, that alone is worth the price of admission. Jenny is awesome!

Question #3 – I went through 30 Days of Hustle the last time you did it and loved it, but it is worth going through again?

Definitely! Even if the Challenge was exactly the same I still believe it would help you crush your goal and start 2016 in an awesome way.

That being said, there’s a lot that’s new this time around. I’ve updated the workbook, I’ve added a brand new video for each day of the Challenge, and there’s a new community going through it this time. Honestly, I think you’re going to love it even more this time around!

Question #4 – Are you really giving away a falcon as a bonus for signing up for the challenge?

There’s nothing I’d love more than to give everyone the gift of falconry, but alas, bonus falcons would be a logistical nightmare. (side note: “Bonus Falcons” is a fantastic band name, feel free to use it.)

I am giving away a Bonus PDF to everyone who registers for the Challenge. While not as prone to hunt prey as a falcon, it will offer you more help as you pursue your dreams.

It’s called Living Loud in a World Full of Haters, and it features my best ideas on chasing your dream in a critical world. Everyone who signs up for the Early Bird rate gets it FREE!

Question #5 – Is it worth doing the Challenge if I can’t decide what it is I should hustle on?

I’ll flip that back on you and say that the people who need the challenge the most are the ones who can’t decide what to hustle on. One of fear’s most powerful tactics is to paralyze you into doing nothing by telling you you have to be 100% sure about your next step. The thing is, that’s a lie.

Through the material and the community that comes with 30DOH, we’ll help you figure out what to hustle on. Because in the end it’s not about choosing something and hoping you made the “right choice,” it’s about taking action and making progress in the face of fear.

Question #6 – Can my “hustle” be anything? What if I want my hustle to be ‘eating more queso’?

First off, yes, your hustle can be anything. We’ll talk more about that on Day 1 of the Challenge.

Second off, I do not recommend ‘eating more queso’ as a hustle if you are already eating a lot of queso. Take it from the 2008 version of Jon Acuff, it’s not a great idea.

Question #7 – I loved your “Hustle Has Seasons” video because I’m definitely in a busy season right now. Is it worth going through the Challenge if the thing I want to hustle on is relatively small?

Absolutely! It’s easy to diminish “small” dreams when we think they don’t stack up to what others are doing, but I can tell you from experience that some of the people who have gotten the most out of 30DOH in the past had what you might call “small” dreams.

From spending 15 minutes of focused time with family members, to cutting out one soda per day, to reading more fiction, I have seen many people achieve their “small” goals in 30DOH and not only find satisfaction in it, but also use the momentum to achieve bigger goals down the road as well.

Question #8 – Will the challenge connect me with helpful people? They say social media makes it easy to make connections, but it’s never been easy for me.

Everyone needs community to accomplish their goals, which is why my favorite part of the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge is the private Facebook community. You’ll be joined by hundreds of other people just like you who are daring to hustle on their goals and be more this year than they were last year.

If you join the Challenge and get plugged in to the group, I guarantee you’ll find a helpful community that’s eager to help you succeed.

Question #9 – Will you be opening up another “surprise” Early Bird window at Christmas?

Nope, when I say that this window is the last chance to join the Challenge for $30, I mean it.

You’ve got less than 3 days to grab the Early Bird rate, so don’t miss it!

Have any other questions I missed?

Ask them in the comments and I’ll try to answer some of them!

The post The Top 9 Questions About the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge appeared first on Jon Acuff.

3 things every successful goal demands.

Last year, I helped 10,000 people work on their goals. The people who were successful at their New Year’s Resolutions relied on 3 things:

Clarity – They had a focused sense of what they were trying to accomplish.
Consistency – They did the grind of stacking small wins on top of small wins day after day.
Community – On the days they didn’t feel like hustling, they leaned on friends.

The secret to accomplishing anything isn’t a secret. It takes clarity, consistency and community.
Click To Tweet

Those 3 things are simple, but sometimes they’re hard to find. That’s why I created the 30 Days of Hustle.

I’ve mentioned it over the last month on my blog and teased it in my recent 3 Rules of Hustle video series, and it’s finally here: Early Bird registration for the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge is live!

Here’s the deal: this January I’m launching the best version of the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge that I’ve ever done.

There are daily emails, an 8000-word PDF, a new video each day for 30 days, the 30DOH worksheet, access to the private Facebook group, and other fun surprises. It’s going to give you the best shot of crushing your resolutions for 2016.

Full price registration will be open the last week of December for $60, but this week only you can register for half price. That’s right: from now until midnight PT on Friday, registration is only $30.

If you’re looking for the best way to make sure you have an awesome start to 2016, do what 10,000 other people did last year and go through The 30 Days of Hustle Challenge. (And don’t do it alone! It’s a great challenge to do with a friend, so share the link with your friends and challenge them to do it with you!)

Can’t wait to see the awesome things you accomplish!

For more info or to register, click here: Jon Acuff’s 30 Days of Hustle Challenge

PS…The Early Bird price goes away Friday at Midnight PT and registration will be closed for a few weeks until it opens again at full price ($60) the last week of December, so don’t miss this offer!

PPS…Yes, you’re dream is worth way more than $1/day, but for this week I wanted to make the Challenge accessible to as many people as possible. I hope you’ll join me!

PPPS…So many additional thoughts! I put together a 30 song playlist pulled from the most eclectic, motivational collection of music. I can’t wait to share fun things like that with you in January!

The post 3 things every successful goal demands. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

4 ways to get paid more and have more fun at whatever you do.

The message at the heart of what I shared at the 15 Do Over fall tour events was this: there are 4 things you need to focus on if you want to get good at what you do for a living (or if you want to change what you do for a living).

Focus on these 4 things, and you’ll be better equipped to handle any changes you face and have a whole lot more fun along the way. My theory is simple: If you’re going to spend 40-60 hours a week for 40-60 years of your life working, you might as well enjoy it.

If you’re going to work 40 hours a week for 40 years of your life, you might as well enjoy it.
Click To Tweet

I know many of you weren’t able to make it out to a live event this fall to hear more about what those 4 things are, so I’m excited to announce that Thursday, December 3 at 7pm CT, I’m hosting a live Do Over Webinar.

Who is this free webinar for?

It’s for 9 types of people.

1. If you think trading 50 weeks of drudgery for 2 weeks of vacation every year is bad math, this webinar is for you.

2. If you want to make sure your career is recession proof, this webinar is for you.

3. If you have a dream that you just can’t shake but you’re not sure where to start, this webinar is for you.

4. If you want to win at work, this webinar is for you.

5. If you want to make a few small changes that over time will make a big difference, this webinar is for you.

6. If you’re wondering if you’re too old for a Do Over, you’re probably not, and this webinar is for you.

7. If you think there’s something wrong with spending 40 hours a week for the next 40 years doing something you hate, this webinar is for you.

8. If you want 2016 to be way better than 2015, this webinar is for you.

9. If you wanted to check out the Do Over tour but couldn’t make it to an event, this webinar is for you.

Register for this free event here: Jon Acuff Webinar on 12/03/15. (A replay will be available the next day for those who can’t be there live, but you must be registered to have replay access.)

Hope to see you there!

Jon

The post 4 ways to get paid more and have more fun at whatever you do. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

Why hustle has seasons (a new video featuring my wife Jenny!)

Of all the investments you must make into your career, none of them involve more tension than hustle.

You have to work incredibly hard, but you have to rest.

You have to say yes to a lot of opportunities but also protect your time and say no regularly.

You need grit to hold on in the tough times and flexibility to quit when it’s time to move on.

Sometimes we think hustle is an excuse to become a workaholic, but it’s not. Rest is actually a really important part of hustle. The hard part is that in a culture that praises busyness, rest is an act of bravery.

In a culture that praises busyness, rest is an act of bravery.
Click To Tweet

How do you manage the tension? You start by understanding that hustle has seasons.

That’s the topic of the second video in my free video series, The 3 Rules of Hustle. And as you can see, my wife Jenny joins me in this video to talk about that very thing (as well as some other things like how much Tony Hawk Pro Skater I played when I was putting off writing and why no one eats chili in the summer.)

It’s a fun one. Check it out here by signing up for all three free videos!

I created the 3 Rules of Hustle video series because the truth about hustle is this: hustle is the fuel for the things we work on. And if you use it the right way and apply it to the right things, you get to be more awesome, more often.

The best part is, when you sign up you’ll get access to video #1 and video #2 immediately.

I can’t wait to see what dream, goal or project you apply the 3 rules of hustle to!

The post Why hustle has seasons (a new video featuring my wife Jenny!) appeared first on Jon Acuff.

How to run 4 miles when you really don’t want to.

If I ate queso as often as I tweeted about it, I would be dead.

They’d serve it at my funeral with a fountain in one final nod to the melted cheese dream that put me in the grave, but it would be game over for me.

In order to eat queso, I have to work out.

Is that the weirdest reason ever to exercise? Surely no one in the history of mankind has told a trainer, “My motivation for hitting the gym is cheese, glorious cheese.”

 

Traveling makes exercise difficult so I have to plan ahead. I have to pack my workout clothes. I have to pack my sneakers. I have to pre-select a time in my schedule when I can fit in some time on the hotel fitness center.

Calling two old treadmills and seven barbells in a closet does not a “fitness center” make, but hotels are creative with their words.

Three weeks ago I planned to run three miles in Houston, Texas. I got everything ready before hand and was laser focused on running three miles. A little voice inside my heads said, “Why don’t you run 4?” But like most times in my life I was quickly able to shut the positive voice up. (The negative voice in my head? I tend to hold open mic nights for that guy and listen and listen and listen.)

I ran into my friend Ryan Boon in the lobby of the hotel after I checked in. He was working at the same event I was in town for. He runs. A lot. In the course of our five minute conversation we talked about running. Here is verbatim what happened as we parted ways by the elevator:

Ryan: Are you going to run today?

Me: Yeah.

Ryan: How far?

Me: Three miles.

Ryan: Nah, four?

Then I got on the elevator.

An hour later, I ran four miles.

For days I had been planning on running three. I felt good about three. Three was my number!

So why did I run four instead?

Because community calls us to heights we cannot call ourselves.

Community calls us to heights we cannot call ourselves
Click To Tweet

Ryan didn’t give me a long motivational speech. He didn’t quote Abraham Lincoln or ask me to make a vision board in my hotel room using the city magazine every hotel has. He didn’t even run with me shouting positive affirmations next to me.

All he did was say two words, “Nah, four?”

And I ran the extra mile.

I ran it because he believed I could.

That was all it took.

That’s the power of community.

Sometimes it is a hurricane of support. Sometimes though, more often than not, it’s a nudge. It’s two words from a five-minute conversation.

This January I’m creating a new community online. I’m going to create a space where you can get a nudge toward a dream or call toward a finish line. It’s going to be crazy simple, but I think it’s going to be crazy effective. I fear our 2016 goals will never know what hit them.

Going it alone is stupid. We’re built to need people who will challenge and encourage us.

If you want to be the first to know about the new challenge and the new community, sign up here.

The post How to run 4 miles when you really don’t want to. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

My new free video series, The 3 Rules of Hustle!

For the last 18 years I’ve been helping hundreds of thousands of people and companies like Bose, Microsoft, Home Depot, and Comedy Central. Along the way I’ve learned that even though we like to talk a lot about hustle, there’s still a lot of confusion about what hustle really is.

Hustle isn’t an excuse to become a workaholic or roll over people. As it turns out, it’s not a flavor of Axe Body Spray, either. (Though Pulse, Instinct, and Hot Fever are, in case you were wondering.)

Hustle is an act of focus, not frenzy. It’s an act of addition, but also subtraction. It’s about focusing on what matters the most, in the right way.

Hustle is an act of focus, not frenzy.
Click To Tweet

That’s why I’m so excited about a new video series I’m doing called The 3 Rules of Hustle. In it I’m going to separate fact from fiction about what it means to really work on your dream. Check out this quick video I put together to tell you what the 3 rules are, and why they’re so important.

The video series is free, but you’ll need to sign up to get access to them because I won’t be posting them on my blog. There’s also a surprise guest who will be joining me for the series, but you’ll have to watch the video to see who it is.

I created the 3 Rules of Hustle video series because the truth about hustle is this: hustle is the fuel for the things we work on. And if you use it the right way and apply it to the right things, you get to be more awesome, more often.

The best part is, when you sign up you’ll get access to video #1 immediately.

I can’t wait to see what dream, goal or project you apply the 3 rules of hustle to!

The post My new free video series, The 3 Rules of Hustle! appeared first on Jon Acuff.

Stop trying to make everyone like you.

The reason we argue with the critics and ignore the people who like us is simple:

We want everyone to like us.

We want a 100% approval rating.

I’m here to tell you, it’s not coming.

Not because you’re dumb.

Not because you’re lazy.

Not because you just haven’t tried hard enough.

You’ll never have 100% support for your dream.

The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can start having fun with the people who do support it.

I want 100% approval sometimes. When someone tweets, “I used to like you more a few years ago,” I want to prove to them that I’m still a good person. When someone says, “I miss the funny you,” I want to call them on the phone and ask where our comedic sensibilities parted ways. When someone I’d never met walked up to Jenny and I recently at a farmer’s market and said something really ugly to me based on who they thought I was, I wanted sweep his leg Cobra Kai style.

But karate is never the answer and for all I know, that dude knew the crane kick.

I want 100% approval but then I remember something.

Your ability to do awesome things is proportional to your willingness to be criticized by people who don’t understand them.

Your ability to live loud is proportional to your willingness to be criticized by people who don’t.
Click To Tweet

The end.

The post Stop trying to make everyone like you. appeared first on Jon Acuff.