Jeff Goins's Blog, page 7

What Creativity Can Do That Nothing Else Can

There are three messages creativity can communicate, and these messages are what connect us as human beings. Which is to say, without the arts—without the ability to creatively express who we are and what we care about—we lose a bit of our humanity.

We Are All Hyphens Now: Chase Jarvis on the Creative Calling

In this episode of The Portfolio Life, I talk with Chase Jarvis, a brilliant photographer, entrepreneur, author, thinker. We have a fantastic conversation about creativity, the arts, and the business world and why we need you to do your art, why we need you to make things more than we ever have before, and why we need the world to care about art and creativity.

The Cure for a Boring Career: Build a Portfolio Life

Whether you’re bored, out of work, or simply wanting a more fulfilling career, I believe that by embracing a portfolio life, you will finally have the peace and contentment you seek in your work.

The Secret to Developing a Regular Writing Habit

This is the year you become a writer. And what do writers do? They write.

There's nothing mystical or magical about it — you just have to show up and commit to doing the work. Place butt in chair, fingers on keys, and start typing.

And this, of course, is where most writers fail. They never actually write a word. They talk about writing, think about writing, even read about writing. But they do not write.

Instead of Setting Goals, Tell a New Story

When it comes to achieving goals, many of us may be thinking about them the wrong way.

What Those Winter Blues Can Teach You About True Happiness

All good stories involve dying. The often-literal death of a mentor almost inevitable requires the hero to grow and move on in his journey. But there is also the shedding of a character’s old identity in exchange for a new way of being. Not to mention, the loss of friends and foes throughout any adventure are a necessary part of the process. Death is a part of every great story, and so it must be for all great lives, as well.

Why Most People Don’t Change (How to Work with Me Next Year)

Is personal change something that happens instantaneously in someone’s life or does it take a long time? Can we choose to change, as the self-help gurus assert, or are there other factors, like environment and genetics, at work as well that limit us? Is it even possible for us to become our best selves or are we doomed to lives of mediocrity? The answer, I think, is, “It’s complicated… but there is hope.”

The 100-Person Rule: Why You Shouldn’t Try to Help Everyone

I’m calling it a rule, but really it’s an idea: What would your life look like if you could only have an impact on a handful of people? What would you do differently in your work if you couldn’t help everyone? This next year, I’m answering that question and challenge you to do the same.

Your Questions Answered: Writing, Marketing and More

A few weeks ago, I did an episode of The Portfolio Life called “Don’t Build an Empire, Find a Few Friends Who Care.” It was about how the secret of marketing and getting your ideas to spread is really just about having a few friends who care. You want to create remarkable work and put […]

The Secret to Innovative Work: Be Different, Not Better

Often, we think the way to stand out from the pack is to be better. And sometimes that is the answer: to become an improved version of who you were yesterday, to do what the "other guy" is doing with a few added features. However, this is often a losing strategy, as you are making iterative improvements on someone else's work. A better way to become world-class at what you do is to change the game completely. Don't be better; be different.