Jason SurfrApp's Blog, page 24

Creativity Conditioning: The Secrets To Consistent Creation

// This article was originally written for the Crew Blog. You can read it, with some additional fun visuals here.

Creativity is not just for artists, musicians, writers, and designers. We are all creative, but the folks who are known for it have spent time cultivating it, failing at it, and working at it.

It’s easy to look at any famous creative person and think that they’re naturally creative. It’s easy to assume their work just appeared and didn’t take hours/months/years of painstaking dedication. Much like the idea of “overnight success,” creativity is viewed as something that just happens. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s not the case. I’m here to share some examples of how anyone can cultivate and grow their creativity muscle.

You see, creativity is a muscle. Not an actual muscle like the ones bodybuilders sculpt and tone, but a muscle in the metaphorical sense. Some of us are born with the ability to barely workout yet look like a Greek god (assuming that we all view Greek gods as muscular genetic freaks). But alas, the majority of us aren’t so lucky and have to work incredibly hard to build muscle. The important thing is that the potential is there inside of all of us. You just have to really want it.

I’d like to share three ways you can increase your creativity. None of them cost you a single penny and all of them can be done right now.

 

#1 “No Bad Ideas” Brainstorming

One way to work the creative muscle is to do an exercise I like to call “No Bad Ideas Brainstorming.” I break this exercise down in detail here, but I’ll briefly explain how you can do it right now with minimal effort.

You need another person, but no more than a group of 4–6 people.
Ideally you’ll gather in person.
Grab a pen and paper, or use a whiteboard if you have one.
For 30 minutes, just riff on ideas and don’t criticize a single thing. No idea thrown out is a bad idea!
After 30 minutes of back and forth, reassess all your ideas. Do a broad sweep and see what stands out. Take 15 minutes to do this.
Once you have your broad sweep done, get critical with your ideas and see what’s staring you in the face. What idea stands out to you and your partner/group? Which one or ones do you want to pursue?

Much like exercise, if you were to put in the work and do “No Bad Ideas Brainstorming” often, you’d come up with lots of creative ideas.

When it comes to being creative, you need to get out of your own way. Let’s stick with the muscle metaphor and talk about getting in shape or losing weight. Yes, you have the option to eat a delicious cheeseburger with all the toppings, a large order of french fries, and a sugar-filled beverage, but consuming those things won’t get you in shape. By eating a poor diet, you’re limiting your own ability to get in shape. We all know that it’s possible to use willpower to overcome poor lifestyle habits but when it comes to being creative things get a bit more nebulous. There isn’t a real cheeseburger, fried potato stick, or soft drink staring you in the face.

You need to discover what is getting in your way of being creative and actively avoid it. You don’t expect six-pack abs to just show up with no effort, so why would you expect creativity to do the same? Trusting the process and putting in the work is the easiest way to keep you from putting up roadblocks in front of your creativity.

 

#2 Venture Outside Your Bubble

Too often we stay where we’re comfortable. Don’t feel bad, as human beings we’re pre-wired with a pack mentality. We consume content from the same people on the same platforms. We steer clear of topics we deem controversial. We simply go through the motions and try to avoid discomfort like it’s the Bubonic plague.

Well I’m here to tell you that merely going through the motions will never help you become more creative or generate your next amazing idea. I’m also here to tell you that you absolutely cannot catch the Bubonic plague just by venturing beyond your invisible line of comfort.

To be truly creative you must push yourself beyond your comfort zone. You have to move into uncharted territory. Lucky for you, we live in a time when information is unbelievably accessible.

We used to have to seek out inspiration. If you wanted to see priceless art, you had to go to a gallery or look at books filled with photos. Nowadays you can slide your phone out of your pocket, tap a glass screen, and you have images of all of the world’s greatest art just a few clicks away. How can you possibly be impressed and inspired by things that take almost zero effort to seek out?

I’d like to challenge you to ask your friends on social media, email, or even in real life, to share what things they read on a daily basis for inspiration. You may find a bit of overlap, but something tells me you’ll find a lot of new resources that you never would have thought to read or investigate. And I know it may sound crazy, but read books! Especially non-fiction (although fiction can be a good source of inspiration, too). Just consume new and different content than you normally wouldn’t, even if it’s only 30 minutes per day.

It’s no secret that we’re over-inundated with notifications, pop-ups, alerts, unread icons, blah blah blah. Everyone knows we live in a society with too much information being thrown at us. Yet people don’t realize you can do things the same way you’ve always done them, especially as it relates to creative thinking and coming up with new ideas.

Think about this for a moment: When was the last time you had a great idea, thought, or revelation while you were elbows deep in scrolling through your inbox or newsfeed on Facebook? It doesn’t happen. Random ideas occur in the shower, in the bathroom, on a walk, in deep conversation with someone, right before bed, right when you wake up, or any area in your life where you give your brain a little bit of space to do what it does best.

 

#3 You Must Allow For Space

We’re not talking about Neil deGrasse Tyson here, although, he could be a great source of information for #2 if you’re looking to get inspired. Not planetary space, but mental space.

If it’s as easy as just giving your brain some mental space, why aren’t all of us coming up with the next printing press, light bulb, or iPhone? Because it takes more space than most of us are willing to allow. An uncomfortable amount, in fact.

A few years ago, I ran a business that was fueled by creative ideas. The amount of content created in that business on a day-to-day basis was overwhelming, but there seemed to be an endless amount of ideas. Looking back, I now realize why there were always ideas to be had—I allowed for space to fill up my creativity bucket.

On days when I would feel myself getting low on creative energy or ideas, I’d take a walk on the beach with my dog or my girlfriend. I wouldn’t bring technology and I’d just let my brain wander. I wouldn’t always come up with great ideas while on the walk, but what did happen was that it set my brain in motion. The creativity muscle was put to work behind the scenes. It could have been days, weeks, or even months later, but a great idea would pop in my mind. These ideas didn’t come out of nowhere, they came out of the process of allowing for space.

Whether you have a beach, a path by your house, a hiking trail, or a forest, find a quiet place without noise or distractions. Personally, I’ve found that actually moving around and being outdoors allows the most mental space.

Remember, allowing for space doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself in a cabin in the woods for weeks on end. It could be as simple as a 10 minute walk every day. Or maybe even some (prepare for a dirty, over-and-incorrectly used word) meditation.

 

There’s One Important Final Step For Becoming More Creative

Simply having ideas doesn’t make you creative. We don’t remember famous inventors for all the inventions they thought of but never brought to life (they do have a ton of those though). We remember famous inventors for the things they actually built and created.

True creativity comes when ideas are given a chance to live. Because once an idea is alive, it sets in motion the opportunity for momentum. And momentum begets momentum.

Give yourself the space, practice, and daily intention to become more creative.

The post Creativity Conditioning: The Secrets To Consistent Creation appeared first on Jason Does Stuff.

Create more opportunities in life by consuming less and creating more

By avoiding the process of creating and only consuming, you’re denying the world your gifts.

Today is the day you admit something. Today is the day you flip the switch, and take a different direction. Today is the day you draw a line in the sand and say, “I’m done being stuck in consumption mode!”

We’ve all been there. Reading another inspiring article. Scrolling through countless feeds. Watching too many videos or TV shows. These things all give us small dopamine responses, which is why we get addicted to them.

But you know what will give you an even better dopamine response? Creating stuff that brings value to you and other people. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone has something unique to offer the world.

We have all been stuck in consumption mode. All of us. And honestly, it’s a mode in life that comes and goes every single day. It’s not something you’re going to turn off forever (unless you move to an island that doesn’t have Internet).

I know I catch myself avoiding writing an article, working on an outline for a new project, or answering emails because it doesn’t give me immediate gratification. As human beings we are wired for immediate gratification. Shiny object – wee! New opportunity – ahh! Fun new thing to explore – yes! But you have to learn to turn it off.

I don’t have a fancy one-size-fits-all formula for flipping the switch on consumption mode to “OFF.” What I do have is a ton of experience getting a lot of things done. Like, way more than most people. I’m not saying that to be cocky, I’m saying that because I’m proud that I’ve learned how to flip the creation mode switch to “ON.”

What are the actual steps I take to move from consumption mode to creation mode?
Close your email inbox!

This one thing is so unbelievably helpful when you want to switch from consumption mode to creation mode. Our email inboxes are like the needy girl/boyfriend who won’t EVER leave you alone. Always pestering you with their problems and then randomly surprising and delighting you with something amazing.

While reading this article I bet you got an email. Whether it notified you on your phone, popped up on your desktop, or showed a new notification in Gmail.

Shut your inbox up for a few hours at a time. Close it down. Life will go on and your email will be waiting for you. This comic by Oatmeal is spot-in.

Build your creation zone

I’m writing this from the bar top in my kitchen. I’m not at my desk. I’m not on my couch. I’m not sitting in front of the TV. There’s tons of natural light. This is the spot in my house where I’m feeling motivated at this very moment. This is the spot right now where I’ve turned off consumption mode and turned on creation mode.

I have a playlist on in Spotify, I think it’s called Indie Relaxing Acoustic, or Super Chill Zone, or some other hipster-y name. It’s music that isn’t distracting and doesn’t make me want to sing or dance. That music is great, but not for writing. Maybe you need singing/dancing music for whatever you’re creating? That’s totally fine.

Another note about writing. I shut everything down and write in this handy (free) app called Letterspace. I just recently found it. It’s beautiful. It’s simple. I can’t format a single thing or get distracted with tools and widgets. I can only write. I love it.

Whether it’s where you work, what you listen to while you work, the tools that you use to create, find your optimal creation zone. Go to that place when you need to create.

For the love of all things holy, turn off your notifications or hide your phone.

If you thought your email inbox was needy, your phone and all it’s blinking notifications takes needy-ness to another level.

I get it. Some people simply cannot turn off notifications for Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc. That’s fine. You’re controlled by your phone. The least you can do is put your phone out of sight and earshot while creating. Don’t worry, all those precious notifications will be there for you when you go back to it.

I’ve removed all the social apps from my phone and turned off email notifications. I don’t feel like I miss out on anything. I control my usage of these platforms, I don’t let them control me!

Close the tabs

I shouldn’t have to mention closing the social media website tabs. That’s a given. But I firmly believe if you want to be in creation mode you can’t have a bunch of consumption opportunities staring you in the face. Try just minimizing your web browser. Try it. Hide the tabs from your eyeballs.

If you’re a hotshot, close your browser and all its tabs! Holy crap, that’s scary right? Don’t worry, those are just things on the Internet that will be available for you to find again.

That’s it.

Do those things. It’s four things. If you can’t try all four, then there’s no hope for you. I’m not saying that to be dramatic—well, yes I am. If you can’t get out of your own way, you’ll never get out of consumption mode.

So many opportunities will show up for you in life if you’re creating stuff. Almost zero opportunities show up if you’re just consuming everyone else’s stuff.

James Clear put it perfectly:

“Our lives were meant to be spent making our contribution to the world, not merely consuming the world that others create.”

You just finished consuming an article. I’m acutely aware of the irony here. But now that you’ve read this, stop consuming any other content for awhile. Find your creation zone. Go to it. Stay there for awhile. Create something. Even if it sucks and it never sees the light of day.

Keep creating and allowing more time for creation than consumption.

The post Create more opportunities in life by consuming less and creating more appeared first on Jason Does Stuff.

How to create more opportunities in life by consuming less and creating more

Today is the day you admit something. Today is the day you flip the switch, and take a different direction. Today is the day you draw a line in the sand and say, “I’m done being stuck in consumption mode!”

We’ve all been there. Reading another inspiring article. Scrolling through countless feeds. Watching too many videos or TV shows. These things all give us small dopamine responses, which is why we get addicted to them.

But you know what will give you an even better dopamine response? Creating stuff that brings value to you and other people. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone has something unique to offer the world.

By avoiding the process of creating and only consuming, you’re denying the world your gifts.

We have all been stuck in consumption mode. All of us. And honestly, it’s a mode in life that comes and goes every single day. It’s not something you’re going to turn off forever (unless you move to an island that doesn’t have Internet).

I know I catch myself avoiding writing an article, working on an outline for a new project, or answering emails because it doesn’t give me immediate gratification. As human beings we are wired for immediate gratification. Shiny object – wee! New opportunity – ahh! Fun new thing to explore – yes! But you have to learn to turn it off.

I don’t have a fancy one-size-fits-all formula for flipping the switch on consumption mode to “OFF.” What I do have is a ton of experience getting a lot of things done. Like, way more than most people. I’m not saying that to be cocky, I’m saying that because I’m proud that I’ve learned how to flip the creation mode switch to “ON.”

What are the actual steps I take to move from consumption mode to creation mode?
Close your email inbox!

This one thing is so unbelievably helpful when you want to switch from consumption mode to creation mode. Our email inboxes are like the needy girl/boyfriend who won’t EVER leave you alone. Always pestering you with their problems and then randomly surprising and delighting you with something amazing.

While reading this article I bet you got an email. Whether it notified you on your phone, popped up on your desktop, or showed a new notification in Gmail.

Shut your inbox up for a few hours at a time. Close it down. Life will go on and your email will be waiting for you. This comic by Oatmeal is spot-in.

 

Build your creation zone

I’m writing this from the bar top in my kitchen. I’m not at my desk. I’m not on my couch. I’m not sitting in front of the TV. There’s tons of natural light. This is the spot in my house where I’m feeling motivated at this very moment. This is the spot right now where I’ve turned off consumption mode and turned on creation mode.

I have a playlist on in Spotify, I think it’s called Indie Relaxing Acoustic, or Super Chill Zone, or some other hipster-y name. It’s music that isn’t distracting and doesn’t make me want to sing or dance. That music is great, but not for writing. Maybe you need singing/dancing music for whatever you’re creating? That’s totally fine.

Another note about writing. I shut everything down and write in this handy (free) app called Letterspace. I just recently found it. It’s beautiful. It’s simple. I can’t format a single thing or get distracted with tools and widgets. I can only write. I love it.

Whether it’s where you work, what you listen to while you work, the tools that you use to create, find your optimal creation zone. Go to that place when you need to create.

 

For the love of all things holy, turn off your notifications or hide your phone.

If you thought your email inbox was needy, your phone and all it’s blinking notifications takes needy-ness to another level.

I get it. Some people simply cannot turn off notifications for Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc. That’s fine. You’re controlled by your phone. The least you can do is put your phone out of sight and earshot while creating. Don’t worry, all those precious notifications will be there for you when you go back to it.

I’ve removed all the social apps from my phone and turned off email notifications. I don’t feel like I miss out on anything. I control my usage of these platforms, I don’t let them control me!

 

Close the tabs

I shouldn’t have to mention closing the social media website tabs. That’s a given. But I firmly believe if you want to be in creation mode you can’t have a bunch of consumption opportunities staring you in the face. Try just minimizing your web browser. Try it. Hide the tabs from your eyeballs.

If you’re a hotshot, close your browser and all its tabs! Holy crap, that’s scary right? Don’t worry, those are just things on the Internet that will be available for you to find again.

 

That’s it.

Do those things. It’s four things. If you can’t try all four, then there’s no hope for you. I’m not saying that to be dramatic—well, yes I am. If you can’t get out of your own way, you’ll never get out of consumption mode.

So many opportunities will show up for you in life if you’re creating stuff. Almost zero opportunities show up if you’re just consuming everyone else’s stuff.

James Clear put it perfectly:

“Our lives were meant to be spent making our contribution to the world, not merely consuming the world that others create.”

You just finished consuming an article. I’m acutely aware of the irony here. But now that you’ve read this, stop consuming any other content for awhile. Find your creation zone. Go to it. Stay there for awhile. Create something. Even if it sucks and it never sees the light of day.

Keep creating and allowing more time for creation than consumption.

The post How to create more opportunities in life by consuming less and creating more appeared first on Jason Does Stuff.

Be Less Busy

Too Busy: Two words, one big fat lie

I’ve never heard of a highly creative or successful person being too busy. Let me rephrase that: I’ve never heard of a highly creative or successful person that I respect being too busy. The most creative people of our time are doing more things in a day than most people do in a week (or even month). But you know what you rarely hear a highly creative or successful person say? “I’m too busy.”

Think about the people who you hear say “I’m too busy.” More often than not, those people aren’t actually busy at all. They’re just filling their days to hide insecurities.

I recently listened to an excerpt of an audio book by Tim Kreider, that was featured by Tim Ferriss. Mr. Kreider’s thoughts on being busy resonated with me. If I was “too busy” to listen to that excerpt, this article wouldn’t exist and I wouldn’t have become a slightly better version of myself with something to share.

The digital age we live in should provide us with more time than we could ever imagine. Twenty years ago when you wanted to look up a fact, you had to get in your car, drive to a library, find an encyclopedia (with the letters on the spine that coordinated with your topic), sift through hundreds of pages of information, only then to find your answer. Nowadays, you just hold down a button on your phone and ask a nonexistent human your question. Or you Google it. Either way, we should have an immense amount of extra time for any action we take these days. We should never actually be “too busy.”

However, it seems just the opposite. It seems as if our days are filled to the brim. It feels like there are never enough hours in the day. This makes it nearly impossible to find creativity and inspiration.

I’d like for you to answer the following question honestly. If you’ve ever said the words, “I’m busy” or “I’m too busy,” was it due to tasks you actually enjoyed doing?

For myself, the answer is no. That’s 100% real truth. The only time I ever actually feel busy is when I’m doing a bunch of mundane stuff I don’t want to be doing. But I’m a realist, and I haven’t manufactured a life without mundane stuff (yet).

If the work you are doing makes you feel busy, then the work you are doing doesn’t truly matter to you. Work worth doing isn’t busy work.

We live in such an amazingly exciting time. The possibilities created by the Internet—by the vast amounts of communication, by the access to information—should not keep us tethered to a life full of feeling busy.

Do yourself a favor and the next time you feel busy, just take a break. Take a few minutes to reassess your current situation. If you aren’t willing to actually change it and make your life a little bit better through some hard work and tough choices, then at least stop complaining about it to other people. Be honest with yourself and make changes.

If someone asks you the question, “how are you doing?” don’t answer by saying “I’m busy.” Instead, tell them the truth:

“Honestly, my job isn’t great and I feel like I’m doing a lot of work that doesn’t really matter to me. My day is full of tasks that aren’t fulfilling and I’m scared I’m going to be stuck here until I’ve saved enough money that I can retire and maybe fully enjoy my life.”

Because that is the truth. I know, because I was there. I worked a few 9-to-5 jobs I didn’t enjoy. I owned a company that made me feel busy all the time. I was stuck in the mindset that if I wasn’t working, then I was missing out on opportunities. Funny enough, by removing mundane tasks and projects from my life, I’ve actually created more opportunities that don’t make me feel busy.

I have more tasks on my to-do list right now than I’ve ever had. But I will never tell you how busy I am. Instead, I’ll tell you that I’m excited for the possibilities ahead. I’m excited to see where my life takes me because of the bold choices I’m making. I’m in as much charge of my life as I feel anyone can be. It’s scary about 33% of the time. The rest of the time I’m genuinely enthusiastic about it.

I’m not a self-made billionaire. I haven’t built a startup and sold it for a ridiculous amount of money. I’m not a best-selling author with a potential movie deal.

I’m an entrepreneur who isn’t willing to live someone else’s life. I measure my success by the things that make me happy, not by things that are glorified by our society.

Stop being busy. Start being honest with yourself. Make changes in your life. It will be scary, but it will be worth it.

The post Be Less Busy appeared first on Jason Does Stuff.

Too Busy: Two words, one big fat lie

I’ve never heard of a highly creative or successful person being too busy. Let me rephrase that: I’ve never heard of a highly creative or successful person that I respect being too busy. The most creative people of our time are doing more things in a day than most people do in a week (or even month). But you know what you rarely hear a highly creative or successful person say? “I’m too busy.”

Think about the people who you hear say “I’m too busy.” More often than not, those people aren’t actually busy at all. They’re just filling their days to hide insecurities.

I recently listened to an excerpt of an audio book by Tim Kreider, that was featured by Tim Ferriss. Mr. Kreider’s thoughts on being busy resonated with me. If I was “too busy” to listen to that excerpt, this article wouldn’t exist and I wouldn’t have become a slightly better version of myself with something to share.

The digital age we live in should provide us with more time than we could ever imagine. Twenty years ago when you wanted to look up a fact, you had to get in your car, drive to a library, find an encyclopedia (with the letters on the spine that coordinated with your topic), sift through hundreds of pages of information, only then to find your answer. Nowadays, you just hold down a button on your phone and ask a nonexistent human your question. Or you Google it. Either way, we should have an immense amount of extra time for any action we take these days. We should never actually be “too busy.”

However, it seems just the opposite. It seems as if our days are filled to the brim. It feels like there are never enough hours in the day. This makes it nearly impossible to find creativity and inspiration.

I’d like for you to answer the following question honestly. If you’ve ever said the words, “I’m busy” or “I’m too busy,” was it due to tasks you actually enjoyed doing?

For myself, the answer is no. That’s 100% real truth. The only time I ever actually feel busy is when I’m doing a bunch of mundane stuff I don’t want to be doing. But I’m a realist, and I haven’t manufactured a life without mundane stuff (yet).

If the work you are doing makes you feel busy, then the work you are doing doesn’t truly matter to you. Work worth doing isn’t busy work.

We live in such an amazingly exciting time. The possibilities created by the Internet—by the vast amounts of communication, by the access to information—should not keep us tethered to a life full of feeling busy.

Do yourself a favor and the next time you feel busy, just take a break. Take a few minutes to reassess your current situation. If you aren’t willing to actually change it and make your life a little bit better through some hard work and tough choices, then at least stop complaining about it to other people. Be honest with yourself and make changes.

If someone asks you the question, “how are you doing?” don’t answer by saying “I’m busy.” Instead, tell them the truth:

“Honestly, my job isn’t great and I feel like I’m doing a lot of work that doesn’t really matter to me. My day is full of tasks that aren’t fulfilling and I’m scared I’m going to be stuck here until I’ve saved enough money that I can retire and maybe fully enjoy my life.”

Because that is the truth. I know, because I was there. I worked a few 9-to-5 jobs I didn’t enjoy. I owned a company that made me feel busy all the time. I was stuck in the mindset that if I wasn’t working, then I was missing out on opportunities. Funny enough, by removing mundane tasks and projects from my life, I’ve actually created more opportunities that don’t make me feel busy.

I have more tasks on my to-do list right now than I’ve ever had. But I will never tell you how busy I am. Instead, I’ll tell you that I’m excited for the possibilities ahead. I’m excited to see where my life takes me because of the bold choices I’m making. I’m in as much charge of my life as I feel anyone can be. It’s scary about 33% of the time. The rest of the time I’m genuinely enthusiastic about it.

I’m not a self-made billionaire. I haven’t built a startup and sold it for a ridiculous amount of money. I’m not a best-selling author with a potential movie deal.

I’m an entrepreneur who isn’t willing to live someone else’s life. I measure my success by the things that make me happy, not by things that are glorified by our society.

Stop being busy. Start being honest with yourself. Make changes in your life. It will be scary, but it will be worth it.

The post Too Busy: Two words, one big fat lie appeared first on Jason Does Stuff.

Hello!

You just clicked the link in my email signature. If you didn’t just do that, you’re some sort of Internet Wizard and I commend you on your skills.

If you aren’t a wizard, heck even if you are, I think you’ll enjoying signing up for my weekly newsletter, The Action Army.

Don’t need anymore information about it? Ready to join? Want to learn how to take more action in your life and business? Scroll back up to the top of this page and you’ll see the signup form. Enter your name and email address, and then confirm your subscription by clicking the link in the email you’ll receive. You’re all set.

Need a bit more convincing of why you should sign up for my weekly newsletter?

Here are five reason why you should join The Action Army:

1. I genuinely care about my email subscribers.

I’m not just some online marketer trying to rack up a crapload of email addresses so I can spam them with my next set of e-books or get-rich-quick DVDs. When I send you an email each Monday, it’s coming directly from me. If you reply to the email, I’ll respond back. The Action Army is a two-way street, and one that I keep in tip-top shape.

2. I just wrote the word “crapload.” 

If you’re into that kind of thing (not crap, but nonsensical writing), then I think you’ll enjoy subscribing. If I just offended you, now would be a good time to close this page or go watch this amazing video from Casey Neistat.

3. Every project I launch goes to The Action Army first.

Want to know when my next book is coming out? How about a heads up the next time I’m launching a free online course? (My last one had 500 students sign up in 24 hours.) I launch about one project per month and I pour my heart and soul into them. If you aren’t interested, just ignore that email. I promise not to deluge your inbox with follow-ups about it.

4. I invest in my writing.

I have a copy editor who edits every one of the emails I send out. No, not my personal emails. The emails I send each Monday to The Action Army. Her name is Ashley and she rocks. She tells me when my writing sucks, and she fixes all my grammar and tense issues. If this page has any errors it’s because she hasn’t had time to edit it yet and I’m impatient.

5. I want you to unsubscribe from The Action Army.

Don’t like the emails you’re getting? Hit the unsubscribe button. I won’t chase you down, and I’m happy to see you go. I take The Action Army very seriously. I used to be afraid of people leaving my email list, but now I encourage it.

So what are you waiting for?

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably interested in joining The Action Army. Scroll back up to the top and sign up. Thank you for the opportunity to take up space in your precious email inbox. I will not take that for granted.

Jason Zook

The post Hello! appeared first on Jason Does Stuff.

Our Lives Need More Adventure

You may or may not know that I recently made a huge change in my life. It’s arguably one of the biggest and most scariest changes I’ve ever made.

My girlfriend, Caroline, and I packed up our comfortable lives and moved 2,337 miles across the country from Jacksonville, FL to San Diego, CA.

What does this have to do with you, and with taking action? One word: Adventure

Before we talk about that, let’s take a quick trip back in time to when my girlfriend and I first started dating a few years ago (and no, I’m not going to bore you with all our early romanticals). We had some long talks, as most do in new relationships, and one of the topics that came up was where each of us wanted to live. Caroline wasn’t quite sure, but having lived in Jacksonville the majority of her life she had thoughts of living elsewhere. I had lived in Arizona, California, Virginia, New Jersey, and finally ended up in Florida. My answer at the time was fairly definitive. I wanted to stay in Florida, near the beach, the warm weather, and free of state income tax. (Weeee, adult decisions!)

Fast forward to last year, and Caroline and I took a 3-week cross-country road trip. We set out from our then-home in Jacksonville and planned to drive across the country on I-10, going as far west as Palm Springs, CA. Once we hit California, we’d make our trek back across the country on I-40. Our goal was to see a huge part of this beautiful country we live in that we’d never seen before. We also wanted to take a grand adventure, with no certain outcome.

During that cross-country trip we engaged in some new long conversations (as you do when you’re trapped in the car together in northern New Mexico with zero cell phone service). It was during those conversations that we brought up the topic of potentially moving out of Florida. While we both loved Jacksonville, and could always see it as our hometown, we wondered if we should move away for awhile and try to experience another city or two. We both agreed that the trip was an awesome experience, and that we live in a beautiful country that has so much to offer.

Those road trip discussions and a meal at a conference with friends (and a few too many margaritas, or wine, I can’t really remember) brought us to the decision to announce at the end of last year that we would be moving to San Diego. Not only moving to San Diego, but also deciding to live with another couple.

The decision to move—just like the decision to start a business or launch a new product—is only a small part of the battle. It’s an idea at first, and we all know that ideas are useless without execution.

The first thing we did was answer the question, “Why?” Why should we move? Why not just stay in our comfortable lives? Why completely uproot ourselves and do something most people only dream of? The answer: Adventure.

We all need more adventure in our lives. That doesn’t mean we have to bungee jump off a cliff or swim with sharks. Adventure, much like the definition of success, is what matters to you.

There is no perfect time for adventure. We hadn’t saved up a nest egg of money. Our businesses don’t even make reliable consistent income. We didn’t even really know anyone in San Diego. Oh, and we lived in a house in Jacksonville that we would have to sell. But none of those things held us back. Are they obstacles that will take effort to overcome? Yep. But we weren’t going to let them stop us from taking a chance on doing something amazing that we’d never forget. And what is life for, if you aren’t taking unforgettable risks?

Similar to starting a new business, writing a book, or launching a product, you can’t put a big task on a to-do list and hope to make it happen. You have to break bigger tasks into smaller chunks. If you put “write a book” on a piece of paper, you’ll never get the book written (trust me, I know from experience). But when you can write a long to-do list of actionable tasks, you can chip away and eventually take down a behemoth of a task.

I completely understand that we are in a unique situation to be able to seek out bold adventure. We both work from home. We both own our own companies, and consequently our days. We don’t have kids. But everyone has their own circumstances and their own potential excuses.

If you simply let those things stand in your way, what will you ever accomplish that is worth accomplishing?

The idea of a “comfort zone” is a dangerous place. It’s devoid of opportunities to grow and experience new things. It’s kind of like the slowest moving quicksand of all time. The longer you stay in your comfort zone, the more impossible it will feel to get out of it. As soon as you start to feel comfortable, when you start to get stuck in the quicksand, it’s time to change something.

As my girlfriend Caroline so eloquently put it:

“Big change happens when you decide that you want the dream more than you fear the reality.”

I absolutely love when people ask me why we decided to move to San Diego. My answer: Adventure. Almost always when I give that answer the person asking the question cracks a smile. I hope it inspires them to seek out a little adventure of their own. Just as I hope this article might inspire you to seek adventure for yourself.

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We All Suck At Time Management, Here’s How To Suck Less At It

Remember the fortune teller Ms. Cleo? She had a bunch of infomercials a decade or two ago and in a deep Jamaican accent would say “Call me now…” Well I’m putting on my Ms. Cleo fortune telling hat and making a prediction that you think you’re doing something well that you probably aren’t. What is that thing? Time management.

Why do I think you aren’t managing your time well? For starters, because I used to suck at it. And, if you’re like the majority of people I’ve ever talked to who come to me for advice, then you don’t quite have your hours and your schedule locked in either.

When people say “time is money” it’s absolutely true, especially when we’re talking about our businesses.

It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, what many entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t realize, is that our time is extremely valuable and limited. That may not be news to you, but what might be news to you is how much money you could be leaving on the table if you aren’t diligent about your hours.

Let’s all hop in the car and take a trip to Case Study Land…

Case Study: Caroline Winegeart

When my girlfriend Caroline started her design and branding company, she had a new challenge. Her schedule was completely her own, which meant she not only had to manage her clients and work output, but had to understand how to manager her time.

One afternoon she was really frustrated. She told me she felt like her schedule was completely full, yet she wasn’t making nearly as much money as she’d hoped (a feeling we can all can relate to). Having had experience owning a web design company, I asked her to do a simple exercise with me:

We opened up her Google Calendar and I asked her how many hours she realistically wanted to spend on client work per week. Her answer was 5 hours per day (she would be at her computer for much more than that, but she knew she wanted to work on personal projects and other things as well). At 5 hours per day, I told her she should have 25 billable hours per week, or 100 billable hours per month. If we took the hourly rate she was comfortable charging ($75 per hour), she should be able to make $7,500 per month.

Hours she wanted to work per day: 5

Hours she wanted to work per week: 25

Total billable hours per month: 100

Total billable hourly rate: $75

Money she should be making per month: $7,500

This was a revelation to her on a few levels:

1. She was already working a full schedule and certainly wasn’t making $7,500 per month.

2. This exercise showed her that there were inefficiencies in how she was managing her working hours. She realized she had been resistant to blocking off time slots on her calendar because it brought back memories of scheduling meetings and calls at a previous 9-5 job she didn’t enjoy. Our chat peeled back that layer and helped her understand she controlled her schedule now and could do it however she wanted. (This was critical!)

3. Hearing that she should be able to make $7,500 per month by working 25 hour weeks opened her eyes to the fact that she was wasting lots of hours every day in Internet blackholes (YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, social media sites, etc).

4. When she thought about increasing her hourly rate to $100 per hour, her potential monthly income would raise to $10,000. That was incredibly inspiring for her because it was absolutely achievable.

So what happened after that conversation?

I’m happy to report that shortly thereafter Caroline invested heavily in scheduling her working hours throughout her day. She didn’t use any fancy apps or tools, she simply used Google Calendar and Google Spreadsheets.

Her investment into her schedule greatly paid off in just a few short weeks. She went from making $1,500 – $2,000 per month in client work (and feeling stressed out) to double that number at $4,000 per month (and feeling in control)!

Was there still room for improvement? Of course. There always will be. But she increased her profits by 50% just by taking a hard look at how she was managing her working hours throughout her day/week.

Whether you own a business where you get paid by the hour or not, your time is money. You must understand that having an inefficient schedule is sucking the profits out of your business. All the hours you spend consuming content on the Internet (or doing things offline) could be invested in your business and help increase your profits.

I’d like to challenge you to do an exercise. It doesn’t matter if you’re a salaried employee or you get paid by the hour. I’d like you to take a VERY hard look at your schedule and write down a few numbers (not in your head, actually write these numbers down):

How many hours you want to be working each week?
How much you want or should be getting paid by the hour for your work (this is your “hourly rate”)?
Multiply your total weekly hours by four, then multiply that number by your hourly rate (this is your “monthly income”).
*For fun* Increase your hourly rate by 25% and see what your monthly income potential is each month.

When you have that total number take a look at it. Are you currently making that much money? If you are, great! Keep doing what you’re doing (although I think there’s always room for improvement, myself included). If you aren’t, don’t get upset or frustrated. Now’s the time to take look at your daily schedule and see how you can remove distractions and create more efficient working hours.

A couple additional tips for managing your hours…

1. Take a break from social media sites. If you feel like it’s hard to take a break from social media sites, or other Internet blackholes, download the (free) Self Control App and block those sites for a few hours each day. It won’t kill you to take a break from them and you’d be surprised how much work you can get done if you focus for a few uninterrupted hours.

2. Track your time. Use a fun (and free) time tracking tool like Toggl. If you have a project that you think will take 1 hour, use Toggl to see if your task really takes 1 hour. If it doesn’t, then you need to reassess your time estimation and workflow.

3. Record your screen for a full work day. This sound really weird, and I promise you don’t have to watch it back. But what this exercise can do is keep you honest about how often you’re drifting away from work into distractions. Think of this like self-imposed big brother!

4. Go analog with your to-do lists. I used to love using the newest and best to-do list app. But what I realized is that I’m much more efficient at to-do lists when I write them down in a notebook and can physically scratch them off. Here’s an article I wrote that goes more in-depth on this topic.

All of us have profits hidden in our daily/weekly/monthly schedule. We can all be better workers. Take some time today to reflect on your working schedule and find all the areas for improvement (and profit!).

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The gap in entrepreneurship that no one wants to publicize

Entrepreneurs are often glorified for their one big project that sells to a large company for an absurd amount of money. But for the vast majority of entrepreneurs, this is not actually the case. In fact—if I had to guess—I’d bet this is’t the case for 99.8% of entrepreneurs.

How many Mark Zuckerbergs are there? How many Elon Musks? How many Steve Jobs? Richard Bransons? Tony Robbins? Jeff Bezos? Bills Gates? Melissa Mayers? Tony Hsiehs? Mark Cubans? I’m running out of big names that immediately come to mind. Why? Not because I can’t think of them, but because there really aren’t THAT many when you compare the number über successful ones to the amount of moderately (or un-) successful entrepreneurs.

You might be thinking I’m wrong, but visit any major media outlet—especially tech-oriented outlets. You’ll find it’s a small cast and crew that adorns the front covers and main spreads.

One of the biggest problems with entrepreneurship is the over-glorification of successful entrepreneurs.

This over-glorification creates an unrealistic environment and skewed perceptions of success. Do I think every entrepreneur should aspire to be as successful as Mark Zuckerberg? Absolutely! But the likelihood of that actually happening? Your chances are probably better winning the lottery.

Why are the odds of success so low?

It’s not surprising that 3/4 of entrepreneurs and small business owners fail within their first year. The bar of success is set incredibly high. Instead of focusing on building the best business they can, they chase the dream of Series A funding, big buyouts, and viral success. The mainstream discussion of entrepreneurship has people’s heads in the clouds when their heads should be down, focused on honing their craft or creating amazing experiences for their customers.

Media outlets talk about two types of entrepreneurs.

The budding darling who has big hopes and dreams (which is okay, but rarely do we hear about them ever again).


The Elon Musks and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world.

But where’s the entire middle gap?

Where are the people who are forging their own way, but aren’t famous? Where’s the article about the mom and pop granola company in Michigan that started in a quaint kitchen and is getting national distribution? What about the all-natural, all-organic, popsicle company out of Florida that’s quietly carving out a niche?

Here’s the problem with the middle gap of entrepreneurship and why media outlets will never talk about majority of us that sit in that gap: It’s not sexy. It doesn’t draw headlines. It doesn’t help advertisers make money with click-bait headlines.

So what’s the point here? I probably haven’t told you anything you don’t already know or haven’t thought about.

The point is that THE REST OF US (the middle gap in entrepreneurship) need to stop reading the headlines and aspiring to be the next somebody. Entrepreneurs and small business owners need to stay laser-focused on their businesses. Not just on zeroes in a bank account, but the actual experience a customer receives. The quality of the product being sold. The bending-over-backwards level of support.

Everyone wants a marketing strategy or out-of-the-box advertising idea. Those things are fleeting and about as rare as finding the next Steve Jobs. What isn’t rare or fleeting is the power of word-of-mouth marketing and building a business people want to talk about. No social network, media outlet, tool, tip, trick, or tactic, will ever trump the power of one friend telling two friends, who then tell two more friends.

As entrepreneurs, we also need to stop cringing when someone calls us an entrepreneur. That word just means a business owner who takes risks. That’s who we are. We need to embrace that. Entrepreneurs aren’t just super successful folks in Silicon Valley or people who’ve failed at trying to start a company. We’re mostly the giant gap in between those things and we should relish the opportunities that we create for ourselves.

Stop chasing the entrepreneurial dream and start realizing you can carve out your own path. Your level of success should be measured by your own values, not against Elon Musk’s plans to terraform another effin’ planet.

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Thanks For Everything Jacksonville

I’ve called this city home since August of 2000 when I moved down here to attend Jacksonville University. Before Jacksonville I lived in Arizona, California, Virginia, and New Jersey. Jacksonville is the city I’ve spent half my life in and where I’ve discovered who I truly am as a person.

This city holds a special place in my heart and always will. It’s the place I found my amazing life partner. It’s where I bought my first home. It’s where I found my path as an entrepreneur. It’s where I have the majority of memories with my family.

I can remember the day nearly 16 years ago when my family helped me carry all my possessions into a tiny college dorm room. Most of my clothing and things were packed in two oversized yellow and blue LL Bean duffle bags. Funny enough, those duffle bags have stayed with me over the years and now contain 90% of everything my girlfriend and I own in this world and will be moving to San Diego.

I’m grateful for the friendships I’ve made in Jacksonville. Many have come and gone, but all have helped me become the person I am today. There are too many people to thank and say goodbye to. Plus, it feels weird for me to say “goodbye” because that feels like forever. I don’t know if my life journey will bring me back to Jacksonville, so for now I’ll just say “see ya later.”

Obviously I’ll be back to visit since my Mom and sister live here, but also because I really do love this city and have great friends here. I love the growth I’ve seen over nearly two decades. I’m a Jaguars fan through and through. And I remember a time before the Town Center existed ☺

To my Mom: Thank you so much for supporting me over the years. Thank you for moving your life down here to be closer to me. I know we won’t be .8 miles away anymore, but now I actually have a reason to use FaceTime on my phone! I’m overjoyed for the life you’ve created for yourself and for finding a job and life partner that make you so happy. I love you with all my heart and my 8 year old self was right, I am moving back to San Diego.

To my sister: I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but I’m excited for your new life and the family you are building (fur kids are great!). I have to constantly remind myself that I didn’t really know what I was doing with my life when I was 25 years old and that you have to find your own path at your own pace. Just promise me you won’t give up on your dreams or ambitions. You’re the smart one of the two of us and I know you are destined for great things. I love you Kimbo.

To the people of Jacksonville: Keep pushing forward. Keep making progress. Keeping doing awesome shit. Jacksonville is a special place and there are fantastically talented people who live here. Don’t be ashamed of where you live. Jacksonville has way more to offer the world than just a football team and its physical size. We all have our own way of embracing this city and I’ll continue to sing its praises wherever I go.

This is not a farewell, just a see ya later. Thanks for everything Jacksonville.

(Photo credit: Mark Kortum)

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