Graduated And Clueless

Edit My New Book and Get a FREE Copy! Details Below:

On August 10, 2010, In Updates, by Jeff

Thanks to All the Editors For Helping Out!

The Application Process has now Ended.

What is the GAC Blog Community Editing Project?

This is a social book editing experiment. I want YOUR input! My goal is to get the community involved with my new book. Everyone reading this is invited to apply for an editor position. From the applications, I will choose 30 editors to dice and splice individual chapters. You have an opportunity to help me out and in return you will get FREE stuff. Sound like a good deal?

What is in it for Me?

Here is the best part, not only will you receive a FREE copy of the finished eBook and a FREE copy of the hardcover book when it’s published, but you will also be listed as a Contributing Editor in the finished product! Nice! That’s resume material baby!

Stories: If you have an amazing story, or know someone who does, that you think would fit in the book, just let me know. I may include your story in the final book, too! (more…)

What to do When You Doubt Everything

On August 9, 2010, In Goals/Habits, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of Reinante El Pintor de Fuego (flickr)

Lately, I have been experiencing extreme waves of doubt with every action I take. I doubt the city I live in, the job I have, my so-called passion for running marathons, even my desire to write the book I’ve been working on for over a year. I had a birthday recently and it seemed like just another day. However, the day after I went to work angry. I mean really, really angry. I had no reason to feel that way. There was no catalyst, no circumstance, no tragedy, mishap, or situation that could have sparked such animosity towards the world. But, I felt angry anyway. Does a person need a reason to feel angry? Do I need a good reason to doubt everything I do? No. But it helps. I want a reason. I want to know why I feel the way I do. I hate when I experience an emotion, a pain, or have any circumstance occur where I can’t nail down the cause immediately. It’s like when you have a vague headache and you can’t describe with any detail to your doctor what hurts or where. You know your head doesn’t feel normal and it’s driving you crazy, but you can’t seem to put your finger on it. That’s exactly what this doubt thing is doing to me. I have no real reason to feel the way I do, but it’s destroying my ability to function.

So, what options do I have? Is there a magic doubt pill I can take? Will my doctor prescribe me some adrenaline pumping Adoral if I just keep asking for it? Will it do me any good? I am in search of any answer about what direct action I can take to solve this doubt riddle. I want my life to have meaning and I want to have the ability and desire to solve every problem that comes my way. This vague problem, however, is not a dilemma to be solved with a one-two punch. I have to dig deep. I have to look for an answer in places I don’t normally look because this is a problem I don’t normally experience. I am a confident guy. I know what I want, when I want it, and I can bring those thoughts to life at the drop of a hat. Doubt is a problem, a common one, and it can be solved by going back to the basics.

Principles

I live my life by principles. I do the right thing when I know what it is. I choose the (more…)

How to Live on Purpose

On July 29, 2010, In Personal Development, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of 96dpi (flickr)

Accidents happen. Your life, however, shouldn’t be one of them. When I imagine someone who truly embodies a graduated and clueless lifestyle, I picture a wanderer, someone with no direction, no purpose, and no real understanding of anything beyond the present moment. This person probably has a history of success and productivity but for one reason or another has no real focus at the moment. In addition, this clueless chap has no idea how to begin the journey to discover a future life worth pursuing. Don’t get me wrong, living in the present is the best and only way to live. All life is lived in the present. The past is a memory and the future is a projection, both of which only exist in our mind and that take us away from the present moment. Therefore, the goal is to make our present moment more useful, more productive, more purposeful, driven, and meaningful. Ultimately, your mission is to live with great intention in all things you do. Living on purpose is grounded in clarity of thought, clarity of intention, and clarity of action.

Clarity of Thought

Thinking is not natural. In fact, real hard core thinking is a very refined skill that most people rarely engage in. In order to utilize the vast power of (more…)

Help Yourself by Helping Others

On July 24, 2010, In Personal Development, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of Mark Sebastian (flickr)

Life is based around your ability and willingness to serve others. It may not seem that way as you grow up because most people are serving you. As a kid, your parents put you first, or at least they should. In school, your teachers make every effort to help you grow. However, as you’ve probably noticed, in the real world and in business, you don’t have an advocate. You don’t have someone holding your hand through the process. You’re on your own and you have to make the experience amazing for yourself. The most direct, efficient, and effective way to maximize your own experience is to focus on other people. It sounds backwards but it works every time. Think about exercise where you actually tear down your muscles in order for your body to repair them. It seems counter intuitive, but the result is that your muscles grow back stronger than before. In order to reach the life that you want, whether in your career, finances, relationships, physical ability, or otherwise, always find ways to put others before yourself and you’ll be amazed at the results.

Help Your Boss

Want to get ahead in your job? Stop doing things your way. Go to your boss right now and ask them (more…)

How to Focus on What’s Most Important All the Time

On July 12, 2010, In Goals/Habits, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of Armando Maynez (flickr)

I recently finished reading the book, GOALS! – How to Get Everything You Want Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy. It’s a fantastic book if you’re at all interested in using your time wisely, staying focused, and accomplishing a ton of stuff. In the book Brian discusses many ways to create goals that really allow you to reach your true potential instead of wasting your time on goals that don’t get you what you want. If you’re stuck in a job you can’t stand, or are currently in the market for changing your life direction, or you simply want to double check that you’re actually on the correct life path, check out the goal-setting strategy below. I’ve modified one of Brian’s strategies, so please credit him for this idea. It’s an incredible exercise in figuring out what really matters and focusing on those things every day. Let me know in the comments below what you think about it and what you would change.

Awesome Goal Setting Strategy

As you create each of the lists below, always write your dreams, goals, and strategies in the present tense and (more…)

The Therapy of Writing

On June 30, 2010, In Careers/Business, Personal Development, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of Markus Rodder (flickr)

Writing snuck up on me as a thing that I now do. I never considered myself a writer and I never would have guessed that I would have started a blog, be in the midst of writing a book, or actually planning a career based on new ways to connect with others through my writing. It’s a whirlwind of newness and awesomeness that I stumbled upon a few years after college. I’ve been writing all my life but always for someone else, teachers mostly. I spent years writing essays, short stories, plays, articles, and other knick knack pieces for school and work assignments.

I started a journal three different times and I’ve never maintained it for more than a couple weeks. I don’t do journals. It doesn’t work for me to simply sit and write about my life in hopes that I can garner some insight into my (more…)

Bold Action That Will Radically Improve Your Life

On June 24, 2010, In Goals/Habits, Personal Development, by Jeff

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Photo Courtesy of egarc2 (flickr)

Bold action is the one remedy for really obnoxious problems. It gets you out of bed in the morning. It eliminates mediocrity. It produces success that you have been dreaming about. However, bold action requires risk taking, bravery, and a willingness to fail. Being willing to put yourself on the line for what you care about and believe in is one of the fundamental building blocks of bold action. In the last few months of my life I have experienced radical change and vast improvement in many areas, due in no small part to my own willingness to take bold action as often as possible. What is bold action? It’s doing the big stuff, the hard stuff, the stuff that you know will change your life but that you have put off due to any number of excuses. Bold action is difficult. It’s time consuming, expensive, risky, and may back fire on you for any number of reasons. Why would anyone want to take bold action? Because it get results every time. Seriously. Bold action will almost always produce a result that teaches you a grand lesson, creates enormous success, or at least provides the basis for a really great story to tell your grand kids someday.

Characteristics of Bold Action

What does bold action look like? Could you recognize bold action if you saw it happening? Could you see (more…)