Get Out. Get Moving. Start.

Action always beats intention.

A dream you don’t have to fight for isn’t a dream—it’s a nap. One changes your afternoon. The other changes your world. Keep fighting.

Sign up for the Quitter Conference before January 16th & get a free pass to the VIP coffee event.

Quitter January 2, 2012 • Comments

As part of my goal to make the Quitter Conference as awesome as possible, we’ve added a VIP coffee event on Saturday morning February 11. If you sign up for the event between today and January 16th you’ll get a free pass. (The conference is February 10-11 in Nashville, TN. Click here for more info.)

The coffee event will be a great chance for me, you and a handful of people to hang out and network. I can’t overstress how encouraging it is to meet other folks who are hustling on their goals and dreams too.

The coffee will be fantastic, the conversations will be great and at some point I’ll probably do the worm. I’m kidding, I’ll be so focused on the conference that my laser like concentration won’t allow me to breakdance.

Spots are going to fill up fast. February is usually the month resolutions and dreams go to die. Not this year.

Sign up for the Quitter Conference today!

4 ways to put New Year’s Resolutions on a calendar.

Quitter January 2, 2012 • Comments

The calendar can be your best friend or your worst enemy when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions.

It’s your best friend when it provides structure, motivation and momentum to your goals.

It’s your worst enemy when it slips by unnoticed and in December of 2012 you finally see it and exclaim, “This year went by so fast! I didn’t finish any of my resolutions.”

I’ve fought the calendar for years. It’s a miserable enemy. It’s time for all of us to make it our best friend.

How?

Keep Reading —›

The art of eliminating surprises.

Quitter January 1, 2012 • Comments

(Today is the first day of FinishYear, a 31 day experience to slingshot you into finishing the things that matter to you in 2012! (Read all about it here.)

Each day in January, we’ll all be sharing progress, tracking results and amplifying encouragement. We’ll do this via Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #FinishYear and with comments on this blog.

Now that the formalities are over, let’s get started.)

The art of eliminating surprises.

I used to write advertising for one of the largest retail stores in the country. Every fall, a great sense of panic would sweep into the office. What was the cause?

Keep Reading —›

#2 in 2011: Larry David & the 3 problems with critic’s math.

Creativity/ Quitter December 29, 2011 • Comments

Larry David feels just like me and you when it comes to criticism.

You’d think he wouldn’t. He co-created Seinfeld, the most successful sitcom of all-time. His current show Curb Your Enthusiasm is a smash success. He’s on the cover of this month’s Rolling Stone magazine. And yet, he still does the same math you and I do when it comes to critics.

What’s critic’s math?

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#3 in 2011: 3 letters that will radically improve every blog and tweet you ever write.

Blogging/ Creativity/ Social Media December 28, 2011 • Comments

Last week, we had an influential musician over to our house for dinner. We’d never met before, but had bumped into each other on Twitter a few times and have a lot of mutual friends.

After he went home and my wife and I were getting ready to go to bed, I wrote a tweet that said, “Great day with @__________, an artist who inspires me to be a better me.”

Then I asked myself a three letter word that has the power to radically improve every blog and tweet you ever write:

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#4 in 2011: How to be humble.

Leadership December 27, 2011 • Comments

Someone once told me that the secret to being humble is remembering that it’s not all about you.

“It’s” meaning the world, the day, the conversation at a coffee shop, the traffic jam you’re stuck in, etc.

My friend said that in order to really believe it’s not all about you, you have to believe that everyone is more interesting than you. The person who cleans your room at a hotel, the guy next to you in traffic, the businessman who sits next to you on a plane. Everyone.

I thought this was an impossible feat. And honestly, kind of dumb advice.

Keep Reading —›

#5 in 2011: Make sure you disappoint the right people.

Leadership December 26, 2011 • Comments

(As I wrote recently, I’m going to end the year with the top 5 posts from 2011. Today kicks off with number #5. See you on Sunday, January 1 for Finish Year!)

A few weeks ago, I was supposed to run in an event called “The Warrior Dash.” It’s a 5K obstacle course that involves mud, fire, water and Viking helmets. I’d signed up for it months ago. But 24 hours before the event, I decided not to go.

Why?

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What are you going to finish in 2012?

Quitter December 23, 2011 • Comments

Today is the day we all share the goals we’re committing to for FinishYear!

Why are we doing FinishYear?
Because completed dreams change the world.

What are we going to do?
Tweet, Facebook post or comment on this blog every day in January with the hashtag #FinishYear to share our progress, roadblocks and encouragement.

Why are we doing it together?
Because fear always tries to isolate you when you go on a new adventure, and dreaming is best played as a team sport.

When and where does it start?
On Sunday, January 1, 2012 right here on this blog.

That said, here is what I am committing to finishing this year.

Keep Reading —›

Fuzzy goals fail. Here’s how to fix yours.

Quitter December 22, 2011 • Comments

Tomorrow is the day we all share our goals for FinishYear! I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got planned for 2012. As you work on your list of goals, I want to remind you of something. If your goals aren’t measurable or tangible, you won’t actually finish them. Every great book on goal setting will tell you that.

But how do you take a goal from fuzzy and undefined to crystal clear and actionable?

Here’s what I’m doing for one of my goals this year:

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