Graduated And Clueless

How to Live on Purpose

Jeff — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:15:16 PDT

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 our brains we actually have to make an intentional decision to think. Creating clarity in our thoughts occurs as we clear out the clutter that mucks up our daily decision making. To clear out your thoughts you have to think about that process and do it. A practical application of this could be journaling, brainstorming, or thinking out loud. You can greatly enhance these processes by drinking green tea, cleansing your digestive system, practicing yoga, doing vigorous cardiovascular exercise, and/or getting enormous amounts of sleep and relaxation for many days in a row. The key to these exercises is repetition. As Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Make it a habit to think. Make it a habit to clear your mind and think thoughts because you chose to and not because you just happen to. Thinking clearly doesn’t happen on accident. ‘Aha!’ moments can occur randomly, but you can dramatically increase their probability by clearing your mind as often as possible.

Clarity of Intention

After spending some time clearing the junk out of your brain you will be thinking with the highest possible clarity. This is a very exciting and possibly overwhelming experience because your brain will feel like it’s on fire! You will experience a rush of thoughts, enormous amounts of positive energy through enhanced endorphin and adrenaline rushes, and a general sense of peace and happiness. To enable your clear intentions you have to weed through the many useless thoughts that are flying through your brain. Keep the good thoughts and discard the less desirable ones or write them down to save them for later processing. Intention is the act of making a conscious decision. Thinking should not be an accident. Make it purposeful.

Clarity of Action

Group your best thoughts together and make a clear-headed decision about what must be done. Your intention alone to act on your thoughts should make you very excited. At this point you probably have a many wonderful ideas and narrowing down your best thoughts will be difficult. You will be tempted to act on many or all of them, but resist it. Act only on the top ideas that will yield the best results. Make a prioritized list and focus on the most radically effective ideas only. Then set out to make a plan of action to complete the #1 idea that will change your life more than any other. If you’ve made a great decision you will feel empowered by doing so. Doubt will creep in later, but you must fight through it. Clarity of action is a reinforcing behavior because you will want to continually take more positive, powerful, and permanent action steps. Remember, activity breeds activity. So, as you act on your best ideas you will feel motivated to continually moving forward in a positive direction. Much like when you’ve broken through the wall on a long run, all you want to do is continue running without any thought of stopping. This is ideal. Create a situation where your productivity and efficiency is so high and so unstoppable you are not just “in the zone” for a short time, you are experiencing it all the time.

Living on Purpose

In my own life I strive continuously to create clarity in all situations. I will attribute the vast majority of my recent clarity to my dietary changes and exercise habits. I switched to an organic, vegetarian, all natural, and whole foods diet. I am also on the way to becoming a vegan. I run multiple times a week and I’m training for another marathon. I drink tea more than coffee and I eat considerably less than before. I drink green smoothies very often, which cleanse my body rapidly and springboard me towards purposeful action as efficiently as running does. I have noticed that my greatest moments of clarity occur in the late afternoon to early evening when I am hungry, tired, and slightly buzzed on caffeine. In those moments I can think with impeccable clarity and make decisions with ease. I have similar sensations an hour after I wake up and that is also when I have the most energy. My most productive hours of the day are between 7 and 10 in the morning. Learning to recognize your own best hours of productivity will help you focus by scheduling your most important tasks in that time block.

If you have reached the point where you are living on purpose each and every day, you will be making clear intentional decisions based on intelligent thoughts that produce powerful results. You will take bold, purposeful action and your energy will swing into overdrive as you pursue the optimal direction for each major area of your life. Living on purpose is the only way to create long-term success. It’s the only way to become financially secure, to lose weight, to move forward in your career, to develop lasting and meaningful relationships, and to create the life you actually want, not just happen upon. Don’t just go through the motions each day, choose to go to work. Choose to socialize with people who support and encourage you. Choose to pursue a better life than you are living today. Choose to maximize your own life and let others choose what they may. Make it your mission to live on purpose in each and every moment. Don’t let life happen, make it happen.

The Clueless Graduate,

Jeff Sanders
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Help Yourself by Helping Others

Jeff — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:14:11 PDT

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 what the #1 most important task is that you could be doing. Quiz them if you have to and with the help of your boss make a list of every important task you two can brainstorm. Prioritize that list and begin to work on the first task at the top of the list. Do this exercise as often as possible so that you are spending 100% of your time working on your boss’ top priorities for you. Stop doing everything else that is not important. The result will be an enormous change in your career. Soon you will be known as the go-to-guy or gal in your office and a promotion will be close at hand.

Help Your Significant Other

If you are in a relationship that means a lot to you, there is only one thing that other person wants: attention. They want to feel that you care about them and that you will stop whatever you are doing to help them, listen to them, respect them, and feed their ego whenever possible. If you are having trouble in your relationship and it feels natural to point fingers, stop and resolve the issues with a little love. Put the other person first and watch how your petty problems disappear and your relationship blossoms. Don’t forget that this same principle applies to relationships in your family, amongst your friends, and with co-workers too.

Help Your Customers

If own your own business, work with directly with customers often in your job, or work around many co-workers, this simple policy will be very effective: You don’t matter because your customers are more important than you. If you’ve ever worked in retail, restaurants, or had an angry conversation on the phone with any customer service representative from any major corporation, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The customer may not always be right, but that’s not important. What’s important is that the customer feels like you are really listening to them. There’s a neat trick that will make this easy for you, actually listen to them. It sounds simple, but trust me, listening is an acquired skill and takes years of practice. Harness your ability to listen to others and watch as they open up to you and your agenda.

Help Your Community

Make an intentional decision to give back to others who you expect nothing from in return. Go out of your way on occasion to help someone out who probably has no ability to help you. This could be a stranger, a charity, an organization, a neighbor, or someone close to you who is struggling. Make it your goal to find a way to help that person or group without any expectation of a returned favor. This could be as simple as automating a monthly donation to a charity, volunteering at a shelter, or returning a stray cat to its owner. FYI, I did find a cat my neighbor had lost and after I returned her I found out she had fleas, which have since infested my apartment. Sometimes karma is a bitch, but I would do it again.

Bottom Line: You get out what you put in. If you want to improve your experience, put in more effort and prioritize others before yourself. I have noticed that at my current job, the more work and effort I put into the business, the more rewarding the experience is for me and others. The same thing happened in college only on the opposite spectrum. I noticed many freshmen who hated their experience and many of them earned bad grades, transferred schools, or dropped out completely within the first year. The majority of their bad experiences were the result of their own lack of effort and a singular focus on expecting others to help them. Had they simply sought out opportunities themselves to get involved and contribute more, they would have received wonderful returns.

Make it your intentional decision to seek out ways to serve other people in profound ways. Profound does not mean expensive, difficult, or dangerous. Just show someone else that you care.

Living Outside the Box: 30-Day Trials

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

Jeff — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:42:34 PDT

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 with a very positive stance. For example, “I write best-selling books.” “I run marathons.” “I weigh _____.” “I earn $____ every year.”

1^st Tier – Dream List

Create a document on your computer or get a spiral notebook and title the page Dream List
Brainstorm the top 25-30 BIG dreams and goals you would love to accomplish in your life and write them down
Prioritize the Dream List with the most phenomenal dreams near the top

2^nd Tier – Strategy List

Pick the #1 dream from the Dream List that would have the greatest benefit in your life
Create a 2^nd document and title it Strategy List
Brainstorm the top 20 strategies, methods, and tactics you could use to get the #1 dream accomplished quickly
Prioritize the Strategy List with the most effective strategies near the top

3^rd Tier – Action List

Pick the #1 strategy from the Strategy List that would have the greatest impact on your dream becoming a reality as quickly as possible
Create a 3^rd document and title it Action List
Brainstorm the top 10 action steps to complete the most effective strategy as quickly as possible
Prioritize the Action List with the most effective action steps near the top

4^th Tier – Goals List

Pick the #1 action step from the Action List that would have the greatest impact on your strategy
Create a 4^th document and title it Goals List
Brainstorm ALL the goals you need and would like to accomplish in the next week
Prioritize the Goals List with the #1 action step as your top priority

5^th Tier – Daily Habits

Use the Goals List every single day, all the time. Look at it, work from it, modify it as you make progress, add to it when you need to, and of course cross things off once you complete them. This is your planner, your schedule, your daily and weekly goals that keep you focused on what truly matters.
The rest of your lists will be a reference point you will refer to as needed

BONUS TIP: create the Dream List every single day! Seriously, sit down and write out, from scratch, your top dreams for life. What you will find is that your priorities, dreams, and ultimate goals with vary from day to day and week to week. After a few weeks you will start to see the same things popping up over and over. These are your ultimate goals. These repeated dreams are the most important dreams in your life. These are the areas you need to focus on and master in the years to come. Try this exercise every day and see what you can dream up. These BIG dreams should make you feel empowered and incredibly capable of making them happen.

The Therapy of Writing

Jeff — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:44:21 PDT

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 subconscious. The irony is that I just described this blog. Yes, I did. This blog has really always been a journal, an online diary, a therapeutic methodology for sharing my thoughts with the world, and I do it mostly for my own benefit. Sure, I love connecting with other people through my posts. I love writing my book and fantasizing about becoming a New York Times best-selling author. The reality is that I have gained way more in my own life from the act of writing, than from the responses I receive from the writing. I’ve grown more as a person from the work that writing requires than from any form of notoriety or fame.

I check the stats of my blog traffic like a maniac, literally multiple times a day. I think about ideas for new blog posts at every waking moment, even when I’m in the middle of something completely unrelated to the topics I normally write about. I make a conscious effort to always write down my new ideas as soon as I get them because I usually always find a good use for them. Some ideas end up as blog posts, others just as a to-do item for later, and many have been included in the rough draft of the book.

Blogging has literally turned my brain on. I don’t think it was off before, but I am very aware of my own consciousness and the way that I think now. Writing has made me more self-aware, more in tuned with the world around me. I notice how people interact with each other, how they and I see the world, and most importantly, what the world around could become if I only gave a little thought to it. The simple act of typing what I think has taken the randomness of my brain out of my head and slapped it onto a computer screen for me to look at with fresh eyes. My logic seems to have improved. My ability to communicate has certainly been amped by the act of putting thoughts on the page. My plans for the future have been jacked up with enormous goals and ridiculous ambitions that I may never have considered before.

I’m not saying that my writing by itself is a god-sent talent because it is definitely a huge work in progress. Writing is a skill, an art to be crafted, a maniacal torture at times, and a tedious journey to discover your true self. Through my writing I have been able to make ambiguous thoughts more concrete, and that alone gives me confidence and amazing clarity. I feel empowered when I am able to understand my own tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, and passions. Writing connects me with the other guy inside my head. The other me that I never seem to really get.

The greatest struggle I have faced as been the logical organization of my ideas into something that others could understand and actually want to read. I have no shortage of ideas, notes, or random post-its with scribbles on them. I have tons of those. What I work on is taking all that gibberish and compiling it into something worthy of reading. It’s an unfathomable challenge to effectively communicate an innovative idea to a complete stranger unless you have incredible confidence that you can make your insanities appealing. Let’s use that last sentence as an example. I used way too many big words and the sentence is too long. Does it communicate what I wanted to say? Mostly. Is there a more effective way to say it? Definitely.

If you’ve never considered writing as one of your talents or even one of your interests, give it a shot. The benefits are really incredible once you get in the flow of spilling your brain often. All it takes is a little commitment to do it often enough that you begin to see results, much like exercise. Practice, train, rehearse, and perform. Give yourself a public forum to share your thoughts. Chances are that the quality will increase and other people will have an opportunity to peek inside your brain while you do. Write a blog, a book, an article, a sentence. It doesn’t really matter. Just write.

Bold Action That Will Radically Improve Your Life

Jeff — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:06:22 PDT

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 it in your own life or the lives of those around you? Do you take bold action often or does the thought of it make you a little nervous?

On a practical level, bold action could be quitting your job, starting a business, going back to school, completely changing your diet, training for a triathlon, planning a trip around the world, ending a bad relationship, swimming with sharks, or even admitting to yourself that your life is heading in the wrong direction and now is the time for change. Bold action doesn’t necessarily have to be so cliché. It’s personal. You decide what bold means to you. It could be as small as getting to work on time or as big as donating all your clothes to charity. Whatever bold action you choose you must be committed to it, have a plan to see it through, and make it a habit to always seek out new bold opportunities every day.

What Bold Action IS

Bold Action is a valiant effort to do something for the first time
Bold Action is striving for significant improvement in one or many areas of life
Bold Action is daunting in the eyes of many and exudes great fear
Bold Action is exciting, exhilarating, and worthy of your full attention
Bold Action is life-altering and unforgettable
Bold Action is powerful enough to stretch your abilities and your mind forever
Bold Action is defining of who you are, how you live, and if you’re worth remembering

You know what to do, now go do it!

As you’ve read through this description there is no doubt you have thought of many areas in your life that need significant improvement or you’ve fantasized about accomplishing incredible feats. Either way, this is your chance to get moving! You now know what you want and want you need to work on to radically improve your entire life. Now go do it! Change careers, eat healthier, start that business, run that marathon, dump that worthless boyfriend or girlfriend, make a plan to change your life, and don’t wait until tomorrow to get started. The easiest way to get moving now is to make a decision immediately. Then write that decision down and follow it up with a simple step-by-step action plan for the next seven days. After that you should be able to make significant progress and create a firm long-term plan to guarantee your own success. Your biggest goals will only happen with steady focused progress over a long period of time. During that time you will grow immensely and change everything about your life. But this will only take place if you make the decision to grow NOW! Literally, your life will not change until you do. Don’t wait for someone else or a circumstance you can’t control. Find what you CAN control and make that your first action step.

Take a look at the recent action I have taken in my own life and the bold action I have planned for the future in the lists below. Then create your own list. Think back to what bold action you have taken in the last six months. Write down every major change you can think of that required you to make a bold decision and take bold action. Don’t include stuff that happened to you, only the stuff where you happened to it. Then begin to dream by including a list of every bold action you plan to take in the next few years. Your action steps in the next seven days should be the beginning of these long-term goals. When you look back at what you’ve accomplished it will seem very easy in hindsight. Remember that all daunting challenges seem difficult until you get started. Your success will only amplify as you embrace bold action as a characteristic of your own personality. Become the kind of person who makes extreme choices. Surprise your family and friends. Defy the status quo. Be different. Be bold. Break through your cluelessness and live the life you’ve always dreamed of!

Jeff’s Recent Bold Action

Got my first dog, a pug named Benny
Started my legit business: Blue Fire Truck Enterprises LLC
Became an organic flexitarian (which means I eat mostly natural vegetarian food)
Joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program
Ran the Country Music Half Marathon for the first time
Ordered my first iPhone

Jeff’s Bold Action Planned for the Near & Distant Future

Run the Twin Cities Marathon – Oct 3rd, 2010
Publish my 1st Book – Fall/Winter 2010
Join Toastmasters – 2011
Pay off all debt – 2011
Become a raw vegan – Summer 2012
Buy my first home in cash – 2014
Become a leader in Personal & Professional Development – 2015

Top 3 Things a Recent Grad Should Do

Jeff — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:05:12 PDT

Photo Courtesy of Hamed Saber (flickr)

Immediately following graduation you will most likely find yourself wandering one big question, what’s next? At the end of every semester, sometimes immediately following my last final exam, I would have this pit-in-the-stomach feeling that I had forgotten something. I would have a mild panic attack and freak out as my mind and body came to terms with the fact that I was actually done with everything and could relax. After your last semester of college you have every right to relax completely. Don’t worry about what’s next, just yet. This is the best time take up yoga, watch a good movie, go on vacation to Costa Rica, or lay out at the pool until you’re extra crispy. Your parents will be hounding you to get a job, but don’t do that. Seriously. Take some time to chill out. After you feel fully rejuvenated, and when you’re ready, begin to work through the next 3 steps. Over the next few years just let your life take the course you were destined for. Do your best to ignore advice from parents or anyone else who you believe doesn’t understand you. This is your time to do some serious soul searching. Getting a job at a bank just to please your parents won’t do you any good.

“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance;

it is the illusion of knowledge.”

- Daniel J. Boorsti

Read

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again because it’s just that important. Reading is probably the last thing on your mind after forcing thousands of facts and figures and other random information into your brain for four years. However, reading is the one thing that will make all of that work actually worth the effort. I’m not talking about reading romance novels or the latest best seller from Stephen King. I’m talking about practical books that will give you the tools to directly improve your everyday life. Read books about things you’re passionate about. Read books about your industry of choice. Read books about health. Read books about personal development. Read books that make you think. Reading has been the #1 most important factor between being clueless and figuring out my life’s purpose. I would say that again but I think bold font is pretty effective. Seriously. No job, class in school, major, or mentor has had a greater effect on my life. Books have made the difference between working at McDonald’s and creating my own personal development business. You may not have a passion for reading, and I certainly didn’t right after graduation, but it will change your life if you let it. I created a list of books that have enhanced my life dramatically and listed those HERE. Take a look at them and let me know what you think. Make it your goal to read at least 2 non-fiction books every month for the rest of your life. Sounds like a lot, but really it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Over 400,000 new books are published every year. You’ll have your pick, so just get started now.

Explore

If you didn’t study abroad yet, GO! Don’t do anything else until you’ve spent at least a month in another country. If you tell me you don’t have the money I will not listen. I’m plugging my ears right now. I can’t hear your excuses. Get out there and see the world! Literally. Go exploring and get a first-person perspective on how everyone else lives. If you live in the US, you are in a bubble and you may not even know it. It wasn’t until I spent 4 months in Prague that I even had a clue as to how much is out there to see, explore, and experience. Not only will it open up your mind to new cultures, people, and lifestyles, it may even give you direction as to what you want to do with the rest of your life. I have friends who now work at non-profits and have insane passions for helping other people. I know others who went to the Peace Corps after studying abroad because they were inspired so much. Beyond studying abroad, you can explore your own country, region, state, or city. See what’s out there in the world nearby. Go hiking, mountain climbing, sightseeing, or hop on a tour bus with your grandparents and ride around in the wilderness. Exploration is one of the fastest ways to expand your mind and open your world to a future you may never have imagined.

Dream

Ask yourself this question and then actually do the exercise I’m about to describe. “If you could live your most ideal life, what would that look like?” That’s a big question, so don’t answer it just yet. What I want you to do is take out a piece of paper or pull up a document on your computer. Write that question at the top and then on the left hand side write down Career, Finances, Health, Spirituality, Relationships, and Habits. Now go through each of those categories , one at a time, and describe in detail what your ideal life would look like in reference to that category. Use 3-5 descriptive sentences and think as BIG as you can. The goal here is to get a very specific goal about what your life will actually look like in the future. For example, in terms of your health, what does you ideal body look like, feel like? What can you body do? Run a marathon? Swim the English Channel? What kinds of foods would you eat? Fast food? I hope not. Go through each category and fully describe your life. At the end, you will have created a very intense set of goals for you to pursue over the next few years. Now, as you start to let reality sink in, remember this list. Don’t run out and get any job that happens to be available. Do something that matters. It may not even be a job. Maybe you’ll live at home and volunteer at a hospital. Maybe you’ll get together with a few friends and start a business. Maybe you’ll work part-time at Barnes and Noble while you write your first book. Take your life in your own hands and dream like there’s no freakin’ tomorra! (I got that last line from Family Guy). My guess is that when you sit down and actually think about what your ideal career will look like, it won’t include that job at the bank your parents have been hounding you about. Make a choice for your future, no one else’s. This is your graduation, your life. Get out there and do something meaningful.

Get Paid for Tutoring College Students Online

Jeff — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:44:23 PDT

Photo Courtesy of IrishViews.com

I was recently introduced to an online service that I wish I had known about in school. It’s called Student of Fortune and it’s a web-based tutoring service for college students to get help with their homework. Anyone can join the site as a tutor and then as you answer questions for the students you get paid. Here’s the description from the company:

“If you’re a student, just post a question you’re struggling with. We’ll send your question to all of the tutors on Student of Fortune, and those expert in the subject will write custom tutorials to teach you how to answer your difficult homework assignment (and others like it). Pick a tutorial that looks good, buy it, follow up with questions until your aha! moment, learn the material, and ace all of your classes! If you’re expert on a subject, write great tutorials to earn lots of money, even thousands of dollars… all for helping students to learn!” – StudentofFortune.com

This business model is very fascinating and seems to be very helpful for both the students and the tutors. If you’re a recent college grad looking to make some extra cash, you could use your knowledge from school to help other students. The top tutors on the site have made more than $70,0000 in the last few years answering questions for students in their free time. Every question you answer has a different dollar amount associated with it, based on what the student is willing to pay. You can search for higher priced questions to answer but you are competing with the other tutors to win the student over. In other words, you will have to market yourself a little and provide quality content in order to make a name for yourself in this niche market to make more money. As a beginning entrepreneur, or simply someone looking to make some part-time cash, it seems to be a viable solution. I wouldn’t bank on this being a full-time tutoring gig, but it takes very little effort to get started and you could add tutoring to your resume.

As a tutor you can pick any question to answer and the questions are divided into relevant categories, similar to college majors. For example, if you have a degree in political science you could help current poli sci students. The best part is that the content you create can be purchased from many students over time, which increases your opportunity to earn more.

If you’re interested in getting started just visit StudentofFortune.com, sign up for a free account, and start answering questions. Who knows, this could be the beginning of a new career path for you.

Don’t Be Like Tennessee – Finish College

It’s Our 1-Year Anniversary!

Jeff — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:00:34 PDT

Photo Courtesy of Comment Buddy

Today marks the official 1-Year Anniversary for Graduated And Clueless! Yeah! This blog and website have been through numerous changes and seen significant growth over the last year. In the beginning I set out to provide advice for clueless college grads, hoping to offer practical and insightful information that you could put to use immediately. One year later I am more committed than ever to providing material and resources that contribute real value to every reader. I have been blogging about life after college, personal development, careers, finances, health, and many more seemingly random topics, though I usually do try to write about stuff people actually care about. The response to the site and the blog posts have been wonderful and I’m very excited about all the updates to come in the next year! To catch up on what has happened recently you can check out my this post. As for things to come, I’ll be unveiling new stuff periodically and probably without notice. The only thing you will definitely know about ahead of time is the launch of the book. To stay completely in the know you can subscribe to the email newsletter.

Graduated And Clueless has developed right along with me as I’ve experienced life as consciously as possible. To further the mission of the blog I will continue adding relevant content as often as possible. If at any time you have questions, comments, or want to give me some random feedback just contact me here. Below I’ve listed the best of the best from all the blog posts from the last year. Check out the ones that interest you and don’t forget to join our facebook page or follow us on twitter.

Top 10 Blogs of Our First Year

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Living Outside the Box: 30-Day Trials

Jeff — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:30:05 PDT

Photo Courtesy of sindy (flickr)

The most effective way to try anything new is with the expectation that it will be temporary. Trying new things forces you to overcome fears, jump into the unknown, and risk failure. Knowing that something new will only last a few weeks will allow you to open up fully to the experience. In the last few months I have completed a few 30-Day Trials and they have been incredibly successful. 30 Days is a great time frame because a month seems so short, yet it has just enough time to allow you to form a new habit, adjust to a new lifestyle, or even make a positive, powerful, and permanent change in how you live. If you attempt something new just once, you don’t really know how it could affect your life on a daily basis. Having the time minimum of a certain number of days forces you to continue past the initial wall of fear and judgment. 30 Days lets you open your mind to the possibility of you living with your new decision on a permanent basis.

The real goal of a 30-Day Trial is personal growth. You want to be able learn from the experience, increase your self-awareness, and come away with new knowledge that makes you one step closer to a long-term goal such as running a marathon, moving to a new part of the country, or changing careers. If the experiment doesn’t challenge you in a significant way, keep brainstorming. Start by looking at examples from others and examining the habits of successful people. Look to your mentors and experts in your industry. Pick out something they do that you believe would greatly benefit you. Try just one thing at a time and see how it work. Put your full energy and resources behind the trial to maximize its effectiveness and to give you an authentic perspective on how it could change your daily life.

I recently completed a 30-Day Trial growing a sexy beard. It wasn’t a huge challenge, but it was personally important for me to test my masculinity. Seriously. I wanted to know if I could grow a legitimate beard. The end result was that I could, but I didn’t like it. Beards aren’t for me. I like the idea of a beard more than the itchiness, scruffiness, and scraggly appearance. Ultimately, I prefer a clean shave or a 3-day stubble.

At the moment I’m in the middle of a 30-Day Trial with Green Smoothies. I won’t even hesitate to say that this has been a HUGE success! I will definitely be continuing this lifestyle long-term. The health benefits are incredible and I love my new focus and energy. I have also read a few books on food, joined a CSA, and switched over to eating mostly vegetarian and organic foods. I won’t go on too long about this, just check out the blog post.

A few months ago I went a little crazy and started running at 5 am, before I went to work. It was an amazing experience and I really fell in love with the early morning. The trial was difficult to maintain because my life was very busy at the time, but I really felt better every day I ran. I ended up going back to evening exercise routines and that has been more effective for my current lifestyle. I don’t regret the 5 am experiment because it taught me a lot about my own self-discipline and habits. I will be repeating this 30-Day Trial again someday to see if it sticks permanently.

Be Creative & THINK BIG

Experiment with something you have always wanted to try but have been putting off. Don’t pick something easy. Think outside the box and find something extreme. Radical change will be the best method to dive in head first and experience a whole new life. Changing my diet was very extreme because I have a close relationship with my food. I tended to eat whatever I want in huge quantities all the time. Now, not so much. I have completely altered my perspective on what I eat, when I eat it, and especially how much. Getting creative will boost your ability to think critically, act courageously, and live fearlessly. Just do it!

Remember You Can Quit AFTER 30 Days

Quitting is not failure. Failure would be never trying at all. Remember that the goal is personal growth. Even if you find something that doesn’t work well, now you know. Growing a beard didn’t work for me. No biggie. When I was in High School I colored the front of my hair bright blonde. It looked ridiculous. No biggie. Now I know. My first job out of college was a terrible door-to-door sales experience that ended in less than 9 weeks. No biggie. I’m smarter and more prepared than ever because of that job and the many others I’ve had since then. Quitting is not the end of the world and attempts that are not successful should be celebrated because you made the effort that most would never even consider.

The Pursuit of Nobility

Jeff — Mon, 24 May 2010 04:00:38 PDT

Photo Courtesy of stevechasmar (flickr)

As a part of TLC Book Tours I had the opportunity to read and review Tim Daniel’s new book, The Pursuit of Nobility. As the author describes his book, it’s about liberation. It’s about a personal journey to free yourself from the massive amount of people who are simply sustaining society, and join those who are pushing society forward. Tim describes the Nobility as problem solvers, creators, and seekers of a greater challenge. Here at Graduated And Clueless I write blog posts about personal development, growth, and topics beyond the simple job search. The Pursuit of Nobility closely aligns with my mission as it addresses a higher calling in life, beyond maintenance, above the crowd, and into a whole new world where the Nobles cause real world change.

One of the most fundamental questions in life, and especially important to recent and clueless grads, is why? Why am I here? And if I ever figure that out, how will I achieve what I am supposed to? Tim Daniel addresses these topics head on in a way I have never heard before. The calling of the Nobility is not for everyone, but if it’s yours, you have your work cut out for you. His book intertwines fiction with commentary as he address the journey of a Nobleman and his pursuit of significance. It’s an interesting story that personifies the journey and provides a highly realistic view of the obstacles, difficulties, and ultimate glory of the Nobility.

Personally, the idea of the Nobility really resonated with me. I have always held the view that my life now is a training ground for a future battle, one in which I will have a higher calling and ultimate purpose. Let’s get real, there’s a reason I started Graduated And Clueless and there will be a reason I someday move on to something even greater. I don’t mind knowing that, in fact, I accept and enjoy the fact that my work now is temporary and eventually I will pursue a new challenge that will allow me to grow even more, both personally and professionally.

I find that Apple’s commercial from the ’90s really holds true to the Nobility.

Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones,
We see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think
They can change the world,
Are the ones who do.

- “Think Different” Apple

If you’re interested in The Pursuit of Nobility, check out Tim Daniel’s website, thepursuitofnobility.com, or buy it on Amazon.

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GAC Updates and New Stuff

Jeff — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:00:36 PDT

Photo Courtesy of 1Happysnapper (flickr)

What Can I Do For You?

What should I write about next? I love creating content for this blog and I hope that the topics I choose are interesting to you, but I’d love to know what you want to read. This blog is not just here as an online diary, though it may seem like that sometimes. I’m here to provide you with any advice, commentary, feedback, or gibberish that I can. Leave a comment below or contact me directly and let me know what I can do for you.

BUSINESS STUFF

Post Archives

I have recently included a brand new post archives page so you can venture back to the beginning of the blog and read each and every post if you’d like. I’ve noticed a pattern over time: the newer posts are getting better and offer different info. It’s just my opinion, but I’d like to think I’m improving. The old stuff offers advice I don’t write about as much anymore. If you’d like me to hearken back to the good ‘ole days just let me know.

Recommendations

It’s official. I have affiliates on the blog. What this means is that I have a few select companies that I am recommending to you because they offer products and/or services that I use myself and highly endorse. I do receive a commission if you buy any of their products. So, click on the links, check out their stuff, and if you find something useful I would love if you made a purchase. Additionally, if you think what I’m recommending is totally useless or doesn’t meet your standards of quality; please let me know so I can make a positive change.

Cool Kids Club

I’ve been offering an email newsletter for quite a while and I have a brand new sing-up design up and running. The email newsletter will automatically send you reminders once a week, updating you on the latest blog posts. I will also send an occasional email about new products, services, special offers, and extra secret advice for the coolest people I know.

Print This Post

Finally! Yeah! You can now print each blog post in an easy-to-read format. I have been working on this for a while and it’s finally up and running like I wanted. If you would like to print a post, share a post, or take a post with you on-the-go, just click the “Print This Post” link on the top or bottom right of each post.

Facebook Sharing

I have included new Facebook sharing options on each blog post, so feel free to use those to share the posts you like with your friends. You can also use the “Share This” button on the bottom left of each post to share to other sites across the Internet. Facebook has become the primary way I communicate with others, including fans of the site. Check out our facebook page and click the “Like” button. There isn’t a “Don’t Like” button yet, so just stay positive for now.

Book Update

Let me just say, this process is more involved than I imagined. However, I am officially half way done with the book and moving forward quickly. I don’t have an estimated time for completion at the moment but I will be announcing all the details as I get closer to the end. Books are awesome and writing one is a huge challenge that has taught me an enormous amount. I highly recommend you write one too, even if you have no plans of selling it.

Donations

Seeing as how I would like to devote as much time as possible to this site, donations are always welcome. Any financial support will get me one step closer to a full-time entrepreneur and on the way to contributing as much as I can to all the clueless grads of the world. Don’t worry, there are many of them and more appear every year. My work is never done!

Nearing the 1-Year Anniversary!

June 1st is fast approaching and that is the official birthday of GAC. I’ll be doing something festive on that day, but nothing officially planned yet. If you’ve been a fan from the beginning I greatly appreciate your support. If you’re brand new to the site, welcome. Make yourself at home and start soaking up the info.

PERSONAL STUFF

The Sexy Beard

Yes, I still have a beard. Is it sexy? Eh, not so sure about that. I will say that I like the beard more than I thought. It’s not as itchy as I imagined and I don’t have to shave as often. Although I do have to spend more time trimming the mustache so I don’t get hair in my food. I’m definitely keeping the beard for 30 days and then I’ll decide if I’ll continue the madness.

Vegetarian, Flexitarian, Raw Vegan

My mission to become a vegetarian has been a steady success. I’m still not 100% meat-free, but I’m close. By definition that makes me a flexitarian. This is probably where I’ll be for a while, until I can buy all the right food and plan my lunches accordingly. Overall, it looks like I’m heading in the direction of eating like a raw vegan. No guarantees here, but that seems promising.

Green Smoothies

This has been a HUGE success! I’m loving the green smoothies and I plan on having a liter per day for a while. They’re tasty, make me feel fantastic, and not nearly as hard to prepare as I thought. I’ve already lost weight, boosted my energy level, and found a few green smoothie groupies all over the web. If you’re interested in getting started, check out 7 Intoxicating Reasons to Eat Green Smoothies.

CSA

A few days ago I joined a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. I found a farm just two miles from my apartment and I’ll be receiving my first 1/2 Bushel of veggies and fruits in two weeks. I live on the outskirts of Nashville so there are numerous farms nearby. I paid $375 and I’ll be receiving a 1/2 Bushel every other week for the entire summer. It’s a ton of food and it’ll be a huge help for my green smoothies and my mission to eat 100% organic food. If you’re interested, check out LocalHarvest.org/csa to find one near you. I’ll also be blogging about this as soon as I receive my first shipment.

Twin Cities Marathon

I signed up for the big, cold marathon in Minnesota. My cousin and her husband live in Rochester so I’ll be joining them and attempting to keep up with the little fast people that always beat me in every race. Since I began my organic diet I have been running faster with greater ease, so I’m hopeful that I’ll set a personal record at this race. I’ll keep you posted on my progress throughout the summer.

Questions/Comments

Once again, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, feedback, silly trivia, or complete nonsense you want to share with me, just leave a comment below or contact me directly. Thanks!

7 Intoxicating Reasons to Eat Green Smoothies

Jeff — Sun, 16 May 2010 04:00:17 PDT

Photo Courtesy of ilovemypit (flickr)

What is a Green Smoothie?

In one word, Awesome! It’s my new addiction. Green smoothies have forced me to rethink my entire diet. I also just finished the book, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, which thoroughly convinced me that I’ve been thinking about food completely backwards for my entire life. A green smoothie fits right in with Pollan’s suggestions and even takes the convenience factor of healthy fast food to another level. According to Wikipedia, a green smoothie is “a smoothie or beverage made by blending green leafy vegetables, such as spinach or kale, other vegetables such as broccoli, and fruit with water or ice. To balance flavor and nutrition the typical ratio in a green smoothie is about 60% fruit to 40% leafy greens.” Essentially, it’s a healthy, nutritious, and tasty way to consume the stuff you may not get enough of in your normal diet. If you’ve ever been to Smoothie King or even created your own traditional fruit smoothie at home, it’s essentially the same thing, only you eliminate refined sugars and add in fresh vegetables.

Here’s Why You’ll LOVE Eating Green Smoothies

1. Deliciousness

A few weeks ago I created my first green smoothie at home and it turned out much better than I anticipated. I was nervous it would taste like vegetables did when I was a kid, really really gross and disgusting and yucky. I was wrong. It was delicious, thanks to the fruit. Natural sugar does wonders for rather stale and bland foods. Depending on your blender, it may have chunks of stuff you’d rather not swallow whole, which is why I’m hitting up the market for a rather pricey high-powered blender. The best blenders out there will chop up everything into tiny particles that will dissolve easily and minimize the vegetable flavor on your taste buds. Don’t get me wrong, I like some vegetables, but green smoothies are perfect for consuming healthy foods you wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.

2. Real Healthy Food

If you decide to eat green smoothies often, you’ll end up consuming a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables you’d normally NEVER dream of putting on your plate. The best part is that you get to choose the ingredients, so you know exactly what’s in your drink. Obviously, the goal here is to choose the highest quality, natural, organic, healthy food you can find. The optimal freshness will come from living greens, or foods that are literally still alive when you blend and eat them. You can pick through the produce department in the grocery store (not the best choice), grow your own food (awesome choice), visit a farmers market (really awesome), or join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program where farmers bring you a ration of fruits and vegetables (wickedly awesome). To learn more about CSAs, visit http://www.localharvest.org/csa.

When it comes to variety, you can literally add whatever you want. According to Wikipedia, “The primary ingredients are leafy greens, other vegetables, and fruit, preferably raw. These may include spinach, kale, wheatgrass, blue-green algae, spirulina, kiwi, bananas, and apples.”

“Who eats a big plate of plain, raw, kale, collards, spinach and celery? Mustard greens, arugula, turnip greens, dandelion greens, beet greens, and chard don’t end up in too many salads.”

- Robyn Openshaw from GreenSmoothieGirl.com

3. Weight Loss

Cut the crap and gain the good stuff. Green smoothies are full of antioxidants, which help speed metabolism and fat burning. Besides the fact that you’ll be eating healthier fruits and vegetables in the greens smoothie, you’ll hopefully be eating fewer bad foods at the same time. This swap could provide a radical switch in your health and overall weight that will having you looking and feeling better very quickly. Be warned that suddenly consuming healthy your body isn’t used to won’t come without side effects. If you’ve ever consumed a mass amount of leafy greens before, you may remember frequent trips to the bathroom. Be careful not to go overboard and switch your entire diet overnight or you may simply end up making yourself sick and decide you hate healthy food. Keep it slow at first and watch how your body responds.

4. Replace Bad Addictions with Good Ones

Alcohol? Caffeine? Nicotine? Junk food? Drugs? Pills? Supplements? What is your latest addiction? Do you have a healthy alternative? Green smoothies aren’t a wonder drug. However, they can act as a replacement for many foods and beverages you probably should minimize or eliminate completely. As you’ll see below, green smoothies provide you with the natural nutrients you need to get and stay healthy. You won’t have to worry about taste if you add in fruits you enjoy and you’ll cleanse your body of the toxins you have collected from the not-so-healthy habits. If you’re going to be addicted to something, wouldn’t it be nice if it was actually good for you? Personally, I’d rather be chugging green smoothies by the gallon than whiskey.

5. Ridiculous Energy

Fruit provides natural sugar. If you use caffeine as a crutch to stay awake, natural energy from the fruit and veggies in the green smoothie could pump you up even more. Similar to the weight loss effects, the nutrients in the smoothie will energize you but you will also experience a boost from the lack of bad food. Fast food, excess red meat, processed foods, and other traditionally unhealthy foods can make you feel sluggish and heavy. Bad foods inhibit you from feeling great and having excess energy. By simply removing the bad food you will do yourself a great favor. By adding healthy fruit and vegetables via your green smoothie you will complete the transformation and rocket your energy through the roof! Not literally, but you know what I mean. Green smoothies can also increase mental clarity, remove toxins, and can be a great source of omega-3s, protein, minerals, and nutrients.

6. Easier than Salads

Salads are great but many people never actual ever eat them. The only way they can is by smothering the healthy greens in a fatty salad dressing just to get it down. Green smoothies are basically the equivalent of a liquid salad, without the unhealthy dressing. Take the same ingredients from your salad and throw in some extra fruit and vegetables for flavor and nutrients, blend it all together with some water or orange juice, and you end up with a healthier alternative that actually tastes great. You can make the green smoothie a side item during a meal or a complete meal replacement depending on your caloric needs.

7. Permanent Positive Lifestyle Change

Beyond the weight you’ve lost, the massive energy you’ve gained, and the exposure to new foods you’ve never seen before, green smoothie will completely alter your lifestyle. Much like training for a marathon or joining Jenny Craig, eating green smoothie often can change your entire outlook on food and exercise altogether. Once you start eating better it will exponential expand into other areas of your life. Now, if you find yourself slipping back to a fast food restaurant or a long night out at a bar, your body will remind you (sometimes violently) that you are a healthy person who shouldn’t eat or drink bad foods any longer. It’s amazing if you listen to your body what it will tell you. Learn to change your habits and respond to your body’s desire for natural healthy sources of energy and nutrients. Green smoothies just might be the open door that leads to a permanent and extremely positive new life. Enjoy!

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Recipes

My First Green Smoothie (makes about 1 pitcher, but you can vary the quantity at will)

Frozen Mixed Fruit (strawberries, peaches, cantaloupe melon, pineapple, red seedless grapes)

Frozen Mixed Vegetables (cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, baby lima beans, carrots)

2-3 scoops of Low fat Frozen Yogurt

1 handful of Spinach

1 handful of Kale

1 Banana

A few fresh strawberries

4-6 oz. of Orange Juice

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Recipe + Price Estimate – from GreenSmoothieGirl.com

A 96 oz. blenderful (in addition to water/ice):

Organic chard ($.66) 1/3 of a bunch

Organic kale ($1) 1/3 of a bunch

Spinach ($0.85) 22% of a 2.5-lb. bag

2 cups frozen mixed berries ($1.66)

2 oranges ($0.83)

2 bananas ($0.42)

2 Tbsp. raw/organic agave ($0.28)

= $5.70 for 72 oz.

That’s 7.9 cents per ounce.

A quart of green smoothie is then $2.53

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Resources

GreenSmoothieGirl.com

7DayJuiceDiet.com

GreenSmoothie.com

LocalHarvest.org

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How to Survive Unexpected Expenses

Jeff — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:22:38 PDT

Photo Courtesy of pedrosimoes7 (flickr)

My wife and I were recently smacked with a $3,000 dental bill. We never saw it coming. One routine dental check-up turned into a near catastrophe that could have completely wiped out our monthly budget and lifestyle. Fortunately, we were blessed with a larger than normal tax refund this year and managed to cover the bill in full without too much hassle. If it wasn’t for the tax refund, we may have faced some difficult decisions. In the past we have faced similar experiences, some we overcame and others we’re still dealing with.

Last summer, just a short time before moving to Nashville from Boston, I quit my job under bad circumstances and found myself unemployed for the fourth time in two years. Not a great track record, I know. This time was different because I was only a few short months from getting married and I was responsible for more than myself. I had debt from Boston I was still trying to pay, new bills from the new apartment, and a savings account that wouldn’t last me more than a couple weeks. At that point, every bill seemed unwanted and unexpected, and I was unable to pay. Needless to say, times were tight. I managed to delay some payments by applying for a hardship deferral, my parents kicked in some, my wife’s parents kicked in some more, and I searched for jobs faster than ever. Within six weeks I was working again and had narrowly escaped major financial turmoil.

How do you respond to bills that come out of nowhere? As a recent grad or someone who recently acquired more responsibility than you’re used to it can be insanely shocking to have bills laying on your desk that are asking for more than your college tuition. Take a look at the advice below and let me know what you think. What shocking financial experiences have you dealt with recently? Tell your story in the comments below.

What to do

1. Smile! This is a Great Opportunity

It may not look like a time to smile, but believe me, if you don’t, you will only drive yourself crazy. Money is obnoxious. It’s essential, but can be very obnoxious much of the time. Don’t get your panties in a twist over a bill. It’s just not worth it. Even if it looks like you might go bankrupt because of the crazy amount of money you now owe, don’t forget to breathe and enjoy the experience. People who go bankrupt survive and usually bounce back smarter than ever before. You’ll have to find the silver lining in the experience and look for every chance to learn a stellar financial lesson you can pass on to others. Donald Trump, Dave Ramsey, Steve Pavlina, George Forman, Willie Nelson, and Thomas Jefferson are just a few successful people who went bankrupt on their way to wealth.

2. Lay out Your Options

What can you do? Get out a piece of paper and write every idea down. Seriously. It helps to get your anguish out of your head and onto something tangible you can rip to shreds later. Why do you think I wrote this blog post? It’s therapeutic. The visual of seeing your options laid out before you will allow you to set aside some of the emotion for a second and actually make logical decisions. That’s the goal. Remove the emotions as much as possible and look at what you can do. Chances are that you know what you have to do and it’s simply difficult to admit it. Writing down your options will allow you to cross everything else off, narrowing your vision to that one option, and forcing you into action. Don’t worry, this is a good thing.

3. Talk to the Right People

Analyze your situation from the perspective of someone who doesn’t care, which will probably be someone you don’t know very well. Find an expert: an accountant, a parent, a friend with a brain, a stranger who has experienced this sort of thing before. Speaking of that, if you would like to email me with your current problem I can take a crack at it. I’m not claiming to be an expert but I do like solving financial puzzles every now and then. The goal is to get a second opinion and some fresh eyes on a problem you may not be able to solve alone.

4. Get Analytical for a Second

Get out the calculator, a pencil, and a spreadsheet: it’s time to do math! More often than not, you will be able to find the money in your budget somewhere to cover what you think you can’t afford. Start cutting the excess out of your life and focus only on the essentials. Things like food, water, shelter, electricity, clothing, and transportation are good expenses that you should keep. Outside of those areas there aren’t too many expenses you simply can’t live without. Also, don’t forget to brainstorm some snazzy ways to make a little extra cash on the side. This may involve a part-time job, a quick business idea, or begging on the exit ramp of a highway. Do whatever matches best with your skill set and time.

5. Switch Your Habits

Bad habits are the result of consistent bad decisions. Bad decisions may not be the cause of your recent financial stress, but they may be hindering your ability to overcome the obvious. Wealthy people faced obstacles, just like the one you’re in, to get where they are. There are countless millionaires who began as beggars, so to speak. Altering your behavior on a daily basis will make the difference between you and the millionaire. Making great choices about your money today will result in you creating wealth tomorrow. Find the spending habits that are weighing you down and cut them. Create positive habits that will draw your closer to the financial success you are pining over.

6. Re-examine the Value of Money in Your Life

The unexpected expense in your life may be the cause of bad luck, random circumstance, or fate. However, many, if not most, challenging financial debacles are caused by poor choices that lead to more poor choices. If the money issue is causing stress, ask yourself why? Why do you care so much? What is it about the money that is making you freak out? Do you have a realistic perspective on money? Do you understand how it works? Could you benefit from educating yourself on money before reacting to the current scenario? Money is simply a tool to barter for goods and services your desire. Find other ways to barter for what you want. Find creative alternatives to attract more wealth in your life. Look for methods to contribute and add value to society that provides a financial windfall for you in return.

7. Plan to be Shocked Again and Again

Yes, you need an Emergency Fund. The reality is that what has happened to you may never happen again, but something else will. It’s a guarantee. You will face unexpected financial burdens over and over in your life, but there is plenty you can do about it. Expect the unexpected. Start a savings account, put cash in an envelope under your bed, pan for gold in California, just create a way to have something on hand to protect against the things you can’t see coming. You won’t be able to save enough for everything, but just save something. As you build your savings you can spend more time finding ways to boost your income and increase the Emergency Fund year after year. The unexpected usually challenging, but it’s always an opportunity for growth.

*Please Don’t Borrow Money

That’s right. I hate debt. I even wrote an entire blog post about it. In the course of you fixing your finances you will not build new positive habits, improve your long-term success, or even allow personal growth if you jump straight to the plastic. Find a way to pay for the bill with CASH. This will sound backwards, but it is better for you to NOT pay the bill on time and work the debt down with cash than to borrow the difference on a credit card and try to make it work sometime in the future when you “figure it out.” The time for figuring it out is NOW. You will not grow unless you make difficult decisions. You will not improve unless you learn something and take action with that knowledge. Borrowing money inhibits your ability to think and completely bulldozes your self-worth because you end up borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. Stop the bleeding as quickly as possible. There. My rant is done. If you completely disagree feel free to throw your opinion in the comments below. I will personally read every one.

How to Grow a Sexy Beard

Jeff — Thu, 06 May 2010 04:00:22 PDT

Photo Courtesy of modobs.wordpress.com

Beards have been a part of every society since the beginning of time. Beards carry strong cultural meaning and are typically sources of great power. Beards are cool. Beards give you an incredible swagger. Beards can be sexy, if grown properly. There are at least 15 different styles of beards (according to Wikipedia) with common characteristics, though you could always customize your own style. The 15 styles include the full, chinstrap, sideburns, Donegal, Garibaldi, Goatee, Junco, Hollywoodian, Reed, Royale, Stubble, Van Dyke, Verdi, Neck beard (Neard), Soul Patton, Mutton Chops, and Stashburns. For our purposes we’ll focus on the George Clooney, which I’m identifying as halfway between the stubble and the full. George Clooney has won People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive award twice, so I think he’s qualified to represent a sexy beard. I have some personal interest in this blog post because I have recently begun growing my own beard. I’ll post pictures if I don’t turn into a yeti.

“There are two kinds of people in this world that go around

beardless—boys and women—and I am neither one.”

- Greek saying

According to Wikipedia, “In the course of history, men with facial hair have been ascribed various attributes such as wisdom and knowledge, sexual virility, masculinity, or high social status; and, conversely, filthiness, crudeness, or an eccentric disposition. In many cultures, beards are associated with nature and outdoorsmen.” Personally, I’m a big fan of all these descriptions. Beards have incredible breadth and flexibility. FYI, the study of beards is called pogonology.

Remember the episode of Family Guy when Peter grows a mustache? Peter claimed that he joined a special community, that his mustache consumed his entire personality, and that people with mustaches look out for each other. He was right on the money. However, beards by themselves are not sexy. If you are sexy without a beard, you are much more likely to grow a sexy beard. So, if you don’t currently consider yourself sexy, work on that first. Or, just grow a beard to cover up your face and create your own sexiness. Either way, just don’t blame me if your beard makes you look worse than where you are now. Beards are a source a pride and you should be prepared to get some attention. Maybe you’re growing a beard to boost your confidence. Maybe you’re growing one so that no one will notice you. Maybe you’re bored or simply too lazy to shave. Whatever your reasoning, if you decide to grow a beard at least be ready to make it as sexy as possible.

1. Plan the Beard in Advance

Before you begin your bearded adventure, get some advice from the bearded experts. This shouldn’t be too hard. Go to any public place and find a guy with a beard you really admire. Make sure it is well groomed or at least closely resembles the look you’re going for. Be careful not to stalk anyone in the process. Also, don’t worry about asking strangers questions about their facial hair. I’ve never met a guy who didn’t like to talk about himself. You will make the guy’s day by simply asking him how he managed to create such a stunning piece of artwork on his face. Once again, be careful how you phrase that question.

2. Share Your Plan with the World

Get on facebook, twitter, and put an ad in the newspaper. Let everyone know your plan to make magic with your hair follicles. People like to hear about others who are taking their life by the horns and kicking ass. Announcing that you are growing a beard should yield the same reaction as climbing a mountain, running a marathon, or taking off your training wheels. Alternatively, you could grow the beard while on an extended vacation and show it off when you get back. Your choice.

3. Start with a Clean Shave

To maximize the sexiness you’ll need even growth from beginning to end. Start the process by shaving every hair off your face completely. You’ll also want to get a haircut that same day to really have a clean starting block. Take pictures and celebrate. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Today you have shaved for the last time. The sexy beard awaits you.

4. Buy a Beard Trimming Kit

Without the proper resources you may as well consider yourself Al Gore after the 2000 election. Sexy beards are intentional. In other words, George Clooney didn’t accidentally end up with a sexy beard, he made it happen. He took care of it and groomed it to perfection. Beard trimming kits are cheap. You can probably get one at Kmart for less than $15 bucks. I would recommend investing in a nicer one. Don’t let your finances, or lack thereof, stand in the way of your dreams.

5. Let it Grow

Don’t touch the trimming razor . . . yet. Beards grow faster in the summer and the overall speed is greatly affected by your genetics. This is the phase where others will begin to take notice. Enjoy the moment. This is where people you know will begin to question your sanity, compliment you on your awesome decision, and/or give you peculiar looks when you’re stroking your own face way too often. Try not to look in the mirror too often because you’re natural inclination will be to shave something, trim a stray hair, or get rid of it completely. Just let it grow.

6. Trim Conservatively

After a few days or even a couple of weeks of growth you may want to begin the trimming process. Depending on what style you chose in the beginning, now is the time to begin to cleaning up the mop on your face. Clean up the neck hair and begin to trim around the edges to give it shape. Do not shorten the hairs anywhere. Just clean up the edges, unless you’re going for the authentic George Clooney, then leave the neck hairs unscathed. After a few weeks or possibly a few months, depending on your preferred length and the speed your hair grows, you will need to bust out the trimming tools and make the hair length even across the the entire surface. This is when the beard finally takes shape and you can witness your masterpiece.

7. Show it Off

Ta-Da! Your sexy beard should be complete and it’s time to take pictures again. Don’t forget to share the pics on facebook, twitter, and annual holiday cards to the entire extended family. This is a moment of pride and joy, like a college graduation or a real bad-ass bar mitzvah. Never forget the moment you decided to grow the beard. You evolved that day and now you get to revel in your progress. Congratulations.

Living Outside the Box: 30-Day Trials

5 Opportunities in a Natural Disaster

Jeff — Wed, 05 May 2010 09:34:56 PDT

Photo Courtesy of jcantroot (flickr)

The first weekend of May was supposed to include my first experience running the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. Well . . . my plans changed. Instead, I spent three days stranded in a flood – literally. I wasn’t clinging to a tree awaiting a rescue from the Coast Guard (which some people experienced firsthand), I was stranded in my apartment without cell phone service, internet, cable TV, and sometimes we lost power all together. A couple weeks ago I had to cancel my marathon in Cincinnati because of a scheduling fiasco, financial limitations, and a startling realization at the Country Music Half Marathon that I wasn’t prepared for a full 26.2 miles. You can read about the half marathon experience here. I changed my plans for the weekend to include hanging out with my wife Tessa and our friend Kendall who drove up to Nashville from Chattanooga. I knew the forecast included a few days of rain, but I wasn’t initially prepared for a catastrophic flood. After the highway flooded, Kendall was stuck with us for the duration of the storm. We made it work with lots of eating, reading, and trips to the Redbox for lots of new movies.

The Great Flood of Middle Tennessee

The flood, which brought in more than 17 inches of rain in some areas, caused widespread damage in the Nashville area and around much of the southern United States. The highway nearest to my apartment was blocked off completely and people were being rescued by boats from the rooftops of their homes just 2 miles away. Many people have likened the flood to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The damage isn’t nearly as bad, but it is the worst flooding in Nashville since 1937. Many of Nashville’s greatest tourist attractions were severely damaged, including the Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Grand Ole Opry, Bridgestone Arena, and LP Field (home of the Tennessee Titans). The Cumberland River, which runs through most of Nashville, flooded much of Downtown Nashville. Nashville’s water treatment plant nearly shut down as the water came within a foot of flooding it completely. It a nut shell, Tennessee is under water and it will be a long time before the mess is cleaned up.

What do to While Stranded

1. Outdoor Activities

I ran in the rain on Saturday, before the flood got serious, and it was exhilarating! Running in a storm is one of the most liberating experiences because you have nothing to lose. Try it sometime. I’ve always enjoyed a good run in the rain and it really makes you feel powerful to fight against the wind and water. People who drive by you will probably think you’re crazy, they might try and offer you a ride home, or they might throw things at you. Don’t worry about it. Just keep running.

2. Break from Technology

No power, internet, TV, or phones. What to do? Hmmmm. Losing access to the connectivity that I thrive on was very scary at first. I kept wanted to Google everything and I couldn’t. I read two books, spent an enormous amount of time thinking about food, and watched the rain fall. Time seemed to crawl by because my usual distractions were obsolete. Losing technology allowed me time to stop and think. I had many great conversations, read books and magazines, cooked quite a bit once the power returned, and went on walks in the rain with my dog. It was simple, peaceful, and necessary. I don’t take breaks very often, so this opportunity was very nice. The hard part will be to intentionally choose to take breaks more often, instead of waiting for the next great flood.

3. Try Something New

I recommend alcohol. If you normally don’t drink, start a new habit. Ok, maybe alcohol isn’t the best choice, but this is a good chance to experiment with something you haven’t taken the opportunity to try up to this point. Start writing that book you’ve been putting off. If you have phone service, call someone you’ve been avoiding. Exercise. Do some intense yoga. Spend a lot of time shopping for groceries and experiment with new recipes. I tried my first green smoothie and it was fantastic. More on that topic coming soon. The goal here is use your time wisely. Don’t stare at the wall and complain that you’re bored. Do something.

4. Count Your Neighbor’s Chickens

If you’ve been able to avoid the disaster of the storm, take some time to help others who were affected the most. Look for the greatest need and find a way to help out. The post-flood cleanup effort has already begun in Nashville and this is one of the best ways to reach out and help your community directly. Some of my co-workers lost their cars in the storm and other people around Nashville lost their homes. Even if you can’t give your time to help, give money, give clothes – give whatever you can.

5. Clean Your Closest

Organize everything! Bust out the cleaning supplies and scrub the floors. Clean out your closet, recycle, donate, and trash whatever you can get your hands on. This is an awesome opportunity to simplify your life in many ways, especially your physical space. I cleaned our kitchen over the weekend and Tessa and I bought some sweet new pots, soil, and seeds to begin our own miniature forest on our porch. Spruce the place up and spend some time enjoying the place you call home.

Lessons from Marathon Training

The Joy of Running with 36,000 of Your Closest Friends

Jeff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:43:24 PDT

Photo Courtesy of NREA

Last weekend I completed my first competitive 1/2 marathon. I ran the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, which is part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll series of marathons held all across the US. My first reaction to the event? “WOOOOOOO!!!” Those were my exact words as I crossed the finish line and that’s what I yelled out multiple times throughout the race. I never viewed running as a social event until now. Running shoulder-to-shoulder with 36,000 other people is quite an experience, one that I won’t soon forget. Despite the fear of looming storms, which caused a few issues for the full-marathoners, the race was nearly flawless.

My previous experiences with competitive races were great, but this was positively amazing! One of the joys of huge events like this is the massive planning efforts that bring together people and resources you won’t find at smaller races. First, as a part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll series, there are bands playing at every mile along the race. Even though you only hear the band for a few moments as you pass them, it adds a ton to the atmosphere and pumps everyone up. Nashville is well known for its music and the talent didn’t disapoint. There was also an abundant amount of water, sports drinks, fruit, and energy GU at frequent intervals throughout the course. There were also thousands of spectators lining the course from beginning to end. Most people on the sidelines were holding signs, passing out food, sipping champagne, or simply getting wasted and cheering us on. FYI, there were many groups of High School cheerleaders along the course, if that’s any incentive for you. You gotta love the encouragement, no matter who it comes from!

At the starting line there were massive waves of people, each stretching their muscles, tightening their laces, setting their Laptop-sized GPS watches, and turning up the volumes on their iPods. If you’ve never seen or been a part of a huge race, it’s incredibly empowering to be a part of a group effort where everyone is striving for something so beneficial and motivational. The race actually started a few minutes early, probably because of the incoming bad weather. As I crossed the starting line I was completely surrounded on all sides, so there was very little room to break ahead of the pack. In fact, if your goal is to run solo or have any personal space, you’re only options are to run faster than everyone on the course or simply don’t run.

In a nut shell, the race was an obstacle course. Many runners slowed down suddenly, changed directions, jumped sideways towards the water stations, or simply stopped in their tracks without warning. More than anything, you can’t zone out. You have to stay conscious and fully aware of your surroundings at all time. For the first 10 miles, about an hour and 30 minutes, I was feeling great. The run was tough, but more than anything I was having a great time. I viewed the obstacle course as a challenge and simply another hurdle to jump on my way to the finish line.

Around mile 11 things got tough for me. I broke down and took my first real walk and stretch break. With only 2 miles left it seemed a little silly to stop then, but I was hitting the wall and it hurt. The final mile was nearly all uphill and it nearly killed me. I did get a lot of encouragement from other runners, many of whom patted me on the back and shouted motivational phrases as they passed. I was walking to avoid passing out and puking, which I witnessed others doing constantly. The medical teams kept very busy scraping runners off the course and forcing water down their throats. At first I didn’t even notice the ambulances whizzing by, until those last few miles. Near the end, every time I saw someone lying on the ground I had flashes of fear and anxiousness fly through me.

By the time I made my final approach the finish line I was whipped. I had nothing left and that was my goal. I saw other runners finishing with huge smiles on their faces and strolling in like it was just another run. In reality, that means they didn’t run hard enough. If you have that much energy at the end of a race, you didn’t do your job. Now, I’m assuming your goal is a fast time, which may not be the case. Many runners are really social joggers in disguise. Their goal is to chat with their friends the entire race, which actually is a great distraction to finish long distance races. It doesn’t matter to me why you run, but it is a little tough to watch smiling happy runners fly by as I scrape together every ounce of energy I have left. I finished with a time of 2:03:12, just three minutes passed my goal time of 2 hours. I’d like to think the final uphill mile is watch stopped me from hitting my goal, but really it’s because I didn’t train hard enough. Lessoned learned. Next year I’ll be ready.

The joy of running with 36,000 other people is that there is no shortage of smiling faces, all of whom are sharing in your challenges and successes throughout the race. If you’ve never considered running a half or full marathon because of the physical challenge, then don’t make it physical. Run the race for the atmosphere. Run for the social opportunities. Run for charity. Run for the chance to be outside early on a Saturday morning and watch the sunrise. Run for your health. Run for the cool medal you get at the finish line. It doesn’t really matter why you run, just do it. Run for the sake of running. Run because it makes you feel alive.

10 Habits of the Ultra Successful

Jeff — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:00:01 PDT

Photo Courtesy of laverrue (flickr)

Successful people are very similar. It doesn’t matter what industry they work in or what passion they’re pursuing, there are a few shared habits that nearly all successful people possess. Habits are some of the most powerful forces in your life and it is incredibly easy to predict your future based on your recurring choices. For our purposes we’ll define habits as a recurring pattern of behavior. In other words, your actions. It’s not just what you do, but what you do OFTEN that will inevitably determine your destiny. In terms of success, I’ll use Earl Nightingale’s classic definition: “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” In other words, your repeated progress towards something noble makes you successful. By this definition, success is not an end destination, but instead it is something to be achieved on a daily basis. That is why habits are so incredibly powerful, because they determine your level of success. Ideally, you will make daily progress towards goals you have pre-determined to be worthy in your life.

In order to maximize your ability to be successful every day, you need highly effective and empowering habits to propel you forward. I’ve listed a few of the best habits below that will take advantage of the self-discipline you already have in order to maximize your productivity, effectiveness, and overall success. Take a look at the list and let me know what you think. In the comments add a few of your ideas or habits you already have that are working wonders on your own life.

1. Challenge Your Brain

Successful people think. They also learn, grow, and challenge themselves as often as they can. Your brain is your most powerful resource because how you use it will determine nearly everything in your life. Your brain is the core of the operation, the engine of the car, the CEO of the business, the . . . you get the point. Make it a habit to think. Reading a great non-fiction book should replace watching TV. Learning a foreign language, playing brain teaser puzzles, and even doing scrabble are fundamentally better for your brain and your future success than other mindless activities like TV, idol web surfing, or obsessive email checking.

2. Cardio Exercise

If you could only choose one form of exercise for the rest of your life, what would you choose? The answer should be a form of cardiovascular training. In other words, maintaining a healthy heart is fundamentally more vital than growing huge biceps or having a thin waist. If you don’t exercise regularly now, which most people don’t, then this a great opportunity to find a FUN form of exercise you could maintain for the rest of your life. FYI, if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t keep doing it. Swimming, running, cycling, playing volleyball, chasing your dog around in circles, or whatever you just love to do that increases your heart rate will be worth it. This goes without saying, but cut the cigarettes completely and minimize the booze too.

3. Wake up Early

You don’t have to get up before sunrise, but those who wake up early consistently are more productive. Obviously, there are exceptions and everyone has their preference for sleep. However, being consistent with your sleep patterns is more important than anything. Also, sleeping while it’s dark and staying awake when it’s sunny is how humans have evolved. There’s a reason why you get tired at night and can’t sleep well in the middle of the day. Sleep is good. Consistent sleep is better. Waking up early and tackling the day at sunrise is awesome. Whatever you want to do, make it intentional and customize your life for optimal efficiency and personal joy. It’s your life. Sleep when you want.

4. Eat Healthy

Even if you never eat a single healthy food in your life, the easiest fix for your diet is to avoid the crap. If you simply stop eating bad foods and only allow yourself to eat mediocre or higher quality foods, you will notice a significant increase in your health. Your diet is only one part of the equation but it’s probably the most important. You are what you eat, so if you eat crap . . . Ta Da! Start small and make the process simple by substituting bad foods for better choices. The books series Eat This, Not That is a good start. Find healthier alternatives for what you already consume every day. For a morning snack, I used to eat bagels with cream cheese and now I eat organic yogurt with organic granola and an organic banana. I do love organic foods. Check out How and Why to Eat Organic to learn more.

5. Buy High Quality Stuff

Cheap people buy cheap stuff. Those who perceive themselves as high quality people buy high quality stuff. You might be thinking that I’m calling you cheap because you have low income at the moment. That’s not quite it. Look at the types of items you’ve purchased, the choices you’ve made, the stuff already surrounding you. Chances are that you have a large number of items you could live without, whether they are cheap or not. If you eliminated, sold, donated, or threw away everything you didn’t need, you would be left with a miracle. The remaining stuff will most likely be the essentials, and those essentials are probably durable, more expensive, and carry a high perceived value in your life. My point is that if you make it a habit to stop buying cheap stuff, be patient, save a little extra money, and buy the higher quality stuff more often, over time you will acquire a nice collection of high quality items you simply can’t live without. Respect yourself by respecting your stuff.

6. Do Less by Saying No

Do you see the pattern yet? Start saying no to crap. Successful people are excellent at saying no. Try it. Loudly and proudly stand up and say, “No.” How did that feel? You probably didn’t feel anything because you didn’t do it. Let’s try this again. I don’t care where you are. Stand up straight, adjust your posture, take a deep breath, and scream, “NO!” Better? It’s a work in progress so keep practicing.. Saying no is hard. I’m still learning how to do it and I’ve got a lot of work to do. The goal of saying no is to eliminate mediocrity from your life and focus on a few simple and powerful things. Less is more and saying no makes doing less more possible faster than anything. Successful people are able to make progressive realizations toward their goals because they have eliminated or minimized the crappy stuff that doesn’t drive them forward.

7. Live in the Now

This may sound shocking, but the past is not real. Neither is the future. Both are simply manifestations in your brain. The past is a memory you experience by reliving it in the present and the future is a projection you invent in your mind. The reality is that you only live in the present, the now. In order to be the most successful person possible you will have to master the art of living. Live right now. Think right now. Act right now. Successful people understand that living in the moment allows them to take action and focus more intensely because they aren’t distracted by fears of the future or regrets of the past. The present is all you have and you have to make the most of it. Practice living consciously and begin to experience you’re life as it happens.

8. Cleanliness is King

The clean inbox strategy has been around for a while and it seems to be fairly commonplace to some and completely unheard of for others. The clean inbox is essentially the same thing as the clean desk policy. In your email inbox you treat every incoming message as an item on your to-do list. Every email must be attended to, without exception. You read the email, decide if it needs attending to, process the information, and then either trash it or save it. That’s it. Junk mail goes in the junk folder. Trash goes in the trash. Emails you just can’t throw away need to be put in another folder. At the end of the day your inbox should be completely empty. This same policy applies to your desk, both at home and at the office. Address every piece of paper, every to-do item, every time. Address it and then trash it or save it. Keep things simple. Keep your life clean. Don’t forget to unsubscribe to newsletters you don’t read and limit yourself to checking you email only a few times per day to keep your sanity.

9. Commit to Personal Growth

You are the only obstacle standing in your way. In order to get what you want you will have to make the choice to get it. Your first choice should be to look inward and improve yourself. Personal development is essential to every successful person in every industry. Practically speaking, this means setting goals, learning, challenging yourself, and eliminating all forms of mediocrity. The best method to get started is to pick up a great book and start reading. I always highly recommend Steve Pavlina’s Personal Development for Smart People as the best book on the topic. This book, and his hugely popular blog, address personal development from every angle. At its core, personal growth is achieved most effectively by living consciously. Make intentional choices every day, all the time, and commit to improving yourself in every way you can think of.

10. Do Something that Scares You

Fear is funny. Fear can lead to irrational thinking, hallucinations, and completely absurd behavior. Everyone experiences fear and everyone has the choice to confront it or run scared. The only difference between a successful person and everyone else is that the successful person makes the choice to move forward, despite their fear. The best way to begin tackling your own fears is to make this your motto and stick to it, “do something every day that scares you.” In the course of a typical day, as you experience a sense of urgency or anxiousness and you know deep inside what to do but you hold back out of fear, make a note. Write down what happened and how you responded. The next day when you read what you wrote it will probably sound really silly. You’ll begin to notice that what you’re afraid of is actually not that scary and can be overcome with a simple act of courage. Make that choice one day at a time and watch yourself grow. It’s incredible.

7 Ways to Get Noticed

Jeff — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:58:03 PDT

Photo Courtesy of Pink Sherbet Photography (flickr)

In a world of constant connectivity and insatiable appetites for information, you’d assume that getting noticed should be easier than ever. So why do you feel a strong desire for validation and why aren’t you getting noticed more often? Lusting over validation is very common; whether it’s healthy or not is up for grabs. Getting validated doesn’t happen nearly as often. Assuming you’re overall objective is to get noticed, the primary method to do so is by violating expectations. This means doing something that others won’t see coming. You’ll have to be different, weird, and completely willing to take risks. The best part is that once you fully master the ability to surprise and inspire others, you can apply that skill set to many aspects of your life.

Getting noticed can vastly improve your job search, business ventures, financial success, social encounters, eating habits, physical health, fashion, confidence, or any other area you want to improve your presence. Imagine being the person in the office or in class that others flock to because you have something to offer. Imagine being the business owner that customers and competitors can’t seem to get enough of. Getting noticed can put you on the map in whatever way you desire. Decide ahead of time exactly what you want and then use the steps below to make that goal a reality.

How to Get Noticed

1. Wear Bright Colors

I am notorious for wearing bright blue shirts all the time. Not only do I love the color but other people seem to love it just as much. I always get compliments on the shirts because you can’t ignore them and they make people smile. This works well year round, not just in the spring. Bright colors make your personality shine. They open you up for conversation and make you more approachable. Spend a few bucks on some new clothes and watch the magic happen.

2. Get Naked

You can do this literally if you want, just try not to break too many laws in the process. The goal is to step out of your comfort zone as often as possible. People who get noticed are willing to put themselves on the edge of normal because they realize as soon as they get there that other people tend to respond positively or not at all. On the edge of life you’re less likely to find negative people because they’re usually hiding in their bubble and won’t dare take a risk. Even if you have negative experience, it probably won’t kill you. I won’t say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger because your growth is a choice. If you choose to let negative experience knock you down then they will. You have to choose to step out on the edge and choose to become a better person because of it.

3. Identify What’s Normal and Do the Opposite

Normal is boring. Normal is easy and way too comfortable. People ignore normal but they flock to the weird. Niche groups are where it’s at. Become the big fish in the small pond. Find a small group of people doing something you have a wicked passion for and get intensely involved. People with passion get noticed. People with weird passions get noticed even more. Normal people don’t have passion and they stick to activities that everyone does. Examples of weird niche groups could include raw vegans, tango dancers, ultramarathon runners, living without debt, impromptu acting troupes, or anything else that challenges the status quo.

4. Claim that You are an Expert

Everyone loves a great expert, or at least someone who claims to know something you don’t. If you want to get noticed in your job or business, make a claim that you are an expert at something others are interested in. Spend some time teaching them and you’ll gain popularity as a person of value. To get a sample of this, study other people who you can’t seem to ignore. Some experts have PhDs but many simply have social appeal. Today’s expert has been in the media, has authored a number of books, and probably has a winning charisma that captures your attention with ease. Expertise is subjective and to get noticed in your industry or niche will require some research on your part. So get out there and find someone to copy. Check out How to Become an Expert – Fast! (Part 1) for more info.

5. Become an Open Book

Your life is not private anymore. Even if you’ve spent every effort to hide yourself from the Internet, you can be found. So embrace the change and recognize that privacy is all in your head. Open your life to the world, reveal personal information on public spaces, and share your story. You don’t have to be graphic, but at least share enough to let others get to know the real you. This is especially important if you’re attempting to become that expert we were talking about. People respond positively to others who are willing to be vulnerable. It’s hard to trust someone who you think is hiding something. You’ll make more personal and business connections by telling your story, even if you don’t think anyone would want to hear it.

6. Talk to Strangers

Get in the habit of connecting with others, even if you don’t know them. It can be as simple as making eye contact with someone on the subway. Over time you should try small talk with total strangers, keeping the content friendly and inviting. As you advance your skills you can strike up deeper conversations based initially on shallow mutual interests or circumstances. Celebrities are popular because they have a higher perceived value from total strangers than you do. Connect with strangers and you become a celebrity, at least for a second.

7. Focus on Personal Growth by Helping Others Grow

Getting noticed is shallow if that’s your intention. Getting noticed is meaningful, authentic, and fulfilling if you choose to seek it out in that manner. To get noticed in the greatest way possible, like a Mother Teresa, Gandhi, or Kevin Nealon on Weeds, you have to help others. Your personal growth will only begin to make exponential progress when you focus on someone besides yourself. Get noticed for the right reasons. Bad publicity is counterproductive. Harness your strengths are maximize your ability to contribute and you will be noticed and validated in the process.

No related posts.

Should I Go to Grad School?

Jeff — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:00:18 PDT

Photo Courtesy of Adam Procter (Flickr)

To go or not to go? That is the question. Recently I made a list of my closest high school and college friends who I keep in touch with regularly. On this list I categorized everyone by their formal education to compare how their training compares to mine, just a few years out of college. Surprisingly, more than 70% of my friends are either currently in graduate school, or have recently graduated with a Master’s degree. Does this mean I have really smart friends, or that a Master’s degree is the new undergrad? Not necessarily. But, what this list does tell me is that most of my friends have made the decision to go, which means many of you are probably considering the same. So I have broken down the basic pros and cons to figure out if going to graduate school is the right thing for you.

Pros

1. Specialization / Career Change – This one is obvious. If you go to law school, you’ll be professionally trained to practice law. Using that example, if you currently work at Starbucks and eventually want to be a lawyer, then grad school is a must. After graduation you will be revered as an expert in your field with the credentials to specialize in what you choose. Employers from many industries will find you more valuable because you have proven yourself as a knowledgeable, driven, and successful individual. If your goal is to be an expert in something you’re passionate about, a Master’s degree is a great candidate to make you stand out in the crowd and pursue a worthwhile career change.

2. More Contacts & Resources – Graduate schools attract the smartest and most ambitious people in their field. You will have the opportunity to connect with people that you otherwise might have a hard time meeting. Just as LinkedIn connects people digitally, grad school connects you in person with others in your industry. Needless to say, who you surround yourself with (your associations) will be one of the greatest influences on your career and your life. If you want to be a doctor, then hang out with doctors. It’s that easy.

3. Escape the 9-5 (Temporarily) – This is dangerous, but it could work. Many twenty-somethings ditch their day jobs and escape back to the bubble of Universities because it’s where they feel comfortable. The real world is scary and transitioning from school to the working world is very challenging. So, if your goal is to quit your job to head back to the Quad for more classes, then grad school could work. Just be sure to remember that after you graduate again, the real world will be waiting.

Cons

1. Tuition – Right now I am paying back my reasonably small undergrad student loans. After 2-4 years of grad school, I could be looking at $100,000+ in debt. Most of the people I know don’t have $100k in cash just in case they impulsively head back to school. I will say that tuition costs vary considerably, but unless you’re EXTREMELY confident you can land a job that pays really well after graduation, you may as well consider this kind of debt the equivalent of buying a house. FYI, in case you do run in to financial trouble later in life, student loans are NOT bankrupt-able. Meaning, you will have to pay back every penny no matter what. Think about it.

2. Time – It’s very common to work full-time while going to grad school. My wife is doing that right now. She works full-time as a teacher during the day and is going to class at night for her Master’s. The sacrifice here is sanity. As an employee, a student, and a wife, she is pulled in three directions at the same time. It’s hard. Really hard. You could choose to go to school full-time, but your living expenses plus your tuition costs can add up very quickly. If you’re willing to make grad school your lifestyle and your primary focus, it could be a great choice. Otherwise, it can easily become a burden of your time and money.

3. Education does NOT equal Experience – If you’re considering adding a Master’s to your resume in order to gain professional experience in your field, realize that employers rarely rank education as high as relevant work experience. In order to impress an employer, you have to be able to prove you know how to do the job because you have done similar things in the past. Studying the theory of business does not mean you can handle tough decisions when presented with them on the job. Find ways to connect with employers while in school, improve your skill-set, volunteer, find internships, whatever you can to gain REAL experience that makes you valuable.

Gray Area

1. Higher Salary? – Will you make more money with a Master’s? It depends on where you’re coming from. Using the previous example, if you worked at Starbucks and made $10.00 per hour but then became a lawyer a few years later, you could dramatically increase your income. If you are an accountant now and then get a Master’s in Accounting, your employer may not care. Your industry will dictate the value of higher education. Doctor’s need medical degrees, but actors don’t need Phd’s in Theatre. However, having a Master’s degree could set you apart from other candidates in the future when you’re up for promotion. Ultimately, your ability to do your job better than anyone else is what will set you apart, not your education.

2. Entrepreneurship – For those of you who own a business or are considering starting one in the future, take your time in making this decision. MBA’s are awesome, if you want to work as an employee in accounting, finance, management, operations, etc. for a large corporation. But if you own your own business, you are not trying to impress employers, you want to impress customers. You need to know your target market really well. Understand what they want and give it to them. Do you have to have a Master’s in Horticulture to sell flowers? No, but you will learn about your niche and be able to apply it to your business. Weigh your options and do what’s best for your business, not your resume.

Conclusion

The decision to go to grad school is really the essence of Graduated And Clueless, because the fear is that if you do make the plunge you may end up in the same place: a little more educated and still just as clueless. So, hopefully you can make the decision based on your background and the advice I’ve provided here. I know a lot of what I’ve said here may sound hypocritical and/or contradictory, because it is. Everyone’s situation is unique and the decision is ultimately up to you. In the end, your choice should be based on long-term career goals, financial responsibility, and a firm understanding of what you’re doing, not just a distaste for your current job or lifestyle. I personally have chosen not to go to grad school because I am an entrepreneur. And as such, my future lies in effective decision-making that can positively influence customers, not potential employers. Could grad school benefit me? Of course. But it’s not my time. Good luck on your future education and stay positive! Don’t forget you can always Email me your story and/or questions and I’ll send you customized advice for the same price as this reading this blog post!

How and Why to Eat Organic

Jeff — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:34:01 PDT

Photo Courtesy of Trellina (flickr)

What does it mean to eat organic? Can a person really eat 100% organic foods and is it worth it? In my recent quest to become a healthier person I made the choice to eat more vegetarian and organic foods, without actually knowing what it meant. I had heard enough news stories and personal accounts of the potential health benefits but I had never done the research myself. Last week I started my adventure by buying as many organic and vegetarian foods as possible during my weekly trip to the grocery store. You can read more about my shopping experience in my last blog post, Losing My Vegetarian Virginity. I have bought a few books that others have recommended to encourage my growth in this area and I have watched a few documentaries. The overwhelming message in American culture is that organic is good. Organic is a buzz word; it’s trendy; it’s cool; it’s apparently helpful for someone, but who? What does organic mean in real terms for the average consumer and is it worth my attention? This has become my mission, to figure out where organic fits in my life, if at all.

What is Organic?

In its most simplistic form, organic means natural. Organic is simple, healthy, and free from anything artificial. In terms of food, organic means without pesticides, antibiotics, or hormones. Farmers who grow crops and feed their animals in such a way that it doesn’t include any harmful chemicals are considered to be organic. Organic food is healthy because you ingest fewer chemicals and pesticides. This doesn’t apply equally to all foods but more than you might imagine. Organic farming is sustainable, meaning that it’s better for the earth and the same land can be used for much longer periods of time than other farming techniques. Organic has also become a blanket term for safety, meaning that the lives of the farm workers are considered in the process of getting the food from the land to your dinner plate. In general, organic is a word that means progress; or ironically, reverse progress because we’re reverting back to older methods of farming and eating that doesn’t include many modern technologies designed to make food creation faster and cheaper.

The $$$ Cost of Organic

Yes, organic foods are more expensive than traditional foods. There’s no doubt that in order to be healthier and to support the farmers and companies who are providing organic foods readily, you will have to pay a higher premium. Large corporations that create traditional food can lower their prices significantly by using cheaper and more efficient means of production. The result is usually less healthy food, unsafe working conditions, unnecessary and harmful treatment of animals, and a drastic degradation of the environment. Check out the documentary Food Inc. to get a better insight.

My Conclusion

I am willing to pay more for organic food because I care about my health, the health of farmers, and the health of the environment. I am willing to make sacrifices in other areas of my life in order to fund my decision to eat better foods. I am proud to help organizations and people I care about. I want to help where I can and it’s an easy decision to simply put better food on my plate more often. I’m not perfect and I still eat bad foods occasionally, but I have made a change. I have made a permanent, life altering decision to consciously think about what I eat.

Where to Shop for Organic Foods

Farmers markets are awesome. I don’t shop at them often enough, but like I said I am beginning an adventure that will hopefully result in more positive choices more often. Farmers markets are filled with locally grown, organic foods and they’re fun places to shop. Visit LocalHarvest.org to find farmers markets, family farms, grocery stores, websites, and other organic suppliers in your area. You can now find many organic, vegetarian, and vegan foods in supermarkets everywhere. Kroger actually has an organic section all by it-self. Many other grocery stores have organic foods labeled throughout the store, like Publix who uses brown pricing stickers instead of white. FYI, organic food has a 5-digit number that begins with the number 9, and traditional non-organic food has a 4-digit number that begins with the number 4. This numbering system is used for food sold in bulk, so it may not apply to all foods.

Foods You Should Eat Organic

Ideally, you should eat organic whenever possible, but if you have to choose, check out these foods. TheDailyGreen.com has an article called Top 12 Foods To Eat Organic that highlights the foods below. To begin eating more organic stuff, start creating substitutions for what you already eat. In other words, if you have yogurt every day for a snack, try organic soy yogurt and see what you think. So far, I’ve been surprised at how many foods I’m really enjoying that I expected to taste like dog food. I will say that vegetarian food in general might take more getting used to than organic.

Try these organic foods: meat, milk, coffee, apples, peaches, peppers, celery, nectarines, tomatoes, strawberries, cherries, kale, leafy greens, grapes, carrots, pears, and potatoes.

You are What You Eat

If you eat organic, you become organic. That’s as simple as it gets. To become 100% organic, or for an animal to be considered organic, your diet can only consist of organic nutrients and nothing else. The benefits speak for themselves. Beyond the ones previously discussed, organic food typically has more nutrients, gives you more energy, reduces illness, and decreases your exposure to toxins, chemicals, and pesticides. The bottom line, organic food is better than conventional food. It’s not perfect and it won’t turn you into Superman. Your overall health is affected by more than food, but making better choices in this area will certainly get you started on a path for healthier living.

Resources

Food Inc. – Documentary
The Future of Food - Documentary
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
The Organic Food Guide by Steve Meyerowitz
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver