Everything seems to be better "as soon as."

We were wired at an early age to get good grades and do we well in sports. We were told that life's goal is to achieve--and we assume that with enough accomplishments we'd be happy. However, if, like me, you're waiting for the "as soon as" to be today, then, you probably aren't satisfied.

How can I best live in the moment and be grateful for what I've been given? How do I enjoy this journey called life? In this podcast, I talk about recognizing the "as soon as" game to be a part of who I am and to stop expecting something more "as soon as…"

I seem to have a tendency to get stuck in my own universe. If my stress levels are high, my little bubble limits my perspective to my own woes.

Sometimes, this bubble is burst when I'm temporarily exposed to the outside world and I realize that my life is not nearly as sad or stressful as I think it is in my head.

Unfortunately, this feeling can also be short-term and I can just as easily get back into my bubble. So, what are some ways we can stay mindful and full of perspective as often as we can?

In this podcast, I'm going to talk about why we get stressed out and how helping others is so effective in reducing stress. You'll learn how you can best help others in your day-to-day schedule to reduce your own stress.

In the spring of 1997, I was hired by the global accounting and consulting firm, Arthur Andersen.

Less than a couple of hours into my first day, I was led to a small office and handed my first laptop – the magnificent, all powerful IBM ThinkPad.

This amazing machine allowed me to work anywhere I could find a place to sit. In addition, it provided me with the ability to work from home in case I didn't get everything completed at the office.

It's ironic that almost 20 years to the day, I now find myself advising my clients to leave their laptops at the office.

In today's podcast, I'll talk about the difference between activity and achievement. You'll learn why being able to work all the time is hurting your productivity and what you can do about it.

• How do you know which books to choose?
• The myth of the overnight success self-help book
• Books I've found interesting, awesome books gifted, and other recommendations from over the years
• What to do to get the most out of your book choices

Let me begin by saying that I understand there's a possibility that I'm a little bit of a nerd.

When it comes to my friends, I'll gift books rather than clothes, boos, or gift cards around the holidays. I get kind of giddy when I walk into a Barnes & Noble bookstore. And, every once in awhile I'll take a Saturday afternoon to sit in a local Starbucks to catch up on my reading.

Yup. Nerd.

The truth is, with Amazon (especially Amazon Prime) getting access to great books is easier and cheaper than ever before. However, the difficulty lies within choosing the right book.

Based on zero data other than conversations from over the years, I'd say the average American reads maybe one non-fiction book a year. Which begs the questions...

What's a good book that's going to add value to your life? What's going to challenge your thinking? How do you know if it's full of crap or a book that's going to make a huge impact on your life?

This week we dive into an incredibly common question that casually pops up with clients, "Do you have any book recommendations?".

I discuss some of the more appealing reads I've found over the years and how you can apply your sensibilities to find the book that's right for you. Unfortunately, While I've yet to find the book that can change my life overnight, if you do have a recommendation, please let me know in the comment section below!

CJ

• How you can take advantage of all the resources available to you
• Why conferences work
• How to decide which conference you should attend
• What you should expect to get out of attending a conference

If you're like me, you're more likely to pay attention to something when you've had to do a little work for it.

So what happens when we can be voracious readers because of the quick solutions from Amazon or Audible? What happens when iTunes hosts hundreds of thousands of podcasts yearning for our listens? What happens when we're bombarded with videos, conferences, or free giveaways from coaches and mentors?

The answer...you're required to enhance your ability to discern what deserves your time, or else risk being on a wild goose chase.

In this week's episode, we discuss how we're all wired to appreciate things on a higher level when we have to work for it, how information has quickly become a commodity, and what you need to do to be confident in investing in yourself.

• Terrific examples of quitting
• The #1 reason why people quit their pursuits
• How world-class performers use visualization to move past hurdles
• How to develop an insanely passionate "why" that will lead to goal achievement

As you focus your sights on a life or career goal, it's absolutely pivotal to connect it with a powerful "why". By finding the why when we decide to do something, we're saying internally that this goal means a ton to us. We're saying that we have a sincere personal connection to the challenge we want to overcome.

It's inevitable that along the way things aren't going to go our way. In fact, we should use the notion that things WILL be hard at times in pursuit of our goal. This can serve as another as a reason for us to be very intentional with our pursuits.

In today's episode, we dive into something I've seen hundreds of times through my 13 years as an executive coach- the "AHA" moment of when clients see their "why". To this day, I still get kind of giddy when I see the neurons firing and connections being formed. At this moment, I know we've made a breakthrough in their career and life. And finally, we will dive into the power of developing a crystal clear vision and how to create your "why" in pursuing a goal.

• The $1,000 Transcendental Meditation Teacher
• 90's Information vs. Today's information
• Free advice vs. paid advice
• Why we discount information
• How to make a mental switch when you want true commitment

In this episode, CJ covers buying your information versus getting it for free. Why do we take some information more seriously than others, and does it have an affect on our emotional well-being when we're trying to improve ourselves?​​​​​​​​

• "Roger" with $500k salary but is still looking for answers
• The Comparison Game
• How our antique version of success drives you insane (and what to do about it)
• 3 steps to overcome "the chase"

Here's a piece of advice I wish someone had given to me long ago. It would have saved years of stress, anxiety, and possibly head hair had I known about this trick.

"There it is" is a reminder that when we catch ourselves comparing to another person, we are being 100% normal. After we break our train of thought, we recognize that we're doing this thing that makes us unhappy, and we return back to what we were doing. As crazy as it sounds, you'll start to see yourself comparing to others less and less.

This powerful mantra is so important that I still have to use it constantly.

If each day we wake up and choose to use a car rather ride a horse and buggy, we're making that decision because the car is faster, more efficient, and ultimately a happier way to get where we want to go. Just like with a car, in today's environment, we need to choose to say no to the old way of framing success or what a successful person looks like. In today's episode we're talking about refusing to adapt to an old system of thinking about success. It's a mental shift that is very subtle, and can mean the world of difference to your sanity. Enjoy!

• A ridiculous commercial from over the weekend that promised overnight success
• A 3-day workshop that involved hugging...and kind of worked
• What if self-help products told the truth?
• How to leverage your experiences to make radical changes in your life
• A request from you, the listener, to hold me accountable

That's the question running through my brain every time a new "self-improvement" product flashes across the TV. Especially in those first moments as I'm watching the 6-pack abs or veggie concoction in a blender, I'm wondering if this is finally the answer to my problems.

It seems that over the years I've continuously reached for something to work. Something new. Something interesting. Something that's finally going to turn the corner on my life to give me the rock-hard abs, the million-dollar home, or the ability to travel the world on a moment's notice. I've attended the webinars that seemed to last forever with little concrete takeaways. I've attended workshops that involved hugging strangers (like really embracing people you have NEVER met). I've bought every book Barnes & Noble has to offer on the subject. In short, I could be crowned "The King of Self-Help Suckers" if I took inventory of everything that I've tried.

Today's podcast is about facing the overwhelm of what's grasping for your attention, time, and dollars. The honest truth is that we in the self-improvement industry (myself included) need to be mindful of over-promising. We need to do better. We need to make your life easier with our products, rather than creating an illusion that our solutions are the cure-all for your problems.

More importantly though, this episode is about the critical choice you make when something sounds too good to be true. Enjoy!

• Signs that you're playing in "The Comparison Game"
• How to reduce the urge to compare your situation to others
• The strategy to begin to feel content AND keep a winning edge

If you walk into a room and immediately size up others, you're likely an unknowing participant in something called, "The Comparison Game".

Especially, with workaholics and business professional types, we tend to be critical of others, but it's root is from being critical of ourselves. We promise ourselves that we'll feel better, "As soon as...", but that day never comes.

So, how can you begin to remedy it? The answer is surprisingly simple.