The Obvious Choice

In a world increasingly influenced by AI, the importance of choosing meaningful work becomes crucial. The discussion emphasizes personal fulfillment and emotional connections, offering five tests to evaluate our tasks. Engaging in fulfilling work not only brings satisfaction but also energizes the mind, even when physically exhausted. Personal anecdotes highlight the transformative power of striving for valuable work, encouraging a mindful approach to enriching activities over mere leisure. It's about working for growth, not just rewards.

Discover how success isn’t just about hitting goals but about creating systems that celebrate every small win. Emphasizing personal stories, the discussion highlights the importance of recognizing milestones to foster a positive mindset. Instead of traditional goal-setting, embrace a journey filled with personal connections and rich experiences. Learn how these practices can enhance fulfillment and truly define what success means for you, encouraging continuous progress in life and work.

Discover the secrets to growing a social media presence from scratch. Learn about the 'sea lion strategy' that connects you with established communities. Hear a case study of a young podcaster who thrived through genuine engagement. Explore how forming connections can outshine mere content creation. Understand the importance of becoming the obvious choice for your audience and how meaningful networking can lead to deeper relationships. This is your guide to mastering social media engagement!

Dive into the world of transformative literature with a discussion on five life-changing books. Explore the power of fiction in understanding humanity, particularly through the lens of Matt Haig's 'The Humans.' Discover how physical health fosters creative excellence and the challenges of staying active over time. Uncover influential reads that blend marketing mastery with poetic insights, and learn to navigate uncertainty with an anti-fragile mindset, drawing practical applications for life and business.

It's been almost two months since The Obvious Choice was released. Lots of people have been asking me how it's been going. If I'm honest, my answer is "not great". I've been disappointed with sales and so has my publisher.I'm sharing five crucial lessons I've learned from this experience. Not to complain, but to illuminate the path for anyone bringing something valuable into a noisy world.Whether you're launching a product, sell a service, or creating art––these five lessons transcend any specific field.Read the full article here: https://www.theptdc.com/articles/my-book-launch-didnt-go-all-that-well-reallyOrder my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzceNot sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapterWho Am I?Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribeGet my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerdsJoin my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreenFollow me on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodmanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/Timestamps0:00 What I learned from my book launch bombing?0:49 Five crucial lessons I learned from this experience1:04 Lesson 1: Positioning: The Art of Framing Value3:42 Lesson 2: Audience: Quality over Quantity7:24 Lesson 3: Influence: The Contextual Boundaries of Your Authority10:15 Lesson 4: Mastery: The Illusion of Transferable Excellence13:06 Lesson 5: Self-Reliance: The Ultimate Liberation

Writing isn't just about putting words on a page—it's about clarifying the chaos in your mind and presenting ideas in a way others can understand. In a world where AI can write for us, mastering this inhuman skill might be the most powerful advantage for any ambitious person today."Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzceNot sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapterWho Am I?Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribeGet my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerdsJoin my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreenFollow me on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodmanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

In today's episode, I'm thrilled to sit down with my long-time friend Alex Hutchinson, New York Times best-selling author of "Endure" and his new book "The Explorer's Gene." We dive into the courage it takes to explore new creative paths rather than getting typecast by your past successes, and Alex shares how his unplanned writing journey led to his most powerful work.Get my friend Alex Hutchinson's new book, The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the MapAlex Hutchinson is the New York Times bestselling author of Endure, a longtime columnist for Outside covering the science of endurance, and a National Magazine Award–winning journalist who has contributed to the New York Times, The New Yorker, and other publications. A former long-distance runner for the Canadian national team, he holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia and a Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge, and he did his post-doctoral research with the National Security Agency. Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzceNot sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapterWho Am I?Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribeGet my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerdsJoin my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreenFollow me on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodmanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/Timestamps0:00 Alex Hutchinson Introduction 1:28 Discussing Alex's books, including "Endure" and "The Explorer's Gene"3:12 The evolution of book writing toward self-development and life design4:25 What exploration really means beyond physical travel5:06 The dilemma of being typecast after success6:18 The explore-exploit dilemma: balancing new ventures vs. known success7:49 "It just didn't seem fun to me" - Making career choices based on enjoyment8:50 The challenge of crossing between different professional worlds10:47 How John and Alex first met through a cold email14:00 The challenges of writing: structure vs. crafting sentences17:33 How the interludes in "Endure" evolved organically20:37 The choice not to track book sales and analytics21:23 Injecting personal experience into writing in the age of AI24:32 Writing with "your cup half full" to prepare for life's challenges28:57 - Introduction to the Wundt curve concept

In this episode, we're talking about letting your geek flag fly and how embracing your unique obsessions can be your secret weapon in business. If you're tired of blending in with everyone else online, I'm going to show you why your weird, nerdy passions are actually the key to standing out and connecting with the exact people who will become your most loyal customers.Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzceNot sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapterWho Am I?Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribeGet my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerdsJoin my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreenFollow me on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodmanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/Timestamps0:00 Introduction0:20 What is your geek obsession?0:50 Christina crossfit gym story02:20 Comitology and Astrology04:00 Location bias05:00 SNASA07:00 Building a vision out of your geek obsession09:40 Being different11:00 Industry norms12:30 Risks13:10 Difficulty in execution13:35 Doing too many of the right things14:20 Business model16:15 Ben Mudge story19:00 Follow your obsession

Success everywhere is a lagging indicator of becoming great somewhere.Read the full article here: https://www.theptdc.com/articles/success-everywhere-is-a-lagging-indicator-of-becoming-great-somewhereOrder my book The Obvious Choice here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzceNot sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapterWho Am I?Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribeGet my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerdsJoin my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreenFollow me on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodmanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/Timestamps0:00 Most of what we're doing these days doesn't need to be done, we've just been doing it for so long that it’s become a thing that we do.1:50 The constant pursuit of greatness3:07 Finding what you're born to be great at4:12 Greatness transcends how you make money4:43 The struggle between deep work and platform growth6:47 Social media success is a lagging indicator of real-world success7:17 Ask key questions about your path9:23 Greatness requires persistent, consistent, obsessive focus11:34 The pleasure is in doing the work, not in it being done13:16 Saying no to opportunities that take you away from greatness14:53 Content strategy plan17:26 What are you optimizing for?

Welcome everybody to the Obvious Choice podcast, where today I'll be explaining some major changes coming to this show as I pursue my singular goal of becoming a truly world-class writer.I'm putting an end to the scattered approach that's been holding me back, focusing on what truly matters to me, and yes, that unfortunately means firing Ren for what must be the fifth or sixth time.Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzceWho Am I?Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribeTimestamps0:00 Opening banter; Jonathan jokes about firing Rencel again1:18 Upcoming changes to the podcast format3:10 Focusing the podcast on shorter episodes and interviews8:43 The "finite nature" of podcasting; Jonathan shares experience with Ben Greenfield11:10 Story about Men's Health and content driven by advertisers17:54 How podcasts overcomplicate health topics when simple advice often matters most24:19 Personal quest to become a world-class writer31:13 New content strategy across platforms36:19 Writing process and time management43:30 "Going pro moment" with "absurd focus"