

All It Takes Is A Goal
Jon Acuff
Jon Acuff is the New York Times bestselling author of ten books, including his most recent, All it Takes is a Goal.Published in dozens of languages, his work is both critically acclaimed and adored by readers. When he's not writing, Acuff can be found on a stage, as one of INC's Top 100 Leadership Speakers. He's spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences, colleges and companies around the world including FedEx, Range Rover, Microsoft, Chick-fil-A, and Comedy Central. Known for his insights wrapped in humor, Acuff shared the stage with an American Icon when he opened up for Dolly Parton at the Ryman Auditorium.Jon lives outside of Nashville, TN with his wife Jenny and two daughters.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 19, 2022 • 27min
ATG 104: The 24 dragons that will try to sabotage your goals (and 3 ways to slay them all)
If you're about to start a new goal in 2023, there are 24 obstacles that are about to try to sabotage you. I’ve worked with over 100,000 people on their goals, studied goals, and hustled on my own goals for over a decade now, and I’ve watched these 24 obstacles trip people up over and over again. They’ve certainly gotten to me before, and I bet they’ve gotten you a time or two as well. Luckily, these dragons can be vanquished. I’ve got three ways you can see your goal through to the end, no matter how hard these challenges try to knock you down. Tune in to learn how to beat things like imposter syndrome, fear, procrastination, lack of motivation, and so much more!In This Episode:You can join the Guaranteed Goals Challenge happening January 10-12, sign up today!Follow me on GoodReads Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

7 snips
Dec 12, 2022 • 36min
ATG 103: The 7 best books I read in 2022
I love lists, especially “best of” lists at the end of the year. if you share your best moments list, best restaurants for queso list, or best trails for a run list, and I’m so there. In this episode, I’m sharing the seven best books I read in 2022. They range from biographies to mysteries and cover topics from money to creativity to the life of King David. No matter the genre, each of these books taught me something that made 2022 a little better. Tune into the episode, and make sure to add these books to your 2023 reading list. For more book recommendations, find me on GoodReads!Jon's Top 7 Books of 2022A Noel Killing by M.L. LongworthBourdain, The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie WooleverThe Psychology of Money - Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan HouselLeap Over A Wall by Eugene PetersonFrom Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks12 Notes on Life and Creativity by Quincy JonesSurrender: 40 Songs, One Story by BonoBook me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Dec 5, 2022 • 52min
ATG 102: This is what your kids actually think about you: My eye-opening conversation with Dr. Meg Meeker
Being a parent means a lot of things. It can be joyful, fun, and one of life’s greatest blessings. It can also be challenging, overwhelming, and just plain hard. No matter what season of parenting you’re in, my guest Dr. Meg Meeker has some awesome encouragement for you.Dr. Meg Meeker is a pediatrician who has practiced child and adolescent medicine for 33 years and is the author of six best-selling books. She is also a nationally acclaimed speaker on parenting issues and serves on the Advisory Board of the Medical Institute. Listen to our conversation for a discussion about what matters most in parenting relationships, managing your kid’s screen time, and so much more!In This Episode:Buy a copy of Dr. Meg’s book Strong Fathers Strong Daughters! Find Dr. Meg’s other books hereCheck out Dr. Meg's Podcast, Parenting Great Kids, and her websiteMeg's Book List:Celebration of Discipline by Richard FosterEmily Dickenson’s poetryJane Austen’s booksCount of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasLes Miserables by Victor HugoAnna Karenina by Leo TolstoyGrab your copy of the 2023 Finish Calendar!Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Nov 28, 2022 • 48min
ATG 101: How to *literally* make the world a brighter place: My conversation with Becca Stevens
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve probably seen that around this time of year, I always talk about an amazing organization called Thistle Farms, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving women survivors of abuse, trafficking, and addiction.I’m thrilled to have their founder and President, Becca Stevens, join me for this special episode. Becca is a speaker, justice entrepreneur, author, and priest. She has been named a CNN Hero, a White House Champion of Change, and holds five honorary doctorates. Listen to our conversation to hear stories of healing and redemption and learn about how you can make the world a little brighter this holiday season.In This Episode:You can support 500 Lights HomeBuy a copy of Becca’s newest bookVisit Thistle FarmsFollow Becca on InstagramBecca's Book List:The Long Lonliness by Dorothy DayMeditations of the Heart by Howard ThurmanThe Understory by Pamela ErensFrederick Douglass: America’s Prophet by D.H. DilbeckGrab your copy of the 2023 Finish Calendar!Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

22 snips
Nov 21, 2022 • 24min
ATG 100: 5 Soundtracks to Make You Feel Brave
Happy 100th episode of All it Takes is a Goal! In this very special episode, we’re wrapping up a three-part series about how to practice bravery. So far we’ve discussed the 3 Keys to Mastering Bravery, 4 Tools for Your Bravery Toolbox, and today we’ll be covering 5 Soundtracks to Make You Feel Brave.A soundtrack is my phrase for a repetitive thought, and they have the power to hold you back or slingshot you toward your goals. Fear is especially good at keeping you stuck, so I’m sharing the 5 soundtracks that will replace fear with courage so you can keep moving toward the goals that are most important to you!In This Episode:Catch up on the rest of the Bravery series:3 Simple Ways to Be Braver in the Next 7 Days4 Tools You Need in Your Bravery Toolbox!Grab your copy of the 2023 Finish Calendar!Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Nov 14, 2022 • 22min
ATG 99: 4 Tools You Need in Your Bravery Toolbox!
Welcome to Week 2 of a three-part series on bravery! Last week, we covered the three keys you need to master bravery. This week we’re talking about four tools that will help you along the way. Why? Because trying to do anything without the right tools is overwhelming, frustrating, and sometimes impossible (imagine trying to build an IKEA bookshelf without screws - that could wreck even the most loving of marriages). Tune in for the tools that will make practicing bravery so much easier it just might feel like cheating.In This Episode:Catch up on the rest of the Bravery series:3 Simple Ways to Be Braver in the Next 7 Days5 Soundtracks to Make You Feel BraveGrab your copy of the 2023 Finish Calendar!Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Nov 7, 2022 • 26min
ATG 98: 3 Simple Ways to Be Braver in the Next 7 Days
In this episode, I’m kicking off a three-part series about bravery. Why bravery? Why not creativity, character, wisdom, or hustle? I chose bravery because every goal you want to achieve is on the other side of a brave decision. Luckily, bravery is as learnable as tying your shoes. Tune in to learn why bravery is so crucial to accomplishing what matters to you and ways you can implement it in your life immediately!In This Episode:Catch up on the rest of the Bravery series:4 Tools You Need in Your Bravery Toolbox!5 Soundtracks to Make You Feel BraveGrab your copy of the 2023 Finish Calendar!Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

5 snips
Oct 31, 2022 • 58min
ATG 97: The #1 Way to Boost Your Leadership Skills with Leadership and Relationship Expert Dr. Karyn Gordon
There are so many ways to develop leadership skills, but according to Dr. Karyn Gordon, there’s one strength that consistently outperforms all others: emotional intelligence.Dr. Karyn Gordon was told she probably wouldn’t graduate high school due to a learning disability. Now she’s a leadership and relationship expert, TED Talk speaker, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and CEO of DK Leadership, a global leadership coaching company whose purpose is developing great leaders at work and at home (take that naysayers!). She joins me for a crash course in leadership, developing your emotional intelligence, solution-focused therapy, working in harmony with people of other generations, and so much more.Karyn's Book List:The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr & Tony SchwartzThe Road Less Traveled by M. Scott PeckStart With Why by Simon SinekJohn Maxwell Leadership BooksIn This Episode:Buy a copy of Karyn’s new book!Visit Karyn’s websiteWatch Karyn’s TED Talk Follow Karyn on Instagram and LinkedIn Grab your copy of the 2023 Finish Calendar!Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

7 snips
Oct 24, 2022 • 1h 1min
ATG 96: How to spark creativity when you feel like there’s none left - my interview with innovation expert Jeremy Utley
Creativity and innovation are commonly viewed as fleeting moments of inspiration that must be grand, life-altering, and totally new. No wonder they can feel so intimidating. But what if they were actually muscles that could be stretched and grown slowly over time with practice?In this episode Director of Executive Education at Stanford’s acclaimed Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (aka the d.school), Jeremy Utley is here to teach you how to do that. Jeremy is a self-proclaimed “recovering MBA, spreadsheet junkie, and management consultant,” who now studies innovation in large enterprises and startups. In this episode, he’ll teach you how to tap into your Idea Flow, reframe problems, and provoke your imagination so that creativity becomes as natural as learning any other skill.Jeremy's Book List:The Idea Factory by Jon GertnerShoe Dog by Phil NightBenjamin Franklin by Walter IsaacsonWhere Good Ideas Come From by Stephen JohnsonCreativity Inc by Ed CatmullIn This Episode:Buy a copy of Jeremy's book IdeaFlowListen to Jeremy’s PodcastVisit Jeremy’s Website: ideaflow.design and jeremyutley.designFollow Jeremy on Twitter or LinkedInGrab your copy of the 2023 Finish Calendar!Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Oct 17, 2022 • 51min
ATG 95: Finite Schedules, Infinite Possibilities: The Time-Management Episode with Laura Vanderkam
We all have a finite number of hours in the week (168 to be exact), and oftentimes it doesn’t feel like enough for everything we want to do. But what if there was a way to fit all the most important things into your schedule? What if you could actually pursue all the personal and professional goals you have and have them live in harmony?Laura Vanderkam is a time-management expert and author of the new book, Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters. She’s also a mom of five and knows how challenging it can be to make time work for you not against you. She joins me for an incredible conversation about prioritizing what matters, finding time for the work and people you love, and so much more!Laura's Book List:Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyIn This Episode:Buy a copy of Laura’s new book!Listen to Laura’s podcasts: Before Breakfast & Best of Both WorldsVisit Laura’s WebsiteFollow Laura on Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, and FacebookGrab your copy of the 2023 Finish Calendar!Book me to speak at your event or to your team!Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!


