My guest, Mary Marantz, is a podcaster, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of the book, Dirt. Mary grew up in small rural town in West Virginia, and from an early age excelled in everything she did. Despite the limited opportunities her hometown offered, with the enduring support of her dad and years of hard work, she went from a five-room schoolhouse to the hallowed halls of Yale University. Her journey is nothing short of incredible, but along the way her achievements and her identity became one in the same to her. Untangling the two was a long process, but she joined me this week to share the process it took to undo the mindsets that a lifetime of overachieving instilled in her. Listen in for an incredibly moving conversation about how you can achieve big goals without letting them define who you are.Links from this episode:Mary's book DirtMary's WebsiteJon and Mary's conversation on The Mary Marantz ShowGoal coaching at The Whiteboard RoomFollow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Why is staying motivated during a goal so difficult?When your motivation for a new goal disappears, the temptation may be to believe that you've picked the wrong goal to work on, but most of the time, I don't think that's the issue at all. Motivation is notoriously flighty, so the key to success is learning how to bring it back every time it takes off. In this episode, I'm sharing my #1 motivation tool so that you can keep making progress on your goals even if your excitement starts to fade.Links from today's episode:Jon's book FinishThe FREE 5-day Beyond Perfect ChallengeThe Finish CalendarRead the first chapter of Soundtracks hereFollow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Greg Mckeown joined me this week for a speical two-part episode to help answer the question "Do big goals have to be painfully difficult "to count?"Greg is a speaker, podcast host, and author of the recently released book, Effortless, and he doesn't think your most important goals have to be that difficult at all. In Part 2 of our discussion on how to make the essential things in your life the easiest things, we're picking up right where we left off bringing you more practical ways you can accomplish your goals with minimum stress and maximum value.Find out more about Greg and his new book, Effortless, at his website. Catch up with his podcast What's Essential.In this episode:Josh Shipp's 18 Books Every Teen Should Read Before They Turn 18Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Have you ever convinced yourself that to achieve a big goal, it has to be painfully difficult or it doesn’t count?There aren’t many people that take committing to the essential things in life more seriously than Greg McKeown. Maybe you’ve heard him on the What’s Essential podcast, read his book million-selling book Essentialism. He’s a fountain of wisdom, and in this special two-part episode, he’s sharing the secret to effortlessly accomplish the goals that are most important to you. Sound too good to be true? Listen in for this incredible conversation and stay tuned for part two!Find out more about Greg and his new book, Effortless, at his website. Catch up with his podcast What's Essential.Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

There are a limited number of universal truths in the world, but I think we can all agree on this: Nobody likes a boring graduation speech. That's why this week's podcast episode is my version of what I think all commencement speeches should be: practical, fun, and in list format. Whether you're a grad, know a grad, or even if you can't remember your college graduation because it was so long ago, tune in for the 10 things that no one ever tells you when you graduate college that will help you succeed in the real world.Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

Health and fitness goals are at the top of the list of difficult things to accomplish.It's not that losing weight, staying in shape, or shaving a few minutes off your mile time are difficult because there's a lack of information about how to do those things. They're difficult because of the abundance of shame that often creeps in when you start pursuing health-related goals. In this episode, I'll give you the 3 shame-free soundtracks that will help you accomplish all your difficult health goals and keep you moving forward until you've reached the finish line.Book mentioned in this episode:I Hate Running and You Can Too by Brendan LeonardFollow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

When I say "positive thinking," what words come to mind?If it's words like "dumb," "fake," or "cheesy," you're in good company. I used to be a total hater too, but not anymore. A few years ago, I started noticing that leaders I really respected believed in positive thinking, and it was hard to argue with the results they were constantly producing in their life. So I began to investigate. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing how my experiments with positive thinking led me to create a New Anthem that changed my life, the lives of thousands of others, and how it can change yours too.Running Down a Dream by Tim GrahlFollow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

How do you say no to friends who want you to work for free without damaging the relationship?I doubt there’s an entrepreneur out there that hasn’t had to ask this question at some point. If you're a photographer, a designer, a developer, a writer, a personal trainer, a doctor, a mechanic, a hairstylist, a lawyer, an illustrator, a dog walker, or a billion other professions, friends are going to ask you to work for free. In this episode, I’m sharing four guilt-free soundtracks that will help you set boundaries and keep making money.From this episodeIf you don’t want to do the project, say this:In order to honor and fulfill the commitment I’ve made to my paying clients, I can’t take on any pro bono work. I love doing it when I can, but I don’t have the time.Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

How much power does a positive mindset really have?Colleen Barry lost her job in the entertainment industry during the dot com bust in 2001. Her unexpected unemployment led her to take a job making pizzas in a wood-fired oven, doing freelance graphic design, and eventually becoming the “lobby barista” of a real estate agency. Today, she’s the CEO of the same company where she used to serve espresso to prospective clients. Listen to this week’s episode of All It Takes is a Goal to learn how choosing a positive mindset allowed her to climb the ladder and how you can use the same strategies she did to achieve your goals too.Books mentioned in this episode:There's No Such Thing As Luck by Colleen BarryStart by Jon AcuffThe Dip by Seth GodinLead with Luv by Ken Blanchard and Colleen BarrettMindset by Carol Dweck, Ph.D.Pema ChödrönEat That Frog by Brian TracyFollow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!

How does a goal go from an idea in your head to something tangible you live out every day?Joseph Sojourner AKA Sojo is a rapper, public speaker, sneakerhead, and good friend of mine. Like a lot of people, Sojo was once just a small-town kid with big city dreams. So how did he go from Akron, Ohio to traveling the country, working on movie sets, and living out the dreams he’d had since middle school? Listen in to our discussion to learn what it takes to pursue authentic goals, take control of your story, and actually finish a goal.Follow Jon on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.Order Soundtracks, Jon's newest book available wherever you find quality books!