The Darius Foroux Show: Master Your Productivity. Master Your Life.

What’s a big goal or dream that you have? Do you want to start a business? Become a fulltime author? Travel the world? Become financially independent? Change careers? I bet you’ve thought about it, and at some point thought, “I’m not sure I can achieve that.” If you’re anything like me, you always think about risks that are involved with making a big move in life. And that’s not a surprise. We’re collectively risk averse. We truly hate risk. I’ve never met someone who said, “I love to lose everything!” But what can we do about our risk aversion? On this episode, I share my strategy for protecting the downside. Read my article about protecting the downside: https://dariusforoux.com/protect-the-downside/ P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app, for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/ Want to get my free newsletter? Join here: http://dariusforoux.com

On this episode, I talk to Austin Floyd, an online marketer and blogger, about online marketing. Austin recently emailed me about installing a Facebook Pixel on my site. Instead of trying to sell something, he provided value. We talk about that strategy, and many more topics that are useful to all bloggers and online entrepreneurs. Check out Austin’s website here: https://heightenedliving.com P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app, for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/ Want to get my free newsletter? Join here: http://dariusforoux.com

In 2015, I quit my bullshit job. It wasn’t a bad job or anything. I just felt that my job didn’t contribute to anything meaningful. And that’s the definition of a bullshit job—something I talk about with David Graeber on this podcast. I recently read his book with the same title and believe that we will all be better off if we stop doing bullshit work. Link to Bullshit Jobs book: https://amzn.to/2NEQkYt Follow David Graeber on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidgraeber Or check out his website: https://davidgraeber.industries Prefer to read the summary of Bullshit Jobs? Get 30% off Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/

The secret of improving your writing skills is to get training. Ernest Hemingway once said: "It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.” But how do you learn to write? How do you practice? On this episode, I share my system for improving your writing skills. I’ve used it to write nearly 250 articles and 3 books. I hope you find it useful. P.S. My online class, Effective Writing, is open for registration until Sunday, October 14: http://dariusforoux.com/effective-writing/

Do you sometimes feel like you're wasting your potential? And do you also feel unsure about how you can even reach your full potential? If so, you're like any other ambitious person who wants to make the best of his/her life. Because to me, that's what "reaching your potential" means. And on this episode, I talk about how we can pursue our full potential. Articles I mention on this episode: http://dariusforoux.com/full-potential/ & http://dariusforoux.com/selfawareness/ P.S. Want to improve your writing skills? And do you... -Want to get a new job? -Want to get more clients? -Want to start an online business? -Want to build an audience and spread your ideas? It all starts with writing. Effective Writing is open for registration until Sunday October 14: http://dariusforoux.com/effective-writing/

Never have good ideas to write about? Or do you think your writing sucks? Listen to this! I recently published an article about why everyone should form a daily writing habit. It’s one of the few universal habits that can improve everyone’s life. I received several questions about that article (read the full article here: https://dariusforoux.com/daily-writing-habit/). Mostly, readers said they didn’t have any ideas to write about. Also, some of us are overly critical about ourselves. On this episode, I share tips for everyone who wants to write more. P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app, for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/ Want to get my free newsletter? Join here: http://dariusforoux.com

How do you measure happiness? How do you know that you’re truly happy? I only have one measure for happiness. I simply ask myself one question. On this episode, I share that measure. P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app, for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/ Want to get my free newsletter? Join here: http://dariusforoux.com

Thinking is a tool. And instead of using that tool during the 16 or 17 hours that you’re awake, only use it when you NEED it. But how do you do that? I share a few tips on this episode. P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app, for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/ Want to get my free newsletter? Join here: http://dariusforoux.com

Over the years, I’ve adopted many different “positive” habits. To me, a habit is positive when it improves the quality of my life. A lot has been written about forming habits. How hard is? How long does it take? What’s the best way to break habits? How do we adopt new habits? My experience is that everyone can adopt any habit they want. There’s only one condition though: You need a good reason to make a change. And in 99% of cases, the reason to change comes from personal suffering, sadness, and hurt. At some point, you can’t stand your current behavior anymore. Don’t worry about how you will change. Focus on what habits you want to form and why. Read my article with my 10 current habits: https://dariusforoux.com/habits-with-huge-return-on-life/ P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app, for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/

In a perfect world, everything is steady. You can make plans that actually come true 100% of the time. You can anticipate things in advance. But as you and I both know, that’s not how life works. In real life, a single random (and unexpected) event can suddenly screw up all your plans, goals, and good intentions to make a change. On this episode, I share how you can stay focused when that happens. Read my article with more tips about this topic: https://dariusforoux.com/productive-chaos/ Book I recommend: 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson https://bit.ly/2OTkUi2 You can also read it on Blinkist. Try it for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Want to get my free newsletter? Join here: http://dariusforoux.com

Do you have plans, goals, ideals, or outcomes that you want to achieve? And do you get frustrated when things don’t go according to plan? If so, I want to share a simple, yet powerful idea with you on this episode. I learned this from Jocko Willink’s book Discipline Equals Freedom (https://bit.ly/2w2BEM8). The idea is very simple. Jocko believes that complaining when things go wrong is useless. P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app, for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/ Want to get my free newsletter? Join here: http://dariusforoux.com

What’s the purpose of productivity, doing work, and getting things done? Some people think it’s only about the rewards. I’m not that type. I enjoy the process of doing work. But only if it’s useful work. And to do useful work, I need to be organized. However, there are times that I use an empty calendar to maximize my output. On this episode, I talk about why that is. P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app, for FREE: https://blinkist.com/darius I use this app every day to learn something new. They create quality summaries of top non-fiction books. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/ Want to get my free newsletter? Join here: http://dariusforoux.com

I started my first website and blog in 2011 when I started my first business. At the time, blogging was already very popular for businesses. In fact, some "experts" said that blogging was dead. That's so funny to me. People make these outrages claims all the time. When I started my personal blog in 2015, it was exactly the same. "Blogging is dead! Social media and video is where you need to be!" Really? My social media activity is close to 0. And yet, my articles reach close to 250K people a month. My whole strategy is blogging. Nothing more. Nothing less. So no, blogging is far from dead. In fact, over the past year, I've been getting at least 4 emails a week from people who want to start a blog. I noticed that there's a need for practical information about the business of blogging. Hence, I'm starting a new website where I will be sharing everything I've learned about the business side of blogging. It's called Business of Blogging. And I just registered my domain at Bluehost: businessofblogging.net. It's not live yet. That's because I want to take everyone who's interested in blogging on the journey—from the start. I'm very excited about this next step in my career as a blogger. Life is about forward motion. And this definitely feels like a step forward for me. I hope I can help new bloggers with the lessons I've learned in the past seven years. I'm also starting a separate newsletter where I will be sharing content about blogging. Since there's no website yet, please join my newsletter on: http://dariusforoux.com From there, I will keep you posted on the progress. In case you also want to start a blog, I'm hosting mine on Bluehost. I've partnered up with them a while back to give my readers a discount. Coincidentally, they are now celebrating their 15th birthday with a special rate of $2.65/mo for 36 months (July 16/17). That's the best hosting deal I've ever seen. Get it here if you're interested: http://bluehost.com/track/darius

When we face illness, financial problems, or adversity in our relationships, we’re quick to think it’s THE END. And once we get stuck in a negative thinking pattern, we lose motivation. And what happens when we lose motivation? Right, we give up. So how can we get over that? How can we stay motived during tough times? After going through a lot of adversity (personally and professionally) myself, I’ve learned a few things about staying motivated. P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app. I’ve partnered up with them to give my listeners 20% off their premium plan: https://blinkist.com/darius. Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/

When I talk about working hard, there are always Einsteins who try to tell us that they work “smart.” Good for them. But that’s not what I’m talking about. On this episode, I talk about what I mean by hard work and why it's a mindset. Read my article on accelerated learning: https://dariusforoux.com/accelerate-your-learning-curve/ P.S. Don’t have time to read books? Try Blinkist, my favorite accelerated learning app. I’ve partnered up with them to give my listeners 20% off their premium plan: https://blinkist.com/darius Read about how I use Blinkist here: https://dariusforoux.com/this-accelerated-learning-app-will-change-your-life/