From Consultant to Dating Coach: A Chat on Personal Development With Charlie Houpert

by Scott

Today I want to share an interview with my buddy Charlie Houpert, founder of KickAss Academy, a business that focuses on self improvement for men by helping them get better with women.

In high school Charlie was a shy guy, so much so that he was designated “Most Likely to Break Out of His Shell in College.” Dare I say back-handed compliment?

Since then he’s dedicated his life to “breaking out of his shell” and overcoming fear. He’s achieved such mastery that he’s been able to leave his consulting career to create a business out of empowering men to overcome fear and meet women.

Scott, I thought this was a business development blog?

Sorry folks, I’m looking to keep it way more …
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4 Things That Help Me Create Habits

by Scott

Joel Gascoigne, a co-founder of Buffer, wrote a post on habit last week that I really enjoyed. I thought I’d provide some color on my experience and process for habit formation.

Like Joel, I’m constantly trying to create habits that will push me closer to achieving my goals and becoming the person I want to be. In my pursuit, I’ve been able to identify a few things that make creating a habit just a little bit easier.

Clearly Defining Why

A behavior change requires pushing back against resistance. This is one reason why creating good habits can be hard. To stay motivated, it’s important for me to define why undergoing a period of discomfort is worth the effort and continually remind myself of …
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My 2013 Goals

by Scott

I read a post recently by one of my favorite blogger’s Noah Kagan on his 2013 goals that inspired me to do the same.

My framework for creating this list started by defining the most important areas of my life. Mine are:

Personal Development
Career Development
Family / Personal / Social Well-Being
Faith
Finances
Health

Within each area, I defined a high-level aspiration than crystallized that into a more defined goal that I’d actually be able to measure/complete. For some of the more general things this was tough to do. I also defined why I wanted to achieve that goal so that I could make sure it was truly in alignment with the 6 areas of my life that important to me. Stepping back to ask why typically leads …
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10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Entering the Workforce

by Scott

I’ve learned a lot from New York entrepreneur Vin Vacanti through his blog “How to Make it As A First Time Entrepreneur“. Recently he wrote a post on advice he would have given himself 5 years ago. It’s a great read that I suggest you check out.

Vin’s post inspired me to do some reflecting on my own journey. Here’s 10 things I wish I knew before entering the workforce 2 years ago:

 

Nothing is more valuable than a mentor. When anyone young approaches me for career advice, I tell them to find the person whose best at what they want to get good at and go work for them – assuming you’re simpatico of course. I’m all about baptism by fire – but …
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LifeStyle Design: Why Not Buying A Dish Rack Really Matters

by Scott

This morning I was reminded that some of the most seemingly trivial decisions can have a tremendous impact on our lives and our ability to achieve our goals.

The catalyst for this thought was two small purchasing decisions: a Netflix subscription and dish rack for my apartment. Joining Netflix was prompted by my desire to watch Breaking Bad. Everyone I know is making a fuss about it. The dish rack was just something I had in my last apartment . It seemed fitting to buy one because I used it everyday.

I thought more about the implications of each purchase beyond my wallet shedding a few lbs.

Netflix: Though I want to check out Breaking Bad, purchasing Netflix opens me up to spending …
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Goal Setting Life-Hack: Leverage Your Password

by Scott

One of the most important things we can do to achieve our goals is to write them down on a regular basis. But this means adding a new, time-consuming process to our workflow.

A practice I’ve found effective, is to routinely change my email password to something that’s indicative of my most important goal (at that point in time). Do you want to be the top salesman at your company? Change your password to “topsales.” Trying to lose 20 lbs? Change your password to “20lbs.” For email, it helps if you require entering your password every time you sign in.

 

This is a simple practice that inserts the process of goal-affirmations into your existing workflow. When you apply this to something used …
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Riffing on Uncertainty

by Scott

Have you ever been scared sh*tless to do something? I bet you that the outcome was uncertain in this situation.

Have you ever done that thing that scared you sh*tless and in one form or another succeeded?

You stood up to the bully on the playground and he backed down.
You got the girl at the bar that everyone was afraid to talk to.
You left the job everyone hated to go build an amazing company.

You conquered fear to achieve success. Fear that was grounded in uncertainty. There is no better feeling.

Uncertainty is a funny beast in my life. I’m addicted to it, yet I simultaneously try to combat it whenever I can.

I love going out in New York. Not because I’m particularly excited …
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Thinking About Self Improvement Over A Lifetime

by Scott

Self-improvement emcompasses goals. Goals do not encompass self improvement. The distinction is that goals are finite. Self improvement never ends. There is no finish line. Whether I’m trying to have less body fat, get better at my job, or develop a greater tolerance for fear the same notion holds true – it will always be a work in progress; a climb to reach a higher personal altitude void of any finish line. Goals simply serve as landmarks to aid us in our climb.

Within this framework, I believe self-improvement means striving to create a new normal; one that is just a bit closer to our aspirational selves.

This thought came to me in the gym last week. I was frustrated because I …
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