Australian Perspective on Goal-Free Careers

This was sent to me by a reader in Australia. Job Myth: Setting career goals and sticking to them is the best way of having a successful career. Dr Jim Bright: “The evidence in favor of goal setting is not great. Most diets use goal setting as a motivational technique but the failure rate for […]

Speaker's Corner Brainstorming

Today’s blog entry is a goal-free approach to brainstorming. Brainstorming sessions are useful. The standard approach is one person up front facilitating, while the conversation is single-threaded. To overcome this limitation, some groups use breakout sessions. The problem with this is that they do not allow for cross-pollination of ideas. To combat these problems, I […]

Procrastination is Good

A reader sent me the following excerpt from “Good and Bad Procrastination” by Paul Graham: “When I think of the people I know who’ve done great things, I don’t imagine them dutifully crossing items off to-do lists. I imagine them sneaking off to work on some new idea.” “Any advice about procrastination that concentrates on […]

Innovation Podcast

Although some of you know me as the “goal-free” guy, my main business is innovation and creativity. I am an advisor to large corporations who want to create a culture of innovation. And I help individuals and organizations develop break-through solutions to their most thorny issues. I have been doing this for over two decades, […]

GFL on Between the Lines TV

Goal-Free Living has been featured on the PBS TV show “Between the Lines” for quite some time now. It has been slowly making its way around the country. Recently the show aired in Philadelphia. Barry Kibrick, the show’s host, noted in a recent newsletter, “And a special note to all you Philly viewers who wrote […]

Goal-Free Quotes

A number of years ago, in an attempt to get more students to join their humanities program, Indiana University ran an advertising campaign with some great (goal-free type) slogans like: “Do What You Want When You Graduate or Wait Twenty Years for Your Mid-Life Crisis” “Insurance for When the Robots Take Over All The Boring […]

Podcast with Michael Pollock

I was recently interviewed for a podcast (after some opening comments) on Michael Pollock’s website. He specializes in helping small business owners use blogs and other new media tools to grow their business. I got some great tips from his site. Be sure to check out the podcast, and then peruse his blog. (links are […]

My Top Tech Tips

In running my business, I use a number of cool technologies — technologies to play audio and video on my websites, for blogging, for desktop productivity, and more. Today’s blog entry is a list of my favorites — many of which are free. Please leave comments with your favorite technologies (no spam, thank you). You […]

Goal-Free Athletes

Sunday evening I had more fun than I have had in a long time. Let me explain. A while back I stumbled across a wonderful company that does gift bags for VIP events like the Oscars. Goal-Free Living has been included in several gift bags over the past year. The most recent gift bag was […]

Goal-Free Golfing

I recently went golfing with my dad. I’m not the greatest of golfers, but I always have a wonderful time with him. He ALWAYS wins (easily), even when he handicaps me one stroke a hole. Golfing is a great metaphor for Goal-Free Living. Although you want to align your feet and body with the destination […]