Faithlife Blog

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Love Justice, Read Widely

Racism is “America’s original sin,” and we reap the wages of that sin still.

The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor are shocking and appalling. Their proximity has highlighted the suffering of African Americans that some of us rarely thought about because it didn’t touch us directly. This week we are being asked to consider the consequences of our indifference—of thinking we were on the right side of the issues because we intend to treat everyone equally, espouse the right attitudes, and wish no one harm. (more…)

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Now Available: Start Next Now

Start Next Now
You have permission to do something incredible.

Has no one told you that before? Then let me say it another way.

You have permission to try anything, and I believe you can accomplish whatever you’d like. This is the advice I’ve given to my kids and to every young person who’s ever asked me for career advice, and now I want to share it with you. That’s why I wrote Start Next Now.

You can get it right now at StartNextNow.com for just $9.99.

In my book, I outline five steps that you can take right now toward your goal. Here’s a preview:

Step 1: Identify your next

identify your next step

Figuring out what you want can actually be the most difficult part of getting ahead. Don’t worry—there isn’t a perfect answer, and you can always change your answer later. If you can’t identify the big goal down the road, at least identify the next thing you want to try.

Step 2: Start doing the next thing now

Start doing the next thing now

It may not be possible to move directly to your goal, but you can make sure that every turn you make is in the direction of your goal. Always turning toward your goal not only keeps your goal in mind, but it also helps you acquire the knowledge, the connections, and even the vocabulary that will help you achieve your goal.

Step 3: Set yourself up for success

Set yourself up for success

The way you distinguish yourself is by doing stuff. In particular, do distinct and useful activities that aren’t easily labeled. Do stuff you couldn’t represent by checking a box on a form. Do stuff that will cause interviewers to ask questions when they see it on your resume.

Step 4: Evaluate your employment

evaluate your employment

Joining an organization is like getting on a bus. Make sure you’re getting on a bus that will get you closer to your goal. There’s no bigger waste of time than riding on a bus that is going in the wrong direction.

Step 5: Reach your next milestone

reach your next milestone

Identify something concrete and specific, then start. The act of doing, or even writing about doing, the next thing will teach you things you can’t learn any other way. “Move up or move out” is a career management strategy in many large organizations, including the military. There’s no reason you can’t adopt it as your own personal plan.

I have a lot more to say about starting your next now, so visit StartNextNow.com, and get your copy of the book.

Buy the book at StartNextNow.com, and you’ll get it in all its available formats—print, digital, audiobook, ePub, and (of course) the Vyrso edition. But the digital edition is the most exciting to me.

We’ve spent the last few months re-imagining what a book can be. And the reading experience at StartNextNow.com/Read is one of a kind. I’d love to hear what you think about it.

Tomorrow I’ll take the reins of the @Logos twitter account to answer your questions from 12:30—1:30 p.m. PT (3:30—4:30 p.m. ET). You can start asking questions now using the hashtag #StartNextNow. Ask me anything!