I scribble notes to myself whenever I read a new book, talk with a meditation teacher, or finish a therapy or coaching session. I have journals filled with quotes, snippets of conversation, and reflections from my own meditation practice. Here are a few, just for fun. “Be alert and receiving without interpretation, analyzing, or thinking. […]

Hong Kong, December 2018. I’m sitting in a primary school auditorium with a hundred other people, mostly from Hong Kong and mainland China, with a few stragglers from random parts of the US, Australia, Canada, and Europe. This is Day Three of a ten-day Dzogchen meditation retreat. Tsoknyi Rinpoche is in the center of the […]

A couple weeks ago I was giving a talk about writing and entrepreneurship when a guy raised his hand and asked me, “But what if you’re too scared to start writing?” I told him that he shouldn’t worry because the truth is that we’re all going to die anyway. And once we’re dead, being worried […]

We whip in and out of traffic and careen around corners, zooming past small cars and stray dogs, scooters and street vendors. The bright smell of Thai chili mixed with sweat, jungle, and exhaust fills my nose. I breathe it all in. I’m alone in the back of a songthaew, a red truck taxi with […]

There’s no shame in snagging the 5:30pm reservation at a popular restaurant. There’s also no shame in having a second dinner at 8:30pm at a cheaper place where it’s easier to get a table. Street food in other countries: Look for a long line of locals and order what they order. (Yes, even that weird […]

An inside look at my daily schedule. Plus, powerful tools and strategies to help you become more focused and productive. Here’s something most people (including some my friends and family) don’t know: Over the past 5 years, I’ve written over one million words. ONE MILLION. That’s everything from books, articles, sales pages, coaching curriculum, marketing […]

…you want to learn how to make a drink. 4PM on a Monday. Or whatever time the place opens. Go alone. Look at the menu and when the bartender comes over, let him know what you normally drink. Tell him like this: “Well, I like rye and bourbon, so I’d normally order an old fashioned. […]

Why I go to the gym less often and no longer care how much protein I eat. And how that’s made me a better person. My friend Dr. John Berardi caused a stir when he shared my “recovering fitness junkie” philosophy on Facebook: I was appreciative and humbled by JB sharing that. I was also surprised […]

ONE Location: School gymnasium in rural Texas. Karate tournament. 7 years old. Workout: Forgetting my kata (training exercises), freaking out, and inventing a new one on the spot with random kicks and punches. Quote: “Judges, my name is Nathan Green. My style is Tae Kwon Do. My kata is called…ketchup.”  Verdict: Participant trophies are stupid. TWO Location: Downtowner Gym. Whitefish, […]

“Do you sell advertising?” No. “Do you do sponsored blog posts?” No. “Do you take donations?” No. “Do you do affiliate marketing?”  Sometimes I include an Amazon link to a book I enjoy, but I usually forget. Other than that: No. “So…how do you make money?” I make money the same way Winston Wolfe makes […]

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote Good Will Hunting when they were in their twenties. I remember watching the movie back in 2000 and thinking about how crazy it was that these two guys turned an idea into an Oscar-winning movie. How the hell did they do that? Watching Good Will Hunting made me want […]

We love to set big goals and get shit done. But is our ambition making us feel unsatisfied? As ambitious Type-A people, we feel that if we’re not finding new ways to grow, learn, or challenge ourselves then we must be moving backward. (And there’s nothing an ambitious person hates more than failing to make […]

Here’s an email I received last week: I’m no Dear Abby, but I do like to try and help people when they ask. I told Joe I had some ideas for him, but that I preferred to share them publicly, just in case it could help someone else in a similar situation. Joe was cool […]

I’m not much for jewelry—usually all I wear is a watch—but I recently added a bracelet to my wrist. It’s a piece of black cord with a small grey skull, held together with a fisherman’s knot. My skull bracelet isn’t particularly stylish, but it does serve a purpose: It reminds me that I’m going to […]

Want to get in better shape, become insanely productive, and break your internet addiction? Then stop relying on self-discipline and use Nuclear Mode instead. The other day I had dinner with a group of people at a nice Southern restaurant in Austin, Texas. The bourbon list was long and I’d been told the biscuits were […]

A couple months ago I sent an email to my readers and asked if they’d help me write a book. Here’s what happened. Click here (or the image above) to download the book for free. Here are two things I know for sure: It feels good to create things. It feels good to help people. […]

Last year, my friend Kyle was hit by a car while he was crossing the street on his way to work. It was ass-crack early — six ayem — and the driver of the car had sped up to make it through a yellow light. Kyle, like the optimistic idiot I’d known for 15 years, […]

When we were 14, Jason and I started a gang. We did all the typical gang-related stuff you’d expect from two white, middle-class kids from a small ski-resort town in Montana: We stole candy bars from the grocery store, made napalm out of gasoline and styrofoam in our driveways, and terrorized small dogs and old […]

A one-hour exercise to help you celebrate your biggest wins, identify your biggest opportunities, and dominate the new year.

A one-hour exercise to help you celebrate your biggest wins, identify your biggest opportunities, and dominate the new year. I spend most of my time planning for the future. With the help of my meditation practice, I’m getting better at living more in the present. But something I still find incredibly difficult is reflecting on the past. I […]

A one-hour exercise to help you celebrate your biggest wins, identify your biggest opportunities, and dominate the new year. I spend most of my time planning for the future. With the help of my meditation practice, I’m getting better at living more in the present. But something I still find incredibly difficult is reflecting on […]

A one-hour exercise to help you celebrate your biggest wins, identify your biggest opportunities, and prepare to dominate the upcoming year. I spend most of my time planning for the future. With the help of my meditation practice, I’m getting better at living more in the present. But something I still find incredibly difficult is […]

More skills before starting a business. More clothes to reinvent our wardrobes.  More Twitter followers. More money.  More attention from the world. But do me a favor: before you get more food from the grocery store,  go take a look in your fridge. What’s in there? Half an avocado that’s turning brown? A couple eggs? An apple? That’s […]

A couple days ago, a 19-year-old college student asked me this: “I want to work in the fitness industry and help people. If you could go back to when you were 19, what would you do over?” It was a good question; and I felt honored that he trusted me, a college dropout, to answer it. Now, […]

The easiest thing to do is to let your mind wander instead of being in the moment. To check email or Facebook or Instagram instead of creating something. To wait for your turn to talk instead of listening to what’s being said. To sleep in instead of starting your day. To get caught up in […]

One man’s love note to the humble shower beer. Oh, Shower Beer. You are the almighty relaxer. You are the ultimate creativity enhancer…for I am writing this after having you, Shower Beer. You inspire me. You, who are so cold when the water is so hot. You, who have been waiting in the fridge for […]

When I wrote “I’m a recovering fitness junkie”, I received a bunch of likes, comments, and retweets. That made me feel good, since it seemed like a lot of people related to it. But what interested me more were the emails I received. Private ones. They were from people who didn’t want anyone else to […]

I barely graduated high school with a 1.7 GPA. I never made it past basic algebra and I didn’t take the SATs or any other college-admissions test. While most of my friends went to school out of town, I gave up my hosting job at a restaurant and started working at a clothing store. During […]

I’m a big fan of Esquire magazine. In fact, I’ve contacted a few of their writers over the past couple of years. The e-mails were relatively safe. AJ Jacobs told me “mazel tov” on my first book. Tom Chiarella gave me some excellent writing advice. (Because of him, I now have a very comfortable office […]

My mom had Brian when she was just 17 years old. His father split and I don't think Brian ever met him. 12 years later she married my father. Then they had me. I don't remember much about growing up with Brian. I think most of my day-to-day thoughts at the time revolved around blowing […]