About Michael Hyatt

Every year we hear news about people who suffer from holiday or seasonal blues. More than just hearing about them, a large number actually experience them. I certainly have. For some, it’s about relational rifts and resentments. For others, including me, it’s about diminishing daylight and getting less exercise—at least that has been the case […]

All of creation owes its existence to God. As the Apostle Paul noted, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Only man has the capacity to offer thanks to God for life and every other blessing.

I love watching people succeed, especially if I can learn something I can apply in my own life and share with you. That’s why I’m excited about what I learned from watching Slack’s success this year. Slack is a communications tool that enables natural and effective team collaboration. The company, started by Stewart Butterfield, the […]

People often ask me how I’ve been able to build a successful business that’s doubled every year for the last three years. I had similar wins in the corporate world. I was able to set some audacious goals and beat them again and again. This has been a pattern for me professionally, but I have […]

If you’re trying to build a business, a platform, or just a better mousetrap, it’s a lot easier to hit your goals if you have a team behind you. When I left Thomas Nelson to start speaking and writing full time, I was mostly on my own. I had a speaking agent to help coordinate […]

Many people who want to build an online business are reluctant to sell. They seem hesitant, almost apologetic, when it comes to promoting their own products. Why is that? I recently saw a Facebook promotion for a book that actually asked, “Anybody interested?” It’s almost like the author didn’t believe in his own message. Crazy […]

If there is one thing that defines our work experience today, it’s stress. It can be exhausting or exciting—often both. But if we’re not proactive, it can really ding our health. For several years I mentored a small group of young professionals. We met once a month and discussed our jobs, families, and personal lives. […]

About two years ago I signed up for Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula course. It was pricey—and it was also priceless. It totally revolutionized my marketing. Forbes magazine named Jeff the “$400 million man” because his Product Launch Formula students have made hundreds of millions with his approach. Based on those numbers, and my own […]

The evidence is undeniable—we need good sleep to perform at our best. And one way we can get more rest is to make room in the middle of the day for a killer nap. I once worked for a man who napped nearly every day. He would sit upright in his chair, hold his keys […]

Every business has projects from time to time that demand our total focus and attention. The good news is that there are certain tactics we can use to keep our edge even when we’re under the gun. The most important thing is to recognize up front that we have to prepare. If you were going […]

All the major sports leagues celebrate their best players. But what if there were a Most Valuable Player award for your team? Would you take home the prize? When I was CEO of Thomas Nelson we established different awards for individuals, service groups, and profit centers. The winners received public recognition, banners, trophies, and prizes. […]

When we set goals, there’s nothing more frustrating than getting a slow start. We can see the target, we know where we want to go, but we can’t seem to get traction. That’s how I felt with our recent fall enrollment campaign for Platform University. We actually beat our goal in the end, but as […]

Do you ever get uneasy—or even afraid—when you’re close to achieving something big in your life? I do. In our recent relaunch of Platform University, for instance, we started with fewer responses than I anticipated. I began estimating the results for the entire campaign based on those early results and didn’t like where things were […]

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on the trend in slow reading. The idea is that intentional time in a book can improve our minds and reduce our stress. If you’re a book person like me, this is no surprise. It doesn’t matter if it’s paper or digital, just taking thirty minutes out […]

We open registration for Platform University twice a year. We just completed the relaunch for the fall, and it went extremely well—in fact, we beat our goal. But not every launch works, and sometimes we’re left wondering, “Why did my product bomb?” A friend recently asked for my input on why her product launch failed. […]

I know what you’re thinking, but I’m talking about margin—breathing room, think time, downtime, those moments we all desperately need really stay effective and enjoy the things that matter most. But the truth is we seem to be getting less and less of it. Not only are prices racing while wages slow, but we’re working […]

If you want to find more creativity, satisfaction, and happiness, the single best solution I know is adding more art to your life. Music has been a big part of my life since I was a young boy, though my tastes have broadened a lot since I was first learning chords on my guitar. I […]

There aren’t many phrases in English more recognizable than “the pursuit of happiness.” But what could happen if we turned it around? That’s exactly what Chris Guillebeau does in his new book, The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life. At just 36, Chris has already led an amazing […]

Have you ever noticed how the people in your life affect you? The impact can be so significant that one of the best things we can do to change our lives for the better is change our peer group. In the 1930s C.S. Lewis started a small literary circle called the Inklings. The group started […]

If you look at the major news stories in business, politics, diplomacy, whatever, it’s pretty hard to miss that most of the crises we face are crises of leadership. I once worked for a man who couldn’t pull the trigger on a project, ever. I would bring him a request with all the supporting documentation. […]

We all know our words are powerful. We can slice someone to pieces with just a few syllables. That’s bad enough, but what happens when we turn that power on ourselves? As a young man, the writer Peter Leonard showed a short story to his famous father, novelist Elmore Leonard. Instead of encouraging his son, […]

Emotions are powerful, especially if we let them work in our lives without paying full attention. They can derail our goals if we let them. In my experience there are four emotions that usually come mixed in a powerful cocktail, sure to undermine our goals: fear, uncertainty, doubt, and shame. Most of us succumb to […]

For the last few years I’ve taken a short sabbatical each summer. I’m looking to rest and focus on intense relational time with Gail. The challenge is unplugging from the Matrix. Anyone who’s attempted it can relate to the difficulty. I’m at the computer or on another device a large portion of the day, every […]

When I left Thomas Nelson a few years back, it seemed like every other person I met asked if I was retiring. I bristled every time I heard the question. In fact, the more I think about the purpose and meaning of work, the more I’m convinced that nothing destroys our sense of purpose and […]