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Stephen Shapiro, author of the excellent book, 24/7 Innovation, has just published his latest work: Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW!

Stephen Shapiro, author of the excellent book, 24/7 Innovation, has just published his latest work: Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW! While most businesspeople rely on goals (with varying degrees of success) to chart their career progress, Stephen recommends taking a different tack: We can have an extraordinary life now, all without goals and detailed plans. By living for each moment, it’s possible to have a successful life and follow your passions at the same time.

This new book (published on January 3rd) promises to be full of great insights on how to increase your personal innovation. After all, if you’re able to be more passionate about what you do, chances are you will be able to generate more breakthrough ideas.

Stephen’s research process for this book was quite unique: over 90 days, he drove 12,000 miles and interviewed 150 extraordinary people from all walks of life to learn how they lived happy, fulfilling lives (I was one of those people, and Stephen tells me that my story is featured in this book). Along the way, he discovered eight secrets to living life free from the pressure of goals:

  1. Use a compass, not a map—have a sense of direction, and then let yourself wander and try new things on the way to fulfilling your aspirations
  2. Trust that you are never lost—every seemingly wrong turn is an opportunity to learn and experience new things
  3. Remember that opportunity knocks often, but sometimes softly—while blindly pursuing our goals, we often miss unexpected and wonderful possibilities
  4. Want what you have—measure your life by your own yardstick and appreciate who you are, what you do, and what you have . . . now
  5. Seek out adventure—treat your life like the one-time-only journey it is and revel in new and different experiences
  6. Become a people magnet—constantly seek, build, and nurture relationships with new people so that you always have the support and camaraderie of others
  7. Embrace your limits—transform your inadequacies and boundaries into unique qualities you can use to your advantage
  8. Remain detached—focus on the present, act with a commitment to the future, and avoid worrying about how things will turn out

I hope to get my hands on this book shortly, and will let you know what I think. If Goal-Free Living is even half as good as 24/7 Innovation was, it should be a fascinating read!