Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of 10 books. His titles, including Soundtracks, Finish
Jon lives outside of Nashville with his wife and two daughters.
Overthinking isn’t a personality trait. It’s the sneakiest form of fear.
It steals time, creativity, and energy. It’s the most expensive, least productive thing companies invest in without even knowing it. When New York Times Bestselling author Jon Acuff and Mike Peasley PhD asked more than 10,000 people if they struggled with overthinking, they were shocked to discover the results. More than 99.5% of people said, “Yes.” Overthinking prevents nearly everyone from doing their best work.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if there were simple, surprisingly fun techniques you and your team could use to transform overthinking from a super problem into a superpower? What if you could take all those repetitive thoughts, which Acuff calls soundtracks, and make them work for you, not against you with a new mindset?
What if you could create new soundtracks that help you navigate change, increase productivity and win consistently?
Great results always require great actions which always start with great thoughts. Let Acuff show you how to create them with a new keynote that will teach you to:
1. Retire the broken soundtracks that have been holding you back.
2. Replace them with new soundtracks that propel you forward.
3. Repeat the new ones so often they become as automatic as the old ones.
Retire.
Replace.
Repeat.
Can tapping into the full potential of your team really be that easy? INC Top 100 Leadership Speaker Jon Acuff, thousands of research participants and the best companies in the world say, “Yes!”
The year 2020 was catnip for overthinking, but if overthinking steals time, creativity and energy, guess what your team is about to get back? Time, creativity and energy.
It’s time to start listening to a new soundtrack with Jon Acuff.
When New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff got curious about tapping into his full potential, he launched a research study with professor Dr. Mike Peasley. They asked more than three thousand people if they felt they were living up to their full potential.
50 percent of people reported that 50 percent of their full potential is untapped. That means half of us are walking around with half-lives. No wonder Twitter is so grumpy.
Imagine if every Christmas you only opened up half your gifts. You could see the rest—a whole pile of them in the corner of the room—but you never got to open them.
Would that make for a happy Christmas, a happy house, a happy job, a happy anything?
It wouldn’t, but what if it didn’t have to be that way?
What if you could have a fulfilling career?
What if you could hit all your sales goals?
What if you could become the leader you’ve always known you were?
What if each day felt like a gift and each year progressively got better?
What if you could escape the Comfort Zone, avoid the Chaos Zone, and live in the Potential Zone?
What if you could turn Easy Goals into Middle Goals and even Guaranteed Goals?
That would be the best.
And what if, all it takes is a goal?
Find out how to turn all your opportunities into goals you and your team actually accomplish with this brand new keynote from INC Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker Jon Acuff.
We live in the age of endless excuses. Complicated projects, overwhelming to-do lists, and impossible timelines give us perfect reasons to put things off. But what if procrastination isn't really about time management or task difficulty? What if it's about something much simpler and more profound?
To find the answer, New York Times Bestselling Jon Acuff commissioned research with PhD Mike Peasley, surveying 3,000 people about living up to their potential. The results were staggering: 96% of people said they were not living up to their full potential. But if everyone knows they're capable of more, what is everyone waiting for?
The answer came down to one word that kept appearing everywhere—from boardrooms to research papers, from airplane conversations to popular movies. Everyone is waiting for permission.
Through hilarious stories, and actionable ideas, Jon unveils the four permissions that successful teams and individuals give themselves to beat procrastination and accomplish amazing success:
Permission to Dream ("What do I want to do?")
Permission to Plan ("How will I do it?")
Permission to Do ("Are we doing it?")
Permission to Review ("Did it work?")
Most people use these stages, but they get stuck.
Dreamers get stuck in the dream stage with 1,000 ideas and 0 actions.
Perfectionists get stuck in the plan stage, waiting for the perfect scenario before they begin.
Hustlers get stuck in the do stage, too busy to review if they're heading in the right direction.
Analysts get stuck in the review stage, reviewing past mistakes and predicting future failures.
Jon’s goal? To have every one of your audience members walking out of the room with a clear picture of what’s holding them back, and what they can do about it… immediately.
Laced with humor and filled with the practical wisdom that has led to more than 1 million books sold, Jon's "Permission" keynote answers the question every procrastinator needs to hear: "What are you waiting for?"
According to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, 92% of resolutions fail. That’s a staggering number considering how important goals are to companies. You actually have a greater shot of getting into Julliard in New York City to be a ballerina than hitting your next sales goal.
Or your next budget reduction.
Or your next service rollout.
In every element of your work, goals matter. What if we could do some simple things to improve how often we finished what we started? What if we could complete the incomplete projects and tasks? What if we could get more done in a world of bottomless opportunities and endless distractions?
New York Times Bestselling Author Jon Acuff says you can. How does he know? Research, research and more research!
Jon suspected goal-completion was not luck or genetics. So, he commissioned a study with assistant professor Mike Peasley, PhD to test what it takes to turn a chronic starter into a consistent finisher. The research team analyzed 900 people over a six-month process as they worked on goals. The study resulted in a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller titled “Finish” and principles Acuff has taught to teams such as Walmart, FedEx and Nokia.
The good news is, you can learn to finish. It’s not a natural talent some people have and others do not. It can be taught.
Ever have an employee, team member or department almost finish something? Every wished you could complete more of the things you care about? It’s time to learn what it really takes!
Starting is fun, but the future belongs to finishers.
Learn from Hall of Fame speaker Bruce Turkel how story transforms events from forgettable content into experiences attendees quote months later.
Read More
Design your New Year with intention using proven strategies from top thought leaders & transform your 2026 events from calendar fillers into meaningful moments.
Read More
Learn from emcee Scott Bloom how shifting your attention from yourself to your audience creates transformative speaking experiences that drive real engagement.
Read More
Learn from keynote speaker Chris Schembra how gratitude transforms leaders and help them build a workplace culture that people want to be part of.
Read More
Gratitude isn't about being nice; it's a performance tool. Learn how to design events that help attendees feel seen, process hard years, and leave inspired.
Read More
Discover the Best Artificial Intelligence Speakers for Retail & eCommerce Conferences and design AI agendas that grow revenue, CX, and loyalty.
Read More