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The James Altucher Show

Ep. 195 - Joshua Foer: The Explorer's Code

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Education, Business

4.62.7K Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2016

⏱️ 63 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Explorer's Code:  I wanted to wake each morning, not anxious about my day anymore. Not worried about what so-and-so would say, or where my career was going, or what was I going to write today. My only job each day is to explore something new. So I called up Josh and asked him how I could be an explorer. He told me. - Have A Mission Every day, whether it's "be creative today." Or "go some place you've never been" or "talk to ten random strangers", make a mission. Learn something new. Missions are for people who DO. Mission statements are for people who DON'T. -Uncomfortable Situation Try to put yourself in as many uncomfortable situations as possible. "For instance," he said, "you should apply for a temp job. See what it's like." Or maybe one day you and a friend can make a bet: who can get the furthest out of town with just $100. The uncomfortable zone is where you find out who you are, the comfort zone is where you sleep. Task: make a list of uncomfortable situations. Stretch the idea muscle. -Partners/Team Josh has 100s of people who submit items to Atlas Obscura and atlasobscura.com. "There's over 10,000 weird and obscure places on there now." He also started it with two partners. Even superheroes need a team. Superman still needed the Justice League. Luke Skywalker still needed Han Solo and Princess Leia. Luke Cage needs Iron Fist and Jessica Jones. Who are on your team? Are they good people? Do you each have your super power? I am constantly looking for my team of fellow explorers. "Try to experience wonder every day," Josh told me. A few months ago, my mission was to throw out everything I owned.  What would it be like after 40 years of collecting things, to own absolutely nothing. And a few months before that, my mission was to track down someone who had disappeared from my life. I failed at that mission. But I experienced wonder along the way. And today, I'm going to change my life forever. I will text you about it.   ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0

This isn't your average business podcast and he's not your average host.

0:06.6

This is the James Altiger Show on the Choose Yourself Network.

0:12.4

Today on the James Altiger Show.

0:15.7

A lot of people have an interest or a passion and they'll explore it themselves but it never

0:20.0

turns into anything.

0:21.2

You actually did something.

0:23.0

You created a website, you kind of recruited other people to help.

0:26.0

What do you think was that impetus to do rather than just think, oh wouldn't this be a neat

0:30.6

idea?

0:31.6

Ad

1:40.3

I love the way you just frame that.

1:56.1

I'm going to be a little bit more focused on the podcast.

2:06.1

It was about how you at first were covering the US Memory Championships and then you decided

2:11.7

like what the heck I'm going to become the US Memory Champion and you did in 2006 and

2:17.7

then you wrote about it and that was the book was you kind of not only covering this subculture

2:23.1

of people obsessed with improving their memories but you decided you were going to be the

2:27.1

memory champion of the entire country.

2:29.0

Why not?

2:30.0

Yeah, that was the book and it was funded at podcast and it's great to be here doing this

2:34.8

with you in person because last time we were on the phone and you're not going to be here

2:38.0

in person.

2:39.0

Now I do them all in person because I find that people would always like them when I would

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