Hey Josh…Where Did Your Advice Show Go?

Greetings and hello, young humans! I hope you enjoyed what folks call “the holiday season” and all the time off from school and work and what-not. As you may have noticed, I took a little time off myself. And not just because I’m lazy. I like to dedicate what all you cold-climate people call “winter” to things like surfing. Yes, in the ocean. At the beach. Don’t be jealous.

Anyway, I’m sorry things have been quiet over here on Wednesdays. Ye olde Advice Show of splendor has been hibernating. But it misses you. As do I. So, never fear—the Advice Show lives on, and will return shortly-ish. I’ll let you know when you can expect things to fire back up.

In the meantime, keep your questions, comments, and leftover Christmas candy coming my way.

// josh

Happy 2010!

Happy 2010!

I wanted to quickly give you three biscuits of knowledge on how to kick 2010 in the FACE!!! (Pardon me—I play a lot of violent video games.)

#1 // DON’T SET RESOLUTIONS…SET GOALS

Research shows that 25% of people who make New Year’s promises give up on their “resolutions” before the end of the first week. WEAK! That means that one in four of you have already broken your resolutions. (You know who you are.) New plan: instead, write a few goals. Think of them as your 2010 to-do list. (Check out tadalist.com for a super-simple tool.) Make your goals very specific, and break those down into smaller, more easily achievable short-term goals. So, maybe you want to lose weight. Great! Now, figure out a specific plan. Maybe you want to cut soft drinks out of your diet, or go to the gym three times a week. Whatever you do, don’t have 5,000 goals…that’s crazy and overwhelming. You’re better off picking one goal and sticking with it than having 36 dozen and giving up on all of them.

Here are some worthy goals to consider:

- Start an exercise program
- Quit smoking
- Eat healthier food
- Get out of debt and stay out of it
- Be more generous with time and money

By the way, only set goals that are important to you; don’t set goals just because your family or friends expect you to.

#2 // GO PUBLIC WITH YOUR GOALS

If you only have yourself to let down—guess what? You’ll do it. All. Day. Long.

Don’t keep your goals secret. Sure, they’re personal, but they shouldn’t be private. Write your goals down. On paper. In pen. (No erasing.) Post them on the fridge, on the bathroom mirror, on your desk at school. Tattoo them on your forearm if you must. Keep them where you can see them—none of this “out of sight, out of mind” nonsense.

Next, tell your friends what you wanna do. Post your goals on your Facebook page. Tweet about ‘em. This way people can ridicule you if you pansy out and don’t accomplish them. Seriously, having the accountability and encouragement of others will go a long way toward helping you achieve your goals.

#3 // REVIEW YOUR GOALS MONTHLY

It’s important to check in and see how you are doing. You can’t work out once a month and expect to get in shape. You can’t shower once a month and expect to keep your friends. Same goes with your goals. It’s a daily thing. Step by step by step until—BOOM—you’ve accomplished it. It’s all about consistency.

If you get off track, don’t just throw up your hands and call the whole thing off. Sometimes we slip up. Let ourselves down. Binge on cupcakes. Don’t worry about it. Really. Figure out what’s working and what’s not. Figure out what needs to change. Then get back to it. Set deadlines. Reward yourself for little milestones (losing ten pounds! going one month–two months, three months–without a smoke!). As long as you keep going in the right direction, you’re doing great. Plus, good news: new habits get easier with time.

That’s it. Happy 2010. And a goat.

// josh

P.S. If you’re on Twitter, hit me up.

Advice Show 017 // Watch the Live Show on Livestream.com

Hi. Trying something new today. Catch Advice Show 017 LIVE on HeyJosh TV over here at Livestream.com. Game on at 3:18 p.m. PST.

Yes, 3:18 p.m.

Don’t be tardy.

// josh

Advice Show 016 // Porn Addiction and Rough Relationships

Yo, Josh Shipp here with Advice Show Episode 016. Today I’m dropping advice on Zach and Carly. Zach wrote in with vague confessions of struggling with an unnamed problem (I think I know what he’s getting at, though), and Carly’s tired of dealing with her best friend playing emotional yo-yo with her on-again off-again boyfriend. Listen closely, my friends…

Zach, to recap: you’re not alone in this struggle. More importantly, you’ll never beat this thing on your own. Ask anyone who’s tried and they’ll tell you the same thing: you need accountability, community, and support. Again, check out x3watch.com. (Btw, I’m proud of you for trying to shake the habit. It’s worth the fight.) Carly, tell your friend what she needs to hear. Ask her some deep questions, give her your honest advice, then step aside until she makes her move.

That’s my advice…so, what’s yours? Insert your two cents in the comments section below.

Until next time,

// josh

P.S. Katie, looking sharp. Great to have you on the show. Everyone, if you have an embarrassing childhood photo, keep ‘em coming to josh@heyjosh.com.

Advice Show 015 // Self Pity, Losing Dad, and Googling Yourself

Happy Thanksgiving Day’s Eve, grateful young humans! Allow me to present Advice Show Episode 015 for your enjoyment and edification. Yeah, I know what you really want right now is several healthy helpings of pumpkin pie and mug of hot cider, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. (Hey, don’t blame me; I’m not cooking your dinner.) In the meantime, Jessica needs advice on helping out a friend who feels really sorry for herself and Rachelle is struggling with losing her dad and isn’t ready to handle her mom’s new boyfriend. Let’s see if we can help:

And that’s my take; I’d love to hear  yours. What have YOU done to help pull people out of their pity parties? Or maybe you’ve lost a parent and can relate to Rachelle. How did you respond? What can Rachelle learn from your experience?

Keep it real, everybody.

Peace, love, and a turkey,

// josh

P.S. Priscilla, you’re photo wasn’t embarrassing. You look great, honestly. Tanline schmanline. Anyway, thanks for sending it to me; it was great to have you on the show. I hope you find a lovely prom date. The rest of you, send your actually embarrassing childhood photos to josh@heyjosh.com.

Advice Show 014 // Moving, Roommates, and Making Friends

Salutations, young humans, and welcome to Advice Show episode 014! (”Salutations” is a fancy word for “hi,” btw.) Phyl moved to a new school/neighborhood and feels like he has no one to talk to, and Kelsey is dealing with a tense roommate situation. I sling advice their way:

So, there it is. Patience, perseverance, and evites are where it’s at when it comes to making friends. At least, I think so. What’s YOUR advice on moving, making new friends, and dealing with difficult roommates? If any of you have tried out earplugs to block out snoring so you can sleep over your roommates ruckus, let Kelsey know how that worked out for ya. Could be a lifesaver.

Until next time,

// josh

P.S. Rachel, thanks for the embarrassing childhood picture; sorry for the bad print job. I hope we can still be friends. The rest of you, send your embarrassing childhood photos to josh@heyjosh.com.

Advice Show 013 // Haunted Houses, Cheating Boyfriends, and Lying Friends

Welcome to Episode 013! Zach wants to run a professional haunted house but his dad’s not exactly thrilled by the idea and Ashley’s boyfriend admits he cheated on her with her best friend (ouch)…but her friend denies it. What to do?

Glad you asked:

I’m guessing you know what’s coming next: that’s right! it’s YOUR turn. What’s your advice for Zacharia and Ashley? How would you (or have you) handled similar situations in your life?

In your face, but on your side,

// josh

P.S. This week’s embarrassing childhood photo definitely takes things to a whole new level. Dig out those photos of you from when you were an infant (or, you know, last week) where you’re trying to smile and it comes off looking more like a grimace on a scared chimpanzee. The world wants to see those pics. Send ‘em to me at josh@heyjosh.com.

Advice Show 012 // Exchanging Facebook Passwords and Joining the Navy

Greetings young earthlings! Episode 012 here with fresh advice ripe for the harvest. A girl who calls herself “Broken Heart” suspects her boyfriend may be cheating on her and Jonathan butts heads with his dad about wanting to enlist in the military straight out of high school. I have words for both of them:

So, what’s YOUR take? As wisdom brewed from experience percolates to the surface of your mind, pour it forth! (Sometimes I like to wax poetical on you.) Bottom line: “Broken Heart” and Jonathan aren’t alone in these situations. If you can relate, let ‘em know. Your advice matters, too, ya know.

Until next time,

// josh

P.S. Sarah, it was good of you and your curly childhood mullet to join me in the frame. As always, send your embarrassing childhood photos to josh@heyjosh.com. Keep it real.

Advice Show 011 // College, Goals, Pregnancy, and Truth Telling

Episode 011! Jess wants to write a book and be an artist, but her parents think that’s waste of time and want her to go to college…but the thought of college makes Jess panic. What to do? In other email, JD and his fiance are pregnant but don’t want his parents or her grandparents to find out. I serve ‘em each a savory morsel of wisdom, so sink your teeth into this:

And now, my young apprenti (I’ve decided to make “apprenti” the plural form of “apprentice” instead of “apprentices” because, well, I think it sounds cooler), let’s hear YOUR advice for Jess and JD. What are some of the lessons you’ve learned about planning for your future and/or telling the truth even when it hurts?

Until next time,

// josh

P.S. Jaimie, thanks for sharing your toothless childhood smile with me. I found it both heartwarming and humorous. The rest of you…let’s see what you’ve got. Send your embarrassing childhood photos to josh@heyhosh.com.

“Jump Shipp” Premieres This FRIDAY!!

Yo,

Here’s some advice you don’t hear every day: QUIT. That’s right. Forget what you’ve heard about “winners never quitting” ’cause that’s not true–winners quit the right thing at the right time. Every week on Jump Shipp, my new hour-long reality series premiering on Halogen TV this Saturday (Oct. 24) at 2 p.m. FRIDAY at 11 p.m. EST, I’ll be intervening in the life of a young adult to help them avoid the dreaded “quarter-life crisis” by offering them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live out their dreams.

To find Halogen on your TV, click here. (If your cable or satellite provider is stingy and doesn’t carry Halogen, shame on them; do yourself a favor and submit a request that they start carrying it–you won’t regret it. Halogen is a new breed of television channel with big plans to do good in the world.)

Thanks for your support!

// josh

P.S. This “pilot” episode will be airing several times throughout the week, so if you miss it on Friday you can tune in on…

—Tuesday, Oct 27 at 7pm EST
—Wednesday, Oct 28 at 3pm EST
—Thursday, Oct 29 at 9pm EST
—Friday, Oct 30 at 1am EST