Steve Pavlina – Steve Pavlina: The Unofficial Guide

Steve Pavlina and His 7 Facets

Steve Pavlina is one of the most widely acclaimed self-help authors and motivational speakers today.

Just google “personal development” and you will see what I mean (his blog is the second result only beaten by Wikipedia at the first position).

He is the mind behind his popular blog StevePavlina.com and his book Personal Development for Smart People. Steve, also known as Stephen Michael Pavlina, was born in April 14, 1971 in Santa Monica, California. By the time he was 20, Steve found himself in jail for grand theft. He was also given 60 hours of community service. According to Steve, it was this experience that ultimately convinced him to start turning his life around.

Before he began his career as a self-help guru, Pavlina also became an entrepreneur.

He founded and acted as CEO of Dexterity Software.

He also acted as the senior software developer in the said company. From his life, however, he was able to transition smoothly towards becoming a public speaker and self-help guru. Steve shares that the transition mainly involved removing shortcuts from his favorites folder and from his desktops, and cutting ties with people who pulled him to the gamer world. Instead, he started spending time with people who reinforced the new identity he was building.

But even before he completely left the software industry, Steve was able to successfully build a name for himself there and to leave a lasting impact through his articles and other writings. In fact, he was hailed as the Vice President of the Association of Software Professionals in 1999 and became President in 1000.

He is also part of ASP’s Hall of Fame, where he was described as someone who left ‘a significant, lasting influence on others’.

He finally bid the software entrepreneurship industry in 2004, when he began his personal development website. His company went dormant during this time, until he decided to close it down in 2006. Since then, he has focused full time on his website and on other products, such as his book, and on events, like his workshops, all of which were results of his blog’s success.

In 2008, he finally released his first book entitled Personal Development for Smart People, which was published by Hay House.

Top 7 topics as taught by Steve

Some of Steve’s most popular self-help concepts:

List of Values. Steve Pavlina believes that there are certain values that resonate louder in a person’s life than other values. In line with this belief, he suggests that every individual should identify these values. Once these are determined, the values will help a person prioritize and make decisions that lead him to the right direction in life. Steve also recommends this technique for those who want to steer their lives to a different direction; they can achieve this simply by changing the order of the values that matter most to them.

Polyamory. Steve Pavlina also experimented with polyamory. He conducted his trial because he observed that people usually have difficulty opening up to other people, and this created an emotional distance around every individual that kept them from accessing the full level of compassion they were capable of. Steve embarked on the study of polyamory to encourage himself to open up to other people more easily. Steve covers all areas of polyamory to help those who are interested in trying it. These areas include the sexual factor and the common hindrances that keep people from emotionally connecting, such as emotional hurt.

Polyphasic Sleep. Steve Pavlina also experimented with polyphasic sleep, a unique sleep schedule wherein he slept multiple times a day in shorter periods to achieve more time awake during the day. In his blog, Steve chronicles almost every single day during his experiment, so his blog is a very useful guide for those who are also willing to try the concept out. Steve notes the benefits that polyphasic sleep had on him, as well as some side effects to give people a complete look at the experience. He also goes back to the topic one year after concluding his trial in order to give people an idea of the long-term consequences he observed in himself after the trial. His guide is hands down one of the most complete and comprehensive in the subject of polyphasic sleep.

Raw Food. Steve Pavlina also conducted a trial on the raw food diet. Again, thanks to Steve’s attention to detail, his self-discipline, and his willingness to record almost every detail of his experiments, he was able to create one of the most comprehensive guides to the raw food diet. In his blog, he explains how the raw food diet works, and the process he had to go through in order to adjust to the changes in his diet. He highlighted the benefits he experienced as well as the low points, such as the detox period. His guide is encouraging and informative, and is a must-read for anyone who wishes to try this unique form of diet.

Aside from Steve’s well-documented trials and experiments, he also delves into several other topics in his blog. Some of the common topics he touches on include:

His divorce. One of the reasons that make Steve very successful as a blogger is his honesty. Sure enough, even when he separated from his (now former) wife Erin, he was very open and honest about it. This honesty is very rare among self-help gurus, who everyone expects to live near perfect lives. For Steve, however, he was very open about the reasons why he and Erin just couldn’t continue sharing their lives together, when their goals and desires pulled them into separate directions. His story can inspire anyone who wants to pursue a divorce but is afraid to because of society’s negative connotations of it. After the divorce, both he and Erin were able to find better lives. Eventually, he found a person more compatible with who he is at the present, and her name is Rachelle Fordyce.

His new partner Rachelle Fordyce. If you plan to read more about Steve Pavlina, it is important that you know exactly who Rachelle is. Rachelle factors into many of Steve’s blog posts, stories, and examples, so knowing a bit about her and their history together is crucial for anyone who really wants to learn more about Steve and to relate with him. Steve met Rachelle during a Conscious Growth Workshop which he and Erin conducted together before they got a divorce. After the divorce, Steve began connecting with Rachelle after the latter responded to his Facebook status regarding D/S play. What began as an experiment in D/S play led to a deep emotional connection between them, which helped them find the ideal relationships they have both been looking for.

His critics. If you’ve heard of Steve then you’ve probably heard of his critics. In his blog, Steve bravely answers the common issues that his critics throw at him.

This website aims to give a more concise look at who Steve Pavlina is, without taking away the essence of what he stands for. As you continue reading the different sections on Steve’s personality, you will learn more and more about his practical tips and advice on personal growth.

Where you should go right now for further information about Steve Pavlina

For even more in depth information:

If you are unsure you should probably start by reading Steve Pavlina list of values, click here.