Is CGW for ~20yrold aspiring scientists too?

[KazeCraven]

Hey guys,

I'm seriously considering attending the workshop, and my primary interest is finding experiences to fill my life with, both in the everyday sense and long term. My primary concern is that if I don't already know what I want (which is currently true) then this workshop isn't for me.

I'm pretty passionate about research and scientific discovery (actually Truth in general), so my career is not a problem. It's everything else really, considering I haven't found interests outside of academia (unless you count reading novels).

If you have experience with CGW and you think you know whether or not this workshop is for me, please let me know. Be direct and honest, if you can. I'm rather capricious, so it's not a matter of whether I can be motivated to go, it's whether I'll benefit from attending. Also, I'd like to know
-how much I should expect to spend for the trip, in total
-whether going to Las Vegas alone is a wise decision, in general


Other possibly relevant traits:
-I'll be 20 by May, and this would be the first time I've been to Las Vegas
-I'll be coming alone
-I currently don't know whether I'm even missing anything (aka seeking more to life than actually exists)
-I'll be between my 2nd and 3rd years of college, and I love the classes
-Related to above, I've got a paid summer research position, but I'm pretty low on cash in general

Thanks in advance,
Patrick

[Savage]

You're certainly in the demographic that CGW attracts. We get a LOT of 20-somethings who are involved or interested in left-brained careers. You'll probably feel right at home with the other attendees.

This is a very holistic workshop, so you're going to take a deeper look not just at your career but also at your finances, relationships, health practices, routine habits, and more. You'll be able to see where you have some fundamental weaknesses in your approach to life and how to resolve them early for a much better payoff down the road.

For example, a lot of people -- especially left-brainers -- make the mistake of trying to achieve goals w/o putting adequate social support in place, so they make some progress and then get sidetracked by unsupportive friends or family... or they settle for moving forward at a snail's pace because no one else in their life cares enough about what they're doing to support and encourage them and share useful leads and resources.

When you correct this problem, then you have a situation where you're life is filled with people who are actively supporting and encouraging you to achieve your goals. For example, if you want to attract a new relationship, they will actively refer potential partners to you. Or if you want to do business with someone, they can introduce you and put in a good word for you. This makes life so much easier than trying to go it alone.

That's just one example of the ways in which we work to improve your alignment with the 7 core principles of personal growth. Everyone's situation is different, so different people need to correct different alignment problems in order to release the brakes and get faster results.

Keep in mind that CGW now has a one-year money-back guarantee.

[Zach M]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

For example, a lot of people -- especially left-brainers -- make the mistake of trying to achieve goals w/o putting adequate social support in place, so they make some progress and then get sidetracked by unsupportive friends or family... or they settle for moving forward at a snail's pace because no one else in their life cares enough about what they're doing to support and encourage them and share useful leads and resources.

That my mistake, eh? I never knew. Thanks, Steve.

Good luck, KazeCraven. I wish I could comment more on going to Vegas, but the last time for me was 2003. I don't even know if the Star Trek Experience is still around. (sure I can Google it, but so can you.)

[Savage]

Originally Posted by Zach Matley

I don't even know if the Star Trek Experience is still around. (sure I can Google it, but so can you.)

That and Quark's Bar were nuked a few years ago. That part of the Las Vegas Hilton is just a boarded-up wall now -- not sure what they'll do with the space. All that's left is the space casino portion.

[KazeCraven]

Interesting...

Thanks Steve. I'll sleep on it and make my decision public so that other folks already dedicated to it can know who to expect.

[Zach M]

Originally Posted by KazeCraven

-Related to above, I've got a paid summer research position, but I'm pretty low on cash in general

There are tons of lists online of free things to do in LV. For example:Top 10 Free Things to Do & See in Las Vegas | LookTours.com

The Bellagio fountains top just about every list.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by KazeCraven

Interesting...

Thanks Steve. I'll sleep on it and make my decision public so that other folks already dedicated to it can know who to expect.

Just a heads up: hotel room rates tend to rise as you get closer to your dates of stay, so don't wait too long to book your reservations. It's best to book your room at least 30 days in advance if possible.

[Zach M]

Lonely Planet has some good hotel/hostel rates.
Las Vegas Hotels, Hostels and Accommodation - Lonely Planet Hotels & Hostels

[KazeCraven]

Thanks Zach; rising prices will be a problem. I probably already raked up my share of expenses by waiting this long.

I'm certainly still open to other opinions, though I probably won't give much time for people to log on and notice this thread before I've decided.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by KazeCraven

Thanks Zach; rising prices will be a problem. I probably already raked up my share of expenses by waiting this long.

I'm certainly still open to other opinions, though I probably won't give much time for people to log on and notice this thread before I've decided.

You can normally cancel Vegas hotel reservations for no charge if you give them at least 24 hours notice before the first date of your stay. Check with the hotel to be sure of their cancellation policy, but this is very common.

In other words, you can make the hotel reservation before you fully decide and then easily cancel it later if you decide not to attend. This way you can lock in the current rate and don't have to worry about a rate increase.

I recently did that for a 3-day conference in Costa Mesa that I wasn't sure I was going to attend. I booked the hotel 30+ days in advance just in case, knowing I could cancel it with only 1 day's notice. It only took 5 minutes to book the room. I didn't commit to going to the conference until about 2 weeks out. I was glad I booked the hotel in advance because the rates would have been double otherwise.

Having gone to many conferences, I have learned (sometimes the hard way) that it's usually best to book the hotel room as soon as possible.

In fact, this is even true for booking the meeting room we use for CGW. By booking the same ballroom for 3 CGWs in advance, we were able to negotiate a better deal, thereby saving more than $2000 vs. what we would have paid otherwise. And we don't even have to pay for the room till 30 days before each event. So that was a no-brainer.

[KazeCraven]

Great, I'll book for that weekend right away then.

That takes a lot of pressure off.

[Bing Wu]

Along that same note, flights can also get more expensive the longer you wait. Better to just commit to going to the workshop and enjoy it :-)

There's a sizeable group of past CGW attendees, some of us in our early-mid 20's, who've quit our jobs and made huge changes in areas of diet, relationships, etc. after attending the CGW. We're also keeping in touch every week thru the Skype CGW meetups. I'd say the social support network that you can build after a CGW is one of the most valuable aspects of attending. Plus, you get to meet Steve and Erin in person :-)

[mattyblu]

Patrick,

Feel free to join us for a Sunday Skype meetup. It's a great way for you to get a feel for what the group is like and how powerful that social support can be!

[Bing Wu]

Anyone with an interest in personal development can gain a lot from attending. I considered myself an "economist" when I discovered Steve's blog

[KazeCraven]

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised about the under 21 issue.

I had found a pretty nice arrangement, but then I discovered I couldn't even check-in without being 21. Not that that make me a definite no, but things aren't fitting well thus far.

Anyone know how to screen for hotels that only allow 21+ to book? I thought it was just places called "______ and Casino," but the Imperial Palace has that issue too.

matty: I'll be sure to check out that Skype. Is it every Sunday?

Patrick

[mattyblu]

Every Sunday at noon Eastern for Skype.

You can look up hotels at Vegas.com. That site shows whether a hotel is 21+ to book. I specifically remember the Hilton and Riviera as not being 21+.