1. Build The Pillars of Your Life First
This sounds simple in theory, but it’s exponentially more difficult in practice.
While
you will need to work hard to build a successful business, don’t become
so trapped in the entrepreneurial rat race that you forget to take care
of yourself.
You must make time every week to:
- Exercise for at least 3–5 hours
- Spend 5–8 hours with friends and family
- Engage in personal care activities (reading, journaling, meditating, massages, etc)
- Expand your mind in creative ways (i.e. playing analog games, reading, watching documentaries)
- Doing something you love guilt-free (whether it’s video games, Netflix, or drinking with friends do something you enjoy every week)
If I had done this when I first started my business, everything in life would have been easier later on.
It’s better to spend 5 years taking care of yourself, building your life and your
business than to achieve all of your big goals within 2 years but
suffer long term health issues, broken family relationships, and general
dissatisfaction.
2. Don’t Quit Your Job… Use It
There are plenty of people out there who will tell you to quit your job and go into business for yourself.
Don’t do it.
I did and even though I don’t regret my decision, things would have been much smoother and easier if I had built my business while staying in my day job.
Having a steady stream of income that you can rely on makes it much easier to build a business the right way instead of resorting to quick fixes and low caliber tactics (because you won’t be able to eat if you don’t).
Don’t quit your job.
Use it to fund your business and keep yourself afloat.
Then, once your business income exceeds your living expenses, hand in your resignation and go full time.
3. Chill Out and Be Patient
Seriously…
I see so many 20-somethings believing that they are failures because they haven’t made their first million by 22.
Look… Success takes time.
Don’t compare your journey to someone else and don’t feel like you need to have it figured out yet.
Instead, focus on building the right habits and taking the right action and trust that the results will come in time.
4. Take LOTS of Action (Especially Imperfect Action)
The key to success is simple.
Take massive imperfect action all the time.
Instead of “Thinking” about starting a business, start it, test it, and see if you should stick with it.
Instead of wondering about the best blog post to write, just write some damn words and see how people respond.
Spend less time in deliberation and more time taking action.
View your business as a giant science experiment where 80% of the things you try are SUPPOSED to fail.
Then, when you find the 20% that works, double down on that and take it to the goal line.
5. Your Network Determines Your Net Worth
Who you spend your time with will determine where you go in life.
Spend your time with low caliber people who have no ambition, no drive, and no passion for life… That’s what you’ll become.
Spend your time with winners and A-players and that’s what you’ll become.
Ditch the toxic friends NOW and build a social circle of other people on the same path as you are.
It’ll make everything easier.
6. Hire Fast yet Slow
The second that you have the ability (i.e. the money) to hire someone, do it.
But do it slowly.
Here’s the thing.
If
there are tasks you don’t enjoy doing or someone else could do better,
then you need to hire someone to handle them as quickly as it’s
feasible.
This is what I mean when I say hire FAST.
But you don’t want to jump on the first individual or applicant that comes your way.
Instead, do your best to find the RIGHT person by hiring SLOWLY.
If I had done this, I would have saved years of hard work and more than a few visits to the ER.
7. Do What Works for You
Plenty of people are going to tell you plenty of different things that you should do.
Whether they are marketing tactics, personal productivity tricks, or copywriting secrets.
If they have the results you want, listen to them.
But don’t just take people’s advice without first considering if it will work for you.
Everyone says that early risers are more productive and successful.
I hate getting out of bed early and can barely function if I get less than 9 hours of sleep.
So I wake up whenever my body tells me to and that’s that.
It’s not what I should do, but it works for me.
I know people who work from bed, send emails that are 2000 words long (almost 10x the length they’re supposed to be), and work from 12 a.m. until 11 a.m.
But it works for THEM and that’s the important thing.
Don’t ignore successful people.
But don’t assume that they have all of the answers for your life either.
That’s all for today.