for those in pursuit of their highest version
My challenge to myself was to post every day for 14 days.
I failed.
But guess what?
That challenge restarts today.
This entry is for everyone who set an intention, went off the path, and is wondering if they should get back on.
The answer is yes.
It’s time to get back on the path.
This is Day 1 of 14 of my daily writing challenge.
A reader asked:
“I’d love to hear more about what led you to where you are today.”
In mid-January 2020, I was down. Like, “hard to make it out of bed” down.
Why was I down? Because I couldn’t do what I said I was going to do. My word was not impeccable. And it was making me upset. This drove me further and further down the pit of despair.
February was rough.
March was worse.
COVID-19 was plaguing the world. Every day, I’d refresh Twitter. More doom and gloom on the timeline.
There was a point when I’d had enough though. When I decided, I couldn’t control the circumstance, but I could control my reaction to it. So, I decided to tackle Phase 1. This is a 30-day program designed by Andy Frisella. It’s intentionally difficult.
What got me to take the plunge? I knew I couldn’t control the circumstances (COVID-19) but I could control my reaction to it.
Reading this book helped immensely: Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins.
And then, while on the program, I read the following book: Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant.
But I wasn’t just reading the books, I was applying them.
I started saying “I love myself” every day. This really waked me up to the power of the self-talk.
Another key component is I started a mission: this website.
I set the intention for myself of posting twice per week for one year. That made me feel good, like I had control over my situation… so I kept going.
Now, more than half a year later, we’re still going… and going stronger. We’ve added a podcast and newsletter to the mix. We’re building.
Going from 0 to 1 is the hardest part. It’s the first step. For me, that was starting this program and seeing it through. Once I had finished the program, I was able to stand. I was on my feet. My mindset shifted. I was ready to roll.
So if you’re in a similar situation?
My advice is to choose a book. Pick a program. And start working on something that is going to help you with the life you want to live.
Yuval Noah Harari published a book in 2011. It sold 2,000 copies.
Then in 2014, he republished virtually the same book. It sold a lot more than 2,000 copies.
That book was Sapiens.
So, Harari became famous overnight.
The interesting thing is that Yuval’s life hasn’t changed all too much. He still lives in a middle-class neighborhood in Israel.
He hasn’t got sucked up in fame.
Why?
Well Harari believes it’s because the first thing he schedules is his meditation retreat for the year. The next thing he schedules is his daily meditation sessions (2 hours, I believe).
Harari kept the main thing the main thing.
(This story is from The Tim Ferriss Show with Yuval Noah Harari.)
In truth, I have no idea.
I want people to read my shit.
I want to be a great writer. I want to be like Matthew McConaughey, Pat Walls, or Daniel Bourke. They make me feel something when I read their words. They evoke emotion.
So, this daily blog is me putting in the reps.
Here’s the prescription:
Speak from the heart.
Show up daily.
And see what comes of it.
Stew Fortier once uncovered that hunter-gatherers valued storytelling over hunting.
And let me tell ya…
Had Matthew McConaughey lived as a hunter-gatherer? He would have been the king of the jungle.
To give you a sense of his abilities…
A few weeks ago, I listened to him on The Tim Ferriss Show and Joe Rogan.
And a couple days ago, I read his new book Greenlights (not affiliate link).
I couldn’t put it down. You know the type of book where you plan on reading a few pages before bed and then all of a sudden, it’s midnight and you’re thinking to yourself… how the hell did that happen? I finished it 24 hours later.
It happened because the book made me feel something.
It got my attention. And it kept it.
I laughed. I pondered. I highlighted like a madman.
Worth checking out.
By the way, why is “livin” shortened? Because life is a verb.
In 2018, I graduated college.
I knew two things:
Here’s my story:
I started to document my journey in June 2018.
I dove deep into copywriting, marketing, Facebook ads.
After months of dead ends, things started to finally click. I started to make money in November.
I started making good money in December. Even better money in January. In February or March (can’t remember), I got burnt out. And then in March I was hired to work for my two friends.
In June, I moved to San Diego.
But in September, I quit dropshipping entirely.
Because I had been documenting my journey along the way, many people messaged me… “why’d you quit?”
Dropshipping didn’t align with who I was or who I wanted to be. It was selling products without first vetting the products myself. The biggest issue was that I was in the game for the dollars. I wasn’t in the game for the love of the game.
Does that make sense?
I’m writing these words right now because I believe I will write books. I plan to make money writing. Making money isn’t bad. But I also love the game. Meaning? I love the process of writing, of crafting this sentence, of figuring out what to say next. I love posting it on the blog. I love getting feedback on it.
I don’t love going deep into the Facebook ads dashboard and trying to figure out how to increase my conversion rate. ButI don’t regret doing it. I learned some lessons about marketing, copywriting, and making money.
But I also learned it wasn’t the path for me.
You see, any game we play is going to be difficult. I could choose the dropshipping game. I could choose the writing game. I could choose the doctor game.
Every path will have ups and downs. Every path will have moments that will force you to quit.
So why not choose the path that you enjoy? Why not choose the path that would you play even if money wasn’t in the equation?
That’s what I’m doing anyway.