“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” – Mike Murdock.

‘Winning the morning’ is a phrase that seems to have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. Everyone and their neighbor is proclaiming the benefits of having a morning routine and sticking to it daily.
You’re supposed to wake up at the crack of dawn, 5 am or earlier preferably. Then engage in meditation, gratitude journaling, visualization, ice baths and a myriad of other activities that supposedly help you to progress in life.
There have been several books written on this topic and most are good, but the concept itself is misleading at times.

* Are you even a morning person?
No two people are alike. Some prefer to wake up early in the morning and work in silence. These folks struggle to stay up late at night.
At the other end of the spectrum are people who struggle to wake up early, but have no problems working through the night like a desk-bound Batman.
So, how do you have a morning routine if your eyes are heavy as lead in the morning?
Simple. You don’t.
There’s absolutely no need to wake early and struggle through the day groggily just because others are doing it. What matters is what you do with the time you have when you’re awake.
Ultimately, your productivity is what matters.

* What are your commitments?
If you have kids that need to be in school at a certain time or you’re a caregiver to an aging parent with needs, you might have a ton of chores to do in the morning.
It’ll be impossible to have a fixed morning routine because your day is unpredictable. You can’t possibly wake up 2 hours earlier just to have a morning routine because you may have a day job and it’ll be too tiring.
In cases like these, you’ll need to find a routine that works well for your situation. It may not be in the morning, but as long as it helps you do what you need to, you’re on the right track.

* Your day job is an obstacle
If you’re trying to build a side business online, but you’re working as a nurse or in an on-call type of occupation, your schedule may be chaotic. So, having a morning routine to win is not even a possibility here because of your work commitments.
That’s fine. You don’t need a morning routine.

* Doing what you can with the time you have
Ultimately, what you need to do is have a list of tasks that you need to complete daily to win the day. Your focus should be on winning the day and not the morning.
If you can win the morning, that’s fine. But if you can’t, it’s not a deal breaker. You can still achieve great success in your endavors as long as you do the needful.
Study your daily activities and routine. Find blocks of time within the routine where you can get work done. Then be as productive as you can during these times.
A routine has to work for you. That’s the cardinal rule. Keep iterating until you know exactly how to be productive during the time you have and how you can achieve your goals based on your current commitments.
Once you figure that out, you can win at any time of the day.

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“The cure for pain is in the pain.” – Rumi

The world we live in today is a soft place. Political correctness, participation trophies, safe spaces, and all the other inane rules that keep cropping up daily to save people from pain is only making them weak.
It’s no wonder so many students at universities these days are clueless about history or have a slanted view of it. It’s also why obesity is an epidemic, crimes are sky high, and the world seems to be going crazy.
There’s a reason for this – we live in a time where we have all the conveniences we need. Life is much easier now than it was in the sixties.
So nowadays, people manufacture pain to keep themselves sane. They try to get offended by anything and everything and push for change to feel like they’re accomplishing something. They obsess over politics, tweets from 20 years ago, and other irrelevant issues just to feel useful.
Yet, this manufactured pain is insensible and destructive. There are 2 types of pain – one that hurts you, and one that changes you.
Only real pain causes progress. In fact, it is the cure to a lot of the ills in society today.
Pain forces people to change for the better. It pushes us to do whatever it takes to do better, achieve more and live better. It forces us to raise our standards instead of dropping them.
If you’re 80 pounds overweight, real pain will be you hating the way you look and feel. So what do you do?
You start exercising daily and eating clean. In 9-10 months, you’ve shed the weight, lost the pain and in its place, you’ve developed confidence and a sense of achievement. Pain has forced you to change for the better.
These days, morbidly obese people are more concerned with issues such as fat shaming and having plus-sized models on magazine covers. While such social change is all well and good, what does it do for them?
Nothing.
They’ll always be in pain because they can’t change the world when what they’re truly dissatisfied with is themselves. It’d be easier to shed the stubborn pounds and be healthy rather than constantly worry about what others are saying and thinking about overweight people.
All you can change is yourself… so find what truly hurts you.

* What’s hurting you?
Do you hate your job? Do you hate your bosses, colleagues, the commute to work, etc?
It’s ok to hate it. This is pain. Ask yourself what’s hurting you.

* Write it down
Then write it all down. Maybe you want a bigger house but you can’t afford it based on your current salary. Maybe you want to spend time with your family, but you’re on the road all the time because of work.
Write down whatever hurts you. In this article, let’s assume that money is your biggest issue. The bills, constant rising cost of living, your stagnant salary, rising taxes and all the other issues are getting on your nerves.
Write down your pain!

* Look at your bank statement
Print out your bank statement. Understand your total net worth. Is it abysmal? Are you embarrassed? Are you scared?
Excellent. Embrace the pain. Print out the statement, make a few copies and stick one in each room so that you’re constantly aware of where you stand.

* Calculate your expenses
Now calculate your total monthly expenses. How does it compare to your salary? Grr… you’re fuming? Good. Just know this, it’s only going to be more expensive 5 years down the road. You’re probably apoplectic by now.
That’s ok.

* Think retirement
At the rate you’re going, will you have enough to retire? What happens if you don’t? Do you trust your government to look after you?
Are you worried? Most people will be. This is pain too.

* How much time do you have?
Now look at how old you are. What? You’re 50?!! Gasp!
Yes, that’s more pain… knowing that you have less time than someone in their twenties.

* Will you engrave mediocrity on your tombstone?
Imagine yourself living till you’re at a ripe old age and knowing that you took the path of least resistance and never really chased your dreams or achieved much in life.
The burden of unfulfilled dreams weighs heavily on you as you sigh at how you frittered away the time and didn’t challenge yourself to become the person you know you deserve to be.
But now it’s too late. Pain, pain… pain.
Here’s the good news – you can change EVERYTHING.
You can learn new skills and be compensated well. You can start a business today that makes you financially-free in a couple of years. Anything is possible if you’ll only start.
Look at the pain and let it compel you to take massive action. Aim for big goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them. Develop laser-like focus and hone in on what you truly want.
Ignore the noise of the world that only serves to distract and destroy. Instead, work on your goals and be a producer rather than a consumer. Be a creator rather than a naysayer.
Look at your pain… and tell yourself that enough is enough. Now do what it takes to put and end to the pain. And it will end.
“Pain will leave once it is done teaching you.” – Bruce Lee

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One of the most insidious problems facing society today is how much time we spend in front of the screen. When we talk about screen time, we’re not referring to you doing work in front of your laptop. No… that’s good screen time.
Bad screen time is the time we spend scrolling through social media or watching the news (which is usually negative) and binge-watching shows on TV. This type of screen time saps our energy and sucks up our time.
More people than ever before are depressed and unfulfilled. A lot of the blame lies on social media. People use their mobile devices intemperately and seem lost when their digital devices are not with them. That’s how bad the addiction is.

* How screen time reduces your desire to work
If you wish to be successful, you MUST reduce your screen time. Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, has often stated that “embracing boredom and learning to do hard things” is crucial to doing good work.
What does that mean?
It means that if you’re constantly hooked on your mobile phone and getting hits of dopamine from social media notifications, games, etc. your mind will crave constant entertainment.
Once it gets used to this level of stimulation, it becomes very difficult to make yourself sit down to do important work – which is usually neither entertaining nor that stimulating.
Yet, it’s this dull work which will take your business and life to the next level.

* What can you do when you reduce your screen time?
Let’s assume you decide to not watch TV from Mondays to Thursdays. Up till now, you’ve been spending 2-3 hours a day on Netflix. Once you cut this habit out, you have a few extra hours for 4 days a week.
Imagine what you could do with the time!

* Limit yourself to about 15-20 minutes of social media a day
Ideally, it’s best to not use social media for more than 10 minutes a day. You don’t want to get addicted to these platforms. But 15-20 minutes a day is fine.
Only get on social media at the end of the day. NEVER EVER start your day by checking your social media notifications the moment you wake up.
You’re most impressionable early in the day. You don’t want to be riled up by people ranting about politics and vaccines.
You have more important work ahead of you.

* So what can you do with the extra time?
Very often, entrepreneurs complain about a lack of work-life balance. Yet, if they went through their daily routine with a fine-toothed comb, they’d realize that screen time is subtly stealing precious minutes and hours from their days.
This time can be used more productively. You can organize your business and your day. You could create systems and templates to speed up your workflows.
You could learn new skills that help you with your business. Or you could pick up a new hobby that brings you joy.
Let’s not forget everyone’s favorite excuse when it comes to getting exercise… “I don’t have the tiiiime!”
Well, now you do. In fact, a 30-minute workout is only 2% of your day. So you can get it over and done with ASAP.
All the other tasks like paying bills, managing your finances, clearing your emails, etc. can all be done with the extra time that you have.

* What you’ll gain
Besides just the time savings, you’ll also save energy. It takes energy to be on social media… energy to watch TV and so on.
When you spend less time on these activities, your mental and emotional energy will be conserved and not dissipated on polarizing yet trivial matters. You’ll feel better, think better and act better.
To be successful, you must be a good steward of you time and energy. One of the best things you could do is to manage your screen time stringently and efficiently.
Take a look at how much time you’re spending in front of the screen and ask yourself… “Is this necessary?”
Make your decision from there.

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Successful people and unsuccessful people really aren’t all that different. We’re all human beings after all. However, what separates the winners from those who never achieve much success in life boils down to the way they think.
Successful people think differently. They just do, because it’s imperative to winning in life. You’re either born with this type of thinking or you can work and develop it. Anyone can think in a way which helps them achieve success.
Let’s see how winners differ from losers.
For starters, winners chase their dreams. They’re willing to go after what they want. Only about 2% of the world have this mindset. It’s shockingly low, but that’s how it is.
Unsuccessful people prefer security without realizing that nothing ventured, nothing gained. They prefer job security and the idea that they’re not risking anything. So, they stagnate in life and never progress as they lament about their lot in life.
Successful people have confidence and they can do it. Unsuccessful people lack confidence and belief in themselves. Winners think it’s possible. Losers think it’s impossible… and will find a problem to every solution, so that they stay where they are.
To succeed in life, you must believe in yourself. You must be willing to change things up. To explore new possibilities. You can only discover new lands if you’re willing to lose sight of the shore.
Unsuccessful people tend to stick to the old ways of doing things. They resist change because it means stepping outside the comfort zone. This is another quality that successful people have.
They act in spite of fear. A winner knows that it will require effort and struggle and they think, “You know what? I’m going to do it anyway and succeed!”
The unsuccessful person says, “That’s too much work and it’ll take too long. I might not even succeed and it will all be a waste of time.”
The need to play it safe and try to get something for nothing is a trademark of unsuccessful people. They’d rather settle for less than go out and get what’s theirs.
In order for you to achieve the pinnacles of success, you must demand it first… and believe that you have what it takes. Then you must be willing to pay the price that success asks of you. Winners are more than willing to do so.
The fire that burns within successful people creates a sense of urgency within them. They tend to feel like there’s always not enough time to do what they need to. They’re constantly on the move getting things done and rarely have time for trivial distractions.
Unsuccessful people tend to move slower, procrastinate more and live a dull life. Entertainment such as social media, TV shows and other leisure activities act as a crutch to fill the void in their life.
Successful people have so much going for them that they only occasionally indulge in such activities.
Another interesting point you’ll notice is that unsuccessful people tend to focus on what others are doing. They always have opinions on other people’s activities and external events and rarely reflect on their own life.
Successful people, however, only think about how they’ll improve their business and life. They focus on themselves. As a result, they make progress and enjoy a more rewarding life.
Unsuccessful people remain bitter, filled with negativity and become naysayers who try to rain on other people’s parades just to make themselves feel better. It’s a sad situation, but one that they brought on themselves.
At the end of the day, things will only get better when you start thinking better. Your life will have no limits when you have no self-imposed limits. Progress and success will be yours when you focus on positive actions and become part of the solution rather than being part of the problem.
Now that you know why some people are successful and most aren’t, you can just emulate the winners and become a winner yourself. The power of change is within you.

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

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“Sacrifice really means giving up something good for something better.” – Stephen Covey

Delayed gratification can be summed up with a simple quote – “It’s giving up what you want now for what you want most”.
Sounds simple in concept, but is excruciatingly difficult to practice. It’s one of the reasons why most people fail.
Let’s assume you want to start an online business. In order to do that successfully, you’ll need to study how online businesses are set up. You’ll need to choose a business model within this niche to focus on.
You’ll need to test and familiarize yourself with all the different components of online marketing related to your business, from list building to content marketing.
Here’s the problem…
You lack time. You currently have a day job and by the time you get home, have dinner and settle down, it’s 7 pm. You know you need to hit the sack by 11 pm because you don’t want to wake up groggy for work at 6 am the next day.
So you have about 4 hours to work on your business. Or do you?
Most people will tell themselves, “Ahhh, I’m tired after working all day. Maybe I should just rest and watch TV today.”
Or they decide to hit the bar with a few friends and have beers until 10.30 pm. Whatever it is, they do other activities to relax instead of working.
If they chose to work on their business from 7 pm to 11 pm daily, for 5 days a week – they’d be delaying their relaxation and fun. This is an example of delayed gratification.
However, by delaying it now, in future when their online business takes off, they’ll be able to quit their day job and work their own hours. Now they’ll have much more time to do what they want to, when they want to.
This is the BIGGEST benefit of delayed gratification. The rewards in future are usually much sweeter.

* Financial security
Saving your money instead of frittering it away on covetous desires will mean that you have a nest egg that you can rely on in future. Your savings can be used for investing to multiply your net worth.
Or it can be used to scale your business and so on. That’s what you can do if you save your money instead of blowing it on expensive vacations or fast cars.
When you have enough wealth, you can indulge. But when you’re trying to accumulate wealth, it’s best to practice delayed gratification.

* Instils discipline
Delayed gratification will make you a more disciplined person. Obesity is an epidemic these days. People who start dieting can’t stop themselves from eating the moment they see food they like.
They can’t delay the gratification that comes from gobbling a doughnut or polishing off a sleeve of cookies. As a result, they never lose weight and struggle with it for years.
Once you can delay your gratification, the pounds will come off as you indulge less in unhealthy foods. Once you’ve reached your ideal healthy weight, you can indulge moderately without feeling guilty.
The same applies in business. You may hate to do a task… but you do it anyway instead of procrastinating.
You understand that the work may be difficult and tiring, but if you wish to be successful in future, you must pay the price now. Delaying your current ‘comfort’ will mean that you’re more comfortable in future.
There’s always an opportunity cost involved. Not delaying your gratification now may mean not being able to live the life you’ve always wanted.
When you understand that, you’ll gladly do what you need to rather than what you want to. Once you can do that, it’s just a matter of time until you succeed and have the freedom to do what you want to.

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“The price of success must be paid in full, in advance.” – Brian Tracy

People love success stories, especially those that are of a ‘rags to riches’ nature… or one where the underdog overcomes insurmountable odds to claim victory. Movies often dramatize success stories and romanticize the journey so that it moves the audience.
It’s no wonder that millions of people think that success is easy and only requires a modicum of hard work… preferably enough to fit within 90 minutes, just like in the movies.
Reality, however, is far more brutal and savage.
Achieving success can take years of work, and often does. Yet, you can find yourself faced with the possibility of losing it all overnight, if you’re not careful.
In order for you to succeed, one of the best things that you can do for yourself is to come to terms with just how difficult it’s going to be. Once you understand this, you’ll stop crying, “Woe is me!” and instead grit your teeth and keep going.
This is the lay of the land. It has always been that way.
Like Michael Jordan’s trainer, Tim Grover, once said, “Everything gets easier when you stop expecting it to be easy.”
You might want to write that quote down and stick it on your wall. Once you embrace the fact that the journey is going to be an uphill struggle, you’ll be more willing to pay the price.
That’s the only route to your destination. It may seem that others have an easier life getting to where they want to go… but that’s just an illusion. Everyone has their own journey and most are fraught with peril and struggle. You’re not alone.
Here’s what you can expect…

* Long hours
If you’re quitting your day job and starting your own business, expect to go from working 8 hours a day to 16 hours a day. Most entrepreneurs discover that they work longer hours for themselves than they would if they’d work for someone else.
Yet, they willingly do it because it’s their passion. Nevertheless, long hours will take a toll on you and skew your work-life balance. Be ready for that too.

* Failure
Failure is inevitable. We see it around all the time and no matter how many times you encounter it, you never really acquire the taste for this bitter pill. Yet, failure is integral to your success.
The more you fail, the more you’ll learn… and the more you learn, the better your attempts will be and you’ll succeed faster. Sometimes, you need to take 2 steps backward to take 3 steps forward.

* Financial risk
Any venture is a bet at best. No matter how much research you do, or how well you know your audience, etc. there’s ALWAYS risk. Movie studios and record companies still cannot predict which of their movies/songs/artistes will be a hit.
All they can do is try and watch how the market reacts. If it’s favorable, they have a blockbuster or a chart topping single. If it fails, it’s a financial loss on the books.
The only way to win is to play the game and to be prepared in the event you face a loss. Do not risk all that you have.

* Loneliness
There’s a quote that goes, “It’s lonely at the top. That’s why a Bugatti has 2 seats, but a bus has 50.”
This is very true. As you focus on your goals and keep moving forward, your friends and family will either need to level up to be on par with you, or they’ll fall behind. In most cases, you’ll notice that you lose friends along the way.
They’ll tell you that you’re ‘not the same person’ anymore. And you may not be, because your goal will transform you during the journey. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
To get more in life, you have to be more. To become muscular, you need to spend more time at the gym. Not because you’re vain, but because that’s what the goal requires of you.
To become financially free, you’ll need to spend less time on your social life and more time working on your business. Not because you’re anti-social or think you’re better than everyone else, but because that’s what the goal wants from you.
Others may not understand the sacrifices you need to make… and will lay blame at your door. You, however, will need to forge ahead on this lonely path, because the reward will make it all worthwhile.

* Doubt and insecurity
It’s common to doubt yourself, and you’ll do so over and over. Since success takes time, you’ll keep second-guessing yourself. You may think it won’t work. You may wonder if the naysayers were right. You may wonder if it’s all worth it.
Doubt and insecurity are normal when pursuing your goals. Do not let them faze you. Just keep going.

* Sleep issues
Insomnia and other sleep disorders may arise when your mind is preoccupied with your goals and work. Maintain good sleep hygiene and do not neglect exercise.
Always aim to get 6-8 hours of sleep every night and avoid burning the candles at both ends all the time. It may be brighter, but you’ll burn out faster.

* Repeated rejection
You’ll hear the word ‘no’ tons of times. Rejection is normal. Anyone who wants to progress must get used to being rejected.
Most actors get rejected for roles. The products you create may be rejected by the market. Your new goals may make your friends and family reject you.
Once again, this is the price of success. Hearing the word “No!” over and over but still persevering is the trademark of most successful people.
By now you’ll realize that success is indeed an ugly journey. Most people are never ready for how difficult it’ll get… but now you know. If you’re willing to endure all these and more, you’ll see success in whatever endeavor you set your mind and heart on.
“No one has a corner on success. It is his who pays the price.” – Orison Swett Marden

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Is it possible to achieve success in 24 weeks?
It depends. Some goals are so formidable that they can take a year or even several years to achieve. However, in this article, we’re not talking about achieving goals in 24 weeks.
We’re talking about success… and that’s quite a different thing. If you can achieve success with the small things, you will have the skills and mindset to achieve success with the big things. The plan below will give you a solid foundation to follow.
If you’ve not reached your goals, you’ll just repeat the 24-week plan for as many times as required to achieve your goals. It’s not the duration to achieve the goal, but your compliance to the plan which ultimately matters.
Let’s start…

* Week 1-4
In weeks 1 to 4, you’ll define your goals. What do you truly want in life? Write down your goals and make them big! Don’t limit yourself.
You’ll then break down your goals into smaller milestones and give each milestone a deadline. Then it’s a matter of figuring out what you need to do daily to achieve your milestone targets.
The first 4 weeks is for you to create a routine that suits you. Initially it’ll be a matter of trial and error until you find your feet. Then once you get into the flow of things, following the routine will be pretty straightforward.

* Week 5-8
In weeks 5-8, you’ll be following the routine and aiming to comply with the daily tasks as much as possible. You’ll want to eliminate distractions from your routine and increase your focus.
Now is also the time for you to self-reflect and ask yourself which habits are holding you back from success. Be aware of your negative habits and take steps to eliminate them gradually.

* Week 9-12
Weeks 9-12 will see you eliminating the negative habits while slowly introducing positive habits to accelerate your progress. Instilling good habits take time. So approach it gradually and be consistent.
During this time you’ll still be maintaining your daily routine. You should be seeing some positive results by now. Your business might be a bit more established.
You’ll be procrastinating less because the routine has become a habit. Next up, you’ll want to gradually challenge yourself. Try to do more work in the time that you have. Increase your productivity by working harder or finding ways to improve your workflow.

* Week 13-16
By now you’ll be making steady improvements and you need to keep going. You’d have eliminated several negative habits or be close to that. Be more proactive when it comes to building good habits.
Now would be a good time to also look at your health and see if you can get more exercise and clean up your diet. While you’re working on your business, it’s easy to neglect your health, but you’d be doing so at your own peril.
So, find a slot in your day for you to exercise daily, and slowly change your diet so that you’re eating more healthy food.

* Week 17-20
Well done, if you’ve made it this far. In these 4 weeks, you’ll maintain whatever you were doing before, but now you’ll also look at your finances and get them in order. Furthermore, you’ll want to ask yourself if there are any skills you need to master to improve your business.
If there are, you’ll have to need to plan out what you wish to learn and go about setting some time aside each day to learn. Take things slow and steady in the beginning and ramp up your efforts once you get better.

* Week 21-24
By week 21, you’d be very familiar with your routine. You need to keep finding ways to increase your productivity and make improvements. Most of your bad habits would be a thing of the past.
You’d also have many good habits as a part of your daily life. If you’ve cleaned up your diet and engaging in daily exercise, you’ll be feeling better.
At this stage, you’ll look for ways to automate parts of your business. You may also wish to delegate tasks to others so you can free up time to do more important work.
You’ll be thinking of scaling up or getting more done. You’d have hit a few milestones and have a few wins under your belt. Now is the time to look at your goals again and see how much more you can do to accelerate your progress.
Then it’s a matter of execution. From here on, it’s just a matter of rinsing and repeating.
Iterating the process, eliminating distractions, honing your skills, increasing your output and taking on bigger challenges will be next on your list. By the time you reach week 24, you’ll be a totally different person than when you first started.
You’ll be aware of where you spend your time and energy. You’ll have a mindset that’s geared towards winning. There will be increased confidence and you’ll respect yourself much more. From here on, winning will be a game to you and you’ll succeed as long as you stay the course.

“Change takes time. It takes time for the seeds to begin growing within, time to understand and process, time for the growth to mature, and time for the old self to die and fall away.” – Bryant McGill

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“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is found in your daily routine.” – John C. Maxwell

The moment you decide to achieve an ambitious goal, you will have to change. Change what you do. Change how you act and ultimately, change who you are. You don’t have a choice in the matter.
People who pursue goals that demand everything of them, often come out on the other side battle-hardened and more confident in themselves. Success has become a part of their complexion and even if you don’t see it, you’ll be able to feel it. They just exude an air of winning.
If you’re an entrepreneur, in order for you to find success in life, you’ll have to let go of a few things that are holding you back. Just like a phoenix rising from the ashes, when you cast away your old self, your new stronger and more radiant self will shine through.
It’s a necessity for you to release these beliefs and behaviours for you to find financial success in your business.

1. Regretting past failures
Regret is like a heavy burden that you carry everywhere with you despite the fact that it weighs you down. When you have big goals to achieve, scaling the mountainous journey to the top becomes much more arduous when you’re being dragged down by past regrets.
It’s time to let them go. You can’t change the past no matter how horrible your mistakes may have been. But the future is still ahead of you. You can still win. Time and success heal all wounds.

2. False beliefs
Forget the naysayers and the old beliefs that you need a college degree or the right connections to make it in life. You can become a highly successful entrepreneur even if you have no connections, no money, no degree and no experience.
As long as you have a dream and a fire burns within you to pursue that dream relentlessly, success can be yours. You can develop connections, find resources to help you, learn whatever you need to for your business to work… and the experience will come with time.

3. Listening to the naysayers
The moment you have a goal and tell others about it, you can expect some people to discourage you. They’ll do it under the disguise of looking out for you. Even your initial supporters may start singing a different song when they see you starting to succeed.
It’s important that you understand that your success will shine a spotlight on their failures. Your drive and success will be what they wish to see in themselves and their lives, but they can’t bring themselves to go through the hard yards.
So they hate on you in order to feel better about themselves. Ignore them for your own sanity.

4. Needing to be right
Get on social media and you’ll invariably see people debating and arguing about everything under the sun ranging from politics to the Covid vaccine to whether Meghan Markle is tearing the royal family apart.
Vitriolic debate is the norm. People constantly feel the need to be right and get others to see things from their point of view.
This is an exercise in futility. If you wish to progress in life and achieve success in your business, you’ll need to stop needing to be right and constantly debating with others.
Some stranger in another country agreeing with you on Facebook will have no positive impact on your life.

5. Procrastination
There’s a saying – “The cost of procrastination is the life you could have lived.”
It’s a very poignant and frightening quote if you see just how detrimental procrastination can be. Years can slip by with you procrastinating on your dreams and goals until one day there’s no time left for you to make your dreams a reality.
You’ll look back in regret at a life poorly lived and wish you had done better. Tell yourself that you’ll NOT procrastinate anymore, and pursue your goals with fervor like each day is your last.

6. Trying to appear successful
You’re either successful or you’re not. These days, everyone and their neighbor is trying to fake success by posting pictures on Instagram or Facebook to show the world how successful they are.
Real winners rarely have time for such displays. They’re busy honing their craft and skills to achieve excellence at what they do. Work in the dark and you’ll soon find yourself in the limelight whether you want to or not. Success leaves clues and speaks volumes.

7. Making excuses
You can make a successful life for yourself or you can make excuses… but you can’t do both. So, let go of old excuses and know that they’re holding you back.
Very often, these excuses will contain an element of truth and be very convincing. But until you stop repeating them and decide to overcome them, you’ll not progress.
The story you tell yourself can either hold you back or propel you forward.

8. Going through life casually
If you go through life casually, you’ll likely end up a casualty. There’s a time to be serious and work hard. Life is all about balance. They often say that you need to work hard and play hard.
Too many people only focus on the latter. It’s time to drop the lackadaisical approach to life and pull up your socks. If you truly want to live a successful life, you’ll need to take a proactive approach, set goals and go all out to smash them. That’s the only way to win at life.

9. Avoiding pain
Motivational guru, Tony Robbins, once said, “People will do more to avoid pain than they will do to gain pleasure.”
He’s 100% right. People dread pain and discomfort. It’s why they procrastinate on tasks that matter. It’s why they avoid exercise, eating clean, reading more, etc.
The unfortunate irony of life is that what’s good for you seldom seems fun and is even uncomfortable. However, if you get comfortable with being uncomfortable, the world will be your oyster.
If you have the ability to step outside your comfort zone and do what’s painful and what you dislike, you’ll make rapid progress and be very successful. The more discomfort you endure on a frequent basis, the more callused you’ll become and will not worry about pain as much.
You’ll work longer hours. You’ll take on bigger challenges. You’ll go the extra mile… because you can handle it. You don’t avoid pain. You embrace it – and you’ll succeed.
So, let go of these habits/traits/beliefs which are holding you back. Once you can do that, you’ll be able to transform your life and a year from now, you’ll be amazed at how much more you’ve achieved in life and business.

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“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

As an entrepreneur, there will be countless times when you question your own sanity. Starting a business is the easy part. Making it work is the excruciatingly hard part.
With all the naysayers telling you that your plans were myopic, you might wonder if they are right. You can have faith in yourself and take action to make your dreams a reality… BUT the journey can be long, and it usually is.
During this time, your faith and the reasons why you started may seem tenuous at best. You’re now in a conundrum. You started with the best intentions, but now you’re wondering if you’ll even be successful.
The best remedy to this problem will be to know yourself. There is immeasurable power to be had when you truly know what you want… and what you’re working towards.
That’s what it means when they say, “To thine ownself be true.”
But how do you discover yourself?
Simple. You ask yourself a few questions and dig deep within yourself to find the emotional answers that matter the most to you. You must answer the questions below from your heart. No logic necessary. This is 100% an emotional exercise.

1. Do you like your life right now?
This question will tell you why you’re making changes in your life. It will remind you of why you started building a business in the first place.
Most entrepreneurs who make it big were not content to live in their current circumstances. They wanted more, they wanted better and they weren’t willing to settle.
If you’re not satisfied with your life currently, ask yourself why. Then see if your actions are helping you to transform your life. Always remember that the oyster without the irritation is not the oyster that produces the pearl.

2. Would you have regrets if you didn’t pursue your goals?
If the answer is yes, then all the struggle is worth it. You must pay the price to receive the reward.

3. What are your biggest fears?
Financial loss? Failure? Embarrassment if you fail? What are your fears?
Write them down and ask yourself… “So what? What’s the worst that could happen?”
All these worst-case scenarios might never materialize. Are you going to let them hold you back from greatness? Of course not!

4. What is your definition of success?
Do you want a business that makes 6 or 7 figures or more? What will you need in your life to feel successful?
There are no right or wrong answers. Wanting to live in a big house with a circular driveway is not ostentatious or covetous if that’s what you desire. As long as you work for it and earn it legally, you deserve your reward.
The haters and bottom-feeders in society will be quick to tell you that you should donate your money and help the poor. They’ll try to make you feel guilty for succeeding while they themselves will not work to achieve success… and will not donate to anyone either.
If your definition of success is not clear, you’ll be swayed by emotions and guilt. Millions of people feel that they’re unworthy of success. What they first need to do is decide what success means for them… then they can ask themselves if they deserve it. And of course, they do.

5. What do you enjoy doing?
Generally, you’ll find that the most successful people focus on getting better at what they’re naturally already good at. They strive to be the best at what they do. In most cases, they love what they do. It’s their passion that drives them to succeed.
You must know what you love to do. Don’t chase the money. Instead look at what you enjoy doing and what you’re good at. Then figure out a way to charge others for your services.

6. What skills/talent do you have?
This ties in with the earlier point. What skills can you monetize?
David Copperfield made millions as an illusionist. Michael Jordan made his pile with basketball. J.K.Rowling made billions writing Harry Potter books.
Each of them had their own talent and skills, and they used them to make a fortune. You must know what you’re good at to succeed at it.

7. What 3 things are you most grateful for?
Write down what you’re grateful for. No one can feel poor or unsuccessful when they can count their blessings.

8. How would you feel if you achieved your goals?
Write it down. Imagine having already achieved your goals and dreams. What would you do? How would you feel? What would change in your life?
Once you can see the promise, you’ll achieve clarity. You can see the reward in your mind’s eye. Now you’ll be more willing to endure the struggle and keep going even when every bone in you feels like quitting.
With time you’ll achieve success and whatever you wrote down will be a reality.

9. Do you think your life is meaningful?
This is the deepest question of the lot.
What will you need in your life for you to feel like it’s meaningful? Children? A happy family? Generational wealth? Fame?
You must know what you really want in life. So often people chase dreams that aren’t really theirs. They let society dictate what defines success. As a result, there are many people who seem to have achieved lots of success in their lives, but deep down, they’re empty and miserable.
They may not show it, but it’s there. All because they worked towards goals that held no meaning for them. If you want to achieve REAL success in life, you must know what means the most to you. Then pursue goals that will bring meaning to your life.
When you achieve success in these endeavors, you’ll be able to sit back, kick up your feet and smile. You’ll rest in the glow of winning and satisfaction from knowing that you got what you wanted and you did it your way. This is true success.

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No matter how passionate or driven an entrepreneur you are, there will be times when you feel dejected and in the dumps. It happens even to the best of them. So, don’t feel guilty about it.
Life is about ebbs and flows. When you’re striving to achieve your goals, the journey can be long and the distance can take a toll on your spirit and faith. Self-doubt can creep in and you may second guess yourself a thousand times.
This is normal. It’s perfectly fine to feel down every now and then, but what’s important is that you not stay that way for too long. It would be erroneous to let yourself dwell in such a negative state for a prolonged period of time.
You’ll end up getting depressed and will spiral down a vortex of negative thoughts and emotions. It’s extremely easy to go from a productive state to a negative state. So you must be on guard and when you feel like you’re down, use the 11 tips below to pick yourself up.

1. Action
Sometimes getting up and moving forward is the best way to get you out of the funk. That’s why Thomas Jefferson said, “Action will delineate and define you.”
If you encountered failure and you’re feeling down, learn from your mistakes and get back on the saddle, and start galloping. That’s what action is.
Feeling down because things are not moving fast enough? Well, do more. Take massive action. Do what Grant Cardone says in his 10X book… multiply your actions by 10 and you’ll have no time to mope around.

2. Take a break
Sometimes you just need to calm your mind and rest. Give yourself a 3-5 day break for you to feel better. You’ll come back refreshed and rejuvenated. It’s important to do things you enjoy while on the break. Do not just sit around regretting your mistakes and feeling bad.

3. Treat yourself to something nice
Go ahead and buy yourself something you’ve always wanted. Or take a short 4-day vacation. Do whatever you need to in order to feel better.

4. Speak to someone
Sometimes it can be cathartic just to vent and pour your feelings out to a listening ear. You may either speak to a counsellor or your close friend. Just speak to someone if that’s what you need to do to feel better.

5. Watch an inspirational movie
There are many inspirational movies that can help you shift your internal state. A few examples are:
* The Pursuit of Happyness
* The Legend of Bagger Vance
* The Greatest Showman
* Invictus
* Glengarry Glen Ross
Watch these movies and feel inspired. Alternatively, you may read motivational books or watch motivational gurus on YouTube. All that matters is finding content that inspires you and makes you feel better.
That’s all you need to shift gears from negative to positive.

6. Exercise
This point is so straightforward it doesn’t need explanation. The benefits of exercise cannot be overstated. Exercise daily and you’ll feel better.

7. Meditation and deep breathing
When you’re panicky, deep breathing can instantly calm you down. That’s how powerful it is. So often, we breathe in a shallow manner. Spend about 5-10 minutes (3-4 times a day) practicing deep breathing. Not only will it de-stress you, but it’s good for your health.
Meditation is another excellent practice to calm your chaotic thoughts that are in constant turmoil when you’re feeling down. Look at it as a way to declutter your mind and silence the negative noise that’s controlling you.
Once you can do that, it will engender better thoughts and emotions in you and you’ll be more willing to get up and get going.
Besides these 7 points, you can always try other methods such as:
* Rewriting your goals
* Decluttering your home and work space
* Setting small goals and achieving small wins
* Engaging in activities that take your mind off things
Not all methods will work for everyone, but there’s definitely one method above that will work for you. The key is to find out which method flips your switch and lights you up.
Once you discover it, you’ll always be able to rely on it to fire yourself up and keep going whenever you’re down. During your entrepreneurial journey, there will be many times when you feel like you’re in a slump. Knowing how to come out of it will be very advantageous to your success.

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