man meditating, which is part of one man's billionaire morning routine

Business &amp; Branding

Business &amp; Branding Archives

Stay ahead in business: strategies and insights for success

A consistent morning routine radically changed my life. I used to struggle just to get out of bed. I was unmotivated, undisciplined and, by my own admission, lazy.



But over time, I built habits that helped me take control of my time, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/daily-routine-hacks-for-energy/">sharpen my focus</a> and develop the discipline I needed to succeed. Those habits became the foundation for everything—from co-founding Quest Nutrition, a billion-dollar company, to launching <a href="https://www.impacttheory.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Impact Theory</a>.



In this article, I break down the exact 7-step billionaire morning routine I’ve followed for years. These daily habits continue to set me up for success—and they can help you build a powerful morning routine of your own.



Achieve your goals faster with the help of our FREE <a href="https://offer.success.com/ebook/goal-setting/">goal-setting e-book</a>!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-my-billionaire-morning-routine-practice-these-7-daily-habits">My Billionaire Morning Routine: Practice These 7 Daily Habits</h2>



Here are the daily habits I practiced then—and still practice today—to get into the right mindset for the full-contact sport of entrepreneurship:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-prioritize-quality-sleep-to-start-your-day-strong">1. Prioritize Quality Sleep to Start Your Day Strong</h3>



My billionaire morning routine actually starts the evening before.



I haven’t used an alarm to wake up (with the occasional exception) in more than a decade. You need <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a certain amount of sleep</a>, and <a href="https://neurosciencenews.com/sleep-deprivation-cognition-22463/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">if you don’t get it</a>, your performance and well-being <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210706133113.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">begin to decline</a>.



So, step No. 1 is to treat sleep as one of the most important things you’re going to do all day. If you need to go to bed at 8 p.m. to get all the sleep you need, then go to bed at 8 p.m. I get up naturally anywhere from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., so <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/what-is-the-best-time-to-go-to-sleep/">getting to bed early</a> is absolutely imperative.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-use-morning-workouts-to-build-discipline-and-energy">2. Use Morning Workouts to Build Discipline and Energy</h3>



Once I wake up, I use that very act as the trigger that reminds me to work out.&nbsp;



I work out five days a week, but I’m not one of those guys who loves going to the gym. Still, I get up, roll out of bed and go straight to the gym anyway. I’m fortunate to have a gym in my house, so the time from wake-up to workout is about 10 minutes.



Developing discipline is one of the most crucial things you need to be successful. Being successful comes with a litany of things that you’re not going to want to do, but you’re going to have to do them anyway.



You’re going to have to push yourself, even when every fiber of your being is telling you to quit. You have to get out of bed when you’d rather just lie there. You’re going to have to work on that Saturday when your friends are out partying. You have to grind when you’d rather be playing video games or watching Netflix.



Discipline is going to be the thing that allows you to do that, but you need a space that allows you to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/rohn-how-to-start-a-new-discipline/">train that discipline</a>. For me, that’s the gym, which is a big part of the reason why I work out—to strengthen my discipline and gain credibility with myself by showing up and putting in the work on something that offers me no intrinsic pleasure.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-meditate-to-clear-your-mind-and-reduce-stress">3. Meditate to Clear Your Mind and Reduce Stress</h3>



It’s not enough to exercise the body, you also have to exercise the mind.



In fact, to me, the body is but a reflection of the mind. Right after I finish working out, I meditate. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/why-is-meditation-important/">The reason I meditate</a> is to strengthen my ability to focus and to learn how to rapidly calm my mind.



We live in a fast-paced world with tons of anxiety and distractions. We celebrate the ability to speed up our minds and our lives, but it is absolutely essential to learn to consciously slow them down as well. Make sure to take the time to cultivate the ability to calm yourself.&nbsp;



How long I meditate depends on how stressed or anxious I am, but it’s usually about 20 or 30 minutes. I use a “just breathe” technique, where I try to quiet my mind <a href="https://www.betterup.com/blog/mindful-breathing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">and simply breathe</a>.



When I first started meditating, I had to coax myself into doing five or 10 minutes. Now I love the feeling so much I usually go until my legs start to fall asleep from sitting cross-legged.



Use our FREE <a href="https://offer.success.com/ebook/mindfulness-matters/">mindfulness e-book</a> to take your meditation sessions to the next level!



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-practice-thinkitating-to-solve-complex-problems">4. Practice “Thinkitating” to Solve Complex Problems</h3>



One of the most beautiful things about meditating <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8633885/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">is that it increases</a> alpha <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451830120300479" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain wave activity</a>. This is considered <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-alpha-brain-waves-5113721" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a relaxing brain state</a>, and that’s certainly how it feels for me.



So, once I’ve finished meditating, before the alpha wave state wears off and I return to normal life, I stop trying to quiet my mind and instead set it to dealing with my most challenging problems.



I call this process “<a href="https://impacttheory.com/blog/dont-just-meditate-thinkitate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thinkitating</a>.” I find this to be a powerful strategy because when I’m in this state of mind, I notice I make more unique and novel connections, allowing me to identify some pretty creative solutions to problems that otherwise seemed intractable.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-read-daily-to-feed-your-mind-and-spark-new-ideas">5. Read Daily to Feed Your Mind and Spark New Ideas</h3>



I try to read every day. I believe the most important math equation is II = IO (Ideas In = Ideas Out). But because pretty much all of my time is accounted for every day, I’ve had to find ways to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/ways-to-read-more-books/">ensure that I get time to read</a>.



One of those ways is to read in what I call the “transitional moments”—brushing my teeth, getting dressed, cooking food, etc. One of the most opportune moments for me is when I walk my dogs. It’s a solid 30 minutes of time that I usually follow up with my first meal of the day, giving me a good 45 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted daily reading time.



That’s in addition to all of the sneaky little moments that I catch whenever possible. When I get the chance, I like to set aside time to really sink in and read, too.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-6-review-your-most-important-tasks-first-thing">6. Review Your Most Important Tasks First Thing</h3>



I keep a list of the most important things that my business needs to thrive. Once I sit down to work, the first thing I do is go through that list. I take immediate action on anything and everything on that list that I can. If I skip something three days in a row, I delete it from the list as my actions indicate that it’s not truly important.



As a rule, I keep the highest-impact stuff at the top of the page. That way, I don’t fall into the trap of addressing something lower in priority just because it’s higher on the list.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-7-delay-checking-emails-to-protect-your-focus-and-time">7. Delay Checking Emails to Protect Your Focus and Time</h3>



Checking your email is <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/7-ways-to-free-up-an-extra-25-hours-a-week/">a critical mismanagement of time</a>. It is, in my opinion, a dereliction of your duties as an entrepreneur.



If you check your email before addressing the most pressing needs of your company, you’re admitting that other people know better about what you should be doing than you do.



I’ve trained myself to ignore my email until everything else that needs to be done is done. I’ve usually put in between 5 and 7 hours of work before I check my email for the first time, and I try to spend less than an hour on emails per day.



I have found the habits embedded in my morning routine to be instrumental in getting things done and keeping myself on track. Habits in general are, in my opinion, the very foundation of success.



I highly recommend that everyone adopt a morning routine that addresses both mental and physical well-being, while ensuring that you’re taking the necessary steps to be successful in whatever it is that you’re doing. May your morning routine serve you as well as mine has served me.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thoughts on Building a Morning Routine for Success</h2>



Creating a consistent morning routine isn’t just about checking off tasks—it’s about setting the tone for your entire day. The habits I’ve shared helped me build the discipline, focus and mental clarity I needed to co-found a billion-dollar brand. These steps didn’t just make me more productive—they made me more intentional and resilient.



Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or simply looking to improve your performance, these seven morning habits can help you gain momentum and take control of your time. Start small, stay consistent, and make your morning routine work for you.



Use our FREE <a href="https://offer.success.com/ebook/goal-setting/">goal-setting e-book</a> to help crush your goals!



Photo by&nbsp;Ground Picture/Shutterstock

Discover Tom Bilyeu’s billionaire morning routine. Learn how to build a powerful morning routine for success through 7 simple, proven habits.

One billionaire shares his morning routine, which he credits with putting him in the right mindset for entrepreneurship and success. | SUCCESS

My Morning Routine for Success: 7 Habits That Built a Billion-Dollar Brand

Comment

Billionaire Morning Routine: 7 Steps to Wake Up Better | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/billionaire-morning-routine.jpg

Home

SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/success_opengraph_image.png

Tom Bilyeu is the co-founder of 2014 Inc. 500 company Quest Nutrition—a unicorn startup valued at over $1 billion—and the co-founder and host of Impact Theory. Tom’s mission is the creation of empowering media-based IP and the acceleration of mission-based businesses. Personally driven to help people develop the skills they will need to improve themselves and the world, Tom is intent to use commerce to address the dual pandemics of physical and mental malnourishment. Tom regularly inspires audiences of entrepreneurs, change makers and thought leaders at some of the most prestigious conferences and seminars around the world, including Abundance 360, A-fest and Freedom Fast Lane. Tom has also been a guest on The Tony Robbins podcast and The School of Greatness podcast and has been featured in Forbes, Inc., SUCCESS and The Huffington Post. Tom is currently on the Innovation Board of the XPRIZE Foundation.

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d421050534e8ad14b1590ab67a70130f4d92f5e624a145f0379085b9b6924988?s=96&d=mm&r=g

Tom Bilyeu

Lifestyle

Lifestyle Archives

Elevate your lifestyle for success and happiness

I’ve got some bad news: All of your New Year’s resolutions are going to fail and there’s no one to blame but you.



Here’s the hard truth about life that people don’t want to embrace: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/do-your-actions-match-your-values/">Values and identity drive behavior</a>. There it is. I said it. the economy, your family or who’s elected president doesn't control you. Your own mind and your <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/6-steps-to-discover-your-true-self/">belief about who you are</a> controls you. If you believe you’re lazy, you’ll act lazy. If you think it’s OK to give up on your New Year’s resolutions, you will.



Whether or not you’re aware, your identity is a choice that you make every day. I’m not saying there aren’t certain features that are baked in, but the majority of what you consider to be “you” is malleable. The reason identity feels fixed is simply because people rarely put in the effort to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-make-your-new-positive-habits-stick/">make real and lasting changes</a>.



Have you ever seen that episode of the 90s Batman cartoon where Bruce Wayne sustains a head injury, gets amnesia and forgets he’s Batman? He becomes timid and meek, and ends up getting kidnapped and put in a camp to do hard labor. But then, in an instant, his memory comes rushing back and he remembers who he really is (“I’m BATMAN!”), and he ends up fighting his way to freedom. That episode gives me the chills because it so clearly demonstrates the power of identity.



An example that might hit closer to home is that of the parent. I’ve seen countless people up their game overnight simply because they had a child. That might be the purest form of instant identity change there is, and anyone who has had a kid—or known someone who has had one—has witnessed firsthand how a change in identity (“I’m a PARENT!”) can have a profound and lasting impact on someone’s behavior.



It’s all about the power of self-narrative. The <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/changing-the-narrative-how-to-silence-your-inner-critic-in-the-new-year/">story that you tell yourself</a> about yourself will make all the difference in your life. If you tell yourself that you’re weak, stupid, lazy or dumb, then you’ll behave accordingly. But if you tell yourself that you’re Batman, then by god, you’re going to get after it!



The good news is <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/automatic-you/202206/the-key-behavior-change-is-identity-change" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">you can change your identity</a> at any moment. Here’s how to get started so you can crush those New Year’s resolutions:



<h2 id="h-1-change-your-internal-narrative">1. Change your internal narrative.</h2>



You don’t have to become a parent or Batman in order to change the story you tell yourself about yourself. The key here is knowing what to build the narrative around. Don’t tell yourself that you’re something you’re not. Tell yourself the following three things to build an identity that is primed for success with your New Year's resolutions:



<ul><li>I am an eternal student.</li><li>I'm willing to work hard to achieve my goals.</li><li>I am careful about what I start, but what I start I finish.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-2-earn-credibility-with-yourself">2. Earn credibility with yourself.</h2>



Once you adopt the identity of the <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-techniques-to-never-stop-learning/">hard-working eternal student</a> who sees things through, you have to prove it to yourself, or the identity change won’t stick. Saying you’re a parent is easy to believe when you’re up at 2 a.m. dealing with a screaming infant. Believing that you’re a hard worker is harder if you’re not actually working hard.



Begin earning credibility with yourself through micro goals—goals that are meaningful but relatively easy to hit. They’re right in the sweet spot. They’re not so easy you discount them but not so hard that you’re going to give up. Committing to going to the gym five days a week is a good example. You’ll notice I didn’t say working out five days a week; I said going to the gym. If you get there and don’t feel like working out, then leave. But you told yourself you’d go, and you went. You’ll begin to see that you’re the type of person that does what they say they’re going to do.



<h2 id="h-3-set-exciting-goals-as-new-year-s-resolutions">3. Set exciting goals as New Year's resolutions.</h2>



According to Edwin Locke’s <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting-theory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goal-setting theory</a>, people who set bigger, more specific goals are more likely to hit them. Why? Because although you can earn credibility with yourself by setting small goals and never missing, it’s not exactly thrilling. You need <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/rohn-4-tips-for-setting-powerful-goals/">goals that get you excited</a>. When I was overweight, the thought of losing 10 or 20 pounds wasn’t exciting. But the thought of having six pack abs was enough to keep me going for two years until I finally had them.



Here’s the key: Don’t let your identity take shape unconsciously. Recognize that identity is malleable, and that it comes before the behaviors. It’s not that you’re faking it till you make it; it’s that you decide what to become and then act in accordance with that.



The bottom line is, you are much more powerful than you think. Average human beings do astonishing things every day, from building rocket ships and performing brain surgery to being better teachers and parents. The people who have an empowering identity routinely do what others believe is impossible.



You don’t have to be Batman to actually <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/beyond-resolutions-the-complete-guide-to-achieving-your-new-year-goals/">accomplish your New Year’s resolutions</a>, but if you do want to become Batman, just remember it all starts with saying that’s who you are.



This article was published in January 2017 and has been updated. Photo by Mariia Korneeva/Shutterstock

Truth is, your New Year’s resolutions are likely to fail. But if you follow these 3 easy steps, you’ll crush your goals this year.

Truth is, your New Year’s resolutions are likely to fail. But if you follow these 3 easy steps, you’ll crush your goals this year. | SUCCESS

Why You’re Going to Break Your New Year’s Resolutions

3 Tips to Crush Your New Year's Resolutions | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/woman-journaling-new-years-resolutions.jpg

I Stopped Chasing Money—Here’s What Happened

Money

Money Archives

Achieve financial success and freedom

Many people have incredibly noble goals. They see problems in the world and envision solutions. They dream of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/if-you-want-to-win-help-others-win-first">helping others</a> and providing service for generations to come. Growing up a chubby, middle-class kid in Tacoma, Washington, I was not one of those people. I knew two undisputed truths about my future: One day I was going to be rich, and one day I was going to have six-pack abs. I had no idea how I was going to make either of those dreams come true, but together they were my north star.



I have since <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/31-things-that-happen-when-you-finally-decide-to-live-your-dreams">achieved those dreams</a>, but getting there required a complete overhaul of my priorities. Oh, and a stupid amount of suffering along the way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-fool-s-priorities">A Fool’s Priorities</h2>



I chased money for years. As a child of the ’80s, for me, getting rich was the American Dream. Most people I knew wanted to be rich. Few of them actually made it a priority, but it was there in the back of their minds as something that would be cool. The concept of getting rich is the real-life equivalent of the siren song that seduced sailors to crash into the rocks in Homer’s <a href="https://amzn.to/48XIzqT" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Odyssey</a>. It’s a glorious idea, but chasing money for the sake of money is a sure way to become emotionally bankrupt.



Getting rich is hard.<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/overnight-success-is-a-myth-here-are-4-ways-to-persist"> </a>There is <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/overnight-success-is-a-myth-here-are-4-ways-to-persist">no shortcut to success.</a> You have to bust your ass. You have to give yourself over to something completely. You have to build something so valuable that people willingly trade their hard-earned money, and that requires blood, sweat and tears. So when that siren calls with promises of big houses, fast cars and yachts, remember the rocks are years of your life overworking for something you might never achieve. At some point, as you’re slogging away in the name of money, you will ask yourself, Is this all worth it? The answer will be no. Because the money isn’t guaranteed, but the pain of trying to get it is.



If countless people have crashed into the rocks of unguaranteed success, why don’t more people follow Odysseus’s example and strap themselves to the mast so they don’t succumb to money’s siren call? The answer is simple: Money is actually that powerful.



Money is awesome. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-3-keys-to-becoming-wealthy">Generating wealth</a> is life-changing, in ways big and small. It’s crazy. It’s even better than you think it is. But it’s not at all what you’ve been told. And sadly, like so many before me, I had to learn that the hard way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-wrong-game">The Wrong Game</h2>



I’ve lived the cliché that “<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/can-money-buy-happiness">money can’t buy happiness</a>.” Eight-and-a-half years into my entrepreneurial grind, I was the co-owner of a technology company and a C-level executive. I was making more money than I’d ever made in my life, and I was completely miserable. As Tony Robbins says, “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.” That’s exactly how I felt.



I was playing the wrong game. The game I thought I should play was getting rich. In reality, the only game that matters is brain chemistry. The comedian Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”&nbsp;



With Carrey and Robbins ringing in my mind, I began to think: I want to feel good today. I don’t want to keep living for some far-off day that might never come—where I’m rich and finally feel good about myself.



And that’s what people don’t understand about money or even success: You can have all of it and still hate your life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-true-oldest-profession">The True Oldest Profession</h2>



People have chased money from time immemorial. And like many things in life, people chase it without fully understanding what’s driving them. I wanted to be rich because when I looked at people with money, I was filled with admiration and envy. I assumed their lives were amazing because I made the mistake of conflating money with happiness or, perhaps even more delusional, with fulfillment.



Money is a great facilitator. It makes things happen. It can build schools, buy better health care, fund startups and pay for vacations. It can buy better houses, better cars and send rocket ships to space. That’s precisely why it will forever remain a universal obsession. It really can do those things and much more.



Despite how powerful money is, though, it can’t change the way you feel about yourself. That’s where most people go wrong. They want to be powerful. They want to be cool. They want to be admired, and most importantly, they want to admire themselves. But money can’t do anything to change the way you feel about yourself. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/3-ways-to-outsmart-your-insecurities">Your insecurities</a> will survive <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-complete-guide-to-money-how-to-create-wealth/">becoming wealthy</a>. If you’re not proud of who you are, money won’t change that. If you don’t believe in yourself, money will fail you there, too.



No matter how hard you work, the money is not guaranteed. You could launch a dozen businesses and fail at them all. When I realized that, I decided to leave it all behind. I went to my partners, returned their equity and walked away. My plan was to cut my expenses as low as humanly possible, move to Greece with my wife, finish learning the language and write—one of the things that have always made me feel most alive.



Driving home after I quit, I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I had been miserable for so long—years, in fact—that I had forgotten what it felt like to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-tips-to-build-your-best-future-from-elite-dailys-gerard-adams">be excited about the future</a>. But I never made it to Greece. I didn’t even make it all the way home before a phone call would change my life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-doing-it-the-right-way">Doing It the Right Way</h2>



The phone call was from my business partners. They wanted me to go out to dinner with them. They told me, “We could do this without you, but we don’t want to.” Those words changed me, connected me to something other than the pursuit of money; it connected me to the brotherhood.



I realized the brotherhood was more important to me than the business. I realized that I had been subverting my <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/7-clues-youre-unknowingly-sabotaging-your-strengths/">true belief system</a> in the service of chasing money for a long time, and that was the real source of my anguish. And it was in fact anguish. So I laid everything out on the table for them. If we were to continue working together, we needed a new set of priorities. We had to find a way to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/9-ways-to-know-what-passion-you-should-pursue/">build something from passion</a>. It had to be something that we would love doing every day, even if we were failing. We ultimately decided to sell the technology company and build something new.



That new thing ended up being Quest Nutrition, and we built it on the foundation of adding value to people’s lives. We promised each other that we would no longer be steered by money. Instead, we would ask ourselves a simple question: What delivers the most value to our customers and our employees? The greatest irony is that once we stopped focusing on money and began focusing on adding value to people’s lives, we made money. We landed at No. 2 on the Inc. 500 list. We were valued at more than $1 billion. In fact, Quest has made more in a single day than our previous company made annually. Best of all, we were having fun.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-priorities">New Priorities</h2>



Even as chasing money had begun to erode me, it was still abundantly clear that learning to<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/this-7-step-morning-routine-helped-me-build-a-billion-dollar-brand"> </a>think and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/this-7-step-morning-routine-helped-me-build-a-billion-dollar-brand">act like an entrepreneur</a> was the most profound transformation of my life. I had shifted from a fixed mindset to a <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-cultivate-a-growth-mindset/">growth mindset</a>. If you’ve seen the movie <a href="https://amzn.to/422IbFm">The Matrix</a>, you know what I mean when I say I took the red pill. I woke up to the way the world really is. I no longer believed that my talents and intelligence were fixed traits and realized that my brain was capable of massive adaptation. I realized that humans are the greatest adaptation machines the world has ever seen. And as such, I could succeed at anything I set my mind to. I <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-construct-an-empowering-reality">let go of false beliefs</a> that had held me back. I stopped believing I wasn’t good enough and realized that I simply wasn’t good enough yet.



Being aggressively myself allows me to have the kind of success I dreamed about as a kid. My priorities are camaraderie, adding value to people’s lives, solving big problems, having fun, following my bliss, autonomy, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/5-deliberate-steps-to-master-a-skill">gaining mastery</a> and only then making money. Now that I know what I care about, what makes me feel alive, and how I can monetize being of service to others, I’ve never had more fun or felt a deeper sense of fulfillment. Some days are still big baskets of suck, but it’s easy to fight through those days because I know what I’m fighting for.



As Viktor Frankl, the legendary neurologist and concentration camp survivor made very clear in his book <a href="https://amzn.to/3upiEYa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">M</a><a href="https://amzn.to/48AquPR" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an’s Search for Meaning</a>, when you know the purpose of your suffering, you can endure virtually anything. Once I learned money makes a terrible why, I swapped that out with gaining useful skills, and put those to the test in service of something larger than myself. Only then did I find I could work unbelievably hard, harder than I’ve ever worked, and absolutely love and enjoy my life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-know-thyself">Know Thyself</h2>



There’s no single path to heaven. My story is but one of many stories of people who have found the thing that works for them. I don’t think the specifics of my story are important, but the one thing I hope you take away from my trials and tribulations is that you can make the demand that you not only succeed at the highest level but that you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/if-youre-not-happy-youre-not-successful-so-enjoy-the-journey">enjoy the process</a> of what you’re building. There doesn’t need to be a conflict between who you are at your most honest and vulnerable, and building a big business. We’re living in a time when the kingmaker traits are authenticity and transparency. Identify what makes you come alive. Figure out how you can deliver an obscene amount of value to people. Remember that fun is a critical part of the equation, and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/43-ways-to-improve-yourself-in-just-10-minutes">always push yourself to improve</a>. Do that and the money will follow. If you want six-pack abs though, you still have to suffer. But that’s a whole other article.

As you’re slogging away in the name of money, you will ask yourself, Is this all worth it? Reaching your dreams requires an overhaul of your priorities.

As you’re slogging away in the name of money, you will ask yourself, Is this all worth it? Reaching your dreams requires an overhaul of your priorities. | SUCCESS

I Stopped Chasing Money—Here’s What Happened | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/I-Stopped-Chasing-Money-Heres-What-Happened.jpg

Professional Growth

Professional Growth Archives

Professional Growth | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

If you’re serious about <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/19-wise-money-quotes">making money</a>, go work for free.

This isn’t a joke. A paycheck is very short-term thinking. Think about it: If you play everything perfectly and stumble out into the real world and into a job that pays a fortune, what are you really going to make? If you’re lucky, $100,000 maybe? In fact, if your first job pays $100,000, you’re about as rare as an ice-cream-secreting unicorn.

Even if you can command that kind of money out of the gate, you’re still committing financial suicide if you prioritize money over experience. If you can get both—awesome, you’ve won the lottery. But most people at the beginning of their professional lives will have choices that look like this:

<h2>Option A</h2>

Take a job that pays a person with my experience the maximum amount of money. There’s a catch here: Your employer is paying top-shelf dollars and thus expects top-shelf results. This means you’ve got to deliver from Day One. You don’t have the room to take a lot of risks or take on tasks outside of your core responsibilities. You’ll be paid well, but you’ll be wearing golden handcuffs.

<h2>Option B</h2>

Take a job that pays below market, or if you’re really smart, pays nothing at all. The reason I say the smart person chooses nothing at all is that in most internships, the understanding is that <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/3-ways-to-use-experiential-learning-to-boost-your-career">you’re paid in knowledge</a>, access and opportunity. When you’re getting paid, the understanding is that you’re going to earn your keep. Even when it’s a relatively small amount, you get classified differently in people’s minds.

Related:&nbsp;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-best-career-advice-from-successful-people-who-made-it-to-the-top">The Best Career Advice, From Successful People Who Made It to the Top </a>

Let’s compare the types of payments:

<h3>Cash</h3>

Cash buys things. That’s rad. It’s a heck of a lot easier to eat when you’ve got cash to spend. But that’s it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. It’s great if invested, but at the beginning of your career, you probably won’t be making enough to invest a meaningful amount. If we’re being honest, it’s going to go to things like food, rent and entertainment.

<h3>Knowledge, Access and Opportunity</h3>

None of the above can be deposited into the bank (yet), but all of them are yours to keep. Instead of turning your time into money, you’re turning your time into an investment in yourself.

&nbsp;

Employers pay for results. Results come from knowledge. And as I’m sure you’ve heard before, who you know is as important as what you know. When you’re working for free, you’ll be shocked by who’s willing to give you their time. Once you’re around important people, you’ll be able to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-how-do-you-attract-opportunity-into-your-life">turn that access into opportunity</a> by taking on responsibilities that allow you to blow people away.

Now the hard truth is that you still have to be awesome. That’s the only way to make this strategy work. If you don’t dazzle, you’ll be forgotten. But even in Option A, if you don’t dazzle, you’re ultimately just racing to the middle.

Knowledge, access and opportunity are the gifts that create long-term financial returns. For that reason alone, you’re better off trading your time for knowledge and connections. Live with your parents, sleep on a couch or sleep in your car if you have to. If you’re an unstoppable beast who is serious about success at the highest level, it’s a very small price to pay. If you want to retire as a middle manager with a gold watch to show for your efforts, by all means, choose Option A.

Related:&nbsp;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/i-stopped-chasing-money-heres-what-happened">I Stopped Chasing Money—Here’s What Happened </a>

&nbsp;

This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of&nbsp;SUCCESS&nbsp;magazine.

Knowledge and opportunity can be just as good as cash.

Knowledge and opportunity can be just as good as cash. | SUCCESS

The Long-Term Benefit of Working for Free

The Long-Term Benefit of Working for Free | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/sites/default/files/main/articles/knowledgeovermoney.jpg

Personal Development

Personal Development Archives

Personal Development | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

Nearly half of Americans are not <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/are-people-happy-with-their-jobs">satisfied with their jobs</a>, according to a report by The Conference Board, a nonprofit research group. And we all know the terrifying statistics on how many marriages end in divorce. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of people are ready for a change. The question is: How do you know if that’s you? Below is the method by which to answer that question for yourself.



Does your life suck?



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-questions-that-will-change-your-life">4 Questions That Will Change Your Life</a></blockquote>



Depression doesn’t come with a bang. It comes quietly in the middle of the night. It settles over most people like a haze. You almost don’t notice it at first, and then one day you find yourself lying face down on the floor of your furniture-less apartment, the carpet scoring weird carpet-y lines in your face as you wonder how you’re going to face tomorrow. Or was that just me?



Here are some signs your life <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/6-mindset-shifts-that-will-improve-your-life">needs improvement</a>:



<h2 id="h-you-d-rather-be-anywhere-but-here">•&nbsp;You’d rather be anywhere but here.</h2>



Whether you’re in a relationship that is draining the life out of you or you hate your job, there is a gnawing feeling that just about anything would be better.



<h2 id="h-you-have-a-dream-and-it-isn-t-this">•&nbsp;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-ways-to-turn-your-dreams-into-reality">You have a dream—and it isn’t this.</a></h2>



If you have a dream, do yourself the favor of pursuing it. Hard. Most people who write to me are desperate to figure out what they really want. They know what they don’t want—that they’d rather be anywhere but here. But when the time comes to act, they don’t, because they have no specific dream. If you have a clear vision of what your life could be, it’s time to move on it.



<h2 id="h-you-have-more-frenemies-than-friends">•&nbsp;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/7-signs-its-time-to-let-go-of-a-friend">You have more frenemies than friends.</a></h2>



Psychologist Bert Uchino, Ph.D., found that the more frenemies (what he calls ambivalent relationships) you have, whether they be co-workers, significant others, or anything in between, the more likely you are to experience depression, stress and an overall sense of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-ways-to-lead-a-more-satisfying-life">dissatisfaction with your life</a>.



If any or all of the above apply to you, it’s time to make a change. And I get it: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-change">Change is scary.</a> But the single most important factor in anyone’s life is happiness. So even if you, like me, plan to live forever (but probably won’t), what does it matter if you’re miserable? Once you figure out that the game you’re playing isn’t money or success, but rather how you feel, the sooner you’ll prioritize a deep sense of fulfillment over fear.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/i-stopped-chasing-money-heres-what-happened">I Stopped Chasing Money—Here’s What Happened</a></blockquote>



Assuming you’ve embraced that <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-construct-an-empowering-reality">positive brain chemistry</a> is the point of this thing called life, here’s what you should do next.



<h2 id="h-1-save-six-months-of-your-salary"><img class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__39075 img__view_mode__full" style="width: 15%; margin: 4px; float: left;" src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/sites/default/files/16_sm1801_iconsa.jpg" alt="Switch It Up">1. Save six months of your salary.</h2>



It would be way cooler for me to tell you to burn the boats and storm that castle, but the truth is, there’s no reason to take <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-6-tips-for-smart-risk-taking">unnecessary risks</a>. When you have six months of salary in the bank, suddenly going to work every day or living where you live is a choice.



<h2 id="h-2-set-a-hyper-specific-goal"><img class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__39076 img__view_mode__full" style="width: 15%; margin: 4px; float: left;" src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/sites/default/files/16_sm1801_iconsb.jpg" alt="Switch It Up">2. Set a hyper-specific goal.</h2>



This is where most people fall down. They don’t know what they want. You have to get really specific about <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-stop-wishing-for-the-life-you-want">what you want</a>. If you don’t know, start by identifying who’s living your ideal life. Then figure out what you need to do to get there.



<h2 id="h-3-take-action"><img class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__39077 img__view_mode__full" style="width: 15%; float: left; margin: 4px;" src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/sites/default/files/16_sm1801_iconsc.jpg" alt="Switch It Up">3. Take action.</h2>



At some point, the rubber just has to meet the road. You can think about things all day, but that’s not going to change anything. You must demand of yourself that you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-6-ways-to-act-on-your-ambition">take action</a>. Don’t focus on your behavior; focus on your identity. Remind yourself that you’re the kind of person who refuses to live a life of quiet desperation. Tell anyone who will listen, including yourself. Then act in accordance with that identity.



Related:&nbsp;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-5-simple-steps-to-plan-your-dream-life">5 Simple Steps to Plan Your Dream Life</a>



This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/success-magazine-january-2018-chip-and-joanna-gaines.html?_ga=2.140810866.1114567573.1513609208-1193436915.1465829578" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">January 2018 issue of SUCCESS magazine</a>.

Does your life need improvement? Here’s what you should do next.

Does your life need improvement? Here’s what you should do next. | SUCCESS

3 Signs You Need to Change Your Life

3 Signs You Need to Change Your Life | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/3-Signs-You-Need-to-Change-Your-Life.jpg

Success

Success Archives

Success | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

https://youtu.be/xCsguJzouHo

“I’m not a born entrepreneur. By nature, I am insanely lazy.” You think he’s kidding, but he’s not. Tom Bilyeu says all the things he’s accomplished in life—like going from broke to building a billion-dollar business—are because he finally got so fed up that he realized he had to do something different. He had to change his mindset.

“No matter what you’re trying to accomplish in life, it comes down to your ability to manage your own brain chemistry,” he tells the audience at SUCCESS Live Long Beach. He explains how humans are the ultimate adaptation machine because of something called epigenetics: “It’s how you respond to your environment. It’s what makes humans so great. We have this massive ability to change.”

Bilyeu says that to become the greatest of all time in your field, you have two jobs: 1) develop your mindset, and 2) decide that you can get good at anything.
TOM BILYEU AT SUCCESS LIVE IN LONG BEACH (COBA IMAGES)

<h3 align="center">“If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to accept that your beliefs are decisions. You’re deciding to believe that negative thing. You’re deciding to discount positive things. That’s a decision. So you can decide that you can get good at anything, or you can say no, there are limits.” —Tom Bilyeu</h3>
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/3-mental-upgrades-that-will-propel-you-to-achievement">3 Mental Upgrades That Will Propel You to Achievement</a>


<hr />

<script src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script>
<div class="g-ytsubscribe" data-channel="SUCCESSmagazine" data-count="default" data-layout="full"></div>
Explore more SUCCESS Talks videos by topic on SUCCESS magazine"s YouTube Channel, featuring thought-leaders, authors, entrepreneurs and respected researchers in the fields of human psychology, brain health, relationships and more, who share the tried-and-true tenets of human achievement and success. 

Running time: 32:06

Filmed September 2017 at <a href="https://www.successliveevent.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SUCCESS Live</a> in Long Beach

Tom Bilyeu says all the things he’s accomplished in life—like going from broke to building a billion-dollar business—are because he finally changed his mind and  

Tom Bilyeu says all the things he’s accomplished in life—like going from broke to building a billion-dollar business—are because he finally changed his mind and   | SUCCESS

How to Become the Greatest

How to Become the Greatest | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Copy-of-featured-pic-19.png

3 Mental Upgrades That Will Propel You to Achievement

Evolution has provided humans with a number of incredible algorithms that have turned us into the most dominant lifeform this planet has ever seen. But evolution has also snuck in some programming that makes us act like idiots. Our job is to figure out which is which, and turn up our reliance on the ones that help and entirely mute the ones that hold us back.

The trick is knowing how to assess what’s helping and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-things-successful-people-dont-do">what’s hurting</a>. For me, the answer is very simple: <a href="https://impacttheory.com/blog/impact-theory-belief-system-25-bullet-points/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Do and believe that which moves you toward your goals</a>. Everything emanates from there.

Once you know which algorithms to run and which to terminate, the question becomes how to actually stop the original program from running. The answer is… you don’t. Nature is far too clever to let her algorithms be turned on and off so easily. They’re buried deep in our hardwiring. But although you can’t turn them off (at least not quickly), you can use them as the trigger to run the new, more useful one that you want to take its place.

Without <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-4-tips-for-setting-powerful-goals">knowing what your specific goals are</a>, I’ll stick to some of the universal ones. What follows are three mental upgrades that will work for anyone, regardless of your specific goals.
<blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-construct-an-empowering-reality">How to Construct an Empowering Reality​</a>
</blockquote>
<h2>1. Replace criticism with compliments. </h2>
We’re geared to see the things that are wrong. You don’t avoid getting eaten by a lion by noticing all of the things that are right. And although this may be a tremendous strategy to avoid large predators, it’s a pretty terrible way to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/3-things-successful-people-know-about-healthy-relationships">manage your interpersonal relationships</a>.

According to the Harvard Business Review, high-performing teams have a <a href="https://hbr.org/2013/03/the-ideal-praise-to-criticism" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5.6-to-1 positive-to-negative comment ratio</a>. People give more weight to negative comments than they do positive ones. This, combined with the fact that people often lead with what’s wrong, and you’ve got a recipe for a default communication style that makes people feel like they’re constantly under attack—even when that’s not the intention.

To combat this problem, when the impulse to criticize someone important in your life arises, instead of letting that become actual speech, turn it into a trigger to find an authentic compliment. This is a powerful strategy for two reasons:
<ol>
 	<li>You get what you focus on. If you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-negative-thinking-can-ruin-your-life">dwell in the negative thoughts</a> that come to mind, the relationship will be tinged with negative associations. If, on the other hand, you force yourself to migrate your thoughts to positive elements of the other person’s behavior, you will reinforce those ideas.</li>
 	<li>By externalizing your authentic feelings of appreciation, not only do you ensure that your communication as a whole will be balanced to the positive, the people who are most important to you will know exactly what you value in them.</li>
</ol>
When you communicate what it is that you value in others, you’ll be amazed by how much their defenses lower and their self-esteem builds. Also, once your aggregate interactions are balanced toward the positive, you’ll be able to address any conflicts or issues that need to be addressed without putting people on the defensive. Think of it like a bank: You can only make withdrawals once you’ve made sufficient deposits.
<h2>2. Use the pressure to perform as a reminder that all of life is but practice. </h2>
Whether in business or life, we all have moments where the pressure is on. A little pressure can improve our performance, but too much and your performance begins to degrade. That’s why when the stakes are legitimately at their highest, you have to force yourself to reframe the situation and see it as practice rather than performance.

When I was a kid, I hated getting nervous and anxious so much that I promised myself that when I’m an adult, I’ll never again do anything that makes me uncomfortable. Needless to say, when that promise collided with my ambition, something had to give. What gave was my fear of discomfort. I made myself a new promise: I’ll always do the things that scare me most.

To that end, I now host a weekly show called <a href="https://impacttheory.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Impact Theory</a> where I interview the world’s top thinkers, many of whom are my personal heroes. And I do it all in front of a live audience. There was one episode where I was crashing and burning, misstating facts, flubbing words and losing my train of thought. In the middle of my tailspin, I felt the algorithm for pressure kicking in. I became hyper-aware of the audience, how many eyes were on me, and the fact that I only had one chance to get this right and currently I was embarrassing myself.
<h3 class="rtecenter" style="text-align: center;">By choosing to view it as practice, the situation become an opportunity rather than a test.</h3>
Then I remembered that the very feeling of mounting pressure was my trigger to run the mantra that all of life is but practice. This wasn’t a moment to perform, but rather to practice. I didn’t need to do this perfectly, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-build-your-courage-to-achieve-anything">I just needed to have the guts</a> to sit there in front of everyone and practice so I could improve. As long as I walked off set better than I’d come on, I could consider it a win. Instantly the pressure dropped. By choosing to view it as practice, the situation become an opportunity rather than a test. I now had the rare and exciting chance to practice crawling my way out of a hole and rebuilding trust with my audience. Something I had never had a chance to do before.

<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/to-succeed-under-pressure-focus-on-the-experience">When pressure builds</a>, remember that every aspect of your life is just practice. Whether you’re starting a business, raising kids or <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/this-7-step-morning-routine-helped-me-build-a-billion-dollar-brand">establishing a morning routine</a>, you’re in the process of learning. If you look at any one moment as the finish line or the sum total of who you are, then every moment becomes final and the pressure overwhelms. Instead, consider every day as an opportunity to grow and improve yourself. This will help you transform a moment of panic into one of empowerment.
<h2>3. Substitute feelings of insecurity with the excitement of skill acquisition.</h2>
Here’s the hard truth: We all suck at some of the things we want to be good at. If you’re like most people (and statistically speaking, you are), you’re not the best in the world—even at your chosen profession. There might even be someone in close proximity to you who makes <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/3-ways-to-outsmart-your-insecurities">you feel insecure</a> about your skill set. Maybe it’s a co-worker, a family member or someone on Instagram, but chances are, there’s someone who seems to do effortlessly what takes you a tremendous amount of effort just to get lesser results. That bet is easy to make, because such is the nature of the human mind—it’s riddled with insecurities. That’s why it’s essential to take Carol Dweck’s advice. She’s the Stanford researcher and professor who wrote the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/1400062756/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1496416581&amp;sr=8-1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=c9270f0f00aa14fe64fb8666532dfad2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mindset</a> and introduced the world to the transformative power of the word yet. You’re not good enough. Yet.
<h3 class="rtecenter" style="text-align: center;">People have an easy time believing that winning isn’t forever, but somehow fail to recognize that loss and failure are equally temporary.</h3>
The next time insecurity rears its ugly head, instead of being paralyzed by it, use that very feeling as the trigger to tack on the word yet. That word will make all the difference in your life. It takes things from the world of the perpetual and permanent to the world of temporary and transient. People have an easy time believing that winning isn’t forever, but somehow fail to recognize that loss and failure are equally temporary. Once you realize that <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/5-deliberate-steps-to-master-a-skill">you can get good at anything</a> that you’re willing to put the time into, insecurity loses its power. By remembering that you’re simply not good at something yet, you remember that you’re in control. You can decide to get good whenever you want.

The key to making this work for you is in truly believing the intoxicating idea that you can acquire any skill you set your mind to. Believing the opposite—that today’s version of yourself is the sum total of who you will ever be—confines you to insecurity. So don’t focus on what you’re not good at today. Focus on what you need to do to get good at mastering the skill you’re missing. This moves your mind from the self-defeating loop of not being good enough, to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/22-ways-to-become-a-relentless-learner">the empowered mindset of the learner</a>.
<h2>How to start installing these new algorithms</h2>
Undoing innate, or even learned, brain patterns sadly isn’t as easy as downloading the latest driver for your computer, but it actually is startlingly simple. It’s a process called brain plasticity, and it’s how we learn new skills and habits. Although the science of myelination is outside the scope of this article, it remains the backbone of learning a new skill and it happens largely through repetition—neurons that fire together wire together, as they say.

So if you’re to put any of the above to use in your life, the key is repetition. Don’t be discouraged when you make some progress only to slide back. Stick at it, and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-powerful-habits-that-will-change-your-life">any new mental habit or skill can be yours</a>. Although you might never be able to silence the negative voices or counterproductive impulses, with enough practice, their mere presence will act as a reminder to run your new algorithms. Over time, you will find the time gap between unproductive thought and the running of your new, upgraded algorithm will get so short that only you will know that your virtuous cycle started with something outdated.
<blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/5-brainy-books-to-read-if-you-want-to-be-a-badass">5 Brainy Books to Read If You Want to Be a Badass</a>
</blockquote>

Do and believe that which moves you toward your goals.

Embrace the empowered mindset of a continual learner.

3 Mental Upgrades to Empower Your Success

3 Mental Upgrades That Will Propel Your Achievement | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/3-Mental-Upgrades-That-Will-Propel-You-to-Achievement.jpg

Do and believe that which moves you toward your goals. | SUCCESS

As a kid, I was so fascinated by the notion of mind control. I remember so desperately wanting to do Jedi mind tricks. To be able to wave my hand as if it were some sort of magic wand to get people to do what I wanted. Whether it was my parents not making me mow the lawn or making them buy me a Nintendo—please, for the love of God! (That’s a whole other story… I digress)—I wanted to be able to sway people; I wanted control over their minds.

But the more I got into psychology and the more I understood the brain, the more I realized the only brain that I needed to control was my own. Everything else was a construct of what I believed to be true.

Related:&nbsp;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/what-successful-people-know-about-the-mind-that-you-dont">What Successful People Know About the Mind That You Don’t</a>

<h2>Your brain is lying to you. </h2>

Think about it. Your brain is trapped inside a box of bone covered in skin. It never sees the light of day. It never actually encounters sound. It receives electrical and chemical impulses, and from them it paints the best version of reality that you see around you. It’s not a real representation. It’s just a good-enough representation that you can walk around without bumping into things.

Our belief system. The things that hold us back. All of the negativity. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-how-to-stop-listening-to-the-negative-voice-in-your-head">The voices in your head</a> that tell you that you can’t do something. It’s you making your best stab at how to get ahead in the world. All of it is a made-up construct.

Recognize that all those things are merely representations that your mind has chosen to give you; they're not objectively true. Accept that there’s a crack in that door of subjectivity that is within your power to control. Once you recognize and accept that, you begin to realize that you can construct your beliefs around something that serves you.

<h2><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/your-thoughts-create-your-beliefs">Choose what you believe.</a></h2>

You’re creating your reality right now. But chances are you’re not being very intentional about the reality that you’re creating. Remember, reality is subjective. If you realize that it’s a construct, if you realize that you are choosing to believe something, then you can choose to believe that you can do something about it.

Write down the beliefs that you have about yourself. On one side, list the things that empower you and move you forward. The things that make you more confident, that give you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-build-your-courage-to-achieve-anything">the courage</a> and the audacity to move forward. On the other side, list the things that demotivate or demean you and move you away from your goals.

Let’s say you want to be a public speaker, but you get nervous every time you’re about to speak. You begin to develop what is known as <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pavlovian conditioning</a>, where you convince yourself to associate anxiety with public speaking. But you can interrupt that pattern. Your mind begins to lay down patterns over time. Neurons that fire together wire together. Even something as simple as changing your posture can create a different internal reality.

If you’re slumped over and allow your face to take on a droopy, sad posture, what you feel is very different than if you take an open, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/videos/youtube/practice-confident-body-language-with-power-posing">confident posture</a>. You will feel a definite change if you hold your face in a very optimistic, upbeat way. Go ahead; try to be angry while laughing. I dare you! It just doesn’t work.

Understanding that all of that stuff is intentionality at play. It’s you choosing what you think. It’s you choosing what you believe. It’s you choosing what you feel. All of that stuff has a material impact on the world around you.

You can choose to believe things that empower you, and you can choose to ignore the things that move you backwards. It’s all a construct.

<h2><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/i-actually-tried-meditation-for-30-days-this-is-what-happened">Meditation is key.</a> </h2>

I eschewed meditation for years. I thought it was the dumbest thing in the world. I tried it and it didn’t make any sense to me <a href="https://impacttheory.com/blog/meditation-critical-becoming-bad-ass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">until someone explained what I was really doing</a>. I was gaining control over my autonomic nervous system.

So much of our lives happens in the subconscious. The vast majority of the data that your brain processes is done subconsciously. There’s so much neurological activity going on: things that are known, things that are discarded and things that we move toward. And despite the fact that your conscious mind is going to take credit for all of it, it’s actually the last to know.

Being able to take control of the autonomic nervous system through meditation is so powerful. It’s going to allow you to center yourself before giving a speech. It’s going to allow you to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-questions-to-calm-your-overthinking-brain">calm yourself</a> before taking a test. It’s going to allow you to perform at a higher level.

Even the Navy SEALs teach breathing exercises and meditative practices. When you get into a combat situation and things are flying and moving quickly, it is literally a life or death situation and you have to learn to calm your autonomic nervous system. If you can’t do that, if you can’t lower your rate of breathing, if you can’t calm your heart rate and push the blood back into your prefrontal cortex so that you can quickly <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/ep-32-tips-for-better-decision-making">make the right decisions</a>, you’re screwed.

So many opportunities arise when the construct that you build in your mind about yourself is one that is powerful. One that gives you confidence. One that propels you forward and makes you courageous enough to act. You can also <a href="https://impacttheory.com/blog/dont-just-meditate-thinkitate/">use the afterglow of meditation</a> to solve the toughest challenges in your life. Then you’ll be able to do what other people think is impossible.

<h2>Build a superhighway. </h2>

I don’t know about you, but for me it is incredibly exciting and liberating to know that I’m making all of this up. That I’m building this world in real time. The beliefs I have about the world and myself are all things that I have chosen to believe. That I’ve repeated to myself. That those neurons that wire together as I tell myself that story repeatedly become real, and they become a superhighway to something beautiful in my life.

What you choose to build a superhighway to is completely up to you. Your superhighway is going to be built by <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/if-you-want-to-change-your-results-you-have-to-change-your-thinking-first">the thoughts that you think over and over</a>. If you think to yourself:

<ul>
	<li>I’m stupid.</li>
	<li>I’m dumb.</li>
	<li>I’m lazy.</li>
</ul>

Those things will become true, even if they didn't start out being true. On the other hand, if you think to yourself:

<ul>
	<li>I learn faster.</li>
	<li>I grow more.</li>
	<li>I’m never worried about being right or looking stupid.</li>
	<li>I’m going to figure this out.</li>
	<li><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-7-traits-of-the-most-resilient-people">I’m the guy that doesn’t quit.</a></li>
	<li>I keep going long after everybody else gives up.</li>
</ul>

Then those neurons will wire together and you will have a superhighway to empowering beliefs.

<h2><a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/ep-38-the-power-of-gratitude">Use gratitude to construct your reality.</a> </h2>

If you focus on the things in your life that are going wrong, if you focus on the things that are bad, if you focus on the things that make you sad, then you’re going to get more of that. And your life is going to be sad. It’s going to be depressing. You’re going to feel trapped. If you’re not where you want to be in life, you have to focus obsessively on <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-5-ways-to-be-more-grateful-on-the-daily">things that you are grateful for</a>.

I’m sure there are things in your life that you’re incredibly grateful for. A mere breeze on your face can be something to stop and be grateful for. If you have somebody that you love, be grateful for that person. If you don’t have somebody that you love but a book that you’re into is really touching you, be grateful for that book. If your leg is broken, focus on the incredible technology of a wheelchair.

Focus on the beautiful things in your life, and all of a sudden, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/videos/youtube/ted-talks-want-to-be-happy-be-grateful">your life will be happier</a>. Remember, your life is ultimately a construct of what you believe. Choose to believe and it will be filled with more beauty.

<h2>Make your impact. </h2>

Once you realize that you are actively constructing the world around you. That you are painting all of this in your mind. That everything around you is completely subjective. Then you realize that intentionality becomes a critical component.

It all comes down to the things that you choose to believe. It all comes down to the things that you choose to focus on. Focus on things that <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/3-ways-to-stay-motivated-and-keep-moving-forward">move you forward</a>. Focus on things that make you feel good. Focus on things that move you toward your goals. Do and believe whatever moves you toward your goals. Don’t do or believe anything that moves you away.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-crucial-mindset-shifts-to-achieve-everything-you-want">7 Crucial Mindset Shifts to Achieve Everything You Want</a>

Reality is subjective. So take control and live the life you want.

Reality is subjective. So take control and live the life you want. | SUCCESS

How to Construct an Empowering Reality

How to Construct an Empowering Reality | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/sites/default/files/main/blogposts/howtoconstructanempoweringreality.jpg

https://youtu.be/LCHPSo79rB4

Motivation is never there when you need it. Former criminal defense attorney turned CNN contributor and best-selling author Mel Robbins believes that if you want to build the life of your dreams, you have to force yourself to take action.

In this episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8qcvQ7Byc3OJ02hbWJbHWePh4XEg3cvo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Impact Theory</a>, Mel and I take a deeper dive into the well-researched insights she presented in her TED Talk, “<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/videos/youtube/how-to-stop-screwing-yourself-over">How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over</a>”—one of the top 20 TED Talks in the world—and her brand new book titled <a href="https://amzn.to/49rsIko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The 5 Second Rule</a>.

Mel says that at some point we all bought into the lie that we have to feel ready in order to change, but our brains are not designed to do things that are uncomfortable, scary or difficult. The key is to learn how to take control of micro-moments and make reality-shifting decisions within a matter of seconds.
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-steps-to-make-decisions-with-confidence">4 Steps to Make Decisions With Confidence</a>
“You can truly trace every problem or complaint in your life to silence and hesitation,” she says. “You get trapped in what I call the knowledge-action gap. You know what to do, but you can’t seem to make yourself do it.”

Chock-full of actionable takeaways, this episode of Impact Theory covers:
<ul>
 	<li>The power of making a five-second decision that changes everything</li>
 	<li>How metacognition, habit loops and the basal ganglia affect decision-making</li>
 	<li>Why it is critical to develop the skill of quickly leaning into wisdom and intention</li>
</ul>
“Your life comes down to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/13-quotes-about-making-life-choices">your decisions</a>,” Mel says. “And if you change your decisions you will change everything.”
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/mel-robbins-on-changing-your-life-in-5-seconds">Mel Robbins on Changing Your Life in 5 Seconds</a>
<a href="https://bit.ly/2j2PEgW" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Subscribe to Impact Theory for more empowering ideas and actionable business techniques from the world’s highest achievers.</a>

'Your life comes down to your decisions. And if you change your decisions you will change everything.'

CNN contributor and best-selling author Mel Robbins believe that if you want to build the life of your dreams, you have to force yourself to take action... | SUCCESS

Why Motivation Is Garbage?

Why Motivation Is Garbage? | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Copy-of-featured-pic-7.png

https://youtu.be/5MC2X-LRbkE

Every generation complains about the youth coming up behind them. It doesn’t take much digging to find quotes from hundreds of years ago that sound like they’re aimed at today’s millennials. Accusations of laziness, entitlement and lack of patience abound as far back as you can see, and yet somehow these statements glow red-hot with extra intensity when directed at millennials.

I’ll admit, as a leader, I’ve made my mistakes with millennials. That’s why I was so eager to interview leadership expert <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/simon-sinek-on-how-we-are-better-together">Simon Sinek</a> for my previous YouTube show <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi4xh-87QOWzQfdMgmF7sIA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inside Quest</a>. Simon’s insights on leadership are extraordinarily useful for anyone in the trenches leading a team, and I’m especially drawn to his empathy-rich “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others/dp/1591845327/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1484000625&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Leaders+Eat+Last&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=bd384d862959ee7691d570a733449629" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leaders Eat Last</a>” style of management. However impressed I was by him though, I was still caught by surprise when our interview went viral, being viewed well over 100,000,000 times.

In the interview, Simon and I discussed what he calls the “Millennial Question”—namely why millennials have a bad rap, and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/give-the-millennials-what-they-want-great-leaders">how leaders can create an environment in which they can thrive</a>. On set that day, with an audience of both millennials and older generations, the environment was electric. Everyone was glued to Simon’s words—enlightened by his insights on how everything from <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-make-sure-your-children-become-more-successful-than-you">parenting strategies</a> and technology to the modern workplace environment have coalesced to create a problem of declining life satisfaction and increasing depression and suicide rates among millennials.
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-ways-to-motivate-millennials">5 Ways to Motivate Millennials</a>
Simon’s thesis that millennials have been trained (through no fault of their own) to expect instant gratification in a world where deep meaning and satisfaction can only be derived from <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/videos/youtube/ted-talks-grit-the-power-of-passion-and-perseverance">patience and perseverance</a>, clearly struck a chord. I know it did for me. As I’ve worked with millennials as both an entrepreneur and mentor, one overwhelming pattern I’ve noticed is the age-old desire to get “rich” quick. I put rich in quotes because it’s not always about money. As Simon notes in the interview, sometimes it’s as well intentioned as wanting to have impact, but not wanting to work for it. Or perhaps even worse, not realizing that they have to work for it.

That’s the part of the pattern that I find most worrying. In <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-ways-to-avoid-social-media-envy">today’s hyper-social era</a> where the acquisition of fame and perceived importance have become democratized through social media, the focus has shifted away from developing world-class skills to developing world-class numbers. And because this generation has been raised on instant gratification, on-demand everything, and always-connected social media, they don’t even realize that the primary means of getting what you wanted in the past was to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-how-to-start-a-new-discipline">get really good at something</a>—even if that something was simply being patient.
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/why-social-media-is-ruining-your-self-esteem-and-how-to-stop-it">Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Self-Esteem—and How to Stop It</a>
In the interview, it’s clear that Simon sees as much potential and beauty in the millennial generation as any generation that came before them. And the relatively straightforward approach to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/from-the-archives-john-c-maxwell-on-growing-and-living-up-to-your-potential">unlocking that potential</a> that he lays out in the video really may just work. I know I’ve been employing his strategies with the millennials on my staff since the moment he gave this talk. If you haven’t already watched it, do, and show it to anyone who is, knows, works with or loves a millennial. I think Simon’s words not only help people understand millennials, but they help millennials understand themselves. And in that, this talk bridges a divide that has long needed to be crossed.

An in-depth conversation to help you understand millennials and the potential they wield.

https://youtu.be/5MC2X-LRbkE Every generation complains about the youth coming up behind them. It doesn’t take much digging to find quotes from hundreds | SUCCESS

Simon Sinek on the Millennial Question

Simon Sinek on the Millennial Question | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/featured-pic-57.png

Tony Robbins has said that <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/ep-41-tony-robbins-lives-a-beautiful-life">the quality of your life</a> is determined by the quality of the questions you ask. I couldn’t agree more. I think this is one of the most under-utilized psychological principles at our disposal.

You really can’t overestimate the power of asking the right questions. There are two types: questions you ask yourself and questions you ask other people.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/6-underlying-benefits-of-asking-questions">6 Underlying Benefits of Asking Questions</a>

<h2>Questions for Myself</h2>

The questions you ask frame the debate. Take Robbins’ famous question: Look at the worst thing that’s ever happened to you and ask, How is this the best thing that’s ever happened to me? You get what you focus on, and if you’re asking Why did this happen to me? or Why am I so unlucky? you’ve already solidified your base assumption that whatever happened is bad.

That then becomes the frame of reference from which you analyze the situation. That nearly invisible choice (most people don’t even recognize that it was a choice) has massive implications in the narrative that you will tell yourself about that event. The choice of asking Why did this terrible thing happen to me? versus How is this the best thing that ever happened to me? colors the inevitable repetitive thought pattern you will exist in following any major event—good or bad.

That’s how the mind works. It replays good and bad events in a loop until you have fully digested them and put them in a permanent place in your long-term memory and self-narrative.

But whether the event is stored as positive or negative, whether it’s framed as a destructive event or a growth opportunity, is largely based on the questions you ask yourself about it. So choose wisely.

Here are three general questions I ask myself routinely to deal with negative situations:

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/23-questions-to-ask-yourself-when-youre-stressed-out">23 Questions to Ask Yourself When You’re Stressed Out</a>

<ul>
	<li>What could I have done differently to get a better outcome?</li>
</ul>

I hate giving up control, so I always look for the things that I can control in any situation. There’s always something, and those things are my levers. By focusing on the levers I could have pulled differently, I begin to paint a picture for <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/11-things-that-can-spark-massive-success-in-your-life">how to find success</a> next time. I don’t waste time thinking about what I wish the other person had done differently, because that I can’t control.

<ul>
	<li>What skills that I don’t currently possess would have allowed me to get what I wanted out of this situation?</li>
</ul>

<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/ep-12-how-to-learn-something-new">I find it’s also useful to focus on learning.</a> It frames any situation not as a permanent failure, but as a temporary failure in my skill set. Failures of skill set can always be remedied through focused attention and effort, and those are two things we all control.

<ul>
	<li>What lesson do I choose to learn from this failure?</li>
</ul>

Henry David Thoreau said, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.” When something goes wrong (or right), you have to decide what you’re going to see in that. Are you going to learn that you’re an idiot or the world is against you, or are you going to learn that you’re amazing for <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-6-ways-having-grit-improves-your-life">having the guts</a> to try something, but realize that you need a new skill in your tool belt? That subtle shift will make all the difference in your life.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-simple-questions-successful-people-ask-themselves-every-day">5 Simple Questions Successful People Ask Themselves Every Day</a>

<h2>Questions for Others</h2>

My co-founder at Quest, Ron Penna, has always had a rabid aversion to discussing the weather. He’s essentially outlawed it at the company and rightfully so. The weather has entered our cultural consciousness as the standard <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-keys-to-a-flawless-conversation">conversation starter</a> for one reason only: It’s an entirely safe and guaranteed area of commonality.

Forget about safe. Safe isn’t interesting or memorable. Dive right into the deep end. Instead of aiming at finding common ground as most people will advise, I say aim for insightful—with bonus points for asking people questions that they’ll be excited to answer.

Here are three <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/6-questions-hiring-managers-should-ask-in-a-job-interview">questions I ask during job interviews</a> and parties alike:

<ul>
	<li>What’s something you find utterly fascinating? 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What’s something about you that surprises people? 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>If you woke up tomorrow with $7.4 billion, after traveling, investing the money and giving a bunch to your family, what would you do?</li>
</ul>

Your questions say as much about you as your answers. When you ask someone a question, you’re demonstrating to them what you’re interested in and what your intentions are. When <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/8-ways-to-expand-your-network-today">meeting new people</a>, you want to focus on questions that are upbeat and positive and show your sincere desire to understand them better.

Hosting <a href="https://www.insidequest.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside Quest</a> has forced me to focus on the effects of the questions we ask, and it’s shown me that questions, far more than answers, help create internal clarity and build a bond between people. By focusing on perfecting your questions’ frames of reference, you can take control of conversations with others (making them more entertaining, revealing and memorable), and most important, you can begin to orchestrate the dialogue in your own mind.

That's where the real magic happens. Simply by changing the base assumptions lying beneath your questions, you can profoundly shift the angle from which you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/think-slow-and-other-tricks-for-better-problem-solving">attack the problem</a> and create a new, positive lens through which to view the world.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-power-of-asking-questions">The Power of Asking Questions</a>

Your questions say as much about you as your answers.

Your questions say as much about you as your answers. | SUCCESS

Ask These Questions to Reframe Your Perspective on Life

Ask These Questions to Reframe Your Perspective on Life | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/sites/default/files/main/blogposts/askthesequestionstoreframeyourperspectiveonlife.jpg

<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-read-all-the-books-to-rise-above-the-ordinary">I credit my success to reading.</a> And I read a lot. A LOT. So the question that I naturally get asked all the time is how I manage to read as much as I do while still keeping up with the demands of running a company. So here is my definitive guide to reading like your success depends on it, because, well, it does.
<h2>1. Start with why.</h2>
Why do I read so much? Because there is a critical math equation at work here and it goes like this: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-5-ways-to-get-ideas-flowing">Ideas In = Ideas Out.</a> I actually used to have a sign hanging over my desk that read II = IO to remind me. What I mean is I’m not worried about thinking new thoughts. I’m simply trying to make unique connections between old ideas. I believe that’s what makes all of us unique: We make different connections than the next person.

That’s important for two reasons:
<ol>
 	<li>It means I don’t need to memorize facts from the book; I’m just trying to truly understand the overarching themes that will then act as reactive molecules in the chemistry of my mind.</li>
 	<li>I always read the whole book (versus an abridged or CliffNotes version) because I’m looking for the ideas that stand out to me, which might be very different than the ideas that stand out to someone else. So I don’t skim, but I don’t get hung up on things that don’t resonate or I don’t understand.</li>
</ol>
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/when-theres-too-many-books-and-not-enough-time">When There’s Too Many Books and Not Enough Time...</a>

<h2>2. Improve your reading speed.</h2>
I am a ridiculously slow reader. I once had a teammate at Quest show me something he had written. I read it and told him I liked it, but he didn’t believe me, “Something must have bothered you; you read it three times.” I had to laugh out loud, because I had only read it once. That’s just how slow I read.

<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/3-quick-tips-to-be-a-better-reader">Reading that slowly</a>, however, simply wouldn’t do. So I had two choices:
<ol>
 	<li>Learn to speed read. Tried that, and though I could move my eyes across the words faster, I couldn’t understand or retain the information.</li>
 	<li>Use audiobooks.</li>
</ol>
I went with audiobooks. I use the Audible App. So when I say I “read” something, I actually mean I listened to it. The advantage here is that I can assimilate information aurally, very, very quickly. Also, the magic of the Audible app is that it allows you to speed up the playback—allowing you to go all the way to 3x the normal speed. That’s where I live: 3x. To be clear though, I had to work my way up to that. I started at 1.5x, then pushed myself to 2x, then ultimately to 3x. So don’t expect 3x to be intelligible from day one. But like anything, if you push yourself and stick with it, you will get better. So push yourself.
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-read-like-your-success-depends-on-it">How to Read Like Your Success Depends on It</a>

<h2>3. Always be reading. </h2>
There’s a saying in sales that I hate: ABC (always be closing). But I live by the mantra ABR—<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-7-books-everyone-should-read">always be reading</a>. Audiobooks are a huge help with this, because as long as I have my phone and headphones, I can read literally anywhere. As such, I not only read during <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-4-smart-ways-to-spend-your-downtime">stretches of free time</a>, I also read in the transitional moments of life. Here is a nearly exhaustive list of the times and places I read:
<ul>
 	<li>Driving</li>
 	<li>In an Uber</li>
 	<li>On an airplane</li>
 	<li>Walking the dogs (or walking, period)</li>
 	<li>In the shower</li>
 	<li>While brushing my teeth</li>
 	<li>While getting dressed</li>
 	<li>While waiting anywhere (if I’m alone)</li>
</ul>
Without a doubt, I prefer to read when I can read for long stretches of time, but I’ve just found that all of the little moments add up to a lot of reading (especially at 3x), and thus a lot of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-how-to-turn-your-ideas-into-action">new and exciting ideas</a>.
<h2>4. Cover a topic from all angles. </h2>
I don’t memorize books; I get the big ideas and move on. Don’t get me wrong, I lament that I don’t have a naturally prodigious memory (Kim Peek, anyone?), but since I don’t and I continue to get great results from simply focusing on the big ideas, I haven’t invested the energy into <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/9-easy-ways-to-stay-mentally-sharp">improving my memory</a>, or felt it necessary to back off from digesting books at 3x.

Another thing that keeps me from worrying about remembering certain facts is that I usually read as many books on a given topic of interest as I can. When you do that, you’ll find that themes emerge, and those themes become very familiar. And when you collect them from many different points of view, they firm up in my mind in a much richer way than they would if I slowed down and read a book like I was preparing for a final exam. This approach also ensures that I don’t fall prey to the confirmation bias (reading only ideas that agree with what I already believe).

This is how I read and these are the hacks I use to absorb as many new ideas as possible. May those techniques serve you as well as they’ve served me.
Related:&nbsp;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/10-must-read-books-for-explosive-success">10 Must-Read Books for Explosive Success</a>

How to Read Like Your Success Depends on It

How to Read Like Your Success Depends on It | SUCCESS

https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/howtoreadlikeyoursuccessdependsonit.jpg