These Quotes On Life From An Unknown Writer You Don't Know Felt Mind-Bending
I guarantee they do the same for you
I consume more online content than 98% of people.
It’s my full-time job so you’d expect me to be good at it. About 2 years ago Dan Koe introduced me to an unknown writer named Zach Pogrob. Since then, his weird Instagram writing has attracted 1.5M followers.
That’s not the impressive part.
He has a cult following.
People go crazy for his words. The symbol of his tribe is a random black flag emoji. I’ve read his stuff every day for 24 months so you don’t have to.
You may have noticed my view of the world has changed a lot. I went from passion, purpose, goals, and habits-type views of the world…to obsession, obsession, obsession + automate your motivation, and use your creativity to make art.
This is what Zach’s content forced me to do. There’s no going back.
I want the same huge transformation to happen for you. Here are the quotes on life from Zach that’ll get you there, fast.
“Use your dark side to make something bright”
This quote is the most raw of them all.
I get tears in my eyes when I read it, including right now.
I have a dark side. I’ve spent most of my life enduring unstoppable pain from mental torture that entered my life as a child. For years it felt like a burden. The pain had no meaning which made it impossible to deal with.
Then when I started writing online by accident, everything changed.
The darkness became some strange bright light in the night. I don’t know where it came from. I don’t know if a higher power was involved. Most days I feel like my level of consciousness is completely warped. I can see things people can’t see.
Right now I can see a lot of people being f*cked up by selfishness.
The line I keep hearing is “Well, it doesn’t affect me.” I used to think like that too. It’s our default. But now I see that everything is interconnected.
If you try to survive in indecision or by making selfish decisions, the opposite side of the coin will screw up your life. On the one hand, you think by saying no you avoided a risk. But all you did is create a new risk you can’t see yet. It’s foolish as hell.
Each of us has a dark side. Instead of selfishly trying to escape it, use it to become a bright light for those who can never repay you.
“When you truly follow obsession, flow state never ends.”
Flow states are a phenomenon that has given me superhuman writing output.
None of it made sense until I got this idea from Zach. When you’re doing something you’re obsessed with the flow state never ends.
When you do stuff you don’t give a sh*t about it’s hard to get into flow. Or to be productive. That’s why productivity tips go so viral on social media. They’re a band-aid for a world full of people doing boring tasks that bring no joy.
The answer isn’t force. It’s not a series of cookie-cutter habits either. It’s obsession.
Find the thing you can’t live without then go all in. Don’t worry where you start from or how long it’s going to take. Just turn on the obsession to introduce you to what I call limitless flow.
It’s an all-day flow state that’ll have you achieve more in 90 days than most do in 5 years.
“Play in decades. There’s less competition. And the games are more fun.”
This strategy is one I implemented by accident.
Most people play short-term games and jump from one idea to the next like a circus monkey chasing bananas. When I started online I made 5 years the original timeframe to see any results by.
The complete disconnection from all outcomes helped me NOT give up.
About 3 years ago I changed that goal to 10 years. I now only engage with goals that take 10 years or more. People think I’m crazy when I say this. Good.
I’m not interested in being average. I want to take this online thing around the world with me, especially to 3rd world countries. That’s not gonna happen overnight.
There are no shortcuts, hacks, cheat codes, or special mentors who can make it all happen in one email.
These are p*rn fantasies.
The modern strategies to achieve any goal are driven by cheap dopamine that we’ve become addicted to since the introduction of the smartphone. But a dumbphone full of notifications only created a distraction pandemic.
Success hasn’t changed.
One Thing + Obsession + 10 Years is impossible to beat. No one has that level of mindset or determination. And therein lies your hidden opportunity.
“Sit in your room and create, and eventually, you’ll be invited in new rooms”
Creativity is the new scarce resource.
I often talk to people about how they can take theirs and earn a living from it. They overcomplicate it. They overthink it.
You can literally do anything on the internet from the comfort of your bedroom and a $200 laptop. There’s no more complexity than that. I started out this way and still work this way after almost 10 years.
If you show up for long enough, then a new network will form around you that’ll make achieving big goals easier.
“Go first.
Call. Text. Ask. Say hello. Lend a hand. Do the first set. Run the first mile. Make the first move. See a friend for no reason. Help a stranger for no reward. Act on the first thought.
Because doers beat dreamers.
First is far beyond second. And the world gives to those who initiate. Not wait for those who do so.”
This principle is a way of life.
Sheep humans who follow the flock aren’t leaders in anything. They never go first. They’re always waiting for some outside magic source of inspiration or gatekeeper to come make their dreams come true.
Doers go first. It’s when there’s the most risk and the path is unknown. They are able to go first because they understand that the only thing to fear is fear itself.
Wanting to know all the outcomes upfront is crazy. None of us are fortune-tellers.
Go first and learn as you go. If you start and make a mistake, you can always pivot. A lack of failure equals ruin forever.
“Some people are just meant to win.
Life will delay them. Life will confuse them. But they simply never stop. Eventually, exponential opportunities will collide with their experience.
Then, when they do succeed, it’s like it happened overnight. But there were many dark nights. And deep down…despite all the stress, pain, and insecurity, they knew. They always knew. They were inevitable.”
Unwavering self belief is underrated.
And it’s a trait you can cultivate. When you chase obsession, give up the scarcity mindset that breeds selfishness, and just take a f*cking risk, everything happens.
We’re all meant to win, we just stand in our own way.
“You can’t teach intensity.”
Let’s finish here.
I disagree with Zach on this one. All of us can unlock higher levels of intensity. A lot of people never become successful because they simply don’t have enough intensity.
You can be doing the right things and following the right plan, but if the intensity is low, you’ll never pass the threshold required to get results.
Crank up the intensity. Do more reps. Go beyond what is comfortable.
Pain feels amazing when it’s for the right reason.
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Playing in decades is truly life changing.
It’s hard to let go when you don’t get results now (like going viral). But thinking in decades makes you realize how little it will matter in 10 years.
Great writing!! Really inspiring!
Brilliant ideas. I'm going to read this over and over.