People expect the easy path to success, but there isn't one. Unless you get lucky. Like being in the right place at the right time with the right people and happen to say the right things.
For everyone else, it's a lot of hard work. (Some have to work harder and longer than others to be sure) Get up early and never sleep. That's one way to try it.
I don't know about the 5am club. I'm ending my day around that time. However, I am an overnighter and I don't have the usual distractions.
It's the "delusion" part that gets me. How do you delude yourself long enough without inhibiting yourself to doing better? Sure, consistency is a key factor. It's a slight edge movement that eventually leads to progress, but does that mean you must work 25/8? If you are consistent but not getting anywhere, does that mean you're no good?
Great advice, Tim! My obsession with writing and drawing helps me wake up early every day and get creative work done. The rest of the day, I'm on a natural high.
Pretty spot on, but boy you must have worked for the wrong bank. All my banking friends are multi multi millionaires , retired young or on that way , travel the world and support charities. Most "writer/journalist/influences" seem perpetually depressed and lazy -- guessing less than 5% of them abide by your "get up early" rule.
Tim, I agree that consistently iterating is imperative. The best combination is iterating + following your obsession because then iterating comes naturally. You don't have to force yourself to iterate. Your obsession drives your curiosity.
I have massive imposter syndrome around even daring to have imposter syndrome. Substack sometimes scares me, the quality of the writing , the articulation displayed, it can all be overwhelming for me. Great stack, Tim. Loved the don’t, won’t, can’t graph. It’s my new screensaver.
Again, I have to agree with Tim. I never had imposter syndrome, but I always had a chip on my shoulder. When I was a kid, I excelled in sports in singular type events: Golf, wrestling (even though it's a team, you only wrestle alone, against one other person, and track and field (Hammer, javelin, discus). Having said that, when I did get picked for a team or made some sort of squad, I was very proud, but always felt that it could be taken away from me at any instant. The reason I'm telling you this is because that's how I felt when I graduated from a military academy, became a commissioned officer and, later, got into business.
I worked my ass off to prove myself, even though looking back, I didn't need to. It was all in my mind. It certainly didn't help my first marriage, and that failed. But I didn't learn my lesson until I suffered the divorce and got a life-threatening ulcer in the process. I had rarely failed in life, but now life was becoming real, as Tim has laid out in several of his pieces. I learned how to be humble and grateful for what I had, rather than thinking I had to fight for every step forward my life had given me. It was a tremendous burden off my shoulders.
Long story short: I lost all my money in my first marriage to a wife who felt she had to take everything when I wasn't looking. However, instead of getting angry and digging in to get it all back, I let it go. I eventually some years later got involved as a senior executive with several Silicon Valley companies, made a lot of money, then bought my own company and sold it for twenty times more than I paid for it, which I plowed into a company I started from scratch in 2006, and sold for nine figures several years ago.
Doing the right thing, having the experience to know what to do at the most opportune time, and, most importantly, entrusting people you hire to help you get what you want (and, by so doing, helping them get what THEY want), is really the key to success.
My two "go-to's are Tim and Simon Sinek. I was lucky enough to work with (twice) Steve Jobs. Although he wasn't the warmest of humans, he was genuine. He respected those who were authentic and who tended to make the right decisions. And that only comes with Time and experience.
So everyone, keep at it. It will come. Open yourself up to that opportunity that you know is coming sometime in the future and be ready to accept it without cynically rejecting it because "it's not the right time," or "Maybe I'll wait for the next one." No, take it. Try something new. Challenge yourself. You'll surprise yourself.
Oh man, I consume your articles like water in the hot dry desert!
Lot of things to learn from this:
1) Being consistency is key, especially to avoid feeling overwhelmed from the journey from 0 to 100. This is where I am now. I've started publishing consistently on Medium a couple of weeks ago and even though I want to build an audience there, I'm more focused on consistently shipping.
2) Consistency is nothing without iteration: I'm also practicing this. I'm trying to see what do and does not work with my articles, my headlines, my topics.
3) Waking up early and having healthy morning habits can set the tone for the day: I have to be honest, I'm still failing this. Although I'm improving it slowly. I love waking up early but in the past weeks, it's been difficult. Correction: I make it difficult for myself. But I'm changing it.
Honestly, cannot thank you enough for these honest articles that cut all the BS out there. Your thoughts and words help me to quit the excuses and do whatever I can to reach my desired path.
Yup
Couldn't agree more!
People expect the easy path to success, but there isn't one. Unless you get lucky. Like being in the right place at the right time with the right people and happen to say the right things.
For everyone else, it's a lot of hard work. (Some have to work harder and longer than others to be sure) Get up early and never sleep. That's one way to try it.
I don't know about the 5am club. I'm ending my day around that time. However, I am an overnighter and I don't have the usual distractions.
It's the "delusion" part that gets me. How do you delude yourself long enough without inhibiting yourself to doing better? Sure, consistency is a key factor. It's a slight edge movement that eventually leads to progress, but does that mean you must work 25/8? If you are consistent but not getting anywhere, does that mean you're no good?
So many questions...
Join the 5 am club. The effectiveness of your day is determined by how you use your early mornings.
Thanks a lot Tim, this post is very timely. I just watched a video on consistency and to see this post. I gotta put on my 'A' game
Might I add Timbo that the depth of this audio and written discussion on consistency tied to success is refreshing.
Dan Go and 300x daily tweets is a massive Rx to boredom and mediocrity.
There is calm in providence.
WYAO. Ready, Fire, re-Aim.
Great advice, Tim! My obsession with writing and drawing helps me wake up early every day and get creative work done. The rest of the day, I'm on a natural high.
Pretty spot on, but boy you must have worked for the wrong bank. All my banking friends are multi multi millionaires , retired young or on that way , travel the world and support charities. Most "writer/journalist/influences" seem perpetually depressed and lazy -- guessing less than 5% of them abide by your "get up early" rule.
Tim, great point about Medium - February is my best month ever in terms of views / reads / earnings, although it's not even over yet.
Tim, I agree that consistently iterating is imperative. The best combination is iterating + following your obsession because then iterating comes naturally. You don't have to force yourself to iterate. Your obsession drives your curiosity.
I have massive imposter syndrome around even daring to have imposter syndrome. Substack sometimes scares me, the quality of the writing , the articulation displayed, it can all be overwhelming for me. Great stack, Tim. Loved the don’t, won’t, can’t graph. It’s my new screensaver.
Thanks for sharing.
thank you for highlighting the power of compounding! ...
Again, I have to agree with Tim. I never had imposter syndrome, but I always had a chip on my shoulder. When I was a kid, I excelled in sports in singular type events: Golf, wrestling (even though it's a team, you only wrestle alone, against one other person, and track and field (Hammer, javelin, discus). Having said that, when I did get picked for a team or made some sort of squad, I was very proud, but always felt that it could be taken away from me at any instant. The reason I'm telling you this is because that's how I felt when I graduated from a military academy, became a commissioned officer and, later, got into business.
I worked my ass off to prove myself, even though looking back, I didn't need to. It was all in my mind. It certainly didn't help my first marriage, and that failed. But I didn't learn my lesson until I suffered the divorce and got a life-threatening ulcer in the process. I had rarely failed in life, but now life was becoming real, as Tim has laid out in several of his pieces. I learned how to be humble and grateful for what I had, rather than thinking I had to fight for every step forward my life had given me. It was a tremendous burden off my shoulders.
Long story short: I lost all my money in my first marriage to a wife who felt she had to take everything when I wasn't looking. However, instead of getting angry and digging in to get it all back, I let it go. I eventually some years later got involved as a senior executive with several Silicon Valley companies, made a lot of money, then bought my own company and sold it for twenty times more than I paid for it, which I plowed into a company I started from scratch in 2006, and sold for nine figures several years ago.
Doing the right thing, having the experience to know what to do at the most opportune time, and, most importantly, entrusting people you hire to help you get what you want (and, by so doing, helping them get what THEY want), is really the key to success.
My two "go-to's are Tim and Simon Sinek. I was lucky enough to work with (twice) Steve Jobs. Although he wasn't the warmest of humans, he was genuine. He respected those who were authentic and who tended to make the right decisions. And that only comes with Time and experience.
So everyone, keep at it. It will come. Open yourself up to that opportunity that you know is coming sometime in the future and be ready to accept it without cynically rejecting it because "it's not the right time," or "Maybe I'll wait for the next one." No, take it. Try something new. Challenge yourself. You'll surprise yourself.
Oh man, I consume your articles like water in the hot dry desert!
Lot of things to learn from this:
1) Being consistency is key, especially to avoid feeling overwhelmed from the journey from 0 to 100. This is where I am now. I've started publishing consistently on Medium a couple of weeks ago and even though I want to build an audience there, I'm more focused on consistently shipping.
2) Consistency is nothing without iteration: I'm also practicing this. I'm trying to see what do and does not work with my articles, my headlines, my topics.
3) Waking up early and having healthy morning habits can set the tone for the day: I have to be honest, I'm still failing this. Although I'm improving it slowly. I love waking up early but in the past weeks, it's been difficult. Correction: I make it difficult for myself. But I'm changing it.
Honestly, cannot thank you enough for these honest articles that cut all the BS out there. Your thoughts and words help me to quit the excuses and do whatever I can to reach my desired path.
“Degrees teaches you to follow rules, wealth teaches you to break them.”
Couldn’t agree more🙌🏾
Great article Tim, I like your writing style.
waking up earlier is a cheat code. i started waking up at 5am about a month ago. it gives me 4 hours on full battery before my 9-5 starts.
since then my writing has been booming. it’s a no brainer if you’re serious about turning your passion project into your career