As modern men conditioned by current culture, we tend to become highly impatient, easily demotivated, and sometimes even feel inadequate. We’re constantly exposed to the rags-to-riches stories.
Mainstream media talks about 15-year-old kids quickly becoming millionaires with crypto. Marketing campaigns are primarily about lucrative success stories, such as how someone went from $0 to $100,000 a month in under thirty days. And social media influencers are portraying a life that seems unreal to most.
These stories are true, but they don’t represent most people. They fail to show their daily struggles. All of this creates false expectations. Most of us struggle to reach our goals, which is fine. Here are eight tips to be authentically you while working to become the best version of yourself.
1. Be brave enough to be bad at something new.
It’s OK to s*ck when you’re just starting. Nobody started as an overachiever in their field; I can promise you that. They had to sweat first. None of my newly-minted millionaire clients were born with a vast following, life-changing products, or had media bragging about them and national recognition. They had to do the work. Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly until they made it. Otherwise, success wouldn’t taste as good.
2. Don’t worry about how quickly your competition is progressing.
A decade ago, my completion times were way below average when I ran my first marathon and then my first triathlon. My first marathon was completed in under 5 hours (4 hours, 54 minutes, and 49 seconds to be exact) — a terrible time. I was not fully prepared, and I almost got disqualified, but it didn’t matter. What’s important is that I decided to finish it, no matter what.
3. The magic is in taking small steps daily.
As a marketing advisor, one of my clients asked me why he’s not getting a lot of views on his Youtube channel that he launched just two weeks prior. Let’s not forget how business and life results genuinely work. It takes discipline, consistency, and patience daily. You don’t go to the gym for three days and give up because you still don’t have six-pack abs.
4. Less really is more.
Most people shine their focus in all directions and end up not accomplishing anything significant. Being extremely driven, ambitious, and self-motivated, I also made this mistake. While working on my business, I started focusing on a few start-ups as side projects. I lost focus and wasted time, money, and resources. Sure, these projects were fun, but if I had to choose only one legacy, it would be the ultimate goal of my main business. Pick a few tasks, but go deeper and further.
5. Nobody cares about your past.
Someone robbed me of more than one million euros in unpaid royalties. They are still due. It came from a product launch I did in 2017 for the French market. For many months, I couldn’t get over it. I focused on what I couldn’t control. But the truth is, no one cares. Stop focusing on your past, using your circumstances as an excuse for not making it, and letting your fears slow you down. There is no easy path when you have ambition. That’s precisely why they’re worth fighting for.
6. Have laser beam focus.
A light bulb sends photons in all directions. A 100-watt bulb can light up a room. However, a laser beam sends photons in just one direction. As a result, a 100-watt laser will not only light up a room; it will cut through a steel plate several inches thick. It’s easy to be distracted in a world that’s constantly trying to sell you something. Yet, the key is to have laser-like focus until you make it.
7. Surround yourself with successful role models.
When I started my entrepreneurship journey, I was only 17. I was shy and naïve. I had no money for coaching, no mentors, and no inspirational friends. But I didn’t let that stop me, and neither should you. I started with books. I immersed myself in them so I could create and then cultivate success routines, masculine principles, and an achievement code of honor. This attracted high-value mentors and friends into my life.
8 Don’t buy into shiny money-making opportunities.
Nothing, absolutely nothing important, is easy. Many want results without putting in the work — don’t buy into that delusion. The Youtuber bragging about his one million subscribers once had zero views, zero videos, and zero subscribers. The online trainer with a large email list started with a single lead. The expert telling you how you can make $10,000 a day isn’t telling you the whole story of the countless hours required to master your craft. Don’t fall in love with every mentor, training program, or offer — stick to a proven strategy and don’t deviate.
I hope these principles will help you as much as they helped me to stay on track. Don’t let small things get in the way of your big dreams. Sure, the Universe will test you. But like Napoleon once said: “Courage isn’t having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.”
Ultimately, the most important thing we must remember is to commit and never give up, especially in adversity. Your future will thank you.
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Photo Credit: Tony Lux