Successful people VS You!

Mind the Gap

Let me ask you a crucial question:

If you were being completely honest with yourself, what is it that separates you from the people you look up to? Or better, what separates you from your best self?

Have you ever sat down and thought about that?

I have.

For years, I’ve been watching what successful people do differently than almost everyone else. Then, I’ve been working to apply these same methods myself. And today, I’m sharing three crucial lessons with you.

1. Mastering the Art of the Paradox

Successful people are masters of paradoxes.
Unsuccessful people operate in binaries.

Let me give you an example to illustrate:

Some people tell you to be extremely hard on yourself to be successful. That can work well. It can also destroy your confidence. Other people tell you to love yourself unconditionally. Also great advice, but it can lead to complacency.

Many people pick one or the other approach.

Most successful people master BOTH ends of the spectrum.

In this case, that means that they have high standards for themselves. They try to uphold them. But they’d also have grace, knowing they’re human and WILL make mistakes.

Some other examples:

Impatient with actions but patient (and consistent) until they get the result.
Having conviction in their way forward, but humility to learn and change course.
Treating everyone with kindness, but having clear boundaries.

See the point?

These traits compete against each other, but in reality they are complements!

Note:

Similarly, there are a TON of ways to achieve any one goal. Don’t fall into the trap of 1-dimensional thinking. If you notice you’re completely convinced about something, STOP! Take a step back and consider outside points of view.

When you then combine parts of them, you’ll craft a better approach!

2. There Isn’t Enough Room for Less People

Talk about contradictions, am I right?

This has been a major struggle for me. In the past, I’ve been bullied quite a bit. As a result, I’ve craved independence. At times, I’d isolate myself. I was never a huge fan of making new friends.

That has been a huge mistake.

Think about any successful person you know.

Do you truly believe he/she did everything all alone?

Of course not!

Only idiots think that they can do everything by themselves. And that’s why they’re doomed to fail! Being a “lone wolf” sounds cool, until you realize that the the pack survives while the lone wolves usually don’t last long!

Successful people have no interest in going at it alone!

But, who do YOU have in your corner?

Do your friends and family support your goals? Do they inspire you to be better? Are the people around you rolemodels for you? Do they lead by example? Do you hang out with people of similar goals and ambitions?

Hopefully, you’ll have been able to answer at least some of those with “YES!”.

If not, the question is:

“What can I do now?”

My first recommendation would be to get crystal clear on what it is you want to achieve. Then think about the kind of person you have to be to accomplish that. Thirdly, where do you think people like that hang out?

Note: Write these down!

When you have them, you’ll know what actions to take (reverse engineer your goals). But you’ll also have a good idea of where to find likeminded people.

For example:

What would you do if your goal was building a business?

Some ideas:

• Go to business and marketing conferences.

• Check local meetups.

• Start a podcast interviewing successful business people

• Post on Reddit to find others like yourself to talk to

• Perhaps pay for a community or mastermind (online or off)

• DM people you want to be like and offer to work for them for free

• And there are many more opportunities as well

You don’t need to have an army, a handful of people supporting each other is powerful!

3. Task Failed Successfully!

Everyone fails, no exceptions!

Here’s the difference though:

Successful people fail temporarily.
Unsuccessful people fail permanently.

How do you feel about failure?

Don’t trust your instinct answer on this! Instead, my recommendation would be to sit with this question for a while. Perhaps journal about it. Because the truth is: Your relationship with failure is what determines your future!

Most people HATE failing with a passion…

I used to as well.

But, I have since learned that failure is inevitable. I’ve also learned that successful people LOVE failure! As cliche as it sounds, it truly IS the key to success!

Here’s my challenge to you:

Can you fail forward 10 times faster?

That yet another thing that successful people do differently: They take massive action! You might think they’re doing 10% or 20% more than you. In reality, they’re likely doing 2x, 3x or even 10x of what you are!

But… don’t start there! (You’ll probably burn yourself out)

Instead, can you force yourself to fail at just one thing every day?

Note:

That that doesn’t mean failing on purpose. It means putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation. A situation where there’s a decent chance you’ll strike out. Try your best, always! But don’t be discouraged by failure!

Take action, see the result, learn the lesson, repeat.

The Secret to Getting More Done (Automagically)

Relying on willpower and discipline is stupid!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s GREAT to have. But, successful people also create systems for success. This way, they can change their actions, habits and lives with way less effort!

Here’s a SIMPLE method that helps you take more action automatically!

I know the description sounds like it’s completely click bait. But, it’s highly effective! If you do nothing else besides what I teach in the video, you’ll be making real changes in your life!

And it’s going to feel a LOT easier than if you were trying to use discipline!

And with that said. here’s my final message:

Reading =/= Learning!

In this email, I’ve shared multiple things you can do RIGHT NOW to start becoming your best self! However, it’s up to you to flip the switch!

Go and take action, my friend!

Talk soon,
Maikel