The no-nonsense truth you need to understand to achieve your dreams.
Deep down, we all want life to be easy.
I’m no exception.
Thank god, there are shortcuts: Get-rich-quick schemes, miracle diets, and dating hacks.
You can guess by my choice of words – they aren’t what they seem to be.
“This is something I learned the hard way. You spend so much energy trying to find a shortcut to success only to realize that success requires hard work. And without it, you will never get there. The sooner you realize it, the faster you’ll reach your goals.”
– Angel investor Paul Kroger
Evolution hardwired us to conserve energy – why make it complicated when it can be simple?
But once you’ve taken enough shortcuts, you realize they’re actually detours.
It’s like buying a cheap counterfeit knockoff that breaks after one month of use: failed investments, yoyo effects from crash diets, attracting the wrong partner. You’ve wasted time, money, and energy and are just where you started.
That’s why there is only one shortcut that truly works.
The Harsh Truth About Success And Growth Most People Don’t Want To Admit
One day changed my life more than any other.
No, it wasn’t a psychedelic trip, or going on a 14-month solo backpacking trip to Australia.
It was when I first stepped foot into a gym.
For twelve years and counting, I’ve lifted weights, sweated buckets, and eaten protein. Through this time, the iron temple has taught me more about life than anything else – mostly discipline, consistency, and dedication.
When friends ask me for advice based on how I improved my appearance and increased strength, I always give them the same answer:
“Train hard, eat healthy, sleep well. Repeat for five years.”
They look at me like I’m insane. They expect some sort of secret trick, a miracle exercise that makes their muscles blow up like popcorn in a microwave. They think there’s an easy way, but…
It’s supposed to be hard.
It was the biggest lesson I learned in over a decade in the gym – growth comes through hardship.
This doesn’t mean you should purposely grind yourself to the bone or make things extra hard just for the sake of it.
But stop looking for easy ways out, when you could just be doing the work.
Doing the work is the shortcut.
How To Fall In Love With What Matters
Deep down, 99% of people know this already.
Yet, miracle diet pills still sell like hotcakes, get-rich-quick schemes are actually making some swindler rich, and magic workout solutions are a billion dollar industry.
Why?
Because we don’t like to feel uncomfortable.
I’ve faced tons of hardships over the last few years with my business, going to therapy, and traveling full-time.
You can’t avoid the hard work – but you can fall in love with it.
Here’s how:
Doing the work is the reward
Most people act based on results
Work hard so you get money. Support your partner so they’re happy. Exercise so you get a six-pack.
The problem is this leads you to duality thinking. Do something you don’t like to get something you like. Subconsciously, if the reward is good, you’ll view the work as bad.
But what would happen if you turned the work into the reward? What if you felt the gratitude and beauty in the hardship? What if you focused on the pride and self-esteem you get from putting in the effort?
Hard would turn into something good.
Face the pain. Be grateful for your challenges. Dedicate yourself to the creation.
“The man who loves walking will walk further than the man who loves the destination.” – African Proverb
Think in 100s
I first heard this idea from prodigy entrepreneur Alex Hormozi.
He built a business valued at over $100 million, goes viral on social media every day, is super jacked, and has the rare combination of being off-the-charts smart and super humble at the same time.
Instead of thinking about how many hours he needs to put in or how many times he needs to do something, he uses a 100X multiplier:
“How many 100s of hours do I need to spend on this? How many 100s of tries do I need to become good? How many 100s of times do I need to do this until I’ve accomplished my goal?”
This thinking instantly shifts your mind to longer time horizons and more commitment.
It pulls you away from expecting results quickly and giving up when you don’t have them.
Instead, you’re in it for the long run.
100s of workouts until you get jacked. 100s of hours until you master a skill. 100s of iterations until you get it right.
It’s harder, but it will get you 100 times the results.
Consistency over Intensity
Cheetahs are the fastest mammals, with top speeds of 75 miles per hour.
However, they can only hold that speed for about 30 seconds, which equals a distance of .62 miles covered.
At the same time, the African Buffalo covers large distances every day by slowly trotting across the lands between grazing sessions. However, it has to walk all the time – and sometimes gets eaten.
If you can combine both, you’ll have the best of both worlds.
Don’t burn or bore yourself out by doing too much all at once or too little forever.
Go hard at it, rest, repeat.
Remember This And You Will Go Far
Shortcuts are seductive.
They lure you in through grand promises with little effort. But a dead investment is still dead, even if it’s small.
If achieving big goals was easy, everybody would do it – but most people don’t have tons of money, a magazine-cover body, or a textbook healthy relationship.
The truth is most good things in life are hard to get.
View the work as the reward. Think in 100s. Put in intensity consistently.
The only shortcut is doing the work.
The only way to speed it up is patience.
The only easy way is the hard way.
“Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life.” – Jerzy Gregorek