🤞Howdy
I, I think it is worth talking about the fact that there are ways to make 1,000,000 bucks and then like ways to make 1,000,000 bucks that could turn into a billion bucks, And I think we should talk about both.
But before we dive into that rabbit hole, let me tell you why this month might be a transitional, pivotal moment in my life.
Picture this: It's July 1st, we're exactly 183 days into the year - the halfway point. I'm sitting there, pen in hand, ready to do my midyear goal-setting reflection. Two hours later, I'm staring at the results, and let me tell you, they're not what I expected. I'll spill the details in a minute, but first, I've got a quick story that might just change how you think about success and focus. Stick with me, and let me know what you think!
🤞 The 5 AM Fallacy
It’s 5:00 AM on January 1st. You told yourself this is the year you achieve your goals, get the freedom you’ve always desired, and actually make something of yourself. So you’re sat at your desk, laptop open, working on your new business.
At least that’s what you told yourself. And after 48 YouTube videos, 5 hours later, you’re still sat there, nothing achieved, no real progress made.
Most people want to get fit, most people won’t. Most people want to build a successful business, and the reality is they won’t.
And the reason why most people won’t do these things is because their brains are wired for distraction, and if your brain’s constantly distracted, well you’re set up for failure.
In order to build anything great, you must have the ability to focus, to focus on one particular task for hours, days, weeks on end. And if your brain is scattered, how do you expect to do that?
This month has been a stark reminder of this truth, and I learned the hard way how to “unfuck” my brain. Consider this Part One of that journey.
The Distraction Dilemma
You’re distracted. We all are. This realization hit me hard this month as I juggled multiple important projects and events. It’s why I didn’t write as much as usual, but it led me to some crucial insights.
As we hit July 1st, marking the halfway point of the year, I decided to review my goals. I grabbed my pen and started checking off progress in my agenda. Two hours later, I found myself wondering why I was skipping so many checkboxes.
After 30 minutes of deep reflection, I had an epiphany: Goals themselves are not important. What’s crucial are the systems around goals. It’s the implementation, it’s what Shaan Puri calls “Level 12 Intensity” - going all in on your task and doing nothing else until you figure out the right way to do it, or achieve close to 100% output.
A Month of Growth and Intensity
This realization came through a month of intense experiences:
- Preparing and delivering my first two masterclasses
- Venturing into unexpected new areas
- Pitching two important projects in a single week
- Coding for two days straight
These experiences pushed me out of my comfort zone and reinforced the importance of focused intensity. I feel blessed to be alive and well, having gone through this growth.
Looking Ahead
The coming month promises to be even more exciting. I’m making a return to several platforms:
- Medium
- Substack
And for all the real OGs of Guardians of the Digital Realm - I’m back and ready to engage!
Conclusion
As we move into the second half of the year, I invite you to join me in focusing less on checkbox goals and more on building systems and habits that support intense, focused work. Let’s challenge ourselves to achieve that “Level 12 Intensity” in whatever we pursue.
Thank you for being part of this journey - as a reader, friend, mentor, and extended family. Your support means the world to me.
Until next time, stay focused and keep pushing forward!
God Bless!
My Favs this week! 🤍
- Microsoft Volume 2: Acquired is one of my oldest and favorite podcast and this time they released there second volume of Microsoft, In this episode they explored and analyze the browser wars and the DOJ case, Windows XP through 8, Surface, Xbox, search, Yahoo!, Bing, the iPhone, Nokia, mobile, social, Facebook... and oh yeah, a little thing called Azure and the enterprise — which ended up becoming so big that no failures mattered. Tune in for Microsoft, Volume II.
- The simple Productivity that made me $100M by Alex Hormozi: in the episode Alex talks about understanding the difference between the two kinds of work has been the biggest unlock in his life, he defines "Maker" vs "Manager" work, why they matter for leverage, how teams can build more awareness and intentionality around them, and ultimately how putting this system into practice can make you a lot more money.
- Money Explained: We spend it, borrow it and save it. This Netflix show talks about money and its many mine fields, from credit cards to casinos, scammers to student loans.