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19 year old's entreprenuerial journey starting from the bottom

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

AceVentures

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Why are you still waking up at 11:30?! Listen, you must learn to take advantage of the mornings. Do a pilot run this week, and wake up every day at 6:00. This will do more for your life than any new "entrepreneurship goal".
 
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TheProcess

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Why are you still waking up at 11:30?! Listen, you must learn to take advantage of the mornings. Do a pilot run this week, and wake up every day at 6:00. This will do more for your life than any new "entrepreneurship goal".
You're right. This week I will not wake up any later than 9 am, and the goal is to bring it down to 8 am.
 

Tubs

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You're right. This week I will not wake up any later than 9 am, and the goal is to bring it down to 8 am.
Instead of making it a goal to reach slowly over a week or two just try doing it today and then keeping it consistent from now on.Just go to sleep now and set an alarm for 6am. Then go to sleep tomorrow 7-8 hrs before 6 and do that consistantly.
 

TheProcess

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Day 7 - Saturday June 22 2019

Current big commitment(s):

- Have my first Fastlane "win". I know this is subjective but I'll know when I get my first win. For example, finalizing a deal in renting my first investment property. Or fully setting up an online shop and getting sales. Something like that, which I am yet to do.

Current entrepreneurial ventures:
- None. (Getting tired of seeing this).

Current earnings through entrepreneurship:
- None. (Also getting tired of seeing this).

Other earnings:
- 294$/week dishwashing in 21 hours. (Quitting this job officially in 2 weeks).

Summary of today:
- Woke up at 9 am.
- Did some research on buying my first property.
- Wasted time watching a tv show. But later in the day I had a sudden burst of anger and motivation. I know, I know, it's about discipline, not motivation.
- Sleeping at 1 am or sooner.

Today's rating:
- Happy I pushed myself to wake up at 9 am. Goal is to sleep at 1 am or sooner and to wake up at 9 am or earlier. I've also got a ton of fitness goals right now, such as drinking 3 litters of water per day, hitting the gym as much as possible, eating healthy, taking all my supplements like creatine and omega 3 fish oil, intermittent fasting, making sure my appearance is managed every day, socializing (like talking to random strangers on the streets), reading, listening to podcasts, and more. I've been doing these things pretty consistently, and even though they aren't exactly helping in terms of creating a productocracy, they are still good habits so I'm happy about that. However, I have to be careful about the 80/20 rule and action-faking. I'm admitting that my "good habits" are not good enough because they aren't important enough. Creating a Fastlane income is much more important than making sure I've flossed my teeth, for example.
- Furthermore, I've got a question if anyone is willing to answer. Is there a way to manufacture urgency? I've noticed that the time when I was most willing to work hard and concentrate on creating a Fastlane business was when I told my parents I was dropping out of University. They told me I would be kicked out of the house. That created great pressure for me and I had pretty great focus for like a week. But then I decided I'd go back for a second year, and I found that I was back in the comfort-feeling of my own home. I'm trying to figure out a way to create that same urgency but without making such a reckless decision. Maybe the answer is to just keep pushing through the comfort.

Commitment(s) for tomorrow:
- I'm going to try to have nothing planned ahead of time. I'm going to wake up early and try to get on my feet and running (metaphor not literally) as soon as possible. Tomorrow night at this same time, I want to be proud of myself and my day, so hopefully not bullshit tv shows or anything like that.
Quote Reply
 
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TheProcess

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Instead of making it a goal to reach slowly over a week or two just try doing it today and then keeping it consistent from now on.Just go to sleep now and set an alarm for 6am. Then go to sleep tomorrow 7-8 hrs before 6 and do that consistantly.
With all due respect, I will try it my way. If that fails, I'll try it your way. Thanks for the advice.
 

Tubs

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Day 7 - Saturday June 22 2019

Current big commitment(s):

- Have my first Fastlane "win". I know this is subjective but I'll know when I get my first win. For example, finalizing a deal in renting my first investment property. Or fully setting up an online shop and getting sales. Something like that, which I am yet to do.

Current entrepreneurial ventures:
- None. (Getting tired of seeing this).

Current earnings through entrepreneurship:
- None. (Also getting tired of seeing this).

Other earnings:
- 294$/week dishwashing in 21 hours. (Quitting this job officially in 2 weeks).

Summary of today:
- Woke up at 9 am.
- Did some research on buying my first property.
- Wasted time watching a tv show. But later in the day I had a sudden burst of anger and motivation. I know, I know, it's about discipline, not motivation.
- Sleeping at 1 am or sooner.

Today's rating:
- Happy I pushed myself to wake up at 9 am. Goal is to sleep at 1 am or sooner and to wake up at 9 am or earlier. I've also got a ton of fitness goals right now, such as drinking 3 litters of water per day, hitting the gym as much as possible, eating healthy, taking all my supplements like creatine and omega 3 fish oil, intermittent fasting, making sure my appearance is managed every day, socializing (like talking to random strangers on the streets), reading, listening to podcasts, and more. I've been doing these things pretty consistently, and even though they aren't exactly helping in terms of creating a productocracy, they are still good habits so I'm happy about that. However, I have to be careful about the 80/20 rule and action-faking. I'm admitting that my "good habits" are not good enough because they aren't important enough. Creating a Fastlane income is much more important than making sure I've flossed my teeth, for example.
- Furthermore, I've got a question if anyone is willing to answer. Is there a way to manufacture urgency? I've noticed that the time when I was most willing to work hard and concentrate on creating a Fastlane business was when I told my parents I was dropping out of University. They told me I would be kicked out of the house. That created great pressure for me and I had pretty great focus for like a week. But then I decided I'd go back for a second year, and I found that I was back in the comfort-feeling of my own home. I'm trying to figure out a way to create that same urgency but without making such a reckless decision. Maybe the answer is to just keep pushing through the comfort.

Commitment(s) for tomorrow:
- I'm going to try to have nothing planned ahead of time. I'm going to wake up early and try to get on my feet and running (metaphor not literally) as soon as possible. Tomorrow night at this same time, I want to be proud of myself and my day, so hopefully not bullshit tv shows or anything like that.
Quote Reply
Tbh from what you're posting im not even really sure what you're trying to do.
Its all stuff like "Im gonna make a fastlane win"
I think maybe one of the reasons you aren't working towards anything is cause you dont have a clear idea of what it is you even want to work towards.
It might be best to just keep working your job + researching markets + building skills in your free time at the moment. Because all I see is you half-assedly chasing a whole lotta nothin.
Not trying to be rude, just saying what I see.
 

TheProcess

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Tbh from what you're posting im not even really sure what you're trying to do.
Its all stuff like "Im gonna make a fastlane win"
I think maybe one of the reasons you aren't working towards anything is cause you dont have a clear idea of what it is you even want to work towards.
It might be best to just keep working your job + researching markets + building skills in your free time at the moment. Because all I see is you half-assedly chasing a whole lotta nothin.
Not trying to be rude, just saying what I see.
I agree with you that I'm half-assedly chasing. However, I think that I currently need to be working my job (as a way to get cash flow coming my way), and working on side hustles on my free time. Currently I'm trying to figure out what my first side hustle will be.
 
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Tubs

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I agree with you that I'm half-assedly chasing. However, I think that I currently need to be working my job (as a way to get cash flow coming my way), and working on side hustles on my free time. Currently I'm trying to figure out what my first side hustle will be.
I said to keep your job. No point in quitting if you don't even have an idea of what to do for the fastlane. My advice was keep the job. Do some in depth market research to find a place where you can provide value. And while you're doing that try learning some relevant skills(ex:// if you want to start a software biz you learn programming, you want to start a company that sells stuff you learn sales, you wanna go into carpet cleaning then you learn about how to make the carpets look clean as hell)

As you are now you don't have a clear path you want to follow other than "Have my first Fastlane "win". "
It's no wonder that you're only half-assing things if you don't even know where you're trying to go.
 

TheProcess

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I said to keep your job. No point in quitting if you don't even have an idea of what to do for the fastlane. My advice was keep the job. Do some in depth market research to find a place where you can provide value. And while you're doing that try learning some relevant skills(ex:// if you want to start a software biz you learn programming, you want to start a company that sells stuff you learn sales, you wanna go into carpet cleaning then you learn about how to make the carpets look clean as hell)

As you are now you don't have a clear path you want to follow other than "Have my first Fastlane "win". "
It's no wonder that you're only half-assing things if you don't even know where you're trying to go.
Oh, I'm quitting my job because I have a much better one lined up for me that starts two weeks after I quit this one (Which I explained on my first post of this thread). So I'm only taking two weeks off. Also, this morning I did some brainstorming and came up with a great idea (I think). I'm going to make a post asking for advice soon on this idea.
 

TheProcess

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Day 8 - Sunday June 23 2019

Current big commitment(s):

- Have my first Fastlane win.

Current entrepreneurial ventures:
- Starting a merchandising side hustle where I'll be selling t-shirts and clothing at events in my city, which I may eventually turn into a merchandise as a service business (because this scales).

Current earnings through entrepreneurship:
- None.

Other earnings:
- 294$/week dishwashing in 21 hours. (Quitting this job officially in less than 2 weeks).

Summary of today:
- Woke up at 9 am.
- Called some brokers and agents in real estate. Made an appointment for tomorrow. I want to fully understand what it will take for me to buy my first investment property (like how much money I need saved up).
- Got the business idea to go to events and to sell merchandise at those events. Made a post on Upwork and someone is willing to work with me to create the designs. I then messaged a bunch of instagram accounts of big events coming up in my city to see if they want to partner up with me so that I could make merchandise for their events and they could keep a cut of the profits. Emailed a couple as well. However it was super unprofessional because I used my personal instagram and email. That's probably why nobody answered.
- Called my city to see if it's legal to sell merchandise in the streets. Apparently I need a permit. I'm calling the permit office tomorrow.
- Ran into the girl that rejected me a year ago with the guy she chose over me. Ruined a chunk of my day. Spent unnecessary brain energy on stupid shit. However, I'm just going to let stuff like that fuel me.
- Went on instagram and saw a follow request from an old friend of mine. He's doing really well in life. He became a singer/rapper and two of his songs have over 100k in likes and listens. And I then saw some pictures of him with other old friends of mine who are also doing amazing at life. Those guys all have their own businesses and legit websites. I hate to admit it, but seeing their success really pissed me off. That ruined another big chunk of my day. I tried my best to be stoic and compare myself to who I was yesterday instead of other people but it was hard. I was just super angry the second half of the day.
- Had work from 5 - 10 pm.
- Sleeping at 1 am or earlier.

Today's rating:
- Overall I'm seeing some positive signs but I shouldn't let stupid stuff bother me and make me angry. I should just focus on myself.

Commitment(s) for tomorrow:
- Learn more about buying my first investment property.
- Make some progress on my merchandise venture.

Other comments:
-
This thread has over 1k in views but almost nobody responds. I guess this means that this thread isn't bringing anyone value. I apologize for that.
 
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Tubs

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Day 8 - Sunday June 23 2019

Current big commitment(s):

- Have my first Fastlane win.

Current entrepreneurial ventures:
- Starting a merchandising side hustle where I'll be selling t-shirts and clothing at events in my city, which I may eventually turn into a merchandise as a service business (because this scales).

Current earnings through entrepreneurship:
- None.

Other earnings:
- 294$/week dishwashing in 21 hours. (Quitting this job officially in less than 2 weeks).

Summary of today:
- Woke up at 9 am.
- Called some brokers and agents in real estate. Made an appointment for tomorrow. I want to fully understand what it will take for me to buy my first investment property (like how much money I need saved up).
- Got the business idea to go to events and to sell merchandise at those events. Made a post on Upwork and someone is willing to work with me to create the designs. I then messaged a bunch of instagram accounts of big events coming up in my city to see if they want to partner up with me so that I could make merchandise for their events and they could keep a cut of the profits. Emailed a couple as well. However it was super unprofessional because I used my personal instagram and email. That's probably why nobody answered.
- Called my city to see if it's legal to sell merchandise in the streets. Apparently I need a permit. I'm calling the permit office tomorrow.
- Ran into the girl that rejected me a year ago with the guy she chose over me. Ruined a chunk of my day. Spent unnecessary brain energy on stupid shit. However, I'm just going to let stuff like that fuel me.
- Went on instagram and saw a follow request from an old friend of mine. He's doing really well in life. He became a singer/rapper and two of his songs have over 100k in likes and listens. And I then saw some pictures of him with other old friends of mine who are also doing amazing at life. Those guys all have their own businesses and legit websites. I hate to admit it, but seeing their success really pissed me off. That ruined another big chunk of my day. I tried my best to be stoic and compare myself to who I was yesterday instead of other people but it was hard. I was just super angry the second half of the day.
- Had work from 5 - 10 pm.
- Sleeping at 1 am or earlier.

Today's rating:
- Overall I'm seeing some positive signs but I shouldn't let stupid stuff bother me and make me angry. I should just focus on myself.

Commitment(s) for tomorrow:
- Learn more about buying my first investment property.
- Make some progress on my merchandise venture.

Other comments:
-
This thread has over 1k in views but almost nobody responds. I guess this means that this thread isn't bringing anyone value. I apologize for that.
Good to see you have a goal and are taking action. Keep chipping away at it.
 

Envision

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Hey man,

Couple bits of feedback. You can take it or leave it but I was in your spot 5 years ago

I'd start updating this thread bi weekly or monthly. The daily updates probably take more time from your productivity and don't constitute a tangible result.

Avoid selling t-shirts, everyone does this when they start because its a low barrier to entry and it almost never works out. I'd start researching online marketing, ecom, and branding and figure out a way where you could create and sell a product online that fills a need and can scale...

Just to shortcut your learning curve:
- Learn FB ads
- Learn Ecom/web set up via shopify
- Pick a single product, reoccuring, low cost, high margin (some of these are give and take, you may not be able to achieve all characteristics)
- Brand it, build an audience, launch
- Get a better paying job so you can spend more on ads/your business
- Start waking up at 6 am, hit the gym early, work your job, and work on your side hustle after.

Good luck man, also dont get sucked into ads from "gurus" who will teach you ecom, amazon, etc.

The only get rich quick scheme is someone getting rich off of you.
 

TheProcess

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Hey man,

Couple bits of feedback. You can take it or leave it but I was in your spot 5 years ago

I'd start updating this thread bi weekly or monthly. The daily updates probably take more time from your productivity and don't constitute a tangible result.

Avoid selling t-shirts, everyone does this when they start because its a low barrier to entry and it almost never works out. I'd start researching online marketing, ecom, and branding and figure out a way where you could create and sell a product online that fills a need and can scale...

Just to shortcut your learning curve:
- Learn FB ads
- Learn Ecom/web set up via shopify
- Pick a single product, reoccuring, low cost, high margin (some of these are give and take, you may not be able to achieve all characteristics)
- Brand it, build an audience, launch
- Get a better paying job so you can spend more on ads/your business
- Start waking up at 6 am, hit the gym early, work your job, and work on your side hustle after.

Good luck man, also dont get sucked into ads from "gurus" who will teach you ecom, amazon, etc.

The only get rich quick scheme is someone getting rich off of you.
Thank you Envision for your advice.
I agree that I need to space out my updates. A few questions. I apologize in advance if some of these go against the Fastlane philosophy. I'm just so tempted to ask.
Can you give me examples of these products that you talk about?
What do you mean by reoccurring?
When you say to pick a product do you mean to buy it from somewhere like Aliexpress or actually create and build something myself?
What's the best way to build an audience?
 
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Envision

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Thank you Envision for your advice.
I agree that I need to space out my updates. A few questions. I apologize in advance if some of these go against the Fastlane philosophy. I'm just so tempted to ask.
Can you give me examples of these products that you talk about?
What do you mean by reoccurring?
When you say to pick a product do you mean to buy it from somewhere like Aliexpress or actually create and build something myself?
What's the best way to build an audience?

It's your thread you can do what you want haha, and you dont have to i just think it would give you more time to have tangible movement on your goals for people to give feedback on.

Theres tons out there, look at what you and those around you consume , toothpaste, deodorant, beard/shave care, supplements, skin care, rehab/medical products, etc. It doesnt even have to be physical, if you know how to train people build a subscription training website and sell a subscription for $99/mo and offer X amount of services and run ads to your training.

Reoccurring is essentially subscription. Rather than constantly seeking new customers for each transaction - one customer has a lifetime value of 10 transactions at the cost of one customer.

IE: 1 transaction = $30
1 transaction reoccuring for 10 months = $300
Cost to acquire a customer (CPA) = $25
Profit? - $5 vs. $275

You'll find the people with the biggest businesses are those who are willing to lose money on their front end offer only to make it up 10x on the backend via upsells/reoccurring/affiliate offers.

You dont have to create or build it yourself, you can see what others are doing and replicate and market it better. Alibaba is good for overseas production but you can also find good quality manufacturers in the US. Walter Hays book is a good read on import/export if you want to learn about it.

Audience building?
Free/slower way: Youtube, Instagram, Blogging, FB groups
Fast/Paid way: Paid IG/FB ads direct to email opt in, Paid influencers to landing page, Paid giveaway direct to squeeze page/email opt in.
 

TheProcess

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It's your thread you can do what you want haha, and you dont have to i just think it would give you more time to have tangible movement on your goals for people to give feedback on.

Theres tons out there, look at what you and those around you consume , toothpaste, deodorant, beard/shave care, supplements, skin care, rehab/medical products, etc. It doesnt even have to be physical, if you know how to train people build a subscription training website and sell a subscription for $99/mo and offer X amount of services and run ads to your training.

Reoccurring is essentially subscription. Rather than constantly seeking new customers for each transaction - one customer has a lifetime value of 10 transactions at the cost of one customer.

IE: 1 transaction = $30
1 transaction reoccuring for 10 months = $300
Cost to acquire a customer (CPA) = $25
Profit? - $5 vs. $275

You'll find the people with the biggest businesses are those who are willing to lose money on their front end offer only to make it up 10x on the backend via upsells/reoccurring/affiliate offers.

You dont have to create or build it yourself, you can see what others are doing and replicate and market it better. Alibaba is good for overseas production but you can also find good quality manufacturers in the US. Walter Hays book is a good read on import/export if you want to learn about it.

Audience building?
Free/slower way: Youtube, Instagram, Blogging, FB groups
Fast/Paid way: Paid IG/FB ads direct to email opt in, Paid influencers to landing page, Paid giveaway direct to squeeze page/email opt in.
Thank you!
 

TheProcess

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Update:
It's been like 8 days since I posted. During this time I have not done jack shit in terms of entrepreneurship.
I quit my job and I'm off for two weeks before my new job starts. But that job is full-time so I'm scared I won't have the time or energy to make progress with Fastlane stuff. Then university starts again and my focus will be school. I just feel a little trapped and stuck and unmotivated, and at the same time uncomfortable. Maybe it's because I want things so fast and this is creating paralysis.
I wanted to try doing weekly updates but I found that I was not productive this way. I will go back to daily updates. When I was doing daily updates I found myself on this forum quite a bit and my level of motivation was higher.
I'm truly pissed off at things. I just want to have a damn FTE moment. I want to be focused and happy with my process.

During the next two weeks, I'm going to do this everyday:

- Hit the gym.
- Wake up at 9 am or earlier. Go to bed at 1 am or earlier.
- Drink at least 2 litters of water per day.
- Start getting ready for bed at 10 pm and read books before going to bed instead of wasting time watching TV or doing unproductive things.
- Do intermittent fasting.

I will do these 5 things everyday for two weeks. Perhaps this will put me in a better, more focused mood. I just need some momentum going my way. Maybe achieving this little thing, even if it's not even related to entrepreneurship, will help create that effect of achievement, like sticking to my word and creating self-integrity.
 
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Last edited:

DoTheWork

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Update:
It's been like 8 days since I posted. During this time I have not done jack shit in terms of entrepreneurship.
I quit my job and I'm off for two weeks before my new job starts. But that job is full-time so I'm scared I won't have the time or energy to make progress with Fastlane stuff. Then university starts again and my focus will be school. I just feel a little trapped and stuck and unmotivated, and at the same time uncomfortable. Maybe it's because I want things so fast and this is creating paralysis.
I wanted to try doing weekly updates but I found that I was not productive this way. I will go back to daily updates. When I was doing daily updates I found myself on this forum quite a bit and my level of motivation was higher.
I'm truly pissed off at things. I just want to have a damn FTE moment. I want to be focused and happy with my process.

During the next two weeks, I'm going to do this everyday:

- Hit the gym.
- Wake up at 9 am or earlier. Go to bed at 1 am or earlier.
- Drink at least 2 litters of water per day.
- Start getting ready for bed at 10 pm and read books before going to bed instead of wasting time watching TV or doing unproductive things.
- Do intermittent fasting.

I will do these 5 things everyday for two weeks. Perhaps this will put me in a better, more focused mood. I just need some momentum going my way. Maybe achieving this little thing, even if it's not even related to entrepreneurship, will help create that effect of achievement, like sticking to my word and creating self-integrity.
I've been following this thread since it started.
I'm also 19 years old. I work than 30-40 hours a week and I'm in college full-time once summer is over, so we're in the same boat here.

It seems like throughout your updates you have been focused on staying productive, but are you truly being productive? What goal are you working towards? Staying fit or freeing yourself from a job?
In the past, I've struggled with wasting my time on things that I told myself were productive (ex: creating an excel spreadsheet to track unnecessary things about my project), but weren't truly bringing me closer to my goals.

Nothing on list of items you want to do everyday seems to be directed towards reaching your actual goals.

A couple weeks ago, I had virtually no idea what type of fastlane business I wanted to start working on. I woke up at 7:30am or earlier (I work until 11pm every night). I'd spend my day analyzing my life and the things that could be improved, no matter how small, and try to figure out a solution. "Trying to figure out a solution" wasn't as simple as thinking about it for 30 seconds or surrendering to the thought of "I don't know how to do that". I would research and learn about it before assuming I couldn't offer a solution.
When I started to run out of ideas from myself, I started contacting others and asking about things that could be improved in their life or work. Eventually (and pretty quickly), I found something.

The point to this is, I was taking actionable steps towards my goals. I didn't waste my time on other things that weren't relevant to my goal. I also didn't let my job get in the way of my goals.

Now while I'm working on my idea, I wake up early as usual and work non-stop until it's time to go to my job. I typically spend less than 30 minutes of my day (before work starts) on "breaks," which only consists of grabbing food from the kitchen. I don't spend my time doing tasks such as creating basically useless excel spreadsheets. I constantly ask myself, "is what I'm doing right now getting me closer to my goal?"

Being in college is no excuse for the squandering of your entrepreneurial goals. I take 18 credits at my university and was able to devote time to the project I was working on at the time. My classes started at 9am every day. Once they concluded, I'd immediately finish any school related work to get it off my plate so I can focus. I'd stay on campus in one of the buildings working on my laptop until 10 or 11pm, even on Friday nights while everyone was out partying.

I'm not trying to put you down or anything, because it's great that you want to achieve financial independence. I'm just trying to give my perspective being in the same position as you, which you can choose to ignore if you'd like.
 
Last edited:

Tubs

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I've been following this thread since it started.
I'm also 19 years old. I work than 30-40 hours a week and I'm in college full-time once summer is over, so we're in the same boat here.

It seems like throughout your updates you have been focused on staying productive, but are you truly being productive? What goal are you working towards? Staying fit or freeing yourself from a job?
In the past, I've struggled with wasting my time on things that I told myself were productive (ex: creating an excel spreadsheet to track unnecessary things about my project), but weren't truly bringing me closer to my goals.

Nothing on list of items you want to do everyday seems to be directed towards reaching your actual goals.

A couple weeks ago, I had virtually no idea what type of fastlane business I wanted to start working on. I woke up at 7:30am or earlier (I work until 11pm every night). I'd spend my day analyzing my life and the things that could be improved, no matter how small, and try to figure out a solution. "Trying to figure out a solution" wasn't as simple as thinking about it for 30 seconds or surrendering to the thought of "I don't know how to do that". I would research and learn about it before assuming I couldn't offer a solution.
When I started to run out of ideas from myself, I started contacting others and asking about things that could be improved in their life or work. Eventually (and pretty quickly), I found something.

The point to this is, I was taking actionable steps towards my goals. I didn't waste my time on other things that weren't relevant to my goal. I also didn't let my job get in the way of my goals.

Now while I'm working on my idea, I wake up early as usual and work non-stop until it's time to go to work. I typically spend less than 30 minutes of my day (before work starts) on "breaks," which only consists of grabbing food from the kitchen. I don't spend my time doing tasks such as creating basically useless excel spreadsheets. I constantly ask myself, "is what I'm doing right now getting me closer to my goal?"

Being in college is no excuse for the squandering of your entrepreneurial goals. I take 18 credits at my university and was able to devote time to the project I was working on at the time. My classes started at 9am every day. Once they concluded, I'd immediately finish any school related work to get it off my plate so I can focus. I'd stay on campus in one of the buildings working on my laptop until 10 or 11pm, even on Friday nights while everyone was out partying.

I'm not trying to put you down or anything, because it's great that you want to achieve financial independence. I'm just trying to give my perspective being in the same position as you, which you can choose to ignore if you'd like.


Great points, pretty much what I was trying to say earlier in the thread.
If you don't have a clear idea of what you're working towards you'll just end up doing busy work and thinking that you're being productive while getting nowhere.
 

TheProcess

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I've been following this thread since it started.
I'm also 19 years old. I work than 30-40 hours a week and I'm in college full-time once summer is over, so we're in the same boat here.

It seems like throughout your updates you have been focused on staying productive, but are you truly being productive? What goal are you working towards? Staying fit or freeing yourself from a job?
In the past, I've struggled with wasting my time on things that I told myself were productive (ex: creating an excel spreadsheet to track unnecessary things about my project), but weren't truly bringing me closer to my goals.

Nothing on list of items you want to do everyday seems to be directed towards reaching your actual goals.

A couple weeks ago, I had virtually no idea what type of fastlane business I wanted to start working on. I woke up at 7:30am or earlier (I work until 11pm every night). I'd spend my day analyzing my life and the things that could be improved, no matter how small, and try to figure out a solution. "Trying to figure out a solution" wasn't as simple as thinking about it for 30 seconds or surrendering to the thought of "I don't know how to do that". I would research and learn about it before assuming I couldn't offer a solution.
When I started to run out of ideas from myself, I started contacting others and asking about things that could be improved in their life or work. Eventually (and pretty quickly), I found something.

The point to this is, I was taking actionable steps towards my goals. I didn't waste my time on other things that weren't relevant to my goal. I also didn't let my job get in the way of my goals.

Now while I'm working on my idea, I wake up early as usual and work non-stop until it's time to go to my job. I typically spend less than 30 minutes of my day (before work starts) on "breaks," which only consists of grabbing food from the kitchen. I don't spend my time doing tasks such as creating basically useless excel spreadsheets. I constantly ask myself, "is what I'm doing right now getting me closer to my goal?"

Being in college is no excuse for the squandering of your entrepreneurial goals. I take 18 credits at my university and was able to devote time to the project I was working on at the time. My classes started at 9am every day. Once they concluded, I'd immediately finish any school related work to get it off my plate so I can focus. I'd stay on campus in one of the buildings working on my laptop until 10 or 11pm, even on Friday nights while everyone was out partying.

I'm not trying to put you down or anything, because it's great that you want to achieve financial independence. I'm just trying to give my perspective being in the same position as you, which you can choose to ignore if you'd like.
Thank you brother. It's nice to see someone in the same boat. Congrats on the hustle. I need to be better and stop whining. As you said, I need to take actionable steps. To answer your question, I want to be both fit and financially independent. I also want to have fun and have a great social life. I think I need to be prioritizing financial independence however.
How do you think I should deal with the negative emotions associated with wanting so much but making so little progress?
How are you able to stay focused all day long and sustain the level of energy you need to both do your job and work on your business/life? Does it get difficult sometimes?
 
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TheProcess

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Great points, pretty much what I was trying to say earlier in the thread.
If you don't have a clear idea of what you're working towards you'll just end up doing busy work and thinking that you're being productive while getting nowhere.
What do you do when you have several conflicting goals? Such as wanting to be fit, wanting to improve socially/have fun, and wanting to reach financial independence and help improve humanity?
 

DoTheWork

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Thank you brother. It's nice to see someone in the same boat. Congrats on the hustle. I need to be better and stop whining. As you said, I need to take actionable steps. To answer your question, I want to be both fit and financially independent. I also want to have fun and have a great social life. I think I need to be prioritizing financial independence however.
How do you think I should deal with the negative emotions associated with wanting so much but making so little progress?
How are you able to stay focused all day long and sustain the level of energy you need to both do your job and work on your business/life? Does it get difficult sometimes?
It sounds like you definitely want to prioritize financial independence. From what it sounds like, you're already relatively "fit," so is it really worth your time to progress further on that goal now? It's not like you're unhealthy, correct? In terms of having fun and a "great social life," I personally believe these need to be sacrificed if you want to make progress quick. As I mentioned, I was on campus with my laptop every Friday night while everyone else was celebrating the end of the week. I also did this on weekends.

Personally, the fact that I want something so much but little progress is being made will motivate me to work more. Not just by spending more time in front of a computer, but by completing more important tasks throughout my day.

I don't drink coffee or energy drinks or an energy boost. I'm able to stay focused and energized because I truly want it. My goals are so desirable to me that I naturally want to spend every minute I can working towards them.

Sure, sometimes I am prone to distraction, but I eliminate this as much as I can. My desk is free of clutter and there is nothing around me that would easily distract me from working. I have 2 login accounts for Google Chrome. When I'm logged into my "work" account, everything switches over to strictly work-related stuff. This prevents me from encountering distractions while working (for example: Typing a website in the search bar and am suggested to go to reddit.com instead of the work-related site). If I have a list of things to do longer than 2 items, I write them down on paper and knock them out one-by-one.

Also, remember to reward yourself, but only when you've actually made good progress. I'll let myself sleep in roughly once a week if I've been truly productive. Once my project launches, I'll probably give myself a day off.
 

TheProcess

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It sounds like you definitely want to prioritize financial independence. From what it sounds like, you're already relatively "fit," so is it really worth your time to progress further on that goal now? It's not like you're unhealthy, correct? In terms of having fun and a "great social life," I personally believe these need to be sacrificed if you want to make progress quick. As I mentioned, I was on campus with my laptop every Friday night while everyone else was celebrating the end of the week. I also did this on weekends.

Personally, the fact that I want something so much but little progress is being made will motivate me to work more. Not just by spending more time in front of a computer, but by completing more important tasks throughout my day.

I don't drink coffee or energy drinks or an energy boost. I'm able to stay focused and energized because I truly want it. My goals are so desirable to me that I naturally want to spend every minute I can working towards them.

Sure, sometimes I am prone to distraction, but I eliminate this as much as I can. My desk is free of clutter and there is nothing around me that would easily distract me from working. I have 2 login accounts for Google Chrome. When I'm logged into my "work" account, everything switches over to strictly work-related stuff. This prevents me from encountering distractions while working (for example: Typing a website in the search bar and am suggested to go to reddit.com instead of the work-related site). If I have a list of things to do longer than 2 items, I write them down on paper and knock them out one-by-one.

Also, remember to reward yourself, but only when you've actually made good progress. I'll let myself sleep in roughly once a week if I've been truly productive. Once my project launches, I'll probably give myself a day off.
I'm not unhealthy. However, I'm also not a very good looking dude lol. I didn't really have friends growing up and I haven't had experience with girls either. When people were having fun in high school, my life sucked. I guess that's one void that I'm trying to fill.
Question for you. You say you were able to not get distracted when everyone else was having fun and partying. Is that because you already had your fun, did you already get that stuff out of your system?
I wish I were like you... my goals so desirable that I can't stop working toward them. For some reason it seems to have the opposite effect on me. I find it hard to feel motivated and "alive" during the process. Perhaps it's a biological issue. Or maybe this will change once I get some momentum going my way, once I start to see results.
I have felt that feeling a "flow" a few times in my life, however. When something is so compelling that you just don't want to stop.
 
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DoTheWork

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I'm not unhealthy. However, I'm also not a very good looking dude lol. I didn't really have friends growing up and I haven't had experience with girls either. When people were having fun in high school, my life sucked. I guess that's one void that I'm trying to fill.
Question for you. You say you were able to not get distracted when everyone else was having fun and partying. Is that because you already had your fun, did you already get that stuff out of your system?
I wish I were like you... my goals so desirable that I can't stop working toward them. For some reason it seems to have the opposite effect on me. I find it hard to feel motivated and "alive" during the process. Perhaps it's a biological issue. Or maybe this will change once I get some momentum going my way, once I start to see results.
I have felt that feeling a "flow" a few times in my life, however. When something is so compelling that you just don't want to stop.
I didn't get the fun out of my system at all actually. I didn't even have my first girlfriend until last year. I don't have a ton of friends in college, just a handful. Any more than that is too much for me. I haven't spent time going out or doing things I want to do. This has been the case for years. For me, it's not time for that yet, it's time to work.

Have you read Unscripted ? If not, I suggest to start because it may help, although there are deeper issues that need resolved too.
 

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Day 9 (continuing from my last post) - Tuesday July 2 2019

Current big commitment(s):

- Have my first Fastlane win.

Current entrepreneurial ventures:
- Starting a merchandising side hustle where I'll be selling t-shirts and clothing at events in my city.

Current earnings through entrepreneurship:
- None.

Other earnings:
- None for the next two weeks until my new job starts.

Summary of today:
- Woke up at 9 am.
- Did my 5 daily goals that I set for the next two weeks, stuff like working out, fasting...
- No progress in terms of entrepreneurship.
- Sleeping at 1 am or earlier.

Today's rating:
- This thread has just become a joke. Like what's the damn point anymore. I feel like everyone reading this probably thinks I'm a dreampreneur, action faker, and the million of other words used to describe wannabe entrepreneurs. I need to pull it together.

Commitment(s) for tomorrow:
- Make some progress on my merchandise venture.
 

TheProcess

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I didn't get the fun out of my system at all actually. I didn't even have my first girlfriend until last year. I don't have a ton of friends in college, just a handful. Any more than that is too much for me. I haven't spent time going out or doing things I want to do. This has been the case for years. For me, it's not time for that yet, it's time to work.

Have you read Unscripted ? If not, I suggest to start because it may help, although there are deeper issues that need resolved too.
yes I've read it multiple times. I even made my own summary of each chapter.
 
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Tubs

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What do you do when you have several conflicting goals? Such as wanting to be fit, wanting to improve socially/have fun, and wanting to reach financial independence and help improve humanity?

For me work and fitness are top of the list. I make sure to workout and get my work done everyday, I also do my best to eat healthy.
After I get my work and fitness stuff done for the day I give myself a bit of time for fun.
But you have to have your priorities in order. Going out with friends is nice and all, but you need to have all your work done for the day first.
If you work with focus and intensity when you have to work then you can get a lot done in a relatively short amount of time.
A person with immense focus can get done in 4 hours or less what takes a distracted person 8 hrs.

High quality work produced = (time spent) x (intensity of focus)

My ideal daily schedule breaks down like this:

9.5hrs of work
8hrs of sleep
2 hrs workout, shower, shave, and commute
1.5 hrs misc(groceries, eating, etc)
3hrs free time

Also remember consistency. Having one good day a week means nothing if you end up doing nothing the other 6 days.
 

drpeppehr

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Dude.

Set some real goals and stick to them. You need to start thinking about what you want and how you're going to get it.

Let me ask you something. What are some of your biggest accomplishments? Your job, for example, originated as a goal/desire. What about your fitness habit? That used to be a goal as well. Write down and list your accomplishments, as many of them as you can.

Now take your three most difficult accomplishments. What steps did you take to turn them into reality? How did you accomplish them? Write down the exact steps you took to accomplish them.

It seems like you're getting triggers and motivation to start doing more. You want more from life than you're currently getting. That's a good thing. But you need to imagine.

Create a clear result in your mind of what you want and how you're going to take massive action and use all your energy to get to it.

Now on paper, come up with a list of things you want to achieve, create, have, do and/or experience in the next 15 years. Write down everything you want to have, do, or be in your lifetime.

Go over that list of desires and pick the things you feel like you can do in the next one year. Summarize to yourself why you're going to achieve those desires and think about what you're going to do to get them.


Hopefully that helps. I think this should give you something to work with.
 

TheProcess

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For me work and fitness are top of the list. I make sure to workout and get my work done everyday, I also do my best to eat healthy.
After I get my work and fitness stuff done for the day I give myself a bit of time for fun.
But you have to have your priorities in order. Going out with friends is nice and all, but you need to have all your work done for the day first.
If you work with focus and intensity when you have to work then you can get a lot done in a relatively short amount of time.
A person with immense focus can get done in 4 hours or less what takes a distracted person 8 hrs.

High quality work produced = (time spent) x (intensity of focus)

My ideal daily schedule breaks down like this:

9.5hrs of work
8hrs of sleep
2 hrs workout, shower, shave, and commute
1.5 hrs misc(groceries, eating, etc)
3hrs free time

Also remember consistency. Having one good day a week means nothing if you end up doing nothing the other 6 days.
I like that formula.
 
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TheProcess

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Dude.

Set some real goals and stick to them. You need to start thinking about what you want and how you're going to get it.

Let me ask you something. What are some of your biggest accomplishments? Your job, for example, originated as a goal/desire. What about your fitness habit? That used to be a goal as well. Write down and list your accomplishments, as many of them as you can.

Now take your three most difficult accomplishments. What steps did you take to turn them into reality? How did you accomplish them? Write down the exact steps you took to accomplish them.

It seems like you're getting triggers and motivation to start doing more. You want more from life than you're currently getting. That's a good thing. But you need to imagine.

Create a clear result in your mind of what you want and how you're going to take massive action and use all your energy to get to it.

Now on paper, come up with a list of things you want to achieve, create, have, do and/or experience in the next 15 years. Write down everything you want to have, do, or be in your lifetime.

Go over that list of desires and pick the things you feel like you can do in the next one year. Summarize to yourself why you're going to achieve those desires and think about what you're going to do to get them.


Hopefully that helps. I think this should give you something to work with.
Thanks man. I'll do that thing about making that list for my next 15 years. It's a long list but I'll do it. And I'll figure out what I can do in 1 year. Do you want me to answer to you my biggest accomplishments or was it a rhetorical question to ask myself?
To further your point, I think my problem is that I'm not cutting my goals into workable pieces.
 

TheProcess

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Day 10 - Wednesday July 3 2019

Current big commitment(s):

- Have my first Fastlane win.

Current entrepreneurial ventures:
- Will start a merchandising side hustle where I'll be selling t-shirts and clothing at events.

Current earnings through entrepreneurship:
- None.

Other earnings:
- None for approximately the next two weeks until my new job starts.

Summary of today:
- Woke up at 9 am.
- Did my 5 daily goals that I set for the next two weeks, such as working out.
- Started documenting my journey, as Gary V talks about.
- No progress in terms of entrepreneurship.
- Sleeping at 1 am or earlier.

Today's rating:
- I feel a little bit of momentum going my way because its been two days that I've done my 5 daily goals. My sleep is getting better, I'm going to the gym, I'm eating healthy. I'm doing a better job of taking care of myself. However, I need to make progress financially!

Commitment(s) for tomorrow:
- Make some progress on my merchandising venture.
- Make a list of what I want to accomplish in the next 15 years. Find out what from that list I can accomplish in the next 1 year. Cut that into workable pieces.
 

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