<div class="bbWrapper">Man, 2015 has been killer so far. I've made a LOT of changes so far, but more are still needed. I haven't been here over a year yet, thus never contributed to the NY Goal thread. I'll share some of my realizations and the steps I've taken so far.<br />
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<b><u>My 2015 Realizations:</u><br />
Before reading TMF (March 2015? Maybe April)</b><br />
1) Realized I was thinking too much like a consumer<br />
2) Realized I hated having to wear a stupid, "special" polo every Friday and hated being threatened to get canned if I didn't do so<br />
3) Realized I hated having a district manager, nowhere near my market telling <i>me</i> how things worked<br />
4) Realized I had wasted the past 10 years of my life living in repetition working a Just Over Broke<br />
5) Realized I hated battling my anxiety and depression which was brought on by once accepting mediocrity<br />
6) Realizing I had wasted SO MUCH time playing video games and watching TV when I should have been reading and learning<br />
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<b>After reading TMF</b><br />
1) Realized I wasn't the only one who thought the 9-5 life was just another lottery ticket<br />
2) Realized I <i>CAN </i>do something about it<br />
3) Realized I am definitely GLAD I spent hours in my younger years learning html, css, etc.<br />
4) Realized anything is possible by utilizing a proper mindset<br />
5) Realized the importance of PROCESS over EVENT. (I was waiting for that "event" to happen for <i>years</i>)<br />
6) Realized the importance of separating your time from your money<br />
7) Realized (this may sound cheesy) dreams are still possible.<br />
The list can go on forever for my post-TMF realizations, those were some of the most important ones that helped me shift my mindset.<br />
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TMF aside, the biggest realization I had? I HAD NOBODY TO BLAME BUT MYSELF. But, I also realized, <i>I had a choice.</i><br />
<b><br />
The Goals</b><br />
-Do something <i>different</i>, break the cycle.<br />
-Save up some money to dump my dead-end, toxic job<br />
-After dumping said jump, start <i>something </i>of my own and see it through to the end. ANYTHING. See: Break the cycle.<br />
-Learn as much as I possibly can<br />
-Stop playing video games, watching TV, and wasting money on depreciating consumer items<br />
-Find my vision, then make the smaller goals needed to reach that vision<br />
-Start working my a$$ off, more than I ever have to provide the lifestyle I want<br />
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<b>What's Been Done</b><br />
-Saved up money, dumped job and started my journey down a different path, continuously breaking the cycle. Not only did it work wonders for my sanity, it helped me focus a lot more and clear my mind. I figured I would start with writing. I am not planning on it being fastlane at all, but I had to start SOMEWHERE, just to break that cycle and prove to myself that I can do something. So far I've written and published 5 eBooks, having not outsourced them. Have had a ton of downloads, and some minor sales, but that is a work in progress which will grow larger with proper marketing. I've also made a pledge that I will not write crap - it has to have sufficient content and no fluff.<br />
-Have begun reading more, A LOT more. Learning as much as I possibly can, daily. Within a week I picked up coding again and learned a tremendous amount. I have also started to learn as much as I can about marketing, sales and money in general. As well as studying ways to provide value to people instead of being selfish like I used to be.<br />
-I stopped playing video games, stopped watching TV.<br />
-I have <i>several</i> visions, and am currently trying to find which I am going to focus on the most. I have, however, started taking the needed steps and accomplishing my smaller goals.<br />
-I have been working my a$$ off as much as I possibly can. I have decided to do whatever it takes to get things going. I will have to eventually get another job, but for right now I have some time. My first day of writing, I had never had any experience writing a book, I haven't written anything over 2 pages in <i>years. </i>I had no idea where to start, was trying to figure it out and finally slapped myself and said "JUST START WITH WHAT YOU KNOW". I started writing, knocked out 30 pages in one day. The process was grueling. I felt like I had ran a marathon. I had no idea writing could be so exhausting. But I did it, and I liked it. I liked feeling exhausted doing something other than punching a clock, creating something. Since then, the process has gotten easier and more enjoyable.<br />
-Stopped adopting the reality of others. One of my favorite quotes in TMF <b>"Your reality doesn't change mine"</b><br />
-I stopped TALKING and started DOING. <br />
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Everything I have mentioned is going to be ongoing. I've made a promise to myself that I will not quit and most important - I will endure my failures and learn. Failure = feedback. It's the rematch after getting losing the first fight, the chance to study the footage and see where you went wrong and what needs to be done to WIN.<br />
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The hardest part was getting over the fear. Hell, I remember the day I quit my job. I kept looking at my bank account <i>ALL DAY</i> to calm myself down and it wasn't working. I had a pit in my stomach filled with butterflies, thinking "OMG - What Have I done!?". What helped? I thought to myself "Dude, STFU - When it comes time to get a job again, get one. Don't waste your time worrying right now."<br />
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It was strange shifting my mindset, I had the weirdest sensations going on, my perception was different, it was one of the most bizarre things I've ever encountered. I think one member on here said it was the "ALL IN" mentality.<br />
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<b>THE NEXT STEPS</b><br />
-Learn to FOCUS more on one goal at a time. I get really anxious at times which causes me to get into a panic.<br />
-Start regaining my health - It has gone to absolute <i>shit</i> from my sales job. Chemical Imbalance for sure.<br />
-Get better at my own time management. I'm a bit of a scatter brain sometimes, I'll jump from task to task and it ultimately works against me, causing me to be less productive than I think I am.<br />
-Keep learning, keep burning and keep it moving. I absolutely refuse to settle.<br />
-Get my mind straight (did I mention Focus more?) - setup some time every day to get outside of the house away from the monitors and screens, away from all the reminders to nourish my mind. Yesterday, I went for a hike through a national park here will my fiance was at work. I hadn't been that physically active in a long time. It hurt, it hurt so f'ng bad. I found a spot near a creek to sit. After my heart rate slowed and I cooled off, I felt amazing. Being outside, away from the noise, away from all the BS. As I looked at all the nature surrounding me, wondering how long it had been there, what it used to look like, etc (insert compulsive thoughts here) I found a reminder: The world won't stop for <i>you</i>. All those trees, the creek, the waterfalls, they don't give a shit about you. <b>Life will continue without you</b>. Don't take that as a grim, depressing, self-loathing thought. It was simple, I had to keep making things happen. I can't slow down. Once you quit, life will pass you by. I've already wasted enough time being a victim, being self-loathing, being the first to the pitty party.<br />
-The final goal: <b>Start helping more people. </b>Whether it be on the forum, or in my daily life. I want to impact people, I want to become more of a contributor. The world can seem like a shitty place, and I've grown to learn that being successful doesn't start with being a selfish douche-bag, it starts with helping others. Find more like minded individuals in my personal life.<br />
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<b>THE ULTIMATE GOAL</b><br />
This is obvious, it's the same goal we all have. Divorce time from money, find my path to providing value and helping others. Within a year, I am determined to find "It" and am dedicating myself to executing. I am not saying I will be retired in a year - I know it takes serious time and dedication. What I am saying is I will narrow my focus and find that missing piece to the puzzle of people's needs.<br />
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Sorry, my post may be a bit scattered as I am extremely exhausted at this point in the night. Although I was already in process of making huge changes for myself, TMF really gave me the boost I needed. It gave me the clarity and helped me prioritize and get a more clear picture of what needs to be done.<br />
I can't thank MJ enough for writing it, and I can't thank all you guys/gals on here for your contribution to this gold-mine of knowledge. Even though I don't communicate personally with a lot of you, your insights do have impact on me. I sense an Insider's subscription coming soon.<br />
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There were a LOT more things I started changing and making adjustments to, but these were the most relevant ones.<br />
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<b>TL;DR</b><br />
I realized life sucked and it was only up to me to make it un-suck. I started getting shit done.<br />
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<blockquote data-attributes="member: 23749" data-quote="Mattie" data-source="post: 468621"
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Goal 10. Start engaging with people instead of being an introvert! <span style="color: rgb(89, 179, 0)">I have been engaging, but it feels like I'm wasting time when I do. Usually an two hours a day on different forums.</span>
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</blockquote>Oh, jeez. This is me all the time. People have compared my personality to that of Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm. I need to break this cycle too!</div>
