21/M/USA. Just stopped my own downward spiral, currently accelerating on the Fastlane entrance ramp!

[workinprogress]

Hello (new) friends,

My name is workinprogress. I am a 21 year old American, and I just read MJ's book late last year. Immediately joined the forum after reading, and immediately recognized its value, especially compared to other online so-called "entrepreneur" forums. But, as I'm new to this kind of forum culture (used to places like Reddit and 4chan) and was unsure how exactly to join up with the community, and just forgot about this place.

But I figured I would stop procrastinating, get off my a$$ and make my intro post, as now would be as good a time as any to start my Fastlane Forum experience!

---------

Now I will detail a lot about me in the next couple paragraphs. I'm not sure if this is the right place to put all this info, but I want to share it with all of you guys. I am also writing all this out for me, as a journal of sorts.

---

I'd been having a bit of a rough patch since I turned 18. I had paragraphs and paragraphs typed out but I'll summarize: from the age of 18 -> 20 many bad things happened.

• I basically flunked out of college.
• I gained 50 pounds.
• I reached 500 hours played in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
• I repeatedly failed with my fitness goals.
• I was getting drunk and high constantly with people that didn't care about me and we not my friends.
• I was constantly flirting with depression or depressive feelings.
• I had a series of terrible relationships with different sketchy women (either ugly, cheaters, or underage(I know))

The only positive thing during all of this was my steady improvement in work. I seemed to get a better paying retail job every year. And that was what kept me sane. What kept me believing that I could eventually break the downward spiral.
But then I lost my job. A series of shitty situations that weren't entirely under my control eventually resulted in my boss's boss asking for me to leave.

I was out of work for months, but it all come to a head soon after I turned 21, in the summer of 2015, and could legally drink in bars. I got my a$$ beat in the downtown bar district in my city, by some random hoodlums that the police made no effort to catch. I had to get 9 stitches and lost part of one of my front teeth.

Now, looking back, I am happy this happened. This was the wake-up call I needed. Immediately in the several weeks after it happened I implemented several important changes in my life:

• Quit video games: Video games had been a big part of my life up to this point. And it was very hard to let them go. But video games are poisonous, for me at least, and it was a necessary sacrifice. Video games were one of the reasons I flunked college, as I would play them for hours instead of doing my work. I plan on detailing the dangers they pose to any entrepreneur, thought the lens of my own experiences, in a later post.
• Lost 45 Pounds in 3-4ish(!) months: After the assault, I realized I was weak and fat. I elected to change that. Started going to the gym 4-6 times a week and running for an hour at a time. Started calorie counting religiously again (myFitnessPal FTW). Went from 235 at my peak all the way down to 190, now I am back up to 200 with the aid of weightlifting.
• Started reading again: One of the first books was The Millionaire Fastlane . This book confirmed a lot of truths I had already suspected, but seeing them written down all in one place was very inspiring! I now have a big list of books to read, and with my newly found free time (no more video games sucking that away) I will have plenty of time to read them.
• Got my highest paying job ever: I got the highest paying job I've ever had (around 40-45K a year) and its only part time (28-35 hours a week)! It also includes full benefits including paid time off, so now I have plenty of time to plan my next move and step into the fast lane. Hopefully this can be the last job I ever have.

---------

Next Move
After all this rapid improvement in most areas in life, I think I'm ready for the next step. Since I'm finally in a financial position to move out from my parents house, I plan on moving into a cheap 1 bedroom apartment, and spending the next year focusing on self-improvement almost 100%. Here are some specific goals of mine for my year in that apartment:

• Save as much money as I can
• Waste as little time as possible (partying, mindless entertainment, girls, ect.)
• Master meditation and lucid dreaming
• Read 25 books in one year and absorb as much information as I can from them
• Get into the best shape of my life
• Start earning significant monthly income from sources that are not related to my work

---------

So that's my intro post. Sorry it got to be so long, I just really wanted to share all of that with you guys. But I am looking forward to the future, and connecting with many of you here on the Fastlane Forum! Please reply with any questions or comments below



-workinprogress



PS: how do I get it to say "Read the Millionare Fastlane" next to my name???

 

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[NewJamesBond]

Welcome to the forum! To get the little badge that says, "Read the Millionaire Fastlane " post in the "Read the Millionaire Fastlane " thread.

 

[workinprogress]

Welcome to the forum! To get the little badge that says, "Read the Millionaire Fastlane " post in the "Read the Millionaire Fastlane " thread.

Thank you for the answer! I have just posted in there, hope to get my badge soon

 

[Deleted35442]

Don't know exactly what getting a beat down has to do with changing yourself - unless you were legitimately being an asshat. That's not necessarily a wake-up call. Sounds like you have a problem staying committed to something. Drastic change requires drastic measures. Sell or burn your gaming console for good measure. Talking isn't doing. Stay on task. You're 21 now. Wish I flunked out at 21 to get started where I am now. Use time wisely.

 

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[W4RHRSE]

Welcome to the Fastlane!!

We are a creature of habit. We thrive for the normal. It sounds like you made some very grown up decisions and are stepping out of your comfort zone. I commend you on that! Honestly, I wish I was that astute at that young an age... Jeeze, Id be alot better now.

You are taking the right steps and I look forward to seeing your posts, thoughts and evolution as you hit that Fastlane on ramp!

It's great to meet you!

 

[workinprogress]

Don't know exactly what getting a beat down has to do with changing yourself - unless you were legitimately being an asshat. That's not necessarily a wake-up call. Sounds like you have a problem staying committed to something. Drastic change requires drastic measures. Sell or burn your gaming console for good measure. Talking isn't doing. Stay on task. You're 21 now. Wish I flunked out at 21 to get started where I am now. Use time wisely.

I got rid of my gaming console in the weeks after it happened. I also completely dismantled my gaming PC, sold the parts, and used the money to buy a Thinkpad (without a GPU, integrated graphics only) and a desktop dock for productivity.

And while I will never know exactly what happened (I was very drunk, smart move right?) I *was* legitimately being an asshat and deserved it. I should have gotten my aas best a long time ago for all the stupid shit I do when I get drunk, but this was sort of the climax of all of that. I had never even been in a fight before that, I had always been protected by my large size (6'3", 200~ lbs). I had felt almost invincible. But that lunch knocked some sense into me, and knocked my off my high horse, and I'm glad it happened.

And to keep these sick puns rolling here, the hooligans rammed my car out of the slow lane, into the shoulder, then sped off! Hit and run! But instead of being bitter, I rummaged around in the trunk and found a toolbox, made a makeshift patch job, and got back on the highway. Now I'm trying to mash on the gas pedal as hard as I can, and keep the car from falling apart as it gathers speed!


*edited for clarity

 

[workinprogress]

Welcome to the Fastlane!!

We are a creature of habit. We thrive for the normal. It sounds like you made some very grown up decisions and are stepping out of your comfort zone. I commend you on that! Honestly, I wish I was that astute at that young an age... Jeeze, Id be alot better now.

You are taking the right steps and I look forward to seeing your posts, thoughts and evolution as you hit that Fastlane on ramp!

It's great to meet you!

Thank you for your kind words! I hope to become a prominent member of this community and provide tons of vaule through my future posts!

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

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[AndrewNC]

Waste as little time as possible (partying, mindless entertainment, girls, ect.)

Dedicating most of your time to your goals is a great idea, and make sure to spend at least one night a week "recharging your batteries" I used to put all of this off completely and it all built up.

 

[workinprogress]

Dedicating most of your time to your goals is a great idea, and make sure to spend at least one night a week "recharging your batteries" I used to put all of this off completely and it all built up.

What are some good ways to recharge my batteries that don't involve huge blocks of time or long recovery time like getting drunk?

Basically I'd like minimum time investment and maximum reward/ROI if I was going to specifically block off time for that.

Sent underwater from my Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk

 

[AndrewNC]

What are some good ways to recharge my batteries that don't involve huge blocks of time or long recovery time like getting drunk?

Basically I'd like minimum time investment and maximum reward/ROI if I was going to specifically block off time for that.

Sent underwater from my Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk

When I used to work a job, I was scheduled to work 8.5 hours per day.

About 3 hours was productive work. the rest of the time didn't yield much results.

I was tired, groggy, sluggish (ESPECIALLY after lunch - we always ate out for lunch), and I had to drink about 5 cups of coffee, filled with sugar in order to make it through the day.

I went home, napped for 3 hours. Tried to work 1 hour for my business that night, and then the cycle continues.

for you...

The amount of PRODUCTIVE work you do and the clarity in your mind while you work is what this is about. I know you asked for a specific thing - but this story about energy in general is leading up to the answer that will help you...

The energy you consume - The first step is to pay attention to what foods you eat, that make you feel tired or groggy an hour later. Coffee (with or without sugar) was the main one for me. As well as fast food, bagels, etc.

Each and every one of us is different - what foods give you the most sustained energy throughout the day (green smoothies did it for me).

For recharging on your days off - it all is different for each and every one of us.

For me, it was once sleeping in until 2 pm on a saturday that did it for me. I stayed in my room and away from people because I was around people all week at work.

For my roommate at the time, it was to go out to the clubs 3 nights a week and party (no drinking). For another, it was watching a sports game.

What activities do you do, which make you more energized after you do them? Hiking? Sports? Gym? Etc.

They take time in themselves, but the time invested is more important because it gives you the clarity in what you need to do for your work...instead of being caught up in something so deep and feeling lost...

This is also about long, sustained energy and avoiding a burnout. I only write this to you because I tried to do "only work" for a while then after 18 months, I burned out.

The other side of the coin - does the work you do energize you or drain you? By enjoying the work you do (you can do this 100% mentally regardless of what type of work it is). When you train your brain to enjoy the work you do 100% of the time - you work even harder without getting drained.

I took a week off, and went on a road trip last minute with a friend. We went all over the southwest united states. She had to fly back to NY for work the next week, so I kept driving an extra few days for the fun of it.

It was relaxing, and my mind was finally off business for once.

When my mind hit that state of relaxation and I was driving from San Diego to Yuma, Arizona - my most profitable product idea ever popped into my mind out of this clarity. I made $1,650 on the first day of marketing, shortly after putting the work in to build that product.

Same thing countless other times whether it be a marketing strategy, a blog post idea, a chapter for my book, a product to create, etc....all of these "shortcuts" to results (via great ideas) only came when I was in that recharge state.

What does it for you?

We are all different people with different ways to recharge...

Now, I realize it's all about finding that "relaxation state" where you just turn off from business and any worries in life for a while - I do that while writing and I'm building the habit of being there more often through meditation.

I know this went beyond your specific question, but I wrote this for anyone out there who isn't familiar with how important energy control is on this journey....

 

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[NonMagicalGenie]

When I used to work a job, I was scheduled to work 8.5 hours per day.

About 3 hours was productive work. the rest of the time didn't yield much results.

I was tired, groggy, sluggish (ESPECIALLY after lunch - we always ate out for lunch), and I had to drink about 5 cups of coffee, filled with sugar in order to make it through the day.

I went home, napped for 3 hours. Tried to work 1 hour for my business that night, and then the cycle continues.

for you...

The amount of PRODUCTIVE work you do and the clarity in your mind while you work is what this is about. I know you asked for a specific thing - but this story about energy in general is leading up to the answer that will help you...

The energy you consume - The first step is to pay attention to what foods you eat, that make you feel tired or groggy an hour later. Coffee (with or without sugar) was the main one for me. As well as fast food, bagels, etc.

Each and every one of us is different - what foods give you the most sustained energy throughout the day (green smoothies did it for me).

For recharging on your days off - it all is different for each and every one of us.

For me, it was once sleeping in until 2 pm on a saturday that did it for me. I stayed in my room and away from people because I was around people all week at work.

For my roommate at the time, it was to go out to the clubs 3 nights a week and party (no drinking). For another, it was watching a sports game.

What activities do you do, which make you more energized after you do them? Hiking? Sports? Gym? Etc.

They take time in themselves, but the time invested is more important because it gives you the clarity in what you need to do for your work...instead of being caught up in something so deep and feeling lost...

This is also about long, sustained energy and avoiding a burnout. I only write this to you because I tried to do "only work" for a while then after 18 months, I burned out.

The other side of the coin - does the work you do energize you or drain you? By enjoying the work you do (you can do this 100% mentally regardless of what type of work it is). When you train your brain to enjoy the work you do 100% of the time - you work even harder without getting drained.

I took a week off, and went on a road trip last minute with a friend. We went all over the southwest united states. She had to fly back to NY for work the next week, so I kept driving an extra few days for the fun of it.

It was relaxing, and my mind was finally off business for once.

When my mind hit that state of relaxation and I was driving from San Diego to Yuma, Arizona - my most profitable product idea ever popped into my mind out of this clarity. I made $1,650 on the first day of marketing, shortly after putting the work in to build that product.

Same thing countless other times whether it be a marketing strategy, a blog post idea, a chapter for my book, a product to create, etc....all of these "shortcuts" to results (via great ideas) only came when I was in that recharge state.

What does it for you?

We are all different people with different ways to recharge...

Now, I realize it's all about finding that "relaxation state" where you just turn off from business and any worries in life for a while - I do that while writing and I'm building the habit of being there more often through meditation.

I know this went beyond your specific question, but I wrote this for anyone out there who isn't familiar with how important energy control is on this journey....

Very informative post! I completely agree.

When I don't spend time relaxing for an hour or so during the day, I tend to binge on something during the week (watch tv shows, watch too many youtube videos, etc.).

So what I do now is, I go for an hour long walk everyday while listening to an audio book. Taking different routes and such around the apartment complex (don't have a car at the moment to go to the park an such). And these walks have definitely helped me focus, provide mental clarity, and decrease mental masturbation. Spending some time outside really helps keeping you sane and indirectly losing weight! Whenever I feel a lot of stress arising or have spent significant time working (usually around 2-3 hours), I just go outside for about 5-10 minutes.

Drinking tons of water a day has dramatically improved my energy and keeping junk food consumption very low--which tends to make people feel tired and lethargic.

There is many other things I have started to implement on the more spiritual side of things, but this is the bread-n-butter of keeping me focused and productive throughout the day.

 

[workinprogress]

When I used to work a job, I was scheduled to work 8.5 hours per day.

About 3 hours was productive work. the rest of the time didn't yield much results.

I was tired, groggy, sluggish (ESPECIALLY after lunch - we always ate out for lunch), and I had to drink about 5 cups of coffee, filled with sugar in order to make it through the day.

I went home, napped for 3 hours. Tried to work 1 hour for my business that night, and then the cycle continues.

for you...

The amount of PRODUCTIVE work you do and the clarity in your mind while you work is what this is about. I know you asked for a specific thing - but this story about energy in general is leading up to the answer that will help you...

The energy you consume - The first step is to pay attention to what foods you eat, that make you feel tired or groggy an hour later. Coffee (with or without sugar) was the main one for me. As well as fast food, bagels, etc.

Each and every one of us is different - what foods give you the most sustained energy throughout the day (green smoothies did it for me).

For recharging on your days off - it all is different for each and every one of us.

For me, it was once sleeping in until 2 pm on a saturday that did it for me. I stayed in my room and away from people because I was around people all week at work.

For my roommate at the time, it was to go out to the clubs 3 nights a week and party (no drinking). For another, it was watching a sports game.

What activities do you do, which make you more energized after you do them? Hiking? Sports? Gym? Etc.

They take time in themselves, but the time invested is more important because it gives you the clarity in what you need to do for your work...instead of being caught up in something so deep and feeling lost...

This is also about long, sustained energy and avoiding a burnout. I only write this to you because I tried to do "only work" for a while then after 18 months, I burned out.

The other side of the coin - does the work you do energize you or drain you? By enjoying the work you do (you can do this 100% mentally regardless of what type of work it is). When you train your brain to enjoy the work you do 100% of the time - you work even harder without getting drained.

I took a week off, and went on a road trip last minute with a friend. We went all over the southwest united states. She had to fly back to NY for work the next week, so I kept driving an extra few days for the fun of it.

It was relaxing, and my mind was finally off business for once.

When my mind hit that state of relaxation and I was driving from San Diego to Yuma, Arizona - my most profitable product idea ever popped into my mind out of this clarity. I made $1,650 on the first day of marketing, shortly after putting the work in to build that product.

Same thing countless other times whether it be a marketing strategy, a blog post idea, a chapter for my book, a product to create, etc....all of these "shortcuts" to results (via great ideas) only came when I was in that recharge state.

What does it for you?

We are all different people with different ways to recharge...

Now, I realize it's all about finding that "relaxation state" where you just turn off from business and any worries in life for a while - I do that while writing and I'm building the habit of being there more often through meditation.

I know this went beyond your specific question, but I wrote this for anyone out there who isn't familiar with how important energy control is on this journey....

Wow... I don't know where to start.

1st off, thank you for blessing this post with your amazing reply. I like how you wrote a really large reply that not only addressed what I had said for me, but added a lot of things that someone just finding and reading this thread would find applicable. You're a model for a good way to communicate in this forum Also I really can't believe that I am getting a response from a Legendary Contributor and very esteemed poster like yourself on my FIRST damn thread ever posted!! I think this is a very good sign for things to come from this forum for me!

2nd off, One of the reasons I like your reply so much is that it just gave me a great insight, one I hadn't realized before. But also confirmed something that had been happening to me for a while: product ideas and mental clarity come during times of recharge. This has pretty much solidified the idea to me that I will be making specific blocks of time once my schedule goes tight here in the near future specifically for recharging sessions. Looking back, I can see how this helped me survive this past winter when the previous one wrecked me and my goals. (Winter 2014 killed me and my fitness goals at the time, also suffered from bouts of seasonal depression at the time as well. I worked out all Winter this year and spent a lot of times outside bundled up in boots.) It also explains moments when I have a had great ideas during these times of recharging, as I remember most of my ideas via the notebook app in my phone I use all the time.

and 3rd, the 1 bedroom apartment I said I was interested in getting by myself is right next to a fairly decent size park/woods thing with hiking trails, off of the very secluded street the apartments are located on. And I don't believe those trails get a high amount of traffic. Also I plan on doing a ton of exploring in this forest for fun, for example getting a drone and flying above the entire forest, while controlling it from the the large cut-grass sort of area under the massive power lines. Don't actually know if that idea is viable yet, I have only been there on Google Maps. But we'll see how that goes, as you can see I am already really excited about that one lol.
3rd point tl;dr: Potential cheap 1 bedroom Apt. is a 3 minute walk from a small but awesome forest/park thing that will be great for recharging.

 

[OVOvince]

good shit bro

 

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