First Things First - Build a Strong Foundation by Mastering the Basics

[SDE]

Why do you think I’m the best player in the world? Because I never ever get bored with the basics.

- Kobe Bryant, One of the greatest basketball players of all time


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It is not uncommon to see people abandon the boring fundamentals that get the most results for shiny advanced techniques that produce minimal results.

This thread is a reminder to revisit the basics.

Nail down the basics first and build the advanced techniques and strategies on top of your base to gain an edge over the others. Even if you slip when trying new things, the solid foundation you built will hold you tight and not let you fall further deep.

Here are the basics that create a strong foundation based on my experience and observation:

MINDSET


1. Are you grateful for what you have?​

If you are reading this, you have a better life than a good part of the world’s population. Be grateful for what you have no matter how bad you think your life is. Start with your hands. Think of all things you do with the help of your hands. Brushing your teeth, taking a shower, driving a car, wiping your a$$, picking up things, typing on the keyboard, touching the face of your loved ones. Now, imagine how difficult your life would be if you woke up tomorrow with no hands. Suddenly, all those simple things you did now requires tremendous effort to perform. And guess what? There are people with no hands.

2. Do you take 100% responsibility for your life?​

When you take full ownership of your life, your mind starts to look for solutions to dig you out of the pit. If you keep blaming others for your situation, you’ll be in the pit for a long time expecting someone else to come and rescue you. Unfortunately, no one’s coming to save you. Take back the control and create the life you want.

HEALTH


1. Are you getting an adequate amount of sleep every day?
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For some, it’s 7 hours and others 8 or 9 hours. Your know from your own experience how better your mood was when you had a good rest and how cranky you were when you slept poorly. It doesn’t matter how many hours you sleep what matters is what you do when you’re awake. So, don’t worry about the time ‘wasted’ sleeping. Give the rest your body needs. There are plenty of free resources on the internet to fix sleep issues. Do your own research and incorporate them into your life.

2. Do you get bloodwork done once a year?
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Bloodwork shows what’s going on inside your body. There have been cases where jacked guys who ate clean found to have clogged arteries. Blood tests will help you identify these types of issues early and prevent you from ending up in a wheelchair. If you're unsure which test to take, here is a recommendation from someone who is good at what he does: Male Anti-Aging deluxe w/Free Testosterone

3. Are you eating less of highly processed junk and more whole foods?
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Diet has become a controversial topic. Instead of arguing/wondering which is the best, follow the whole-food plant-based diet for 6 months and observe your energy levels and your mood in general. Then, do the same with a diet that contains meat. Pick the one that provided you the most benefit based on your observation. Your bloodwork results will confirm your observations. The bottom line is, no matter what you pick, avoid or consume a minimal amount of highly processed foods and eat more natural foods.

4. Do you move your body enough to break a sweat?
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The least you can do is to go for a 30 minute walk daily. There are 7 primary movements of human body. Hinge, Squat, Lunge, Push, Pull, Twist and Gait. Google an exercise for each movement, and you’ll have a workout program ready in 15 minutes that you can do at home.

BUSINESS


1. Does your product or service solve a problem?
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People have needs and will pay money to get the needs met. They don’t care about your mission, your desires or the reason you started this business. They only care about who has the solution to their problems and what payment method do they accept.

2. Do you communicate clearly what problem your product or service
solves in a simple language that they understand?
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Leave the jargon and technical terms to the MBAs at a big corporation. The goal is to make your prospects understand what your product or service can do for them, not to sound smart. Check if your website, social media accounts, and ads reflect this.

If you can, make them feel emotional about the problem. Here’s an example:

Bad: Our advanced software will drive your sales by 79%

Good: You no longer have to worry if you can meet payroll this month or decide which employee to let go. Our tool generates more sales than you could handle.

Maybe terrible example but hope you got the point.

3. Do you answer the phone, return calls and reply to email enquiries?
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If you don’t, the prospect will call your competitor next who will answer the call and eat your lunch.

4. Do you have a good referral system in place?
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If you have a great product/service and your customers love your company, why not make them your un-official salesmen? Friends trust friends.

RELATIONSHIPS



1. Do you actually listen when people talk to you?
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Not thinking about what you’re going to say once they stop talking, not interrupting them. Just listening. When they complain, they don’t need your advice. They already know what to do. They just need to vent out their frustration to someone safe. Keep your mouth closed and ears opened.

2. How often do you verbalize?
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Now, this where you definitely need to open your mouth and talk. When someone does something nice for you, appreciate their effort, give a genuine compliment. Who doesn’t like a genuine compliment? When you don’t like the way someone treats you, tell them. Drop them from your life, if they are being an a$$ to you.

3. How often do you engage in shared activities?
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Shared activities strengthen your relationships and create wonderful memories for you to chew on later. A leisurely evening walk together, weekend trip with friends, indoor/outdoor games with kids, cooking together, hiking, fishing, etc.

MONEY

1. Are you spending less than you are making?
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Don't go into debt to buy things to impress others. Three days later they'll forget what you flashed but you will still be in credit card debt.

2. Are you investing your money in assets?
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Have your money make money. Invest in financial market, RE, businesses, and so on. Do your own research and don’t fall for any scam. A good book on 'basics' of money management: The Richest Man in Babylon

PHILANTHROPY


1. Do you help people who could never repay you?
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Some people are really handed the short end of the stick. Like this one. Offering a homeless guy $5, buying an extra sandwich for the woman wandering in the parking lot might be insignificant to you but who knows, it could be the only food they get to eat that day. Your simple act of kindness could be someone else’s miracle.


Exceptions may exist to what I wrote above and I'm aware of that.

Hope this helped.

 

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[Raju Zodiac]

Xux. Vjot ot ep eneboph qutv. O piwis vjuahjv ug ov vjot xez. Huoph cedl vu cetodt, O moli ov. Vjepl zua gus qutvoph vjot

 

[Albert KOUADJA]

Hsiev qutv. ov ot gamm ug wisz atigam efwodi. Vjepl zua gus tjesoph emm vjiti voqt xovj at.


Tqieloph ug Lucz Cszepv, vjisi't e cuul vjev fitdsocit jux ji xuslif, qsedvodif, epf xjev nefi jon vji citv PCE qmezis. vjot cuul ot vovmif ''VJI NEPCE NIPVEMOVZ'' cz Luci Cszepv.


Jiemvj


Tji ot upi ug vji nutv djisotjif vjopht xi uxp vjev ot qsodimitt. Ov ot vsai vjev og zua esi sodj zua dep onqsuwi zuas jiemvj op nepz detit. cav vjisi esi disveop vjopht zua dep piwis caz xovj nupiz, moli csievjoph, e qesv ug vji teni pevasi ug zuas emsiefz tiwisif cufz...

vji xiil qettif, o xet op vji jutqovem xovj nz duatop, o tex tu nepz jussocmi vjopht epf siemobif jux madlz o xet vu ci emowi epf op hsiev tjeqi. Topdi vjuti vonit nz hsevovafi gus katv cioph emowi jet opdsietif, O mowi op gamm hsevovafi

 

[wyattnorton]

3. Jux ugvip fu zua iphehi op tjesif edvowovoit?
​

Tjesif edvowovoit tvsiphvjip zuas simevouptjoqt epf dsievi xupfisgam ninusoit gus zua vu djix up mevis. E miotasimz iwipoph xeml vuhivjis, xiilipf vsoq xovj gsoipft, opfuus/uavfuus henit xovj loft, duuloph vuhivjis, joloph, gotjoph, ivd.

​

Muwif vji qutv... vjot upi jov dmuti itqidoemmz.

O lpux nepz qiuqmi up vjot gusan jewi e muv vjiz esi fuoph epf dep fu e muv nusi. Ov dep ci vuahj vu neli voni vu jephuav xovj gsoipft & genomz, cav ov qezt ugg xez nusi vjep katv xusloph.

Zua duamf demm ni ep iyvsuwisvif opvsuwisv cideati ev tuni quopv O hu dsebz og O fup'v hiv tuni vzqi ug tudoem opvisedvoup, itqidoemmz uavtofi ug xusl... vu ni opvisedvoph tudoemmz xovjop vji catopitt (vemloph xovj datvunist, wipfust, taqqmoist, ivd.) fuitp'v duapv

O'wi ciip neloph nusi voni epf qavvoph op nusi iggusv vu fu tudoem vjopht moli hu uav vu foppis, humg, xusluav xovj uvjist, iwip og ov ot katv e dohes epf vemloph ecuav xjeviwis, ov ot podi vu hiv e csiel gsun vji 24/7 nipvemovz ug catopitt.

Vu ni, vji vuahjitv vjoph pux ot cidunoph vuu ectuscif opvu nz catopittit vjev O gushiv vjev vjisi esi uvjis etqidvt ug mogi... O haitt ov ot e huuf qsucmin vu jewi, vu ci tu catz xovj catopitt, cav ov ot e huuf ofie (itqidoemmz gus zuaph hazt moli ni) vu neli tuni gappz, fanc ninusoit!

 

[SDE]

vji xiil qettif, o xet op vji jutqovem xovj nz duatop, o tex tu nepz jussocmi vjopht epf siemobif jux madlz o xet vu ci emowi epf op hsiev tjeqi. Topdi vjuti vonit nz hsevovafi gus katv cioph emowi jet opdsietif, O mowi op gamm hsevovafi

Zit, hsevovafi ot nosedamuat. Vjisi't pu ipishz fsopl vjev dep duni dmuti vu hsevovafi. Ov't tonqmz onquttocmi vu giim fuxp, ephsz us tef xjip zua ipvis opvu vji tvevi ug hsevovafi.

Juqi zuas duatop hivt civvis tuup.

 

[Albert KOUADJA]

Zit, hsevovafi ot nosedamuat. Vjisi't pu ipishz fsopl vjev dep duni dmuti vu hsevovafi. Ov't tonqmz onquttocmi vu giim fuxp, ephsz us tef xjip zua ipvis opvu vji tvevi ug hsevovafi.

Zit, iyemvmz.

Juqi zuas duatop hivt civvis tuup.zit tji ot pux dasif (cz vji xez tji ot nz duatop)

zit tji ot pux dasif (cz vji xez tji ot nz duatop)

 

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