The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success
  • SPONSORED: GiganticWebsites.com: We Build Sites with THOUSANDS of Unique and Genuinely Useful Articles

    30% to 50% Fastlane-exclusive discounts on WordPress-powered websites with everything included: WordPress setup, design, keyword research, article creation and article publishing. Click HERE to claim.

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

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

SDE

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
514%
Jul 9, 2018
263
1,353

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


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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Raju Zodiac

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
475%
Mar 10, 2022
16
76
Wow. This is an amazing post. I never thought of it this way. Going back to basics, I like it. Thank you for posting this :)
 

Albert KOUADJA

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
84%
Mar 13, 2022
310
259
Great post. it is full of very useful advice. Thank you for sharing all these tips with us.


Speaking of Koby Bryant, there's a book that describes how he worked, practiced, and what made him the best NBA player. this book is titled ''THE MANBA MENTALITY'' by Kobe Bryant.


Health


She is one of the most cherished things we own that is priceless. It is true that if you are rich you can improve your health in many cases. but there are certain things you can never buy with money, like breathing, a part of the same nature of your already severed body...

the week passed, i was in the hospital with my cousin, i saw so many horrible things and realized how lucky i was to be alive and in great shape. Since those times my gratitude for just being alive has increased, I live in full gratitude
 
Last edited:

wyattnorton

Bronze Contributor
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
211%
Jan 15, 2019
190
401
Northern IL & Southeastern WI
3. How often do you engage in shared activities?
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.
Loved the post... this one hit close especially.

I know many people on this forum have a lot they are doing and can do a lot more. It can be tough to make time to hangout with friends & family, but it pays off way more than just working.

You could call me an extroverted introvert because at some point I go crazy if I don't get some type of social interaction, especially outside of work... to me interacting socially within the business (talking with customers, vendors, suppliers, etc.) doesn't count

I've been making more time and putting in more effort to do social things like go out to dinner, golf, workout with others, even if it is just a cigar and talking about whatever, it is nice to get a break from the 24/7 mentality of business.

To me, the toughest thing now is becoming too absorbed into my businesses that I forget that there are other aspects of life... I guess it is a good problem to have, to be so busy with business, but it is a good idea (especially for young guys like me) to make some funny, dumb memories!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

SDE

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
514%
Jul 9, 2018
263
1,353
the week passed, i was in the hospital with my cousin, i saw so many horrible things and realized how lucky i was to be alive and in great shape. Since those times my gratitude for just being alive has increased, I live in full gratitude

Yes, gratitude is miraculous. There's no energy drink that can come close to gratitude. It's simply impossible to feel down, angry or sad when you enter into the state of gratitude.

Hope your cousin gets better soon.
 

Albert KOUADJA

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
84%
Mar 13, 2022
310
259

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top