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It really is 100% mindset. How 2017 blew it out of the water, and will look like nothing vs. 2018

Anything related to matters of the mind

GPM

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So many successful people mention how mindset is such a huge factor to their success. Then the usual replies follow.

All the successful people chime in with just how true that is. Then all the people who are still struggling chime in with comments like this (I know because this was me, at least on the inside):
  • "you don't know you are talking about, you just say that because you already made it big"
  • "easy for you to say, it's so much easier to make deals when you are already huge"
  • "must be easy to stay positive when things come so easy"
  • "who cares about mindset, I need to put food on the table"
Well you know what, I am not there yet, but I have planted so many seeds in 2017, that 2018 is just going to absolutely blow up. These are magic beanstalk seeds, and there is no stopping them. These seeds were generated through the right mindset, and the groundwork was all laid down based on that. If I was not in the right head space, ZERO of this would have come my way.

Let us start with some things that went wrong in late 2016 and in to 2017. Keep in mind that I am not some rich dude. These are serious numbers for me, and represent years of savings:

  • (-$15,000) I thought I had a great item that would sell like hot cakes. I worked with someone to create a prototype unit, built the highest quality item that I have ever seen when compared to everyone else in the market. I built my first order of units, all locally, all excellent quality. This market is filled with acrylic design, with cheap metal fittings and cumbersome design. The metal parts on traditional product crack the acrylic and essentially make the item useless after a few uses. The product I designed is all high strength and low weight aluminum, with a custom pin system that makes it all flush and strong. To top it off it is powder coated instead of just colored plastic. It really is nice. Fast forward to today... about $15,000 sunk into this with essentially 0 return
  • (-$7,000) I "ordered" a product from China, somehow had emails swapped through some magically switcharoo that I missed. The email I was dealing with had 1 letter changed and I did not notice come order time. I thought there were a few red flags, but I ignored them due to my excitement. Needless to say I never saw the money again. The best part of this is that I sold my motorbike to fund this order!
  • (-$7,500) I had planned on using that item I got scammed on to make a sort of combo pack. I ended up ordering from someone else and actually getting this product. The combo idea has not worked out yet, the manufacturing I have been looking for for some pieces has not worked out, and I have spend a bit sending items to China to have them measure and design for me. The best part is that new ordered item, I put it up for sale on its own just to recoup some of my costs while I work on the combo idea. Shortly after I got an email and eventually some patent designs. Turns out that this most innocent of things has a patent on it and I can't sell it. I guess the most simple of items can be patented, you would laugh if you knew what it was. I emailed back and forth with the designer on getting the rights to sell this in NA, eventually they came back and said that someone else just signed a sole agreement for this market, so if I want to sell I can do the same in Europe, but can't sell here in NA. Nope, can't do it yet. So I have a bunch of useless inventory
  • (-$10,000) Unexpected bills popped up in the middle of 2017, money poofed straight out of existence for me
  • I was laid off from my job in the oil industry in the summer of 2017. I was watching people get laid off for the last 2+ years, it was finally my time. Did I go back to "work". Nope, more on that below!
So moving forward from all that fun. The company I worked for paid for one months membership at some advanced job placement group. They made you sign up for an introduction seminar, where they would introduce us to their amazing services, and how we can get the most out of it. How to negotiate higher salaries, get jobs that are not listed on postings, build an amazing resume... I went to this. It was a group setting of about 15 other individuals. All of us were experienced in our fields, most were 40+ years old. One person in the room was in his late 50's and he was recently let go and was having a very hard time finding a new job.

The whole experience was one of extreme anxiety and fear for me. I watched these grown men and women groveling to find employment from someone else. They were drinking up ideas on how to more effectively get noticed and play these corporate games to find a new master. I felt like I was going to have a panic attack and throw up. Is this what my life had come to?? Is this where I will end up in 10 years? NO!!!

This was my FTE. I can pinpoint it down to almost the exact hour it took place. It was roughly 10:30AM on August 30th, 2017. This is the moment my soul tore open and I told myself that there was no way in hell I would ever do this to myself. If this is my life I would rather die. From this moment I had one option. There is no plan B, there is no backup, there is no "just in case". I am 100% all in on my future, and zero part of it has anything to do with being an employee for a salary like I had been doing in the past.

No more dabbling, no more trying things. I F*cking do them. I own my life. I move forward with what I want, how I want.

What has happened since my FTE?

I was in some basic talks over a year ago with someone who is shaking up an entire industry. Of course, being a corporate drone I never really took it too seriously. Very soon after my FTE we started chatting again. This time my brain was wired so much differently, I took those ideas and ran with them. I have dwindling savings, no income or job. I booked a flight to Southern USA to hash out details and push the business forward. We even managed to book a meeting while down there with someone who could be a massive customer. I didn't bring fancy dress clothes with me, and bought some while down there specifically for this one meeting. I didn't cry that I have no money, I did what needed to be done, I will figure the rest out later.

2018 is going to be explosively massive, just from this one small idea. It has since moved from just 1 disruption, to the potential of 2 or more. From this I have been talking with management at the VP level of fortune 500 companies, Because I Can. Sure it is big and scary. Put on those big boy pants and get it done, people do it every day, so why can't I? 100% mindset. I can sit at home and be scared to pick up the phone, or send that email, or dig and find contacts. Or I can just swallow the fear and do it. Know what happens 100% of the time after I hang up the phone or hit send? I feel powerful and in charge, I feel intoxicated on life. I want to bottle that feeling and keep it forever. It sure beats sitting alone in a chair too scared to do anything.

I finally got on the right track on my eCommerce business, and it just exploded during the Christmas season. I got proper mentor-ship for this in 2017, and then squandered it. Towards the end of the year I started to take this seriously. I am going forward 100% now. No more excuses. This is all mindset as well. I can just look at all my failures and throw in the towel. After all, business is hard right? Screw that! Onward and upward. The only way you ever fail is by not learning from your mistakes. It is going to take dedication and hard work, but I honestly see myself being able to completely replace my career income with eCommerce through 2018 if I wanted to (I want to keep growing it, don't take any out), scaled to infinity after this.

I now exude confidence in what I do, in the areas I am setting to dominate. People see this. Family sees this, their significant others see this. This brings opportunity. People come to me and GIVE ME ideas 100% free. Thanks to this I have more things that I could potentially go after than I would ever have the time or desire for. Some I do choose to pursue. One recently "fell into my lap" that I want to partner with someone on. It has the potential to disrupt an area of an industry, all using other peoples money. I might even have a built in employee who's life I can now change. This came from 100% mindset.

I barely started any of this, and I don't exactly have much money to more than live on. That doesn't matter. My trajectory is up, and it is contagious. These seeds it plants are going to feed generations.

I essentially have two options every day. I can either be scared and walk through life with my head down (and "dabble" in things). Or I can accept that this is my life, and if I want something from it I have to go out and get it.

I have spent 13+ years in option one. Those are years I should have known better. 9 of those years I did know better, and was slowly trying to find ways to change my situation. But I was also still scared and never wanted it bad enough.

It has been almost exactly 4 months since my mindset shift and my FTE. I have seen more positive growth in 4 months than I have had in the previous 10 years combined!

No one is going to give you what you want out of life. You have to make it for yourself. Life isn't easy, it is brutal and difficult. You have the choice to either hide from it and let it push you around, or to face it head on and take control.

Anyone can do it. Search for new ways of thinking. Don't take the path of least resistance. Grow as a human. If you managed to read through this, I hope you do it. Your life, and everyone else who shares it with you, will be better for it.
 
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FriscoJP

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Thank you for sharing this. It brings a lot of perspective to my "struggles" as I previously thought of them... now, moreso as very minor inconveniences. I wish you the best and hope this disruptive opportunity takes you to the moon my friend.
 

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