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I've Done Absolutely Nothing for 365 Days, But Killed It After...

Esquire

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The legal pad is actually a law school technique. They come in to situations organized (the right side of the legal pad) but then can add questions as issues arise in the margin (the left third of the legal pad.) @Esquire I am curious if you use a similar note taking technique.

Never heard of that method before.

I sometimes use a legal pad ... during an interview ... in the courtroom ... writing big reminder notes for the following morning ... things like that.

But outside of those contexts ... I try to avoid paper. My law office is (99%) paperless by design.
 
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Vigilante

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Never heard of that method before.

I sometimes use a legal pad ... during an interview ... in the courtroom ... writing big reminder notes for the following morning ... things like that.

But outside of those contexts ... I try to avoid paper. My law office is (99%) paperless by design.
It's not easy, being green...
 

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We use Notepad in the office when working on projects. Hit F5 for a time stamp. If a lot of stuff, we might sort in Excel or run through a priority grid or mind map.

Personally, I carry one of the small pads and a pen with me at all times. Then scan it in when I get back.
 

jon.a

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This was part of my uniform...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088OMX5U/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

61bweOR3-pL._SL1248_.jpg
 
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smarty

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-- bump --

what happened with all these legal pads you guys bought ?
I sometimes tend to get all busy but once I write down 3-4 things to do, the next day I'm clear again and focus more easily. Today have been working almost all day long on some code issues in my current project ;)

Also I noticed, once I have written down what I want to achieve and what am I willing to give up for that, when I go out, I find myself catching everything I do that is not in alignment with those things I wrote.

I read them, first thing in the morning and then during the day it is like a subconscious self-check.
Really keeps me on track and also lowers stress or tension from work.
 

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Daniel A

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what happened with all these legal pads you guys bought ?

Today is day one of me using those legal pads for hand writing copy. For my (physical) to-do list, I went to Walmart and bought cheap spiral notebooks and a ruler. I draw a line halfway through horizontally and do the same recommended vertical line advice.

Also I noticed, once I have written down what I want to achieve and what am I willing to give up for that, when I go out, I find myself catching everything I do that is not in alignment with those things I wrote.

That's a great tip right there!


I remember seeing that being offered not long after my INSIDERS subscription expired. :(
 
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William

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An Added Benefit To Writing Down Your Tasks: BREAKING THEM DOWN

"If people are facing a daunting task, and their instinct is to avoid it, you've got to break down the task. Shrink the change. Make the change small enough that they can't help but score a victory. Once people clean a single room, or pay off a single debt, their dread starts to dissipate, and the progress starts to snowball." Chip and Dan Heath

1. Breaking down a task makes it more managable
2. Breaking down a task eases your conscious: no stressing, "figuring" out what to do
3. Breaking down a task allows fast completion: builds momentum, sense of accomplishment.
 

SeanyHang

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@dmitriyb Idk if you're call inspired you to keep pursuing music or focus on a different fastlane adventure.. But if you still need a singer here and there, pm me. I'm by no means a Chris Brown/ Justin Bieber/ One direction type that you typically hear in modern EDM and Pop (or whatever it is that you're trying to produce - i'd imagine if you're trying to take your music into the fastlane it's one of these genres).. But we might be able to mix something cool with my pop-rock/ pop-punk voice..

Check out my song "Stronger" which was professionally produced.

And funnily enough - I just "released" this music video yesterday to my song called "Dreamer".
It's a song that I found jotted down on my notepad from about a year ago about my frustrations with wanting to achieve my dreams but not having any idea how to do it. I decided to record, produce, film, and edit myself these past few weeks (so it's not professional but you'll get the idea).


Hit me up if you need anything and good luck on your journey ahead!
 

db7903915

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@dmitriyb Idk if you're call inspired you to keep pursuing music or focus on a different fastlane adventure.. But if you still need a singer here and there, pm me. I'm by no means a Chris Brown/ Justin Bieber/ One direction type that you typically hear in modern EDM and Pop (or whatever it is that you're trying to produce - i'd imagine if you're trying to take your music into the fastlane it's one of these genres).. But we might be able to mix something cool with my pop-rock/ pop-punk voice..

Check out my song "Stronger" which was professionally produced.

And funnily enough - I just "released" this music video yesterday to my song called "Dreamer".
It's a song that I found jotted down on my notepad from about a year ago about my frustrations with wanting to achieve my dreams but not having any idea how to do it. I decided to record, produce, film, and edit myself these past few weeks (so it's not professional but you'll get the idea).


Hit me up if you need anything and good luck on your journey ahead!
Thanks Sean! You've got a great voice, I'd love to hear you over some stuff I made. Can you PM me your email?
 

Bellini

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@dmitriyb

Check out my song "Stronger" which was professionally produced.

And funnily enough - I just "released" this music video yesterday to my song called "Dreamer".
It's a song that I found jotted down on my notepad from about a year ago about my frustrations with wanting to achieve my dreams but not having any idea how to do it. I decided to record, produce, film, and edit myself these past few weeks (so it's not professional but you'll get the idea).


@SeanyHang - You have a great voice. I like your songs! Keep working it.
 
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najz

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I'm adapted to Evernote, but i think it's time to remember how to write, i will try legal pads for sure!
 

mosdef

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A question: The numbered action steps that you were supposed to write down. Are they direct related to the notes and ideas you wrote down or can it be action like going and buying grocery?

thanks for all the value you guys are sharing. Priceless.
 
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Dwight Schrute

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A question: The numbered action steps that you were supposed to write down. Are they direct related to the notes and ideas you wrote down or can it be action like going and buying grocery?
Directly related.

The steps are your outline of actions requiered to complete a specific goal.

Sure, you must eat to achieve anything in live, but that shouldn't be on your list. Be specific.




Afk, crossing "Breathing" off my todo-list ;)
 

DWX

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I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I have to say guys - awesome thread. Seriously.

So, so glad I stumbled across this forum. So, so glad.
 

oimate

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If it works, it works. I got a double pack stack of legal pads I'll be putting to use over time. And honestly, over time it'd be cool to see how far members of the forum take themselves.

This Just In!

Sales of legal pads are on the rise! :)

View attachment 10405

View attachment 10406
Hi Daniel,

So a few months into using the legal pads-Hows the progress been? Useful or flunked out after the inital flurry of excitement?
 

DWX

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Come to think of it, I'd love to hear an update on how things are going @dmitriyb :)
 

Daniel A

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Hi Daniel,

So a few months into using the legal pads-Hows the progress been? Useful or flunked out after the inital flurry of excitement?

I posted that on August 25, 2015. Time flies...

Believe it or not, I'm still using legal pads, but for handwriting sales copy / ads instead. Since then I went back to Wunderlist (stopped now), tried Todoist, bought spiral notebooks to use instead of legal pads for my to-dos. But I'm now using a weird system of my own, haha.

I have two whiteboards which I use to write short term and long term goals / to-dos. Google Keep for recording ideas (tried Evernote and Simplenote -- I like Google Keep). And I use small wire bound memo books to write down my daily to-dos which I try to do the night before.

LhXATyo.jpg
 
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Imgal

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BUMPING this post!!

Not sure what ended by happening with @dmitriyb but this advice from @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley is still golden. I've put my hands up to becoming a bit unstuck recently, but the one thing that has kept me on track with stuff is the first step.

Keep things floating in your head and they'll float about aimlessly. Put them down on paper in this fashion and instead of it being a "someday", you'll already have in your mind that action is being taken on the item and are much more likely to commit to it.

Oh, and if you want to know how important I feel this is - well it would be the one post I didn't bookmark so I spent the last hour trying to recall every phrase from it and wasn't go to give up till I did. That is how important I think it is lost newbies and well practised drifters trying to slide into the Fastlane.

So here is a compact view of the golden information I was given by @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley.


First and Foremost
It is absolutely essential to have a legal pad with you at all times. Mind you, it could be a notebook, or something similar, but it MUST be a physical thing that you write on with a pen.

Draw a vertical line a third (1/3) of the way across the page, and now your page is split into 2 sections.
  • The first section (which takes up a third of the page) is where you jot down notes or ideas. Just whatever comes to mind.
  • The second section is a NUMBERED LIST of actionable steps that you need to accomplish. Steps you must take to complete a goal.
@Vigilante told me a story about a millionaire who lived in the hottest, mot luxurious spot in Beverly Hills. And he made it essential to always have a legal pad and a pen with him.


Climbing Mountains and Overcoming Obstacles
@Vigilante told me about a young musician like me, who wanted get into a show to see his favourite artist. But he couldn't afford the ticket. So what did he do? He went down to the arena anyway. He lied the guards, and got into the venue. But he didn't stop there! He wanted to meet the artist! And by believing in his crystallized goal of shaking the artist's hand, he was able to get past the obstacles. He ended up taking photos with the artist.

He had a vision of where he wanted to be, and he gave it his best and succeeded.

Getting Access
@Vigilante wanted to get through to a very big client. This was the kind of client that you can't walk up to, and any mail that you send his way will be thrown out. So what did @Vigilante do? He sent the client's assistant a big box filled with helium balloons, and he had the assistant's favourite gifts tied to each balloon. The assistant was WOW'ed, and this created a personal connection. This got him through to the assistant, and eventually he was able to get in touch with the big client.

Do things that other people won't do. Sometimes you just have to pick up the phone and call them to introduce yourself. Or send a gift! Do something that will make you stand out, do something that isn't scalable. This is how you build personal connections and get through to people. You can write an email, but so can the other 1000 people. Do something they won't do. This will get you access.

Perspective
There is always someone in a worse situation than you. Corny, yes, but so true. @Vigilante told me a personal story about another kid like me, and it made me rethink how I see my relationship with my parents.

However long it takes for me to live on my own, I will spend the rest of the time with my parents as the best kid I could possibly be. Because in 40 years, I want to look back and think, I did everything I could!

And lastly,
Nobody is going to take your further in life except yourself. What stands between you and your dream life is a stack of legal pads all written out with actionable steps that you took. It's up to you to create your roadmap. And by creating one, you're already ahead of the 99%.

A number of people on this forum have already become millionaires as a result of this forum. More people will soon enough.

Why can't you be one of them?
 

db7903915

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Bump.

Here we are, 4 years later. I'm now 23, living in Los Angeles and producing/writing music for a living. 5 figures in savings. Releases with major labels (Sony, BMG, Universal). Some passive income from music. Nothing to brag about and definitely not top 1% in my industry but... Still pretty damn lucky.

The gist of it is... A few days after my call with @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley, I got a private message on SoundCloud from a fairly successful music producer/DJ who was based in LA, who asked me to come collaborate with him. That turned into a mentorship that lasted around 2 years (luckily no "bad deal") and allowed me to move to LA in beginning of 2016 with an O-1 Visa for "extraordinary ability" (lol) and work with some medium-high level artists and meet tons of pros (if anyone is curious, you can dig up my artist name from an old post and go to my website where you can see my discography).

As I worked under the producer I built up my songwriting/political skills (you gotta be real gentle with people who do music for a living.... lots of emotional nuances that you have to master so you don't upset the "vibe" of the room and also making sure everyone's in a good mood, otherwise you're wasting time--48 laws is a good read, so is AoS). Eventually started doing writing sessions of my own with various artists I've met, which led to some songs being "taken" by either artists or record labels. Made some money, saved ALL of it, bought some studio gear (nice pre-amp, nice monitors, nice mic).

I wouldn't exactly call what I do "fastlane" unless I get a placement with an A-level artist (which isn't impossible) but... The bills are paid for now. My current life situation is exactly what I envisioned as "success" when I made the first post in this thread. Pretty cool. Still got a long way to go.

Don't know if anyone's still around to read this update but I wanted to again, DEEPLY, thank @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley for their crystallized advice. If you guys didn't clear my dumb f**king head back in 2015, I don't know if I would've agreed to go to LA and meet a completely random person, even if they were pretty successful. I was too chickens**t. You guys set me straight. Most importantly, my relationship with my parents changed entirely over a few months after our call, I stopped being an idiot and realized that they won't be around forever, so it's an absolute waste of time to "hate" them. I fly back to Vancouver at least once every couple months for a week or two, and make sure to keep in touch with them every few days. It's a very deeply satisfying feeling. If you have family, treasure it. Those that grow up without it are at a disadvantage, so count yourself lucky.

Thought it would be cool to revisit the main points from the call and see how I've applied them:

Climbing Mountains and Overcoming Obstacles
Basically, 99% of people just do the least amount of work required of them. Even if they work with A-level artists. Overachievers are... Far and between. If you show up on time, with a smile on your face and a serious work ethic... Even on a high level in an industry you will be an anomaly. People "high up" in the entertainment industry in their late 30s-40s are mostly jaded, so they need young people to boost up their morale, make them feel "hip". Be that "hip", easy-going, fun character, and people will open doors for you. But always make sure you are bringing 100% effort to every single thing you are part of. There's no other way about it. When I work with a new person and I can see they're not giving me all their effort, having a kind of lazy "aura" about them... I don't usually call them back. People like seeing you work, it's like that saying about if your car breaks down on the highway, start pushing it. Don't wait for someone to help you. And once you start pushing, someone will come and help you since you've already done the initial heavy lifting.

Getting Access
Getting access is best done by just spending an enormous amount of work on perfecting your craft. Compare your work to literally the top 1% in your industry and try to match it (if you're in pop music this would be Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, Ian Kirkpatrick, etc). If you truly put in a few years with this attitude (as long as you don't live in a cave) people will see your work and take appropriate actions (put you in rooms, give you things to work on). Keep in mind, my opinion is completely biased because I literally got access to a high level immediately by pure chance, but for those on the "grind", what I recommend is seek out lower-level people like myself and help them out. Be useful, maybe even ask them what they need help with. Because once those people have "power", they will remember the guy who helped them out X years ago. Even if it's been 3-7 years. (There is a successful DJ from Vancouver that goes by Vanic that reposted the first songs I released in 2013 and 2014 to tens of thousands of his fans, maybe for shits, maybe because he liked them. He gave me a nice boost to my following and I never forgot the guy, anytime he reaches out for feedback on mixes I jump to it immediately. He could ask me to fly to Alaska tomorrow to feed a stray dog and I would do it. People remember good deeds.) This route of finding "bubbling" people in the industry is a bit more realistic than trying to get a meeting with Quincy Jones or Drake's manager, since those lower-level people are super easy to access. All they're focusing on is becoming more successful, so they will utilize you if you're actually useful to them. There's plenty of people who work under someone well-known, so just find them, and build a relationship with them so when they have their "break", they'll help you out.

Perspective
"There is always someone in a worse situation than you." Again, back to the parents thing. Make sure you treasure your family and close relationships because as soon as you start to have any amount of success, your circle of close friends will shrink significantly. But your parents/family will always be there. They don't care if you worked with Madonna, they just care if you ate enough today. Or if you're getting sunlight and exercise. Also this might be a bit dark but when your parents have 1 live parent between the both of them.. Something clicks in your head.


To summarize, just keep at it. Life is a million little steps that stack up on top of each other, so make sure you take the good ones. Read "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson. Not everyone will be lucky, and not everyone will be successful, but you can GUARANTEE that you won't achieve anything by quitting early. Here's an excerpt from "Fooled By Randomness" by Nassim Taleb:

“Our brain is not cut out for nonlinearities. People think that if, say, two variables are causally linked, then a steady input in one variable should always yield a result in the other one. Our emotional apparatus is designed for linear causality. For instance, you study every day and learn something in proportion to your studies. If you do not feel that you are going anywhere, your emotions will cause you to become demoralized. But reality rarely gives us the privilege of a satisfying linear positive progression: You may study for a year and learn nothing, then, unless you are disheartened by the empty results and give up, something will come to you in a flash. My partner Mark Spitznagel summarizes it as follows: Imagine yourself practicing the piano every day for a long time, barely being able to perform “Chopsticks,” then suddenly finding yourself capable of playing Rachmaninov. Owing to this nonlinearity, people cannot comprehend the nature of the rare event. This summarizes why there are routes to success that are nonrandom, but few, very few, people have the mental stamina to follow them. Those who go the extra mile are rewarded.”

Go the extra mile. Always. You will be rewarded. If not now, then a few years down the road. Work on your mental stamina. I find weightlifting (heavy, low-reps) and stoic philosophy good ways to callous the mind, although again I'm biased since I've been into both for a while.

And of course, thank you to @MJ DeMarco for writing The Millionaire Fastlane and making such an impression on me at 18 that I came to the forum and got myself into this whole mess. Wouldn't have happened without you.

I'm one lucky f**k, so I make sure to put in work to constantly prove myself. Don't want to let down those that have supported me early on.

Oh yeah the legal pads... Got about 30 of them stacked in a box under my bed lol. Definitely works.
 
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Fox

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Wow amazing! This has to be one of the coolest posts on here in regards to time and progress.

What legends @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley!

Also well done to @dmitriyb for taking action and being open to good advice.

This made my day. @MJ DeMarco you will love this - the power of the forum strikes again.
 

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@dmitriyb That's awesome to read! I was afraid that that maybe you gave up and now work some hopeless 9-5 office crap job.
I'm also an aspiring music producer, but my main business that makes me a good living now distracts me from focusing on music. Maybe I will start a different thread about it.
Anyway, Happy to see that you succeeded! Keep it up!
 
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RazorCut

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Well that update was well worth the wait. Awesome post that shows what can be achieved when someone like @Vigilante sees a spark and decides to throw out a lifeline.

Although it was @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley who created that inertia hats off for doggedly following through and not letting yourself or them down. Congratulations on your current success and all that is to come.

:clap::
 
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Vigilante

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Bump.

Here we are, 4 years later. I'm now 23, living in Los Angeles and producing/writing music for a living. 5 figures in savings. Releases with major labels (Sony, BMG, Universal). Some passive income from music. Nothing to brag about and definitely not top 1% in my industry but... Still pretty damn lucky.

The gist of it is... A few days after my call with @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley, I got a private message on SoundCloud from a fairly successful music producer/DJ who was based in LA, who asked me to come collaborate with him. That turned into a mentorship that lasted around 2 years (luckily no "bad deal") and allowed me to move to LA in beginning of 2016 with an O-1 Visa for "extraordinary ability" (lol) and work with some medium-high level artists and meet tons of pros (if anyone is curious, you can dig up my artist name from an old post and go to my website where you can see my discography).

As I worked under the producer I built up my songwriting/political skills (you gotta be real gentle with people who do music for a living.... lots of emotional nuances that you have to master so you don't upset the "vibe" of the room and also making sure everyone's in a good mood, otherwise you're wasting time--48 laws is a good read, so is AoS). Eventually started doing writing sessions of my own with various artists I've met, which led to some songs being "taken" by either artists or record labels. Made some money, saved ALL of it, bought some studio gear (nice pre-amp, nice monitors, nice mic).

I wouldn't exactly call what I do "fastlane" unless I get a placement with an A-level artist (which isn't impossible) but... The bills are paid for now. My current life situation is exactly what I envisioned as "success" when I made the first post in this thread. Pretty cool. Still got a long way to go.

Don't know if anyone's still around to read this update but I wanted to again, DEEPLY, thank @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley for their crystallized advice. If you guys didn't clear my dumb f**king head back in 2015, I don't know if I would've agreed to go to LA and meet a completely random person, even if they were pretty successful. I was too chickens**t. You guys set me straight. Most importantly, my relationship with my parents changed entirely over a few months after our call, I stopped being an idiot and realized that they won't be around forever, so it's an absolute waste of time to "hate" them. I fly back to Vancouver at least once every couple months for a week or two, and make sure to keep in touch with them every few days. It's a very deeply satisfying feeling. If you have family, treasure it. Those that grow up without it are at a disadvantage, so count yourself lucky.

Thought it would be cool to revisit the main points from the call and see how I've applied them:

Climbing Mountains and Overcoming Obstacles
Basically, 99% of people just do the least amount of work required of them. Even if they work with A-level artists. Overachievers are... Far and between. If you show up on time, with a smile on your face and a serious work ethic... Even on a high level in an industry you will be an anomaly. People "high up" in the entertainment industry in their late 30s-40s are mostly jaded, so they need young people to boost up their morale, make them feel "hip". Be that "hip", easy-going, fun character, and people will open doors for you. But always make sure you are bringing 100% effort to every single thing you are part of. There's no other way about it. When I work with a new person and I can see they're not giving me all their effort, having a kind of lazy "aura" about them... I don't usually call them back. People like seeing you work, it's like that saying about if your car breaks down on the highway, start pushing it. Don't wait for someone to help you. And once you start pushing, someone will come and help you since you've already done the initial heavy lifting.

Getting Access
Getting access is best done by just spending an enormous amount of work on perfecting your craft. Compare your work to literally the top 1% in your industry and try to match it (if you're in pop music this would be Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, Ian Kirkpatrick, etc). If you truly put in a few years with this attitude (as long as you don't live in a cave) people will see your work and take appropriate actions (put you in rooms, give you things to work on). Keep in mind, my opinion is completely biased because I literally got access to a high level immediately by pure chance, but for those on the "grind", what I recommend is seek out lower-level people like myself and help them out. Be useful, maybe even ask them what they need help with. Because once those people have "power", they will remember the guy who helped them out X years ago. Even if it's been 3-7 years. (There is a successful DJ from Vancouver that goes by Vanic that reposted the first songs I released in 2013 and 2014 to tens of thousands of his fans, maybe for shits, maybe because he liked them. He gave me a nice boost to my following and I never forgot the guy, anytime he reaches out for feedback on mixes I jump to it immediately. He could ask me to fly to Alaska tomorrow to feed a stray dog and I would do it. People remember good deeds.) This route of finding "bubbling" people in the industry is a bit more realistic than trying to get a meeting with Quincy Jones or Drake's manager, since those lower-level people are super easy to access. All they're focusing on is becoming more successful, so they will utilize you if you're actually useful to them. There's plenty of people who work under someone well-known, so just find them, and build a relationship with them so when they have their "break", they'll help you out.

Perspective
"There is always someone in a worse situation than you." Again, back to the parents thing. Make sure you treasure your family and close relationships because as soon as you start to have any amount of success, your circle of close friends will shrink significantly. But your parents/family will always be there. They don't care if you worked with Madonna, they just care if you ate enough today. Or if you're getting sunlight and exercise. Also this might be a bit dark but when your parents have 1 live parent between the both of them.. Something clicks in your head.


To summarize, just keep at it. Life is a million little steps that stack up on top of each other, so make sure you take the good ones. Read "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson. Not everyone will be lucky, and not everyone will be successful, but you can GUARANTEE that you won't achieve anything by quitting early. Here's an excerpt from "Fooled By Randomness" by Nassim Taleb:

“Our brain is not cut out for nonlinearities. People think that if, say, two variables are causally linked, then a steady input in one variable should always yield a result in the other one. Our emotional apparatus is designed for linear causality. For instance, you study every day and learn something in proportion to your studies. If you do not feel that you are going anywhere, your emotions will cause you to become demoralized. But reality rarely gives us the privilege of a satisfying linear positive progression: You may study for a year and learn nothing, then, unless you are disheartened by the empty results and give up, something will come to you in a flash. My partner Mark Spitznagel summarizes it as follows: Imagine yourself practicing the piano every day for a long time, barely being able to perform “Chopsticks,” then suddenly finding yourself capable of playing Rachmaninov. Owing to this nonlinearity, people cannot comprehend the nature of the rare event. This summarizes why there are routes to success that are nonrandom, but few, very few, people have the mental stamina to follow them. Those who go the extra mile are rewarded.”

Go the extra mile. Always. You will be rewarded. If not now, then a few years down the road. Work on your mental stamina. I find weightlifting (heavy, low-reps) and stoic philosophy good ways to callous the mind, although again I'm biased since I've been into both for a while.

And of course, thank you to @MJ DeMarco for writing The Millionaire Fastlane and making such an impression on me at 18 that I came to the forum and got myself into this whole mess. Wouldn't have happened without you.

I'm one lucky f**k, so I make sure to put in work to constantly prove myself. Don't want to let down those that have supported me early on.

Oh yeah the legal pads... Got about 30 of them stacked in a box under my bed lol. Definitely works.

This.

You and people like you are the reason @AllenCrawley and I still hang around.

Loved your update more than you will ever know.
 

ChrisV

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Bump.

Here we are, 4 years later. I'm now 23, living in Los Angeles and producing/writing music for a living. 5 figures in savings. Releases with major labels (Sony, BMG, Universal). Some passive income from music. Nothing to brag about and definitely not top 1% in my industry but... Still pretty damn lucky.

The gist of it is... A few days after my call with @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley, I got a private message on SoundCloud from a fairly successful music producer/DJ who was based in LA, who asked me to come collaborate with him. That turned into a mentorship that lasted around 2 years (luckily no "bad deal") and allowed me to move to LA in beginning of 2016 with an O-1 Visa for "extraordinary ability" (lol) and work with some medium-high level artists and meet tons of pros (if anyone is curious, you can dig up my artist name from an old post and go to my website where you can see my discography).

As I worked under the producer I built up my songwriting/political skills (you gotta be real gentle with people who do music for a living.... lots of emotional nuances that you have to master so you don't upset the "vibe" of the room and also making sure everyone's in a good mood, otherwise you're wasting time--48 laws is a good read, so is AoS). Eventually started doing writing sessions of my own with various artists I've met, which led to some songs being "taken" by either artists or record labels. Made some money, saved ALL of it, bought some studio gear (nice pre-amp, nice monitors, nice mic).

I wouldn't exactly call what I do "fastlane" unless I get a placement with an A-level artist (which isn't impossible) but... The bills are paid for now. My current life situation is exactly what I envisioned as "success" when I made the first post in this thread. Pretty cool. Still got a long way to go.

Don't know if anyone's still around to read this update but I wanted to again, DEEPLY, thank @Vigilante and @AllenCrawley for their crystallized advice. If you guys didn't clear my dumb f**king head back in 2015, I don't know if I would've agreed to go to LA and meet a completely random person, even if they were pretty successful. I was too chickens**t. You guys set me straight. Most importantly, my relationship with my parents changed entirely over a few months after our call, I stopped being an idiot and realized that they won't be around forever, so it's an absolute waste of time to "hate" them. I fly back to Vancouver at least once every couple months for a week or two, and make sure to keep in touch with them every few days. It's a very deeply satisfying feeling. If you have family, treasure it. Those that grow up without it are at a disadvantage, so count yourself lucky.

Thought it would be cool to revisit the main points from the call and see how I've applied them:

Climbing Mountains and Overcoming Obstacles
Basically, 99% of people just do the least amount of work required of them. Even if they work with A-level artists. Overachievers are... Far and between. If you show up on time, with a smile on your face and a serious work ethic... Even on a high level in an industry you will be an anomaly. People "high up" in the entertainment industry in their late 30s-40s are mostly jaded, so they need young people to boost up their morale, make them feel "hip". Be that "hip", easy-going, fun character, and people will open doors for you. But always make sure you are bringing 100% effort to every single thing you are part of. There's no other way about it. When I work with a new person and I can see they're not giving me all their effort, having a kind of lazy "aura" about them... I don't usually call them back. People like seeing you work, it's like that saying about if your car breaks down on the highway, start pushing it. Don't wait for someone to help you. And once you start pushing, someone will come and help you since you've already done the initial heavy lifting.

Getting Access
Getting access is best done by just spending an enormous amount of work on perfecting your craft. Compare your work to literally the top 1% in your industry and try to match it (if you're in pop music this would be Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, Ian Kirkpatrick, etc). If you truly put in a few years with this attitude (as long as you don't live in a cave) people will see your work and take appropriate actions (put you in rooms, give you things to work on). Keep in mind, my opinion is completely biased because I literally got access to a high level immediately by pure chance, but for those on the "grind", what I recommend is seek out lower-level people like myself and help them out. Be useful, maybe even ask them what they need help with. Because once those people have "power", they will remember the guy who helped them out X years ago. Even if it's been 3-7 years. (There is a successful DJ from Vancouver that goes by Vanic that reposted the first songs I released in 2013 and 2014 to tens of thousands of his fans, maybe for shits, maybe because he liked them. He gave me a nice boost to my following and I never forgot the guy, anytime he reaches out for feedback on mixes I jump to it immediately. He could ask me to fly to Alaska tomorrow to feed a stray dog and I would do it. People remember good deeds.) This route of finding "bubbling" people in the industry is a bit more realistic than trying to get a meeting with Quincy Jones or Drake's manager, since those lower-level people are super easy to access. All they're focusing on is becoming more successful, so they will utilize you if you're actually useful to them. There's plenty of people who work under someone well-known, so just find them, and build a relationship with them so when they have their "break", they'll help you out.

Perspective
"There is always someone in a worse situation than you." Again, back to the parents thing. Make sure you treasure your family and close relationships because as soon as you start to have any amount of success, your circle of close friends will shrink significantly. But your parents/family will always be there. They don't care if you worked with Madonna, they just care if you ate enough today. Or if you're getting sunlight and exercise. Also this might be a bit dark but when your parents have 1 live parent between the both of them.. Something clicks in your head.


To summarize, just keep at it. Life is a million little steps that stack up on top of each other, so make sure you take the good ones. Read "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson. Not everyone will be lucky, and not everyone will be successful, but you can GUARANTEE that you won't achieve anything by quitting early. Here's an excerpt from "Fooled By Randomness" by Nassim Taleb:

“Our brain is not cut out for nonlinearities. People think that if, say, two variables are causally linked, then a steady input in one variable should always yield a result in the other one. Our emotional apparatus is designed for linear causality. For instance, you study every day and learn something in proportion to your studies. If you do not feel that you are going anywhere, your emotions will cause you to become demoralized. But reality rarely gives us the privilege of a satisfying linear positive progression: You may study for a year and learn nothing, then, unless you are disheartened by the empty results and give up, something will come to you in a flash. My partner Mark Spitznagel summarizes it as follows: Imagine yourself practicing the piano every day for a long time, barely being able to perform “Chopsticks,” then suddenly finding yourself capable of playing Rachmaninov. Owing to this nonlinearity, people cannot comprehend the nature of the rare event. This summarizes why there are routes to success that are nonrandom, but few, very few, people have the mental stamina to follow them. Those who go the extra mile are rewarded.”

Go the extra mile. Always. You will be rewarded. If not now, then a few years down the road. Work on your mental stamina. I find weightlifting (heavy, low-reps) and stoic philosophy good ways to callous the mind, although again I'm biased since I've been into both for a while.

And of course, thank you to @MJ DeMarco for writing The Millionaire Fastlane and making such an impression on me at 18 that I came to the forum and got myself into this whole mess. Wouldn't have happened without you.

I'm one lucky f**k, so I make sure to put in work to constantly prove myself. Don't want to let down those that have supported me early on.

Oh yeah the legal pads... Got about 30 of them stacked in a box under my bed lol. Definitely works.
Holy shit... #GOLD

@MJ DeMarco
 

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