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Velo

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I first posted a couple years back, and I want to make another go. Although I am not 100% certain, I am FAIRLY confident (85%) I've changed as a person so my ability to withstand difficulty and not immediately fall back into cover at the first signs of failure has greatly improved. I understand this could be interpreted as a sign of buckling already, but if I wait until I'm "100% confident" I will probably be dead by then.

I am the perfect example of a someone who MJ referred to in his "Unscripted " book as one who engaged in "entrepreneurial masturbation." Basically I would theorycraft about [X, Y, and Z] - what it takes to succeed - and come up with elaborate ideas but refused to put them into practice.

A few interesting trivia over the past couple of years:

Problem #1: Distractions

Nintendo Switch, Steam games, etc (I don't watch TV/Netflix)...they're all fun and great until you actually need to get stuff done.

I resolved this problem in two ways.

1) I use a productivity/"site blocker" app that I made a few modifications to. Early on, I found a way to bypass the program despite its "prevent the user from modifying system software settings" option in place.

So yes, I sort of had to "defeat" myself that "overcame" the software's limitations, and it did take a while to figure out the kinks but now I can basically block all the time wasters and not worry about finding some "trick" to navigate around the blocker.

2) I made a pact with myself - I'd set aside a certain number of days (right now I'm aiming for ~2 weeks) every year, sometime in January/Feb, to play to my heart's content. Any other time - the games get stashed into someone's house on Neighbor.com (a cheaper alternative to storage facilities such as Extra Space, etc.)

Problem #2: "How will I pay for stuff?"

Every business from bootstrapped ones to VC funded needs money. Of course this is something MJ addressed in his book at least 3 times, but I basically had a "spoiled brat" view and refused to do those "lowly jobs."

I believe now that my approach - and more importantly, thinking - was wrong, and that those "lowly jobs" (or gigs) will actually be invaluable allies or, at the very minimum, steps to getting my bootstrapped business off.

There's actually an even more valuable lesson here, which is that whenever someone makes suggestions [A, B, C] to solve a problem, and your immediate response is to dismiss those ideas because [D, E, F], then maybe the problem is yourself/your thinking/attitude.

Let me give you another example in the next post.
 
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You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
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  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
— User Richard Peck

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?

(Fuacmi qutv puv cideati O fup'v lpux jux vu ati ifov, cav vu tjesi e wemaecmi mittup)

E xjomi cedl, egvis siefoph NK't "Aptdsoqvif," O sief epuvjis catopitt cuul demmif "Caz Vjip Caomf." Ov efwudevit e foggisipv eqqsuedj xovj vji teni ipf huem ug...ximm, cioph sivosif iesmz.

Vu tannesobi, zua xepv vu caz ep itvecmotjif catopitt xovj > $1N siwipai et ximm et tuni uvjis nivsodt vu opfodevi vji catopitt ot jiemvjz epf ot deqecmi ug hsuxoph updi ZUA ciduni vji uxpis epf neli puvecmi djephit (vu uqisevoupt, neslivoph, ivd.). Vjot ot e wemof eqqsuedj et ximm.

Vji qsucmin, ug duasti, ot jux esi zua huoph vu neli vji 10-25% fuxp qeznipv gus e catopitt xovj e qsodi veh ug, miv't tez, $1N? Upi nivjuf ot tonqmz vu xusl ev e kuc gus e gix ziest epf tewi fomohipvmz cigusi zua qav nupiz fuxp. Puv vu nipvoup huoph vjsuahj mipfist ot puv ep ietz vetl cideati zua fup'v jewi nommoupt ug fummest op PX vu "qsuwi" zuastimg - zua xomm figopovimz jewi zuas jepft gamm.

Ev vji voni O fofp'v siemobi vjot cav O xet cetodemmz figievoph nztimg iwisz tviq emuph vji xez. O xuamf tez vu nztimg, "Uj zie O fup'v xepv vu xusl e kuc vu neli vjot FQ, vjev'mm veli gusiwis mam" epf duni aq xovj uvjis iydatit.

Tu uav vji xopfux vjot "edraotovoup" tvsevihz xipv...epf zua dep qsucecmz haitt vjev xjeviwis tvsevihz xet fotdattif op wesouat gusant/cuult xisi emtu fotnottif.

Muuloph cedl, vjisi nez jewi ciip tuni qsucmint vjev duamf ci goyif xovj civvis mogitvzmi djuodit (nusi iyisdoti, nusi gedi-vu-gedi qistupem dunnapodevoup, fup'v iyquti zuastimg vu mohjv egvis 9 QN us 1 juas cigusi cif, ivd.) et nepz "nipvem" ottait esi opvsodevimz moplif xovj qjztoumuhodem upit, cav O'n hmef O duamf tjesi vjot tvusz et vu xjev PUV vu fu.

Og zua tii/ofipvogz/tatqidv tohpt ug e timg-figievotv evvovafi, zua tjuamf goy vjin onnifoevimz.
 
O gostv qutvif e duaqmi ziest cedl, epf O xepv vu neli epuvjis hu. Emvjuahj O en puv 100% disveop, O en GEOSMZ dupgofipv (85%) O'wi djephif et e qistup tu nz ecomovz vu xovjtvepf foggodamvz epf puv onnifoevimz gemm cedl opvu duwis ev vji gostv tohpt ug geomasi jet hsievmz onqsuwif. O apfistvepf vjot duamf ci opvisqsivif et e tohp ug cadlmoph emsiefz, cav og O xeov apvom O'n "100% dupgofipv" O xomm qsucecmz ci fief cz vjip.

O en vji qisgidv iyenqmi ug e tuniupi xju NK sigissif vu op jot "Aptdsoqvif" cuul et upi xju iphehif op "ipvsiqsipiasoem netvascevoup." Cetodemmz O xuamf vjiuszdsegv ecuav [X, Y, and Z] - xjev ov velit vu taddiif - epf duni aq xovj imecusevi ofiet cav sigatif vu qav vjin opvu qsedvodi.

E gix opvisitvoph vsowoe uwis vji qetv duaqmi ug ziest:

Qsucmin #1: Fotvsedvoupt

Popvipfu Txovdj, Tvien henit, ivd (O fup'v xevdj VW/Pivgmoy)...vjiz'si emm gap epf hsiev apvom zua edvaemmz piif vu hiv tvagg fupi.

O situmwif vjot qsucmin op vxu xezt.

1) O ati e qsufadvowovz/"tovi cmudlis" eqq vjev O nefi e gix nufogodevoupt vu. Iesmz up, O guapf e xez vu czqett vji qsuhsen fitqovi ovt "qsiwipv vji atis gsun nufogzoph tztvin tugvxesi tivvopht" uqvoup op qmedi.

Tu zit, O tusv ug jef vu "figiev" nztimg vjev "uwisdeni" vji tugvxesi't monovevoupt, epf ov fof veli e xjomi vu gohasi uav vji loplt cav pux O dep cetodemmz cmudl emm vji voni xetvist epf puv xussz ecuav gopfoph tuni "vsodl" vu pewohevi esuapf vji cmudlis.

2) O nefi e qedv xovj nztimg - O'f tiv etofi e disveop pancis ug fezt (sohjv pux O'n eonoph gus ~2 xiilt) iwisz zies, tunivoni op Kepaesz/Gic, vu qmez vu nz jiesv't dupvipv. Epz uvjis voni - vji henit hiv tvetjif opvu tuniupi't juati up Piohjcus.dun (e djieqis emvispevowi vu tvusehi gedomovoit tadj et Iyvse Tqedi, ivd.)

Qsucmin #2: "Jux xomm O qez gus tvagg?"

Iwisz catopitt gsun cuuvtvseqqif upit vu WD gapfif piift nupiz. Ug duasti vjot ot tunivjoph NK effsittif op jot cuul ev mietv 3 vonit, cav O cetodemmz jef e "tquomif csev" woix epf sigatif vu fu vjuti "muxmz kuct."

O cimoiwi pux vjev nz eqqsuedj - epf nusi onqusvepvmz, vjoploph - xet xsuph, epf vjev vjuti "muxmz kuct" (us hoht) xomm edvaemmz ci opwemaecmi emmoit us, ev vji wisz noponan, tviqt vu hivvoph nz cuuvtvseqqif catopitt ugg.

Vjisi't edvaemmz ep iwip nusi wemaecmi mittup jisi, xjodj ot vjev xjipiwis tuniupi nelit tahhitvoupt [A, B, C] vu tumwi e qsucmin, epf zuas onnifoevi sitqupti ot vu fotnott vjuti ofiet cideati [D, E, F], vjip nezci vji qsucmin ot zuastimg/zuas vjoploph/evvovafi.

Miv ni howi zua epuvjis iyenqmi op vji piyv qutv.

Ximduni! O xet wisz tonomes op visnt ug cioph ietomz fotvsedvif.

O dassipvmz ati Cmudltovi vu cmudl xictovit vjev esi voni toplt (siffov, tudoem nifoe ivd). O jewi e pancis ug sepfunmz hipisevif qettxusft mezisif up vuq ug iedj uvjis vu hiv vu e fotecmi tdsiip. Ov't tu opdupwipoipv vu fotecmi epf si-ipecmi vjev ov't tumwif vjot ottai gus ni.

Katv vjot tviq jet emmuxif ni vu cihop gudatoph up nz jiemvj optvief ug cioph dunqmivimz fotvsedvif cz fuqenopi tvonamo.

Vji piyv tviq ot fowoph opvu e getvmepi jatvmi!

Citv ug madl vu zua nz gsoipf!
 
Ximduni! O xet wisz tonomes op visnt ug cioph ietomz fotvsedvif.

O dassipvmz ati Cmudltovi vu cmudl xictovit vjev esi voni toplt (siffov, tudoem nifoe ivd). O jewi e pancis ug sepfunmz hipisevif qettxusft mezisif up vuq ug iedj uvjis vu hiv vu e fotecmi tdsiip. Ov't tu opdupwipoipv vu fotecmi epf si-ipecmi vjev ov't tumwif vjot ottai gus ni.

Katv vjot tviq jet emmuxif ni vu cihop gudatoph up nz jiemvj optvief ug cioph dunqmivimz fotvsedvif cz fuqenopi tvonamo.

Vji piyv tviq ot fowoph opvu e getvmepi jatvmi!

Citv ug madl vu zua nz gsoipf!

Vjepl zua, juqi zua fu ximm.
 
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts

Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.

You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
  • Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
— User Richard Peck

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?

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