Today's my birthday. I couldnt be more disappointed.

[Antifragile]

EDIT: I also think that David Goggins is an ego-maniac much more than someone who did what he did to 'help others,' and is largely a charlatan who has a nicely packaged story but is highly overrated.

You’d need to elaborate on how you define a charlatan. DG influenced millions of people to get out of their comfort zone, improved their lives. And he did it by pushing himself way past what most people consider “normal” or even “possible”. Where is the “charlatan” part?

I disagree with you. I believe we need more, a lot more DGs in this world. The world today is full of soft useless depressed people. How do you help them? Pharmaceuticals? I think we’ve all seen enough of how well those work, since they don’t.

 

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[Amerstain]

You're a good writer with a great story. Perhaps you could start by becoming a freelance writer and taking it from there?

I had the same thought. You don't realize how much people would like to hear about your adventures man. When i read your story, i had 2 thoughts that came up. 1. Damn, i really should explore nature like this guy. 2. This guy is a great writer, if this was a sample i definitely would read his book. These are genuine words. Good luck.

 

[Amerstain]

I write for a living and I think your writing is great.

Download grammarly (it's a chrome extension). You'll quickly improve your spelling and grammar with it — and it's free.

Anyway, the way you write is descriptive and engaging i.e. it revs up one's imagination, so you've got something going for you which many writers and copywriters do not.

Do you write copy of do you do something else? Interested in leveraging my writing skills. Thanks

 

[Antifragile]

I know there are a few people on this forum who make a living writing … but I am of the opinion that it is not a good business. It is easy to get into but rewards are pitiful. It violates all CENTS framework items.

There is nothing wrong with getting and having a job.

Would love to hear what @Kak thinks on this …

 

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[Amerstain]

I know there are a few people on this forum who make a living writing … but I am of the opinion that it is not a good business. It is easy to get into but rewards are pitiful. It violates all CENTS framework items.

There is nothing wrong with getting and having a job.

Would love to hear what @Kak thinks on this …

I see, thanks. However i was curious if he was a writer, like someone who wrote books. That certainty doesn't violates all cents aspects as mj did it himself

 

[Kak]

I know there are a few people on this forum who make a living writing … but I am of the opinion that it is not a good business. It is easy to get into but rewards are pitiful. It violates all CENTS framework items.

There is nothing wrong with getting and having a job.

Would love to hear what @Kak thinks on this …

I think writing is awesome if you have an audience or a book deal. Getting paid for something for the rest of your life because you write something this year is super cool.

The reality of the situation is that everyone thinks it is an awesome idea and therefore there are a lot of books and not a lot of readers.

If I write a book, and I have a few in the notes, I will wait until I’m positive they can all launch with tremendous success, whether I self publish or shoot for a book deal.

I’m honestly shocked that 10% of the forum somehow makes a living with copywriting. Yes, trading your time directly for money, with a skill that you can’t scale, into a crowded market, that anyone can get into, on platforms that can change the game on you, violates every damn letter of CENTS.

Most people tell themselves that they’ll do it “for a little while” to “get experience” or to “fund their fastlane venture” the reality is they think it’s easier. In the context of thriving, I see it as tremendously more difficult than a real business. I believe I write well and wouldn’t personally touch a copywriting service business. I don’t value the experience, and I don’t believe it would make enough money to personally fund any actually fastlane venture I’d want to start.

I’m honestly convinced a job in a field of future interest would offer better experience and be staggeringly more lucrative than freelance anything.

 

[Antifragile]

I see, thanks. However i was curious if he was a writer, like someone who wrote books. That certainty doesn't violates all cents aspects as mj did it himself

@MJ DeMarco doesn’t write for a living. He made his wealth and now does it because it’s fulfilling to his life to help others.

 

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[Amerstain]

@MJ DeMarco doesn’t write for a living. He made his wealth and now does it because it’s fulfilling to his life to help others.

I know that, still it's a good income source to bring your wealth even higher. What i meant by this is that if he invested his time in it, then (if you can and have the opportunities), i should consider it too.

 

[MTF]

I know there are a few people on this forum who make a living writing … but I am of the opinion that it is not a good business. It is easy to get into but rewards are pitiful. It violates all CENTS framework items.

There is nothing wrong with getting and having a job.

Would love to hear what @Kak thinks on this …

My suggestion is to start with writing, get some clients, make some money, and regain some confidence.

What happens later may be completely unrelated to writing. With OPs skills and work ethic he'll be a top 1% freelance writer and IMO it will end up being more lucrative (and more confidence-building) than getting a regular job (that may further kill the spirit of such an adventurous person).

 

[heavy_industry]

I know that, still it's a good income source to bring your wealth even higher. What i meant by this is that if he invested his time in it, then (if you can and have the opportunities), i should consider it too.

Writing a book to create wealth is playing the lottery.
It scales very well, it is detached from your time, but once you publish the book you have very little control over it. With other business models you can launch the product to the market and then make a lot of adjustments until you get the desired results.

Writing can be a very profitable skill and there are other ways (besides writing a book), to turn it into a fastlane CENTS-compliant business.

 

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[Antifragile]

My suggestion is to start with writing, get some clients, make some money, and regain some confidence.

What happens later may be completely unrelated to writing. With OPs skills and work ethic he'll be a top 1% freelance writer and IMO it will end up being more lucrative (and more confidence-building) than getting a regular job (that may further kill the spirit of such an adventurous person).

We are all biased to our reality. As a writer, you see it as a way to build confidence. Yet I see getting a regular job that pays the bills as confidence building. Especially if you get one in the industry you want to learn from. But I agree with your comment about "adventurous person", if the OP is seeking "adventure" only, then these highs and lows are likely to be part of life. I've never been on an African safari, and have no interest either. What gives us joy differs for each person. The OP will need do figure it out by trial and error.

My thinking is that a man who chose military is likely to be a good company man. Promotions are likely, good life is also right around the corner - with just a job. Work ethic can then drive side hustle business and once that takes over the $$$ as key income driver, quit the job. What is missing in this advice is that "adventurous person" lifestyle.

Writing a book to create wealth is playing the lottery.
It scales very well, it is detached from your time, but once you publish the book you have very little control over it. With other business models you can launch the product to the market and then make a lot of adjustments until you get the desired results.

Writing can be a very profitable skill and there are other ways (besides writing a book), to turn it into a fastlane CENTS-compliant business.

The only way to make writing "fastlane" is by not writing! Create a company full of writers. Even then, I believe it sucks as a business. If it didn't, wouldn't the old newspaper companies be still rolling in profits? Yet they are barely making the ends meet. Newspaper writers are all freelancers now and most are struggling.

Acting is another example, most people in acting are broke. Few are rich. The odds just aren't there for my taste. I prefer to stack odds in my favour.

@Kak wrote above and I agree, write a book when you already have the audience for your message, a platform of sorts. But I don't see it as a Fastlane business, not even a little bit.

 

[heavy_industry]

The only way to make writing "fastlane" is by not writing! Create a company full of writers. Even then, I believe it sucks as a business. If it didn't, wouldn't the old newspaper companies be still rolling in profits? Yet they are barely making the ends meet. Newspaper writers are all freelancers now and most are struggling.

Books and newspapers have turned into websites, blogs, courses, and info products.
Writing + domain specific knowledge = fastlane info business.

@Kak wrote above and I agree, write a book when you already have the audience for your message, a platform of sorts. But I don't see it as a Fastlane business, not even a little bit.

I agree with that.
Writing a book hoping to make money is a very bad strategy. It is however a great thing to do if you are passionate about a subject and/or want to share your knowledge to the world. That's ultimately why people should write books.

 

[Antifragile]

Writing + domain specific knowledge = fastlane info business.

We disagree on this. You'd have to elaborate how it doesn't violate all CENTS.

I think you can make a living doing that, but it's even easier to do that with a job.

 

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[heavy_industry]

We disagree on this. You'd have to elaborate how it doesn't violate all CENTS.

Sure, let's take a generic fitness training program that is being sold as an info product:

• Control: You sell it on your own website which has plenty of inbound traffic from several sources.
• Entry: You will need the aforementioned domain-specific knowledge to be able to create the product.
• Need: Half of the 1st world population is overweight or in bad health.
• Time: Create once, sells forever.
• Scale: Create once, sells unlimited number of copies over the internet.

Does this hypothetical business model rely solely on writing? No.
Creating this would require an entire skill-set which includes: knowledge of sports and general human physiology, video recording and editing, web design, marketing, sales etc.

But writing is the core ability that will enhance all the other required skills. Being able to write means being able to speak, being able to think, being able to lead, being able to sell.
This is our fundamental skill and it's being used directly or indirectly in almost anything we do, especially in business.

All entrepreneurs should master the skill of writing.

 

[Antifragile]

Sure, let's take a generic fitness training program that is being sold as an info product:

• Control: You sell it on your own website which has plenty of inbound traffic from several sources.
• Entry: You will need the aforementioned domain-specific knowledge to be able to create the product.
• Need: Half of the 1st world population is overweight or in bad health.
• Time: Create once, sells forever.
• Scale: Create once, sells unlimited number of copies over the internet.

Does this hypothetical business model rely solely on writing? No.
Creating this would require an entire skill-set which includes: knowledge of sports and general human physiology, video recording and editing, web design, marketing, sales etc.

But writing is the core ability that will enhance all the other required skills. Being able to write means being able to speak, being able to think, being able to lead, being able to sell.
This is our fundamental skill and it's being used directly or indirectly in almost anything we do, especially in business.

This is a fun debate.

I believe that fitness programs are now the new "printed T-Shirt" businesses. If I want to run a marathon, I have thousands of free programs available to me, there is no way I'd pay for one. And if I did, I'd pay for a coach who would then give me his/her custom for me program. Selling a fitness program would be the opposite of fastlane.

I also do not believe that these types of products "sell forever". They distribute free forever, yes. But to sell them, would require skills way beyond writing (as you said already).

Worse yet, the need you point to isn't there. People who are overweight aren't overweight because there aren't enough fitness programs written by great copywriters! Do you agree with this?

In the end, what you described is not writing as fast lane business. You are describing a service converted into a product. Take Wim Hoff method - he had a service that is now a product, an app. That can be a great business.

As you continue thinking about it, I believe you'll come to the same conclusion as me.

All entrepreneurs should master the skill of writing.

Yes, 100% agree with this. Yet I don't need to be a copywriter to be good at copywriting (or writing for that matter).

 

[Simon Angel]

@Antifragile @MTF @Kak @heavy_industry @Amerstain

Cool discussion above and I'd say all of you are correct in your own way and point of view.

I think writing just for the sake of writing as a service (e.g. you wrote a landing page without actually doing your research and getting a feel for the business you're writing for OR prioritizing sounding "nice" and methodical instead of being focused on the objective - whether's that's lead generation, sales, etc.) is a crappy way to go about it.

For the record, I started off as "just" a copywriter (though there are copywriters who've earned tens of millions in commissions from a single sales page) but my work now revolves around managing email marketing for businesses and consulting digital marketing agencies and e-commerce stores.

Copywriting might be my specialized skill, but I'd rather describe myself as a big-picture guy that's keen on solving problems in his environment. I LOVE to stick my nose in matters that shouldn't concern me on paper and provide value in a way that wasn't expected of me by my clients. It has led to a lot of novel opportunities, bonus payments, and connections...

 

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[heavy_industry]

This is a fun debate.

I believe that fitness programs are now the new "printed T-Shirt" businesses. If I want to run a marathon, I have thousands of free programs available to me, there is no way I'd pay for one. And if I did, I'd pay for a coach who would then give me his/her custom for me program. Selling a fitness program would be the opposite of fastlane.

I also do not believe that these types of products "sell forever". They distribute free forever, yes. But to sell them, would require skills way beyond writing (as you said already).

Worse yet, the need you point to isn't there. People who are overweight aren't overweight because there aren't enough fitness programs written by great copywriters! Do you agree with this?

In the end, what you described is not writing as fast lane business. You are describing a service converted into a product. Take Wim Hoff method - he had a service that is now a product, an app. That can be a great business.

As you continue thinking about it, I believe you'll come to the same conclusion as me.

The fitness course was just a hypothetical example. I'm not saying this is the best thing to do.

All I am saying is that written material has very high fastlane potential due to its high scalability and time independence. You write it once, then it keeps producing value forever: each and every time it is being read by someone. This value could be monetized directly (selling info-product) or indirectly (ads on web traffic, affiliate marketing etc.).

Does this mean that everybody and their mom should start a blog? No.
Does this mean that this is the new goldrush that will make everyone rich? No.

But it does mean that written material, especially the one that is accessible through the world wide web is digital real estate.


This forum, for example, is creating a tremendous amount of value for everyone that is participating. And it mostly consists of... written material. It might not be very profitable, but it is very valuable. And that's what entrepreneurship is ultimately about - creating value.

 

[Antifragile]

@heavy_industry
I think we agree more than we disagree.

What am I saying?

• Writing is not a good fastlane business
• Making a great return on your time invested is very hard with writing (think like actors, most are broke, some are rich)
• The OP should not become a copywriter because it is neither easy nor all that profitable. It'll take years to get to a level of being a real producer in that space. It's is not an area lacking people doing the work, quite the opposite.

What am I not saying?

• I am not saying there is no business whatsoever in writing. @MTF has a newsletter that I bet will get monetized and I'll likely pay for reading it. There are other examples too.
• I am not saying that no one ever made a lot of money writing. There are winners.

This forum, for example, is creating a tremendous amount of value for everyone that is participating. And it mostly consists of... written material. It might not be very profitable, but it is very valuable. And that's what entrepreneurship is ultimately about - creating value.

That's key - I don't think the return on the effort invested is worthwhile. If it is not very profitable, is it still a "Fastlane" business? Put it another way, I would not recommend the OP to start a forum to monetize it and retire.

 

[ZCP]

You’d need to elaborate on how you define a charlatan. DG influenced millions of people to get out of their comfort zone, improved their lives. And he did it by pushing himself way past what most people consider “normal” or even “possible”. Where is the “charlatan” part?

I disagree with you. I believe we need more, a lot more DGs in this world. The world today is full of soft useless depressed people. How do you help them? Pharmaceuticals? I think we’ve all seen enough of how well those work, since they don’t.

i listen to him every morning. i think he's awesome. ....... i don't need to dig into him or his story or any of that. his message helps me and others i point toward him. so there is value.

 

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[ZCP]

@rjurasek
step 1: what is your 'why'? ..... if you are unsure, do the perfect day exercise
step 2: what is the first step to obtain that?
step 3: do that.

review weekly and update as you go. start a progress thread here. post in it. tag us. talk through all the thoughts and ideas you have. (Read other progress threads for ideas / directions). you can use the thread later for your book.

you got this. let's go!!

 

[Matt Lee]

What direction would you go? Maybe someone could turn on the lighthouse.

Hey man. It doesn't matter where you've been up until now. You can still choose to do something else today and be able to do it, make it work, become great, and leave a mark on the world. It may take creativity, bloody effort, and time but you can surely do it. It's all a mental choice as anything worthwhile.

It will start with the next few physical decisions(sleeping better, eating better, getting your health in check, developing the mindset of a killer), then a few mental choices(never give up control of your life ever again and never disappoint yourself), which will probably ripple into many years of actions and adjustment and growth but you will turn everything around sooner than later. It doesn't matter where you have been or what history you have. I know you must be feeling pretty mad and perhaps even angry, and resentful. It doesn't matter. Don't let all those pent-up emotions of anger turn into apathy and nihilism. Your emotions right now are powerful if you use them as a catalyst to get your life in order.

For you, your 29 birthday should mark the day you realize everything is a lie. It's a day of enlightenment. A moment of rebirth, even. Those around you that tell you that you have a lot of time are all liars. Time goes by in a blink of an eye if you don't use it properly. You know this first handed. But the thing is, it's ok. It's yin and yang. You still have a lot of time compared to someone in their 40s, 50s, or 60s. It doesn't mean you can afford to spend it unwisely. It just means it's not too late for you to make a decision to change.

You must have done a lot of reflecting as you write this post. You know time is dripping away one day at a time and if you don't grab your life by the balls your life will continue to drift on with you in the passenger seat. Spectating those around you win and not becoming the winner himself. Let your disappointment fuel you. Let all those negative emotions burn you and leave a scar that won't heal. This scar will serve as a reminder of how precious your life is, specifically your time on this planet. Allow it to feed your drive and ambitions. I know you have some in you. You don't sound like a broken person. You sound like a person who realizes that time passes by quickly and that in a blink of an eye you can become old, frail, regretful, and miserable. Be glad you're on this forum at 29 and not 60. Be glad that you have access to the internet, living somewhere that is not a 3rd world country, and still have choices to make. Afterall, you are still breathing.

You said you didn't provide value with this post. I think you are a liar. You show people that if you don't put in the work today and use time wisely, time will fly out the window literally. So thank you man and keep on going.

 

[Kak]

Fortune favors the bold. Acting like it doesn’t feels good to some, but it doesn’t make it any less true.

If this triggers you, be honest with with yourself. Do you want to be told your comfort zone is totally cool and you’ll be “fastlane” from there, even if it isn’t true?

@Antifragile and I both genuinely believe telling this guy to start copywriting is bad advice, and I will leave it at that.

 

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[BizyDad]

What am I saying?

• Writing is not a good fastlane business
• Making a great return on your time invested is very hard with writing (think like actors, most are broke, some are rich)
• The OP should not become a copywriter because it is neither easy nor all that profitable. It'll take years to get to a level of being a real producer in that space. It's is not an area lacking people doing the work, quite the opposite.

I'm not saying that the op should start writing.

I just want to point out that many of your points can also be said about several other fields, like real estate for example. Most people who go into real estate fail. I'm talking real estate agents, brokers, construction, fixing flippers, investors. Most people who start in each of those categories fail.

Building a fast lane real estate business is hard. Making a great return on your time invested in real estate is hard. Most people who become successful don't become successful until years into the process. If this wasn't true, every Dean graziosi student would be a multi millionaire by now.

Think of it like acting. Most people who go into it quit with little to show for it other than knowledge, some decent number of them are able to make a living paycheck to paycheck, and a small percentage of them shoot the moon.

Does that mean people shouldn't go into real estate? I don't think so. Much like anything in life, your success is predicated on your commitment to learning and your commitment to not quitting.

It is true of copywriting, it is true of real estate, of marathon running, shoot, it's true of life itself.

That said, this man wrote one post which was basically his personal life story. Just because someone knows how to tell a personal story doesn't mean they have good writing skills. That's a leap.

To be a good copywriter you have to put yourself in other people's shoes. We don't know that this guy can do that. He told a story based on his own shoes...

And if the OP has no real inclination to go into writing, telling him to go into writing based on one post is bad advice. He needs to do some more soul searching.

 

[Antifragile]

I just want to point out that many of your points can also be said about several other fields, like real estate for example. Most people who go into real estate fail. I'm talking real estate agents, brokers, construction, fixing flippers, investors. Most people who start in each of those categories fail.

Nonsense.

With you post you are saying “since everything is hard, everything is equally hard” or “odds of success are same / similar”.

Utter nonsense. You know better than that.

Some businesses have better odds to go fastlane than others. CENTS is a good guide. Apply it and see for yourself how a Realtor is your copywriter! But a general contractor construction company is not.

And where did you get that “investor” goes broke? WTf are you talking about?

 

[Black_Dragon43]

Some businesses have better odds to go fastlane than others. CENTS is a good guide. Apply it and see for yourself how a Realtor is your copywriter! But a general contractor construction company is not.

Odds of going fastlane are irrelevant if you’ll end up being depressed and unable to continue the business. Much more important than that is finding something that fits in with your personality.

It’s not about comfort zone here as Kak says. Believe me, getting started as a freelance copywriter took me out of my comfort zone plenty - I had probably none of the aptitudes required for success in that field when I started, apart from writing skill.

But selling, marketing, generating ideas, getting on calls with people, cold calling, understanding what makes copy successful or not - I had 0.

What matters here is that what you’re getting involved in fits with who you are and what you want to do. You can be successful in any industry. Why not find one that matches your personality?

I could pursue copywriting because it fit with my personality. I could push past my comfort zone and grow. But real estate would’ve been pretty much impossible for me (except for maybe wholesaling) since I lacked capital as a 15 something old, and couldn’t even legally do certain things. Not to mention I had 0 interest in getting a job.

So what chance did real estate realistically have for me? A big fat 0. And suppose like this guy here you’re in your early 20s, unless you’re happy to take a job and pray for the best or you have capital/connections, real estate is pretty darn difficult to get into.

Everyone has to find their own path, but ignoring your own personality and attributes in favor of “a better business opportunity” is imo dumb.

 

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[BizyDad]

Nonsense.

With you post you are saying “since everything is hard, everything is equally hard” or “odds of success are same / similar”.

Utter nonsense. You know better than that.

That's harsh. Your post didn't allow for much nuance, so don't blame me for the lack of nuance of mine. All I did was parrot your points.

And while you and I know better, other readers might see it more simply rather than nuanced.

Some businesses have better odds to go fastlane than others.

Yes, and to be clear, real estate is clearly one of the better ones. But that doesn't change that every critique I mimicked is true about real estate.

Apply it and see for yourself how a Realtor is your copywriter! But a general contractor construction company is not.

Yes. CENTS or no, for someone starting with no knowledge about anything, becoming a successful general contractor is harder than becoming a copywriter. There is more to learn, more that can go wrong, and the stakes are much higher. More GC's declare bankruptcy than copywriters do.

And where did you get that “investor” goes broke? WTf are you talking about?

Just as a reminder, I'm a former banker in Phoenix, a city "full" of "real estate investors". So I know these things to be true through that lens.

Most people who begin the journey of real estate investor start under-capitalized, armed with a little knowledge from having taken a course or bird dogging for a mentor, and never even become a "true" real estate investor. Most never close one deal. Much like copywriting agencies, the washout rate is high. In fact, I'd argue just based on numbers of real estate courses sold since at least the 80's, the odds of success in real estate investing is lower than that of copywriting agencies.

But even the ones who do get to run a real business, once they've got a taste for how to be successful at the game, fall prey to pitfalls like overextending themselves time-wise or over-leveraging themselves. And economic downturns wipe them out.

To me this is such a self-evident comment, I'm kind of shocked you don't have a clue what I'm talking about. I imagine the same happens in your part of the world, and your life becomes easier because in real estate, whether it is agents or construction or investors, the downturns are what separates the wheat from the chaff.

 

[rjurasek]

@Antifragile @Kak

I understand the point both of you are making. There are many freelance copywriters on the market. It's a competitive feild where the top 10% make it. On top of that, it doesn't fit into CENTS.

While reading everyone's replies over the last couple of days, I have also been going through other threads on this forum. Many with the title "should I do x or y?" "I want to learn x skill, is there opportunity?" And so on. I've seen a common theme in each of these threads. You have one side saying "do it! Check out this free course, it's a great starting point" and more positive feedback. Then you have the other side saying "don't do it, the market is crowded and it's very difficult to make it". This is how it goes on nearly every topic on any forum out there, not just the fastlane forum.

@Antifragile @Kak, you both recommended getting a job in a feild of interest, but isn't this also a violation of CENTS? You have no control in a job and you trade time directly or money. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, it's a starting point for future opportunities. It is not free of competition though. Getting a job is extremely competitive in today's world. Each job posting that comes up is flooded with hundreds of applications.

Even once you are in your position as an entry level employee it doesn't end. You are now one of 10 other entry level employees, 3 of which have been there for 2 years. Then you hear in the break room, your manager is leaving the company and they are planning to promote someone from the team to take his place. You've been there 8 months, others close to 3 years. There's 10 of you gunning for this promotion in your department. Who knows when the next opportunity will arise.

Point I'm trying to make is that I don't think freelancing is seen as a fastlane business. I don't think anyone is saying that. It's another way to have a job that you have more control over.

Sure you'll learn skills working for an employer that you can use in future opportunities. But the same can be said for freelance copywriting and many other skills people have mentioned on this forum.

I was watching @Lex DeVille's youtube channel last night. As well as reading his past comments and posts. He says the same thing many copywriters on other forums have said. That there are many copywriters out there, but 90% of them are offering cheap service with low quality results. The demand for quality copywriters is always high.

I'm not saying either route is better than the other. I think it really comes down to personal preference. Do you want to learn while working for someone else? Or do you want to work for yourself? Again neither route is CENTS qualified, but I think it's a stretch for me right now to demand of myself a CENTS appeasing business. The ultimate goal is a fastlane business, but I need to build some skills and find that idea to execute first.

Basically @Antifragile @Kak @MTF @Simon Angel @heavy_industry you are all right. You all just have different view points on how to reach the end goal. I doubt @MJ DeMarco intended for everyone to take the exact same route to the finish line. He has said himself in previous posts that taking action is far more important than appeasing all aspects of CENTS.

I'm going to look into copywriting more. I've been teaching myself marketing these past 3 months and copywriting is really just a type of marketing.

I also think @BizyDad might be right that I need to do some soul searching. I didn't give myself a chance after leaving the military. I just went straight into sales because of the high earning potential.

 

[BizyDad]

I also think @BizyDad might be right that I need to do some soul searching. I didn't give myself a chance after leaving the military. I just went straight into sales because of the high earning potential.

If it helps... At 26 I had my washout, what am I doing with my life, moment. By 28 I was on my path. I had no idea where it was leading, and I didn't end up where I thought I would. But it has been a great ride.

Give yourself some grace and time to get this stuff figured out. You've done things others only dream about. That's awesome. Be thankful for that. And have faith that you will continue to find and accomplish awesome, life-fulfilling things. Focus on making the most out of today, and every day make even just a little more progress towards your goals.

 

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[Kak]

Odds of going fastlane are irrelevant if you’ll end up being depressed and unable to continue the business. Much more important than that is finding something that fits in with your personality.

It’s not about comfort zone here as Kak says. Believe me, getting started as a freelance copywriter took me out of my comfort zone plenty - I had probably none of the aptitudes required for success in that field when I started, apart from writing skill.

But selling, marketing, generating ideas, getting on calls with people, cold calling, understanding what makes copy successful or not - I had 0.

What matters here is that what you’re getting involved in fits with who you are and what you want to do. You can be successful in any industry. Why not find one that matches your personality?

I could pursue copywriting because it fit with my personality. I could push past my comfort zone and grow. But real estate would’ve been pretty much impossible for me (except for maybe wholesaling) since I lacked capital as a 15 something old, and couldn’t even legally do certain things. Not to mention I had 0 interest in getting a job.

So what chance did real estate realistically have for me? A big fat 0. And suppose like this guy here you’re in your early 20s, unless you’re happy to take a job and pray for the best or you have capital/connections, real estate is pretty darn difficult to get into.

Everyone has to find their own path, but ignoring your own personality and attributes in favor of “a better business opportunity” is imo dumb.

Yes, but you guys are hand feeding the op utterly fake “keys to the kingdom”. You are telling an op what fits his personality.

So you guys are the authority on what the op needs? You somehow know his personality type now because you wore him down?

He comes to an ENTREPRENEUR forum and you guys are suggesting a dirty whore’s freelance market for a low value unscalable service. It’s simply not a business any more than being an independent painter or photographer is a business. It’s self employment. Not entrepreneurship when he was obviously interested in ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

You simultaneously say it isn’t comfort zone, but then essentially admit it is. “I don’t want to end up depressed and whatever.” Clearly it’s about comfort zone.

Stop being the support group for cop out decisions just because you assigned yourself limiting beliefs.

OP. I sincerely hope you go after all that you can be. True growth and the greatest feelings of accomplishment happen when you stretch yourself. Settling is not a recipe for happiness.

 

[rjurasek]

If it helps... At 26 I had my washout, what am I doing with my life, moment. By 28 I was on my path. I had no idea where it was leading, and I didn't end up where I thought I would. But it has been a great ride.

Give yourself some grace and time to get this stuff figured out. You've done things others only dream about. That's awesome. Be thankful for that. And have faith that you will continue to find and accomplish awesome, life-fulfilling things. Focus on making the most out of today, and every day make even just a little more progress towards your goals.

Thanks, really appreciate that.

I'm going to keep learning as I do some self discovery. I'll continue learning marketing and dabble in copywriting as well. Keep progressing and learning each day.

I'll have to figure out how to do this soul searching, self discovery thing haha. It's difficult after the military, your mind changes in a way that's hard to describe. I'll figure it out though, I'm sure there's resources that help guide the initial stage of self discovery.

Thanks for the reply and advice.