80+ shows (over 320 hours watched.)

That’s how much anime I’ve watched so far.

I’ve watched this much anime because I’m known as the Weeb King (self-proclaimed title, admittedly.)

I co-run and write for a channel on YouTube that talks about anime (How to Beat Anime.)

It is my job to understand the stories and overarching motivations of the main characters.

The “why” behind what they do.

The why informs the reasons behind the wild shit that happens in the story.

And in anime….shit gets wild.

I’ve started to notice several common themes in all animes. Themes that reflect certain realities of the real world.

The other day I noticed something in one show I was working on. Something that a character said…that most would have never picked up on.

But I did.

And it was truly horrifying.  

Hell’s Paradise is an anime about survivors going to a mysterious island to find and retrieve the elixir of life. But they come across supernatural beings with insane powers.

Powers that no one can comprehend.

They are stronger.

They are faster.

They are superhuman.

That is… until one of the island locals reveals to our main heroes that the enemy they are up against is no different to them.

They are like you.

They are like me.

The supernatural beings are actually human.

Humans that have managed to harness the energy of the world. Energy that is already present within every single person there.

The anime bad guys dedicated their lives and put in the work to learn and leverage their innate source of true potential.

A potential that only few ever bother to learn in their lifetime.

While this anime may just be a story, this story also mirrors real life.

Most people in the world go down the same normal life path, face the same normal challenges, and suffer the same normal consequences until they get sick, old and die (in that order.) This is the gist of modern society.

To never burn, only simmer in life.

If you questioned this common societal expectation - would you be seen as crazy by your friends and family?

For striving to be more than you are?

Would you be seen as “weird”?

For trying to achieve what those bad guys achieved in Hell’s Paradise.

For striving to unlock your true potential - striving to achieve TAO.

Peak human condition.

Society Frames Your Perspective (And Masks Your Downfall)

Humans are dumb.

You’re dumb.

I’m dumb.

We are all designed to be dumb. To want to fit in. To have our sense of self anchored in a group (cultural, religious or social.)

This is by design.

This action offers a way to regulate our values and behaviours so that there is survival through cooperation.

Fitting in is not a big problem on a collective level (society), but it is a huge problem on a personal level (individual)…if you let it be.

Fitting in makes the world go round at the expense of your happens.

Society thanks you for your sacrifice.

Since birth, you are actioned to go after things that fit into the bigger picture of society. Go to school. Learn one thing. Graduate. Work one thing - then die.

While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with this, this method of living in the modern world encourages the atrophy of the soul and the mind.

But you doing all these things makes sense.

• You want to fit in

• You want to be taken care of (by a job, a family, society.)

• You want to be comfortable.

However, unlike your grandparents and their parents, you now have modern conveniences.

You are now too comfortable.

This is what will cause your downfall (physical, mental, spiritual.)

We are living in a new age of comfort. An age where we have everything we could ever need, and anything we want is a click away thanks to the internet.

Yet the world is unhappier than ever (look it up.)

You are unhappy.

Because you are unknowingly trading growth for comfort. And this will lead you down the same path as everyone else. Everyone else who isn’t really happy, but isn’t really unhappy.

They are comfortable (but miserable.)

Why is this important?

One of the most common causes for the world’s lack of happiness (despite modern conveniences) is lack of growth. People get stuck in their comfort zone and never get out…until they die.

And the internet has only made the problem worse. You can do everything from the safety of your comfort zone.

If you continue to play things too safe, you will end up like everyone else.

In order to have a life worth living, you must take some risks. You must take action and not atrophy like everyone else…unless you want to end up like everyone else.

Most people are most people. Most people are mediocre.

In order to actualize your potential, you must do the “impossible” in order to not end up mediocre.

In order to do this, you must get uncomfortable first.

For this metamorphosis (change) to occur, you must be willing to open your mind and think like an entrepreneur.

This newsletter isn’t about being an entrepreneur.

But having an entrepreneurial mindset to this approach will serve you best, as opposed to the default mindset that most people have at first.

The mindset taught at school.

The modern education system teaches us to fit into the bigger picture of society. To be a cog in the machine. Nothing wrong with this.

However, the modern education system was created during the industrial age when they had to create something called “component labour.”

The purpose of this was to create nicely “machined parts” that fit into someone else’s organization machine.

Prior to the digital revolution, you had local economies. In the old days, people graduated from school and had to fit into the local economy. People grew up and became local doctors, local policemen, local farmers etc.

Back then you had to fit into someone else’s already up-and-running business established in the the local environment.

Back then you didn’t have to think for yourself because your life was already set up for you.

The world is now different thanks to the internet. The digital world has given us benefits, but it has also given us problems

Benefits of the digital world: Business and opportunity now are not limited to just your local economy - but the entire world. You now have access to whatever you want.

Problems of the digital world: You now have access to whatever you want. And you don’t have to put in much effort in order to get it (news, entertainment, food, toys.)

Your life is now comfortable.

The new digital age and the way of the old world (old thinking) intersect in a very important way.

You are raised to fit in. To be a cog in society’s machine - like everyone else.

The creation of the internet and modern conveniences have now allowed you to have access to whatever you want.

Everyone is now too comfortable. And the old way of thinking means that everyone is copying everyone else’s bad habits in order to fit in. Everyone is comfortable but miserable (and they don’t even know it.)

Ask anyone you know how they are doing, and their answer will likely be what’s in the blockquote above.

They will answer with some middle-of-the-road response.

They’re not good, they’re not great - they’re comfortable.

This is society’s downfall in real-time. No one questions this system of the common way of thinking (or their unhappiness) and everyone feeds into each other.

The ouroboros effect.

No one is forced to think for themselves anymore (in terms of what they really want to do in their life or question what everyone else is doing.) We are all acting as “cogs in the machine”.

To change now you must think like a modern-age entrepreneur. You must imbue the habits they have.

You must be:

• Highly creative

• Different

• Innovative

All traits that you will need if you want to combat what society has already instilled in you, your friends, and your family.

Your ancestors didn’t mind being cogs, but they also didn’t have all the modern convinces that you had.

You are now too comfortable.

Too spoiled.

This will kill you.

You are in the middle of a digital renaissance (and you don’t even know it.)

For this, you will need to be different and think like an entrepreneur in order to forge your own path and unlock your own state of TAO (greatness) using modern tools.

It’s not about money or metric success, it’s about you becoming the best version of yourself and in whatever endeavours you choose to pursue - so you don’t end up like everyone else.

You must open your mind. You must be willing to adapt and learn to leverage yourself in the digital age that holds so many back.

In Renaissance times, the people most revered were the multi-dimensional. The polymaths and artists who refused to confine and segment their curiosities and abilities.

They were highly creative, different, and innovative.

The digital age has given us so much at a huge cost. But you can negate this cost and only benefit from this new period of time (modern comfort) we are living in.

You must learn to leverage yourself in the digital age of information.

In order to become a Digital Renaissance Man.

In order to achieve TAO.

Why You and Everyone You Know Are Screwed: The Region Beta Paradox

Imagine you had to travel one mile. You’d probably walk it, right?

What if you had to travel two miles? You’d probably take a car since it’s just a bit too far to walk.

The irony is that you’d reach your destination faster travelling 2 miles than you would travelling one.

This is the Region Beta Paradox.

People rarely act until they are already screwed. You don’t go to the doctor when you have the sniffles, you go when you’re already coughing your lungs out.

Your life is not so bad, and that’s what’s keeping you from doing anything better with your life.

Your life would be better if it got worse first.

I mentioned how the education system was part of why you think you way you do. Again, this isn’t to pile on the school system, but I must at least mention the causes of what prevents so many people from improving their lives.

Why are there so many self-help books out there yet society is only getting worse?

We must recognize the factors making you “sick” before we can offer a prescription.

The bad common perspectives holding most of society back:

• School - You must do what we say in order to “succeed” (follower)

• Friends - Why are you doing something different than us? Be like us (follower)

• Family - This is how we’ve always done things in life and you should too (follower)

• Society - This is how everything works so don’t question it (follower)

Your friends and family (probably) don’t mean to hold you back. Your mind doesn’t want to hold you back.

They all love you and want you to be comfortable.

Do not fall for this.

But going against what society is shoving down your throat can be hard when you’ve been raised to be a “good little boy.”

To be a follower.

Even if you had the means to change (and most do) you wouldn’t because you are already infected with mental blocks that plague your mind.

You are already preventing yourself from being better.

Common internal blocks preventing change:

• Close-mindedness - Not open to new ideas even if you clearly might be wrong

• Ignorance - Thinking you always know better (even when you don’t)

• Fear

At the end of the day, most people are scared of change. Let’s be honest.

Thinking about what I need to change in order to reach my goals still makes me uncomfortable.

It’s a mental battle of attrition.

But people have the wrong perception of fear and being uncomfortable.

Being pushed out of your comfort zone exposes you to new challenges (opportunities.)

Changing your life will make everything worse - in the beginning.

Jump into a cold plunge and the water will initially shock you (change). But if you resist the urge to get out, after a few minutes you will acclimate to the new environment…or you will die of hypothermia.

That last bit is important.

Change will make your life worse in the beginning. Like the cold plunge, you may be uncomfortable for a short period or a long period of time when you take the plunge.

And there’s no guarantee that what you are doing will work.

But that’s the risk.

No risk no reward.

If you want a shot at a more fulfilling life than the rest then you must accept this risk.

I’ve accepted that what I’m doing to drastically change my life might not pan out the way I want it to. It might be all or nothing. But the fear of being like the rest is what compels me to try and be different.

To act differently.

To think differently - like an entrepreneur.

But in pursuit of this journey, I’m already better than I was 1 year ago (even if I’m not perfect.)

And that’s the point with all of this.

Any misfortunes you have in the process of hard change will inevitably “disappear.” Whether that will happen in the literal sense, or if your state of mind will accept your harsh reality as your new “normal.”

Good times don’t last, neither do the bad.

You don’t know how to use the internet: Problems with online self-help advice

There’s a friend I know who always talks about getting in shape.

He watches online motivational and informational videos, buys all the latest gear and then goes “hard” for a month or two in the gym.

Then he quits.

A few months later he gets re-motivated to repeat the process all over again.

Rinse, repeat.

I have many other friends who have tried to improve their lives in some capacity but who have shortly given up after a while.

We all know these types of people.

This is 99% of society - and this mindset will never change.

While the inherent advice in self-help books and videos might be good, people fail to figure out a way to integrate new information into their lives for many reasons:

• They end up getting stuck in “tutorial hell” (they only consume content but never put what they are learning into actual practice.)

• They put something into practice, try it once and fail to iterate (to refine their methods or refine what they are learning repeatedly.)

• They start the process but then realize that change is slow and give up

• They start the process and realize that they are unwilling to give up their current habits (keeping them miserable) in order to make room for new habits (making them better) long term

• They fail to understand that advice is non-specific (they must figure out how to apply what they learn to their life specifically)

Advice and systems designed to benefit your life sounds cool and amazing until you put them into practice.

Because that’s when the excitement wears off.

At the end of the day, all of these suggestions are just tools designed to help you - they will not save you.

They will help you if you are willing to help yourself. Helping yourself is how you save yourself.

Because of the bad common perspectives holding most of society back, everyone follows everyone else. In order to begin change you must open your mind and think of the bigger picture.

Do not focus on one thing. Shift your perspective.

If everyone is consuming the same self-help information but nothing is happening - this is not normal.

If this happens to you that is not normal. Something must be wrong, either with the advice or with you.

It’s probably you.

Most of us know what to do. We just don’t do it.

Why?

Because in order to change your life you must first change yourself. Including your habits and most importantly…mindset.

A person with abs is fundamentally different from an overweight person. Not just in the visual sense, but in literally every sense possible.

In order to get abs that person didn’t just “workout” and diet. He integrated this goal into his life, and let the overall goal influence all his daily actions that contributed to him reaching this goal. His actions were guided by having a unique mindset. He did this every single day, for a long time.

If you don’t know anything about fitness, weight loss (fat loss) is not linear. The further you drop in body fat your body starts to resist. In order to continue to progress, you must iterate your approach, change things around and commit yourself even harder to the process.

The overweight person is overweight as a result of their mindset and perspective.

The person with abs has abs as a result of their mindset and perspective.

Self-help advice doesn’t help most because most aren’t willing to change their perspective in order to reach their goal. They refuse to acknowledge that their current perspective, mindset and actions are what led them to be miserable in the first place.

You can’t progress and still be the same person because the same person is what got you to be miserable in the first place.

You cannot look at this process of change as a hobby. This must become your life.

In order to change, or even start, you must accept:

• This process will take years.

• It will be hard

• You will need to sacrifice A LOT.

• Your friends and family (followers) will watch you struggle and question this.

You must be okay with all of this.

I talk about shifting your perspective because thinking of the bigger picture (having an abstract goal) will help give purpose to your life without losing sight of the actions you need in order to achieve your goals.

My goal (with this newsletter and my YouTube channel) is to create systems and frameworks designed to maximize my life potential and the potential of others.

MY CURRENT POV:

• It’s a Saturday as I’m writing this.

• I woke up, finished my anime YouTube job, and then began writing this newsletter.

• As I write this, I am also currently behind on my meals for the day (calorie counting in order to build muscle etc.)

• I am trying to finish this newsletter (outline) and everything else during the day in order to be able to go to a friend’s birthday party tonight.

• I will try to finish this newsletter, consume all my calories and then get ready to go out later - without rest in between.

Where am I going with this?

I am working on a Saturday when many others are having fun. I am putting in a lot of work now (unpaid) designed to pay off long-term.

I can do things like this (putting in the “non-fun” work) on a daily basis because I’m approaching my target goals from a holistic perspective.

I can do “not-so-fun” things like this daily because I’m looking at my future goals from a more holistic perspective.

My goals aren’t a hobby of mine. They are my life.

Everything else that I do in my life is geared towards achieving those goals. This is what allows me to put in the effort daily for no reward (short term), where others would have given up by now.

I’m not saying you need to be a robot psycho and work 24/7 to achieve your dreams. That assumption that you just had is your ego talking.

I still party hard once a week/every 2 weeks. You can still have fun.

But your mindset to achieving your goals (lofty or otherwise) will require you to approach them with mindfulness and consideration.

I am not perfect in what I’m trying to do. But I am trying to be fairly perfect in the intention behind all of my actions.

Work with purpose, rest with purpose. Enjoy life, but be intentional with it.

Because this process of change (achieving your potential) for you (and me) will take time and commitment. Things will come up in life that you have to account for, change, adapt, and move around because of.

This process will need to be tweaked and reiterated. Life is not a vacuum.

Being unwilling to shift your perspective in order to begin the process of change is why most people will never change - even when they are fully capable.

They are too comfortable, too close-minded, and too unwilling to shift their perspective.

You cannot afford to be.

This is what you must accept and do if you want to change your life forever.

Change your life like an 8 time Mr Olympia Bodybuilder

Ronnie Coleman is an IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and winner of 8 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles (the top competition for bodybuilding in the world.)

He was known for his combination of size and conditioning and trained harder than most had ever seen.

During his come-up, he worked as a police officer simultaneously. This meant he worked out, worked at his police job, and ate some 5000 calories daily (sometimes waking up in the middle of the night to eat and go back to sleep.)

He did this every day.

His mindset in life was that he had to out-best himself in everything he did. There was never a doubt in his mind about his actions for anything. This is because he did everything he wanted to do, or he at least tried.

Ronnie tried to go into the NFL as a late teenager, but an injury stopped him. But he tried and quickly reached a conclusion - then he moved past it.

He didn’t waste any time letting his desired thoughts bury themselves deep inside his head. He executed on his goals, got results (including failing at them), reiterated his approach and tried again, or realised with certainty that it wasn’t for him and moved on to the next thing.

And that’s the point.

If you have an inch of doubt that you want more out of life (even a little bit) then striving to achieve your own state of TAO is imperative.

Because the world’s graveyards are full of “what ifs” that never came true. They are rich in unfulfilled passions.

The biggest benefit of trying to go after your own state of TAO is clarity and contentment.

To achieve TAO is to achieve a life without regrets.

And the process to start (despite what others say) is easier than you think.

Burying your desires creates aggression within the soul

Most people in life ignore their inner desire to be more. If their innate need for change isn’t strong enough (and for most, it’s not) then they think burying it within them will make it go away.

But it won’t.

Because they never saw their need through. Like Ronnie Colman and the NFL, maybe your initial need isn’t possible for you. But choosing to ignore and not act on the desire to explore it (even a little) is what you are doing wrong.

Unmade decisions create a heavy burden on the soul.

Ignoring such carnal desires will only make them grow stronger and become more persistent. And yes in my eyes this desire is carnal in nature.

Ignoring your desires is not addressing the root cause of your needs.

Below is a pyramid model designed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow. It is a theory showcasing the 5 innate human needs that someone needs in order to reach their highest form of being (happiness and self-fulfilment.)

As you can tell, self-actualization is at the top (least important), whereas physiological and safety needs are at the bottom (most important.) Most people only ever reach the first two levels and never feel the need to push to reach the higher levels.

This is because they are content….because they are too comfortable to put in the work to strive for more. Most never want to grow more than what is required fundamentally.

You hate your job, your friends, and your life. But the pain of dealing with that bullshit is not stronger than your fear of change. In order to go higher on the pyramid, you must work hard, and change a lot in order to get there.

Because of this, you stop trying. You get comfortable where you are in life, and never bother to self-actualize.

You never reach TAO.

Most people live in a quiet state of desperation, They aren’t happy with their lives but don’t change their habits.

They are comfortable (but miserable.)

A lot of your friends and family are probably like this.

These are the types of people you’ll find at your local cemetery. Rich in unfulfilled passions and dreams that never came true.

The people around you will make rich graves as well.

Stop Hyping Up Change

You must stop hyping up change (even though I’m doing that in this newsletter.)

It’s not about taking over the world. It’s about moulding your microcosm of reality into something you actually desire.

Something that fulfils you in ways you never thought possible.

But it's a slow burn.

A process of planning, executing, and iterating. And in the iteration process, you get better.

But remember, most people can’t start planning because they don’t start, period.

This is why in order to access your innate raw drive, you must think differently, be highly creative, and innovate on what others have failed to do before you.

Utilizing sources already available to you - including the internet.

You must think like an entrepreneur to start.

You must think like a Digital Rennaisance Man.

How to unlock TAO/force change to happen

Life isn’t out to get you, but it will f*ck you in the end - if you let it. You and your mind are too complicated and beautiful to be content living in your birdcage reality.

Any momentum (action) you create against life’s resistance (in any way) will indirectly forge 2 very important things within you:

• Motivation

• Inspiration

Two things that you will need to figure out your path in life.

That is why the goal here is to inspire change by:

• Throwing shit at the wall (literally and figuratively)

• Running before you can walk

• Shooting before you aim (figuratively I hope)

The goal here is to take action. The goal here is to just start.

1. Lower your action threshold

Like anything in life, the beginning is usually the hardest. But that also makes it the easiest (hear me out.) Anything you do in the beginning will not be great. It will not change your life. This means that there is no pressure to do anything good.

Remember the golden rule: Action creates momentum. Momentum will help you generate messy ideas. These messy ideas will be the diamond in the rough that you are looking for.

Or through doing you will find out what you don’t like through trial & error (which can also help provide clarity.)

If you want proof of this, check out my very first newsletter compared to this one (no you don’t have to read it.) But skim it (the layout, content etc.)

My first newsletter (while having potential) was messy and long-winded (more than this one probably.) 

But creating it was necessary to figure out what my processes were, and if I even liked doing this (writing.) Forcing myself to work on my newsletter also helps me foster an environment where motivation and idea generation have begun to come easier to me.

This is because I’ve begun to take action of some kind.

You must approach life the same. Don’t think, just do. Lower your barrier of entry by starting something that is easy to do and that you don’t hate doing. Take any small action (irrespective of your actual interests or dreams.)

This can be taking up a sport, taking a dance class, joining a meet-up group in your town (or a social club), creating a website, or filming a YouTube video in one take about a book you read and your thoughts on it - then upload it and publish. Just some easy examples.

Literally, anything that you don’t HATE doing. That is the key.

If you’ve never played football a day in your life but you don’t hate the thought of it, go try it out.

Getting into the habit of doing anything on a regular basis (for starters) will help create motivation within you. Because you cannot intellectually create motivation and idea generation on a whim. But you can cultivate a breeding ground that can help attract motivation and ideas to find you more easily.

This is possible because of something in your brain called the Default Mode Network (DMN.) This is a set of regions in your brain that activate when you are in a rested state.

This means that in between trying out different activities, your brain will start working by itself to try and figure out what you really want to do on a subconscious level - utilising internal processes like:

• Interoception (helping you understand and feel what’s going on inside your body)

• Self-referential processing (relating information from the external world to the self)

• Autobiographical memory retrieval (using your past to help guide future behaviour)

The point is to start something. Do anything. And then let your brain begin figuring out what you really want to do with your life.

It’s not that easy, but it really is.

Start small, and figure out the rest later as you go about it.

Want to become a writer, start a blog writing about your day. Or start a newsletter writing to yourself about what random things you learnt about yourself during that week. Or start writing in a journal where no one else will ever read it (for starters.)

Want to become more social or have more friends? Go out to a bar or a cafe and see what happens.

Small random steps in any direction will inspire your brain to figure your shit out for you, and all you have to do is just start doing something - anything.

Your mind will handle the rest.

2.) Question Everything

Part of trying to achieve TAO (inner greatness) is the fact that you must be curious about why the world works the way it does. Figure out what everyone else is doing - then do the exact opposite.

It’s not about trying to be different for the sake of being different. It’s about seriously questioning why most people are the way they are, and why they all have the same problems of unhappiness and growth stagnation. Begin analysing their environments. Is what they are doing (your friends/family, society) actively helping them move ahead in life or is it secretly preventing growth?

Questioning all this will help foster your own growth.

Once you begin to analyze your own life, then you can actively work to change it.

This doesn’t mean you can’t relax when you want. But just start by being aware and mindful of your habits (helpful and destructive) throughout your day.

This step is more abstract in nature, but I think it’s important to work on this process just in the background. Something to consider.

3.) Realize and accept that you will be uncomfortable

Your body does not like to be uncomfortable. It doesn’t care about your goals, it just wants to survive.

No other needs can be met until you achieve your primary needs (Maslow’s Pyramid.) But achieving more than your primary needs isn’t fundamentally necessary for society as a whole.

Your body above all else wants to live. This is why losing fat and getting in shape is painful for example. It’s not necessary for your survival, but it can benefit you greatly.

The problem is that most people don’t ever achieve all 5 layers of the pyramid.

Because to “just survive” you don’t need to.

To survive you don’t need to be in shape.

To survive you don’t need to find fulfilment in your life.

You just need to keep breathing.

Society isn’t designed to help everyone reach their fulfilment, it is designed to keep society functioning (alive).

This is why change will be hard. Your body and your environment will fight you.

You must realize and recognize that to change yourself is to throw yourself into the unknown. Becoming someone you want in the future means changing who you are currently. It means putting your body and mind in a state of uncertainty by doing things that you may not be used to - and that’s okay.

To round out the first point about “doing anything”, this means that you should not limit yourself to trying things that only make you comfortable.

If you’ve never cooked a day in your life, part of “doing anything” could be going to take a harmless cooking class. It might be uncomfortable and not feel like that’s “who you are” but that’s the point.

Change will be messy. It probably won’t be fun (at first.)

Because in order to survive change isn’t necessary.

But in order to thrive it will be the most necessary thing you do.

4. Rely on toxicity over goals (in the beginning)

Don’t get triggered. Relax, and listen first…

Change will not come easy. Most people don’t change. Society is (unintentionally) against you when it comes to this.

This is why you must leverage everything you have in order to have a better chance of not ending up like everyone else.

Utilize dark energy like Mace Windu

In order to achieve TAO is to unearth your own raw potential deep within yourself. This is not easy to do. This is why you need strong forces to excavate this untapped energy by doing whatever it takes (intelligently.)

Mace Windu is a character from Star Wars.

I don’t give a f*ck if you like star wars or not. But there are strong lessons you can learn from this one character that can transform your life.

Star Wars story in a nutshell: Jedi (good guys) are in a constant war against the Sith (bad guys.) The bad guys are stronger than the good guys because they utilize fear, pain and aggression as driving forces of power.

Pain and fear are powerful driving forces (as we already mentioned.)

But these emotions can also corrupt. Most Jedi’s knew this which is why they chose not to rely on this much more powerful (but risky) source of power.

Mace Windu was the only Jedi who saw the potential of what the bad guys were using. He then learned how to channel this power himself, but used it intelligently - this is how he avoided turning evil. He learned how to leverage this toxic power for good.

As a result, Mace Windu became one of the most powerful Jedi that ever lived.

We can take what this OG legend did and apply it to how we begin the process of change. In order to start, you must think backwards. You are trying to reach a goal, your goal must pull you in.

In this case, starting is the goal, but it should not be the focus (hear me out.)

A goal must feel like an aspiration in some way, and less like a chore.

But here is where people go wrong with this.

Passion, purpose, joy, and fulfilment don’t always work to get people to get off their asses and do something with their life. At least initially.

It didn’t for me.

My change started initially when I wanted to get more fit. But it only happened when I reached a point of desperation - when I was already past the point of comfort (Region Beta Paradox.)

I didn’t aspire to get in great shape, I aspired to not end up like a loser (by getting in great shape.) This fear of aversion to not end up like a loser pushed me to change - it didn’t pull me to change (like a goal normally would.)

Do you see what I’m getting at?

If you are comfortable currently but want to change, then “proving how many points you have left to prove” is one way to generate a surge of intrinsic motivation that utilises your fear and anger (very powerful motivators) in order to push you forward.

This can push you forward indiscriminately (in any direction) faster (and more reliably) than any goal could, because your toxic emotions are pushing you forward, your goals aren’t pulling you forward.

Negative energy (thanks to fear) is much more powerful (and easier to generate) than positive energy ever could be.

Example 1: I fear ending up like a loser and not being the best, therefore I will do whatever I can to avoid this fear from happening to me.

Example 2: I get excited about being the best in the world, therefore I will do whatever I can to get there.

Which example feels stronger to you?

Again…all that matters in the beginning is that you start. It doesn’t matter what you do or how you do it - just get it done. Later you can refine the nuances of your methods (to hopefully not end up evil AF.)

I’m a firm believer that most high performers in the world are driven by some form of negative power (that they have now refined and made sustainable.)

• Insufficiency

• Resentment

• Terrible Parents

• Terrible Upbringing

• Chip on their shoulder about something (bullies in school etc.)

Pick your poison, then use it as activation energy to fuel your greatness.

You need to get off your ass.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should hold grudges and go back in 10 years to tell off the guy that fueled you - that’s just sad. But using this evil as training wheels, in the beginning, is one of many ways to start change.

Some of my own personal toxic sources:

• A classmate guy giving me shit for not getting into the school basketball team (desire to be better)

• This one classmate that pointed out that I had manboobs one time (desire to change my physique)

• The rose I one time gave to a school crush on Valentine’s Day (that a buddy bought for me to give to her) and then seeing my crush go straight to her boyfriend 10 seconds later (desire to increase my social standing and social acuity)

That last one was brutal…I know.

Using these and countless more “toxic” sources to fuel change were all silly reasons for sure. But it got me results…

The caveat with this is that you must make sure that the activation energy you are using (that you don’t like) isn’t using you.

You must recognize the nuance between toxicity and productivity - as Mace Windu did.

I literally don’t give a shit about my examples anymore, nor do I care about those people that I used as fuel (genuinely.) But it did serve a purpose and got me to get off my ass and change my life.

And that is the whole point.

Online advice states that you should have a goal in order to begin change. But I think this step is too advanced for most people (who have never tried changing their life before.) These people aren’t accustomed to propelling into motion on a whim.

Heavier objects require a bigger push or force to move. This is because they have more inertia (more resistant to movement.) Objects with greater inertia require more force to change their motion (start moving.)

Humans are exactly the same.

It takes a lot more than a goal to move you off your ass when you’ve never done it before.

The goal for beginners (like you most likely) is to not get specific and think about any one goal. It should be about trying new things and finding whatever motivator drives you to take action, and to move irrespective of having a goal.

Work on taking some action in the beginning - then figure out the rest later.

5.) You must self-immolate - your identity and beliefs

Let’s say you’re having a party and you want to invite people. You have your usual friends that you have no problem inviting. But you also have that one person who is really cool, but you only met them once some time back.

It would be weird to invite them out of the blue, no? After all, you don’t really know them.

Or maybe it’s a girl you met once a while back. You thought she was cute, so you two swapped contacts - but haven’t spoken since that initial encounter.

You want to invite her, but because you haven’t kept in contact in so long it would be weird. What would she think, right?

99% of people think like this.

Most people care too much about what that girl, their friends or strangers think about them - in all situations.

You must get rid of this mindset. Because nothing you do matters. No one cares. And this is what will make you powerful.

This is similar to the first point. Anything you try in the beginning won't be great - but no one cares.

Once you free yourself from everyone else, you’ll be free to explore yourself…and everyone else.

But that’s saying too little.

One of the easiest ways to gain direction in a world full of noise is to take time to know yourself - by considering your experiences.

The goal here is to discover your core values. These are personal ethics or ideals that guide you when making decisions, building relationships and solving problems.

By discovering your core values in life first, you’ll much more easily identify what things align with what you believe in (this can also help with choosing a career.)

By reflecting on your own experiences, these will provide you with hints on what things bring you joy and misery in the world. And from here you’ll be able work work backwards and figure out why those things brought such powerful emotions in you.

Was it the high-paying job that made you happy? An award for something? Was it performing on stage that one time in high school?

Values and beliefs change over time, but taking note of them will allow you to better understand why you want what you want or why certain things brought you joy over others in the past.

In order to think more freely (to truly figure out yourself and what you really want) you must learn to self-immolate. 

Commit actions that you wouldn’t normally do, that you think are almost counterintuitive and possibly “destructive” to who you are as a person.

This concept shouldn’t be taken too literally. But by actively trying to engage in self-immolation (“self-destructive” tendencies), it will allow you to test how fluidly you and your environment interact with each other.

This will help you figure out who is really running the show.

Simple self-immolation test: Back to the party invite example. Text that person/girl you really want to invite. Even if you haven’t talked in months, even if you haven’t spoken in a year. Reach out and see what happens. Put your ego aside and just “do it” (Shia-La Beouf voice.)

No one cares.

I’ve been doing this now for a while. I’ve invited people out that I haven’t spoken to in months, or who I met one time (didn’t speak to at all since then) and then randomly invited them to join me on a night out.

Sometimes they’ve said no, sometimes they’ve said yes. And sometimes they’ve said no a few times (over a period of a few months of me inviting them out) and then finally said yes.

And then kept saying yes after that (and then they started inviting me out etc.)

Important detail: I didn’t constantly badger them. I just invited them out occasionally. If they said no, I’d give them some space (a few weeks, a month etc.) then casually ask again the next time I went out if I thought of them in that moment.

This simple (almost silly test) has allowed me to make more friends with people that I never would have connected with otherwise. In being almost a little more “wild” than normal, my values in who I am as a person have also subtly shifted.

I now feel more free when I meet people. I feel freer to do many more things as a result of this. This single skill has translated into other areas of my life (link to my article on the concept of stacking life skills.)

At this point, thanks to this subtle self-immolating technique, I’ve met friends of friends, connected with them and then started hanging out with them (without the friend who introduced me to them!)

This is self-immolation in its most subtle form.

I’ve started hijacking my friends’ friends (but not in a weird way.)

While we’re at it - here are some rules.

Self immolation rules:

• Be genuine in the intent behind your actions

• Don’t be a dick.

For this hyper-specific example: I’ve reached out to people whom I genuinely connected with, and my intentions behind them were pure and open. I genuinely wanted to get to know them more - that’s it. This is why I’ve been able to quickly develop connections with people I’ve barely spoken to.

I have nothing to hide.

If they say no, cool. If they say yes, cool. If they say no a few times then (depending on context) I’ll either continue to try inviting them out (periodically) or I’ll stop.

Who knows, maybe they really don’t want to hang out with me - and that’s okay too.

I try to not overthink the “what ifs”, I try to just focus on the action.

To practise self-immolation you must dare to do things you normally wouldn’t do and be sure of yourself. But you must be genuine in your actions, and analytical with your mind through this process and the results you get with it.

My life has become better through this one simple technique (applied in various areas.)

Practising ways of self-immolation will help condition you to think and act more freely in all areas of your life. This will help you think and act independently of factors (external and internal) holding you back from figuring out what you really want out of life.

Remember it’s the small steps that bring results long-term - and this is what drives change. But you need to take action before any of the good stuff can happen.

6. Systemize and compound habits when all else fails (advanced step)

Compounding habits are ones that build up over time and have exponential growth the longer you do it.

Once you get used to doing something, questioning everything, and getting used to being uncomfortable with change - you will be primed for this step.

Focusing on the “big few” should be your only focus - as these will pay dividends later (even if you are lost in life right now.) Your day should be centred around the big few (these will help drive inner change by improving and perfecting your physiology and psychology.)

Think about these as the highest lever-moving tasks that will produce the most bang for your buck in the long run. They are not fancy, they are not easy - but they work for beginners with no direction (and yes you are likely a beginner.)

Compounding habit non-negotiables:

• Sleep (prioritize)

• Meditation (start 2 minutes daily for as long as you want, then advance to 5, then try 10)

• Fitness (cardio AND strength training - don’t just run all day)

• Nutrition (don’t overthink this)

• Sunlight (10 mins when you wake up and 10 mins at sunset)

• “Curiosity and Research” content consumption (daily)

Since you know most of these, I want to focus on the last point of the list.

Curiosity and Research - Becoming the Digital Renaissance Man

Your consumption must match your output

Don’t mindlessly consume media and entertainment. Consume with intent. You now have access to the greatest invention on earth.

The internet.

Use it like no one else does (by actually using it) - like a Digital Renaissance Man.

Begin cultivating your curiosities by seriously leveraging rich information found online. And make this a habit.

Take an hour out of your day to watch, listen, and read things that pique your interest (or that you don’t hate for starters.) This will help flood your brain with knowledge and ideas (even if random), and this will aid your DMN in finding out your true purpose.

Disclaimer: Once you figure out some direction you want to go in, stop consuming content, and begin to take action. Study only when you need more knowledge to solve your current problem. Don’t get stuck “mentally masturbating” on consuming, but never taking action.

Find Mentors (do whatever it takes)

Every “Great” in history had tutors.

Homer.

Socrates.

Plato.

Expand your sources of personal growth by finding mentors you aspire to be like. Then read, listen, and watch - everything they do.

Don’t mindlessly follow your mentors. Question, research, and gain clarity on your curiosity. This will help frame your own perspective on life.

This is how you figure out what you really want to do.

Some of my mentors + their niche (in no particular order):

• Robert Green (Human Nature and Attraction)

• Sadia Khan (Relationship Psychology)

• Captain Sinbad (Personal Development)

• Andrew Huberman (Neuroscience)

• Leonardo Davinci (OG polymath)

• David Gandy (Men’s Style)

• Ali Abdaal (Productivity)

You can have as many or as few mentors as you want. Go with your gut, and follow your curiosity. I love having a vast source of resources to pull inspiration from, question and critique. This helps me develop a more robust worldview.

A worldview that is now clearer than most. In order to help me achieve what most never will -

TAO.

You must marry observation and imagination, and take action through practical experience (Davinci was famous for this.)

Play the odds in your favour - by taking the counterintuitive route.

Run before you walk.

Shoot before you aim.

And utilise the world’s greatest invention in order to take inspiration, generate knowledge, and forge change from - using the internet.

Think like an Entrepreneur - and start something.

Think like a Digital Rennaisance Man - and start something.

Just start.

Stay Rogue.