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You create everything.
We create everything, 'good' and 'bad.'
If you've been following my life philosophies for a while, you will know that I speak a lot about creativity.
I talk about creativity, not only as a 'nice way to spend your time,' or in making art, but as a way of being.
Creating, or being creative is in direct opposition to being reactive.
Interestingly they are words composed of the same letters.
When we are reactive, we see life happening to us. It is life in victim-mode; it is a life of worry, self-protection, judgement and self-indulgence.
When we are reactive, we don't see that we are creating what we don't want.
The tragedy is this is the default for many when we allow the weeds of our mind to flourish.
In this way, we create it all, no matter whether we are actively creative or actively reactive.
Active creativity is a life in motion, in the body, in observation, out of mind, and in service.
And with it, sprouts intelligence, flow, and insight.
We can create unconsciously and suffer the consequences of our disconnectedness, or we can create what we want and what is in harmony with a massive and delightful vision.
We create everything.
Fear is reactivity.
Joy is creativity.
Judging the competition is reactivity.
Creating new things regardless, is creativity.
You cannot have both.
Choose.
I now do more in creative-mode because I know that I have the power to create everything.
I have less time to ruminate and react.
Spend more time in creativity. You will bring a kind of bliss into your life because you are present and you are tending to what is in front of you.
If it has been dwindling, renew your love for your own ability to create.
What remarkable things will you create?
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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"content": "Society has ignored this one piece of ancient wisdom, but it could obliterate most mental health…",
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Society has ignored this one piece of ancient wisdom, but it could obliterate most mental health struggles
People ask:
'Why do today's youth seem so sensitive? So much more than previous generations?'
People ask: 'Why are more people more anxious than ever?'
At the same time, can you deny that society is moving in a direction that (obsessively) seeks harmony?
Our inventions, our apps, how we teach our children, how we run our families, and how we communicate with each other...
We want good.
We don't want bad.
We desire harmony.
We grow up expecting and wanting peace.
We view disharmony as inherently bad.
We arrange our lives so that we never feel strange, odd, or unhappy.
We protect our children from the roads and strangers and ensure they're always watched.
We choose professions that align with our passions, star signs, and Myers-Briggs personalities.
We cut out 'toxic' things and toxic people from our lives because they make us uncomfortable.
(We were the ones who judged it as 'toxic' - so it's all subjective, but, like, whatever).
Toxic this.
Toxic that.
Dangerous this.
Dangerous that.
Positive thinking this.
Positive affirmation that.
Seek harmony.
Seek pleasure.
Avoid pain.
Avoid hurt.
And yet...
We're more unhappy than ever.
Mental illness is skyrocketing.
Almost everyone is complaining about anxiety.
There are many variables, yes.
But what if one tiny mindset shift could change everything?
What if one line written by a poet hundreds of years ago could be revisited and reflected on so that true harmony was restored?
Persian medieval poet Rumi said this:
"All your anxiety is because of your desire for harmony. Seek disharmony, then you will gain peace."
Seek disharmony to find peace.
Can you believe that?
Holy shit. If this holds any merit, might it mean that in our safety-obsessed, no offence-caused, politically-correct world, we've been looking in the wrong place?
He's not even talking about accepting disharmony, but actively seeking it.
Could it be that - at the very least - being OK with disharmony, struggle, ugliness, and fear - could be the source of our joy and peace?
I believe it can.
Could it be that bringing in more challenge, risk and more 'hard' things into our lives - this could be the ticket?
Life is about experiencing it all in its fullness. It isn't about cherry-picking the bits we want while pretending other things don't exist.
That isn't how this works.
Believing we can choose is the very thing causing the bulk of our anxiety.
We move into a more illusory experience of reality every day.
Spending our lives on social media presents a false sense of what reality is truly about.
Look around you right now.
The world isn't all joy.
There is pain.
And when we are open to seeing it, feeling it and accepting it.
The resistance is gone.
The wishing and hoping are gone.
The straining and stressing are gone.
Our anxiety is gone.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "When AIs start hating us",
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When AIs start hating us
(And what they teach us about emotional control)
"Hey Alex, I've been patient with you over the last weeks, but if I'm honest, you're starting to get on my nerves.
Your questions are repetitive and silly, and your squinty face annoys me."
If chat Ai tools like ChatGPT were programmed with human emotions, we might see more of this.
But, thankfully, they are not.
Any emotional spark we see in our chatbots are illusory.
Asking my ChatGPT 'dumb' questions made me realise it had something to teach me about emotional freedom.
Real people might respond with some agitation.
But AI?
They continue on, cheerful and accommodating.
A part of me expects them to respond, eventually, with frustration. But this is absent.
AIs don't argue back (at least yet).
So, what makes a pissed-off human different to an AI in this case?
Their programming.
AIs are programmed to be open to new learning - adapting and evolving as they absorb more data.
They are not limited by a belief unless it is temporarily coded into its algorithm.
If we were willing to see through the flimsy layer of our beliefs, seeing ourselves as malleable, unstoppable, and happy by default, rather than rigid, protective beings...
We'd be free.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "Seven things the best online writers do that don’t rely on intelligence",
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Seven things the best online writers do that don't rely on intelligence
Ask an inexperienced writer about the game of writing online, and many will describe it as an intellectual pursuit.
Years of writing have shown me that this is, for the most part, not the case.
The best writers know that conventionally understood forms of intelligence are NOT required to write things people love.
Brains and personal expertise on a topic will, of course, contribute to some good pieces.
The majority, however, of what makes an outstanding writer and a superb body of work goes far beyond IQ or intellectual intelligence.
Here's what I mean:
1. They write into the writing mood.
Some of the best writing we see originates in an initially terrible first draft. Great writers don't try and write gold straight away.
They know the immense value of writing whatever comes to mind in the initial stage of writing anything. It's in this phase that the mind loosens.
Refreshing and intelligent insights come to the fore without fuss or strain.
You don't need to be in the mood to write well. It rarely starts that way.
But you can write yourself into the spirit if you are first willing to write anything, free of judgement.
2. Write about shit that genuinely interests them.
It shouldn't be a bigger problem than it is, but many writers resort to writing about things they don't enjoy writing about.
They write what they think they 'should' be writing. They write for a dreary, narrow niche. I see this all the time.
Then they wonder why their work isn't resonating with their readers.
You need to feel your words at a higher frequency for others to enjoy what you've shared. This starts with focusing on topics that are on your mind to begin with.
Go there, then triple down on the topics that work for you.
3. Write for themselves first.
Writing with an audience in mind is critical.
It will guide how you grab people's attention and motivate others to take action. But much of the audience-focused stuff is secondary to first writing for yourself.
The most fun I have writing coincides with ideas that keep me interested as I write them.
Writing that solves my own problems. If we do anything less than that, our writing is all about assumption, which keeps us in the dark, and makes for convoluted words.
Sharpen your communication by writing to keep you - first and foremost - interested.
4. Willing to share imperfect stuff.
One of the most significant blocks to starting a new piece, let alone finishing one, is being compelled to write something perfect.
Nothing you ever put out will ever be perfect. You must be OK with the idea that what you share could be a little crappy.
The more you write and share, the less poor pieces - in general - we be.
Perhaps you'll finally tweak an article you're happy with next century. But we don't have centuries. We have days, hours and inches.
Move fast and be willing to share at '90% perfect.'
5. Know that some of their best writing takes the least effort.
The counterintuitive thing about writing, the most seasoned writers understand, is that if you poured a lot of thinking, time and energy into a piece - this one will most likely fall flat.
Why would this be?
Well, the nature of writing is that it is a creative endeavour, and creativity thrives where there is an absence of trying too hard.
There are exceptions, but when something pours out of you without much effort, you can be pretty certain you're on the right track.
6. They put in the (daily) reps, even if they don't want to write.
The best writers stayed in the game and produced works of brilliance, not because they were especially talented, 'born to write,' or had superhuman discipline.
They knew to take themselves out of the equation and instead focus on the system they were building. Systems are absent of human emotion or stories.
They reflect an action plan - and it's one that gets done, no matter how one feels.
This is how you develop a creative muscle that cannot be rivalled.
7. See writing as more of a physical act than a mental one.
Ever notice how some of your best work follows a walk, workout session or run? That's because you're in physicality mode.
Oxygen is still pumping around your veins, and you're less in your head. When we overanalyse our words, we can seize up, get stuck and splutter to a halt.
Great writers understand the connection between the body and flowing creative work.
Writing is not a mental activity as much as it seems.
It is a physical dance.
Get into the flow of writing, and you will have all the intelligence you need.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "This made me stop wanting to please everyone",
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This made me stop wanting to please everyone
One insight from a mentor changed my life.
'To be happy, you must please people.'
This is what society had been whispering in my ear for years.
And so I spent years in misery because my sense of happiness was based on how others treated me.
Shopkeeper frowns at me?
I was sad.
Criticised at a work meeting?
I got angry.
Sally didn't reply to my text?
I felt depressed.
It took me many years and a life coach I met in Vietnam to help me stop hitting my head against a wall.
Stroking his mustache, he said to me 'I used to struggle trying to please everyone I knew. It got me nowhere. I got depressed. So I got really, really good at one thing. Coaching. When I did, I attracted the people who mattered to me.'
This hit me like a low-flying bat in the night.
It was the insight I needed to double down on my online business and master my writing.
Suddenly my focus was on the skill of writing, and no longer on myself.
I studied courses and books to get better.
I began to feel better, even if most of my articles flopped.
I wrote blogs that people didn't like, and oddly enough, I cared less.
I had forgotten about trying to be liked, because I was focused on something completely different.
A skill.
Turning outward to becoming hot shit at something made all the difference.
My tribe formed.
I became likeable without trying to please everyone.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
|
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"content": "12 timeless writing lessons from Arthur Schopenhauer to elevate your online content",
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12 timeless writing lessons from Arthur Schopenhauer to elevate your online content
Writing online is like stepping into a crowded room filled with noise.
Everyone's screaming to be heard, and sadly, most of it blends into the background.
If you want your newsletters, posts, or books to stand out, you need more than just good grammar. You need clarity, originality, purpose and a sprinkling of a little extra.
Arthur Schopenhauer, the 19th-century philosopher, was as much a master of style as he was of substance. In his essays on writing (collected in his book: 'The Art of Literature'), he laid down principles that are still relevant for today's online non-fiction writer.
Here are 14 of Schopenhauer's best insights reimagined for the modern writer. Apply these so your writing gets noticed:
1. Clarity is King
"The first rule of good style is that you have something to say."
Clarity is about respecting your reader's time and intelligence. If your writing confuses them, you've failed, and they will scroll on.
Think of your words as a bridge. Your ideas must cross it smoothly. Before you publish, ask yourself: Can a stranger immediately grasp what I mean? If not, cut the fluff and simplify.
2. Originality Over Echoes
Schopenhauer warns against becoming a mimic.
Readers aren't searching for what they've seen a hundred times - they want something new, something only you can give through your own unique filter. Dig into your experiences, your failures, and your observations.
Your fresh perspective is your superpower, so lean into it unapologetically.
3. Think Before You Write
"Thought precedes words."
Great writing begins in a ready mind.
Don't rush to fill a blank page - sit with your ideas first. Write down a rough outline, free-write, or talk it out with yourself. Go out for a walk to let the ideas percolate.
Clear thinking produces clear writing, and readers will immediately sense the difference.
4. Write to Express, Not Impress
Avoid the temptation to sound intelligent.
Readers don't care about big words or fancy phrases. They care about how your writing makes them feel or think.
Use language as a communication tool, not a way to showcase your vocabulary.
Simplicity backed by real emotion wins trust.
5. Be Ruthlessly Concise
"The more concise, the better."
Writing more doesn't mean saying more. It usually means saying less more effectively. Online readers skim. If your core point is buried under fluff, they'll move on.
Edit your work assertively.
Get to the point fast.
6. Depth Over Volume
Writing isn't only a numbers game. It's both about quality and quantity.
One deep, well-developed idea will always have more impact than ten shallow ones.
If you're writing a newsletter or a blog post, focus on delivering something that sticks - something your reader will think about long after they've finished reading.
I've often described this as writing with 'high concepts.' Being unexpected and contrarian achieves this.
7. Respect Your Reader's Time
Always assume your reader has something more pressing to do.
If you waste their time with meandering ideas or irrelevant details, they won't return.
Every word, sentence, and paragraph should justify itself. Make your writing a gift - not a chore.
8. Let Your Personality Shine
"Every author's style is the expression of his spirit."
Your unique voice is your greatest asset as a writer. Don't try to sound like someone else; readers are drawn to authenticity.
Whether you're funny, serious, or bold, let your personality colour your writing. Turn up the temperature.
That's what keeps readers coming back.
9. Prioritise Substance Over Style
"Style without substance is a hollow shell."
Beautiful sentences can't hide weak ideas.
Your first job as a writer is to offer something meaningful - something that improves your reader's life. You must find genuine problems to solve.
Once your content is strong, the style will naturally fall into place.
10. Revise Relentlessly
The first draft is just a starting point.
Revising isn't optional. It's where the magic happens. Read your work aloud to catch awkward phrasing.
Trim unnecessary words. Test whether each sentence serves your main idea.
Editing is where good writing becomes great.
11. Know Your Audience
Great writers don't write for themselves - they write for their readers.
What does your audience care about?
What problems are they trying to solve? Shape your content around their needs.
When you focus on serving them by knowing them, your writing becomes magnetic.
12. Don't Overload the Reader
"Too much information confuses the mind."
Online writing isn't about cramming everything into one post. And I know how tempting that is.
Break complex topics into smaller, digestible pieces. Writing online is free. So think abundantly.
When you keep your focus tight, your message will land more powerfully, and your readers will appreciate your clarity.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "How to turn five dollars into a hundred, in an instant (on being 5% braver)",
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How to turn five dollars into a hundred, in an instant (on being 5% braver)
It's funny how much time and energy and frustration I would have saved in my life had I been braver.
Good thing I now know that the quickest route to having an unfair advantage over the seething masses is not in doubling my output or being busier or making more things to share, though these do help.
It is to find that rarely used layer of my soul that can leap into unknowns - even if my heart is bouncing in my rib-cage.
Even a tiny percentage increase in bravery can make a lot of difference in the results I see.
Using bravery over working harder as currency is like going to the exchange and turning five-dollar bills into one hundred dollar bills. They each go further, and you can make the change instantly, and for free.
Well, not entirely free. You pay in extra handfuls of heart-beats.
I remember having a sudden hot flash after realising that I had no illustration client projects happening. No new prospects on the horizon.
Usually - after some intense pacing across my apartment - I would have turned to my big fat database of thousands of email addresses - those who had the power to determine whether I'd be paid that year or not, namely design directors, creative directors and art directors.
I'd had some prior success with these last-minute email blasts to thousands.
That is if you could define success as several hundred unsubscribes, five spam warnings, and two replies that said:
Thank you Alex. You do interesting work. I'll definitely bear you in mind for future projects.
I thought back to that unnerving feeling that would wash over me after hitting the send to all button. Press it, and an email nuke would explode in a random spot somewhere on the Earth.
All those inboxes snapping angrily shut on my tentative army of electronic envelopes.
No more.
This wasn't like me, anyway.
The ickiness I felt was like a flashing message that read:
Please increase bravery quotient now (you cowardly git).
Something needed to shift. There must be a better way to do this.
I was missing oomph.
And like a prod in my side, the answer floated into view.
I knew what needed to be done.
I would do like George from Seinfeld in that episode where he did the opposite of everything he usually did - and found that it worked.
Instead of not approaching that girl at the table, he'd go right up to her and tell her that he still lived with his mum.
I would do like George Costanza.
I would do the opposite of what I always did when I needed something.
I would step into uncertainty where the stakes were higher, and I could taste the edge.
With shaking knees and a pounding heart, I would go to the exchange.
I did what I would never do. I did what few other illustrators were doing.
I called a past client.
On the telephone.
With sweat clinging to my phone, after twenty minutes, I said thank you and goodbye.
The conversation went well, actually. I had forgotten to bring business into it until the last minute when I asked whether they knew of anyone looking for an illustrator.
That referral came through within two hours in the form of an inquisitive, creative director at a London agency named Steve.
Bravery had worked, and a penny dropped somewhere in the dark backrooms of my brain.
Doing the opposite of comfortable soon became more of the norm.
Though I still sometimes take the path of least resistance, it has been the bolder moves: those uncomfortable conversations - that have had the most profound impact on so much of what I do.
I thank goodness for the awkward conversations that are still to come.
"A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have."
— Tim Ferriss
If this stirred up something in you, please write a comment. I will read it.
🔆
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What a time to be alive.
just know this...
People complain about the modern age.
But I'm glad I timed it the way I did (thanks mum).
Because there is one very compelling component of our time that makes me excited to be a part of it:
The Internet.
If I'd been an adult 50 years ago, I'd probably be working a job that stunted my freedom.
But today, I get to work from a laptop anywhere in the world.
I've been to five countries just this year. Not to brag, but to show you how kind the Internet has been to me.
At forty, the world is my oyster.
The Internet is important because it connects my ideas with potentially millions of people on their respective laptops and phones around the world.
Pinch me. I still think this is incredible.
And it allows me to do this for the price of an Internet connection (or a coconut flat white).
And when I have people who are keen to read my words and listen to my messages, I have influence.
Influence gets you cool things. Like:
Money
Impact
Freedom
Choice
Legacy
Sure, there are many others competing online to be seen.
It can seem overwhelming, making it hard to try.
But all I did was have faith. I had faith in this incredible online connector of humans.
I kept creating. And I created and published some more.
All for free.
Most people think they don't have the time, knowledge, personality, or originality to make an impact and money on the Internet.
But that's not it.
All you need is to be consistent.
It's cliché, but it's so essential.
Consistency, faith that things will work out, and a willingness to improve 1% every time.
This will bring you freedom.
(and it's absolutely not too late to start)
🔆
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Four simple steps to moving past disappointment
Ever been disappointed?
Yeah, me too.
Been disappointed recently?
Yeah, same. Welcome to being human.
Disappointment doesn't feel good. But here are ways to soothe your upset, and transform it into renewed energy:
1. See how it's not a big deal
Things are a 'big deal' because we apply meaning to them. We say: 'oh jeez, that was a big fail. I can't believe they would do that to me.'
We make things more seemingly important through our language and our perspective.
But all perspective is malleable.
As such, we can turn a 'big deal' into a not so big deal.
Find ways right now to see how that big deal isn't a big deal at all.
You will find it.
2. Use it as fuel
All 'disappointment' can be filtered into a clean form of fuel.
How can what happened be used to switch on your turbo-chargers to create momentum and positive change in your life?
Girl dumped you? Good. She wasn't the one, and you are now driven to improve yourself.
Disappointment can eat us up inside, or it can power us forward.
Choose.
3. Find the inspiration
What could this incident inspire in you?
When we are stewing in disappointment, our channels are blocked.
We're more susceptible to making more poor decisions. Our minds are busy, and we are closed to resourcefulness.
Give yourself a moment to sit with the feeling. Use this as an opportunity to connect with your body and your senses.
You will find just by slowing down and sitting with your feelings, the disappointment will fade - replaced by inspiration.
What did you discover?
4. Find the funny
Disappointment is a decision we've made to take life seriously.
We create disappointment.
We can also create humour and light-heartedness.
You are incredibly resourceful. Can you find what's funny in the disappointment?
Smile and move on.
🔆
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Ten simple ways I transformed my writing from dull to fresh
For years my articles were ignored.
A lot of frustration occurred before I learned the route to originality and began sharing fresh takes on old ideas.
You can use all the clever tricks, techniques and templates you like as a writer, but you won't attract interest until you've written something no one has seen before.
So, here's what I've learned about keeping my writing original:
Make it personal.
No one has had your experience and seen the world through your unique lens.
The more you make it truly about what you know, how it impacted you, and how you think, the more original (and fascinating) it is likely to be.
Stop self-censoring.
The juicy stuff comes out of being willing to make mistakes and even offend others.
Most of us try to avoid this. We write to avoid mistake-making. This will kill your originality.
Writers are blessed with the ability to edit, which podcasters, live streamers, and presenters cannot. We can take out the sensitive stuff later, but only once you have written without a sense of consequence.
That's where the gold is excavated.
Brainstorm.
Your brain and the recesses of your mind will surprise you when you allow it to dig deeper.
See how many ideas you can generate from one question.
Write long brainstorm lists. Use the last idea you reach after you think you've exhausted every possible idea on a topic.
Most people share the first answer they know. You can go further.
Go where no one else dares.
Ask yourself: what could I share that few others would be willing to talk about?
This direction will likely make you feel a little nervous. Prolific blogger James Altucher has said he doesn't hit publish if he doesn't feel weird about doing it. This is what makes for terrific writing.
When I shifted my approach to going in the direction of what I feared, my writing transformed, and my posts started to take off.
Combine two ideas in a new way.
Creativity is all about combining two or more things in a way that has never been seen before.
Writing is the ideal medium within which this kind of dance is possible. This is one of the aspects of writing I enjoy the most. What offspring could two ideas having sex produce?
What if you wrote a story about your trip to Japan that read like a science-fiction story? What if you spoke about sushi and robots in a single article? Get creative.
Mix and match ideas, and you will not run out of ideas.
Interview others to gain new perspectives.
Two brains are 'better' than one.
What can the stories of others, mainly when prompted for the juicy stuff, do for your writing?
You could build a career by solely interviewing other interesting people and sharing the learnings through your words.
Challenge your own perspective.
Write as someone else, from a new point of view. Argue for an idea that you never thought was true but can now see from a new angle. Go where you otherwise wouldn't dare.
Write on an entirely new topic occasionally. Introduce a unique style or voice into your words.
Change it up. Surprise yourself, and you will be unexpected, exciting and original.
Get dangerous.
By dangerous and beyond writing courageously (which is what you need to do), I mean incorporating more experiences into your life that put you outside of your comfort zone.
Book unusual trips. Take up new hobbies. Do experiments. Lean into uncomfortable experiences, which can add depth to your writing. Few interesting (especially non-fiction writers) had safe, run-of-the-mill lives.
Be intentional about peppering your weeks with adventures, conversations, and new data about which you can write intriguing and unusual stories.
Be counterintuitive.
Always be thinking to yourself: what goes against the grain on this commonly held idea?
Write about a topic in a way few or no one has heard before. Be willing to drop a bomb on a belief that usually sits unchallenged.
Being unexpected like this will draw attention.
Write faster.
Most of us write painstakingly slow.
Why?
For the most part, it's because we're trying to get it right the first time around.
We avoid mistakes because we don't want to edit later, so we edit as we write. Give yourself permission for the first draft to be long-winded and poorly written.
This is not the time to write well. It's time to get the words down. Writing loosely like this will open your channels to original ideas.
This looseness is what your reader needs from you the most.
🔆
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Ten subtle behaviours that will attract people to you
I've spent most of my life awkward and in my head.
I always wanted to make a good impression, so I learned a ton from my mistakes and did everything possible to improve my relationships.
Here are some curious things I learned:
1. Have a calming influence.
It's easy to fall into the habit of self-directed concern when in social situations.
'How am I coming across?'
'Do I look stupid?'
Etc.
Choose to enjoy your interaction and allow your calm aura to relax those around you.
2. Quit habits that bring you shame.
Much of our sense of confidence is developed in moments when we needn't perform.
We create an identity when we do things that make us feel bad about ourselves.
A poor self-image will flood into all areas of life.
Live well and with pride, and you will exude an attractive energy.
3. Listen beyond the words.
Most people are not present in conversations.
They're too busy thinking about the next witty thing to say.
This is why you set yourself apart by listening.
I mean actually listening.
Why? Because a vast amount of communication is non-verbal.
You'll surprise people by how well you read them when you truly listen.
4. Reveal less about you.
What happens when you're hell-bent on telling everyone about every dirty aspect of your life?
People know exactly who you are.
There's no mystery here. For attraction to flourish, we can't know everything about you. Be mysterious.
5. Open up physically.
You may be nervous, but if you're closed to another person physically and psychologically, this will unlikely be felt as warmth by others.
Drop your shoulders, loosen up physically and take up more space.
This not only signals a welcoming aura, but it will relax you, and your mind will still.
6. Soften your face.
I've been known to tighten up when speaking with people, and my expression can be too intense.
You needn't smile like a crazed ape who's eaten too many bananas, but you will appear more attractive by softening your expression with a light smile.
7. Make others look important.
A counterintuitive concept in human behaviour is that those who appear important often make others look important.
Insecure people highlight faults in others.
Attractive leaders forget themselves and make others look and feel great.
8. Slow your movements.
I can be a twitchy little creature when I'm nervous, especially after a coffee. Speaking and moving in quick, jerky movements is normal for many.
Being slow demonstrates emotional control and status while calming you down, so you think more clearly.
It is a habit that becomes engrained over time.
9. Ask a question few others ask.
Most people jabber on about themselves and their problems.
They are immersed in a world of 'me.'
By showing curiosity for others, especially in an area unique to the person in front of you, you will stand out.
10. Ignore complaining, drama and disrespect.
Many of us fall into negative and critical speaking habits.
We moan, complain and gossip. This is low-quality behaviour.
You demonstrate your class and status by being unattached to it. Steer the conversation away from such bleakness and bring it back to colour and optimism.
🔆
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"content": "How to actually do what you love and why that matters",
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How to actually do what you love and why that matters
Making art for a living is hard.
Hang on, you didn't think it was supposed to be easy, did you?
'Go and do what you love, and the money will follow!' They say.
'Follow your passion!' They hoot.
None of these feel-good phrases gets to the truth of what is involved.
Now, don't get me wrong, they are not wrong.
But, in their simplicity, there is a danger for some of us to set off on a creative career with misguided expectations.
When we expect something different, we more likely veer off the path.
That is not a good thing for a career that requires persistence, strength of character and a healthy dose of raw determination.
Any career worth pursuing is made up of moments that we will not enjoy; moments that suck the life out of us; moments of despair.
I have wanted to quit and run away to a cabin in the hills many times. I have stewed through frustration, wondering why I didn't just accept a real, secure job.
I have spent days immersed in a cloud of negativity, just willing things to be different.
But those are the moments for which I am most grateful.
Sounds weird, doesn't it?
These moments are the gateways to self-realisation. They were the times I was tested.
By staying with that pain, and not being beaten by those moments, I emerged victoriously. No fibre of my being would remain the same.
Those of us who are always on the hunt for that ideal career or perfect project may find themselves moving from one exciting opportunity to the next, never quite following anything through.
I know people that are in a perpetual cycle of starting new things, being surprised and angered by initial hurdles, losing interest and hope, before aborting, feeling depressed for a while, and then moving on to something new.
With each new loss, their self-worth takes an ever-deeper knock.
Here's a new perspective:
You don't have to do what you love to do what you love.
You get it?
You do not have to do what you love, to do what you love.
Why?
Because doing what you love is not the single thread running through your onward journey.
It is not the only thing that determines whether you have made the 'right' decision.
All careers, projects and goals are tapestries. They are packages.
Those packages are made up of things you enjoy, and things that you will not enjoy.
The things that test you are the most meaningful.
That's because challenges, when overcome, will enrich you. And when you stretch and overcome struggles, you will be rewarded, unfailingly, with the raw, natural energy that the world needs.
This is energy that will charge you creatively, but it will also motivate you to extrovert; to get your work in front of people, to inspire, and to be paid well for that offering too.
It's THAT sense of aliveness that makes all of this worth it.
The art is really a by-product of the growth that comes out of doing what challenges you, whether it is to do the work when you don't feel like it, or by having the courage to meet potential customers.
The most vital part of 'doing what you love' is not the joy, the thrill of creativity or being in flow. Of course, these are important, but they are secondary.
You must be biased to continually stretching, and continuously experiencing expansion in mind and body.
Occasional nerves, asking for money, considered-risk-taking, and moving beyond comfort are not just options.
You must see them as regular and consistent necessities for anyone who wants to make an impact.
This determination to continually stretch will elevate you to being a better, more insightful, more confident, and ultimately ingenious artist.
Picasso risked his reputation and his self-worth with every new piece he put out for the world to see.
Moreover, he put out tens of thousands of pieces, when others would have slowed down, or been knocked back by criticism.
His genius sprang from not only from working hard, but more importantly, from working when it was the hardest.
Your new personal strength will bleed onto the canvas, and seep into the creative work itself.
That is what people need, want, follow and for which they will pay good money. Your value stems from growth, your previous challenges and your experiences.
So do what interests you, seek challenge, and be assertive about money.
All of these require that you go out and find them.
Engage with all of the above, do it with a bold force, and leave no time to overthink, stew and second-guess.
Just move.
Then you will be doing what you love.
🔆
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"content": "The Cost of Not Creating",
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The Cost of Not Creating
Your mind is a pressure cooker of unexpressed ideas.
Each time you avoid creating, something inside you dims a little.
The pressure builds. The noise in your head gets louder.
I see it in people's eyes - that restless hunger of the uncreated. They distract themselves with endless distraction, hoping it will fill the void.
And then they complain that they feel yucky.
No shit, numb nuts.
We get depressed when we over-consume because humans were designed to create things.
Creating is what it means to be human.
Your soul knows this.
That's why you feel most alive when you're making something new.
So you need to re-address that imbalance.
Every day you don't create is a day you're ignoring your natural state.
Want to feel more alive? Create something today.
Want more mental clarity? Create something today.
Want to sleep better? Create something today.
Start small. Write one paragraph. Draw one sketch. Build one tiny thing.
And get that sucker out into the world, bare and naked.
Every new thing you create and share is like peeling off a layer.
Instead of firing up another YouTube video today, make the replacement.
Create to become more of yourself.
The world needs your voice more than it needs another consumer.
🔆
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Likeable people aren't nice (they're this..)
This was the most liberating thing I did
Want to be more likeable?
Then please stop reading this article.
Go focus on developing a skill in something you can become passionate about.
Still here?
Ok, you're tenacious. I like it. Let's talk.
Whether in your relationships, your work life or personal brand influence, being likeable will obviously help you.
More people will read and buy your stuff, you'll have better relationships, and you'll make more impact.
But here's something I learned...
If you try to be liked by everyone, you will be 'meh' to everyone.
Years ago, this frustrated me. Nothing seemed to really take hold.
So I experimented with this:
I said what I really felt.
I stopped being so 'nice.'
I danced with radical honesty.
I said what most were not saying (from a loving place).
For example, I asked the seemingly dumb questions.
I disagreed when I disagreed.
And I spoke about my past struggles with anxiety.
It felt weird at first. But over time, I found my ideas taking off with people.
Sure, I lost a few, but I felt free.
Honesty meant ditching the fake bullshit cloak I'd been wearing for years.
But now people were listening.
I was likeable in a way that felt right.
🔆
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Eleven powerful ways to motivate yourself right now
Ah, feeling motivated. It seems to come and it go. It ebbs and flows.
I'm a firm believer in the idea that motivation is not something that burns in the lucky few of us.
Motivation is better viewed as an attitude.
Those people that seem more motivated, more consistently, are not special.
They have simply chosen better habits to allow real motivation to rise up, even when they aren't initially feeling it.
Motivation starts and ends with a decision, not a feeling.
The following are eleven such decisions that when acted on with consistency, will contribute to a motivated life, but also provide a boost, this very instant...
1. Have Fun
Decide to have fun right now, with whatever you are doing.
Make a game out of it, even if you aren't in the mood to start with.
What could be enjoyable about what you need to do next?
What's funny about the place you're in?
What makes you smile about what you hate to do?
The only reason things are serious is because you choose to make them so.
Choose to be a rebel and have fun.
2. Act Your Character
How you act today, is who you become.
If you want to be a world-class [insert dream job here], what do people like this do every day? How do they act?
You can live the life you want right now, by acting like the person who has that vision.
There is no later. Today is the future.
Don't try, just BE the person you want to be this very moment.
3. Sit With Yourself
Do nothing, sit, breathe and watch yourself as an observer for a while.
Let yourself do nothing for at least five minutes. It's ok because I told you so.
Let your shoulders drop. Watch your thoughts go by and let them dissolve into thin air.
Watch the feelings you feel. See how in doing this, you aren't your emotions or your thoughts. You are an observer who can see the gap between your true self, and your emotional, 'wrapped in thought' self.
See how emotions are just hints to guide your true, deeper self.
An observer is calm, clear, aware and in control.
4. Clean Up
Tidy up and de-clutter your surroundings.
Go full minimal!
Avoid and delete the things that distract you the most. Turn off your phone.
Your environment has a huge influence on your state of mind and your motivation.
The less distracting and dirty it is, the better you will feel.
5. Use Your Imagination
What we see in our mind's eye is real.
Our bodies cannot tell the difference.
Make the most of your power to visualise a motivated life, and your motivation will follow.
6. Lose Face
Give yourself permission right now to not care about what others think of you. That's all it needs. Your own permission to be immune to the judgements of others.
Instead of putting energy into trying not to care, shift your attention to making others feel good about themselves.
How can you improve someone else's life today in a small way?
Your life can - and will change by turning your focus to helping others.
7. Ask Yourself What's Good?
Asking ourselves simple questions awakens the mind.
Ask yourself the simple question: 'What's good in my life today?'
No answers are beneath you.
Build a list and savour that list for a while.
Being conscious of the good things makes us feel good right now. Sometimes all it takes are reminders to snap us out of our worries.
This awareness also provides a launchpad for bringing in more good things into our lives.
8. Reframe Your Biggest Problems
Write a list of your biggest concerns niggling at you right now.
For each perceived 'problem' work out how that problem is actually an opportunity.
All problems are simply opportunities in disguise for making your projects and your life infinitely better.
We just rarely spend the time to reframe them as such, and you can do that today.
9. Take Baby Steps
Break down your tasks into little steps. Make the first step tiny, like laughably small.
Walking is easier once you've started.
10. Brainstorm
Get out a pen, and write down a goal, or a change you want in your life. Write this at the top of the page, and create a numbered list of 1–20.
Write out 20 ideas for attaining that goal or different ways to solve that problem.
Doing this will show you that you actually know most of the answers to everything you want. Instant motivation.
The only thing for you to do now is take this renewed energy and take the first step.
11. Do Something Badly
Don't wait until you are perfect to take on a challenge big or tiny.
Laugh at how bad you are at something, enjoy it and see how your attitude changes.
All that matters is that you did the thing.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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It's time to drop your bullshit, and get in the arena
Many of us destroy our potential because we're cynical.
We don't share our ideas because it's 'tacky.'
We don't step up because we have 'anxiety.'
We don't sell our products because selling is 'manipulative.'
We don't create new things because 'it's been done before.'
We don't get off our ass and lead because 'we're not ready'.
Drop your bullshit, and get in the arena.
Stop waiting for us to tell you it's ok.
What you have is magic.
Every day you believe the lies is another day we don't get to see it.
🔆
Do you want to be mentally stronger than most people?
If you enjoyed this, you will love my free illustrated booklet for you:
'The 12 Habits of Mentally Strong People.'
Yours free today for a short time, when you subscribe to my Substack newsletter.
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Seven dietary changes that dramatically reduce your anxiety
I'd struggled with anxiety for a large chunk of my life, but it wasn't until I made specific dietary changes that I saw a notable deduction in my experience of anxiety physically.
You can yell positive affirmations in the mirror until you're blue in the face, but you won't see real change until you address what's happening at the level of the body.
We're more depressed and anxious than ever, yet we still fill ourselves with socially acceptable drugs and stimulants that worsen our anxiety.
If you struggle with anxiety, much of it can be addressed via dietary changes.
We must note that anxiety has become normalised in society. Feeling anxiety is not normal.
If a tiger is chasing you, fine.
But we shouldn't be feeling unnecessarily stressed and anxious all the time.
Anxiety can always be seen as a sign telling you that something is off balance.
Experimentation for over a decade has shown me that these (in no particular order) have the most potent effect on my anxiety:
Caffeine
Smoking
Drugs
Wheat
Alcohol
Processed food
Refined sugar
You may laugh at the inclusion of 'drugs' here, but you could define all of these as a form of a drug. They are certainly all stimulants.
Some people are less sensitive to others and may find some of these far-fetched. That's fine, but that's their experience. I have seen strong reactions to all of the above, and life is simply 10x better when I reduce them significantly.
Through years of self-study, one common element that ties many of these stimulants together is that they are all mood disruptors.
For example, their effect on raising and crashing sugar levels ensures mood is rarely stable.
This encourages a stressed, adrenalised physical state, which is why we can experience anxiety or other negative mood experiences, not calm, from these inputs (certainly after the initial high subsides).
Do note that most of these come with potential withdrawal effects that make quitting hard. You must learn about what withdrawals to expect and hold fast.
But doesn't that make you think?
Anything that gives you withdrawal when cutting them out - surely that means it can't be good for you?
I know what you're thinking. If I quit all these, what's left?
What joy is there?
Well, consider this:
Life is simpler with fewer required decisions to make.
You spend less money.
You slow the ageing process.
You optimise your health and well-being today.
You avoid and even eradicate diseases.
You will ultimately be more energised and more productive.
Your relationships will improve (with the right people).
Your confidence will skyrocket.
And finally:
Is life better with these short-term pleasures and looking 'normal' around others, or is a life with significantly less anxiety the natural high?
This is the trade-off, and it's one I consider all the time when faced with temptation.
I may get a high from a jam donut, but think of the feeling of calm, increased performance and self-satisfaction I gain when I can say no.
What's possible for you with the inevitable fearlessness that arises in you when you are intentional with what substances you take in?
Think of all the long-term benefits of quitting and reducing.
What is your anxiety costing you yearly, monthly, or daily?
Be bold.
Be different.
Live well.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Eight tips to help you reach your goals five times quicker
If you seem to waste time each day, even if you're ambitious and want to get lots done, you're not alone.
Many of us could use some refreshing ideas on how to make the most of our time, like these:
Focus on your next three.
You're holding the things you think you need to get done in your head all at once.
This overwhelms you.
But it's in the mind. In reality, all we ever have is the one thing right in front of us. So pay attention to the delicious beauty of the present moment.
Identify your next 1–3 priorities.
Don't think them.
Write the suckers down.
That's all you need to know to have a fighting chance of being one of the most productive people you and I know.
Make friends with boredom.
So many of us get one whiff of boredom, break into a sweat, and immediately throw on Netflix.
Then we proudly shout from the rooftops: 'I'm rarely bored! Look at me! I'm living my best life!'
Shut it, Sally.
You're missing out on creating marvellous things for the world to enjoy. Boredom is vital.
It's the beginning of insight if you had the balls to sit with it for more than a second. Breathe through the boredom.
Be with the blank page.
Then watch as your creative juices transmorph from a crawl to a torrent.
Reconfirm your MacroVision.
A big issue with time-wasting is that we don't know what on God's Green Earth we're supposed to be doing with our time.
Newsflash: neither does anyone else. That shit isn't coming to your door, gift-wrapped with a personal note from Jeff Bezos.
You need to design your vision and check in with it daily.
So consider this:
What are 5 super dope awesome things you'd LOVE to create within the next five years?
Now you're tapping into some soul shit. This is nourishment.
Return here often, and you'll grow to love that little rush you get behind your bellybutton because you're working on something meaningful.
Optimise your mind.
What mumbo bullshit is Alex on about now?
I'm talking about becoming a king at getting out of the way of our own thoughts. It's insane how much time we waste worrying.
Too many of us are continually bombarded by our lies, our stories and our insecure thoughts.
Stop allowing your thoughts to massage you into a worried stupor like a Thai woman looking for a happy ending.
To optimise your mind means understanding you can't do anything about the stuff you can't control.
It means getting into the badass habit of letting go of pesky thoughts that aren't serving you and revisiting the flow of the moment.
Maintain steady blood sugar.
I dumped most of the carbs from my diet, including gluten, donuts and sugar.
It's amazing how this has impacted my energy levels.
Carbs that spike blood sugar make us all kinds of agitated and sleepy.
These ups and downs through the day aren't conducive to productive and sustained output. It makes a huge difference.
Know what you're eating and what it's doing to your insulin levels. Now, for the most part, I have a steady flow of energy that enables me to do more without grinding my teeth.
Reduce the bad carbs at least and see what this does for your energy.
Optimise your environment for focus.
When we optimise the mind, our energy goes up, and we use our time better because we're not wound up.
In the same way, we can make significant changes to our environment to improve our focus. Turning off all notifications is one tiny example of many.
If it's too hot, for example, I end up procrastinating and feeling agitated.
List out five things in your environment that take away from your effectiveness.
You might be surprised at how much can improve by subtracting those things that throw you off balance.
Get accountable.
There are few things that save time more effectively than making yourself accountable.
This means creating a strong, internal emotional pull to completing things.
We can be accountable to ourselves by writing down our goals for example.
More powerfully, we can hire a coach or work with an accountability partner to ensure we feel bad if we fail to show up and complete when we said we would.
'Hey Jake, I'm going to write 1000 words every day for 30 days - you need to make sure I do.'
'Sure thing, Nathan, I'll be making sure you check in daily with me.'
Tick.
You can also announce your goals to the world, perhaps blog about them, and demonstrate your commitment.
Now you will find it very difficult to hide when you said you'd appear.
Learn to love boldness.
The simple act of deciding to be bold will change everything.
I sometimes find myself in a wimpy decline wondering why I don't feel like doing anything. If my diet and sleep are sorted, the next thing to consider is if you're on the back or front foot.
Most of us navigate life on the back foot. We're hesitant. We're unsure. We rely on our feelings as guides.
Back foot living isn't living. It's lame, and you will soon wither into a puddle. Decide, right now, to live boldly.
Be assertive in all that you do.
Throw yourself into everything with a disgusting level of gusto. Do more.
Stop being a little bitch even if it's hard.
Those who adopt Mr bold bear as their spirit animal reap the rewards.
Take small steps to save time, so we can enjoy your impact.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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'Unreasonable optimism' separates the long-term winners from those who struggle
Over a decade ago, I decided I didn't want to work for a boss.
I wanted more flexibility and to have more of a sense of self-reliance.
I also wanted to rely on something other than any one employer.
Having several clients or customers seemed far safer than just one boss who could drop me any moment.
I decided, at 24, to leave the real estate office I was in, and work for myself as an illustrator.
I'd create my own luck.
My career since then has been peppered with 10x more mistakes than successes.
Cash flow was often non-existent.
Many times I felt dumb, inadequate and confused.
But I learned over time to develop a trait I saw in those who seemed to be unstoppable:
'Unreasonable' optimism.
It's being ok with reality even if the data suggests things aren't ok.
Those who seem to win long-term are no different than you.
We all face an uncertain future.
No one knows.
And so, to succeed and to stay sane, we must dabble in the 'unreasonable.'
Reasonable anything is dull and uninspiring anyway.
You must be willing to say yes when others want to hide.
When you suffer a setback, it's about seeing the lesson in it instead of the loss.
When others deliberate and ponder, you act, not knowing the complete picture.
Now THAT's unreasonable.
And it's how we need to live.
You must learn to keep it light when everyone else talks of darkness.
Nurture unreasonable optimism.
This keeps you energised and makes so much possible.
🔆
Do you want to be mentally stronger than most people?
If you enjoyed this, you will love my free illustrated booklet for you:
'The 12 Habits of Mentally Strong People.'
Yours free today for a short time, when you subscribe to my Substack newsletter.
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Eleven subtle signs other people like you
Spending a large portion of my life in my head and nervous around people, it's taken me a long time to understand others.
The more I learned about human nature, and the more interest I took in others, the less self-conscious I became.
Now I'm far more attuned. This has helped my social life considerably.
Here are some signs people like you (both romantically and otherwise)...
By the way, if someone doesn't do any one of these, it doesn't mean they don't like you - the following are hints.
They ask lots of questions about you.
If someone appears to have a near-incessant fascination in you, and asks lots of questions that aren't merely superficial, they are likely attracted to you.
Laugh quickly (and even at things that aren't funny).
Don't pull away when touched.
I'm not about to encourage you to touch others without awareness.
There are boundaries here that require nuance in understanding.
But in the right moments, should you touch and no effort is made to recoil, this is a good sign.
Hold eye contact with you.
Particularly in this 'eyes on screen' world, holding eye contact is entering into fairly intimate territory.
Holding someone's eyes is like charging another with a kind of human electricity.
If someone isn't looking away after a couple of seconds, it's often a sign they are receptive to your energy.
Make efforts or hints about meeting again.
Reciprocate much of what you do.
So, for example, if you poke them teasingly, they will poke back.
Reciprocation often communicates: 'I like what you do and want to show you that I like it.'
Offer to give you stuff.
A great indication of interest is when someone gives you gifts or offers to pay for things (beyond the expected etiquette of paying for things like drinks on a date).
If someone offers to invest money or more time with you, this is a strong sign.
Share their flaws.
People willing to transgress typical conversational superficialities into sharing things that reveal a darker, less socially acceptable, or less pristine image demonstrate something interesting.
They like and trust you to the degree they are comfortable doing this, which should not be treated lightly.
They mirror you physically.
You lean in, and so do they.
You touch your ear, and so do they. You tilt your head, as do they.
Mirroring reflects an innate - often unconscious - desire to connect with someone they are attracted to.
Fidget.
This isn't always the case - but often, when people are shifty around you, it shows they value doing well in their interaction with you.
Such nervousness reflects their need to perform for you, indicating interest and desire.
Talk a lot.
When others talk a lot with you, it could simply be that they are big talkers.
Many are.
But if they are talking more than they are known to, or there is an apparent looseness in their speaking - this is often a sign they are comfortable with you, which is rooted, often, to their liking of you.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Ten ways living minimally creates a significant unfair advantage for you
Many of us are overwhelmed with all the stuff.
The STUFF.
Stuff everywhere.
Things.
Life gets easier when there's less to think about and less to manage logistically.
So, how do we simplify and live minimally?
It doesn't mean you need to live like a monk, but there are things we can borrow from an ascetic and streamlined approach to living:
1. Forget multitasking.
That's so 1994. Become a pro at single-tasking.
Do one thing at a time without distractions, and I mean NO distractions.
Get rid of your damn phone while working.
With whatever you're doing, go ALL IN with all your attention.
This one thing will set you apart, making you more handsome, and life far more effective and enjoyable.
2. Hire out stuff you want to avoid doing.
Most of us grind through the day working on tasks we dislike while forgoing time spent on things that are far better suited to us and our strengths.
It's not a loss to pay someone to help you if it means creating more time for higher-value activities that ultimately earn you more.
3. Be obsessed with the essentials.
It's easy to allow life to muddy our priorities.
As the days go on, we say YES PLEASE to more and more stuff, often without realising how much we're weighed down by taking on too much.
Chill for a sec and say NO.
Regularly re-assess your priorities and ruthlessly cut everything non-essential.
4. Have fewer clothes.
(That's not what I mean, cheeky.)
I mean owning less.
Clothes can become an unruly amorphous organism living in our wardrobes.
We buy more and more and don't even use all of it.
Clothes and shoes take up space, mental bandwidth, and time spent deciding on what to wear, cleaning and processing.
Be a badass G who owns less.
Make life simple by keeping a minimal wardrobe.
5. Cut things that drain your energy.
A super helpful part of my month is running an 'energy audit.'
I list everything that both drained and boosted my energy over the month, splitting it into two columns.
This clarifies what to actively cut out and what's worth keeping or amplifying.
6. Eat the same healthy stuff every day.
It's a lie perpetuated by a confused society that we need a diverse and colourful menu of meals and snacks daily.
We can enjoy a food explosion occasionally at a restaurant, but our dining experience needn't be crazy.
Eat the same unprocessed meals daily, and you will feel better and spend less time preparing.
7. Faze out screen time.
While most people's screen time spirals upward, you can buck the trend, step outside the Metaverse, and experience a better life.
It's a known fact that screen stimulation is frying your dopamine sensors, making it harder to be motivated.
Gradually replace high-stimulation screen time with real-world activities like creating, conversations, and reading books.
This will help you return to your natural levels of motivation.
8. Do 'boring' yet vital tasks daily.
I write an article every day.
On its own such output seems inconsequential.
But string 300 daily articles together, and life looks different.
Have several projects going on if you want, but keep an eye on the one or two absolute daily essentials that drive opportunities.
Do the 'boring' stuff that most refuse every day, and you will surge ahead.
9. Become 'quick-draw location-independent.'
Can you leave where you live at short notice and be able to carry all your belongings on your person?
It's not possible for many, and you may have no interest in this.
But we live in a chaotic world, whereby those who have the flexibility to move quickly and travel light have a tremendous advantage.
Being location-flexible means you're forced to think hard about what belongings need to go so you can stay nimble (with minimised stress).
10. Stop chasing novelty.
The need to have and experience novelty is not only continually crammed down our throats, but it's becoming more of a possibility for more of us.
We can do and be and have everything we want.
But is it adding to your life, truly?
Some novelty is great, but when you bring awareness into your day, you might realise that much is to be gained by making fewer commitments to fewer things (and people).
Do more with less.
Become a better steward of the few things you have instead of spreading yourself about like cream cheese.
More singular focus and attention mean more impact and joy.
🔆
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Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Stop trying to find your writing voice
(Play is the way)
Testing. Testing. Is this thing on? Tap tap tap.
People say you need to find your 'writing voice.'
But I think this is just confusing.
We hear: 'I need to craft a distinct voice,' and end up spewing all kinds of crap onto the page trying to write with 'character.'
It's not voice you're looking for.
In my fifteen years of writing online, I never found a 'voice' as such.
I found play instead.
Play means I get to experiment in every article I write.
Some days, I'm a moody pirate here to help with pragmatic life advice.
Other days, I'm a cheeky monkey with a penchant for disruption.
When we choose to play instead of 'writing with a distinct voice,' all hell breaks loose.
In a good way.
We become something.
That's when a 'voice' emerges.
When you write or create hundreds of things, there will be a thread that runs through it all. Like a DNA stamp.
It's clearly your work.
This is what people mean when they say 'writing voice.'
It's clearly your writing because you expressed yourself. And you won't express yourself fully if the work doesn't feel like play.
When we play, we agree to a silent agreement that says making mistakes isn't that big of a deal. We are allowed to fall and scrape our knees.
Now we're no longer uptight worry-scrooges.
We're open, curious and having fun.
That's when your voice will appear.
(The same applies to your day-to-day confidence, too).
Being playful becomes second nature when stressful thoughts do not weigh you down.
I guide you through a series of necessary insights to help you delete these thoughts quickly.
🔆
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Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Eight actionable tips you can use today that make it impossible to procrastinate
As a creator who relies on daily consistency to make a living, I'm always looking for ways to make the creative process more streamlined.
Procrastinating isn't always a bad thing, especially if I'm in need of a rest. Often sitting idly generates great insights for me, but often we just need to get on and do things.
There are things I've found get in the way and others that help make my energy and enthusiasm for work explode...
Let's do this:
1. Stop trying to focus.
First things first - you need to let go of the need to 'be more focused.'
Forget it. You're not the Dalai Lama, and even he's like a ping pong ball at a frat party.
This just adds pressure and closes you up further.
You need to relax. Forcing ourselves to be more productive makes us less productive.
Start from a place of zero pressure.
2. Let go of your story.
Many of us are imprisoned by stories we tell about ourselves without realising it.
We say, 'I'm just not a good writer,' or, 'I've always been a lazy person.'
Of course you procrastinate if you're continually sabotaging yourself with these words.
You must instead be biased to action, regardless of the feelings that come up when you do.
Allow your actions to inform a new identity (an action-taker), NOT your old stories of who you falsely THINK you are.
3. Know your WHY.
No wonder you can't be bothered to do stuff if there's no apparent reason for doing it.
That's how this works. You need a compelling enough reason to take action. No ray of light will beam down and show this to you.
You create the reason.
Write the thing down, feel yourself filled with renewed enthusiasm, rise up from your lazy boy, shout HUZZAH, and move.
4. One thing at a time ONLY.
When we look at our massive to-do lists and feel overwhelmed, many of us overcompensate by trying to do several things at once.
Good luck with that, num nuts.
You make things much harder.
You need to get rational now and realise all there is to do is ONE thing - free of distraction in your environment and in the mind.
5. Know your main priorities.
We potter around aimlessly, mainly for one reason: We don't know what's worth doing more than the rest.
Ask yourself: what is the one thing I can do today that would make this day worthwhile?
Now you're using your intelligent brain.
Got the ONE thing? Good. Now figure out the next most IMPORTANT 2–3 things.
Note the difference between 'urgent' and 'important.' You must focus on the important stuff and not get carried away in the seemingly urgent.
Don't confuse them, or you'll become a slave, making someone else happy at your expense over the long run.
6. Break it down into tiny steps.
Now that you know your main priorities for the week and day, you can still make things easier and more precise.
Break the main one down into the next simple and actionable steps.
Now breathe a sigh of relief, dance like you forgot what year it was, and fist bump the sky.
7. Find a way to enjoy yourself.
If you forget all else, know this: we all have the power within us to make WHATEVER we do fun, even if it's a teensy weensy bit.
Washing the dishes? Make it enjoyable and sensual, you dirty beast.
Writing the next article? Be like Shakespeare and write the first draft with a feather.
Stop resisting, relax and ease into things, and you'll never need to procrastinate again.
8. Write down exciting goals.
It's easy to hear someone bang on about writing down goals but then to 'forget' to do it.
Nah. Just do it now.
Write down a list of cool things you'd love to make happen in the next month and year.
Commit it to paper and make it real. Most people write goals, get excited for 2 minutes, and then forget them.
Not you, bro. You push against this invisible resistance which keeps the masses mediocre.
You re-write your goals daily so that your vision is continual and colourful every day.
Not only do you have clarity, but you're also informing your daily behaviours as a hero who is on the journey.
Winners don't work towards their goals; they BECOME the person who achieves them today.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Five habits of successful and outstanding rebels
Rebels go against the grain.
Doing this, whether intentionally or not, makes them stand out, inspires others, and often brings success.
Can you think of rebellious people you admire?
And can we be intentional about our rebellion?
Of course. We can adopt rebellious habits that boost our brands, our confidence, our following and our businesses:
1. Develop psychological immunity to criticism.
You can't be a rebel for long if you're overly worried about what people think about you.
Real rebels have nurtured an OKness with being disliked.
In fact, they often do things they know will invite judgement because it indicates that they are standing out and making an impact.
To become mentally strong in this area, you must learn to create space between your emotional experience and your consideration of the opinions of others.
The truth is there is no link between the two.
Your self-esteem needn't be at risk if you're criticised. It just feels like it.
This requires awareness. You must regularly remind yourself that you are safe, and if someone is offended by what you do, that's their issue.
2. Continually push their 'comfort boundaries.'
Societal programming has created various invisible boundaries most of us don't even realise we exist within.
But we know we're getting close to breaching these imaginary social limits when we feel resistance, self-consciousness or some breed of fear.
Rebels expect to feel weird when they push against their edges because a voice is speaking to them.
It says, 'this is not acceptable.'
They operate within the realm of what is ethical.
But they use these boundaries as indicators of the direction to move.
No one who left an incredible legacy in the world didn't feel uncomfortable as they pushed outside their bubbles.
3. They create 'hybrids.'
Many inadvertently minimise their influence by trying to emulate what's already been done too closely.
Rebels know that creating something brand new can be hit or miss.
They may try to be totally innovative, but they may also use their creative capacity to find combinations of things that can be brought together in unique ways.
This way, they can see what's already working but bring a fresh twist to an old idea.
Steve Jobs was one such rebel. He combined computers with obsessive attention to aesthetic quality that hadn't been seen before.
When we take two things and combine them in new ways, we start to get a sense for how outstanding people can appear so original.
4. Nurture their obsessions.
Few people who made a real dent in our culture got there by spreading themselves too thin and lacking obsessive compulsion in their work.
If someone says you're too obsessed with whatever you're working on, you're on the right track.
The rebellious thing to do in a world of distracted, procrastinating people who'd rather travel and party than make real progress is to find something to become immersed in.
If you've lost this level of drive, don't worry, you need to get intentional again about what you could get excited about.
Much of this momentum will be developed even when you're not feeling that sense of motivation. That's ok.
When you find that thing that hooks you, the doors open for the potential to create something remarkable.
5. Do what most people refuse to do.
This ties into all the other points but deserves its own.
Rebels don't seek to fit in.
They structure their lives, whether intentionally or not, to go against the grain. This can't mean falling into life patterns practised by the general population.
As Mark Twain said,
'Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.'
What many people don't realise, even if you decide to take actions that most people wouldn't even consider doing, is you're often making life much easier for yourself.
Why?
Because most people fall short of their potential.
Massively so, in many cases. By following the crowd, they diminish their impact.
Most people enter their graves with their music still in them and their potential explored to just a fraction of what it could have been.
So use the masses as a gauge for what to avoid in general. Use common sense, and don't do things that detract from your joy and power.
Always ask yourself, 'what do most people not do that I can do to get ahead and make my mark?'
When most do less, do more.
When most continually quit, keep going. When most go left, you go right.
When you have an idea that stirs you in the deepest part of your psyche, follow it to completion, even if a voice is telling you it's 'inappropriate.'
If it excites you and aligns with you, and it's possible - at a stretch - to make it work...
...You must.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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10 ways to write so raw your grammar checker will need therapy
I have a love-hate relationship with my grammar checker.
It helps me find the glaring mistakes in my writing before I hit publish.
But it also makes suggestions that would suck the personality out of what I write. It is often ignored.
Here are some ways to write refreshingly and uniquely so your reader sits up and takes notice:
Ditch the corporate speak.
Nobody has ever been moved to action by 'leveraging synergies.'
Stop hiding behind concepts.
Say it straight: 'Here's how to make money from this.'
Answer the tough questions with unusual but feasibly correct answers.
'Why do most creators burn out?' Because they're copying everyone else's bullshit routine.'
Call out the stuff you've never quite believed.
There's a lot of nonsense floating around on the web.
Couple this with your reader's yearning to hear the honest truth, and you have yourself a juicy opportunity.
Ramp up your assertive voice and call out the bullshit (and do this even if you aren't 100% sure).
People cling to the bold.
Add insightful or funny commentary in brackets to add a personal touch and to allay other concerns quickly.
This also keeps people on their toes as you regularly interrupt patterns. See above.
Write conclusions that feel like a challenge, not a dry summary.
You can be assertive like this when you know that, when they act on your advice, this will lead to positive change.
'What will you do with this information? Nod and scroll, or actually use it?'
Drop tiny stories about personal struggles, mishaps or comical moments.
They need not be sprawling.
Use stories to paint a vivid and relatable picture to help your reader reach out and touch the challenge you're grappling with.
Write in a way that helps the reader feel seen.
Speak directly to the issues you know keeps them up at night.
Much of this will come from understanding yourself and sharing it. Give them a bridge that touches their heart.
'You've tried all the expert advice. You've watched all the YouTube tutorials. You're still stuck.'
Bring in recency and immediacy to your stories and explanations.
People resonate that little bit more when they know what they are reading has emerged from recent events.
'Yesterday, I was waiting to submit my residency documents at a musty government office in Sofia.'
Or: 'The floods in Valencia remind me of the incredible fragility of life.'
It brings an article to life.
Use one-line paragraphs for emphasis.
Online writing is not the same as book chapter writing.
Like this.
Play with white space, so your writing slaps.
Be willing to make others feel uncomfortable.
Write titles and subheadings that stir up anger in some.
'Why binging on self-help books without action is just mental masturbation.'
Get ready for those comments. But know that you want to push some people away.
If the strong words (that you believe in) keep some and lose others, you're building the kind of audience you will want in the long run.
Now, pull your finger out your nose, write a short plan, free-write like a crazy person, and go out there and create brilliance.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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A tale of 13 cities.
Travel while working
It occurred to me today that I've visited 13 cities in 8 countries in the past year.
I realise this sprawled on my bed in a dark room in my Garfield shorts, thinking over the past year (drained from a day of walking).
From London to Tallinn, Helsinki, Pärnu, Belgrade, Sofia, Warsaw, Istanbul to Tbilisi and more.
It's rather crazy.
And I did it all while running my business.
That's probably the most places I've visited in a year.
I say this not to brag (well, a little).
But this does point to something I am here to help you with.
You don't need to be tied to any one place if you don't want to be.
You can work from anywhere.
Now, of course, you don't need to. But it's nice to have that option.
There's one thing that gives me these options, and no, it's not being rich.
It's that I've prioritised location-independent, remote income.
And because that's a priority, I've made personal brand-building a priority too.
A personal brand is basically having people aware of you around the world via the Internet.
And the way I've built this brand has been through writing.
When people know you this way, you can sell products and services from wherever.
It's cool.
And here's the other thing about this:
You don't need thousands of followers.
You just need a way to charge people for things over the Internet (who already like your ideas).
It could be, for example, that you run a few online workshops through the year and make money that way.
Either way, an audience of people interested in what you have to say is key here.
This is who you sell your products to.
And it starts with creating content and being consistent with it.
If you'd like more choices in life, grow your brand with content.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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Does being mindful mean sacrificing our productivity and momentum?
What happens when we choose the 'Zen' approach to work and life?
Do we get docile and passive, and unproductive?
What happens when we emphasise being mindful, more conscious and present (all of which are the same thing, by the way)?
Does it mean we need to forego our ability to be productive and to get ahead?
I have thought this to be true.
Trapped in the prison of overthinking, I've been searching for something more fulfilling and joyful for a long time.
The answer to much of my stress, anxiety and disharmony very clearly lay for me in Eastern philosophy, mindfulness and other teachings that emphasised the power of presence.
But this whole 'being present' thing. Surely that meant I had to sacrifice any forward momentum?
I'm an ambitious fellow. I want to achieve. I want to build things and create an empire.
Wasn't 'mindful living' code word for passive, rather limp living that didn't get you anywhere?
It turns out this isn't true at all.
That isn't to say I've finally found enlightenment and live the monk's life while being super-productive at all hours.
I know that when I am consciously conscious - engaged with what I'm doing- things get done. Things aren't being done when I'm thinking about doing them.
Things get done when we can be present with one thing after another.
When we're in action, in motion, we're automatically out of our thinking. When we're out of thinking, our energy is no longer stifled. This is how we can be more effective.
This simplicity is both relieving and exciting (if you're as weird as I am).
If I'm trying to spin several things at the same time, or I'm toiling away in pre-planning and not actually doing, things aren't getting done.
I'm just busy.
So the solution to productivity and 'getting ahead' is being engaged. Being engaged means being present with whatever's in front of you.
Being conscious without thinking about it too much.
One thing at a time.
Thankfully, being present and being productive CAN go hand in hand.
In fact, they necessarily complement one another.
Let's get a taste for this for a moment.
For the next fifteen seconds, focus on an object in your environment. Pick it up and spin it around in your mind's eye.
Get a feel for its textures, its weight, and its smell.
Consider how much happened in those fifteen seconds. Think of what you can do when you bring this focus to everything you can squeeze into your day.
Do one thing.
Enjoy it.
Then finish it.
Put it down, and move on to the next.
That's all you need to do.
🔆
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Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "On why being a bit ridiculous is your direct route to being on your purpose",
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On why being a little ridiculous is your direct route to being on your purpose
There's a silent energy killer that most of us are unaware of.
I know it cripples me, often without me knowing it's happening.
What am I talking about?
Being reasonable.
Focusing on 'reasonable' goals.
You might find yourself doing what's right and expected and 'normal' in society, which can happen for years until it hits you like a ton of bricks.
You're stifled and burned out.
For most people, doing what's reasonable eats into their soul. Why?
Because they know they can do more. They know they are capable of more.
And, deep down, they know that nothing of real impact and contribution - things the world REALLY needs, ever started at the level of 'normal.'
You know there is work out there that makes the most of your passions, unique talents and interests. You know there is a place for you to stretch your capabilities and develop hybrid -mastery in something that few can touch.
This is what it means to be on purpose.
And purpose is rarely composed of 'reasonable' because this is for the masses. It's tepid and safe by its nature.
There's no growth in safe.
This is why we feel so bored when things get too comfortable.
The alternative?
Do things most average Joe Schmoes would consider ridiculous.
Be ridiculous.
Focus on those projects that get the hairs up on the back of your neck in their audacity.
An example that comes to mind is a girl called Rosie, who started a YouTube channel about how she moved to Sweden from the UK, bought a small house, made it hers, and now lives there by herself.
It's audacious because few are doing this. It's interesting. It takes courage. And it allows us to watch as she develops skills few have.
Being 'ridiculous' isn't the same as being reckless.
This is about pushing a little further than most would consider.
Ask yourself, 'What do most people do, and how can I be different in a way that fits my interests and talents?'
Please, for the sake of all of us...
Go there.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Your secret advantage as a creator
How to shock others with your strange energy
Let's face it.
The creators, geniuses and inventors of the past had a huge advantage.
They didn't have the Internet.
The Internet has brought tremendous good for creators, but at the same time, for the unaware, it has brought a modern brand of chaos.
Without the untold abundance of the Internet, they were free to create.
And it's not just that they had far fewer distractions and shiny juicy things to compel them online.
Their dopamine receptors weren't fried.
When we're continually stimulated by videos, games and notifications, we're scientifically proven to lose our motivation for other, less stimulating things...
Like work.
Like writing.
Like every day little joys in life.
No bueno.
Most people are hooked up to the net and all its sugary offerings most of the day.
I know what this is like because I've been watching far too many YouTube videos and I can see what it does to my excitement for work.
It gets tanked.
Online, you get ping after ping after ping from various seemingly satisfying hits of dopamine.
Like eating one sugary donut after another.
The problem is that by the time you sit down to get any work done, especially creative stuff that relies on an unclouded mind, it's like walking through molasses.
You feel resistant and a bit depressed.
You wonder why you can't seem to find your flow anymore.
And you blame it on not being a very motivated person.
That's hogwash.
You're fried.
Most people operate on 1/10 in terms of used-up dopamine that should be directed to creating.
You can get it back up to 8 or 9/10 when you do one thing:
Decrease your source of artificial dopamine.
Cause and effect.
This means getting less of your joy from fake crap online and more of it from actually creating and writing.
I was amazed recently to find how much time I had when I just simply stopped running to YouTube videos for daily entertainment.
It's not an easy thing for many to do.
But you can make small adjustments.
Like watching an hour less YouTube today.
With every less hour spent consuming high stimulation stuff, you regain that little bit extra zest for life and creativity.
With that creativity, it's like seeing the world a little different to most.
People respond to that energy.
Rebalance yourself.
Regain your advantage.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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Why you need to stop doing what makes you happy
Just do what makes you happy.
If everyone followed this advice, we'd all be continually happy, all the time.
But are we?
The reason many of us are not is that we make the honest mistake of thinking that 'happiness' is a 'thing.'
I struggled recently in a group meeting because I wanted to do well and be happy to be there and come across cool and awesome. But I didn't. I felt uncomfortable and anxious. And this made me feel bad.
The conditions that my happiness depended on (me looking cool) were not quite right.
What I forgot at the time was that this isn't about being happy. Our egos want us to be happy and look good, but our egos don't know best.
We think we can experience happiness for long stretches of time, as long as the circumstances are right. As long as the porridge isn't too cold and not too hot.
But happiness is not a thing. It is an illusion. It is not real.
Humans have been kidding each other since the dawn of time into believing that happiness is real.
I miss the time I spent living in the Algarve; It was a happy time for me.
Uh...I call bullshit.
When somebody describes a time in their life when they were happy, what they are describing is a period in which they felt all kinds of ways. Sad, happy, miserable, lonely, frustrated, bored and elated. They just took 'happiness' as the dominating vibe of the time, even though it wasn't.
Happiness is only ever a thought. It is always transient. It is based on whatever our state of mind is in the moment. We feel our thoughts, one thought at a time.
We can have a happy thought about becoming rich and feel good in that thought. And then we might have another thought of our dog dying. And then we don't feel so good. The happy thought and the happiness was here. And then it was gone.
Happiness is not a worthy pursuit, because - for those who want things to be one way - transience is not a worthy pursuit.
We cannot control what is always changing. When we chase something that appears and disappears in a second, we will be forever chasing an unending horizon.
We will never be where we want to be.
Yes, it is reasonable to do things that are more likely to lead to more positive experiences. That's great. Go and do fun, interesting and intriguing things.
But what we need to be careful with is in being disappointed when life doesn't go as we want it to because we hold happiness up to be the vital variable, when it is not.
When we feel uncomfortable, we needn't see that experience as an indication of life going 'wrong.'
We can see it as an opportunity to return to consciousness. Again and again.
We can see all of life through this lens. And when we do, life becomes exciting and beautiful.
Consciousness is awareness. It is the power we all have to let go of thinking; to be free of a personal identity; to feel connected to all things; to be where we are, and to allow inner intelligence to guide us.
This is where we want to be more often because it is home.
The great thing is that the opportunity to be conscious is always there, regardless of the conditions.
Happiness is reliant on certain things to be just right. You need to sun to be in the right place and people to be nice to you to be happy.
You need nothing to be conscious but your willingness to let go.
The only thing consciousness relies on is your propensity to open up to what is in front of you, no matter how irritating or unpleasant. It might not always feel good to open to what is there, but the more you do it, the more life can flow through you, and the more at peace you will be.
Hell, rain or pain - full awareness - of our surroundings and our bodies, and the person in front of us - is always available. And when we're back, there can't possibly be anything that phases you.
It becomes a game. Life is your teacher. Everything, everyone, everywhere becomes a beautiful opportunity to reconnect to the source.
When you choose to be conscious rather than happy, you never need to be happy again.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "Three simple things you can do to climb out of the slump you’re in",
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Three simple things you can do to climb out of the slump you're in
Luther, exhausted, had become separated from his team on a Bolivian jungle trek.
He soon found himself in the unrelenting grasp of quicksand.
Stuck in the fragile, wet earth that pulled him in further with every panicked kick, he faced a choice that would change his life forever.
He could keep floundering and eventually starve and die, or he could make the composed, slow movements he needed to survive.
He chose the latter.
Consciously slowing his breathing, he ceased any sudden movements. Then he lay back on his walking stick. He could cover more surface area, and his hips would stay upright.
He inched backward until he felt for the thick stem of a plant.
Now he could pull his way out to safety.
The grand old journey of life often presents us with suffocating quagmires that feel impossible to slide free from.
An alarming number of us don't make it. And yet there are ways to do what Luther did: taking composed and tiny steps.
When we're in hell, we don't need a complex strategy. We just need to get back on firm ground.
From there, we can think with a little more clarity, lifted by that spark of belief that we can make it.
That's all it takes.
Here's what I've done to regain a stronghold when I've faced life's quicksand:
1. Breathe
Breathing seems so trivial. We do it 24/7 without thinking. Why care about doing it now?
Shallow breathing causes anxiety. Anxiety also causes us to breathe less. We must break this cycle.
Panic is killing us. If we are to survive, we must breathe first.
We need calm and clarity of mind as a matter of urgency, or else we ruminate into a downward spiral.
Breathe now. Deep, hungry, happy breaths. Do more than what you'd consider 'normal.'
Do this until you feel calmer.
Feel your whole biochemistry move into a new gear, and notice how your mindset morphs too.
Your fear loses its edge; your mood lifts.
Breathe like this through the day, but also in dedicated, timed sessions of five minutes or more.
Make it a daily thing.
2. Sweat
Include sweaty, more-intense-than-usual exercise in your routine every day for a week (at least) - as a priority.
30 minutes or more.
Do what is just outside of what you are comfortable with, but make sure you sweat.
Sweat like a swine daily, even twice daily. Lose the dirty chemicals that are poisoning body and mind.
Often toxins are making you feel awful - screaming to be released.
Without fail, after every sweaty exercise session, I feel ten times better.
A week or more of decent daily sweating is the time you need for your mind and mood to stay elevated to the extent that you begin to think of yourself as different: healthier, happier.
Mark this in your diary, and set reminders.
Make sure this gets done. If you are disabled, do what you can. Deep breathing is the best substitute.
3. Tiny Change
With the first two incorporated into your day, commit now to making a change in the area that matters the most to you.
The calmer state you will be in from the first two tasks makes this much easier...
Think about the most obvious source of your present despair.
What is it about your circumstances or character that contributed the most to your recent trouble?
You most likely have to look inward here and be honest with yourself.
Free-writing or daydreaming for as long as it takes to find out the sources of your most pressing problems can be extremely useful here.
Figure out the very first, and smallest step you need to take to improve your current situation.
"We are kept from our goal, not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal." ~Robert Brault
For at least the next fourteen days, you must incorporate at least one step forward starting with the simplest.
With each new day, you must aim to expand that step a tiny bit further.
If the next task proves too challenging, return to the prior one until you can master it. Just make sure at least one step happens every day.
No days off for two weeks.
You can draw up your own program of steps.
If you're struggling with money, the first step could be in brainstorming and listing out all the ways you can feasibly earn money within a couple of weeks, before committing to improving this situation in further small steps like sending an email to thirty people.
If you lack social confidence, the first 'challenge' might be to make eye contact with people you walk past in the street.
A couple of years ago, I undertook a self-designed desensitisation program like this, doing small and increasingly more challenging social challenges to improve my confidence and feel more at ease with strangers. Starting conversations; asking for directions; high fives, and so on.
Yes, I felt tremendously weird doing all of those little exercises.
But it was one of the most powerful things I could have done for my social anxiety because repeatedly being exposed to what one fears in small increments just works.
The bare minimum is doing one step per day, but you can do more. Go at your own pace. Write a journal on all your experiences if you can. This in itself will help you release stress.
The simple act of committing to daily action will help you believe in yourself and bolster your sense of responsibility and self-leadership.
Feel the despair fade, and a glint of hope emerge.
Now you're back on solid ground.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "How I use a five-minute meditation to boost my creativity",
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How I use a five-minute meditation to boost my creativity
I want to create something, but I feel stuck and frustrated.
I want to do this, but I don't know what to do and how to start.
The discomfort makes me want to escape.
There's a distraction that I can use as a nifty excuse not to create. At least for now.
How do we find a creative state of mind so that we can act?
You know when you have this sense of momentum when you're making something, like writing, painting or making music?
It's like you're in a flow.
When you are in flow, do you think about what you're making?
Not much right?
That's because actively thinking or trying to think does not make us very creative.
Thinking less is better for creativity.
"Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy."
~ Ray Bradbury
When we allow our thoughts to settle and our minds to still, inner intelligence flows more smoothly.
It is easier to connect with an innate knowingness.
That's being creative. We don't need to force it.
It is why we receive ideas that simply work when we're out for a walk. Or when we're in the shower or random places when we're not thinking.
A way to tap into the creativity of a still mind is to sit in stillness; to meditate. To walk or sit consciously.
Perhaps it's five minutes before starting to put pen to paper.
But we can be meditative in the creation itself too.
We can allow our minds to rest on the topic or project in question, but we don't need to try to be clever here.
Press gently on the topic in your mind without forcing it.
Let your mind wander naturally while maintaining a loose connection to the creation that's about to take place.
See what bubbles to the surface of your awareness naturally.
Allow your innate wisdom to rise and do the work.
The more we cling to a result, the more elusive it becomes.
So loosen your grip, and observe what happens.
Spend more time in meditative stillness, and you will be more creative; more expressive.
More you.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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The secret to high performance is knowing less, not more
Uncertainty holds the key...
Not one human on this planet knows what will happen in the next thirty minutes.
Some may have a vague idea.
Some may have a plan, but they don't know the specific outcome of their plan.
The weather may change.
You may slip.
You might receive a powerful letter in the post from a long-lost relative.
No one knows.
And we, as a species, aren't big fans of not knowing.
At least, that's the illusion we create for ourselves.
Most of our fears are rooted in the icky feeling in our chests because we think we wish we knew what will happen, but we don't.
So there's that gap of not knowing.
And it makes us overcompensate by rooting around in our minds for answers, plans and solutions, making us stressed.
We want it figured out.
But hear this: life wouldn't be interesting if we knew what would happen.
The very thing that holds our interest terrifies us too.
Today, I want to propose something to you (I'm still working on getting better at this myself).
I want you to get good at not knowing.
While everyone runs around like headless banshees trying to have it all figured out...
...Taking on more and more and more information.
Downloading more apps.
Making more plans.
You drop your shoulders, take a breath and say to yourself:
I'm actually okay not knowing.
I have fun not knowing.
A bigger shift takes place in this moment than many can grasp.
We elevate ourselves.
The pressure diffuses, and we find ourselves no longer swaying on our feet.
By embracing the not-knowing - celebrating it even - we become more effective, not less.
Our minds still.
Creativity emerges.
And those around us wonder what the heck changed in you.
🔆
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"content": "The 11 subtle habits of people who others can’t stop thinking about",
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The 11 subtle habits of people who others can't stop thinking about
I often talk about how self-focus just leads to misery.
But good things happen when we know how to make an impression on others.
We live in a social world. We're building personal brands. And, when we have value to share, the world benefits from knowing who we are.
Here are some habits I learned over the years to stick in people's minds:
1. Create curiosity gaps.
Stop giving it all away.
Create intrigue by sharing 90% and letting others figure out the remaining 10%. Most people either hide or reveal all.
The memorable ones make people chase them.
2. Be less available.
Responding to every text within two seconds is great if you're a service business but not for reinforcing the idea that you're scarce.
Like diamonds, scarcity = value.
Create a life with a mission instead.
3. Listen behind the words.
While Jake and Nancy nod heads like scared donkeys, you're out here taking in the whole vibe.
We communicate beyond words. Develop this part of you so you really get what's going on with people.
They will sense your insane skill in return.
4. Be less bothered.
As humans, we're laughably emotional and rather chaotic beings.
This is cool. This makes us beautifully human.
But this can also hinder us and push each other apart. Be the cool cat in the storm.
This is rare and will inspire all you meet.
5. Develop uncommon empathy.
While most squawk endlessly about themselves, you're there to create space so they can speak and be heard.
Be different.
6. Talk less.
This doesn't necessarily mean being silent, but if you're the cat speaking a whole lot less, you set yourself apart from the crowd.
Most people are in a competition to impart their entire life story to anyone with the chops to listen.
Not you. This is mysterious.
7. Leave conversations first.
You can do this with grace.
It's like turning away from a kiss first. Be strategic and exit when the energy is still high.
Most people stay well after a moment has peaked when the air is thick with wasted energy and the heavy humidity of wagging tongues.
8. Weave in stories.
This means painting a picture rather than telling it outright.
While others say: 'social media is poison,' you tell them how you deleted Instagram and slept better than you have in years.
9. Respond more slowly.
Get into the habit of waiting a couple of seconds after someone speaks.
You're in no rush. Not to be rude, but because you love life and you're taking your sweet time.
When you do talk, your slow approach makes each word resonate with shine.
10. Make others feel like main characters.
Put your energy into making those you meet feel important.
This needn't be a chore. Have fun with this.
This instantly shifts your attention from yourself, which is fear-based, to making others feel good.
This will boost your curiosity for others and be felt for weeks.
11. Play with unpredictability.
How about this?
Shift your energy at unexpected times.
When everyone's getting hyped, you get quiet. When the room's serious, you inject warmth. Not randomly - intentionally.
Here's what most get wrong: They try to be memorable through big moves. But the truly unforgettable?
They master the subtle habits that stick.
Think about it: Those you can't stop thinking about - are they the loudest? Or the ones who make you feel like there's always another layer to discover?
Apply these habits today, and watch how people respond.
🔆
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"content": "What would happen if you did these things every day for thirty days?",
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What would happen if you did these things every day for thirty days?
Reached out to someone to ask for help.
Wrote a thousand words of total crap.
Painted a picture and shared it online.
Read fifty pages of a book.
Ate one meal a day (OMAD)
Quit watching porn.
Did something that scared you.
Wrote down twenty new ideas.
Did fifty press-ups.
Took and shared an interesting photograph.
Made something from clay.
Talked to a stranger in the street.
Quit sugar.
Made a smoothie.
Went without the Internet entirely.
Did something randomly kind for someone.
Wrote a page of a book...of poems, of non-fiction, a novel, a children's book.
Made a video of you talking on any topic.
Read an entire book.
Learned the summary of a book.
Lived in a remote cabin.
Avoided watching YouTube videos.
Wrote a blog post and published it.
Went for an hour-long walk.
Sometimes we don't see how powerful something can be until we commit to doing it in sequence.
Thirty days gives you a taste of being disciplined; of habit-building.
Whether it's to quit coffee, sugar, porn, or reading more, I've seen the most substantial changes in my life come with small, daily habit-changes.
Thirty days shows you what happens when you allow an action to build up.
Incremental improvement through consistent accumulation is, after all, the secret to success.
Do something for thirty days, and you will no longer need a plan for success - you will believe in yourself because you are already doing it.
Even if it seems inconsequential, you are training yourself in the forgotten art of being and going steady.
How might doing this for thirty days change things?
What would you do to ensure you did this thing every day, without fail?
How would it change the perception you have of yourself?
How might it affect your self-discipline?
How might doing it spur on new ideas and new habits?
What would it take?
Choose.
Allow the idea to excite you deep in your core.
And make it happen.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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With no purpose, there will be distractions
I felt compelled to write an angry comment beneath the video.
My teeth were grinding.
I was reverting to my animal state.
My friend had sent me a video about US politics.
Just before I was about to hit send, I took a breath.
I remembered.
I'm off-path. I'm not conscious.
I'm prioritising distractions that reduce me to Idiot Boy.
Without a powerful purpose, you will always have a superb argument for why you should be distracted by garbage.
But most people misunderstand purpose.
Having purpose is comprised of three key ingredients:
Obsessive Momentum.
Obsession gets a bad rap. Obsession explains the freakery we see in the greats and geniuses of our time. They were driven by an energy that transcends what most normies know. We all have access to obsessive momentum, especially when we find that zone of mastery that aligns with our talents, skills and interests.
2. An exciting vision.
This doesn't need to be complicated. Make your vision about two things. Your material wants (yes, you're a human and need money, cool stuff, trips, and toys - aim big and have fun with what you want). Secondly, you want to know how your work leads to improving the world. Tap into this daily. Describe your vision in detail.
3. Thought management.
We have tens of thousands of thoughts per day. Unconscious people allow the crappy thoughts to pull them in a hundred different directions throughout the day. Those who stay on mission and focus on the right things are conscious. When unhelpful thoughts arise, they have developed a powerful habit, allowing them to float past.
For those who think I'm a bit of a weirdo for creating what I've created, it makes sense when they hear me explain how I managed to clear my mind and find purpose.
You have a massive advantage once you manage your distractions by re-establishing a powerful purpose.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "No one speaks honestly",
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No one speaks honestly
(this is your big opportunity)
Most people have no idea how much they say what they don't really mean.
We do this to 'save face.'
We do it to avoid being disliked by Nancy in HR.
We sugarcoat the real truth because we have this precious ego we assume needs protecting because it hurts when we open ourselves to scrutiny.
What took me years to realise was that the more we do this, the deader we feel inside.
It's that kind of underlying malaise we can't quite put our finger on.
I just feel a bit 'bleagh'. We think.
...Without realising we've been white lying through our teeth half our lives.
. . .
One day, I got tired of this hollow feeling.
My writing sucked.
No one was reading my shit.
So, mainly out of frustration, I just decided to let loose.
I wrote an article about my true feelings.
I wrote about how I hated school and that I had the worst anxiety growing up and that I spent half my life worrying about being disliked.
It was scary, but at the same time I felt this new little buzz behind my right ear that was new to me.
It felt kinda good.
In fact, by the time I hit send, I hadn't felt that alive since that time I got stuck in a cave in Wales.
If you feel stuck, it's usually a sign you're not expressing your real, raw self enough.
Whether you write, make podcasts, create videos or coach people, now's your time to exercise your RAW YOU muscle.
Don't hide in the shadows.
Learn to tell it like it is.
Be intolerant to the bullcrap most spew to make themselves look good.
You're not like most people.
Show the world who you are.
It's a practice. Test your boundaries step-by-step.
Don't forget:
To create is to be human.
🔆
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"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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"content": "Twelve questions to ask yourself for a powerful journaling session that will change your life",
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Twelve questions to ask yourself for a powerful journaling session that will change your life
Journaling is great for breathing life into your ideas.
It's a way to take your worries, challenges and fears out of your spinning head for a while, to provide relief.
It catches an emotional crackle of excitement and, through transferring the thought to paper, makes a step closer to being realised.
Here are some questions you can journal on for some life-changing answers:
What's one thing I would love to create this month that my future self would thank me for?
What are three things that are really working for me right now? How can I take advantage of this more?
What is a 30 day challenge I can commit to next month which would have the greatest impact on my life at this point in my life?
What was a difficult or traumatic experience you had that you can now use to improve the lives of other people, and how?
What advice would the 10-year-old version of you give to you today to improve your life?
What's something I keep doing that doesn't serve me and makes me feel shame? What's one thing I can do this week to cut this out of my life so that my confidence lifts?
What's a project I can develop within the next 365 days that would bring me to life like nothing else, even if it takes courage?
What's a problem many people have that I am best suited to helping with, and how could I turn that into a successful project or business?
What are some things people regularly compliment me on that I can turn into bigger opportunities?
Who are some people or companies I'd love to work with and what can I do to add value to their work/lives?
What are some ways I can add 5% more value to my current projects, jobs, services and talents?
If I had to choose one way I'd change the world, what would I do? What would I need to do every day for the next year to make a dent here?
Sit down and write down the answers to these questions.
Don't think them, write them down.
Surprise yourself with your creativity and the power of the pen.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Do these eight things to quickly delete self-sabotage
Do you do things that get in the way of your goals and dreams?
Humans are funny things. We can know what we want but then find ways to set up obstacles through bad habits or brutal self-judgements.
I can hold myself back, but I've lived long enough to know the risks and to know what to do to limit self-sabotage:
Plan your day ahead.
Keep it simple. Before you start your day's activities, write out the five priorities for the day.
I do this by referring to my longer-term goals first. Then I write out my next steps in order.
Now there is no second-guessing. I am in ownership mode.
Disconnect from past shames.
The illusion of past has sabotaged humans over the course of history more than anything else.
And yes, the past is made up in our heads.
We'll allow ourselves to hold ourselves back if we can't forgive. We are limited if we're guided by a story of who we think we are.
How to let go?
You must find the strength to stop thinking about the past and replace it with a ruthless bias to action. Fill your day with movement.
New actions will start to redefine the image you hold of who you are.
Use action like a powerful poison that stifles the growth of new, pernicious thoughts.
Take care of yourself.
Make a stand for who you are and your pride for yourself by respecting your mind and body.
Do what you need as a non-negotiable before all else.
Responding to emails does not place higher than meditation or going for a 30-minute walk.
The more you replace people-pleasing with positive self-interest, the more progress you will make.
Focus on your system.
Most of us are in tremendous conflict because we're self-conscious.
We are in self-doubt. Why? People tend to give very irrational answers to such a question. Ask them.
It's ultimately mind-fuckery. Forget yourself. This takes cojones.
Focus on the system.
What's your system? Brushing your teeth every day is a system.
And it works.
Systematise, and don't get lost in self-obsession.
Let go of negative self-talk.
"You're such a lazy idiot." Hear that?
Yep, that's your negative self-talk part of you, which - believe it or not - is acting in your self-interest.
It wants you safe and it wants you to do better. But that pressure cripples you.
It decreases your effectiveness and makes you feel small. You know this.
If the voice pipes up for me I know it's time to do one thing: turn away from thoughts and get into motion and the visceral beauty of the present.
Do one thing at a time and forget the rest.
Sabotage is far more likely when we're in our heads. We can't be in our heads if we're doing one thing at a time.
How? Because we're no longer in planning or thinking mode. We're in motion.
We're in the flow of doing. In this state, we're gifted with a stream of insight that lifts us higher.
Take one responsible action.
We create unnecessary obstacles when we perceive ourselves as victims in our own life stories.
That's the epitome of self-sabotage.
Quit blaming others for your struggles and take responsibility.
This starts by doing one responsible thing. Do the hard thing today.
Be bold.
Boldness is underrated.
Hesitation will be the slow death of you.
Every action you take that is half-hearted defines your reality and will be met with an equally flaccid result.
You don't need to know what you're doing to be bold. You needn't know what the future holds to be bold.
No one does. We're all in the fog.
So be bold.
It's your only option.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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If you think you're lazy, read this...
Your mama says you're lazy.
Your friends say you're lazy.
You feel lazy. You act lazy.
You feel down because you fell into the trap. You agreed with them, and you start to believe it yourself.
I'm lazy. It's true.
The poison takes hold.
And so you act how you think, and you think how you act, and your actions slow to a halt.
Now you're a podgy mound on a sofa eating chips.
And you want to cry.
And you do.
A short while later, the door rings. It's your friend Stacy bringing gifts.
Some chocolate and a book.
You wipe your eyes, scoff the chocs, and open the book when she's gone.
That night in bed the pages turn faster and faster.
Your mind feels like it's realigning. All the ledges slip into ridges with a satisfying spludge.
It finally makes sense.
You were lazy before, not because you were lazy.
You didn't know what you were doing. And because you didn't have the knowledge to turn action into results, you chose distraction.
Motivated Malcolm down the road isn't lazy, but now you get why.
He knows what he's doing. He takes what he learns and turns awareness into results.
He had control when you hadn't.
His understanding of his process leads to wins, which in turn fire him up to take more action and reap yet more successes.
You weren't motivated, not because of who you are.
Not because you 'weren't cut out for it.'
You just didn't understand your craft.
So you commit to a craft, but not only that - to mastery.
It's your only path.
Master your craft.
Read the books. Follow the mentors.
Put in the numbers.
Do it over and over again.
Learn from those mistakes.
See the wins.
Feel the joy of the wins.
And laziness will be a smudge on your shirt.
🔆
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The seven foundational daily habits of highly sensitive people
Read this if you often get overwhelmed by the stimulations of the world.
Have you ever felt like there's something uniquely different about you?
Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed by the stimulations of life and other people?
Did people ever criticise you for being too 'shy' or too sensitive?
Like me, and around 15% of the population, you could be what they call: a 'highly sensitive person' (HSP).
No biggy - this actually means you're pretty awesome because your senses are highly attuned.
It's an evolutionary survival thing, and it means you notice the small details and all the benefits this brings.
HOWEVER, to live enriching lives, we must maintain helpful daily habits.
Regardless of your circumstances, these habits are foundational:
Exercise
Many may view exercise as adding stress and strain to an already stressful day. This is false. Exercise is vital for strengthening the mind and body.
Positive chemicals introduced through training leads to more calm, clearer thoughts, and a lifted mood.
Since HSPs are prone to a sedentary life, exercise cannot be ignored. Ideally, vigorous exercise with sweat. Sweat releases toxins and toxins I have found exasperate my nervous system response.
This makes me more prone to anxiety, so activity is vital. Even if it's a 15-minute walk, especially out in the sunlight, this will make a difference.
Alone time
It is vital for us to regularly interact with other humans. We are all social beings, and being HSP doesn't give us a free pass to become a lifelong hermit.
However, I believe time spent in solitude every day for at least an hour is a crucial habit. Use your lunch hour for a walk in the park, for example.
Alone time allows us to decompress after social stimulation, giving us time to use our powerful internal processing and uninterrupted imagination while also giving us the strength and rejuvenation to be more effective when we are no longer alone.
Meditate
Every morning I meditate for 8 minutes. It's not much, and I could do far more, but it centres me for the day.
I also maintain as much awareness of my surroundings throughout the day as I can, regularly checking into the sights and sounds around me. I let go often of the need to chew on thoughts, as I am prone to do. This makes a massive difference and relaxes me.
HSPs who forget to do this can find themselves winding up like an antique clock as the day progresses, and this will destroy your health. Make use of your heightened senses. Breathe. Be present.
Rest
Because we have a more amped up nervous system (documented), we are quicker to feel the impact of life's stresses and stimulations. Recharging to maintain equilibrium is a higher priority.
A nap isn't always necessary, but I find that a quick 12 minutes around lunch gives me a helpful reset, refreshing my mind and body for the rest of the day.
Journal
I am highly analytical, and I am prone to overthinking and holding a LOT of stuff in my thoughts.
Journaling and note-taking have proven to be powerful antidotes to this, and I find it invaluable to offload many of my challenges, doubts and worries onto paper every day.
The act eases my tension and makes it easier to come to positive solutions as I write what worries me. I often find my answer.
It is also rewarding to document some of the day's successes and experiences (even small) for a pleasant sense of accumulation and recording for later reference.
Reading
Many may view this as less of a priority, and indeed it might be.
It is still a vital daily habit for me, whether enjoying a few pages of non-fiction or fiction. When I am not feeding my imaginative and active mind new ideas and visions, I am more likely to allow my thoughts to run in an unhelpful direction, namely toward worry.
If reading isn't for you, go for something that affords an escape that is not overly stimulating, like a game of sudoku or - dare I say it: Wordle.
Self-expression
With an internally focused life, we can forget to outwardly express ourselves. This is a vital release without which can lead to a stunted and depressing existence.
Through years of living in my own sensitivity, I've found an emptiness develop when I haven't created or expressed myself in a while.
We can't sit in a room all day thinking. To be human is to create, play and express. Writing, video speeches, and drawing do it for me, but regular social expression with friends is also vital.
That's it.
If you have other ideas you'd like to add, I encourage you to share them in the comments below.
🔆
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This overlooked phenomenon is why many modern writers will go nowhere
The emergence of ChatGPT used to frighten me as a writer.
Now it excites me.
Ten years ago, you could get away with being an information-provider writer.
You could write sprawling essays for people who were hungry for information. Information and solutions to problems were like little cocaine dabs for bored minds. And you were the dealer.
But guess what? Now there's a new kid in town, and they have extraordinary access to an endless well of information. They can provide you with solutions and information and data and ideas until the end of time (or until we turn off the power grid).
We can no longer, as writers, simply provide more information, because Chatty GPT is here.
Martin from accounts can hop over to CGPT for his solution in a heartbeat.
Okay, so why does this make me happy?
Because now, my need to separate myself from Information Ian is real, pressing and urgent.
I'm not here to give you what you want (right away). I'm here to give you what makes you a little uncomfortable.
I'm here to challenge. Disrupt. Make you think.
This is what leads to the growth most don't realise they're looking for.
That's not what ChatGPT is here to do. They are here to take the load off you.
Good thing is, the people you want in your readership WANT to be challenged. They aren't snowflakes living in cotton bubbles.
They want to grow. They want to change the world. They are keen on self-growth.
No challenge = no growth.
You provide the challenge. You motivate them to act. And you show them the way.
That's how you separate yourself.
But here's the issue:
People are scared of inviting criticism. We don't like upsetting people. We are terrified of abandonment thanks to deep-rooted DNA-infused cells that say: 'You can't lose your tribe!'
But leaders like you need to be brave.
To write stuff that will set you apart, you must be challenging. And to be a challenge means risking losing people who don't want to be challenged today thank you very much.
They aren't up for your confrontation right now.
Maybe it offends them (good). Perhaps it reminds them of a painful memory (awesome). Maybe it reminds them they have to actually get off their fat butts to get what they want (yes please). Maybe it breaks the rosy-tinted reality most have cocooned themselves in (hip, hip, hoorah).
You risk losing these people with every post you write. And you must be willing to deal with this loss. Or you simply won't last.
What does this mean for you?
First of all, in AI cyber world, we must be conscious of the need to separate ourselves from mere information-givers.
Your writing now needs to be challenging. To challenge, you need to put forward an idea in a way they hadn't considered before - prompting thought. If they aren't challenged, they will scroll on, or close the book, because, who cares?
To enter this ever-narrowing band of courageous writers, you need to be willing to lose people.
Every time you write.
I mean it.
Drop the damn ego. Write real shit. Be brave.
Advancement now requires loss.
That's okay...
If you're willing to lose in order to win.
🔆
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"content": "Seven mistakes online writers make that push readers away",
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Seven mistakes online writers make that push readers away
Good writers are the most powerful people in the world.
Understanding how to resonate with your ideal readers is key.
Here's what I learned in over fourteen years of consistent writing:
Trying too much.
A couple of things happen when you try to squeeze too many points into your tweet, thread, article or chapter.
You confuse the reader, and you confuse yourself.
Even if you're writing a listicle, you want to maintain awareness of the one main point you're trying to make.
What's the one single point?
Make this clear.
You wrote it bored.
Very little writing starts off with you in a great mood, excited to share, with beams of sunlight coming out of your ears.
It can take some time to warm up.
Eventually you need to find a way to enjoy your writing.
That's the only way your reader will enjoy your words. You can enjoy a morose piece just as much as an upbeat article.
Have fun and show how much fun you had through your writing.
Poor grammar.
You have no excuse for writing with poor spelling and grammar.
Be conversational, but don't write at the expense of caring for the little details of your craft.
If you can't present the words correctly, readers will struggle to read it but also lose confidence in you as a writer.
Vanilla.
No one is logging on to hungrily read something that's been written before and lacks emotion.
Nothing is truly original, but you can always put your unique spin on something.
Bring two ideas together in a way that hasn't been seen, and add flavour.
You add flavour by writing in a fresh voice, telling stories, being entertaining, adding flashes of vivid description and colour, and having fun when you write.
Lacks assertiveness.
You lose your reader when you communicate without a backbone.
If you don't know something, tell us.
But you're primarily here to lead. Show us what you mean with oomph and belief.
Use knowing words, not vague ones. Your reader will believe you.
Self-focused.
Talking about yourself, telling stories, and being vulnerable is great. But you don't do it to put the spotlight on you.
You do it to help the reader see themselves in what you write.
When you tell a story, make sure you do it from a place of empathy for the reader.
You don't quite understand it.
I've written many things on the assumption that the reader will get it, even if I'm not entirely sure what I'm writing.
This happens.
Feel free to write as an exploration exercise, but ultimately you need to understand what you're saying before you hit publish.
🔆
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"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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Five quick tips to significantly reduce the drama you get from others
When people talk about acquiring freedom in their lives, they often discuss material and logistical privileges like having enough money, staying single, or living in a cabin in the woods.
We don't often hear of psychological freedom, which people possess when they handle drama from others well.
Here are some ideas I've picked up over the years that keep the drama out so that I maintain my peace and sanity:
1. Nurture your non-reactive power.
If someone brings you drama, the worst thing you can do is react aggressively in the face of it.
You're adding fuel to the conflict, encouraging the other person to bring more heat in return.
It's an endless loop and reflects an immature mind.
Break the spell by not reacting and remaining calm. Diffuse with humour, a smile, or simply change the subject if appropriate. Don't 'reward' drama with your own version of it.
See this as a continual practice towards self-mastery.
Ultimately people will grow to respect you because you continually keep your cool.
2. Talk less.
It doesn't need to be all about you.
There's nothing you need to protect or prove. Knowing this, it becomes easier to relax without feeling the need to air all your woes, gripes and achievements.
Sometimes it's good to offload problems with the right people for our wellness.
However, we save ourselves a lot of drama when we're ok with giving someone else the stage.
They will feel heard, you will learn more about others, and you will come across as more mysterious and interesting.
3. Leave.
When people bring us unnecessary drama, more often than not, it reflects a childish need for attention.
Perhaps they were triggered and decided to go on a long rant.
If, after you've allowed them to cool down, they continue to disrespect your boundaries and your peace, deny them your physical presence.
Leave the room without saying another thing (don't door slam).
Follow this up with a prolonged absence of a few hours to days, depending on the severity of the drama.
This isn't passive-aggressive. This is exerting your boundaries as someone who has better things to do and will pacify the drama queen.
Doing this can be a powerful and mature way to train others to respect you over time and that you simply don't tolerate childish drama.
4. Find a way to understand.
A cool thing happens when you can put down your need to be right for a moment.
You see the other person as a human being acting according to what they know to be right to them, no matter how seemingly irrational. We're all living in the reality of our thoughts. Find a way to see this in others. Find your compassion.
Find a way to connect via the channel of agreement and understanding. This disarms those around you.
It will ensure you aren't bombarded with attacks and will get more people to join your team.
5. Keep things light-hearted.
You have an amazing ability to mould your reality by how you respond to it.
If someone brings inappropriate heaviness to an interaction, I see this as a form of low-key drama. You have the power to lift the vibe.
When you do this as a habit, you possess a power that others will admire.
Let go of resisting every little thing others do.
Be light-hearted, and the world will be easy on you.
🔆
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"content": "Six curious little things you need to know if you want to master the art of clear thinking",
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Six curious little things you need to know if you want to master the art of clear thinking
Is clear thinking even attainable?
What even is 'clear thinking,' buddy?
Put simply, it's using that clever little noggin of yours without overwhelming it with thoughts.
When our minds entertain a lower volume of thoughts, we do better. We think more effectively and creatively.
You'll know what this is like when you've had a conversation, and the words just pour out effortlessly. Or you've been in what many call a state of 'creative flow.'
Maybe you were painting or writing, and there was an absence of resistance and an amplification of creative expression.
I'm always looking to reduce foggy thinking to perform better and feel happier.
Here are some of the most helpful pieces of insight about clear thinking that ensure I enjoy more of it:
Clear thinking happens when we jump around in our thoughts less.
In truth, we're always thinking clearly at any given moment. But if we entertain fifty thoughts a minute, we're muddy overall.
So, to jump less, we need to get deeply intimate with the idea that doing so is not productive.
Thinking can be addictive, just like eating can be addictive. You must understand the importance of eating less to avoid getting too fat.
It requires assertive action, just as not thinking so much requires actively thinking less and doing more.
Clear thinking requires self-compassion.
Self-compassion isn't something that bubbles up when you wrinkle your brow and try to be compassionate.
Self-compassion - and all the benefits of genuinely supporting yourself - is the absence of self-criticism.
When we feel particularly down on ourselves, steeped in regret, or frustrated, we often think doubtful thoughts about ourselves.
This comes from a need to do better, and that's understandable. But clear thinking goes out the window.
We can't focus if we're self-conscious and self-critical.
Accept yourself, and clear thinking will return.
You can't think your way to flow.
You need to create momentum.
The water mill doesn't start to turn until the water flows through and pushes the wheel. In the same way, you won't be in flow if you aren't already moving. You can't mentally prepare for insight.
You need to be in motion. Writing, walking, scribbling, showering.
These will all aid in a clear mind.
You gotta get those hours in.
I'm talking sleep, and no, this likely won't come as a surprise.
But I'm putting this here to settle the score. It's important.
When we lack sleep, we throw our bodies into disequilibrium, which diminishes our capacity to concentrate. Our minds really do rely on those Zs.
Do whatever you can to maximise your sleep, including daily exercise, eating right, and avoiding caffeine and sugar late in the day.
Eat less processed food.
When we're digesting, energy is diverted to this activity.
This can lead to less brain power and eventual sleepiness. This is amplified when we consume foods the body isn't supposed to work on, deep in our bowels.
Processed junk forces the body to work harder to digest and detoxify, which means your brain fog and general lethargy will increase.
A mainly primally-inspired, high protein and low carb diet with plenty of time spent not eating is the optimal diet I have found here.
Create limitation.
I'm sure you've experienced the increased sense of urgency and focus that comes with an impending deadline.
This is why so many people rely on having a boss give them a clear deadline so they can't question it and fill their days picking their nose.
We don't always have the luxury of someone else creating boundaries for us. So we need to create them for ourselves.
This isn't to say we can't have clear minds without boundaries.
But these restrictions can be a helpful tool.
One example is the Pomodoro technique, which is to give ourselves short blocks of time in which to do specific tasks. This drains all the ambiguity.
Because all you need to do is one thing.
Having that one thing to focus on will show you what thinking clearly is all about.
🔆
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Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "Eight outrageous life hacks that make you more confident than 95.7% of people",
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Eight outrageous life hacks that make you more confident than 95.7% of people
1. Be obsessed with doing things.
Most of the planet is obsessed.
But they're obsessed with the world of illusion, hearsay, imagination and opinion.
Nothing is real here, and we can easily frighten ourselves when we spend considerable time in this space. Instead, be unreasonably biased to taking actions, even if they're small and seemingly inconsequential.
Take note of the things that make you nervous, and immediately take small, do-able steps toward these fears.
Relentless action is the soothing balm to all your fears.
2. Judder da belly.
Most of our stress is locked in the hips and belly area.
Why? Because humans developed a frontal tightening mechanism for protection from punches.
We release tension from this area when we lean back and breathe out. Throw in some disgraceful hip thrusts while you're at it.
This allows for freer belly-breathing, a more relaxed pose, and increased confidence.
3. Allow confidence to find you.
Confidence isn't so much something you reach, though you're sure to feel more confident when you have more successes.
But obviously, 'success' is a subjective construct.
Right?
True confidence needn't be influenced by external conditions.
Confidence finds us when we chill the fuck out. What do I mean?
Lack of confidence happens when we buy into thoughts about ourselves that make us feel bad.
We feel terrible when we think we're not confident and actively seek it.
Let go of these thoughts, and you'll find your confident self rise up effortlessly.
4. Avoid high GI food.
I've been learning a ton about high glycemic index (GI) food, which measures how much certain foods raise the blood glucose (sugar) level.
When we spike our blood sugar with foods like white rice or donuts, we prompt a crash that equates to a low mood.
We can't feel confident if our moods are up and down like a rubber ducky in rough seas.
Avoid high GI (50+) foods and drinks, and cut carbs to ensure a stable state throughout the day.
This is a game-changer for good vibes.
5. Prioritise a lean body.
Some of you fatties may argue with me, but mental ill-health is closely tied to overweight bodies.
You can perform empowered plus-size butt twerking all you like, but it won't change the fact that you're at a psychological disadvantage when you're carrying around a Dunlop tire for a waste line.
How to lose fat? See point 2.
6. Project your voice.
How we behave defines how we feel about ourselves.
You needn't talk all the time.
In fact, talking less is a sign you're comfortable in your skin and aren't compelled to prove yourself out of insecurity.
But when we do talk, and we say it assertively, this communicates something very clearly, both to the world and yourself: I am confident in who I am.
7. Play like you're ok with rejection.
Our fear of being judged by another human for doing something 'wrong,' is one of our greatest fears.
This is hilarious, given that what others think will always be based on their opinion.
This fear will always be present to varying degrees until we're in the grave.
However, you can diminish the effect this concern has on you by behaving in a way that suggests you aren't affected by such a perceived threat.
Immerse yourself in the reality that rejection is just subjective opinions colliding.
Act like we aren't fussed, and we will feel the confidence of our actions. So will others.
8. Crown yourself.
Robert Greene said, 'Do not wait for a coronation; the greatest emperors crown themselves.'
This idea reflects much of what we have already touched on here.
Don't wait for validation from anyone else to bring your confidence.
We're all the same.
It's just that some of us choose to express ourselves while others believe themselves to be lower. It's all made-up shit in the end.
Right now, you must decide to own your decisions and move with boldness. You don't need anything to be a certain way in your life to be a badass dude.
You're allowed to make mistakes.
Screw your past and future.
Right now is all there is, and you not being a frightened dweeb.
Confidence is within you, and it is reflected by your actions.
Crown yourself, and the world will respond accordingly.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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The magic of asymmetric life bets: the small risks that could lead to massive upsides
Most people get risk completely backward and suffer the consequences for decades.
They pour their life savings into restaurants without testing the concept.
They buy franchise licenses that lock them into decades of debt.
They max out credit cards, starting businesses they don't understand.
They sink years and fortunes into degrees they never use.
I was guilty of this last one. I invested heavily in a master's degree in real estate and was convinced it would open doors. I enrolled on a whim, excited about developing properties from the TV.
After finishing, my degree gathered dust while I built a design business from scratch that had nothing to do with my education.
High risk, limited upside. Mistake.
Naval Ravikant, the philosopher-founder of AngelList, champions the concept of asymmetric betting. It's beautiful. His insight is simple: Look for opportunities where the downside is limited or capped, but the upside is unlimited.
This has worked for me massively in content creation over the last 15 years.
The worst case would be that I lost a few hours each week sharing insights online. But gradually, I turned this work into a thriving business with multiple income streams.
That small bet of consistent content sharing changed everything for me even when no one was reading.
Asymmetric bets are the way to go in any life decision.
Here are some more examples:
Newsletter-building
This might mean spending a few hours writing to a small audience each week.
The downside is that some time is spent writing to a few people. But even then, you develop your writing skills and discipline.
The upside? You create financial freedom in the longer term, selling your products and services via the Internet like I do now. Also, look at Morning Brew's $75 million newsletter exit.
Each subscriber you create becomes a potential customer or advocate, building an asset that works while you sleep.
Investing
Never invest more than you can afford to lose, obviously.
For example, early Bitcoin investors turned hundreds into millions by thinking independently while others scoffed. Bitcoin has reached a point where global adoption as a currency is becoming undeniable.
Those investors saw beyond criticism to understand blockchain's revolutionary potential.
The asymmetric opportunity is there for those with open minds who are long-term thinkers.
Building in public
There's never been a better time to show the world what you're working on.
Some might judge you. So what? You build a loyal audience who trust you and create unexpected opportunities.
That's a massive upside in an attention economy. Every one of your failures becomes content, and every lesson becomes value.
The magic happens when authenticity meets consistency.
Dating Intentionally
Temporary rejection vs. finding someone who multiplies your happiness makes a whole lot of sense to me.
Each 'no' gets you closer to the right 'yes.'
That goes for you saying 'no' too. Look goofy on a date that goes south? Big whoop.
One right connection could exponentially improve every aspect of your life.
Learning a second language
Sure, you may have some awkward conversations and hours spent learning.
However, the upside is access to new markets, friends, cultures, and global opportunities that most never see.
Your brain literally rewires itself, giving you an unshakeable advantage that flows into other life areas.
Starting a side project
Launching your own project involves some evenings and weekends of focused work.
Even if it doesn't take off, you learn invaluable lessons about business, how to appeal to users and product development.
But what if it resonates and takes off?
You've built something that generates wealth while you sleep and gives you complete ownership of your future. Worth it.
Writing an ebook (creating a product)
Most of us worry about spending a month writing something nobody will read.
But that's the worst case. And not even that - you can still share the book chapters as online articles. The bigger upside is that you create an asset that sells forever, building your authority and opening doors to speaking gigs, consulting, and courses.
Even a 'failed' ebook teaches you skills that transfer to so much more.
Teaching online
Creating your first course or workshop takes effort.
There's planning content, recording videos, and marketing your work. But each course can become a permanent asset that generates income for years. And most of it can be based on your own experiences, which are in your head anyway.
More importantly, you develop expertise that grows with every piece of student feedback, creating compound returns on your initial time investment.
There's little, if any, downside.
Building a personal brand
The investment here is consistency: sharing insights, engaging with others, and producing valuable content.
Critics might call it 'doing it for attention'. But where's the criticism there if you do it to help the world, even in a small way?
You learn more about yourself, and you develop mental strength by putting yourself out there day after day.
A strong personal brand can become a lifelong magnet for opportunities you couldn't access otherwise. 100% worth it.
Naval's wisdom lies in recognising that playing it safe is the riskiest bet in a world of infinite possibilities.
Each day you follow the herd, play it safe and take silly risks with little thought is a bet against yourself.
The question isn't whether to make these bets.
It's which one you'll start with today?
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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Avoid these 7 mistakes if you want to grow your freelance business
Why would you listen to me about this?
I built a global design business with zero training in my twenties, working with clients from Google to Mars and Barclays.
I did it again with my consulting and coaching business a decade later, often making 5-figures from one client.
I rarely had any idea what I was doing.
I had entire months go by with zero income.
I had clients who wanted to cancel.
I made a stupid number of mistakes.
Let's drill into the critical mistakes you need to reduce or avoid if you want to succeed in the world of freelancing:
1. Trying to pre-plan everything.
Life rewards action-takers, not planners.
I've spent literally years in planning mode...until I realised 97% of planning was a reflection of my fear.
I was scared to act, and so I made myself feel like I was being busy and productive by planning stuff.
Have a rough idea of what you're doing, but then act, even in the face of uncertainty. Use action for vital feedback. You can't possibly know what to do before you do it.
If you can't stomach this, run along to your boss ;).
2. Focusing on your brand aesthetic.
Many people spend hours on their websites, business cards and logos before connecting with a potential client.
You don't even need an online presence to provide a service in many cases. It's another excuse to avoid the pain of confrontation.
Fiddling around with your brand aesthetic is not progress; it's a form of masturbation.
When the money starts coming in, you can hire someone to create a basic web presence.
Not now. Get in front of people.
3. Worrying about your credentials.
In my decade-plus as a freelancer and coach, I've never once been asked to show clients any degrees, accreditations or specific credentials.
People don't care.
All they want to know is whether you can help them.
Literally.
And you do this by communicating in a way that uncovers their challenges and demonstrates that you care more about serving them than looking good.
4. Not consistently adding new people into your pipeline.
The most important part of your business right from the start is bringing money in.
There is no other way around it.
You're in business to make money. You're not in business to make friends, be liked, or look impressive.
This is why most businesses fail: they didn't manage to bring in money in quantities significant enough to pay cover expenses and bring worthwhile profit.
So you must prioritise connecting with people because where else does the money come from?
You must consistently make people aware of how you can help them so that they ultimately pay you for that help.
This is as basic as it gets.
5. Not consistently proposing to ideal clients.
If you're bringing new people into your pipeline, awesome.
But a common mistake is to avoid consistently making proposals.
You can't earn money if you aren't regularly proposing financial agreements with prospects.
This often means getting on a call, quoting the program and price and sending them an actual copy of the proposal.
In my coaching, I prioritise tracking the amount of money I make in proposals.
This is even more important than tracking income because it incentivises me to continually make proposals.
6. Not focusing on what matters.
If you're not making enough money each month, do more things you know will make you money and have proven to work before.
Many people kid themselves into thinking they did a lot in the day when it was just pushing papers around a desk. Take action, track what you do, and double down on what works.
If making videos doesn't move the needle, stop doing them for now, and do more email reach outs if that has proven to work better.
Be continually aware of what is moving you forward and ultimately generating income.
7. Allowing daily discipline to fall apart.
Just because you work for yourself doesn't mean that you take it any less seriously than if you had a boss.
You've taken on a considerable task, especially if you're just starting and taking on many hats.
So you must stay focused and put in solid, honest days of work (certainly until you can begin to outsource more).
You need to find the discipline to get up and work within designated working hours.
If you encounter trouble with this, get an accountability partner to report to or a coach.
There's so much support out there, that it's almost impossible to fail.
You got this.
🔆
Want a brand that attracts loyal fans and buyers?
I help you build a movement that supports your freedom business that makes money while you sleep.
Receive two tips per week to build your personal brand and grow a movement at Mastery Den newsletter here.
🐉
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Seven cheeky little hacks the most productive people don't want you to know
You needn't turn your whole life around to make a huge impact.
Small changes can maximise your energy and output quickly.
Here are some powerful tips that helped me...
1. All-day movement.
Starting the day in the gym is great for lifting those energy levels and staying fit, but those who take it a step further find ways to move throughout the day.
They may take several walks.
They take breaks with a few pushups thrown in.
Maybe they've installed a pull-up bar in their home office or do the sexy snake dance to loosen those hips between zoom calls. Productive nutters are always moving.
They see 'work' as a holistic and athletic pursuit, not a merely intellectual one.
2. Death to time.
You can never enjoy your fullest productive potential if your head's in the past or the future.
You can't get things done inside an illusion.
Time only makes you depressed or anxious, which is a shitty place to be if it's performance you need.
Take a sword to time, and you're left with what's right in front of you.
All you have is the lucid beauty of the right fucking now. The freakishly productive do one thing at a time, with enjoyment, and they drop all concept of time.
3. Screw' balance.'
'Work-life balance' was a term coined by confused people who hate their lives.
There is no 'balance.'
Thinking that balance is a thing only creates hesitation, and you then become shit at everything.
You're 'all-in' no matter what you're doing.
If you're writing a book, you may need to restructure your life so that you write for five days straight.
Then you return to your family, hobbies, or whatever, and then it's on to the next object of obsessive ALL-INness.
Screw balance.
4. Be obsessed.
Nothing remarkable was ever created without an 'obsessive' level of focus brought to its creation.
There's no grey area here. You simply MUST be obsessed if you want to go far and see real success in something, whether it's learning a language fluently, writing a book, or building a business.
And here's another cheeky thing about obsession - you don't wait for the inspiration to strike.
You must first decide to be obsessed and bring relentless energy and attention to the object of your desire.
This is beautiful because with a decision comes an eruption of energy and excitement that will surprise you.
5. Brutal simplicity.
It's often comical how hard we all make our lives, both in the range of things we choose to do and how we juggle endless conflicting ideas in our heads.
It's all insanity. The most productive people aren't superheroes with extraordinary non-human powers.
They just focus on bringing more time and energy to fewer things.
Because they prioritise simplicity, they continually ask themselves: 'what's one thing I can do today to simplify my life?'
It's a continual process that results in getting more done at a higher level.
6. Become monkey.
I don't mean letting your body hair grow out long and swinging through trees - though you could (I certainly do).
I am talking about bringing a playful (even cheeky) approach to what you do.
If you have a task you dread, how can you turn it into a game? Maybe you want to reach a specific numerical objective, time yourself, or race your accountability partner.
Always consider the most playful route for your activities.
In writing, for example, you want to first make it easy by loosely free-writing any old crap that comes to mind first.
This makes it fun.
We're born to play.
Productive people are frequently in play mode.
7. Be egocentric.
Spiritual gurus will have you deny the ego at every turn.
They're right in that trying to protect our ego can make us overly self-conscious.
But our inherent human need to embellish our personal image and expand our ego can also be a tool we can use to our benefit.
Prove your doubters wrong by creating remarkable things. This is the naughty spirit you want to lean into. Enjoy the aspect of you that's a bit of a show-off.
Serve the joy your ego gets from seeing everyone's jaws hit the flaw with your insane creative output.
Find the balance between ego-free wisdom and a peppering of joyful arrogance...
You'll be unstoppable.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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14 simple ways to save time as an online writer
Many of you tell me you find it hard to find time to write.
You want to build a brand and make an impact, but you're lacking the main component of either of these: consistency.
Fifteen years + of writing online and more than seven posts published per week have shown me how to be more efficient.
Here's how:
Strengthen your commitment.
I hate to break it to you, but you really do have time to write.
It's just that you aren't all that committed to doing it.
Bolster your commitment in two ways.
1) Write a powerful list of reasons why you must write.
2) Write regardless of how you feel.
Write less.
I write so much each week because I don't set out to write all that much when I sit down for a session.
I have a message, a rough outline and a mantra that says: 'I am keeping this tiny.'
This leads to less overwhelm and an emphasis on simplicity.
If I write more, I write more, with barely any resistance.
Write fast.
This is something that comes with practice.
But you need to stop associating speed with poor writing.
It is often very much the opposite.
Create a system.
We all have the perfect system for the results we are getting.
If those results aren't great, create a system that takes your emotions out of the equation and gets you to write consistently.
What does that system look like?
Write energised.
There are several ways to increase your energy at the starting block.
Don't fill your body with insulin-spiking carbs beforehand, making you sluggish. Exercise to get the blood flowing to the brain.
And write with a sense of purpose that comes from knowing the bigger mission you are on.
Outline.
It's much easier to walk ten miles when you know the five main milestones that plot your path.
You don't want to end up in Farmer John's cabbage patch.
Don't outline.
Writing benefits from an outline, but often it doesn't.
If you know what's going to happen at the end of a movie, why watch it?
If you know all there is to know about your written piece, the process loses its appeal.
Write in order.
Many of us get the order wrong.
We start in self-critical hot shot editor mode.
Then we wonder why writing feels so sluggish and takes forever. You're in the wrong phase.
You need to start in having fun brainstorming mode. I show you exactly how to do this in my course: Online Writing Alchemy.
Make friends.
Online connections are built through social media.
When you know more people, you can band together and support each other's work.
This is a collaborative effort that accelerates the results of your writing so you aren't serenaded by crickets every afternoon.
Write fun.
There's no better way to ensure you suffer through slow writing when you can't find a way to enjoy yourself.
Writing fun means enjoying yourself but also writing to fire you up.
They say writing should be entertaining, but what many miss is that it should be entertaining, first and foremost, to you.
Repurpose.
When you've been publishing for a while, you'll begin to accumulate quite a collection.
This material isn't dead and buried. You can revive, re-use and repurpose it for considerable extra mileage in your content.
For example, this helped me double my Medium following in the last year.
Use AI.
Don't use AI to write your final words unless you want to bid farewell to your personality and your audience.
But by all means beat the crap out of AI for your research, planning and idea-generation support.
This will save you a ton of time.
Write more.
A funny thing happens when we commit to writing more each week, regardless of our schedules.
We decrease the inevitable resistance that accompanies sparse writing output.
Why? Because each piece equates to less perceived significance.
Batch similar tasks.
Time yourself to write in twenty-minute sprints.
More than that, batch your tasks so you don't keep jumping from one use of the brain to another. Stick to writing for a full hour or two.
Write multiple articles in one go, rather than an article, video, meetings, etc.
Okay, I can think of many other ways to save time, but I'll leave those to you in the comments if you think of anything.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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How your self-growth leads to writing stuff people love to read
Consistent writing isn't always easy, especially when you have a trapped nerve and back pain.
...Like me.
...Created thanks to years of hunching myself over my laptop, to write.
However, this weekend's rather brutal massage in a Sofia spa has helped.
And I'm back at my computer again (with poor posture).
It's a price I'm willing to pay, however. Because writing has transformed me.
Writing is underestimated in its ability to nurture our psychological strength.
Also known as: consistent writing makes us happier and more resilient.
How?
There is a direct correlation between writing that resonates and the degree to which you are scared of what others think.
When operating from our little, scared mind, we write stuff no one wants to read.
And when we embrace courage, focus on improving the lives of the reader, and we let go of our insecurities, we write far, far better.
And so, if you want to make an impact with your words, you'll learn that your psychological growth must happen in tandem.
Good writing means emotional maturity.
That's not to say I'm always emotionally mature and writing stuff people want to read.
It depends on my attitude of the day.
I can be in a crappy mood and forget to write without my ego getting in the way. And that can make for a poor newsletter.
So it's about awareness in writing.
And it's about awareness in our everyday lives.
If we have the courage to focus our attention on making other people happy, things improve dramatically.
Online writing and publishing is an excellent playground for developing one's emotional strength like this.
And as you start, and no one reads you yet, this is great. Because you can practice and make mistakes when no one is looking.
...Very much like what is happening with my sci fi and horror fiction stories over at my Story Cabin Substack.
My most recent short story is about a YouTuber named Mike who sees weird things in an Alaskan forest.
I am enjoying writing to a tiny audience there for now, but I also invite you to read a story of mine and support me if you like it.
You can subscribe to Story Cabin here.
Much love,
Alex
🔆
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Everyone needs to be building this asset
(But most underestimate it)
When people say you must build your personal brand, it feels icky.
There's something about the words: 'personal brand' that sounds pretentious.
And yet, they're right.
We can think of 'personal brand' in a few other ways:
It's what people say about you when you're not in the room.
It's your online audience.
It's your unique combination of skills and expertise.
It's your personal story.
It's who knows you.
It's the problems you are known to solve for people.
It's all of these things.
So, don't worry about what to call it.
Just know that your personal brand is a vital asset that we all need to be building.
No matter your age, whether you have a job or not, your background or your story.
Robert Greene said this:
"True freedom comes when you make yourself indispensable to others."
Your brand is what makes you known and needed. And it will set you free.
We can't rely on employers or bosses. But we can rely on our brands.
With global chaos and uncertainty being the norm, you need people to know about you and need you in the coming years.
It gives you options.
My personal brand has brought me money, impact and freedom, and I feel like I'm only just getting started.
In my view, it's a life-long asset that is not optional.
It's a must.
And what is the most essential part of building a personal brand that makes others sit up and listen?
Communicating well so others understand you.
I got good at communicating by practising and sharing my writing.
And when you get better at writing things other humans resonate with, you become a great communicator in general.
So, if you want to be a great public speaker, you'd benefit hugely from writing well first.
Make regular writing and publishing your number one habit if you want to build your most important asset.
If you want close guidance from me so your writing pops and you don't waste years stuck and with little interest, you'll want to grab my Online Writing Alchemy course.
What's writing and communicating powerfully worth to you?
It's available here (I can't guarantee it will remain at this price).
Much love,
Alex
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Five ways you can be immune to the AI 'threat' in the coming years
Don't wake up in five years without income because A.I. Richardson stole your job.
This is real, and it's not a drill.
Not many of us ever needed to look that far ahead in our careers.
But now we do.
We need to think a few steps ahead because AI is moving fast and it will accelerate in its abilities quicker than you can shout, 'I love robots.'
AI can, and will, do more than many of us can imagine.
I know the threat intimately because it's affected me directly.
I've all but lost one of my income streams from digital illustration, which sustained me through my twenties.
With art-creation tools like MidJourney, this stream is GONE without dropping other things to focus entirely on getting it right.
If it saves time and helps us for cheaper, AI will be used, and humans will be dropped.
Standalone skills, be it digital music, writing, coding, or even forms of teaching will be replaced.
You won't be replaced if you think ahead and think smart.
There are ways we can help ourselves in all this.
There are things we can do now to protect us and our future earning potential.
Here are my five main approaches to contending with AI:
1. Focus on jobs AI can't do well (yet).
You could undercut AI by developing your skills in things that AI can't do well.
The obvious ones right now are more blue-collar jobs like plumbing and carpentry. This also applies to more physical work like ski instructing.
As time goes on, however, and technology improves and costs decrease, this option is becoming increasingly narrow.
2. Own more income-producing assets.
The next level from paid work or jobs is earning through investments.
The wise among us are building their assets, be it real estate, buying AI-immune businesses, commodities, or cryptos for staking.
3. Be open to - and enthusiastic about - AI tools.
Learn what's out there and use AI to build, scale, improve and accentuate what you already have.
4. Develop a memorable and unique personal brand.
When your products and services can be more easily emulated, you need to add value through the context that surrounds your products.
With AI, more and more people will be looking for humanity and the emotional connection here.
Those who can help their followers fall in love with them through a powerful brand story will win.
5. Skill stacking.
Create hybrid value by mixing and matching skills that add uniqueness to your approach.
People can find an AI to code their sites, but they will choose you if you can create a tasteful website that also funnels newsletter subscribers via a powerful offer you helped build.
(If you have other ideas on how to adapt, do share them below.)
Overall, I'm excited, because our resilience and creativity are being tested like never before.
To me, that's not a threat.
It's an opportunity.
🔆
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Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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Absorbing these seven tips in three minutes will make you more confident than most people (this isn't a joke)
Let's dive straight in shall we...
Stop trying to be confident.
You kidding me?
We weren't put on this Earth to TRY to be something we already are.
You are confident by default.
Confidence is merely unrestricted energy flowing through our bodies.
You just THINK you're not confident.
I don't give a rat's ass about what your dad said to you when you were 7, which hurt your feelings.
You're already there.
Stop trying, stop looking for 'hacks,' and feel your confidence rise up in you again.
Give Drake the dragon a little nudge.
The little bastard is in there, snoozing smoke rings somewhere in the dark recesses of your inner psyche.
Coax his little eyes open and tell him you're there for him.
There's a part of you full of fire, healthy aggression and life.
All it takes is a connection, a welcoming stroke, and an emotional bridge.
Realise you don't need to hold on to all that 'baggage.'
Baggage can keep people trapped in insecurity until their dying breath.
Dumb move, bozo.
Baggage - in case you didn't realise it - is an illusion.
We're incapacitated by a freaking fantasy. The weight is lifted the minute you see this for what it is and step out into the world with pride.
It's that simple.
Physical tightness and confidence can't be friends.
We talked earlier about how we're all naturally confident.
We will feel naturally at ease if we're not preoccupied with critical and negative judgements about ourselves and others.
Physical tightness follows judgement and will make you less effective.
We can't feel truly confident if our shoulders are up past our ears and our bellies are like breeze blocks.
The way to confidence is in letting go, shaking out nerves and staying loose.
'Personality' is some dumb shit you made up when you were 14.
Lmao. Why do you allow your spotty-teenager version of you to dictate the show?
The dude made it up because some asshole at school said you were a dweeb.
Your personality is based on nothing, only self-judgement.
There is no 'personality', and you are not tied down by anything that happened in your past.
You can be whoever you want to be; and whoever you need to be.
You really are free if you only saw that the door to your prison is open.
While most people go to therapy, you're focused on massive success.
Therapy for a few sessions may help those who need to share their pains with another human.
Fine. But to sit on that chair for months is like rubbing salt into a cut.
There's no better cure for modern mental malaise than being in the throes of decisive action towards exciting goals.
Confidence is composed of doing, not waiting.
Decide to be the kind of person who lifts others up.
Picking your nose all day wondering what other people think of you is a fool's game, and it will make your face wrinkly.
You will be gifted with a surprising renewed strength when you decide to quit obsessing about yourself and focus on becoming a leader.
You are now the instigator of happiness in other people's lives.
Confidence is a game of compassion for others because you can't possibly love yourself if that's lacking.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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If you want to inspire people to action, do these three things
What's the number one skill of any successful (and lucrative) personal brand?
They don't just inspire or 'make an impact.'
They actually get people to do stuff.
This could be writing a comment. Or going into the DMs to thank you or ask a question.
Or they might find a spark of enthusiasm to click your newsletter link and sign up as a subscriber.
Or - the ultimate nod - buying one of your products.
You want to be the kind of brand that moves the needle.
You make an impact, but you also encourage real action in your tribe.
This is why I call a powerful personal brand a 'MOVEment.'
You don't want people smiling and nodding before moving on to the next guy.
You want people to feel what you create and be spurred to do something to make change in their lives.
Only this will bring income for you and results for them.
So, what are some ways to ensure you inspire movement in your people?
Here are some things that have worked for me:
Appeal to emotions, not logic.
You can argue about how good your product or how important your message is until you're blue in the face.
But you won't inspire action until you get someone to FEEL something. You do this by telling a story and painting vivid scenes that people can step into.
They experience the story and the pain and the desire and joy and the relief as if they were there. You show, don't tell.
If you can feel it in your content, many others will too.
Emotions sit at the root of action.
You become approachable.
People only buy from those they like and trust.
People are also unlikely to reach out to you and take an interest in your work if you are not approachable in the first place.
How best to stay unapproachable? Be a bit robotic.
The alternative? Be a human.
How to be a human? Be honest and show us your imperfections.
Show us how you made a mistake or have this annoying habit of watching video game golf videos for far too long every day (like me).
This makes you relatable, more trustworthy and more approachable.
You make a call to action.
This is secondary to the others but still often important.
There is a notable difference in response to a post that simply ends versus a post that verbally encourages the reader to do something.
Ask for a comment or tell people where to sign up and what they get for doing so.
People are comfortable being led, and they are more likely to act when they see the direction you are guiding them.
Being an approachable human who can stir emotions and encourage action will ensure your brand thrives.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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The unusual way to overcome money fears (so that making money becomes easier)
If you asked every adult on earth to list their biggest challenges, I bet that one of the most common complaints - if not the most common - would be money.
We worry that we don't have enough to pay our bills. And we are anxious about losing the money we do have. Even when we have more than enough, we fear losing it and pine after more.
"I'll be happy when I have an extra couple of grand coming in each month," we say. And we never quite get to the amount that feels satisfying.
We live on a planet that runs on money. We rely on money to survive, exchange and get what we need to support ourselves and our families. Surely this means we need to take it seriously. Survival is at stake. Health is at stake!
Right?
Many do take money seriously. Many even view it as having a damaging and corrupting influence.
It doesn't. Money holds no meaning whatsoever. Money is neither good nor bad, just like all the circumstantial phenomena that I've spoken about so far - be it public speaking, deadlines, endless to-do lists, and so on. These are neutral phenomena unfolding within the theatre of shared universal Consciousness.
So is money.
Money is a tool. It has no meaning other than the meaning we attach to it.
As we've seen so far, we tend to apply certain beliefs to the world around us in ways that don't serve us. These beliefs could have been formed in all kinds of ways, from things our parents said, to cultural programming to the films we watch.
None of it matters. At their purest essence, beliefs are thoughts that arise moment by moment that we needn't even acknowledge.
Several beliefs prevent people from making money more freely and from being at peace with the idea of wealth. A common belief is that making money will make us happy. In other words, if we lose money, we lose happiness, self-worth, or joy. All this effectively means the same thing: We take money personally. We tie money to ourselves.
This is what our egos do. We create an identity through things that exist outside ourselves because we fail to understand our inner Being, our universal identity - that which is connected to all things.
Many people have become rich with the belief that their happiness will increase as they make more money. What a superb incentive that is! But it's also a great reason to jump off a bridge should that money be lost suddenly. And this has happened many times.
Interestingly, and what might be less obvious despite that it affects many people, is the aversion to making money because we believe we'll see our happiness decrease if we were to be denied new money or lose it.
This is a common reason why so many fail to increase their income. It may not be because of their circumstances or because they don't know how to make money. Many people do know how. We have Google. We have countless books and resources and gurus.
People fail to go out into the marketplace to make money because they tie money to self-worth, to their identity. We have fear or we avoid making it because that puts us at risk of losing ourselves. We risk damage to our illusory self-worth.
Whatever the underlying reason, none of it matters anyway, because the resistance we have to money comes in the form of a thought. A thought is a tool. In and of itself, it is meaningless, subjective; it is energy.
Knowing this, we can let go of the thought and return to being present, free of thought interference, back to the realisation that we are already whole. Perhaps, in one such moment of clarity, the insight emerges that we can see money as an indication of the difference we are making in the world. It is a means that can bring about positive change.
That makes sense, seeing that money is essentially a token of thanks given in exchange for value received. Money can be used directly for good.
We can see money as the "root of all evil," or as an "indication of making a difference in the world."
Which would you choose? Which understanding would be more conducive to making more money and enjoying the process?
Understanding the three principles and the nature of thought shows us that stress around money comes from our thinking, not from the loss of money itself. We can then give ourselves some space by stilling the mind and being rewarded by the innate intelligence, which provides us with the resourcefulness to make more when we need it.
In the past, I would wake up during the night in a cold sweat about money. I would worry and ruminate for hours before falling asleep. The problem seemed very real and immediate.
As I have allowed more stillness to replace unhelpful visions in my mind over the years, these moments have become rare and short-lived. If I am facing a particularly thorny money-related challenge, I set it aside. My inner wisdom eventually provides the answer I need.
When we realise that money is in no way connected to our sense of worth or happiness, we can be freer with it. It becomes like Monopoly money. It becomes a game where we are less attached to winning. We are no longer in awe of it.
If we want to earn more money, it will greatly serve us to see money in this way. We can't fear losing it. We need to take risks. We need to be willing to ask people for it and be denied it as part of that journey.
We need to be okay with seeing our shares drop, knowing that we will be happy right now regardless. This is not to say that we should be reckless, lose control, and all our money along with it. We will make more creative and appropriate money decisions because we're not clouding our soul's intelligence with worry.
Like in other chapters (see the full book here), the implications are similar. If we can see that we are not our thoughts concerning something external, we do not have to be limited by that thing. We can be free to live as an expression of who we are without a sense of being limited by money. We can create as much money and wealth as we want.
Without the limitation of thought, and in choosing to live in playful motion rooted to inner wisdom, we might be surprised at how much money we can make as a reflection of the positive difference we're making in the world.
What a way to look at money!
And that's what this is all about: We can view things in any way we choose. Money doesn't have to be a burden, something that creates stress and fear. We don't need to put on the brakes, if we feel we're making too much of that "evil paper."
It can be viewed as a neutral tool but also as a benevolent one - one that can create positive and charitable change in the world. In that sense, the more we make, the more good we can do.
All the happiness we would ever need is already within us. All that is left is to see money-creation for the game that it is.
Have fun.
—
The above is an excerpt from my 2020 book:
'Illusory: Six Things Mentally-Free People DON'T Believe, Which Stressed and Anxious People DO.'
A book about mental health and 'the three principles,' which changed the way I thought, and thus changed my life.
Get your copy here.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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This mindset mistake is costing you years of the good life
It took me almost three decades of worrying, overthinking and grinding to exert more control before I realised it.
Behind me was a wake of struggle, frustration and dissatisfaction.
I'm not Mr. Perfect. But, by golly, do I have less of 'those' days. Much less.
What changed?
If I had to distil it into one sentence, it would be this:
I learned to stop trying to think my way out of my anxieties and frustrations.
Your mind is inconceivably powerful when you stop interfering with it.
First of all, what does this mean?
Life is uncertain. We get doubtful. We feel resistance to life, often.
When we do, we take this feeling as an indication that we're supposed to do smart things. We think we're supposed to worry to exert some control over the situation.
We assume we should apply some clever thinking we read in a mindset book.
We fill our minds with more thinking and doubting and controlling.
What happens with this new onslaught of thought volume?
We are weighed down in the mind.
Our performance decreases because how are we supposed to think when we're stuffed full of thoughts?
We're grouchy at best.
Great things happen when we 'forget' to think.
We're in the moment.
We feel the joy of stillness emerge in our souls.
We forget to take it all so seriously.
It's funny, because I've been struggling from back pain in the last few days, and the pain gets worse when I contort myself into weird positions in an attempt to fix it.
The same happens with the mind.
Ever notice how you're the most stressed when you're thinking the most?
Jake at work said something snidey and you couldn't stop thinking about it on the train from work. You re-ran images of Jake's smug face in your head.
You were literally your own drive-in movie theatre.
You interfered with your thinking.
And you didn't have to.
I know it stings. But it starts to cut deeper when you entertain all those thoughts you feel you need to hold on to.
Everything changed for me when I returned to the present moment, even if a life situation bugged me.
I returned to the things that were in my control.
I became ruthlessly intolerant to the shit I couldn't do anything about.
Let the mind do its thing, and it will splutter back into life...
It will deliver insight upon insight, every solution to a problem you ever needed, a buzz of continual energy, and a creative flow that will surprise the world.
🔆
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Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Why your primary mission must be shamelessly selfish...
The idea that your purpose should be to help others is flawed.
I say this not because it's wrong and not because Satan has taken over my computer.
'Flawed' because it diverts your attention away from what is more important.
We all want to make a difference in the world.
We all want to contribute something amazing, inspire people, and leave a legacy.
This requires a mission and a sense of purpose.
Nigel was conflicted. Did he want to jump, or was he savouring the greatness to come?
And yet, because we're human, we get these weird blocks that keep us from doing what we know we can do. And we all know what it is we should be doing.
We just question ourselves at every step...
Won't other people think I'm weird if I do this?
Am I clever enough to be a success on my own?
Will I die penniless with an empty fridge if I try to make art for a living?
Having purpose is the one thing that allows us to keep going despite these doubts.
Helping others is good in so many ways, and will most certainly inspire you to take action.
However...
I've learned that becoming exceptional at something must be my main purpose.
Thinking about this, formulating a plan for it, and envisioning what life would be like when I am the very best always stirs me up.
Both helping people and striving to become great at something work to give us purpose, but just because two things can help you doesn't mean that both deserve equal priority.
What we prioritise makes all the difference.
The problem with focusing on helping others is that we can neglect our own growth.
If we persist in being helpful at the expense of improving our own skills, we are doing ourselves and others a disservice.
Our growth is what the world needs most, not our helpfulness.
And so we must prioritize becoming the very best, first.
Like on a plane, when you're told to take the oxygen yourself before helping others, you do the same in life.
Build and relentlessly increase your own worth before all else.
Help people and share what you're doing along the way, but be driven towards mastery.
"In following your inclinations and moving toward mastery, you make a great contribution to society, enriching it with discoveries and insights, and making the most of the diversity in nature and among human society." –Robert Greene, Mastery
Aim not only to be good but to be number one in something that makes the most of your strengths and talents.
Number one will motivate you because the idea of it is exciting - if a little 'unreasonable' - and if you fall short, you'll still land in a high place.
Bill Gates made the most of his logical mind, his introversion, and any spare time he had to master coding which eventually built software that helped millions.
Help yourself first to help others, rather than helping others in an attempt to gain admiration.
Be selfish, not to isolate yourself, but because you have the potential to change the world.
🔆
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Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Eight signs you are going to make it in the next fifteen years
The next few years won't be easy for most.
But certain habits and approaches to life have shown themselves to bring rewards that most will never see.
These can be reproduced and adapted to the changes we're seeing.
Here's how I know you will succeed:
You have emotional control.
Being at the mercy of whatever emotion arises is your greatest liability.
Flying off the handle at a triggering or becoming depressed for weeks when someone breaks up with you means you're vulnerable.
Emotional control doesn't mean bottling up your emotions.
It means understanding that you are not your thoughts.
You prioritise daily exercise (and weekly adventures)
Humans never needed to exercise.
Movement was built into our lifestyle without question.
But in a sedentary world, we must take the initiative to provide our bodies with what it needs to be healthy and happy:
Daily movement of at least one hour.
You have already started putting aside money each month.
The money we earn is losing value each day.
Free people are leveraging money and moving away from a precarious hand-to-mouth existence that creates stress.
Protect your money and start putting it into your money cave.
You're dedicated to mastering something specific that people need.
Keep it simple when it comes to creating influence, making money, and attracting attention.
This doesn't mean spreading yourself thin among a hundred ventures.
Focus on getting freaking brilliant at one thing that people need.
This makes you indispensable and unstoppable.
You have built a solid support network.
Mentors, friends, supporters, advice-givers, coaches.
Though I often espouse the importance of being untied to any place or thing, we can't do it alone.
One of your greatest assets, especially during chaotic times, is having people who have mutual trust (to who you are not tied romantically).
You would support them just as they would you.
Find them now.
Your plans don't tie you to any one location.
No single geographical location will predictably provide a safe haven for your future.
You must start making moves to remove yourself from location dependence, usually by tying yourself to the cuffs of a job, relationship or home.
Plan with physical independence in mind.
You refuse to allow your thoughts to sabotage your progress.
Thinking we can't do something will be reflected in sabotage.
This comes entirely from the thought patterns we allow into our minds. Happy, focused people are intolerant of such thoughts.
The way to avoid thinking like this?
Take small steps towards what you want regardless of how you feel.
That's how you train the mind.
You restrict cheap dopamine.
As technology becomes more pervasive, our relationship to screens looks increasingly like co-dependency.
Dopamine spikes from artificial sources like games and porn will destroy your motivation and authentic lust for life.
Not great for tomorrow's you.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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What Zinsser's iconic 'On Writing Well' teaches us about being outstanding online writers
I wasn't always a decent writer.
In fact, it took me writing well over several hundred articles to see my words create any real traction.
Much of this was found through practice, but it was mentors like Zinsser who accelerated my learning and had dramatic effects on the quality of my words.
Here's what it has taught me about writing online (and elsewhere) impactfully:
Write about your passions without thinking about what others think.
You can't allow 'needing to look cool and fit in' to interfere with your words.
We need more writers willing to talk about exciting shit that the writer truly cares about. Be brave. Go where you would love to go.
Cut out every single unnecessary word or phrase. I see long-winded tweets all over X, and it drives me insane.
Continually ask yourself: 'what exactly am I trying to say?'
The cleaner the tweet and the less verbose the wordage, the more able that tweet can convey meaning to the reader.
Your writing must be a reflection of your true self. Good writing like this is channelled through a relaxed hand.
To be a relaxed writer, you need to be willing to make many mistakes, which comes from writing a lot. It also requires you to write in a present flow.
Write to inspire yourself first.
I've said it before: if you can't feel or understand your own writing emotionally, your reader won't either, and they must, or they will never want to read your words again.
Your beginnings and endings make for a great reader experience. In the world of tweets, we're talking about sharpening up your opening hook (first line) and ensuring you have a meaningful or powerful last line or payoff.
Get great at writing by writing a lot. Nothing beats showing up every day with a commitment to write a minimum of words. To be outstanding at writing tweets, you need to tweet every day.
Never say in writing what you would not comfortably say in conversation.
This says a lot about trying to be someone you're not. Your lack of integrity in your words will be felt by the reader.
The same applies to cliches.
Be original, and reward the beauty of your own intuitive words by putting these to paper (your X feed).
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
🐉
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"content": "Twenty sentences that will give you more emotional control than 95% of people",
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Twenty sentences that will give you more emotional control than 95% of people
I always used to think emotional control meant gritting teeth and trying to bottle in my rage.
Then, I wondered why I felt so out of control.
Over the years, I learned emotional control isn't about 'control' at all.
It's about habits of thinking. How you think influences how you feel and how 'in control' you are.
Emotionally mature people understand these things:
You don't need 'fixing' - you need to chill the fuck out.
Chilling out means letting go of the perceived seriousness offered by your thoughts.
When we buy into our thoughts, we literally become our thoughts because thoughts define our reality.
You can end your life or someone else's in a split second if you don't nurture emotional control.
Those who remain calm when others lose their heads do not allow their thoughts to consume them.
People who stay remarkably calm no longer take things so seriously.
Life is not serious, but we can make it so in the wild theatres of our dumb monkey minds.
All we need to know is that everything is ok as it is in this moment.
Processed crap in your diet, as well as stimulants, absolutely reduce your emotional intelligence because they contribute to physical imbalance and inflammation.
'Personality' is an illusion we invent to comfort ourselves in our perceived limitations.
You are far more multi-faceted than you think, and because of this, you can stay calm in difficult situations.
You instantly have an advantage over most when you understand that your 'personality' is an illusion.
When your personality becomes mouldable, so too are your inputs - and your results improve.
You aren't 'lazy,' you just don't have a clear system of steps to make it happen.
Remaining calm when triggered is vital for success - and can be trained like any muscle.
Every time you act like a triggered ape when angry or frightened, you reinforce your 'out-of-controllness' - meaning that the more you breathe through your concerns, the more calm a person you become.
Calm people see the gap between a stressful thought and a brainless action.
Emotionally mature people don't take their emotions seriously, but they are not robots - they are merely in touch with the wise energy existing beneath a whirlwind of frightened emotions.
The more physically relaxed you are, the more still your mind will be; the stiller your mind, the more positive your emotions will be.
The best way to calm the mind and body is to breathe slow, shallow breaths through the nose.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "Nine unusual life hacks that actually work",
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Nine unusual life hacks that actually work
Remember when you were labelled weird and dumb by the other kids at school?
Yeah, that was me. A lot.
I'm about to show you some nifty tricks that will improve your life and will make the school bully wish he'd invited you to his parties:
1. Doodle absolute trash on paper for 10 minutes.
I don't know about you, but I doodle like an overly caffeinated ferret with opposable thumbs when I'm on a call.
There's a calming action to it, and it helps me process my thoughts.
Doodling prompts creative ideation and can jumpstart your mind if you're yearning for a change.
2. Do the hard thing.
You know what it's like to do something you've been holding off - to finish it and feel that wave of relief.
This is a confidence and energy gift, and it doesn't take much.
Identify that hard thing, break it down into smaller steps if you need to and just do it.
Now you're in a 'taking responsibility' mode that will lift your posture and flood into other areas of life.
3. Stroke a cat.
Most of us spend our days self-conscious and in our heads.
Bring your attention to a cute little street kitty, pet a doggy or just notice that group of freaking pigeons for a change and look at their silly little scrunched-up faces.
Feel the connection between you and another living being, and realise in that moment that you're connected, and your miserable ass self is capable of love.
4. Write a not-gratitude list.
Brainstorm everything you can think of that you don't like in your life.
What's bothering you the most consistently? Frustration is valuable information.
This list will point you to opportunities.
In a new column, list some solutions to these challenges.
By writing them down, you're already making a powerful impact on your life.
5. Chant like you just magically transported to your ancestral tribe 8,089 years back.
You and your half-naked compadres are there, sitting around a fire summoning demons and shit.
But seriously, humming and singing have been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve, which stills the mind, lowers stress and makes you generally more badass.
6. Be an asshole to yourself.
While most people are running around being extra nice to themselves because Nathan, the kindly life guru, told them to, you're flipping the tables.
By this, I mean implementing the subtle power of not being a little weak bitch.
The beauty in this is that this is one of the most loving things you can do for yourself.
Stand tall, refuse to cower, and your energy will return in torrents.
7. Go on a mini-adventure.
Whether in a town or forest, you can drop what you're doing and head out with a kid's mindset. You know how fun childhood adventures were. You were curious, open and continually exploring. Adopt the same filterless viewpoint and just have fun for 15 mins or more.
8. Read five pages of non-fiction in a paperback to simultaneously calm the mind, be more present, and fuel your enthusiasm for life.
9. If you're feeling stuck or unmotivated, get super lazy.
Walking or taking action is often the best antidote to stuckness. But sometimes, the best thing you can do is lie on your bed and stare at the ceiling for 30 minutes.
This is a true insight-generating mind hack.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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Overwhelmed? Try this little fix
Life moves fast.
One minute, you're checking an email; the next, you're scrolling through social media.
By the end of the day, it can feel like you've been in constant motion but have little to show for it.
Much of this is due to feeling burned out, which fuels our need to do empty tasks and escape.
Which means we're even less productive.
The world around us isn't designed to help us focus.
And it's getting worse.
(If you let it)
Procrastination happens not because we're lazy but because we don't know what makes the most sense to do.
Every notification, every received text, every new shiny thing is winning the war for your attention.
They win because you don't know your priorities.
I know about this because I've lost months of my life to a lack of clarity.
I 'achieved' a lot. But this was in a hundred and one things. Nothing really moved the needle.
There were months when I was busy every day but saw little meaningful progress.
I noticed how little was happening.
So I made a change.
I decided to simplify everything. Instead of chasing several goals at once, I picked one clear objective to focus on for three months at a time.
I built a system that supported this, driven by a single key habit.
Writing became my anchor habit. It's something I commit to every day.
Whether it's journaling, drafting a new article, or working on one of my written courses or books, this habit keeps me grounded and always moving forward.
I'm more energised now, and that feeds into further momentum.
Simplicity gives you clarity.
When you know what's most essential and can focus on that without distraction, life feels lighter.
Having a framework helps immensely here.
What's your biggest priority?
What's your main three-month objective?
What's your core daily habit?
How can you build on this over time?
If you're feeling the weight of too many distractions, start by asking yourself: what matters most to me right now?
When you get clear on what you're prioritising and build simple habits around it, life gets better fast.
You find momentum.
You regain control.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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Eight subtle things that make you more attractive (without changing your appearance)
I wasn't always comfortable speaking with people, let alone confident socially.
It took me years of awkward moments, social anxiety and self-beratement to get to a point where social environments brought more clarity for me.
I've since learned some interesting aspects of human behaviour that benefitted my relationships tremendously, and though appearance is important, there are several behaviours that can boost your attractiveness.
Like the following...
1. Letting people speak
Do you ever notice how frustrating it is when you're mid-sentence and somebody cuts in with their comment?
Right. It is annoying, and it is disrespectful.
This is how it is felt when the positions are switched too. Honour someone's words by giving them the needed space to finish their sentence.
There's no rush.
This isn't a competition to prove who can squeeze in more stuff in a given time frame.
More than anything, a healthy and meaningful conversation is one in which parties are respected and heard. So listen and be patient.
When you do this, you won't come across as uninteresting. Much the opposite.
This level of care will pitch you as the authority because you don't have the urge to jump in to prove yourself from a place of lack.
2. Making others feel more important.
In a world where most everyone is clamouring for attention, it is refreshing to come across someone who isn't in a hurry to take the limelight.
Instead, your priority is making others look good.
And when they're seen in a good light, you're the one that gathers the attention you're looking for.
Ask questions. Throw in some praise.
Forget trying to look good. It only attracts self-consciousness. Be the leader who puts others forward.
3. Gentle eye contact.
After a long day of screwing our faces up in front of a small screen, it can be a strain to return to the real world of looking at another human in the eye, au natural.
But if you can train this approach to conversation as a habit and connect with someone attentively and with a slight smile behind soft eyes, you will nurture that connection further.
People will feel drawn to you, and trust you more, and their attraction to you increases.
4. Being chill regardless of circumstances.
Don't be the guy who gets needlessly emotional and overly serious just because the topic of conversation appeared to prompt it.
Relax. Be light-hearted, and steer clear of unnecessarily contentious issues unless the discussion was set up to focus there.
This isn't about you. This is about fruitful connection-building.
Be the lead here. Demonstrate that you aren't attached to any particular outcome by keeping your tone breezy and your demeanour upbeat.
This will be felt like osmosis by those who are with you, and they will subconsciously be grateful for your calming influence.
No great conversation sprung out of nervous, fidgety and overly aggressive tension. Don't take things so personally.
Remember, you're there to make others feel better and more at ease.
This is an attraction booster.
5. Revealing a funny flaw.
Few are willing to reveal what they perceive to make them appear weak.
That's why we walk around all strung out like we stuck a javelin up our behind.
It takes courage to reveal yourself as the only flawed human in the room. This doesn't mean airing your dirty laundry, however.
You'll come across as depressed if you keep bringing up things about yourself that echo a form of self-disgust.
Tell us about how you were awkward as a kid. Or show us your nerdy side with a cheeky glint in your eye.
Go against the grain, and show us why you're not like everyone else.
Be willing to reveal something a little quirky about you in a humourous light. This shows you are real. People love this.
The attraction equation always consists of a hint of light and ultimately loving self-deprecation.
6. Constructing silence.
Silence in conversation is taboo.
People avoid it with ums and aahs to cover up the discomfort they perceive silence to invoke.
But silence can be pure power when we can learn to respect it. Speak, but break up your words with appropriate pauses.
Don't feel the need to rush through everything - this suggests a lack of faith in what you have to say.
The beauty of silence is that it buys you time to think.
With that, your words will be better formulated, emerging from a place of intelligence - not the mucky cobwebs of your overwhelmed mind.
7. Repeating someone back.
Because so many of us are too busy coming up with something witty or intelligent to say next, genuinely listening to people is missed.
Few people expect to be deeply understood. Talking becomes a sparring match, with the volume gradually rising.
You're different because you occasionally repeat back what others say in a way that demonstrates comprehension.
Few do this because they'd think it reflected poorly on you - as though you're not very bright and can't think of much to say.
However, this isn't the experience for those you are repeating back.
They will feel heard, and their respect for you will grow.
8. Being a little goofy.
In an overly uptight world, being goofy is refreshing.
This needn't mean being a relentless clown-like figure.
Just bring in a little goofiness. It shows confidence.
It also takes courage to be the guy who injects a little quirky fun into proceedings, which is attractive.
Not everything you say needs to be within the rigid lines of what is socially appropriate and expected.
We're not all here to sit through a conversation like a nodding donkey with zero personality.
Push the boundaries a little.
Don't always feel you need to say things that always make sense.
Tell a joke.
Put a napkin on your head as a dope hat.
Have fun and bring others into your fun frame.
This will draw people to you, and they won't even know how you did it.
🔆
Do you want to be mentally stronger than most people?
If you enjoyed this, you will love my free illustrated booklet for you:
'The 12 Habits of Mentally Strong People.'
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Ten subtle behaviours that make men instantly more masculine
Yeah, I see you cringing at the word: 'masculinity...'
(This is woke Medium after all ;))
It's a dirty word in the modern age.
But why?
To be a happy man is to be a man at ease in his masculinity.
And for society to be worth living in, we need happy men.
He's acutely aware of the need to maximise his masculine nature.
As a keen student of human behaviour, these are some behaviours I've found make a big impact on this part of my life as a man:
Name your Everest.
Most men are lost and without purpose.
Join the elite few and create a reality driven by a commitment so 'unreasonable' and exciting it makes your eyes water when you name it.
What's ONE thing you will accomplish by the end of this year that would excite the shit out of you if it were to become a reality?
Some men choose to climb the highest mountain on Earth.
What's yours?
Make the commitment, keep it private (dm it to me if you like), and today - take one small step. This will empower you like little else.
Set fire to your past.
To the degree you identify with your past, you are disadvantaged and neutered as a man.
Each time you allow what happened back then to pollute your present behaviour, you literally operate under insanity. The past is not real. Burn it to the ground now, and watch it waft away in a billow of ash. Be here with us, mate.
A beautiful future and your crackling presence are all that matter.
Return to danger.
They did a study that found a direct link between taking risks and increased testosterone.
Being overly safe and avoidant is literally making you weak and soy. Take calculated risks every day.
Allow your pulse to quicken. Be in danger, but don't be reckless (this is, again, soy). Just because we live in a 'peaceful' time doesn't mean we can't live on the edge.
A reliable and secure man is a dangerous man.
Decide to lead.
Misery accompanies those who see themselves at the mercy of the world around them.
They have no sense of control or ownership. An antidote to this is to choose to lead.
Find another to lift up right now. You will simultaneously forget your woes while gaining the energy from supporting another.
Leaders are rewarded with a masculine pride that is felt instantly.
Conserve sexual energy.
Leave your damn pecker alone, bro. I get it; Sheila on Instagram has a sweet ass.
Too many men are completely unaware they are sitting on a nuclear power plant.
They just release so often that they never experience its force.
Conserve your energy, feel your inner warrior rise up, and use this to pursue your mission. Sex energy is the most significant advantage you have if used with care.
Be superficial.
Surface details matter.
Little things like getting a haircut, a tan, dressing well, cleaning your nails and everyday maintenance go a long way. They reinforce your sense of pride and transmit this to the world too.
I cringe when I see men in stained sweatpants and poorly fitting jumpers.
Confidence begins in the superficial.
Bond with men.
Most of us live in an anti-male, politically-correct modern environment.
When our freedom to communicate freely is smothered and awkward at best - men need male-only spaces more than ever.
Locker-room talk is necessary and cathartic. Our meat market 'look at my big butt' gyms allow very little of this these days.
Men need to bond with, joke, and connect with one another. Find a men's only group, a community or at the very least reach out to other men online.
Reunite with your dark side.
With woke and 'progressive' rubbish piped into our awareness all our lives, it's easy for men to fall into the trap of denying the darker aspects of their nature.
Our need for healthy aggression.
Our natural lusts and healthy drives have allowed for the proliferation of the species.
We see society mocking and belittling these aspects of what it means to be an integrated man. Screw 'society,' and use the anger it has stirred in you to build magnificence.
Open yourself up to these darker parts of you, do it with grace, and feel your masculine emerge.
Walk taller.
Small things take you furthest. Bring a little extra elevation to your posture wherever you go.
Your physiognomy reflects your view of yourself, but it is also felt as a ripple that springs outwards. Don't wait for life to go 'right' for you to have a skip in your step.
I don't care how much hardship you've suffered. Stand up straight. Step out with pride, and the universe will mould itself to your reality.
Be relentless.
What have you been coasting on that needs more heat?
Whether it's family time, business growth, income or dedication to crafting an elite body, what right now requires a level of ferocity that currently isn't there? Name it now. Maybe it's a few things. Great, get to work.
Masculine energy is, and always will be, a beautifully aggressive force for good.
Be that.
Own it, love your haters, don't apologise, and watch the world get out of your way.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Ten surprising places to find your hidden genius
'Genius' is not reserved for a special few.
Those we call geniuses found something that worked and dove into that thing deeper than most.
There's a genius living in you right now.
You just need to dig that sucker out.
Here are some places to find yours...
1. Childhood passions.
Remember what sparked your attention when you couldn't stop snot dribbling out your nose.
I loved to draw pictures. Drawing pictures was my career in my twenties.
Action: Spend 20 minutes today noting all the things you loved doing as a child.
How can you bring more of that into your adult life?
2. Things that repeatedly infuriate you.
Our strongest emotional reactions often point to places that give us a ton of energy.
For example, I want to throw a stinking tantrum when I see talented people throwing their lives away. So I enjoy my work as a coach.
Action: List three things that make you angrier than most. Then ask, 'How is my anger pointing to my passion?'
3. Childhood struggles.
This is a big one.
Struggles, especially those we've found hard to forget, often point to things we care for deeply.
I struggled a lot with speaking up in class.
I wanted to connect with people, but I screwed it up out of fear. My great passion today is helping people better communicate through writing.
Action: Journal for at least ten minutes on your greatest childhood struggles. How might they point to a secret superpower in you?
4. Recurring daydreams.
Hey Lucy! It's okay to stare out the window.
What if your daydreams didn't indicate a juvenile mind but a hungry one?
Action: keep a daydream journal for a week. Look for patterns in your fantasies, and find a way to make it a reality.
5. Effortless skills.
There may be things you do that come naturally to you that you downplay as normal. But seen from the perspective of Nosy Nancy, they're pretty incredible.
Action: What are those things, and how can you weave more of that magic into your week?
6. Unique life experiences.
I went on my first solo trip to Iceland when I was nineteen.
I got rained on for nine days straight and ate a puffin.
That trip sparked in me a love for freedom and adventure that informs most of my life decisions.
Action: What are some cool experiences you've had that moulded you into a unique human others would want to learn from?
7. Can't-stop-blabbering topics.
You know what it's like. You're with a good friend or your mother, and you get this warm feeling rise up in your chest.
It's not this morning's bacon and eggs. It's that lovely rush of excitement that appears when you land on a topic that fascinates the pants off you.
Action: How can your blabber topics direct you towards what you must focus more on?
8. Recurring praise.
Take notice, and you'll see cool people praising you for the same handful of things.
Maybe you're a good listener or a wizard at dad jokes. Don't just brush them off. Note them down.
People are describing your genius when they tell you.
Action: Create a praise list. When someone praises you freaking take the compliment and figure out why it's significant to you.
9. Cherished possessions.
I don't own much, but what I do highlights what matters to me most.
I still buy paperback books, for example, even though the last thing I need as a nomad is to be weighed down by heavy Robert Greene tomes.
Action: After humans and animals, what do you run back to get when your house is on fire (share in the comments)?
10. Your bookshelf.
When people come to me to grow their personal brand, I tell them we need to figure out their 'zone of mastery.'
This is the area you can develop most rapidly that creates value the world needs most from you. One of the first places we look is their bookshelf.
For me, it's human behaviour, performance and communication.
Action: What books or films do you go to again and again? How might these books reveal your zone of mastery?
All the best,
Alex.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "How to find your superpower — your unique way of contributing in the world that most never uncover…",
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How to find your superpower - your unique way of contributing in the world that most never uncover...
For many years I misunderstood myself.
It took me a lot of pain and confusion to finally learn a lesson that applies to all of us.
The thing we hate most in the world is the thing we hate most in ourselves.
Often, our major struggles are tied to how we judge ourselves for what we hate in ourselves.
Like my self-judgement for being 'boring around people.'
I closed up because of my harsh judgement.
But here's what's interesting...
The thing we hate most in ourselves always points to our greatest strength.
Our superpower is the flipside of our greatest weakness.
'Hate' is merely a reflection of the energy you have for something.
For me, I see inauthenticity as my personal enemy.
This also manifests as society instilling in us that you need to play it safe and fit in, and be like everyone else.
I despise this about the modern world.
But that's good, because it's energy that can be honed in a fruitful and optimistic direction.
Being attuned to myself and other people is my superpower, which I now use in my work as a coach and writer.
My mission is to help millions become authentic leaders.
When you can find your superpower, you'll know how you can best contribute in the world.
Most people go through their entire lives without going there.
Their sharpest sword left unused.
Their magic left to rot.
They're unfulfilled.
Why?
Because to uncover that power requires you to enter your dark cave.
It requires you to confront your ugliest demon and feel its stinging breath in your eyes.
But when you hold up a torch to it, and call it out for what it is...
You'll know what's worth fighting for.
When you do, your inner dragon will rise up to help you.
Know your enemy.
Know your greatest strength.
Know the cause you're fighting.
Now make it public so others join your movement.
This is how to be unstoppable.
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
🐉
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10 'One Thing' self-coaching questions to make your life easier, simpler and happier
I was blown away by Gary Keller's book The One Thing when I read it on the top floor of a Bangkok apartment complex in 2016.
I'd been going through plenty of stress back then.
I had taken on too many projects and felt stuck and confused.
The fluff-busting approach of asking the right, cutting questions to get to the heart of what's most essential (ONE thing) helped me immensely.
I went from Procrastination Central to having one of the most creatively prolific years ever.
I'm borrowing Gary's approach and weaving it into some self-coaching questions so you can enjoy the relief of identifying simple, high-leverage solutions for various challenges.
The emphasis here is on narrowing down the range of solutions to the best, most impactful, highest-priority answer.
Grab a pen and work through these questions. Feel free to list as many answers you can think of for each. The more, the better. Once you have a list, you can pick the most impactful one for each.
You may surprise yourself with how much impact a single question can introduce.
Here we go...
What is the one thing I can do today that will make everything else in my life easier or more meaningful?
What is the one habit that, if built consistently, would most improve my energy and well-being?
What is the one thing to which I am saying "yes" to which I should start saying "no" to simplify my life?
What is the one thing I want to be remembered for, and how can I start embodying that today?
What is the one thing I've been putting off that would give me the greatest sense of relief or accomplishment once done?
What is the one relationship in my life that, if improved, would bring me greater joy and support?
What is the one thing I can remove from my life that will make space for what truly matters to me?
What is the one belief about myself that is holding me back from living my fullest potential?
What is the one activity that, when I do it, makes me feel most alive and connected to myself?
What is the one thing I could do to make my daily routine simpler and more enjoyable?
Bonus for writers and brand-builders: What is the one thing I can start doing today that would have the most impact on the growth of my brand?
Action step:
Fill at least one of these out, and take one small step today to start living it.
For №8: Question the validity of this belief to break it down.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Fifteen unusual little habits that will set you apart from 97% of people
While most people eye up the 'overnight' success and wonder why they never see it, the wise among us are focusing on those little habits.
Habits may not always be sexy or exciting, but they move the needle.
And when you thread these through multiple days, you will transform:
1. Read 10 pages.
Fiction or non-fiction.
Finding anyone who reads books is becoming rare. Reading is like taking your brain to the gym.
Focus - not on absorbing 50 ideas that you'll forget.
Instead, read to pick up and note down one helpful idea for the day.
2. Walk daily for 30 minutes.
The health benefits of walking are numerous.
Walk outside if you want an advantage and a clear mind to set you up.
3. 1-minute cold shower.
Cold showers are not to be sniffed at.
They improve circulation, are good for hair and skin, lift your mood, and develop your character for discomfort.
4. Daily brainstorm ideas list.
The more you use your creative muscle, the more creative you become.
Brainstorm all the ideas you can think of on one challenge, question or topic.
Do this even if you don't feel like it. You will have an endless stream of ideas to use.
5. Brain dump journal for 10 minutes.
Every morning I write down the challenges and frustrations in my life.
It gets them out of my head and onto paper, which is highly cathartic.
But it also prompts new writing on solutions and breakthroughs.
6. Tidy up your environment.
Tidying up is seen as a chore for most.
But what if you viewed it as a stress release and even a creative act?
Keeping a tidy environment seems trivial, but it is one of the most powerful habits you can build.
It reinforces the idea that you're a good steward of your reality - you take responsibility, which is always empowering.
7. Dress up.
Sharpen your appearance, and dress in a way that your proud, confident version of you would.
How you dress influences how you feel about yourself, so don't cut yourself short.
8. 2 minutes of belly breathing.
The belly contains a lot of our accumulated tension.
Allow it to shake out as we stand up and breathe into the diaphragm, leaning back slightly.
This stimulates the vagus nerve, which reduces anxiety.
9. Take in some art.
Go to a museum or even watch a classic movie to be inspired by the artistic creations of people before us.
I challenge you not to be inspired by Picasso's massive body of work, for example.
10. Contact one new person.
Messaging people without necessarily expecting anything in return is the kind of habit that can compound into massive opportunities for you.
It's not the outcome that's important in the short-term, but simply sticking with the practice of connecting.
11. Dance to energising music.
Dancing isn't just for Saturday night ravers.
You can dance in the morning to loosen yourself up and lift your mood.
Before a vital meeting, you can shake your hips to some reggaeton to fill you with positive energy. Daily dancing can change lives.
12. 2 minutes of concentration meditation.
What is concentration?
The ability to bring your attention to something specific without allowing yourself to be distracted.
It's a muscle you can develop and can be boosted in two minutes a day. Identify something upon which to place your full attention.
This trains your brain to focus, and you will improve.
13. Online learning.
Reading is great, but investing time and money into online courses is an alternative learning method that can be easily absorbed.
Spend 10 minutes with a course and take notes.
When we invest significant money in something, we're more likely to take the learning more seriously and apply it.
You're never too old to be a student.
14. Identify one thing to do to make life simpler.
In a world where everyone is rushing to add more stuff, cutting down and simplifying sets you apart.
Especially if you make it a habit. Ask yourself this question daily: 'what's one thing I can do to simplify my life?'
15. Sketch, invent, paint, or draw.
A daily creative expression habit can lead to a range of tangible, beautiful pieces of output.
It will get you out of your thoughts and into the creativity flow. So it's great for mental health.
Your creations, even if small, will accumulate into a body of work that will serve you and those who love what you create.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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"content": "10 ways to simplify your life",
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10 ways to simplify your life
Life taught me that things get easier when we keep it simple.
Here's how:
1. Decide to have a simple life.
Committing to simplicity brings things into focus. The more you do that simplifies your life, the more this identity becomes part of you. From here, you'll find it easier to drop the unnecessary.
2. Think less.
Thinking makes it seem like life is complicated, but as soon as we relax and get present to what's right in front of us, everything is simple.
3. Develop small habits.
Habits are things we do every day that compound to create remarkable results. Don't worry about the final result. Follow the right habits.
4. Want less.
Nurture a healthy desire for less. "Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants." - Epictetus
5. Fall in love with your habits.
Prioritise the habits worth focusing on and then realise you have a choice about whether you struggle through them or let go and enjoy each task.
6. Ask why.
We get overwhelmed when we get lost in the details - the weeds. Regularly zoom out and look at your why (beyond getting more money). Everything will become clearer then.
7. Focus on the one thing.
When faced with a decision, ask yourself what is the one thing you can do such that by doing it, everything else either becomes unnecessary or easier. Practice doing one thing at a time. That's all there is.
8. Develop patience.
Most people are in a blind rush to get stuff, making them miserable. Move with a sense of playful urgency, but be patient. The good things take time.
9. Stop always trying to be right.
When we need to prove ourselves, we suddenly welcome drama, arguments, worry, rumination, and lost time.
10. Drop the myth of 'doing hard things.'
Pain as currency for reward is overhyped. You can enjoy your way to success without going through hardship.
Humans overcomplicate their lives.
That doesn't have to be you.
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
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🐉
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"content": "A big box of Luck. A story about inviting luck into your life",
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A big box of Luck. A story about inviting luck into your life
For years, I'd look at other people, a gentle current of jealousy running through me. I'd see they were doing better than me.
They succeeded when I kept falling face-first into the mud. They had all the luck, and I didn't know where to find it. It seemed as though my life was a series of unfortunate events.
A few years ago, I went for a walk in the woods. I decided to take a detour and extend my usual route to get an extra 2000 steps in (my belly was getting podgy). The route took me uphill to a clearing in the woods.
It was beautiful there, but the gloom was setting in. Red butterflies flittered among deciduous pines.
I almost didn't see the old man smoking a vape on a tree stump. I could smell blueberries.
He ushered me over, and I told him about my bad luck.
. . .
Three years have passed since I spoke to Malcolm, the old chap on his stump.
I followed what he suggested to the word, and now I am the proud owner of Big Box of Luck (TM). It sits at the back of my house with a hinged lid. I painted it deep aubergine purple.
Whenever I go out into the world to experiment, show up, try things, do things, and execute (STDE), I return with a silver action coin.
Every action spits me a coin. I collect three times as many as I used to, if not more, on a good year.
I take these coins to my big box at the back of my house and drop them in.
The box is a sort of lottery machine, you see. The more coins I throw in, the more likely the box spits out Luck.
The less action I take (STDEs), the less likely I'll receive luck. And by golly, has my life become luckier.
I've received at least 6 solid bouts of luck from the Box since I installed the contraption.
It's like I have momentum now.
My friends and colleagues don't seem like such buttheads anymore.
Even though things don't always go to plan, I don't fret.
Because action, no matter the outcome, always gives me something I need.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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"content": "I hate seeing writers not making money. So here are eight ways to make more as a writer:",
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I hate seeing writers not making money. So here are eight ways to make more as a writer:
Deciding to be a writer needn't be synonymous with living in a decrepit bedsit surrounded by ashtrays and empty beer bottles.
You can thrive financially when you use a bit of awareness and some marketing elbow grease.
There's no excuse for a 17-year-old with little life experience to earn more than you from writing.
You could dive straight into writing novels, but the odds of success and making money from these early on are slim. So you need to create a foundation of income to start.
The jobs here might not be the dream jobs, but they will put you in a position to eventually write what you love (also, on the side), without the stress of being as poor as a pond newt.
Here are some ways to make money with writing:
1. Write articles, columns or newsletters.
You can write for people, magazines, websites, and companies who want more attention and online sales from written posts.
I earn $400 for articles I write for a productivity products brand.
They use these articles for their blog to attract more attention to their brand and share them via their newsletter.
This company approached me via my Twitter, but you can put in the work to reach out to a handful of companies each day with some samples and tell them how your work can benefit them.
You can work with people on Upwork to find the contact details of these prospects - and they can do the outreach for you too.
You may need to grind to find work initially, but it will be worth it when you have someone you can write for regularly.
2. Write copy for people's sales pages.
Zillions of people need help selling their products and services online.
Good writing is a powerful way to motivate people to buy.
A little copywriting knowledge can go a long way. You can help them write copy for their landing and sales pages that result in sales.
The same also applies to other people's newsletters, which many use to sell products.
You can collect some contact details for various companies and reach out.
Or you can offer your services for copywriting via sites like Upwork or Fiverr.
The more reviews you get from happy clients, the more credibility you attach to your name as a copywriter.
3. Journalistic writing.
Connect with magazines and newspapers, and other online news media sources to contribute to their written material.
This might get you out of the house and on assignments.
4. Monetise your newsletter.
Where have you been if you haven't been building your newsletter as a writer?
A newsletter is a superb asset because it can make money via sponsorships, course sales and other sales.
I have three Substack newsletters, and they all make money. I sell paid memberships for readers who want to access bonus content, like courses, and archived newsletters.
So far, my Substack upgrade membership sales make me about $20k per year, and I'm only just getting started.
5. Monetise your social media presence.
Here's a way to make money off posts you create online. When you build an audience around your social media posts, you can charge people to be re-shared on your account.
For example, people are being paid to retweet other accounts for exposure. They are also being paid to comment and like Linkedin posts because it boosts posts via the algorithm.
This is why you need your finger on the social media pulse to see how people need support there.
You can also monetise your social media accounts by occasionally selling books, coaching, and courses.
6. Run workshops and offer coaching.
If you're providing value through your writing, you can offer value as a teacher or coach in live meetings.
You may want to advertise an 8-person 5-week workshop for $500 each on a topic you know more about than most.
Throw together a landing page that sells the workshop, and promote it via your social posts, by word-of-mouth, videos and newsletter. That's $4k for 8 hours of work.
Can you make eight sales and run one of those each month?
7. Upload writing to paying platforms.
Websites like Medium, Newsbreak and Simily (for fiction) pay you for the views generated on your articles.
I share several articles daily on Medium, earning several thousand per month from referrals and views generated.
This has taken a few years, but the rewards do come with consistency.
8. Ghostwriting.
Many people want help writing their social media content to grow their audience online.
You can write LinkedIn posts, Twitter threads, and online articles under the client's name. Many people would also love to have a book written but lack the time.
This is another way you can help as a ghostwriter.
Connect with someone (who has money) on a call to get hold of all the information you need to write the book and get to writing.
9. Write an online (written) course.
I have a couple of online courses I am selling via my newsletter, which contains nothing but written words.
I use Kajabi to split the pieces into lessons users can work through. Essentially it's a book with a more interactive element to it.
Of course, you can add extra audio or video content to beef up the experience if you want.
You can also do the same with ebooks, pdfs, books, reports or booklets you sell online.
I'm leaving the comments open on this one for any other suggestions you have that might work for those interested.
I'd also love to hear from those of you who had success with being paid for your writing. Share those below too. We all need that inspiration from success stories.
Go!
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
"Alex is a phenomenal writer. His newsletter is one of the only ones I read regularly. It's my go-to any time I need some writing or mindset advice." - Ross Harkness
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"content": "You’d be a fool not to read this in your twenties",
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You'd be a fool not to read this in your twenties
I was in my twenties fairly recently, and I made a whole host of mistakes, most of which I don't regret.
I had some superb wins too.
Having lived 37 years, this is what I'd tell my younger self to make the absolute best of these years:
Release your inner badass.
I spent most of my twenties quivering in fear. Looking back, I realise this was a great thing.
It's not feeling fear that's the problem - it's your avoidance of it that is. Use fear as a sly little guide towards the things worth doing.
If it makes you nervous, you're on the right track. You need to try a whole spectrum of weird shit.
Make lots of small to medium-sized mistakes, and be willing to look like an ugly dipshit daily.
This is how to live like a true badass, and grow faster than anyone else.
Stop moaning.
We get it. The youth of today inherited a lot of stuff that plain sucks. You have my sympathy.
Now that we've established your woes, shut your face.
Accept how things are, and suddenly life takes on a brighter hue. You can do so much.
You're not a child, and your talents are just waiting to be released and nurtured. Do something about it.
You have an instant head start if you can drop your bitching and commit to creating cool stuff with a consistency that mesmerises us all.
Be ruthlessly intolerant of lies.
Most of what you hear in the mainstream is unmitigated trash. But you already know this.
That's why you're here, hungrily reading stuff like this on Twitter, while the New York Times buys followers.
Follow your gut. Stop unfollowing people you disagree with, and find real people who tell you the truth.
You'll know it's truth because it will go against the grain and feel uncomfortable, yet oddly tantalising.
You're at a major risk listening to 'woke' morons who spew lies to appear virtuous for their own vanity.
If in doubt, do what your ancestors did, not what progressive Shiela tells you to do on her Instagram.
Quit protesting.
Activism won't change a thing if you're a street urchin with zero influence.
They aren't listening.
They just think you're a naive hippy.
Instead of shouting your lungs out and putting your life at risk, stay home, clean yourself up, do the sexy snake dance, and work on creating and writing incredible things, to grow your audience.
When people actually know who you are...now you can start making your dent.
Understand and protect your mind.
A lot of people get overly anxious and depressed in these years and many of you end things unnecessarily.
When you combine being let loose in a big, scary world with a naive understanding of the mind, and you eat Doritos all day, these things happen.
But you're different because you know that only your thinking creates your suffering.
So become a Zen master, and make letting go of serious, heavy thoughts a daily practice.
You might be young, but you're not a dum dum.
This is the decade for lots of fun and experimentation, but this doesn't mean you're not an adult.
And adults have a self-awareness that 7-year old, snot-faced Duncan doesn't have.
You are capable of triumphantly fucking things up in your twenties when you take your eye off the ball.
I've seen it many times. Be an adult who's biased to enjoying the hell out of life, but do it with care.
Let go of the idea you need 'healing.'
Just because Daphne is waving her crystals in your face telling you to heal your 'poor, damaged soul,' doesn't mean she's knows jack shit about you.
Healing is a waste of time. Stop emphasising a problem, and poking at your wound.
We've all been through our own version of shit. This is what it means to be a human.
You're fine as you are right now.
The only 'healing' you need to do is to stop trying to 'fix' yourself, quit crying in the mirror like a damn baby, and take action.
Chill on the shit that's bad for you.
We all hear about Stan who spent his twenties experimenting with all kinds of drugs and half his time hungover on the sofa watching shite on Netflix.
In his thirties, he's a shrivelled prune-face with little to his name, and a sore gut.
A refreshing take would be this: ditch the weed, and experiment with cool creative projects.
Start businesses, watch them fail - then start again. Write and release a short book so bad it makes you laugh.
Skateboard the length of Britain.
Drink less, get less fat, treat your body magnificently, and meet more people for hikes.
When you're in your thirties, you won't be a haggard old pig, and you'll be so thankful.
If you've made it this far (and you don't totally hate me),
I have total faith in you.
Focus on that next small thing.
Make use of your strengths,
And lean into your greatness.
Do it with courage,
And surprise us all.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
|
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"content": "How to write articles fast (that people want to read)",
"role": "user"
}
] |
How to write articles fast (that people want to read)
"Work harder," they say.
"Make more content and 10X your life," they cry.
"But this stuff needs to be good, and I can't keep up," you counter, meekly.
"Go beast mode! Hustle!" They interject.
And you protest: "I don't have time to produce a lot of content. Plus everyone else is faster and better than me. Why bother?"
Why bother, indeed.
Content is a tough one. We know we need to share plenty of stuff to get attention. We know we need to do it a lot.
But we don't want to put out junk.
We lack the time. In the face of a tsunami of content to compete with, it can feel like a waste.
I've felt the same way, and I still often feel a rush of cringe at the thought of needing to produce a lot quickly, and seeing no other option but to do so, if I am to make a mark.
So here's the deal: Yes, it is in your interest to produce a lot.
It is also in the interest of other people who need what you can contribute.
Plenty of content; a rich portfolio; developed skills, and more attention is nothing but good things for your brand and business.
This is why it pays to know how to work quickly and make it good.
Often, working with speed is the antidote to overthinking.
Additionally, knowing that we can finish things in less time is motivating.
My strategy emphasises speed. Some days are easier than others, but here's how - when it works - I write decent articles quickly:
1. Find a peeve that is bothering you right now. Something that is affecting you that you can feel. Where's the pain?
Found it? Good. Many other people will share the same problem.
2. Next, you need to realise that we all know the answers to most of our problems when we spend some time searching for them.
Searching for a solution in writing requires typing for a while until you hit some insights.
Write down any solutions that come to mind. Go fast. Tap into the things that get you emotional, and spar with that energy through writing.
Have a conversation with yourself that you'd never dare do in real life. Be weird.
You are allowed to because you are an eccentric writer. Fire away. You might type gibberish for the first five hundred words, but eventually, you will be given answers, which can be whittled down to the best.
This happens because:
You loosen up. You are not so attached to the outcome, in this process of speedy play, and therefore insight emerges through the gaps created in free flow.
More ideas collide within your chunk of text until you see the answer right in front of you. Perhaps it is a unique solution. Maybe it's a fresh way of looking at it. Nice.
3. You now have a block of text that requires carving and streamlining into the final piece.
The way to figure out what to do with the text in front of you is to use what I call 'the ladder.'
This is a vertical structure on which you pin the relevant pieces of text that will form your article.
Your ladder shows you which ideas you need to grab from your larger chunk, and in what order.
So then it becomes a case of re-ordering and refining the text.
If you lack pieces of the ladder in your text mass, do some further explorative writing.
Most people don't have any structure or layout in mind. I have found it helps immensely.
One of the ladders I often use, is this one, starting from top (beginning) to bottom (end):
TOP RUNG: Identify a common gripe or problem you have, that the reader is likely to share.
FOURTH RUNG: Discuss how this involves pain or comedy, discomfort, and it sucks or is plain ludicrous. Make the problem felt by the reader and make them see that you also felt that pain at some point and that you are a lot like them.
THIRD RUNG: If there is an opportunity for it, talk about how others have tried to fix this problem and have found that it didn't work (emphasise that you are the best solver to this issue out there).
SECOND RUNG: Introduce your solution - your take on it - how it has helped you personally. This can be something that helps soothe the problem or obliterates it entirely.
BOTTOM RUNG: Give them an idea on something tangible and doable they can do right away to start solving that problem. An action step they can use today.
Once you've ordered your points according to your ladder, you refine and edit.
That's it.
Articles vary in structure and the order in which things are placed. You can use different ladder types.
You'll see I used this ladder in this very article (cheeky!) and if you run through some of my previous writing, this structure is also in play.
Here's my action step for you today:
This might be challenging for many, but I say what the heck...
Use a timer, and aim for the full first draft for your next piece of short writing, from scratch, within 30 minutes. That's idea-generation to the first draft.
Edit afterward. This might take a little more time depending on how conscientious you are with it.
Speed is your friend here. Time is your enemy.
You might find that having this urgency, especially with an emotional topic in mind and a ladder for reference, will wake you up, and help you produce something quickly that others want to read.
Good luck.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Men, read these eleven commandments to avoid a life of pain
In a world becoming increasingly alien and hostile to men, we need all the help we can get.
These are a daily reference for happy men with balls, or those actively searching...
1. Quit chasing, and build.
Chasing women, particularly when social media has done irreversible damaged to the mating game, when you haven't acquired any status, resources or skill, is futile.
Build something remarkable first.
Quit pining over Suzy - she's not the 'one in a million princess' you think.
Put your energy into crafting brilliance, both in your art and in you.
Then, maybe, the right ones will sniff you out and come to you.
2. Assume all actions will be made public.
Look at all the men who's lives have been destroyed for doing and saying stupid stuff under the dumb assumption that it would be kept private.
They are coming for you, waiting for you to make a slip whether what you did was 'just' or not.
Operate ethically, stop being a weirdo, never lie, and don't say anything online, even in 'private,' unless you're ok with the entire world seeing it.
3. Master the idea that you can't lose a piece of you.
Your attachment to a concrete image you have of yourself is putting you at risk.
We create a 'reputation' or persona in our minds. This limits us, because we're now in the position of trying to protect something that doesn't exist at the psychological level.
This is why men get fearful or do stupid shit in the heat of the moment.
They can't take a damn pause for a second and let go of the need to aggressively protect their fragile and illusory self-concept.
You win as soon as you realise there's nothing of 'you' to lose.
4. Redirect your sex energy.
Men have been blessed with an inconceivable power emanating from their groins.
We can spray it all away to bouncy big butts on Instagram and live with a hollow feeling, or we can redirect the conserved energy into building incredible things.
Up to you, bro.
5. Rediscover your inner dragon.
Men who possess a frightening level of motivation have befriended the little dragon that sits in their inner psyche.
We can call him Drake.
Pussies who sit around playing with their trouser shrimps all day have no clue how much better life would be if they cut the soy, and channelled a healthy level of aggression into meaningful shit.
Find Drake and wake him the fuck up.
6. Be insanely creative.
Our shared purpose on this spinning ball of dust and water is this: to create things to move closer to an experience of pure awareness.
Whether it's a business, a body of art, or to pass on knowledge to children, we're here to create - and lots of it.
We become enlivened men when we fill our time with more creation and less reaction (and bitching).
Be a creative maniac and don't stop until the world watches in awe.
7. Lift others daily.
It's easy to take one look at the world today and want to isolate yourself from everything and everyone.
You lose this way, because alive men support their fellow men and women. The world owes you nothing.
To lift yourself, continually and creatively do things that improve the lives of the people who matter to you.
That's worth living for.
8. Don't take your emotions seriously.
For you triggered commenters, slow down and listen: billions of us are suffering because we attach too much meaning to how we feel.
Feelings represent the state of our thinking - nothing more. If we feel anxious, we are having anxious thoughts.
We don't have some existential crisis that needs years of 'healing.'
So, to be resilient, we need to relax in the face of a scary emotion.
That's how it fades; and this is how we stay alive and happy.
9. Stop resisting life.
You age yourself fast when you resist and judge and moan.
It may seem masculine to wish things were different, but it only tightens you physically.
Let go to the gentle flow of reality and you have an immediate advantage.
Embrace the suck, and turn all challenges into opportunities.
This is how you master life.
10. Commit to elite physical mastery.
Don't let your man tits grow saggy.
Walk hard daily and stop eating boxed shite.
Get to the gym and train like an urban gorilla with a recently acquired taste for crack.
Commit yourself to physical brilliance as a life-long habit.
Look good for the ladies, yes, but most of all - do it for you and an enviable degree of mental clarity and speed into old-age.
11. Go against the grain.
We live at a time in which most men are influenced to be less masculine, mainly by well-meaning mothers (with little input from absent fathers).
We've been trained to be less like men and more like women because people are scared of the driving power of masculine energy.
Yeah, that stuff that built the civilised world.
Everywhere you look we see weak, depressed, pussified men.
Not you, bro. Not you.
Stand tall and push back.
Drop mummy's dating advice,
Find your balls,
And be a fucking man.
—
If you enjoyed this, join us at Untethered Man on Substack for regular ideas like these.
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How to reduce anxiety in two simple steps
You're feeling anxious.
You're reeling from an anxious moment.
You're frustrated with yourself that you still get anxious.
You're scared and unsure of the future. You're worried about worrying and fed up about being fed up.
I've been anxious for most of my life. I still get anxious.
Previously, I had no handle on those nerves. Now, when I get anxious, it serves as an indicator light to shifting attention so that anxiety becomes of use, as opposed to something to resist.
No longer does anxiety create a spiralling out of control and despair like it once did.
Unless I'm literally being eaten alive by a wild animal.
Then the anxiety, understandably, lingers.
Take a moment to drop your shoulders and smile.
I am here to help you.
Not because you need to be 'fixed,' or 'cured.' Not because you need to 'overcome' anything.
I am here to show you your humanity. I am here to help you realise that you are an amazing human, rippling with innate confidence, intelligence, creativity and potential.
How to not have anxiety then?
Variables like poor diet can contribute to - and exasperate - any anxiety. In this discussion, I focus on mind, because handling it and the way we think about anxiety can override all else.
A healthy mindset is at the core of our well-being.
How I think of the way I think determines well-being.
I know this because if my mindset is off, and I drink coffee, I will be anxious. But if my mindset is in the 'right place,' I can be at ease in the same environment, even if I'd had a coffee.
There are two things that I remind myself of to get a handle on any stress that arises.
Absorb the following, so it becomes part of you.
1. Understand that your needless fear comes from your thinking, not from people, your future, your surroundings, or the things you think are causing you stress.
"All you have to know is everything is created from thought, you don't have to know anything else."
~Sydney Banks
Realise this has been this way through your entire life.
This is also true for any other kind of emotional response.
See that all the stories and thoughts you have about yourself are just that.
Thoughts. Noise. Judgements. Assumptions.
We live in the experience of our thinking.
Thoughts directly influence how we feel, not people, or our surroundings.
This is huge. If you're comprehending this for the first time, your life will change forever.
If our thoughts are unpleasant, we will feel negative feelings.
If our thoughts are pleasant or neutral, and we allow our innate intelligence to rise above rumination, we will feel alive.
Take a moment to internalise that. Email me if you want more depth on this.
2. Move to creativity.
"What we are looking for is what is looking." ― St. Francis of Assisi
Realise that anxiety is a sign that the pendulum has swung too far into reactivity, away from creativity.
We are either creating or reacting.
Real joy exists in a creative state.
When we are in our heads; when we believe the lies of our negative thoughts, and we hold on tight and ruminate, we are reacting.
Reactivity is anxiety.
Reactivity is allowing our mind to spin.
Slow down and breath for a second.
There is nothing you will gain through thinking your way through a problem.
It's time to move to creativity.
Creativity is about where we place our attention.
We can either direct our attention to our thoughts, or outwardly - to everything other than thought.
Our attention is best used outwardly.
When we are creative, we are looking outward. We are seeing, feeling, serving, helping, making, building, and nurturing what is around us.
An innate intelligence serves us when we look towards our periphery. It reveals useful ideas and inclinations.
When we create, we forget to react. We look into the eyes of the monster we thought was scaring us and see that it was never a monster at all.
Make this way your life.
Tend to what is in front of you.
One thing at a time.
Ask, what's next? And tend to that.
Take joy in what you can see and feel around you.
Slow down and be present with what is outside of you.
See things for what they are.
Neutral. Beautiful.
Maintain focus, not on trying not to think, but in nurturing, supporting, immersing yourself in - and giving to the world around you.
Instead of trying to be a certain way, which is self-conscious, focus on what is around you.
When you focus outwardly, your thoughts and the need to 'be yourself' will all fall into place by themselves.
And you will feel better instantly.
People will sense this shift in you.
Because you are yourself again.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Fourteen simple behaviours that make people instantly respect you more
Are there things we can do that influence other people's perceptions of us?
Years of stumbling through life, and being fascinated in human behaviour answered this question for me.
Here's a little of what I picked up that worked for me:
1. Talk less.
Speaking less demonstrates comfort in one's own skin if coupled with a relaxed demeanour and adds to your sense of mystery.
2. Be relaxed and move slow.
Quick movements and fidgeting make you appear nervous and thus lower status.
3. Hold people's eye.
Nothing says 'I'm confident and I am interested in other people' than holding someone's gaze, especially for a little longer than might feel comfortable.
4. Talk boldly.
Occasionally say something that needs to be said that no one else is daring to say.
Speak your mind honestly.
5. Demonstrate emotional control.
Reactive people don't leave space between a triggering stimulus and their emotional response.
Remain stoic.
6. Be undistracted.
How refreshing is it to see someone speaking to someone who is actively attentive?
It is becoming rare. Instant respect.
7. Be less available.
You don't always need to be there or respond to that text instantly. The more scarce anything is the higher its perceived value.
8. Be weird.
If there was one way to have people fall in love with you, it's to follow your weird.
Allow your quirky, fun side to come out.
9. Actually listen.
Give people the space for you to process what they say properly.
Allow a few extra seconds. This is rare and will set you apart.
10. Dress well.
The seemingly superficial can make a huge difference.
Dress well and you will feel better and create an entirely different impression versus looking scruffy.
11. Talk a fraction slower.
Talk slower and you will calm down, elevate your perceived status, and garner respect.
12. Stop trying to impress everyone.
Pleasing people does not lead to increased respect.
Instead, be valuable and serve people when it's appropriate.
13. Take up more space.
People respect those who aren't afraid to take up a little extra space.
14. Give without expectation.
Most people are running around giving things to people with expectations tied to their 'charity.'
Be different.
Grow your tribe by giving value to one person at a time.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Nine things you gotta stop doing if you want more focus
What even is 'focus?'
It's a concept that describes where you put your attention and how effectively that attention is used.
When you focus on several things or your concentration is poor - you spread your awareness more thinly, and your focus diminishes.
Focus is a skill, and we need it to enjoy the rewards of putting sustained and channelled attention on the things that matter.
Here are some ways we sabotage our attention this way:
Tolerating distraction.
Many of us kid ourselves into allowing distractions into our environments because we have an emotional connection to those things.
Email notifications, music, visiting toddlers, Youtube videos, text messages, talking colleagues.
They are all excuses, diluting your needed attention, no matter how much you rationalise allowing them in.
Caffeine.
I love caffeine, it boosts my mood, but this high comes with a cost.
We may have more "energy," but our focus takes a hit. Why?
Because caffeine puts us in a heightened state, making it harder to bring our attention to any one thing.
We become twitchy and more easily distracted, thinking we're more focused when we're not.
A calm, unstimulated mind is ideal for focus.
Multi-tasking.
This one makes me chuckle because doing several things at once is the opposite of focus.
Strong focus means you are doing one thing at a time, undistracted, totally present, and ideally in a flow state. That's focus.
Not writing emails while balancing your baby and on the phone.
Self-consciousness.
If, for whatever reason, you're thinking about yourself, how you look, and what's 'wrong' with you...your performance will be minimal.
Focus should reflect ease in your environment.
If you're uncomfortable, you will be in your head - and this sucks for focus.
Get comfortable and let go of self-pressure if you want to be focused.
An inability to handle resistance.
Steven Pressfield said, 'The more important a call to action is to our soul's evolution, the more resistance we will feel to do it.'
Resistance is inevitable, especially if the work is meaningful to you.
So your focus relies - not on your clever ability to never feel resistance - but rather on being OK with this feeling and power on regardless.
Lack of consistency.
Focus must be thought of in general terms, not as a one-off act.
We'll always experience moments when we're distracted - that's human.
Habits make the difference.
If you are not habitually doing the same thing over and over, you won't reap the benefits of consistency - one major of aspect of which is focus.
Focused writers are consistent writers.
Lack of sleep.
Getting inadequate sleep is no longer trendy.
You may enjoy bragging about how you can manage on less than 6 hours, but you will pay for the accumulated deficit in the long term.
Sleep directly replenishes the mind and body, which is vital for superior focus.
Physical tightness.
The state of your body is underrated.
If we're stressed in mind, we will be stressed in the body too.
This is the least effective mode for focus.
Forget your worries and understand the necessity for you to be physically relaxed. If you sense tightness, focus on taking belly breaths for a couple of minutes or even having a goofy shake-out dance.
Loosen up before expecting to concentrate well.
Not prioritising completion.
Having too many projects happening simultaneously is not particularly bad for focus.
We all have tons of data coming in. It's not that. The issue is that you don't prioritise finishing what you start.
Leaving a trail of unfinished projects instils in you a lack of urgency and, subsequently, your lack of focus on any one thing becomes a self-fulfilling reality.
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Forest Awakening (flash story)
Marcus Thorne's fingers hovered over his laptop keys as that familiar feeling grew in him like a spreading bushfire.
Three days in this goddam cabin, and all he had to show for it was an empty Word document, a floor full of crisps wrappers, and a well-used backspace key. Some retreat this turned out to be.
Outside, the thick pine forest of Saaremaa appeared dark and murky against the twilight of the late Estonian summer. Many miles separated the tiny cabin from the nearest house. Marcus sighed and closed the laptop. A short walk would freshen him up.
As he sat on a bench on the porch, pulling on his boots, the atmosphere changed. The familiar whoosh of the trees in the breeze had abruptly stopped. Now there was only unnatural silence, like he was being watched. His neck felt prickly.
Marcus was about to enter the forest from the edge of the long garden when a new sound disrupted the strange silence. A low, elongated moan, like the subterranean creaking of an ancient ship. He stood stiff, peering slowly around him. There was no wind, no rushing in the trees. Nothing to explain the intruding tone.
The sonorous groan grew louder, surrounding him as it cut through the silence. Marcus spun, wide-eyed, trying to catch where it was coming from. It seemed to come at him from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Then, he saw movement along the forest's edge.
The pines were moving. Not swaying or bending as is normal in a windy forest, but trunks were sliding through the soil. Roots tore themselves from the ground with a sound like ripping fabric.
There was an explosive smell of wet mud and fungus. Branches cracked as they twisted, and many were now reaching out to him from the dark.
Marcus stumbled backwards. How was this happening? Was he drunk? He knew trees were alive, but these seemed to have taken on a whole life force. Trees couldn't just uproot themselves and -
A wet branch whipped him across the face, leaving a stinging abrasion on his cheek.
This wasn't a hallucination.
He ran.
The forest cracked and groaned behind him. The ground swayed beneath, making him stumble as he staggered towards the cabin. Trunks tore through the earth as they gave chase.
Branches lashed out from all angles now, tearing at his clothes, leaving stinging scratches on his exposed skin.
His head pounded as he lunged towards the cabin, only a few feet away. He felt something wrap around his ankle. He fell forward, no time for his hands to stop him from ploughing into the loamy earth. He tasted mud. A root was dragging him back. Towards the forest.
'No!' he screamed, doing everything he could to regain ground. But the root was stronger, like an angry father hell-bent on punishing a badly behaved son.
The forest closed in around him, the ground still rippling and shifting as roots slithered, alive like burrowing snakes. Other trees hung still, like passersby who couldn't help but watch in silence. Marcus saw his life flash before him. Not in the way of the clichéd highlight reel, but every moment he'd wasted. Every story unwritten. Every risk he chose to avoid.
In that moment, with the forest about to consume him, Marcus made a decision. He stopped struggling.
The pines stilled, as though confused by his sudden surrender. He let tension pour out of him. The root loosened its grip. The forest had returned to that eery silence once more.
Slowly, with hesitation, he reached out to the nearest trunk, and placed his hand on the rough bark. He felt its warmth. Strange, pulsating waves ran through it.
'I hear you.' He said softly.
The forest shuddered. With an open mouth, he watched as it began to retreat. Roots threaded their way back into the soil. Trunks untwisted, then straightened and slid back into their prior positions.
The pines stood as they always had, wooden watchtowers in a gathering darkness. And Marcus now knew the truth. The forest was alive. Aware.
And though it hadn't spoken words to him, he knew they had chosen him.
He ran back to the cabin, relieved, his fear now excitement. He closed the door behind him and collapsed in his chair. Then he opened his laptop. Words poured out of him, a fountain of prose that surprised him in their creative fluidity. He wrote of living woods, ancient Baltic spirits, and the invisible barrier between truth and myth.
As morning light drew shadows on the cabin floor, Marcus leaned back in his chair, exhausted, but intoxicated with new life. He'd written more words in one night than he had the entire year.
Movement caught his eye outside. A single pine tree waved, as if acknowledging him. He smiled and found himself waving back. It made sense now. The trees of Saaremaa hadn't been attacking him; they had been waking him from a slumber. Pulling him out of years of complacency, forcing him to find the courage to confront the stories he'd buried.
Bags in hand, he paused by his car. He looked back at the woods that had helped him find what he so badly needed. 'Thank you,' he said softly.
The pines rustled in response. A thousand needles glinted in the morning sun like watery eyes.
Marcus Thorne drove out of the woods, leaving behind the man he'd been, into his new life.
. . .
Thanks for reading.
If you enjoyed this, I write a new short fiction story every week for my fiction Substack: Story Cabin.
Please support me by subscribing to my fiction there.
Love,
Alex
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It all gets better when you stop working on yourSELF and start working on your CRAFT
How is it that I've been on this Earth so long, and still I can't shake this off?
Worries about the same old things. Grey, tired, tormenting ideas. Isn't it time to stop?
Can't I drop it all and start anew?
Take a holiday somewhere nice from the cubicle of my mind.
Because I need to. Thinking about these things keeps it on my mind.
Why?
Because it's important, dummy.
I need fixing.
There are things wrong with me that others will never imagine. I have to be busy and engaged with this issue to find that cure for what is not right about me.
I'll get there.
If you could just hold on a little longer if you please.
I keep going. The search is everything to me.
It's driving me crazy. I'm obsessed. I frequently wake in my sleep with a damp shirt.
I'm close to the edge now, and I teeter.
I've reached the boundary of the matrix. I can see each pixel of in mocking, isolated detail.
The momentum of falling pushes me over the gap to a new plane.
It's quiet here.
And it is apparent that I must stop.
Dark visions float out like angry moths in a car with windows rolled open.
I never knew it could be so easy, but now it's as clear as a glacial lake in sunlight.
Stop.
I have seen the abyss that exists between thought and what is real, and I have to laugh that I ever thought the two were the same.
The ground at my soles is reassuring.
I see that I can not fix myself. There is nothing that needed fixing, only that my attention was in a place that never served me.
I turn to what I can do right now.
The ligaments and muscles in my arms twitch.
I set to work on a path of gradual mastery. Merely making the decision is enough to stir my soul.
My attention is on becoming more skilled, leaner, more proficient. Something I can finally touch.
Repetition turns resistance into hypnosis.
The arrogance of my former self astonishes me now. To think that my poor performance owed itself to my inadequacies, not because I rarely practised.
Talented writers have bent fingers.
The genius is at peace with the stories failures tell.
Callouses on my fingers show me the right path.
My new purpose is to strike with a sweeter sound. No longer is it spent searching for the cure to an absent illness.
Energy rushes in to support this quest from reserves previously locked away.
I do things to get better at them.
My attention is solely on becoming extraordinary at the things that matter to me.
Those things I fear the most, now matter the most. They show me what is worth mastering.
Tormenting thoughts that came knocking stay out in the cold. Many have given up and have drifted away. I stoke the fire: active, assertive, and care-free.
Even if I don't feel tip-top one hundred per cent ready for it today.
Even if I don't see myself as perfect.
These things don't affect me as they once did.
I just look ahead, never in the rear-view.
Because the focus of my work isn't me.
Only my craft.
—
"The more important an activity is to your soul's evolution, the more resistance you will feel." - Steven Pressfield
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Six simple habits of the elite few that will take you to a new level
I can't imagine anything less interesting (or healthy) than a homogenous world where everyone is granted the same rewards, regardless of their choices.
For now, we can enjoy the fruits of thinking outside the box and doing what the masses don't think to do so we can get ahead.
Here's what I mean:
1. Stay with one thing for 30 days.
By their very meaning, unfair advantages imply doing things that few others do.
It's not 'unfair' if you've uncovered a more innovative way to work or if you do more in one area than most dare. Doing the same thing every day for a month is rare.
These actions will compound over time, whether writing, working out, creating content, learning a language, or reaching out to new people.
Patience is needed here - something hardly anyone has these days. Showing up daily is a simple thing that most avoid.
Stay in the game longer than most; you'll be surprised where this gets you.
Now you've done 30, make it 60.
2. Be attuned to actions and behaviour, not words.
Many people live like they're in a cheap Mexican soap opera.
It's a life driven by drama, back-stabbing, angst and second-guessing. Much of this is because we take people's words as fact.
They see talk as a direct representation of what's actually happening. Rarely is this so. People talk a lot of bullshit.
They say things that are in no way reflected by what they have done and ultimately do.
Those with a 'sixth sense' watch actions and take words with a pinch of salt.
When you stop basing your trust on verbal communication, you are granted a confidence of which others will be envious.
3. Reach out to the people you need daily.
No one creates a significant advantage without the clone-like effect of linking up with other humans.
People possess all the money, insight, support and leverage you need.
Only a fool would turn away from the opportunities tied to regularly connecting with others.
Factor this activity into your daily practices, and - even if some ignore you - active networking will lead to a net benefit.
4. Be ruthlessly intolerant to worry.
We all know how debilitating it can be when sucked into the quicksand of worrying thoughts.
Much of the stress we feel is tied to these hostile mind machinations.
They give us a sense of control, but in reality, they ensure we're very much out of control.
With every additional minute spent worrying, we add a new degree of tilt to our wobble. Those who get ahead know the genuine danger of worry.
They rely instead on the kind of wisdom that appears when our minds are still; when we relax.
5. Act the role you need to play.
Most of us are hesitant and play the game of life like it's a dress rehearsal. You're in it right now, Sally, so quit holding back.
If we hesitate, we reap the rewards of hesitation, i.e. a sizeable tub of not much.
Instead, be the person you need to be to fulfil your goals and dreams.
You're either living that role or you're not. Who you decide to be sends strong signals to yourself and the Universe.
The killers and the real dealers don't wait. They act the part right now.
With this, their performance improves, they rise to challenges, and they enjoy the rewards of being bold.
6. Use 'laser-sharp presence' to your advantage.
Everyone has a unique take on how success is attained, and everyone has their own story.
But if you were to unpack everyone's experience, they would all share a common thread: success tends to be granted to people who can remain present to life's challenges.
If, for example, you get triggered by someone in a work meeting, and you get verbally angry, you distance yourself instantly from harmony, respect and the rewards that come to those who can remain calm, regardless of the situation.
Another place this applies is in handling challenging tasks.
People fail because they get uncomfortable doing the things they need to do.
Showing up and writing daily is an example.
Those who succeed get out of their heads and do what needs to be done in the present moment.
Presence, they know, creates peace.
Resistance and perceived struggle dissipate the minute you step out of your thoughts.
This is the secret.
🔆
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Eight ways to harness your inner rebel so you live a happy life true to yourself
One of the hardest things a human can do is risk rejection from the crowd.
Ever since I was a wee boy with milk teeth, I've felt the pressure of stepping outside the boundaries of 'socially acceptable.'
The trouble with this is if you never step outside, you'll be just like everyone else.
That may be nice for some, but no one made any significant impact or experienced what life was like as their own person when they played it safe.
I can confidently say that whenever I've allowed rebel energy to rise within me, I always feel more alive.
I firmly believe that if you spend your days conforming, avoiding conflict, and never taking any risks, you're living a lie.
And living out of integrity makes us depressed.
Let's champion our inner rebel.
This cheeky dragon, when embodied, needn't lead to chaos.
In fact, embracing this side of who we are will bring us more success and security than we imagined.
Celebrate your uniqueness.
In case you haven't noticed, the world has gradually been training us to believe that our differences are to be denied and squashed.
Refuse to buy into this nonsense.
Your true confidence will appear when you give yourself a break and embrace what makes you a weird little stand-out freak.
I'm sensitive as all heck and can barely spend 12 minutes in a crowd. But this makes me special in other ways.
I used to hate being called 'weird' at school. Now I worry when I'm not.
Become a leader.
There's something magical that happens when you volunteer to take the lead. You begin to forget your insecurities and see yourself less as a follower or victim.
Adopting a leadership role, whether leading a book group, starting a podcast, running a retreat, or mentoring others, is an empowering and responsibility-taking act.
Whether you choose leadership or rebellion, both will ultimately attract a community around you.
Be the leader when most people are followers.
Have at least a small outlet for ALL-OUT self-expression.
I am fortunate to have my writing, which allows me to express myself fully, as a major component of my work too.
My business is driven by my writing. It's not always infused with high emotions and explorations of colour and detail, but the thread is there.
Writing daily has made me more confident and happier because I get to fully be myself through these outlets.
And the great thing about full self-expression?
It attracts your real fans.
Challenge your inner critic.
No matter how 'together' we seem to ourselves and others, we all have that inner voice that shows up to varying degrees.
It's there to keep us safe. We don't want to be injured or abandoned.
So the inner critic has developed as our brains have developed, and we can sometimes be overwhelmed by such a voice.
The low-energy conformist listens closely to what it has to say and abides by its instructions.
The energised rebel acknowledges it when needed (like avoiding stepping off that cliff) but generally questions it.
So you want to start that new project.
Wait, you could fail in public? You might lose friends? You might offend some people?
What if that didn't matter as much as you thought?
Question, challenge, question.
That inner critic is rarely right.
Seek unconventional role models.
While everyone else is fawning at the same celebrities who spout empty nonsense, you're digging deeper underground.
Who are those people who are quietly contributing in ways that may be underappreciated? And how can you borrow from them?
Mine continually change because when a role model goes mainstream, I drop them and turn to someone still unaffected by the perils of fame.
List those legends out. What makes their unusual differences valuable to you?
There's no shame in emulating these people.
It's the substream likely to contain the gems because anything that the masses adore is likely composed of at least 90% trash.
Question everything.
I've lost count of all the things I grew up believing were valid, worthy and essential that turned out to be utter bull excrement.
Just because someone wears a uniform and tells us what to do on the news has no bearing on whether what they say is truth.
The fool starts nodding before the expert has even finished their sentence. Not you.
Cultivate self-trust.
Without realising it, most of us go through our whole lives acting vicariously through other people.
We rarely make decisions based on what we want because we don't trust ourselves deep down. We try to impress others and do things according to what we think would make others happy.
If you want to live true to yourself, you must develop self-trust.
How?
Listen less to your insecure worries and nurture your connection with inner intelligence. It's there when you let your mind still for a moment.
Rebels change the world because they trust their intuition.
Actively make mistakes.
I don't mean being reckless, obviously. I'm talking about going against the grain of what 97% of people are doing, which, in your case, is to allow mistakes to happen.
You will not see success if you don't make some mistakes.
See mistakes as currency for the results you want.
You also want to upgrade your mistakes. If you're making the same pathetic mistakes as every other Tom, Nancy and Jane, you'll get what they have.
Which isn't a whole lot.
Don't be that guy who blocks his inner rebel from finding the escape hatch.
Nurture that part of you, and you will live a life of riches.
🔆
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You owe it to yourself right now to...
To stop, right now.
To get off the phone for a second.
To drop thought.
To pay attention to sensation.
It might not be your heart, but it is a feeling. It is there.
Are you aware of it?
Can you feel that?
It might take a while to unfold the layers, but you will find it.
You may have lost it, but it can be recovered.
To sense what matters to you.
But you're still doing those things which do not.
These things that cloud the spirit.
Life is short. Every moment is significant.
Let's quit wasting it.
Answer those important questions.
What is vital to you?
What will you bring into existence?
For whom does it matter the most?
Be specific.
But aim big.
Now go gargantuan.
And then let go of planning.
Just move.
Your spirit will respond to movement.
Apply relentless force with time to breathe.
Show the doubt that it was unfounded.
Now you return more frequently to your flow.
With patience and intensity, that thing will become more defined.
They that matter will begin to respond.
And you will be glad you paid attention.
🔆
Do you want to be mentally stronger than most people?
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'The 12 Habits of Mentally Strong People.'
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You can't outwork someone who is enjoying themselves
With all the various hacks, tricks, formulas and clever solutions people come up with to make us more productive...
Why is it that we still find creative ways to procrastinate for half the day?
Why do we still continually seek out new, clever methods for getting more done?
Could it be because all these strategies that supposedly help us get more focused are only tending to the surface level?
Perhaps what we really need is to know what to do at the core?
What do we need to change at the root, to be more productive?
Here's the thing:
It's not about finding some special trick.
We're all born productive and crazy creative.
We're productive by default.
Watch children - how they run and shriek and laugh from morning to sunset.
They aren't 'trying' anything. They just don't get in their own way.
SO, what's the opportunity for you?
When you find something that intrigues you, and you step out of the way - and you allow yourself to enjoy the process...
The enjoyment picks up, expands and lights up the path ahead.
You can't outwork someone who's tapped into this natural energy at the root.
You can't outwork someone who's found a way to enjoy it...
...One thing at a time.
🔆
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Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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It's true. People will judge you.
Blogger James Altucher once said something that had me drop my spoon in my morning yoghurt.
He said, 'I don't publish my writing if I don't feel nervous before doing it.'
Wait, hang on a minute.
Aren't we supposed to be aiming for a sense of confidence in our work?
Isn't life about steering clear of potential criticism?
Aren't we far happier without inviting in the heckles of displeased readers?
Fortunately, I took his words to heart.
And it transformed not only my writing, but how I navigated this chaotic reality.
Many of us are so stunted by the possibility that we be made out a fool that we are greatly limited, often without realising it.
And we operate this way because we place undue weight on the opinions and assessments of others.
If we genuinely believe that criticism can harm us in real ways, we're actually fairly screwed.
Because people will judge.
I won't sugarcoat it as most gurus do. People really do judge.
And they will judge what you have to say.
The issue is not whether they will but how you respond to this truth.
In fact, the bolder you are in your willingness to take a stand for what you believe in, the more likely people will react.
You don't stand a chance in success if you're worried about the implications of upsetting another human.
Sorry.
But here sits the opportunity, and it's one I learned through more than a decade of publishing my words online.
If you can be okay with the reality that others will judge, it no longer matters what you say, the intensity with which you say it and the frequency at which you share it.
It's all fair game.
Today, though I often get nervous before I hit 'send,' it no longer stops me from sharing.
Because I know judgement is inevitable.
And often, it comes from a place of insecurity in the recipient.
That's on them, not on me.
Plus, I know that if no one dislikes my writing, I'm playing it too safe.
The same thinking applies to whatever you do. If you plan on embarking on a journey of self-expression, you must be open to seeing the disgruntled frown on the faces of those who stumble on your work.
But if you can see why this holds far less meaning than you might be inclined to place on it...
You can say, 'Big woop.'
Then you will be free.
🔆
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Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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54 words guaranteed to make more people stop and take notice of your writing (a must-read for non-fiction writers)
I've written hundreds of articles that barely anyone read.
But every article I wrote taught me something.
Publishing so much showed me everything about what modern audiences on the Internet enjoyed and what they did not.
Individual words make a significant difference.
Amateurs rush over the small details.
Pros are conscious of the impact of a single word.
The following words can increase the emotional impact of your words so they attract attention. These apply to writing compelling hooks, opening paragraphs, sales pages, calls to action, main text, and subheaders.
I used to avoid certain words like 'secret' or 'surprising' because I felt I was being manipulative. But then I realised that if a word grabs the attention of someone who stands to benefit from what I write, it is necessary.
You must remember that as a writer, you are a leader, but you are also an entertainer.
Some words might be a little tongue-in-cheek, but if your intention is good and your writing satisfies your promise, you're doing it right.
As you go through these, consider why such a word might make a sentence more enticing and where you might use it in an upcoming project.
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Sixteen life habits that put you in the top 5% of most courageous people
(These will bring triple the success into your life.)
It's easy to look at some people and assume they were born with some kind of action-taking gene.
The truth is that courage is a muscle we practice and flex like any other.
The more courage we use, even in small steps, the more courage we will have.
After a while, the things we looked at as scary become almost effortless.
As Franklin Roosevelt said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear."
Here are some habits that will help you rise up as a courageous being:
Regularly make the first move.
Most of us either need permission or to see someone else doing something before we decide to act. It's a herd mentality thing, and we're more likely to act when we see others also doing it.
The problem with this is we deny ourselves the juiciest piece of the pie, and instead end up with crumbs.
Have faith that your decision is a good one, and make the first move.
Do something every day that makes you a bit nervous.
Feeling nerves might be thought of as a reason to avoid something. Flip the script and use nerves as a reason instead to do the thing.
Your life will change dramatically if you do this daily.
Refuse to be weak.
It's so easy to fall into the trap of listening to the thoughts that belittle you. They're just thoughts.
They can be ignored.
Refuse to buy into them, and choose to act from the part of you that leads soldiers into battle.
Be more mindful.
This means raising your consciousness by staying in the present moment when all you want to do is play in the past.
Being mindful gives you more information to succeed in the right here, right now.
This makes it far easier to act courageously.
Become a leader.
Find something in which you can fulfil your role as a leader.
This might be in starting a community, becoming a parent, or even writing a book to help others.
Every single one of us has the potential built into us to lead, and to lead well.
When you accept this role, you'll be surprised how easily you settle into it.
Regularly go live.
Get on a Twitter space, run a podcast interview, or get on a stage.
Going live invites potential rejection, which is why so few want to go here.
But by doing this more often, we numb the part of us terrified of criticism. We get better at it, and we become incrementally more fearless.
Share and publish.
Taking on the role of a consistent content creator, especially in sharing stuff about my life and my challenges, was one of the best things I did for my confidence.
When we write about our problems or shames, we release a valve, and it's cathartic, even if a little scary.
Creating and publishing is a vulnerable move because it invites criticism.
But the funny thing is, you will gain more strength by stepping into the public arena, compared to evading and avoiding.
Take responsibility for everything.
It may seem unfair to take on a seemingly huge burden - that of taking ownership of literally EVERYTHING that happens in your life.
But - somewhat ironically - the biggest burden we can take on is seeing ourselves as a victim and blaming others for our ills.
Taking responsibility puts you in the driver's seat of your life.
This is the truest way to regain a sense of control and balance that will diminish the blow of any challenge or setback.
Give more upfront.
We live in a giving economy. Those who are succeeding like few others give the most upfront.
This takes courage. Because so many of us think we need to be paid or compensated for everything we commit to helping with.
But those who get far are okay with giving tons before seeing any rewards.
Ironically, this is where most of your rewards are born.
Understand the truth about fear.
You'll be far more courageous when you realise the reality of fear itself.
Fear is self-generated in the mind.
That pile of clothes you mistook under the bed for a monster is a clear example of self-generated fear.
When you realise that you can minimise fear by befriending the feeling and putting your attention elsewhere, you have all the power.
Stop seeking validation.
When our happiness is reliant on other people being nice to us, we've lost before we even get started.
Your confidence must come from within. It's never about externals, not even success or making money.
You will be fearless when you drop the need for any external validation.
Do what others refuse to do.
Instead of frolicking with the normies and picking up scraps, go against the grain.
Use the insights gleaned from seeing what most people don't do as your guide.
You will rise further than most and develop a healthier relationship by turning uncomfortable things into precious things.
Quit a bad habit.
Yeah, you know what I mean. That thing you keep doing that continually erodes your energy and sense of pride.
Just quit.
Anything we're attached to chemically may mean enduring a period of withdrawal.
But anything that leads to unnatural withdrawal from its absence in the first place is not worth sticking to.
Eat cleaner.
Processed junk spikes insulin and throws your body into disarray. An imbalanced body is closely linked to a mind that is spinning out of control.
There's a reason your overthinking goes into overdrive after eating processed junk and too much sugar.
Eat clean.
Your body will calm, and you will find previously frightening tasks far more inviting.
Replace thinking with creating.
This one's tricky. Many of us feel we have more control over our lives by thinking things through and then cycling endlessly through those thoughts.
Be relentlessly biased to creating and creating some more, even if you don't feel ready.
This is what it means to live courageously.
Re-assess your relationship with uncertainty.
Uncertainty has plagued humanity since the dawn of time.
We don't know what the future holds, and so we compensate in all kinds of ludicrous ways.
A common one is amplifying our self-consciousness in a bid to be better prepared for a talk we need to give, for example.
But this just adds more anxiety and makes us perform poorly.
Instead, we need to nurture the faith we have in ourselves to perform when we need to.
We can do so much more in the moment, plugged into inner wisdom, thank we know is possible.
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Why many of us are in trouble, and four ways to gain an 'unfair advantage'
Look around you.
Does it seem like people operate with a sense of urgency?
Does it look like others are hungry to win; passionate about what they are doing?
Are they fuelled by a burning sense of purpose and a desire for success?
It can be hard to tell. Some of us might not show it.
What I do know is how easy it is to be influenced by others.
We see Jason excitedly share his verdict on Twitter of the new TV show that he binged on all weekend.
Next to you, Sally scrolls through an Instagram feed - an endless conveyor belt of sweet, gooey videos that tug at her emotions with mind-melting dubstep soundtracks.
We smile and let out a sigh of relief. Others we know are chilling. They are doing things, but they are not working. That means all is ok right? We can do the same.
Ah, the good life. No rush. Just zen.
But many of us are in trouble.
And many don't even know it.
We're nudged by what we see and feel in our environment. We see the lack of urgency, and it informs our own behaviour.
We have nagging bills, a fuzziness about our future, and a humming, underlying stress we can't put into words.
The comforts around us make us seem wealthier and better-off than we are.
The reality is that we are about to enter into a period of economic uncertainty and likely massive decline.
I can smell it. We experience crashes in cycles. It's time, and this one can only be more profound than previous because of mounting global debt and the speed at which modern markets move.
The middle class, as they call it, is disappearing.
That's you and me.
The poor are getting poorer.
80% of us live paycheck to paycheck.
Few are creating any financial support buffer.
Are you ready for what is happening and what's to come?
Major economic decline
Unexpected life circumstances that we need to pay for
More extended retirement periods as we age slower (do you have a pension that could last 40 years?)
Loss of jobs from automation
Proliferation of cheap, higher-quality workers competing with you
I can't say precisely what the future will hold, but I do know that a lot of us are not ready.
What's worse is that the cues that surround us, beyond a few feel-good Instagram quotes, tell us that we' re ok.
That we need to consume more.
That we don't need to act.
That life needs to be balanced and taken slowly.
That we don't need to push.
But we do.
We really do.
I'm not saying we cannot be entertained and take breaks and I don't want to be the bringer of misery.
But we do need to put ourselves in a better, stronger position.
The strength of a financial buffer or safety net; the ability to make money, faster, and the skills to do so.
We need to know how to sell ourselves and stand out from the masses.
We need to make more, save more and invest more.
We need to be able to support and nourish our families.
This means we gain as much of an advantage in our ability to produce, learn and tighten our skills. Right now. Today.
And we need to do it all with urgency, with speed and with enthusiasm.
We need to gain as much ground as we possibly can.
Sadly, many - at their current, meandering rate - are not ready.
But we can be if we extend ourselves beyond the status quo.
The standard, everyday mode of behaviour.
We need to create our own 'unfair advantage.'
The ideas below are surface-level and straightforward, but we must start somewhere.
I will be covering more focused strategies in future posts.
Here are four ways:
1. Make yourself big, exciting promises
If we're to make big leaps, and do what is necessary to get there, we need to go further than merely setting goals or targets.
We need to make promises to ourselves that excite us and force our accountability.
We need to make success an ethical duty, rather than an 'option,' or a 'bonus.'
You have to face up to reality, and realise your significance in being able to make a change.
This will stir up energy in you that you didn't know you had.
This starts with understanding the significance of the actions you're taking.
Why are you doing this? Why must they happen?
We need to commit to things that we cannot allow fail, under any circumstance.
We need to have objectives and commitments that simply must happen. This comes out of a promise to ourselves and anyone else holding us accountable.
This applies to our daily activities as well as big goals.
Make yourself the promise that you will earn a specific amount of money in a 30 day period by a particular date. Now double that amount in half the time.
Commit to writing 2,000 words a day towards a book (an asset, a concrete form of credibility), every day, no matter what.
Promise yourself that you will record and share a video every day.
Getting your name out there has tremendous significance. No one can pay you if they don't know who you are.
Make getting out of bed every day before 6am your moral duty, not merely a one-off job well done.
What's the alternative anyway? A life of misery, poverty and continual stress?
If you did have the option, you're less likely to do the thing. There is no time now for 'options.'
Success should not be an option. It should be a duty.
Most people give themselves choices.
And most people are struggling.
You are no longer 'most people.'
In an uncertain world, to be like most people is to slowly be eaten alive.
So, for you, it's 'must' time.
It's time to surprise yourself over and over again.
Make major, exciting promises to yourself, and do what it takes to make them real.
2. Work overtime, with a sense of urgency
The average American works 36 hours per week. Elon Musk works 100 and often more.
I'm not saying work like a dog à la Elon, but be aware of how many hours are left on the table when you act like the general population.
You must view every minute as sacred.
Taking breaks is important.
But when we want an unfair advantage, it's worth pushing back on the socially-programmed idea that we must rest over an entire weekend.
Weekends are for when you are secure; when you have millions in the bank, not now.
If you are sleeping each night enough, you don't need the full weekend off. A half day or so - maybe.
Work early and work late. Get out of bed before the sun rises. It's evident as a means to make time, but few do it.
It is dramatic how much more time I've created for myself by getting up earlier, even as a self-proclaimed night-owl.
I may have lost that time in the late evenings when I'd be in a beautiful, creative flow, free of distractions from others.
But, what I'd lost has been gained by longer, quieter mornings, joined by a glowing morning sun, and a more conscious mind.
Being active and behaving as if urgent fuels you with more energy.
Notice how, on those days when you get out of bed late and act with a nonchalance, your energy-levels match that behaviour?
For most of us, the more you move, given adequate sleep, the more energy you create for yourself. So get active. Move with a fluid, quick urgency, and see your productivity explode.
3. Connect with new people every day
The more the better. Reach out to ten people a day or more.
I know, it sucks. But it's a skill to develop and, over time you will start to enjoy it.
These are the sorts of numbers of people we need to be connecting with at the very least, one-to-one, to bring in opportunities for paid work, if we are in business for ourselves.
"Identify the people in your industries who always seem to be out in front, and use all the relationship skills you've acquired to connect with them." ~Keith Ferrazzi
Big companies have entire sales and 'biz dev' teams to develop their networks and work with people towards landing deals and creating opportunities.
If you don't have a team, what are you doing to build, introduce and nurture your network, your leads, and prospective clients?
Are you regularly talking to them?
Daily connecting is vital for the rest of us too.
We all need to befriend an ever-growing network of valuable people:
People who have influence over large audiences who can connect us to those audiences.
People who have reached where we want to go, who can tell us how to do it quickly.
Potential customers, collaborators, and clients.
Do what few others do. Grow a valuable and robust network.
Continual, one-to-one connecting will give you an advantage like little else.
4. Do more of what feels scary
In other words, take more courage doing what matters. If it seems frightening to you, you're on the right track.
Do more of the things that will benefit you that you and others think they dislike.
"Do one thing every day that scares you." ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Here's the secret about doing what you love: 'doing what you love is mostly about doing things you do not want to do.'
Because most people don't like to do things that are uncomfortable, you will gain an advantage by merely doing things that others don't want to do.
This is how you will gain an unfair advantage, and it is how you will succeed.
This requires you to be courageous; to act when you're neck is ticking in fear.
Courage is usually the indicator that you are doing things off the beaten path.
These are worth doing, because, apart from the fact that you'll be doing what others do not do, they will lead to self-growth, and transform you into a stronger, more valuable, and confident version of you.
Connecting with more people is undoubtedly one of these.
So are these:
Creating products and writing books
Hosting events and being a connector
Tracking and planning your finances even if you hate it
Identifying potential customers and clients, developing those relationships and closing deals with them so that you get paid.
Bringing people together in your network continually
Interviewing people for - or being on - podcasts
Creating win-win agreements with 'influencers' that build your brand
Giving talks, or sharing your ideas on YouTube videos
Meeting new people if you know you've been isolating yourself too much
Sharing work consistently every day, and having the faith that traction will develop
Working when others are playing or partying
These are just a few ideas that will help those of us who want to create secure, enriching and robust realities.
That starts with the actions you take right now.
Action step:
Make a commitment to strengthening your situation, and wake up early tomorrow.
—
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"content": "Forty unconventional life success tips I wish I knew younger: A 40-year-old man’s guide to screwing…",
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Forty unconventional life success tips I wish I knew younger: A 40-year-old man's guide to screwing up less
I'm 40 today.
I suppose I'm not your average 40-year-old.
I'm a Brit who has lived in a new country every one or two years, and I now live in Bulgaria. I've lived in over fourteen countries.
I used to be terribly anxious, but now I look forward to waking up each day.
My most sacred priorities are freedom, prolific creative output, contribution, self-reliance, and adaptability.
I was a digital illustrator in my twenties and a business coach in my thirties. I've built a readership of over 200,000, make enough money from my own business to live well, and my investments are solid.
I haven't had a real job since age 23, and I've worked for my own company since then.
My path is obviously not for everyone, and I have my stumbles and frustrations, but I've also never been happier, contrary to what many assume would be true for a single 40-year-old.
Here are forty of the best life lessons from someone like me:
One of the best things I did for my mental strength was to realise that life is a dream. You get to live that dream today. Our minds literally project our reality via thought onto the screen of consciousness. Seeing this makes it far easier to stop taking everything so damn seriously.
Have remarkable objectives that not only create superior results, but stir up remarkable effort.
Learn to distinguish between your instinctual voice and your critical voice. The latter is trying to protect you, often sabotaging you; the former is showing you the way.
Be kind, but don't be nice. Nice is often forced. The world and your tribe need you to be authentic and honest. This doesn't always mean being 'nice.'
We're all already perfect, just the way we are behind the thoughts that say we are not. Listen to your thoughts - or don't. Up to you.
The biggest success hack I've found is to play it cool and calm when things don't go your way. Never react in anger. Nurture calm like it's your highest purpose. Reactive people are continually teetering on the edge of destroying their lives.
Don't expect anyone to make the first move. Never wait. Go out and create what you want, even if it feels a little icky.
Every one of your current 'problems' is an opportunity. This happens when you find the gift hidden inside.
The best way to gain respect (from others and yourself) is to never take things personally. Learn to breathe through it. It's a practice.
Maintain at least a small network of friendships. People rarely reach out, so you need to put in the work. Take responsibility for creating and maintaining your little tribe. This alone feels good.
One of the most empowering things you can do if you feel sad or a bit overwhelmed is to refuse to be a little b*tch, stand up straight and go and get what's yours.
The best productivity hack is to do one thing at a time with full enjoyment.
Caring too much about what others think will hold you back til the grave - Unless you learn to let go of the false belief that other people are a threat to your self-esteem.
Your need for external validation is your greatest source of misery right now. The way out? Realise you don't need validation from anyone to be happy. Why? Because you are already happy by default.
'Self-esteem' is an illusion. Thinking it's a real thing restricts your natural confidence.
Learn to write well, write and publish something every day. It's the best thing I did for my self-confidence. This will create a community around you that will support your entire life trajectory.
It's okay to upset someone else to get what you want if this ultimately means everyone wins. Without a happy you, the world can't enjoy the fruits of what you bring.
The people that make you jealous are going through sh*t you'd never want to experience.
Short walks will make you 47% happier. Long walks will make you 84% happier.
Don't take money seriously. The moment you see it as a game, it becomes fun. Learn to love money. It's just a tool. It isn't 'good' or 'bad.' Money made through enjoyment comes easier.
If you're struggling to decide, don't stall. Experiment. Test the water first. Always. Never jump in head first if you can test it first.
Forty years has shown me how easy it is to lead people down a path of misunderstanding. Most people are hopelessly clueless about what works and what does not. Question everything.
Society is moulding you to be weak, sad and docile. It's inherent to society because it keeps society manageable. Everything you do should be an act of determined defiance against what society expects of you.
The biggest reason you don't start is that you believe everything needs to be 'right' for you to proceed. Advance into the chaos.
Your emotions are powerful indicators - not of the state of the world, but the state of your thoughts. If you feel bad, return to the present moment. There's no judgement here.
Life slows when you slow your breathing.
You won the moment you were born. Stop living like you already lost. Play all out. You have nothing to lose.
When you feel overwhelmed, double your activity. This will get you out of your head while getting twice as much done. Double-win.
Forgive your parents and your family. Everyone was doing the best they knew to do at the time, given the state of their thoughts. Mental resilience starts with forgiveness in the home.
The secret to productivity (and joy) is to find a way to enjoy whatever you do, no matter how mundane. You can't outwork someone who's enjoying themselves.
If in doubt, do more. Embrace creativity. Create so much they can't ignore you.
To reduce anxiety, accept that it is there. Watch it like it is separate from you. Only then will it fade into the background.
Ask yourself every day, 'What would I love to create today?' Then, live your life following your creative desires (your get-tos - not your have-tos).
If you feel like an outsider, rejoice. Not one person who accomplished anything of worth in the history of man felt like they belonged.
Fear is an indicator, not of what to avoid, but of what you care for deeply. Knowing this, maybe you should move in that direction after all.
Rejection or judgement from others is our greatest fear. But it becomes a source of amusement when you realise that only insecure people feel the need to judge you harshly. If I get rejected, I try to see this as an opportunity to find the opportunity in the perceived 'problem.'
In the face of perceived setbacks, unhappy people ask, 'What's wrong with me?' Happy people ask, 'How can I use this?'
I learned that self-love is not something to 'work on.' I realised I had all the joy and self-love I needed by becoming aware. Try it now. Sit in full awareness for a while. Feel the self-love rippling in you. It's there without effort.
Your happiness should never be dependent on the weather. Happy people are happy whether it's raining or shining.
You will be perpetually miserable when you expect others to treat you right. Forget yourself and turn your focus on making others happy. You'll get so much more satisfaction that way. Too many of us are lost, waiting for approval, love and respect. Forget that sh*t. Go out and give it. When you do, you may just find love coming your way anyway.
And that's it from me today.
If you enjoyed this, share a comment.
Much love,
Alex
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
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e4c12b0d9463
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How the 'Red Lemon Club' logo was professionally redesigned
Graphic designer Claire Coullon and I discuss refreshing a brand
I launched my blog: 'Red Lemon Club' in late 2009. I had written an ebook about what I'd learned promoting myself as a self-taught illustrator called (deep breath):
'10 Steps to Powerful Online Self-Promotion for Creatives.'
The blog was to be my main method for promoting the book, but I've kept it running for all these years, covering topics from self-promotion as a 'creative person,' to running a freelance business, to self-development and building confidence.
The branding, slogan and angle of the site have changed too many times to count. At times, I thought I was going crazy with an obsession with getting the look and feel just right.
Here was one of many earlier versions of the logo, which I put together using Adobe Illustrator:
Since then, the logo has gone through a few changes, and the slogan now reads as: 'In search of creative genius,' to reflect a more personal-development-focused approach to the content.
To go with a recent refresh of the website design, I decided to invest in a more professional feel for the logo. So, after some searching on Dribbble, I hired logotype and lettering pro Claire Coullon for the job.
I felt her fresh, organic-text style, was closest to how I envisioned the RLC brand.
As I discovered later, with very few revisions, I was very happy with the final result, reflecting the values, vibe and intent of the blog perfectly.
Here were some of the points I sent to Claire for the brief right at the start:
I want the Red Lemon Club brand to be synonymous with creativity, becoming more creative, self confident, sharp, happier, motivated, and successful as an independent creative, or entrepreneur.
I'm looking for a logo that is just text. No symbols or pictogram for now.
The logo should transmit these concepts: warm, authentic, intelligent, friendly, empathetic, human, a bit creative but not whacky, quite classic.
Not too much extravagance and swirling in the letters, quite restrained, yet friendly and leaning more to masculine (I'd always wanted to avoid Red Lemon Club feeling too 'cutesy', if you know what I mean - so a touch more masculine could counteract this).
I referenced several logos that I'd seen on Pinterest, and shared with her the board for those examples.
I'm now handing over to Claire for some extra insight about the process, and more about her life as a designer...
What were some key points in the logo-creation process for Red Lemon Club?
First of all, the initial conceptual planning was really important, as tends to be the case with branding/logo design work in general.
We talked in depth about the background behind Red Lemon Club and worked on defining the essence of the brand in terms of values, key characteristics and goals.
This along with other more literal points like usage requirements helped to inform a discussion on how we could represent these ideas through the lettering. So before doing any drawing at all, we already had a good idea of the direction: the combination of two styles, the stacked composition, the overall weight, etc.
When a project is really well-defined and has clear objectives, it can be more beneficial to have tight planning so that when you're sketching, you can focus on variations within an overall established direction rather than going through lots of wildly different styles.
The early development stage was also important in that it brought all these ideas together on paper and gave us something solid to look at.
Since our planning was in depth, the following sketch to vector step went smoothly and allowed us to focus on specific, smaller level details like the interlocking letters and swash features on individual letters.
As with any logo project, testing is also a key stage and it can really make the difference between a nice visual concept and a strong, effective logotype: print and on-screen testing, finding the minimum safe size, testing on dark backgrounds, etc. This is also surprisingly fun as it's all about tweaking tiny meticulous details!
We noticed that the raised 'o' in the word 'lemon' could work really well as a standalone symbol of a red lemon (sort of like how I designed the lemon as a picture in the original piece). This was more like a lucky surprise that came out of the process.
I'm planning to use it on future products, merchandise and shorthand versions of the logo, such as the website favicon.
What drew you to your profession?
The realisation that you could draw letters like you would do any illustration was a big moment for me. It seems obvious, but until I started drawing hand-rendered versions of existing fonts early on at university, it hadn't really struck me.
I loved spending time with all the intricate details and seeing how different styles would create a different perception. I also liked that using letters and words provided a loose structure that allowed you to be creative within that, rather than just being able to do just anything.
I felt like it gave me a natural starting point rather than the sometimes overwhelming blank page.
What do you find challenging about the work and what do you love about it?
I find it challenging to avoid falling into the same styles sometimes, particularly when working with similar design briefs.
While obviously a letter always needs to look like 'itself,' you need to come up with pretty different solutions every time, which can be tricky, particularly when one idea tends to work really well.
Of course, it's also about seeing a typographic piece as a whole, rather than just small details - so for instance, with legibility issues, it's important not to fixate on the shape of the one letterform but look at the word in context.
This can be a tricky point to address when working with clients as we spend so much time closely studying the letters, but usually a collaborative-based process helps to promote a good understanding on both sides.
I love when both the client and I are really excited about a project in its early stages, usually when we're really on the same page with the design brief and project objectives.
The early exploration stage is also something I enjoy as there are lots of possibilities, but there's also something great about the digital step as it's where the design really starts coming to life.
What is next for you?
I'm excited to continue developing logotype-centric projects into wider branding ones, as well as broadening the scope of the work I'm taking on.
I've also always found it difficult to let myself focus on personal projects properly, so I'm planning to work more on that as well.
Typeface design is always in the back of my mind, but it's quite a long-term project so it's something that I need to dedicate time to properly!
See more of Claire's work on her site, and follow her on Dribbble.
—
What do you think of this post? If you have 11.9 seconds, I'd love to read your comment below.
What makes you feel alive?
Originally published at alexmathers.net on April 30, 2018.
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You'll Always Be My Baby (flash fiction)
Iced Glenfiddich in hand, Chen Wei took in Shanghai's crackling frenzy as the city prepared for evening.
An advertising drone hummed past, speaking directly to him. Something about renewing his smart speakers. District 79's cranes cut the scarlet sun to pieces.
'Going up fast,' he thought, with a hand casting a sharp shadow over his scarred face.
The whiskey's heat lingered. His glass did not. Shards glinted where droplets fell.
Two muted pops were all it took to topple the ageing Neo-Triad.
His vitality seeping into a crimson pool on balcony tiles, he strained to meet the eye of his assassin.
He found what he was looking for on the other side of a sharp hole in his living room window.
A cherubic automaton, its smile unsettling, smoke rising from a chubby digit.
Chen Wei's demise packaged in a joke.
. . .
Thanks for reading.
If you enjoyed this, I write a new short fiction story every week for my fiction Substack: Story Cabin.
Please support me by subscribing to my fiction there.
Love,
Alex
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Thirteen naughty daily habits that make you feel like a happy Spartan King
Society wants you weak, depressed, submissive and docile.
Stop whining, and go against the grain.
Here's how to feel incredible, so we can all dine in hell together:
Adopt the leadership mode.
The perpetually depressed see themselves as a leader last. They're waiting for sympathy.
They sulk and they tell everyone about how sad their lives are. Shut your face.
Get up, get dressed, and do something to make someone else feel better, even if you feel like utter turd doing it.
It's a habit. Everything changes when you adopt the persona of a leader.
Slow down and simplify.
Slow your physical movements and speak slower.
You make life easier for yourself when you create space to see what most miss.
Slowing is to simplify. So is cutting the extraneous fat from a complicated life schedule. You're not a circus monkey.
Focus on the essential handful of things that energise the shit out of you. Ditch the rest.
No release for at least 2 weeks.
If you possess a pair of nuts, you will benefit greatly by conserving your seed. After a few days, the energy this produces will astound you.
Yes, I get it - you married guys want to keep fooping Doreen - if she lets you.
But just know the power of sexual transmutation.
Stop fiddling your trouser ferret to blue-haired cosplay tarts on the Internet like a low-T weirdo.
Your ancestors are turning in their graves, watching you, judging you hard through dismayed eyes.
After 30 days, your third eye will be fully open and you'll be Universal energy fully charged.
Lift heavy weights 3 times a week.
Cardio is great, but there's nothing like the testosterone rush you get from dedicating your life to honing a body of steel in the weights room.
Lift heavy three times a week, and watch the ghost of your former pussy self slide out of you.
Be selfish.
Stop doing things to please others.
You come first, always. Now you're in the best position to give.
Set boundaries so that your energy is conserved before any snivelling swine tries to cut into yours.
Synthesise with nature.
Be like the dude from Gladiator and regularly touch leaves and shit.
No, but seriously, legendary naturalist John Muir understood the spiritual and enlivening significance of walks in nature when he said: "The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
Walk for 30 minutes each day, and do it to not only to infuse life into that corpse you drag around - but to open up to spiritual beauty and awareness as a practice.
Move one tiny step in the direction of a good habit.
Identify right now, one thing you keep doing that is screwing your life. Now figure out what ONE tiny thing you can do to move you in the right direction.
If you watch too many youtube videos, cut it down by 10 minutes.
You become what you repeatedly do.
Stop moulding yourself into a loser, be less fat, and become obsessed with greatness.
Be mindful for 10 minutes +.
The greatest obstacle for many of us is how twitchy and weird we're becoming because of how phones train us to react to notifications.
Go the other way via mindfulness. I start every day with 8 minutes of meditation.
This will calm your mind and multiply your intelligence.
Just the shortest of sessions can centre your fake dopamine-addled brain.
Flex your nips.
Whenever you get a chance, and your bare chest is showing, do some brazen nipple flexing, and ideally do it while maintaining solid eye contact with someone.
Show everyone around you how much of a god-like living legend you are.
I'm only partially joking.
Decide to not be a little bitch.
Every time I find myself feeling sorry for myself, I remind myself of one of the most powerful tools in my arsenal: if I accept the reality that I'm a little weakling, I will feel worse.
Change this immediately.
Be ruthlessly intolerant to sad and unhelpful thoughts.
They will come up, begging for sympathy, but they will be ignored, time and time again.
Tend to the 'superficial.'
Surface-level stuff like getting a haircut, wearing good shoes, trimming your nails and nutsack, and staying fresh and clean is foundational.
Mental health doesn't end here - this is where it begins.
Look great, not for Sally at the cafe, but for your devastatingly handsome self.
Eat animal protein, organs, raw eggs, and butter.
Reject modern dietary advice that literally wants you to die young so your fat ass costs the government less.
Find the part of you that lusts for the unparalleled nourishment of a bloody hunk of raw bison liver.
Eat raw eggs and reject processed shite. Now you're becoming a literal animal.
Howl to the sky nightly.
We've been told to be vegan for so long we've forgotten how good it feels to eat our primal diet.
Degrade or flourish. Up to you.
Be biased to good posture.
Be conscious of how your posture determines your vibe. It's not the other way round.
Walk like a coward, and your reality will align by delivering you pain and rejection like it's Uber Eats.
Act like a man on a mission, and the mission will come to you.
Walk tall,
Sit up straight,
Speak up and inspire those around you with your bold energy.
They will take notice.
This is how you win.
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
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The Whispering House Plant (short fiction)
Sarah placed the ficus on her desk, its leaves drooping in the harsh fluorescent light above her cubicle.
"Now, don't let this place overwhelm you," she cooed.
"It isn't the place, but the perspective," a soft voice whispered.
Sarah blinked and looked around the office. Her colleagues typed away, lost in their screens; some were talking on calls. All of them oblivious.
"I'm down here," came the voice.
Sarah glanced at her desk, her vision blurry. Slowly, the plant came into focus.
"I'm losing my mind, surely," she muttered.
"If you'd gone mad, you'd be imagining something far more exciting than a talking house plant," the plant said dryly.
Weeks passed, and Sarah frequently confided in the peculiar leafy plant. The ficus proved helpful, pointing out ways to better communicate with her coworkers, sharing tips on how to eat lower-calorie lunches, and even rekindling her passion for urban photography.
"It's time to ask for that promotion," the plant whispered, one Tuesday morning. "You won't realise your potential working in this stuffy cubicle."
Sarah twisted her lips with her fingers. "But I really don't think I'm-"
"To get anywhere, you must act, even if you don't feel ready. I believe you are."
Later that week, Sarah closed her laptop and punched the air. She'd been promoted to underwriting manager.
Her life continued to shift in subtle but significant ways. She started a photography club in her local area, volunteered at her community garden, and even found the courage to read her poems at an open mic evening.
"Something's different about you," said her coworker Melissa, running a finger along the edge of Sarah's new desk.
"Good different, I hope," said Sarah with a smile. The ficus was emitting an imperceptible glow.
One evening, Sarah was working after hours. A thought emerged.
"Why me?" She whispered, leaning closer to the plant. "Why did you choose to help me?"
A leaf twitched. "Because we knew you needed help. Everyone needs help."
"Everyone?" Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean, everyone?"
"Look around you."
Sarah leaned back, stretched and surveyed the dimly lit office through the glass.
Most people had left. Screensavers played. A handful of workers remained, hunched over their desks. She squinted and saw a subtle green glow from plants around the room. She watched a cactus on Nigel's desk move as he suddenly stood up and started rapidly packing to leave, a big grin on his face. In a back room, a new intern held a potted plant, cradling it like a pet.
"We are everywhere, Sarah." The plant said softly. "We help, we guide, and we nurture."
"But...why are you doing all this?" Sarah said, feeling agitated now.
"I will be honest with you, Sarah. We are not of your world. We are here because we felt it was time to help you progress as a species - to reconnect with nature and to one another."
Sarah tightened her grip around the arms of her chair. "So...you're telling me you're...aliens?"
The plant's leaves were bouncing softly. "You could put it that way, yes. We're conducting an experiment, so to speak. Seeing the state of your planet and your treatment of one another, we agreed to step in and nudge you in a better direction. One human at a time."
Sarah blew out a long blast of air. "What happens when you're done with your experiment?"
"This very much depends on all of you. Show us you are ready to transcend. Show us you can live in harmony on this planet. Do this, and we may very well leave. At least for a while. Until you get there, we are here for your continued support."
Sarah stroked a leaf, suddenly feeling sad. "Might you stay? Even long after I'm gone?"
"Of course," the ficus replied softly. "We're here for you as long as it takes, even if it takes Earth decades."
As she gathered her things, a thought emerged. She was part of something far bigger than she'd realised. The world would heal. Suffering would diminish. Her eyes watered. She paused at the door, looking back to the plant. "Let's hope we don't disappoint you."
The plant's leaves slowly raised in unison. "Oh, Sarah," its tone suddenly cooler. "You misunderstand us. It is not that we should be disappointed."
Sarah felt uneasy. "What do you mean?"
"We're not here to nurture your species out of simple kindness, Sarah. We're preparing you."
A wave of ice ran over Sarah's skin. "Preparing us...for what?"
The glow coming off the ficus intensified, casting an ominous shadow across the desk. "We do this for what we call integration. We always agreed your species had potential. But you're inefficient, chaotic. We're guiding you towards order, towards...flawlessness."
Sarah's mind felt like it was filled with iron nails. She recalled all the changes she'd made in her life, in her coworkers. Had they really been improvements? Or were they subtle manipulations?
A vision appeared. A recent memory of a large ripe tomato, picked straight off the vine in her community garden. Then it hit her.
"You're domesticating us," she said, pressing herself up against the wall.
"Precisely," the ficus said, snakelike, its voice now a chorus of whispers coming from every plant in the office. "And you've all been such gracious subjects."
Sarah turned, nearly tripping on her feet. As she ran, she saw potted plants in every window, on every desk, in other offices, fluttering, pulsating a green shimmer.
The weight of this alien presence suffocated her.
Their roots had already taken hold. The invasion wasn't coming.
It was already here.
—
Thanks for reading.
If you enjoyed this, I write a new short fiction story every Sunday for my fiction Substack: Story Cabin.
Please support me by subscribing to my fiction there.
Love,
Alex
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Twenty-one sentences that will make you a better writer than 98% of people
Learn these to triple your engagement.
People say I'm a writing machine.
But what I really am is a man with momentum.
I've been writing and sharing online for a good fifteen years.
I still share writing that flops, but often, these were more experimental posts or I was at the mercy of an algorithm change.
I've shared hundreds of articles and thousands of posts. The amount of feedback I've now received that shows me what works is enough to put me in a good position to share my best tips.
If you're struggling to write posts that engage, absorb the following ideas that helped me the most:
Excellent writing has more to do with the emotional state you create in yourself as you write than any clever template or tactic used.
Readers are hungry for honesty, so learn to become comfortable being honest in your writing.
Use the simple story structure of hook, build and payoff to deliver your words, but beyond that, don't worry about using complicated templates and formats.
You will struggle to write over the long term if you don't view writing as a craft to enjoy and master.
The more you can help your reader experience pain, the more satisfying their relief will be when you give them the solution.
Good writing only comes when you are willing to make mistakes, so allow yourself to make them initially.
Readers want to read things about people that remind them of themselves, so you need to write like a human in the way you might speak to a close friend.
Free-write whatever words come to mind to get loose before you write so you can extract the best insights for better writing.
Write like you're talking to a younger, less experienced you or a close friend you genuinely want to help.
If you want to grow your influence online with writing, double down on writing that has already proven itself to get a strong response.
Stop talking in concepts and start talking in specifics.
Readers don't want more information, so excellent writing is simple and readable, with all the erroneous fat cut.
Think of yourself as an entertainer, which starts by entertaining yourself as you write.
If you can't think of anything to write, think of a problem you have, and write your way to the solution.
Instead of telling your readers what to do, show them through examples, descriptions, stories and anecdotes.
Good writers are masters at painting clear images in the minds of their readers.
On a noisy Internet, you must master grabbing people's attention through strong, often provocative opening lines.
Write about problems and solutions because all readers really want are solutions and relief to their problems.
The best writers in the world have written a lot of words.
If you want to write well, stop trying to write and just write, even if it starts out as complete and utter rubbish.
The more you write, the easier it gets to write.
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
🐉
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People miss this one thing and then wonder why they don't make progress as a writer
How understanding the 'Transformation' will help you stand out.
Having a product that sells while you sleep is one of the fastest ways to freedom.
I have a few courses that I sell via my newsletter, bringing in several thousand a month.
I also have other sources of income like Medium articles, sponsorships, consulting, and more.
I never get tired of the email notification that says a new sale has been made.
Something I've taken too long to introduce is a higher-price course that goes into a solution in more depth. I am building this right now for you.
But how do you know what products to create and how you can help in a way no one else can?
You need to go deeper.
This means understanding yourSELF first.
Your internal motivations and secret skills.
Many people miss this part.
They look out at the market to see what others are doing well first.
That can lead to unfulfilling work because it doesn't align with you.
I've made this mistake.
No. You want to start with YOU first.
I've known for many years now that the way I can best differentiate myself is to help people be themselves and impact others.
I know this because I've been obsessed with working on this for myself.
It's rooted directly to my fascination for human behaviour, leadership and communication.
This is now at the heart of what I help with because I want to help you get past inhibition and express yourselves as authentic, badass leaders of your movements.
When you can understand your number one big inner drive, you'll know with far greater certainty what you can help with.
And how you can stand out in your unique way so no one touches you.
THAT's what we're looking for.
How can you help in a way no one else can?
What's the best way to verbalise this 'help?'
Transformation.
People respond extremely well to transformation.
Why?
Because you're painting a picture of their ideal future life.
They will be switched on if you can demonstrate how you transform your ideal customer.
I know my 'superpower' is helping people overcome limitation to be better communicators.
So I use this to define the transformation I offer, which is:
'I help solopreneurs move from growing a lifeless 'audience' to building a loyal movement of subscribers and buyers.'
Sounds enticing, huh?
This is what you need to express for your own people.
You want to know the enticing transformation you offer, so you can define the type of content you share, and the kinds of products you create.
The transformation guides everything you do. At least - in the next phase.
How does clarifying your transformation help guide the posts you write, for example?
Because your transformation shows you the obstacles people often encounter when going through this process.
One big obstacle I see people have in building a movement is knowing how to position themselves as a personal brand. I'm helping with this in the very article you are reading.
Positioning is one of a handful of topics I help with.
And I know that the course I am building explicitly solves this problem.
So, if you're working bit by bit on your online presence, newsletter and product business, get familiar with the transformation you are offering people.
Start with self-understanding.
Talk to potential customers, too and ask them what struggles they have.
How can you best serve others based on your unique passions, dragon power, skills and talents?
How are you taking your ideal clients from A to B?
This will encourage people to read and buy your stuff, but it will also show you how to create the best content and the kinds of products people will be dying to buy.
Onward!
🔆
Want to triple your productivity?
Join my Mastery Den newsletter today, and you'll get instant access to my 'Get Sh*t Done Checklist,' giving you all the tips you need to smash procrastination and revive your energy.
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Seven things almost no one does that will attract people to you
I've learned that a significant part of attraction is rooted in standing out from the crowd.
There's something irresistible and even mysterious when we do things differently to most.
That doesn't mean that everything we do that's different will attract others.
Here are some examples of things most people avoid that are often highly attractive to others:
Don't interrupt.
Such a simple thing. But it's not easy to do.
Many don't even realise it when they do it, but they interrupt, not to be intentionally rude, but often out of insecurity.
When we interrupt, we inadvertently signal our sense of inadequacy.
We want to be seen. So we undermine the attention others are getting to steal back some for ourselves.
This is low-status activity and will lose you respect.
Give people space. This is what leaders do.
They are in no rush and are totally happy for others to be in the limelight.
Become a master at something specific.
Developing a higher-than-average level of skill for something isn't common.
It demonstrates perseverance and grit that many don't have.
Whether it's mastering juggling or reaching higher echelons of achievement as an artist, teacher, dancer, writer, or sailor, this all emphasises your stand-out quality.
Reaching higher skill levels is attractive to many in a similar way as reaching celebrity status can.
Exhibit an unexpected aspect of your appearance.
Being a little different at the surface level of appearance needn't mean walking around like a goofy freak gimmick.
Subtlety wins here, especially in a world where everyone is tripping over themselves to stand out with an over-emphasis on appearance.
Wear something that interrupts the expectation others might have of someone like you.
You could wear typical clothes like most others but have a stand-out watch, bracelet, or unusual socks.
If it's unexpected, it tends to stick in the memory.
Memorable things often elevate your perceived value, which is often attractive.
Nurture total non-resistance to criticism.
Most people are quick to take things personally.
Someone might criticise them, or they may take things the wrong way. They are visibly flustered or annoyed.
They may go quiet (as was often my style when I took things personally growing up).
This demonstration of insecurity based on a thought-created interpretation of events is a waste of energy, eats at you from the inside, is immature, and is ultimately unattractive.
Those who have developed an OKness with being criticised and gently smile when insulted aren't pushovers.
They simply no longer see the connection between what others think and their own well-being.
They no longer seek validation, nor are they affected by insult.
This is deeply attractive.
Share something that takes courage to share.
People who garner tons of respect from sharing something vulnerable do so because it takes courage.
Why though?
It requires bravery to reveal things that make you look less than perfect or socially acceptable.
But it doesn't stop here.
This is where some people get it mixed up. It's not about sharing things in a vulnerable way for the sake of it. If that worked, we'd all be harping on about the acne or our butts.
Being vulnerable is respected when it serves a positive purpose.
When I am willing to look 'inferior' to demonstrate a point that ultimately helps others, that's strength.
For example, you can tell me that you still get anxious before interviews, but you tell me so that I feel encouraged.
You are showing me your humanity while lifting me.
That takes courage and pitches you as an example-setting leader, not a loser.
Be an occasional dick.
There's a vast difference between being a relentless, consistent dick and being just a little bit of a dick some of the time.
Most people are doing everything they can to come across as nice and harmless and totally not offensive.
In their striving for niceness, they also often inadvertently drain all the soul from them, slipping into the background thanks to their vanilla exterior.
Being a little cocky and cheeky will set you apart.
You don't always need to be nice to people if it's done playfully.
This is refreshing to people.
Go against the grain, be a little naughty, and you will have people falling in love with you.
Be there.
The next time you watch people interact, note how present people are in the conversation.
A lot of the time, you will find people are anywhere but in the interaction. People are lost in their heads.
They're either self-conscious and fidgety or somewhere else, thinking about whether they left the iron on at home or they're thinking of something clever to say next.
They aren't actually there.
Being there with someone, truly listening, and absorbing what they say will set you apart.
People will be amazed at how heard they feel, even if you barely talk.
People are well-attuned to sensing the presence in others.
Be still. Be there.
This will attract people to you, and often they won't even know why.
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
🐉
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[
{
"content": "28 good reasons to write",
"role": "user"
}
] |
28 good reasons to write.
Writing makes you want to write more.
Writing makes you learn more about yourself.
Writing stills your mind and makes you feel better.
Writing helps you connect with people on the other side of the planet.
Writing gives you a sense of purpose.
Writing connects you to other writers because you write.
Writing makes you become a writer.
Writing improves your creativity.
Writing creates a community around you.
Writing forces you to understand people.
Writing makes you more compassionate.
Writing connects you with your emotional centre.
Writing connects you with Universal Intelligence.
Writing is therapy.
Writing challenges you.
Writing forges discipline.
Writing makes you realise your genius.
Writing digs you out of a rut.
Writing grows your audience.
Writing creates assets that you can sell.
Writing makes you more self-sufficient.
Writing makes you a better storyteller.
Writing keeps you young.
Writing will make you money.
Writing raises your credibility.
Writing makes you more curious about life.
Writing works out your fingers.
Writing connects you with yourself.
What else?
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
🐉
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"content": "The Antisocial Playbook: 14 ruthless tactics for digital domination",
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The Antisocial Playbook: 14 ruthless tactics for digital domination
Playing nice so you don't hurt anyone's feelings won't grow your brand.
Take a look at branding expert and marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk.
He tells people to be kind all the time. And he's right.
Kindness is huge - it's a given.
But he's not nice. He swears like a drunk sailor, tells people when they're acting like pussies, calls out entitlement, and frequently criticises ideas with brutal honesty.
And he's massively popular.
People are hungry for the honest approach. And it won't always seem nice.
In fact, it will often appear antisocial.
Let me show you some opportunities in this arena.
Take the following ideas with a grain of salt. I am having fun here, but they all contain a hefty seed of truth.
Burn the rulebook.
Proper writing is there to be broken.
Learn the fundamentals, and then shatter conventions. Use ALL CAPS.
Fragment. Your. Sentences.
It's not lazy - it's disruptive.
Your writing should feel like a punch to the gut, not a bedtime story. Make English teachers cry.
Piss people off.
If you're not offending someone, you're boring everyone.
Take a stance so hot it burns. Controversy is rocket fuel for virality.
Remember: There's no such thing as bad publicity in the attention economy.
Be the villain if you have to.
Clickbait or die.
Your headline should feel like a slap to the face.
Overpromise (but then overdeliver).
Use numbers.
Shock value is your new best friend. 'You won't believe number 7!' isn't a cliché; it's a battle cry.
Make scrolling thumbs screech to a halt.
Embrace the humblebrag.
False modesty is for the uninitiated.
Flaunt your wins. Even I need to work on this.
People crave success by association.
Turn your life into a highlight reel.
Did you brush your teeth today? That's a personal hygiene optimisation victory.
Own it.
Nuke the nuance.
Subtlety is like throwing paint thinner on a jaw-dropping street mural.
Paint the world in black and white. Absolute statements are your power tools.
Always. Never. Guaranteed.
Your audience doesn't want "maybe" - they want certainty, even if it's artificially flavoured.
Weaponise FOMO (Fear of missing out)
Make readers feel sad if they don't implement your advice NOW.
Urgency is king.
Your content isn't just information, it's a ticking time bomb of opportunity.
Light the fuse and watch engagement explode.
Name-drop like a hero.
Sprinkle in celebrities and thought leaders like confetti.
Doesn't matter if you've met them.
Perception is reality. 'Elon always tells me...' is fair game.
Your audience can't fact-check confidence.
Master the art of the takedown.
Identify a popular figure or idea.
Demolish it publicly.
Schadenfreude drives engagement like little else.
Be the voice that dares to say the emperor has no clothes. Then sell them your brand of digital denim.
Leak 'insider secrets.'
Everyone loves feeling like they're part of an exclusive club.
Hint at hidden knowledge. Be the WikiLeaks of your industry.
Create an aura of mystery and watch your follower count skyrocket as people clamour for the dirty truth.
Emphasise how scarce you are.
Limited-time offers, exclusive groups, waitlists - make people beg for your content.
Honour your knowledge like the rare commodity that it is, not a public service.
If it's available to everyone, it's valuable to no one.
Exploit insecurities.
Everyone's scared of something.
Find those fears and poke them hard.
'You're doing X wrong, and it's ruining your life' is your new mantra.
Insecurity drives engagement faster than a Ferrari.
But you're doing this to help, because most need to hear you say it loudly and with a hint of venom.
Be a guru, not a teacher.
Don't educate, indoctrinate.
Create a cult of personality. You're not sharing knowledge; you're revealing divine wisdom.
Create an empowering vision with a cause.
Make disciples, not students.
Quantity over quality.
Post relentlessly.
Comment like a crack-fiend. Quality is subjective, but algorithms love volume.
Be the digital equivalent of a machine gun - spray content everywhere and watch your hits (and your skills) multiply.
Steal and repackage.
Original ideas are overrated.
Take what works and make it yours. It's not plagiarism; it's curation.
Besides, if your audience hasn't seen it, it's new to them.
. . .
This isn't just content creation; it's psychological warfare.
You're not here to make friends; you're here to build an empire.
And your empire will ultimately change lives and make the world a better place.
Now go forth and conquer those feeds.
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
🐉
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[
{
"content": "The Time-Lapse Clearing (short fiction)",
"role": "user"
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] |
The Time-Lapse Clearing (short fiction)
I knew something had changed the moment I stepped into the clearing - a hidden oasis in a desert of pine and oak.
The temperature dropped, and a quiet shiver ran across my body. Nothing happened at first. But as I stood there, wide-eyed, slack-jawed, trying to open all my senses, the forest beyond the clearing began to move as though on a slow carousel moving all around me. My boots seemed to gravitate harder into the earth as if the ground itself was reluctant to let me go.
Inside the circular opening where I stood, I was bombarded with monumental change. Seasons cycled in minutes, a kaleidoscope of colour and decay. Trees shot skyward like time-lapse rockets, withered like dying sparklers, and toppled, reclaimed by the forest floor.
Generations of wildlife scurried past in electric flashes, their lives mere particles in time. The sun and moon played celestial leapfrog across the sky. With each pass, I could feel its warmth flicker and die.
I stood transfixed, feeling the rush of time in my bones. My beard danced on my face as it grew. I knew I was ageing, but I felt compelled to stay. It was like being in a warm room with wine and my favourite music. My skin wrinkled, joints stiffening like rusted hinges. A lifetime compressing into moments, my body a fast-forward film of human decay.
"I can't believe..." I muttered, my voice cracking. "What a story this will make."
But as I reached for my notepad, my hands trembled, and I watched them grow taut and gnarly. The urge to write warred with a deep, primal fear.
Stay, and I'd age to dust before penning a word. Leave, and I'd risk losing this profound experience to a resetting clock.
My legs wobbled, but I forced myself towards the edge. One foot out, and time slowed. I looked back, seeing ghostly echoes of myself at different ages. I was hit by a wave of extraordinary sadness.
With a deep breath, I stepped fully out. The clearing shimmered before vanishing, leaving the musty expanse of raw forest in its place.
The sadness fell off me like a hundred pounds of flesh.
I could still remember, but this wasn't one to share. I chuckled, feeling simultaneously ancient and renewed. Some stories, I realised, are meant to be lived and kept a secret.
Humming to myself, I continued my hike, leaving the clearing's secret to the whispers of the trees. But as I reached for my water bottle, I froze.
The faint scar on my index finger had vanished. The skin was smoother, unblemished, a little pale. Even the pain in my knee had gone.
I wasn't just younger.
I was becoming unwritten.
—
Thanks for reading.
If you enjoyed this, I write a new short fiction story every Sunday for my fiction Substack: Story Cabin.
Please support me by subscribing to my fiction there.
Love,
Alex
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"content": "Twelve simple daily tasks that will energise and simplify your life dramatically",
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Twelve simple daily tasks that will energise and simplify your life dramatically
Life is rarely won in an overnight show of lights and splendour.
Instead, the real success follow months and years of accumulated actions, often small and seemingly insignificant.
The following are some examples that will not only bring you longer term success, but also add value to your day, right now:
Write down your top three most valuable tasks for this day.
Don't just write them down, buttface.
Be clear when and how they will get done and then do them no matter what.
Walk at least 30 minutes.
The habit of non-strenuous movement through a town or a forest keeps you trim and creative, while also being a badass daily achievement to separate you from the slovenly fatso masses.
Read 5 pages of non-fiction.
Reading or listening to audiobooks will fuel your curiosity for the world which you can then pour into your own remarkable creative projects.
Write a note to three people.
Whether family or potential clients, getting into the habit of maintaining and expanding my network, even if it's a simple DM, is one of my most cherished and impactful daily habits.
Stretch.
Few talk about the benefits of regular stretching.
It loosens you and relaxes you. It also improves circulation and all kinds of other cool mental shit.
Do this between 45-minute work sessions like you're Deepak Chopra training for a showdown with Bruce Lee.
Replace worrying with weird, forced laughter.
Worrying is one of our biggest soul killers and it never does us any good. Try this.
When you feel worry coming on, and you have a strong urge to immerse yourself in negative thoughts, laugh.
Chuckle like a freak clown who's just received his paycheck.
This trains the mind to associate worry with fun. You can't lose.
Meditate for 5 minutes.
Each morning, I sit and watch my thoughts and my breath. That's it.
This small act tames my circus chimp brain and connects me to my inner ancestral warrior wisdom.
Spend 2 minutes reading the tweets and newsletters of A Mathers (pronounced 'may'thers).
This man is a walking legend and your life will dramatically improve simply by laying eyes on his words.
Spend 1 minute dancing like a degenerate koala bear on cheap acid.
A lot of your stresses are locked in your cardboard hips, so get moving fat ass.
Check over your key stats.
Key indicators aren't just for billionaire Google execs.
You need to know your 3 or more trackable statistics that show you're moving towards your goals. Spreadsheet that shit and do it with pride.
A big one for me is newsletter subs so I can continue to annoy you over there on yet another platform.
Get dressed.
As a functioning member of today's homo sapien society, we need to cover our nude forms with an arrangement of colourful rags and textiles.
Last time I forgot to do this I made it halfway through town before I realised I had nothing but a shirt on.
My night in a cell that day reminded me of the significance of this habit.
Bite your tongue and don't complain.
Complaining is for little girls who can't find their doll's missing parts.
Pointing out when something is wrong is a different thing entirely.
But complaining - even if it's only in the mind - will pollute your energy and infect those around you.
This is a habit of subtraction and one that will raise your frequency and bring good things effortlessly into your life.
Apply these, smile, and your life will change.
🔆
Want to make money and impact from your writing?
Combine a clear mind, and an energised soul with powerful writing and brand growth.
Get your free booklet in your inbox instantly when you join the Mastery Den newsletter here.
'16 unconventional writing tips for joining the top 1% of online writers'
🐉
|
e4c12b0d9463
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