“If my answers frighten you, then you should cease asking scary questions.” – Pulp Fiction
You think you’re trying, but you’re probably not.
(how’s that for a harsh truth?)
Instead, you’re:
Thinking about trying.
Watching videos about trying.
Imagining yourself trying, and then jumping to conclusions about whether or not trying is even worth it.
Or, maybe you’re one of the rare few who actually kind of tried:
You put in a bit of effort, saw lukewarm results, and decided to either:
Stop trying
Try something else instead
Or just keep simulating trying in your mind instead of actually doing it in reality, because failing in your head is less painful than failing in real life.
Whew.
I know this message isn’t winning me any friends…
But if the truth hurts, then pain is our ally.
And maybe trying to avoid pain is the whole problem.
Maybe the pain of trying and failing and getting up and trying again even though our nose is bloody and our legs are wobbly and our friends and family are wondering if we’ve lost our mind and we’re starting to wonder the same thing because what if after all this work it still doesn’t work out, but fxck — what if it does…
…Is just the price of admission?
Trying, really trying, is actually quite simple.
All you do is show up every day and work on the same thing, for as many hours as you can, with the full force of your focus, for 1-3 years, without quitting or jumping to something new.
Do that, and your chances of success are surprisingly high.
But first, you need to understand what trying isn’t:
Creating 10 pieces of content and then disappearing is not trying.
Working out once or twice a week and wondering why you’re still not in shape is not trying.
Doing a month of cold outreach before giving up or switching strategies is not trying.
Going on four dates before deciding “there are no good ones out there” is not trying.
Failing at one business and quitting rather than pivoting, iterating, and re-launching is not trying.
Doing just enough activity to feel like you’re trying even though you’re not going as hard as you know you can is not trying.
So no, you’re probably not trying. Not yet.
And that’s the good news.
Because imagine what will happen when you do…
- T
P.S. I’m closing applications for one on one coaching tomorrow.
If you’re interested, here’s where you can get the details and apply today.
“Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre. The level of competition is thus fiercest for ‘realistic’ goals, paradoxically making them the most time and energy-consuming. It’s easier to raise $1,000,000 than it is $100,000. It’s easier to pick up the one perfect 10 in the bar than the five 8s. – Tim Ferriss
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