Do You Really Need All That?

Cover Photo credit: http://thechoiceeffect.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/062b.jpg

Living on the essentials

• How comfortable is your house or your apartment?

• Do you have a really nice living room, with a big screen TV, a really comfortable couch? And video games maybe?

• Do you have a workshop and/or a garage?

• Do you have a pool and/or a sauna?

• Do you have pets?

If you’re like most of us, it’s easy to get distracted and reach for entertainment and comfort while working from home.

I used to be terrible at working from home. If I had to wait for anything to happen at work, I would turn on my video games and play until the wait was over… or until I finished one more level?

When my wife and I came back to Toronto from our year-long trip around the world, we bought no furniture, with the exception of a desk and a chair to work from. It was one of the most minimalist apartment you’ll ever see.

When I came to the rental office with my backpack to sign the documents, the person working there asked me when I would need the elevator and I told her: “What I have on my back is all I own or need. No need for an elevator.”. She was certainly not expected that. 

---

Living In Spain

Last winter, I was living in Málaga, Spain. It’s considered to be a pretty warm place. But during winter, the temperature is between 5–10 during the night. It doesn’t sound too bad, but when your window doesn’t close properly, it’s almost as if you were sleeping outside!

I could only be in my room when it’s to be in bed, where I have warm blankets. I couldn’t really shower in my apartment either. Sure there is hot water, but there’s no window, so all the air from outside comes in. It’s freezing getting out of that shower.

On top of that, every time I came back home, the landlord’s dog was barking at me. 

---

Spending Time On Things That Matter

But these two moments of my life were when I was most productive. And I love these places for that.

By not having any distraction and having my office as the only comfortable place in the apartment, I was able to consistently focus on my work. And because there was really nothing much to do at home, we would go out more.

Back in Málaga, I had every reason to be out all the time. I went to the gym, worked long hours (intentionally) and hung out with friends. I was only home to cook, eat and sleep.

“Once you need less. You will have more.” 

---

Where To Start

I know this is not easy, and may not work for everyone, but I’d suggest starting with removing the comfortable couch. It’s the source of many distraction problems. There’s almost no need to remove the TV or video games with there’s nowhere comfortable to sit on. It’s a good way to limit the TV time.

And piece by piece, you can start removing other things.

If you’re moving, take less things with you.

If you’re back from traveling, only get yourself a mattress to sleep on. 

---

Conclusion

It’s easy to get distracted with all the fancy stuff we have around us. Dare remove key pieces and you’ll find yourself to be more productive and sociable.

It’s not an easy shift, but like anything, once you’re used to it, you won’t want to go back!

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

You Are, Or Will Become What You Act

Cover Photo credit: deccanchronicle.com

Act the way you want to be

Have you ever felt like you shouldn’t be doing something because you felt under-qualified, yet circumstances made it so you are doing it?

There are a few times in my life when I felt like I was acting something I was not. Intentionally or not.

I always saw myself as an introvert. In high school, I was far from a popular kid. I wasn’t an unpopular kid either. I was one of the forgotten ones. I bet not half the people remember me there. It was a very small school. 80 people finished the last grade that year.

In my mind, I am still that kid.

But I don’t act like it. People would never believe me. I’ve somehow became way more social in the past 6 months. I did many things an introvert would probably never do, I:

• led outings to dinner and other activities;

• gave talks and told stories;

• motivated people to go beyond their perceived capacities;

• talked to strangers on planes, buses, etc.;

• started a fitness squad at the co-working space;

• grew my company to 8 people in a year;

• celebrated Christmas last year with a total stranger I met while waiting for a bus ride.

And with every of these little things, I reflect back on who I am, in my mind, and I don’t get it.

That’s not me. I’m an impostor. I’m just a regular, long-forgotten, introvert kid. Why are people listening to me? Why are people asking me for advice?

I never asked for it. I never aimed to do these things.

Circumstances made it so people saw a different perspective of me. The more people saw me that way, the more I acted that way, until I became it. Without realizing it.

“Every next level of your life will demand a different you.” — Leonardo DiCaprio

Actors do it all the time. They become who they play. For better or worse. 

---

How To Become What You Act

Picture who you want to be.

It doesn’t have to be a real person. It can be a set of skills and qualities you want to acquire. Or things you want to remove from your life, like a bad habit.

Then act like that person. That vision. Act consistently.

Deconstruct the behaviours, starting from the end.

How did that person get there? No one gets somewhere from luck only. Trace the steps. Be precise.

Act it out. Every step of the way.

Without you realizing it, you will become it.

People will realize before you. Read the signs. 

---

Conclusion

When you act it out, consciously or not, you train your brain to be what you act. You will feel like you’re cheating, lying to people you are acting to.

When you feel that way, that’s when you’re on the right track. Before you know it, you’ll become it.

Think like an actor. Play a role. Become that role.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

The Unexpected And Lasting Solution To Your Motivation Problems

Cover Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash

Remind Yourself Of This Frequently

Life’s greatest motivation is physical survival. If our life is in danger, any other motivation goes out the window.

Agreed?

Now, what do you think comes next?

I was surprised by the answer, but it really makes sense in retrospect:

“Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival — to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated” — Stephen R. Covey

Just think about that for a moment:

• Do you feel like you’re understood?

• Does someone — anyone — appreciate you?

• Why do you do what you do?

For people pleasers, I found that to be magnified. My wife is very much motivated by making sure she does anything in our power to please as many people as possible. If they are not pleased, she’s got even more motivation to please them. 

---

My Motivation For Writing

I like to think I don’t crave people’s validation. But I’m wrong.

I think deep down that’s why I’ve picked up writing.

Initially, it was just meant to be a skill I wanted to practice and improve for a month. When people started appreciating the things I wrote, I realized that I craved it.

I was, and still am, very much motivated by the thought that I can provide value for my audience.

I thought about quitting writing many times when my stats were not how I expected them to be. But then either one of two things would happen: 1. I would receive a touching, heartfelt comment from a reader, or 2. I would look back at my achievements notebook to remind myself why I’m doing that in the first place.

I can’t stop writing.

For one, I like it, and most importantly, I need it to satisfy psychological survival. I am more motivated and happier since I started writing. 

---

Motivation For Money

The same is not true for everything I’m doing, and that’s why sometimes I prioritize writing, even though it’s not the most logical thing for me to do, especially money-wise.

See that?

I have every reason to want money. I’ve been out of my 9–5 job for a year now, and I’m very far from making the same amount of money I used to make. In some ways, that’s a reason I’m not living in my home country — it’s not as affordable as Cambodia, Spain or India, the three places I’ve lived in for the past year.

Yet I fail to be strongly motivated by productive activities that generate me money. Because deep down, it doesn’t help fill my psychological survival. No one affirms or appreciates me for wanting to make money. At least not directly. 

---

The Solution To Your Motivation Problems

I bet you already figure it out, right?

As much as we like to convince ourselves that we’re motivated by x, y and z, the truth is: our (second) deepest root for motivation is about feeling understood by someone, anyone.

I once touched on the subject in: We All Need Someone Who Understands Us.

When I wrote that piece, I didn’t realize how powerful a motivator it is to do things that are appreciated by peers.

Think about a goal you set for yourself.

• Why did you set that goal?

• Are you motivated to it?

• Does that motivation last?

• Why? Why not?

• Does it answer your psychological survival?

• How? How not?

• How can you change that goal to make it answer your psychological survival?

There’s a “rule” I really like to use:

Ask yourself “why” three times and you’ll know the answer

This applies here so much. If within your three layers of “why” you don’t satisfy your — or someone you truly care about— psychological survival, then you won’t be that motivated. 

---

Conclusion

The solution to your motivation problems was hidden in plain sight all along. It’s not a quick and dirty hack, it’s deeply rooted in our brains:

We need to satisfy our psychological survival to be highly motivated.

When we lack motivation, it’s because we don’t feel understood in what we’re doing. We don’t feel appreciated for it. And that means different things to everybody, but it doesn’t change the fact that, when asking yourself “why” three times, you have to fill that need to be affirmed.

So, the next time you set yourself a new goal, think about how you’re addressing your psychological survival. Don’t go too deep in your reasoning. It doesn’t address survival if you need to think too much about it. Think about all this, and you’ll realize that now have the tools for consistently motivating yourself to do things.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

How to Future-proof Yourself Starting Now

Cover Photo by Roman Averin on Unsplash

Dare Try To Become A Polymath

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now.” — Chinese Proverb

Am I the only one who is tired of reading articles about focusing on one specific thing you’re really good at to be successful?

If you ask me what I’m best at, I don’t think I can answer the question.

If you think you can answer that question, you’re probably wrong. 

---

Following Dreams

I knew very early on that I wanted to build video games growing up. I directed my life to reach that goal.

In my teenage years, I built games using free software like RPG Maker and Game Maker. I later learned to code in college. As soon as I could get in the industry, I did. It was great. I was good at it.

I shifted gears 5 or 6 years later and worked for a non-game company. It was great. I was good at it.

I left 6 months later to travel around the world. I tried as many things as I could. Things I had no idea if I’d be good at it or not.

But I tried and I surprised myself most of the time. It turns out I could also be good at other non-programming related tasks.

“If you can dream it, you can do it” — Walt Disney 

---

Becoming A Polymath

The realization from above put me in a year of self-doubt about the direction of my life after I came back from that trip a year later. Some people travel to find themselves, I was definitely more lost than I was when I left.

It’s then the I started experimenting on every new skill I could pick up. I became good at lots of things. I’ve since developed a skill learning framework you can find on my website (free).

In the very short timespan of less then six months, I:

• started getting contracts for taking professional photos;

• started writing semi-professionally;

• started an eCommerce selling Viking gear;

• built the (self-proclaimed) best yet-to-be-released Text-to-Speech app;

• started speaking other languages;

• gave talks on time management & productivity;

• gave English classes;

• and more.

And that’s only the professional skills I’ve learned. I tried many new sports, I did sleep experiments, food experiments and more. 

---

You Too Can Become A Polymath

I am certainly no genius. I know people much smarter than me. The only difference is I dare push myself into doing things out of my comfort zone. It’s not easy at first, but the first wins lead the way to more and more wins.

• You work in tech? Dare try creative work. I did, I can draw using Photoshop now.

• You are a creative person? Dare try programming. Follow tutorials. Start with games.

• You do manual work? Try mental work.

• You take photos? Try being the model.

• You take videos? Try being the actor.

• You work in healthcare? Try working in third-world countries with Doctors Without Borders or another NGO.

• You speak only one language? Go to a country where the language is somewhat similar as a first step. Go to India or East Asia next.

“To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.” — Socrates 

---

Success

• How would you know what you can do if you don’t even try?

• How can you safely say what you’re best at if you haven’t tried anything else?

Sure you might have success doing what you know how to do, but maybe there’s something else you could do better?

But then, who cares if you’re not doing what you’re best at.

• I’m certainly not the best photographer.

• I’m certainly not the best writer.

• I’m certainly not the best programmer.

I do all those things at a level people qualify as good to very good.

And I’m doing pretty well for myself. I may not be rich and famous, but I’m ridiculously happy.

I can relate to a lot of people on so many levels. I think that makes me a better person overall. Being a better person for other people, to me, is a better definition of success. 

---

Conclusion

I say screw one-trick-ponies; dare be good at many things. Get out of your comfort zone and do things you want, not things you can. Do things you don’t want to do to teach your brain that you can actually do it. Expand your horizons.

Become a polymath and future-proof yourself.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

3 Ways To Pace Your Life Up To Become More Effective

Cover Photo by toine Garnier on Unsplash

---

I can almost guarantee that I’m not doing things at the same pace you are. My quest for high pace is almost an obsession. I’m intolerant to waiting.

I hate waiting for simple things like a traffic light, public transit, the coffee machine, etc.

Having worked by how much I produced for a third of my life has taught me that the more — smarter work you do, the more you get. Every second count.

There are tons of great productivity tips out there to help you quickly elevate your productivity.

What I’m proposing here is changing some habits that will pace your life up forever.

Here are three habits that have greatly increased my productivity: 

---

1. Walking Fast

I walk fast. Really fast. Almost like the guy below:

Photo credit: Buzzfeed

What takes a normal person 30 minutes to reach, it takes me less than 20. I learn the shortcuts. I avoid red lights. I am efficient.

This all started when I was a kid working in strawberry fields. I was paid by productivity. Each filled basket I would return to the truck, I would get money for it. Now sometimes the truck was not very close. Sometimes it was a 3-minute walk just to get there.

That’s a lot of wasted time.

If we count going to and coming back, that’s 6 minutes where I was not getting paid for. Multiply that by at least 10 times during the day and there was a full hour lost!

Now if I would reduce the time it takes to reach the truck to 2 minutes, I would have another extra 20 minutes that other people don’t have. When you work by production, time really is money.

Similarly, when I was last in Toronto, I was walking to work. It took me 23 minutes. A normal person would take about 32 minutes. That meant that on average, I had an extra 18 minutes per day. There are many things you can do in 18 minutes. I recently started meditating. I do it for 20 minutes. It’s basically the amount of time I’m saving from walking fast.

Why Walk Fast?

I can’t prove this scientifically, but I believe walking fast teaches our brain to work at a different pace.

One observation I made over the last few years is that most people I know who walk fast and strategically are really productive people. Fast walkers understand the value of time, and it transfers that understanding to other areas, like work.

And of course, there are many health benefits to walking fast:

• Raises your heart rate to a higher heart rate zone;

• Increases fitness and endurance;

• Increases muscle flexibility;

• Tones muscles;

• and more.

When To Walk Fast?

The idea is to do that when you are simply going from a point A to a point B.

If you walk to and from work, that’s the best time to power walk. Same with going to the grocery store, to the gym, etc. Any time there’s a destination in mind.

Keep your leisure walk at a speed you’re more comfortable with. 

---

2. Listening To Audio At A Faster Playback Speed

I had tried this one a few times in the past and had a hard time sticking to it. If you listen to podcasts (you should), set the playback speed higher than 1x. Start with 1.25x or 1.5x, then gradually increase as you get more comfortable.

You can do the same with most online course platforms. I do it all the time on Coursera. Depending on the subject and teacher, 2x feels very natural to me currently.

How do you perceive the speed on this video of Barbara Oakley from the Learning To Learn course?

This video, for me, is extremely slow.

How To Stick To It?

It’s so weird at first, but like every habit, you get used to it.

For me, I started getting more comfortable with the idea when I read Michael Simmons. In his teachings, he mentions how you can learn 2x faster using that technique.

He’s right. If you can comprehend the information at 2x the speed, you do learn 2x faster.

Once you’re used to it, 1x will feel very slow for you. It turns out that after a while, your brain gets used to it, and once it does, you learn and comprehend at a much faster speed than most people.

---

3. Not Waiting For Things When You Don’t Need To

Here are things you’re probably guilty of waiting for:

• The coffee machine;

• The toaster;

• The microwave;

• The elevator;

• The bus;

• and more.

These things all work on a “timer”, whether you see it or not.

Don’t wait in front of a coffee machine, toaster or microwave. Ever. If there’s someone around, chat with them, build a relationship. Make sure not to overly chat when the timer is over though. If there isn’t someone around, make sure you brought a productive distraction with you. Like a device to reply to emails or a book to read.

Unless you live on the 15th floor or above, just take the stairs. That may sound crazy to a lot of you, but waiting for the elevator takes so much times. On average, I arrive before or at the same time as someone who takes the elevator. And I’m talking about the 13th floor here. Sure I may be a little more sweaty, but I’m also healthier. Anything below 10 floors, unless the elevator is already on the ground floor, I’m always there before other people.

I’ve seen people wait 15 minutes for a bus for a 5-minute bus ride. Don’t do that. Take a walk. It will take about the same time (maybe less), but it will be less stressful, and you’ll get free exercise out of it. 

---

Conclusion

Changing your walking speed is such an easy thing to do, yet it changes your health and perspective on time.

Try it the next time you have a destination in mind, and like any skill, do it consistently. Before you know it, you’ll be a fast walker!

Listening to audio at 2x speed doubles your learning speed. It’s weird at first, but once you understand the benefits, you’ll teach your brain to like it.

Not waiting for things when you don’t need to gives you back a few minutes of time, a few times a day, and sometimes even makes you healthier.

Build these 3 powerful habits. Combine their benefits. Don’t wait for the bus, power walk to your destination while listening to a podcast at 2x the speed. Realize that this makes you both healthier and smarter, with minimal effort.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Do Your Morning Right, Your Day Will Be Right

Cover Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels

10 Principles Of A Successful Morning

“I am not a morning person” — Too many people

I’ll be direct here: I don’t care if you’re a morning person or not.

Doing your morning right is not about what time you wake up, it’s about how you start your day.

I wake up early, very early. It works for me. Your optimal time will be different than mine.

There’s only one criterion for a good time to wake up: when you can get a “block” of distraction-free time.

If I look back at any day I wasn’t productive throughout the day, I can usually trace it to a “failed” morning. Like yesterday and today for me.

In his book, When, Daniel Pink says: “During the peak, which for most of us is the morning, we’re better at analytic tasks. That’s when we’re most vigilant, when we’re able to bat away distractions and concentrate deeply”.

Why does this matter?

Here’s my simple answer to you: It’s about getting an “easy” dopamine rush.

What do making a good decision, discovering something new, accomplishing a hard task, reaching a goal, helping someone else, etc. have in common?

It brings you satisfaction. In your body, that comes in the form of dopamine.

Now, can we all agree that it’s easier to accomplish any of the above when we’re more vigilant, less distracted and fully concentrated?

But again, why does it matter?

It’s a similar concept that Admiral William McRaven talks about when he says:

“If you want to change the world, start by making your bed.” — Admiral William McRaven

In: In Need Of Motivation? Try These Simple Tried And True Productivity Tips, I mention how, even if I’m a highly motivated person, I still need an easy win in the morning:

“Even though I consider myself to be highly motivated, I still need a “win” or two to start my day. After completing easy tasks, I have the motivation and energy to tackle the real hard problems.”

We’re more emotional than we think we are. If we “fail” at something, we beat ourselves down and let that affect us for the rest of the day.

But the opposite is true too!

If we “win” at something, we want to keep winning. It’s no wonder that a good portion of the population gets addicted to video games. The mechanics in video games make it so you get rewarded constantly — and sometimes plentifully — with “minimal” effort.

With that thought in mind, doesn’t it make sense for us to want to win early in the day?

But let’s step back a bit and define what makes a morning successful. 

---

10 Principles Of A Successful Morning

Warning: This is by no means exhaustive or scientific, but more of a result of my own personal experiences and books I’ve read and analyzed. Also, you don’t need to apply all these principles to have a successful morning.

In this article, a successful morning means that it set you up for a positive and productive day, making you one step closer to achieving any goal you have in life or business.

1. Do not snooze

Very rarely have I had a successful morning when I snoozed in the morning.

Do: Set your alarm so you do not have room for snoozing.

2. Jump out of bed

Don’t look at your phone as soon as the alarm goes off. Don’t be reactive, be proactive.

Do: Put your alarm further from the bed so you are forced to leave the bed to turn it off.

3. Do Some Physical Activity

Spending physical energy early in the morning makes you feel good in your body.

Do: If you don’t have access to a gym, do simple bodyweight exercises, walk, jog, run or bike. Even if for just 10 minutes.

4. Shower

Feeling clean brings up the confidence in you and, like above, makes you feel good in your body.

Do: Try cold showers.

5. Stimulate Your Brain

Lightly stimulate your brain by doing something easy to “wake it up” for harder tasks for after.

Do: Read a few paragraphs of a book, write a few sentences, complete a puzzle, finish a quick video game level.

6. Self-Reflect

Being aware of oneself gives a sense of direction for the day.

Do: Write in a journal or sit down and take the time to be self-aware.

7. Be Grateful

Having a positive mindset to start the day is key to a successful morning. Recognizing things you’re grateful for puts you in a positive mindset.

Do: Write in a journal, send a thank you message, or pray.

8. Learn Something New

Daniel Pink proved the majority of people are more vigilant in the morning, so take that opportunity to make new connections in your brain.

Do: Practice a skill for 30 minutes every morning

9. Be Consistent

We’re creatures of habit. The more we do something consistently, the easier it gets. Positive habits are likely the most powerful “tool” we have to set ourselves up for success.

Do: Wake up at the same time and perform your routine on a schedule

10. Win

Feeling victorious is a powerful feeling that makes you want to succeed even more. Winning early sets you up for more wins throughout the day.

Do: Make your bed, or complete an easy task almost as soon as you wake up. 

---

Conclusion

In this article, I’ve shown you that doing your morning right is not about the time you wake up, but rather how successful you make it.

We agreed that by being more vigilant and less distracted, we can focus our attention on 10 time-tested principles of a successful morning, like making you feel good in your body, being grateful, positive, getting early wins, and more.

For each of the principles, I’ve given you actionable items you can apply starting tomorrow.

If any of the above feel difficult for you, remember that, as we agreed:

The way you start your day does affect the rest of your day, positively or negatively. So do yourself a favour and start the day right.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Just Take Action!

Cover Photo by Mikael Kristenson on Unsplash

Ideas And Questions To Help You Take Action

When you say you’re going to do something, how long does it actually take you to do it?

I had a colleague a few years ago who said he was going to quit his job. At first, we took him seriously. A week later, he was still there. The next problem happened, and he said that this time, for sure, he was going to quit.

Ultimately, it took him two years after saying it first.

I understand it’s not always easy. It’s not black and white. But I can’t help but wonder why it took so long after mentioning it, and how emotionally stable he was during this whole time.

He was one of the smartest guys I knew, so it’s not like he couldn’t find another job if he quit.

How long does it take for you to take action?

I was talking to my mentee the other day about something I wanted to do/try. I scheduled a small block of time to experiment with the idea, and the next day I had done it.

He was amazed at how fast I executed on it. It’s a pattern he noticed in me: I act fast. I didn’t notice that until he mentioned it.

With that same company I mentioned above, when I said I wanted to quit, I did it the next week. I didn’t quit because I didn’t like it, I quit because I wasn’t learning as much anymore, and found something else that gave me that opportunity.

---

Impulsiveness

I bet that’s the first word that came to mind to you as you read that. Danny is just an impulsive guy. I like to think that it’s not the case. I very much follow this principle:

“Think things through then follow through” — Eddie Rickenbacker

For the thing I wanted to try that I had discussed with my mentee, I saw that I had a block of two hours to spare the next day. I spent half of it researching approaches on how to do it, and the other half implementing it. Or trying at least.

And that’s the key here: trying.

---

Experiment

The moment you realize that life is just a series of experiments, you’ll see that taking action isn’t that hard anymore.

Ask yourself this:

• What’s the worst that can happen if you take action?

• What’s the worst that can happen if you don’t take action?

A lot of times you’ll have fears. Some fears are legit, but here’s one I don’t believe in: fear of failing.

---

Failure

If you find yourself fearing failure, you’ve got this all wrong. There is no “failure”. Failure is the result of an experiment. It’s a learning experience. If anything, failure is the desired outcome many times.

Try things, fail fast, learn from it, try better.

“I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison

That pushes me to action.

---

“Who Cares” Attitude

If me taking action does not affect anyone negatively and I’ve got the time to experiment, I don’t see the point of inaction.

Who cares if I fail? Who cares if choosing Action A ended up not being better than choosing Action B?

I’m not always going to take the best possible decisions. Even when I plan really well.

But is not taking any action at all the best way to go if it doesn’t impact others negatively and you’ve got time?

---

Conclusion

The important lesson here is to realize that the consequences to actions are not necessarily as dramatic as you think they are.

Think about Rickenbacker’s quote. If you thought things through and it was sound, just do it.

Think about Edison. Do you see him as a failure? I hope you don’t.

To make things easy, ask yourself this:

• What’s the worst that can happen if you take action?

• What’s the worst that can happen if you don’t take action?

Think deeply, objectively. Answer these questions honestly, without any thought that one is better than the other, you can judge after reflection.

• What have you been procrastinating doing that you know you should act on?

• What’s holding you back?

• What are your fears?

• If you don’t try, do you even have a chance to succeed?

“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Greatness Surrounds You, Be Aware Of It

Stop For A Moment And Appreciate What You Have

When’s the last time you stopped and looked around?

When’s the last time you took the time to observe, for real, your surroundings?

I don’t know where you’re going to be reading this story from, but I have a feeling that if you look around you right now, you can see someone or something you like or inspire you.

Hopefully you don’t have to look too far or think too hard.

“The first step towards change is awareness, the second step is acceptance.” — Nathaniel Branden

When you open all your senses to your surroundings, that’s when you discover that the world around you is much greater than you could imagine.

People who, on the surface, may look normal to you at first, start to become incredible and inspiring. Everyone has their own story and have something you can learn from.

A park you walk by every morning starts to have its own story. It’s visited by different kinds of people all with different backgrounds and motivations in life.

Let that inspire you.

---

The Mind Shift

The day I started to be aware of my surroundings is the day my perspective on everything changed:

• I let everyone and everything inspire me;

• I’m more positive and more productive;

• I’m motivated and achieve so much more than I did before.

The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness. — Lao Tzu

I’m a much different person than I was a year ago when I left the comfort of my home in Canada. I met incredible people in my nomadic life since then.

But I didn’t recognize it at first.

I started to realize it when people took interest in my stories. In my journey. I did not understand how my journey inspired them, when in reality, I realized that I found THEIR journey more inspiring.

The more people I inspired, the more I became aware of everyone and everything that shaped me.

My mind has shifted and I’m happier and a better person for it.

---

Conclusion

“Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.” — James Thurber

It’s when I started to be aware of all the greatness around me that I realized I could achieve (almost) anything I wanted if I set my mind to it.

Look around you. See the greatness. Let it teach you. Let it inspire you. It changed my life and can change yours too!

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Don’t Do What You Can, Do What You Want

Cover Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

Put Your Life in YOUR Hands

• How many things have you done in life simply because you could?

• Now how many things have you done in life that you really wanted to do?

I bet you did more things that you could than things that you wanted. Maybe it started as a “want”, but ended up as a “can”.

“Just because you can? Nah, it’s not a good enough reason to do something. Even when it means having more, be discerning, choose it, because you want it, do it because you want to.” — Matthew McConaughey 

---

The Turning Point For Me

Up to a little over two years ago, I was following a more traditional way of life.

I had a “9–5” job that I was good at and liked. But even though it was “9–5”, I was tired after work. I didn’t want to do anything. I would play video games mostly.

I called this research, because I build games for a living.

Programming for me is something I do well. I can do it. I enjoy it too, but back then I didn’t do it for projects I was passionate about.

Now, what I really wanted to do was just leave everything behind and travel with my wife, without worrying about making money.

A few months after discussing it, we did it: we traveled around the world.

For a full year, it was all about doing what I wanted, not what I could. I wanted to:

• Experience India;

• Go to wedding celebrations in other cultures;

• Meet inspiring locals all around the world;

• Finish building a video game I had started on my own;

• Do volunteer work globally;

• and more.

Since then, I try everything I want to do. Climbing — done. Surfing — done. Taking photo professionally — done. Writing — done. Make my own games — done. Live as a nomad — done.

It doesn’t mean I don’t do things I can anymore. It just means I do a whole lot more things I want to do.

And since 2018, I’ve started two startups, because I wanted to. 

---

Why Is It Better To Do What I Want Instead Of What I Can?

I’m more passionate and motivated for it. I’m 10x more productive because I work on things I want to work on, wherever and whenever I want to.

I’m more “successful” because I achieve so much more than if I did something I didn’t want to do.

Waking up at 5:00am is not even difficult anymore.

I look at the time not because I’m bored, but because I dread that the day will end and I will not have done enough.

But then again, I don’t have time to look at the time, because I’m busy doing things I want to do. 

---

What If I Can’t Do What I Want?

Who says you can’t?

• Time?

• Responsibilities?

• Others?

You can always make time. Change priorities. Wake up earlier. Change your environment. Reduce your commute time.

Responsibilities are trickier, but you don’t have to do EVERYTHING you want. Gradually increase them with the little things.

Be clever.

Think outside the box and you’ll figure out how to do things you want while still taking care or your responsibilities.

As for others, unless you consider them mentors, don’t listen to them.

Just do it.

You’ll lose friends, but you’ll make new better ones. Sounds terrible I know, but it’s a price to pay to have a better quality of life. 

---

Conclusion

Write down the list of things you do because you can.

Now write down the list of things you do because you want.

• What’s the ratio?

• How do you turn that around?

Be daring enough to do what you want.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Here’s To The Crazy Ones Like Me!

Cover Image Source : D3.com

Craziness Brings Results

People thought I was crazy when:

• I left my stable job working for the government;

• I bought a condo as a poor student;

• I dropped out of university to start my own business;

• I decided to gain 6kg of mass in one month;

• I left Canada to travel the world for a year;

• I left another awesome high-paying job to become a nomad;

• I applied for a grant competing against big names in the video game industry;

• I decided to write one article a day on Medium or Quora.

You get the point.

I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences when people thought you were doing something crazy.

• Something that’s out of the norms of the society we live in.

• Something they thought you would fail because the odds were against you.

Sometimes you gave in, sometimes you persevered.

Which times do you regret the most?

I’m willing to bet it’s the times you listened to them and gave in.

Of the things above that people said I was crazy for, I succeed at all of them.

Every time I “quit” something, I got something better in return.

The condo I bought, I sold for 28% more than what I paid for, after one year only.

I started six companies. Some were “successful”, some “failed”. The lessons I learned from both moments made me a better person and a better entrepreneur.

Not only did I gain 6.9kg of mass, I lost 3% body fat. I did it again this year, in January.

Traveling the world for a year changed me in so many good ways.

I always considered myself an introvert. That’s definitely not how people see me today. I’m not afraid to approach people anymore. I’m more confident and I’m more proficient at speaking. In multiple languages now. And I used to be a much pickier eater. Now I eat many more things.

The grant I applied for, I got it two years in row, beating some of the best Canadian video game studios. My studio has no track record, and I was competing against much larger and successful game studios.

In my short journey as a writer (5 months), I released 2 books, published 250 stories, got featured in many publications, and now I’m co-authoring a book a very important book.

And I’m not saying any of this to brag. I’m saying to make you believe in your crazy ideas, because they can work. 

---

Conclusion

Think about times when people said you were crazy.

Make a list. I’m sure it didn’t only happen once.

Were they right?

How has not listening to them changed you? For better? For worse?

Do that same exercise I did above.

Can you see that you’re on the right track?

Dare do things out of your comfort zone — out of any normal person’s comfort zone. Be special. Be on the right track. The right track for you!

Leaving on you on a very powerful quote from Steve Jobs:

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things — they push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. — Steve Jobs

Stay crazy my friends.

Feel free to leave a comment about what people thought you were crazy for and why they were wrong.

Thanks for reading! :)

Carefully Planned Obsession Leads To Success

Cover Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash

Can You Handle It To Reach Your Most Insane Goals?

We all have big goals, wether they be short term or long term. Goals that, even in our wildest dreams, would seem unachievable.

We dream about them yet never act on them, simply because we “failed” once or twice in the past.

The truth is, we just weren’t ready for the obsession needed to reach them.

“There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession.” — Conor McGregor

I have to agree with Conor.

Think about a goal you set yourself and “failed”.

• Why did you not “succeed”?

• Did you REALLY do what was needed to accomplish it?

• Were you obsessed with figuring how to do it, came up with a solid plan and executed consistently?

Frankly, not a lot of people can handle it. On some projects I work on, I know I’m not obsessed enough. I know I don’t do what’s really need to succeed.

But here’s something that worked incredibly well and contributed greatly to building my momentum: 

---

Gaining 5kg of muscles in a month

Back in January, I decided it was time for me to put on 5kg of muscles. I have my own reasons for that, but that’s not the point of this story.

Notice how precise I was.

Not just “some” mass.

Precisely 5kg. I original decided for 4.5kg, but you know, why not push myself even harder!

Be precise in your goals!

I’m an ectomorph, so gaining even 1kg in a month is hard work. So imagine how insane 5kg is! Hard for non-ectomorphs to comprehend this, but it’s at least as hard as losing 5kg for a mesomorph.

Planning

Here’s the summary of my 8 hour manic research:

• I need to eat at least 4k calories per day, split at about 40/40/20 for proteins/carbs/fat. I’m aiming for 4.5k.

• Those calories need to come from high quality foods.

• I need to do full-body workouts, 3 times per week.

I planned every meals I would eat for the month. Sounds easy but it’s not!

I obsessed over every little detail. I looked up all the nutrition facts for each ingredients I would put in my dishes. I had to know where the calories came from! Heck, I’m even eating broccoli for its benefits!

I came up with 3 meals, 2 snacks and 2 shakes I would eat/drink every day, leading to 4,506 calories.

It’s basically 642.86 calories every 2 hours.

I was obsessive enough that I was willing to eat the same 3 meals for a month, for the sake of achieving that insane goal.

Isn’t that crazy?

Have you ever done something to that level of obsession?

Execution

That part was beyond hard.

With all that food, I’m always close to throwing up. It’s way too much for my 56kg body to handle.

Heck, Dwayne Johnson needs about the same to maintain his weight. That guy’s a beast.

In theory, I need 2036 calories to maintain my weight. So it’s more than double at 4,500 calories!

Not matter how big you are, I bet 4,500 is not easy for you either; nor would you want that unless you’re an ectomorph like me, trying to gain so mass.

That workout was no walk-in-the-park either.

It was REALLY intense!

I very much struggled to even do half of it. Lifting a pen or going up/down the stairs afterwards was shamefully painful.

Be honest with yourself, is that the intensity you have when working out?

Like the famous idiom says: “No pain, no gain”. It’s the truth.

“The thing about truth is, not a lot of people can handle it.” — Conor McGregor

Saying “no”

One of the hardest part was saying “no” to things I would normally say “yes” to.

At a going-away party for a friend, I drank nothing, except for water. I had a strict no-alcohol policy for this month; it defeated the purposes of eating healthy and was very counter-intuitive to my goal.

I also had to say “no” to going out to dinner where there would be nothing I could eat, or quantify stealthily enough not to look insane.

I have to let friends down for this month. Social pressure is hard but I persevere.

Do you have the courage to temporarily say “no” to things or people you care about in order to achieve your most insane goals? 

---

Are you ready to handle the obsession?

• Are you ready to fantasize about precision on all aspects of your goal?

• Are you ready to do things that TRULY push the limits of your body and mind?

• Are you ready to disappoint people you care about?

• Can you handle the obsession needed to reach your most insane goals?

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

5 Ways To Be A Great Mentee For Your Mentor

Cover Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Attract And Keep The Best Mentors For You

Many articles focus on the mentor aspect of a mentorship relationship.

But what about the mentee?

How can you be the best possible mentee for your mentor?

It matters, because the better mentee you are, the better the mentors you’ll attract.

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” — Buddha

Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. — Wikipedia.org

We all know some benefits of having a mentor, but for me personally, these are the best reasons:

• They accelerate your learning curve;

• They expand your connections;

• They tell you the cold, brutal truth; and

• They motivate you.

However, the point of this article is more fundamental than that:

How can I be a better mentee?

To receive the benefits of mentorship, it has to be a mutual relationship. There are some unspoken “principles” that exist to make the relationship work.

In this article, I’ll focus on what are some sought-after qualities in a mentee. 

---

1. Listen, Be Open-Minded

A mentor will give you advice on a solution to a problem based on their experience. They take their precious time because they want to help YOU. You owe it to them to listen to what they have to say.

They will often tell you things you don’t yet comprehend. Be open-minded. Don’t correct them. Don’t interrupt them when they speak. Try to grasp their point of view.

Take notes. It shows you value their time. It’s also much easier for you to remember their advice.

Don’t check your cellphone or smart watch. Don’t check the time unless you’ve got something really urgent to do after. And when that’s the case, mention it at the start of the meeting. 

---

2. Apply Their Suggestion

There’s no better proof that you listened than when you apply the advice they’ve given you.

You may not always agree with their advice, but sometimes they just see further ahead. For better or worse, try it nonetheless. Unless you’re certain it’s destructive to you or your business. 

---

3. Follow Up With Them

After you’ve applied and let enough time pass to assess the results of the advice, follow up with them. Tell them what worked and what didn’t. A good mentor won’t be mad if you tell them your idea didn’t work. If they think they can improve on the advice, they’ll do their best.

Nonetheless, they’ll be happy you listened to them and did your best. They’ll be more willing to give you their time and give you important connections that can help you in other ways. 

---

4. Be Grateful For Their Advice

This is very important for a healthy mentorship. Thank them for their valuable advice.

We always complain, yet always forget to thank the people who help or inspire us. Do it. But do it for them, not for you.

Mentors are people like you and I. Being recognized for your work is always nice. 

---

5. Be Honest With Yourself

With all that said, it’s time for you to think honestly about yourself. About your behaviour:

• Do you REALLY listen when someone tells you something?

• Do you try to apply what people tell you, even when you don’t necessarily agree?

• Do you follow up with people who give you advice?

• Do you thank them for their help?

If you can honestly “yes” to those questions, you have some of the most important characteristics of someone who is mentor-able.

If you have mentors already, they probably like you. If not, now’s a good time to find some! 

---

Conclusion

Think about this before seeking your next mentor.

Evaluate yourself honestly.

Be a better mentee and reap the benefits of a successful mentorship!

Thanks for reading! :)

10x Your Accomplishments Without Breaking A Sweat

Cover Image Source: CNBC

Using A True Manager’s Powerful Method

How many of you:

• think it’s impossible to 10x your current accomplishments?

• have read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People?

• are familiar with Richard Branson’s approach?

If you’ve read the book, or are familiar with Richard Branson, you may believe me.

Richard Branson has helped start over 200 companies with his Virgin Group (while earning 7 Guinness World Records), and that’s because he mastered something Stephen R. Covey calls, in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

Stewardship Delegation

And that, my friends, is a manager’s most powerful tool!

I’ve been doing that for over 4 months now with my assistant and with different collaborators on the 6–7 projects I’m working on at the same time.

• People often ask me how I cope with doing all these things?

• How do I find the energy?

• How many hours a day do I have?

The truth is this:

I focus my energy on my strengths and delegate to collaborators to cover for my weaknesses.

Now now, I’m not saying that Stewardship Delegation is easy.

It isn’t.

There are pitfalls.

Have you tried in the past and failed?

What do you think of the excuses below? 

---

Pitfalls And Excuses Against Delegation

I Can Do The Job Better Myself

Ask yourself this, with honesty:

How do I rank in terms of expertise level at the task?

Are you 5? a 7? a 9?

Here’s what I’m proposing:

As much as you can, delegate tasks for which you think you’re a 7 or below.

Find a 8, 9 or 10 to do the job.

Think about it.

If you’re in a competitive field, time spent on tasks where you can’t get the results of a top performer is time wasted.

It Takes Too Much Time

It really does take time. You’re building relationships after all.

It will be slower at the beginning, especially if you’re already a 6 or 7, or above.

But you have to remember the manager section of this image:

Source: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

As a producer, you’ve got 24 hours of your own skills to work with.

As an effective manager, you’ve got a pool of collaborators, each adding their own “24 hours” of their own skills to work with.

Using the principles for effective Stewardship Delegation below, you can more effectively save time on delegation.

I Don’t Know How To Delegate Things I Don’t Know

I getcha!

I hate doing that myself.

Here’s an idea:

What if, to make up for a severe lack of knowledge in something, you delegate to a true expert.

For example, if you’re a 2 in something, don’t delegate to a 7 or below. Delegate to a 9 or 10.

It’s usually fine to delegate to someone +/- 2 points from you. But when your own score is so low, you have to find an expert to make up for that severe knowledge. 

---

5 Principles For Great Stewardship Delegation

1. Focus On The Desired Results

Stewardship Delegation is all about results, not the methods. It’s the what, not the how.

You tell your collaborator what you need, not how you need it to be done.

Be clear and precise about the results. Aim for one concise sentence.

2. Identify Simple Guidelines

Identify parameters your collaborator should operate on. Don’t tell them how to do it, but do tell them how you don’t want it to be done. Give them restrictions.

Tell them paths to failures if you know them. Be honest.

3. Provide And Point To The Resources

Who or what is at your collaborator’s disposal?

Provide them with human, financial, technical, or organizational resources.

4. Make Them Accountable

Set up the standards of performance, then make them responsible for the results.

Be very clear of that.

5. Explain The Desired Results

Tell them what happens if they’re doing good, or if they’re doing bad.

What outcomes are you expecting?

Be precise. 

---

Conclusion

Using Stewardship Delegation is a powerful method for accomplishing 10x more.

Once you overcome the excuses of 1. time, 2. you’re better, and 3. you’re not good enough, you can fully implement the 5 principles of successful Stewardship Delegate:

• focus on the desired results;

• identify simple guideline;

• provide and point to the resources;

• make them accountable; and

• explain the results.

Trust in your collaborator, and remember that trust is one of the greatest forms of motivation.

Be there for your collaborator. Get involved in their training and development.

I’ve more than achieved 10x of my results from 5–6 months ago. Since then, I released 2 books, started 2 other companies, released a video game, and more. Overall, on a day to day basis, I collaborate with about 15 people across 6–7 different projects.

And you can do that too!

Find great collaborators, apply the principles above, and reap the rewards of Stewardship Delegation.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

You’ll Wish You’d Have Done This Before

Cover Photo by @matthewkane on Unsplash

My Most Productive Week Ever, and How You Can Replicate This

How do you define your productivity?

Is it about getting a lot of things done?

Like my week below?

Teamweek screenshot of one of my recent work week

If you count the number of tasks I’ve accomplished, clearly that was a productive week, right? On some days, I’ve done more than 20 tasks.

I was able to accomplish all that because I’ve been in True Momentum for almost a month now.

23 Key Principles For Building True Momentum And Becoming Unstoppable

Well, the truth is, I had a way more productive week this week:

That doesn’t sound as productive now, does it?

Here’s the thing: 20% of my time this week was spent on my productive activities, and the remaining 80% of my time was spent on my own self-improvement and reflection.

I call this The Self-Development Week.

The Self-Improvement Week 

---

Why Do You Say This Was Your Most Productive Week Ever?

The simple answer: Clarity. A sense of direction. A sense of purpose.

In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill asks: “What is your CHIEF AIM?”.

Here it is, rephrased in a simple question:

Why do you do what you do?

I didn’t have a proper answer to that question. I’m willing to bet you don’t either. And don’t lie to yourself!

• Why are you doing your 9–5 job?

• Why are you working on your own startup/for yourself?

• What do you hope to gain, or give back by doing what you’re doing?

I went through a few iterations myself this week. Amongst the things I’ve realized is this:

It’s not about me

I realized that in the short term, things revolved around “learning” for me. In the long-term, it’s all about helping others.

In 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey, calls this interdependence:

If I am physically interdependent, I am self-reliant and capable, but I also realize that you and I working together can accomplish far more than, even at my best, I could accomplish alone.

If I am emotionally interdependent, I derive a great sense of worth within myself, but I also recognize the need for love, for giving and for receiving love from others.

If I am intellectually interdependent, I realize that I need the best thinking of other people to join with my own.

Photo Credit: 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People

---

My Chief Aim

By reading and understanding Think and Grow Rich and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I came to the following chief aim for myself:

Help people thrive in the 21st century

That is my sense of direction. That is the clarity I’ve been looking for.

After having traveled the globe and volunteered many times abroad, I understood that life is about giving back.

And growing up, I’ve always challenged the thought that you need to focus on only one area to be successful.

I consider myself a polymath, especially since I decided to learn 3 new skills a month 7–8 months ago now.

As Michael Simmons said:

[…] nearly everyone should become a polymath in a modern knowledge economy.

And Robert Greene:

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”

See how they use the same ideas:

polymath = those who learn more skills, future = a modern knowledge economy

The 21st century is ripe with technological advances that will make a lot of jobs and skills irrelevant.

I want to be part of the solution for not only making people “succeed” in such a knowledge economy, but most importantly, thrive.

I agree with Michael Simmons and Robert Greene about learning more skills to stay relevant and thrive. And that will be one aspect of me helping people thrive in the 21st century. 

---

My Current Situation Vs My Chief Aim

I write on Medium, Thrive Global, Thought Catalog, and more. I also write books. I write both non-fiction and fiction. I build video games. I build software. I sell Viking clothing and accessories. I take semi-professional photos.

Now how does that all relate?

It certainly doesn’t seem to relate at all at first glance.

And part of this is what prompted me to do a self-improvement week this week.

How can I make this all fit together? How can I make all those things work toward my chief aim?

I’ve been wasting so much time grinding at these projects, with no real purpose behind them.

That was incredibly UN-productive.

All those tasks done in the screenshot from above? Useless without clarity. Without a chief aim.

There’s nothing more productive than aligning what you’re doing with your chief aim.

It bears repeating, being aware of your chief aim and working towards it with everything that you do is of utmost importance for your productivity!

Remember: productivity is not about getting things done, it’s about getting the right things done.

So how do all my productive activities all come together?

The first step for me was to break everything down to the skills level.

What does each of these projects bring me in terms of knowledge? Here’s what I came up with:

Things I learned, am learning, or will be learning by doing all my projects.

Hopefully this screenshot shows you the power of being a polymath.

Remember that quote from Robert Greene:

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”

Imagine now that the list above applies to you.

How would you combine them in creative ways to achieve my chief aim: Help people thrive in the 21st century.

I hope you can find a few solutions.

I certainly did find my solution.

If you’re interested in knowing about it, feel free to sign up for my newsletter at dannyforest.com, I’ll announce it at the end of next month.

But you see my point, right?

What have you learned, are learning, or will you learn to accomplish your chief aim?

Once you’ve answered that, you’ll have the map to your territory.

Go through that exercise.

Be aware of your the things you know, the things you want to know. Write them down.

Mix and match in creative ways. Write the things you come up with.

Feel the power of that exercise!

But it’s important to remember to think about the interdependent concept above, repeated here:

I also realize that you and I working together can accomplish far more than, even at my best, I could accomplish alone.

Don’t forget that when you plan your strategy for achieving your chief aim! 

---

Conclusion

In this article, I’ve shown you how, by taking the time to reflect on yourself and your self-improvement, you are actually more productive than if you would keep grinding day-to-day.

I’ve shown you that being a polymath will help you in achieving any chief aim you set yourself.

I’ve also shown you one of the strategies I’ve used to figure out how to achieve your chief aim.

But this is only the beginning.

I want to help you further.

In a future article, I’ll write about EXACTLY what I’ve done during my self-improvement week. I’ve only shown you 1 of the 23 pages I’ve written. And it’s not even the most powerful one!

I’ll explain, in details, which strategy I’ve used to make the most out of my most productive week ever.

If you liked this article, you won’t want to miss the other one.

Let me help you be on the right path for yourself. I do not know all the answers — and never will — by I trust in the learnings I’ve made during that week.

Follow me here, and sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know about my solution to help people thrive in the 21st century, but most importantly about learning how you can set yourself up for the most productive week of your life!

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Elevate Your Happiness Through Gratitude

Cover Photo by Fernando Brasil on Unsplash

How many people around you inspire you?

How many people in your life have inspired you?

Do you even think about that?

Have you ever thanked them?

I originally started off writing a completely different story about a co-worker who really inspires me, until I realized I never thanked her for what she inspires me for.

Then my brain branched off to other co-workers who inspire me in the their own way and realized than so many people inspire me, yet I haven’t really expressed any gratitude to them. Yet.

Take a minute and think about it for a moment.

You’ll see it takes no time to realize things other people do that inspire you.

And it doesn’t have to be people you know really well either. Heck, it could even be someone you hate! You don’t have to agree with everything they do. 

---

Recognize and Thank Your Family

You rarely give much thought about recognizing your family because you take them for granted. When you take the time to think about the things they do, you’ll realize how much they’ve influenced your life decisions.

My mom is an incredible person. She raised me and my 3 brothers by herself. My father left when she was pregnant with my younger brother. She was left with nothing. We obviously grew up poor, but my mom made sure we always had food and lodging. She did everything she could to earn enough money while making sure she had time to spend with us. I’ve learned my perseverance and hard work from her and will always thank her for that.

My wife is a gift to everyone. When she’s not organizing vaccination camps across the poorest countries in the world with Médecins Sans Frontières, she’s raising hygiene awareness through Sundara, an NGO that recycles hotel soaps and re-distributes to communities in need around the world.

How can I not be inspired by her?

No one has a perfect family, but everyone can find things some family members inspire them with. Give it some thought and you’ll find the good in them. 

---

Recognize People Around You

Here’s a very interesting quote from Jim Rohn:

“You’re The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With “— Jim Rohn

Think about it.

Here’s a simple exercise:

List the five people you spend the most time with now. Last month. Last year.

• Did you pick things up from them? Good or bad?

• Who was it?

• What did you pick up from them?

• Anything that inspires or inspired you?

• Did you thank them for it?

When you stop to think about it, you realize the good in people. Be grateful and give them the thanks they so deserve. 

---

Why thank them?

Doesn’t it seem awkward?

“Thank you for inspiring on/about <insert reason here>!”

They didn’t really do it for you after all.

Most of the time, they’re doing it “for their own good”. Because they want to do it. Nonetheless, a simple thank you will inspire them to keep going.

You don’t know, but maybe the thing they inspire you for is hard for them and they were thinking of quitting. Thanking them proves them they’re on the right track and will inspire them to continue.

The graphic below summarizes very well why thanking them is good, both for you and the person receiving the gratitude:

Photo Credit: http://happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/

However, don’t think of thanking someone for your own benefits, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Thank them for them. That is true gratitude.

---

Conclusion

Now that you’ve done it once, do it again. Yearly, monthly, weekly. Daily even! You’ll be a better person and be happier for it.

Hope this was helpful!

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

You Are, Or Will Become What You Learn

Cover Photo by @impatrickt on Unsplash

Quick Tips On Learning More Things Faster

If I had to choose a theme or a quick phrase to describe my last 8 months, it would have to be this: “Self-Education”.

In the past 5 months alone, I’ve released one book (with more coming up soon), one video game, one online store, a Saas company, and more.

But that’s only the result of me educating myself to learn a more diverse set of skills.

What’s the best way to apply things you just learned?

Put it in action of course!

Sometimes that means changing ways you do things, sometimes that means creating new things.

I created new things, and improved on things I was already doing.

If we were to break down the different skills I needed to learn to make all of the above possible, I would come up with a list like this:

Things I learned, am learning, or will be learning by doing all my projects.

These are some of the skills that, in the past 8 months, I’ve intentionallypracticed and learned.

As a list like that, it may seem a little broad. But most of these took over 8 hours of planning before even putting them in motion.

“Think things through, then follow through” — Eddie Rickenbacker

I may not have mastered any of these, but I’m at 80% “mastery” on a lot of them.

As I re-read that list for the nth time, I realized that I’ve become what I learned. Reading that list, I see a lot of “me” in there. I can do these things. I could write articles on any of these subjects.

So what I’m proposing you to do is go through that same exercise of listing the skills you recently learned, are learning, or will be learning in the near future.

Do you see that your skills portrait who you are, or will become?

That could be sad news to some of you, or good news to some of you.

The way I see it, it’s all good news.

Let me explain.

If the skills you listed are not pleasing to you, take it as a motivator to change that. My older brother once told me:

“You’ll never do anything in life” — Unnamed brother

Phew, that’s pretty harsh!

He told me that years ago because all he saw was this sad teenager playing video games all day on his couch. Here’s my list of skills back then — with exaggeration:

• Mastering video games.

Needless to say, I wasn’t the most confident kid. But after hearing that, I had to prove him wrong.

And that’s what this exercise is about.

If you’re sad about your own results, prove yourself wrong!

Learning new skills, it turns out, is not even that hard.

Danny, are you crazy? Learning new skills is freaking hard!

Let me argue differently: mastering a new skill is freaking hard!

Being “sufficiently proficient” at something can be done in about 15 hours of constant practice.

I’ve tested that with my 3 new skills a month approach for over 8 months now. I’ve seen myself and others have similar results.

And here’s why “sufficiently proficient” matters:

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” ― Robert Greene, Mastery

If you’re competing at master level for anything in life, you have to be a top 1% to become extremely successful. You have to be the best in the world!

Now combine 3–5 skills together in creative ways. How many other people in the world have the same skill set?

I hope you see that the subset of people you’re competing with is much lower, meaning more chances for you to be doing great.

Doesn’t that make you a little more remarkable?

---

Learning More Things Faster

I have a secret for you:

The best way I found to learn faster is to learn more

Probably not what you wanted to hear right? Yet it’s exactly how top people like Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and more learn faster. Because they already know so much.

Let me give you a very simple example.

Suppose you know a language deriving from latin. Let’s say French. Now compare learning Spanish or Italian, as opposed to English, or Chinese.

Spanish and Italian are much easier to learn coming from French, right?

And any polyglot will tell you, the more languages you know, the easier it is to learn new ones.

Everyone agrees, right?

If so, let me forgo the scientific explanation here, but trust me when I say that the same applies to other types of knowledge.

So here’s my suggestion to you:

1. Learn one or more “basic” skills this month (practice each for 30 minutes, consistently). Become “sufficiently proficient” in it. Aid yourself from my worksheet here: dannyforest.com.

2. Learn something “different enough” the next month.

3. Repeat step 2 for a few months. Maybe for 4–5 months.

4. Realize how much faster you assimilate concepts due to the diverse knowledge you’ve acquired for the past few months.

On step 4, when I stay much faster, I mean exponentially faster! Do that for 8 months like I have. I often surprise myself with how quickly I sometimes pick up concepts that other people find hard to grasp.

Start with Physics before Math and you’ll struggle as hell. Understand Math really well, then learn Physics. Much easier, right?

Convinced yet?

Trust me, it’s not as hard as you think it is. Planning and executing consistently are key.

Lack motivation?

Get yourself an accountability partner! Someone who will follow you in doing the same process. It doesn’t have to be the same skills.

---

Conclusion

In this article, I’ve shown you how to figure out what your current/near future skillset is and realize how it represents who you are or will become.

I showed you how you can use that as a motivation to stop procrastinating and start learning.

I also proved to you that skill learning is not that hard, and showed you examples of how to make it easier, and faster.

I hope you learned something!

Now it’s your turn.

Go ahead, start the month right and learn yourself a few new skills!

You can do this!

53 Excuses You Need To Avoid Like The Plague

Cover Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Regain Wasted Time By Concentrating Your Energy In The Right Place

“If only I <insert lame excuse here>, I would be <insert ambitious goal here>.” — Every single one of us

You’ve been there too, haven’t you?

Like most people, I made shitty excuses for my shortcomings.

I probably still do.

Part of my reason for doing a self-development week is to get rid of these lame excuses once-and-for-all!

The Self-Improvement Week

Below is a list of 53 of these excuses, borrowed from Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill.

Highlight those that apply to you. If you so dare, share your story in the comments below. I will do it for myself below the list to inspire you. 

If only:

1. I had time

2. I had money

3. I had enough “pull”

4. I had a good education

5. I had good health

6. I had been given a chance

7. I had been born rich

8. I had embraced past opportunities

9. I had the talent that some people have

10. I had somebody to help me

11. I had the personality of some people

12. I had not failed

13. I had not been born under the wrong star

14. I had not lost my money

15. I had a business of my own

16. I did not have a wife and family

17. I did not fear about what they would say

18. I did not have to keep house and look after the children

19. I did not have so many worries

20. I did not have to work so hard

21. I did not have a past

22. I could get a job

23. I could live my life over again

24. I could do what I want

25. I could meet the right people

26. I could just get started

27. I could just get a break

28. I could only get out of debt

29. I could marry the right person

30. I could save some money

31. I were only younger

32. I were only free

33. I were not so fat

34. I were sure of myself

35. I dared assert myself

36. times were better

37. other people understood me

38. other people didn’t “have it in for me”

39. other people didn’t get on my nerves

40. other people were not so dumb

41. other people would only listen to me

42. everybody didn’t oppose me

43. conditions around me were only different

44. now had a chance

45. nothing happens to stop me

46. the boss only appreciated me

47. my family understood me

48. my family were not so extravagant

49. lived in a big city

50. lived in a different neighbourhood

51. my talents were known

52. knew how

53. luck were not against me 

These excuses are so old… This list was compiled 80 years ago. It goes to show that we haven’t evolved that much since then. And let’s not kid ourselves, that list existed way before 80 years ago!

We, as humans, just like to point fingers somewhere else. We don’t like to take responsibility for our own actions or inactions. We make these lame excuses all the time.

“The moment you accept total responsibility for EVERYTHING in your life is the day you claim the power the change ANYTHING in your life.” -Hal Elrod

Next time, you catch yourself saying “if only…”, just stop yourself. Or finish your sentence and realize how shitty of an excuse it is. See how you can turn that around. 

---

My Turn

Let me give it a shot with my excuses:

1. “If only I had time” => plan better, delegate

2. “If only I had money” => find a job, sell something, learn valuable skills, etc. This is actually an easy one since the possibilities are limitless. Heck, write a Medium story for members, make it half decent, use the proper tags and you’ll make a few bucks right there!

17. “If only I did not fear about what they would say” => Who do you live your life for? Listen to experts on the subject, trust in yourself, screw the rest!

20. “If only I did not have to work so hard” => Then don’t. See the big picture. Does it help your long-term goals? Or getting yourself out of the day-to-day grind to reflect would be better? What about a self-improvement week?

25. “If only I could meet the right people” => Have you even searched how to get in touch with them? If so, did you send them a message? Once? Twice? Sixteen times?

31. “If only I were only younger” => Dude, you’re only 31… (the fact that this is point 31 is a pure coincidence)

40. “If only other people were not so dumb” => I feel guilty for thinking that sometimes. Am I really superior to others? Danny, look yourself in the mirror, you’re just as “dumb”, if not more sometimes!

47. “If only my family understood me” => It’s okay not to be understood by everyone, even your family. Everyone lives different lives. The person who understands that is the bigger person.

51. “If only my talents were known” => Have you even shown them your talents? Keep trying. Plan better, try harder!

---

Now It’s Your Turn!

What excuses do you make for yourself? Hopefully not that many. If it is many, strongly consider taking time to reflect on yourself.

Do that in your journal, in your mind, or publicly here, it doesn’t matter. But go through that exercise!

You’ll realize how much potential you’re missing on by making all these excuses. Once you take responsibility, you’ll have clarity and regain wasted time by channeling your energy in the right place.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

The Self-Improvement Week

Cover Image by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

The Real Workweek

I don’t think “self-improvement week” is a thing — yet.

For the longest time, Bill Gates has taken retreats specifically for the sake of self-improvement. He would go somewhere for a week or so with a collection of books to read and self-reflect.

I had never given this idea much thought, until recently.

I pride myself in being a polymath who does a great many things all at once. Here’s what one of my weeks look like:

Teamweek screenshot of some of the tasks I’m doing (you don’t see half of it…). Different colors indicate different projects.

And then last Friday I had problems with a build of Soul Reaper and had to switch back and forth between Mac OS X and Windows 10. And Windows kept doing updates. I “wasted” about 2 hours of my life waiting for updates I didn’t even care for.

I’m not easy to upset, but that did it. But I didn’t understand why it did. It’s insignificant when you think about it. Sure it sucks, but I should not have over-reacted on this, but I did.

During those updates, I “stormed out” and went in a quiet room, pen and paper in hand, and started jotting down things that had been bothering me lately. To my surprise, my page was completely full. “Overflowing” would be a better word.

I had been so deep down in the trenches for “so long” that I hadn’t realized that so many things were wrong around/with me.

I was so focused on the day-to-day grind, that I had forgotten the big picture.

And chances are that you too may be a victim of the same problem, without you even knowing it!

And then came the idea to just “pull a Bill Gates” this week. What if instead of spending 80% of my time on my productive activities*, and 20% of my time on my self-improvement, I take a week and spend 80% of my time on my self-improvement, and 20% of my time on my productive activities. 

*Notice how I don’t use the word “work”? When you like what you do, it doesn’t feel like a chore. People seem to associate work with something you have to do to get by. And if people agree to that definition, then I need to use a term like “productive activity”, meaning something that works towards my goals. Something paid or not, it doesn’t matter. Something I want to do.

---

What do I hope to gain from a Self-Improvement Week?

One word: clarity.

Napoleon Hill, in Think And Grow Rich, writes about finding your “Chief Aim” as being the starting point to achieving great things. I think he’s right.

What is your Chief Aim?

He claims that 98% of the people can’t answer that question clearly. But it’s an old book. There were fewer options 80 years ago. I would guess even fewer people know their Chief Aim nowadays.

Why?

Because we’re always on the highway, going 100 miles an hour. We don’t take time to brake, pull over, and think for a moment.

I was in Spain for 3 months earlier this year, working 13 minutes away from the beach. And looking back, my most productive days were not days I was in front of the computer, but days where I took the time to reflect and brainstorm on the beach.

Every good idea I’ve come up with in my life that has brought me desirable outcomes has come from one of these places/moments:

• in the shower;

• during a walk;

• looking at the waves on the beach;

• hiking or atop a mountain;

• etc.

See the pattern?

I did not have access to a computer to “distract” me from my reflection.

I did not set out to come up with these “incredible” ideas. They just happened, when I 1. did NOT expect it, and 2. finally freed my mind of the “clutter”.

It’s when you disconnect that you connect. 

---

What’s on the agenda for the Self-Improvement Week?

One word: Nothing.

Photo by @epicantus on Unsplash

There are things I want to figure out about myself. Like the Chief Aim mentioned above.

There are books I haven’t taken the time to read or re-read. Now’s the time. I’m thinking of: Think And Grow Rich, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Principles, Good To Great, The Power Of The Subconscious Mind, etc.

There are writers here I’d like to study a little more: Michael Simmons, Anthony Moore and Thomas Oppong.

I want to improve upon my 3-new-skills-a-month approach.

I want to fix the list of things that have bothered me.

I want to increase my wealth. Something I’ve never cared about before. Now I’ve got reasons I really care about for having money.

I want to inspire more people to aim and reach higher.

I want to come clean on mistakes I’ve made to people I care about.

I want to give gratitude to people who have shaped who I am today.

And more.

These are suggestions, not plans. I’m definitely not against plans, in fact, the result of those reflections will no doubt yield plans.

This week is about Brainstorming. Reflecting. Being self-aware. Rebuilding my confidence. Aligning my visions with my goals. Finding my Chief Aim.

In some ways, by foregoing my productive activities for the week, I’m setting myself up for the most productive week of my life, yet. 

---

Conclusion

Your goals for a self-improvement week will be different than mine, than anyone else, really. It’s a personal thing.

I’m inviting you all to join me on this powerful idea.

You don’t have to do it this week, but schedule a time that would make sense for you.

Remember: there’s no better investment than in yourself.

I’m going to make Self-Improvement Week a habit. Maybe once every 3–4 months. I’ll experiment. I’ll see what works best for myself.

I suggest you do the same.

So get out of the trenches, brake, pull over, arm yourself with a pen and paper, and improve everything about your life!

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)