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🚀 PERFORMANCE HACK

The 3 Keys To Achieving Mastery & How To Uncover Your Passion (The Best Fuel Source For The Journey!)

The pinnacle of all learning & skill acquisition is ‘mastery’...

It’s a term we’ve reserved exclusively for those at the absolute highest level of what they do; the top 1% (or 0.1%) within a given sport, craft, industry, or profession...

But this level of mastery isn’t just reached casually, part-time & it doesn’t just happen on its own…

And it’s definitely not easy to achieve…

Also to start, what those before us who have achieved this mastery in their own work & lives have left for us are clues that we can assess, analyze & utilize in our own lives to achieve our own mastery...

More specifically, there are 3 foundational keys that those at the highest levels of mastery all share… which are universal, transferable & can be applied to across all fields & industries...

They are:

1. Passion (as we’ll explore in this week’s newsletter)

2. Self-Discipline & Hard Work

3. Constant Innovation (that is, every day asking “How can I become/make this better?” & constantly striving to improve.)

You’ll see the passion that motivated them…

The hard work they put in...

And the constant desire to improve & get better...

In this week's newsletter, we are going to dive deep into the first of these 3 foundational keys (the one that really gets us in the game in the first place, as well as makes the next one a whole lot easier)...

We’ll share some stories & examples of how the world’s best applied it…

As well as how you can apply it in your own life to create not just the success you want but the fulfillment along with it as well...

Let’s talk about it…

Passion: The Inner Fire/Fuel For Mastery

Whether it’s Tiger Woods drawing golf trajectories as a very young child…

Mozart composing music before his 6th birthday…

Picasso the 50,000+ paintings he created in his lifetime…

Or Bobby Fischer, age 6, playing chess against himself because he had nobody else to play with...

They all share one thing in common & it's the love for their craft...

In their story of high achievers, you’ll observe a deep fascination with a particular topic, skill, field of study, question, or part of our world & it’s that which motivates them every day…

Just like a car requires some sort of fuel to move forward, we, as human beings, require some sort of passion, purpose, or motivation to take action…

And most extrinsic motivators (fuel sources) can only get you so far…

The possibility of a trophy or promotion (& the boosted status that comes with it) may get you to train/work hard for a few weeks / months beforehand, but that fuel runs out shortly/immediately after...

Curiosity (mild, fleeting, the spark) which can turn into full-fledged passion (severe, relentless, the raging fire) are a rare fuel source in that they has the possibility of never running out…

They just keep burning inside you possibly forever, fueling to keep going, keep exploring & keep venturing forward...

But a lot of people in this world lack this type of passion..

They go through life without any real sense of passion, or higher purpose, for what they do…

Rather than starting their learning, skill development & mastery endeavors with passion, many people start with motives of financial or status incentives…

In fact, this is one of the biggest reasons why so many hate their jobs!

Many people start their jobs (& careers) not based on intrinsic curiosities, passions & interests but instead, based on extrinsic motivators like money, existing skills demands from parents, or a number of other reasons…

In the beginning, even this is fine…

It’s fresh.

It’s new.

And everything that’s novel has some natural allure to it…

They may even enjoy the job & the income, the perks, or the potential of a promotion that comes with it...

But, over time, the excitement from money or promotions fades away / it’s not a sustainable motivation source, like intrinsic passion is…

Which all leads people to, eventually, reach burnout…

That’s when they begin to increasingly hate their jobs & careers…

And they spend a large part of their workweek just awaiting the weekend & then dreading Monday morning… (the highest suicide rate is sadly Monday morning!)

Which makes other stories in which people willingly & voluntarily work 70, 80, or 90 hours a week (without taking weekends off, even if they could) ever more shocking…

We think those people are crazy or at the extreme as ‘workoholics’ without realizing, often, those people are in a great/the best position because they love what they do & have a strong passion for it…

As the saying goes:

They love what they do.

And they genuinely love Mondays…

And also they tend to compartmentalize their lives a lot less than people who view ‘work’ as something they hate, but pay the bills so they can enjoy their ‘life’ outside of work…

They view their ‘work’ as their purpose, their calling or their mission.

It’s meaningful & deeply fulfilling…

Here’s the next insight…

What Exactly Is Passion?

‘Passion’ is not to be confused with your level of understand / knowledge of a particular topic or level of skill…

While the 2 are definitely linked (with greater competence generally comes greater passion — we love what we are good at!) they are not the same...

Also, it doesn’t have to be a particular topic (as you can would see on a school curriculum) or skills (as we generally think of them)…

Albert Einstein’s passion, for example, wasn’t merely the subject of ‘physics’, but rather a deep curiosity about & passion for understanding the invisible forces of the universe…

Mozart’s passion wasn’t just playing the piano, but rather composition & creating music…

Understanding this nuance is incredibly powerful because it allows us to expand our realms of possibility…

Although Martin Luther King Jr was a minister & activist, his passion was bigger than that...

His passion was about equality & human rights, not just ‘being a minister’...

Being a minister or civil rights activist was simply a ‘vehicle’ for him to fulfill his passions, in the same way, physics was Einstein’s ‘vehicle’ to follow his fascination…

We mustn’t mistake the ‘vehicle’ for the ‘passion’ itself…

Sometimes the topic or skill is the passion in itself, but sometimes, it’s not… & we must consider this in our own lives...

And when you do find your passion, you’ll know because it activates a new sense of energy & excitement in your life, which will pull you towards mastery at something…

All of this does pose the question though...

How To Find Your Passion

There is no one pattern or solution that shows up repeatedly amongst those who have found their passion & followed it until they reached mastery…

There are clues...

Throughout history, many found their passion deep in their childhood when they received an item, met a particular person, or encountered a certain circumstance…

Others, like in the instance of Mozart, it was influenced by his family environment in which his father was a pianist & his older sister, Maria, was already learning the piano…

And for others, they simply re-connected with a topic or skill they used to enjoy in the past...

For some, their passion finds them & for others, they have to actively go out there & seek it…

As to how you do that, the best insight is simply to test, taste & experience as much as possible.

You can start with a simple list of things you think you might be fascinated by & go out there to experience them…

As part of this, do things you wouldn’t normally do.

Travel.

Meet new people.

Explore learning new topics or skills.

The more you explore & get out of your comfort zone, the more you can find out (about yourself & the world)

Just like you discovered your dream car, or what your favorite food is, or your favourite movie, by seeing & testing a lot of them first, before eventually settling on a ‘favourite’...

…the more things you test & experience, the greater your odds of finding something that deeply arouses your fascination, curiosity & creates that fire of passion inside you.

One final insight we’ll add here is this…

Almost Everything Can Be Turned Into A Career!

There are people whose passion is making their own homemade jewelry, who today have an amazing career & make a great living through this, selling it online...

There are others whose passion is a fascination with nature & plants, who create a good living by monetizing this passion by blogging about plants, publishing ebooks on the topic, or leading nature retreats out into the wilderness to help others connect the nature that modern city life lacks...

Everything can be monetized & turned into a career if you’re creative enough (in large part thanks to today’s modern world, how it’s arranged, globalization, technological advancements, etc)

And, if you’re still in doubt of this, just go & search the internet & you will find people making a living (or building a fortune) from the craziest things…

You’ll find these weird & wonderful examples which may just build up your own belief that it’s really possible…

However, as we know & we remind you once more, we don’t start there…

We start with passion & only layer the money, fame, recognition & other extrinsic factors on top later on…

…just like so many of the world’s highest achievers & those who have achieved this ‘mastery’ have done.

And if you'd like to learn more about what mastery really takes, as well as strategies to start learning faster, developing your skills up to 500% faster & becoming extraordinary at anything you set your mind to… be sure to check out our book on the topic called:

"Skilled Success: Learn Faster, Train Like The Best & Become Extraordinary At Anything"

Inside you'll learn how to start soaking in new information like a sponge & activate your brain’s full potential to achieve your goals faster & thrive in today’s rapidly-changing new world…

(even if you think you're a "slow learner", have a "bad memory", "low IQ" or lack "natural talent")

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‎‍🎓 FEATURED COURSE

Change How You Feel On Command

Would you like to learn how to develop true emotional control & be able to change how you feel on command?

For example, learning how to replace fear with confidence & courage...

Or, how to convert any stress or anxiety you experience into deep states of calm, relaxation & bliss...

Or, to transform tiredness or laziness into high energy, motivation & inspiration...

(all in mere minutes… or often, less than 60 seconds?)

If so, you'll love this in-depth training course, called:

"State Shifting: How To Develop Emotional Control & Change How You Feel On Command"

Here's just a fraction of what you'll learn in this new course:

• The 3 basic steps your brain & body follow to 'construct' each & every one of the emotions you experience each & every day... (including: how to consciously intercept this process to change how you feel on command!)

• You'll also learn the #1 biological hack for dissolving any anxiety, nervousness, or fear you may be experiencing...

• The 'backwards law' which goes again everything we're been told about self-discipline, explains why resisting & fighting can often backfire & illustrates how surrendering to your emotions can sometimes be the very best approach... (note: when I first learned about this, I protested & resisted this change like crazy... but today, I know better, I use this & have never looked back!)

• How to convert fear or anxiety into curiosity & excitement, in mere seconds... using a strategy known as 'Cognitive Re-Framing'... (based on a fascinating Harvard University research that goes completely against everything we've been previously taught to believe about anxiety!)

• Nervous System Controllability — You'll learn the 5 core parts of your nervous system which you have the most conscious control over... (plus: how to use these as levers for your own experience to further change how you feel, virtually on command)

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• The 4 'focus shifts' you can make to almost-instantly boost your self-confidence... (including: one of my all-time favourite ways to tune into a strong feeling of self-confidence before a big speech, presentation, an important meeting, etc!)

• The 1 strategy that turned a salesman afraid of making sales calls into one earning $500,000 a year in commissions... (note: it takes just minutes to implement!)

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• 1 simple 'mental reframe' that can instantly melt away almost any stress or anxiety you may be experiencing (as famously used by the great Stoic philosophers throughout history!)

• Chronobiology secrets — How to use sight (light, size, distance, direction), sound (volume, tempo, pitch, etc), as well as touch, taste & smell... to overcome fatigue, get rid of brain fog, boost focus & radically increase your energy levels during the day...

• The 1 activity scientifically proven to reduce stress levels by 50% in just 6 minutes... (& the best times of the day to use this practice!)

• The 3 core components that make up our 'environment', which also explains why we feel how we feel & do what we do... (note: this is must-know information for anyone on the journey of personal growth, self-help & success!)

• How the information that you consume affects how you feel both in the short-term & in the long-term... (including: specific 'mental detoxes' that you can deploy to get rid of harmful programming, feel better & start creating the life you truly desire & deserve!)

And a whole lot more...

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💭 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Fitting in, feeling understood & bonding over shared ways of life is easy, comfortable & important to wellbeing… but it isn’t necessarily what creates progress individually, or as a species.

We need people who are willing to stand out from the crowd, be contrarian in their thinking, challenge socially-accepted notions, in turn, moving the human race towards an even greater level of understanding, progress & results 🧠 

‎‍🪒 PSYCHOLOGICAL TOOL

'Occam’s Razor' (Or… A Philosophical Tool For Reducing Complexity & Simplifying Life While Achieving Better Results!)

Do you ever catch yourself over-complicating things in your life?

It's a common trap we all fall into from time to time…

We take something straightforward & turn it into an intricate web of thoughts, decisions & possible actions.

The result? More confusion, more work, and more stress.

It's time to break free from this cycle...

Enter Occam's Razor.

At its core, this philosophical tool states that:

Imagine, for example, that you have a splitting headache...

Your mind might immediately jump to the worst-case scenario — a life-threatening disease.

Sure, that's a possibility, but Occam's Razor advises a different approach…

The simpler explanation?

You might be dehydrated, stressed, or simply coming down with a common cold…

Remember, in most cases, the simplest explanation is the right one.

Albert Einstein, a genius in his own right, echoed this sentiment:

In essence, it's usually far more intelligent to start with the simplest explanation for a problem or situation & then work your way up from there to greater complexity than it is to start with the most farfetched outcome & attempt to simplify later.

But, let's explore some more...

How does Occam's Razor apply to your personal growth journey?

Well, it's not just about headaches, but about the bigger picture too...

When it comes to your goals, projects, and daily decisions, this principle & tool truly can be a game-changer...

Many people find themselves busy but making little progress on their goals…

One reason is they're focusing their energy on a multitude of less important tasks, rather than homing in on the 1 thing that truly matters & doing that...

So, how can you put Occam's Razor into action starting today? Here's a quick guide:

1. Identify Complexity: Whenever you face a problem, decision, or goal, recognize if you're making it more complicated than it needs to be.

2. Seek Simplicity: Start with the simplest explanation or action. Ask yourself: What's the most straightforward approach here? What's the basic first step that I can take now?

3. Gradual Complexity: If necessary, work your way up to complexity, adding layers of detail or depth as needed.

By embracing 'Occam's Razor', you'll simplify your life, reduce confusion & minimize overwhelm, all while getting more done & achieving better results!

You'll have the clarity to focus on the actions that truly work and make significant progress toward your goals...

Remember, the path to personal growth & high performance often starts with a simple step. Embrace simplicity, and you'll find that success isn't as complicated as it might seem 😃 

And if you’d like to learn more frameworks, methods & mental models to improve your decision-making & results… check out our other, companion newsletter, titled:

‘Frameworks For Life’

We do the heavy lifting & grunt work of meticulously researching, studying & curating the best insights, concepts & frameworks to help you make more intelligent decisions & get ahead in life... & delivering those to you (in simple terms, easy to implement) every single week…

…ultimately, helping you to achieve more of the results, the success, happiness & wellbeing you truly deserve in this life!

👉 Click here to claim your V.I.P. access for free »