From: alexhormozi
Success in entrepreneurship and business hinges on continuous growth, which is fueled by learning. To truly succeed, one must approach learning with the right mindset and strategies, turning every experience into an opportunity for growth and a positive return on investment (ROI) [00:00:12].
The Role of the Learner in Success
A common question people ask is, “How do you know it’s going to work?” [00:00:39] This question fundamentally reveals a misunderstanding: the program or teacher is not what makes it work, you are [00:00:46]. Placing the power of success in the hands of the teacher, rather than oneself, undermines potential for achievement [00:02:44].
The speaker, having invested over $500,000 in business education, claims a 100% positive ROI on every purchase, even from “bad teachers” or “scumbags” [00:01:00]. This highlights the impact of mindset on skill acquisition and success, where the student’s determination to win dictates the outcome, regardless of external factors [00:01:13].
Levels of Competence
Understanding one’s level of competence is crucial for an effective approach to learning self-improvement and mastering skills [02:01:01]. These levels dictate how individuals engage with new information and challenges:
1. Positive Active
This is the highest level of competence [00:02:06]. Individuals at this level believe “no one has proven that it cannot be done” and actively challenge others to prove why they can’t achieve something [00:02:22]. They commit to being the best student, winning regardless of the teacher’s competency [00:02:31]. This mindset is exemplified by figures like Elon Musk, who questions limitations based on physics, and Roger Bannister, who broke the four-minute mile barrier [00:03:16].
2. Positive Passive
These individuals are motivated by seeing others succeed [00:03:44]. They believe, “he did it, so I can do it” [00:03:51]. This is still a strong position for success, representing “A-minus players” who are willing to replicate successful actions before iterating [00:04:04].
3. Neutral Passive
The majority of people fall into this category [00:04:57]. They are open to possibilities, saying, “it’s worked for other people, let’s see if it works for me” [00:04:36]. They passively accept whatever happens, often becoming “mediocre customers” [00:04:52].
4. Negative Passive
Individuals at this level believe, “it might work for other people, but it probably won’t work for me” [00:05:22]. They approach tasks with a half-hearted effort [00:05:31]. An example is a salon owner who failed to execute a gift card campaign properly, blaming the system rather than his own incomplete implementation [00:05:37].
5. Negative Active
This is the lowest level, characterized by an active desire to prove that something won’t work for them [00:07:41]. They believe they are a “special snowflake” for whom nothing works, often clinging to this identity to avoid accountability [00:08:05]. This can manifest in various life areas, like fitness or relationships [00:08:29].
Potential for Transformation
Interestingly, those at Level 5 have the highest potential to jump directly to Level 1 [00:09:41]. If their active energy can be redirected from proving failure to proving success, they can become “absolute animals” and powerful advocates [00:10:00]. Examples include a gym owner who transformed his business after adopting a “what if it did work” mindset [00:10:46], and a client who achieved weight loss by choosing to be thin over being “right” about her unique metabolism [00:11:38]. This transformation highlights the power of mindset in various life areas.
The “No Try, Only Do” Philosophy
Similar to Morpheus telling Neo to “stop trying to hit me and hit me” [00:13:22], and Yoda’s famous line “there is no try, only do or do not” [00:14:18], successful learning demands commitment to action, not just effort. “Trying” implies the possibility of failure [00:14:30]. A fundamental belief that “if someone else can do it, so can I” eliminates the possibility of failure, leading to inevitable success [00:14:40].
Skills and Education Build on Each Other
The number of skills and meta-skills an individual possesses going into an educational process highly predicts their success [00:16:02]. Previous learning experiences, even if seemingly unsuccessful, build a bridge towards an outcome [00:16:22]. For example, learning simple addition is foundational to understanding algebra [00:16:56]. Often, success is attributed only to the “last brick” (most recent learning) rather than the cumulative effect of all prior learning [00:16:41].
More skills allow for more vague instructions to be implemented successfully [00:17:48]. If a program “didn’t work,” it’s often due to insufficient foundational skills rather than the program itself being flawed [00:19:10].
Learning from Every Experience
Even in adverse situations, there’s always a learning opportunity [00:19:19]. By employing “inversion thinking,” one can learn “what not to do” from bad teachers, parents, or bosses [00:19:44]. This ensures a positive ROI on every experience, as you either benefit directly or benefit from the inverse [00:19:52].
This lifelong learning mindset creates a “no-fail” situation: you will always learn what to do or what not to do, becoming an “inevitability” of success [00:24:24].
Replicate Before You Iterate
A key strategy for successful learning is to replicate before you iterate [00:23:09]. This means diligently following instructions to achieve the same results as the teacher, and only then exploring ways to improve upon the system [00:23:22]. Iterating prematurely, without understanding why something worked, can lead to failure [00:23:40].
Ultimately, champions create success regardless of conditions [00:21:16]. They focus on winning, not on proving others or systems wrong [00:25:26]. This powerful mindset is a cornerstone of foundational personal development for success.