From: alexhormozi
Many people enter new ventures, such as starting a podcast, with the expectation of rapid success, often within 90 days 00:00:00, 00:00:49. This mindset can lead to discouragement, especially for those starting without an existing audience 00:00:18. However, true and lasting success is typically the result of consistent, long-term effort and a commitment to the process, rather than an immediate focus on outcomes 00:01:39.
The Long Road to Success
The journey to significant achievement often takes years, not months. For instance, one podcast took five and a half to six years to break into the top 10 in its category 00:00:32, 00:00:35. During this six-year period, the creator consistently produced one to three podcasts every week without fail 00:00:41.
The initial phase of any endeavor is crucial for development and learning:
- Finding Your Voice: The first year is often spent discovering your unique style and approach 00:00:53.
- Skill Development: This period involves learning how to communicate effectively, teach, entertain, present, and speak 00:00:56.
- Evolving Content: Just as skills improve, the subject matter itself evolves. Early content might be highly specialized (e.g., how to run a gym better for the first 150 episodes) 00:01:08, eventually broadening to related topics like marketing, sales, and general business 00:01:12. Both the content and delivery skills improve over time 00:01:21.
Shifting Focus from Outcomes to Actions
A common pitfall is to focus on immediate results, such as sales or money earned. This can create a cycle where activity slows down once an income threshold is met, leading to “scarcity mode” when funds dry up, and then a frantic return to work 00:02:48. This pattern, where activities stop after seeing an outcome, indicates a lack of the trait of consistency 00:03:19.
To break this cycle, the focus must shift from the sales or money being made to the process itself 00:03:07.
“You need to be able to do the doing without seeing the result of your doing and you have to keep doing it” 00:03:29.
This means consistently performing the necessary actions, whether results are immediately positive or not 00:03:35. If activities are maintained, even if outcomes are delayed, eventual success becomes more likely 00:03:41.
The Power of Action-Oriented Goals
Based on concepts from “Atomic Habits,” all winners and losers share the same goals 00:04:06, making goals themselves not unique 00:04:19. What truly differentiates individuals are the activities they perform 00:04:21.
- The goal of a winner is to commit to the activities 00:04:24.
- The goal of a loser is to commit to the outcome-based goal 00:04:26.
If you aim to be a millionaire, the focus should not be on “making a million dollars” but on the consistent actions that lead to that outcome 00:04:43. By divorcing activities from outcomes, you can maintain focus on what you can control: the doing 00:04:48, 00:04:59. This approach stabilizes self-esteem regardless of fluctuating income 00:04:54.
Thinking in Decades, Not Days
Adopting a long-term mindset, thinking in decades rather than days, is transformative 00:01:44, 00:05:15. A commitment to a process for 5 to 10 years, or even a decade, is uncommon but essential for substantial growth 00:05:15, 00:05:21. Most clients prioritize immediate leads within 90 days, missing the bigger picture 00:05:28.
This long-term perspective has several benefits:
- Sustainable Growth: It allows for consistent progress without the emotional rollercoaster of short-term results 00:06:01.
- Building Character: By committing to actions and behaviors, you grow into a person capable of sustained effort 00:03:51.
- Freedom from Financial Constraints: The trait of consistency, developed through process focus, can lead to a point where money is no longer a limiting factor 00:04:02.
Ultimately, putting your “game playing life” into things you can control – the consistent actions – rather than the outcomes you cannot, is the path to enduring success and resilience 00:06:09. If you consistently produce content, like 400 long-form episodes, your following will inevitably grow 00:06:34. The question shouldn’t be “how long will it take?” but rather embracing that it will take “as long as it takes,” because the goal is the doing, not just the outcome 00:06:40.