From: alexhormozi
Investing in personal growth involves a multi-faceted approach, emphasizing self-awareness, consistent effort, continuous learning, and strategic mentorship. This philosophy extends beyond physical training into areas like business development and skill acquisition.
Prioritizing Weakness and Consistent Effort
A key principle in personal growth is to identify and prioritize one’s weakest areas. The speaker, for example, started training calves first for over 10 years because they were his weakest body part in terms of proportions [00:00:21]. He trains his body in reverse order of weakness, from worst to best body part [00:00:33]. Doubling the volume and training them in every workout led to significant growth [00:00:52]. This approach suggests that consistent, focused volume on a deficient area is crucial for improvement [00:01:34].
The Value of Experimentation and Learning
Before settling on a consistent training routine, the speaker underwent a period of extensive experimentation. In his 20s, he tried various modalities including CrossFit, bodyweight training, swimming, and kettlebells [00:02:07]. Starting from “absolute ignorance,” he would read about different methods and try them out, such as kettlebells or bodyweight training, before learning “the few things that matter” for maximum muscle with the least headache [00:02:20]. This highlights the importance of self-education and skills development through practical application and critical evaluation.
Mentorship and Learning from Experts
One of the “greatest hacks” in both bodybuilding and business is “getting with people who are far ahead of you” [00:14:59]. Significant improvements in physique or business have come from insights provided by those with a decade or more of experience [00:15:05]. This concept of learning from experts is deemed invaluable, allowing one to “buy any experience” to “get the lesson without the scar” [00:15:28].
Training with a partner is another form of mentorship and accountability. While it might seem counterintuitive due to waiting for turns, partners often lead to harder, longer workouts, better form, and increased motivation, preventing distractions like “doom scrolling” [00:06:16]. The “timer” for rest becomes the other person’s set [00:11:24]. The speaker prefers working out with others whenever possible because he trains harder, longer, does more sets, and probably has better form [00:11:41]. This emphasizes the value of mentorship and skills development through collaborative effort.
Discipline and Finding Your “Pickleball”
True discipline, it’s suggested, isn’t always about forcing oneself through miserable tasks. Instead, it’s about finding activities that make the disciplined effort enjoyable [00:12:44]. For example, 90 minutes of pickleball can burn 1,000 calories without feeling like “cardio” because one is “just chasing a ball” [00:12:23]. The advice is to “find your pickleball” – find the enjoyable path to your goals [00:13:04]. This reframes foundational personal development for success as less about arduous self-control and more about strategic engagement.
Application and Practicality
In the business world, a great philosophy or theory holds little value if it “doesn’t make money” [00:14:14]. The “validity of the model is how much money you make” [00:14:18]. Therefore, theories must be “stress-tested” in the real world [00:24:29]. The speaker and his team start with what worked (anecdotes) and then work backward to identify the underlying principles, constantly trying to break their own theories to ensure validity [00:23:06]. The goal is to create “Canon” – principles that no one can disprove [00:23:35]. This approach to business growth and knowledge creation underscores the importance of practical, verifiable results.
In the context of writing, the strategy is to “do the thing that’s most important first” [00:20:42]. For the speaker, this means writing from when he wakes up until noon [00:19:44]. The writing process itself is iterative, involving significant compression: taking 1,000+ pages and compacting them into 270 pages, ensuring every sentence is necessary [00:21:52]. This disciplined approach applies to any area of personal and financial growth.
Continuous Improvement and Adapting to Weaknesses
Even when an individual has achieved a high level of development, such as a “well-rounded physique,” continuous monitoring and adaptation are essential [00:42:46]. If a “clear visual weakness” is identified, it moves up in priority within the workout routine [00:43:01]. For injury rehabilitation, the strategy is to “keep moving but keep moving light,” progressively adding weight back to the injured area rather than taking extended time off [00:38:45]. This parallels the idea of getting back on the “pommel horse” immediately after a fall [00:39:05].
Investment Philosophy
The speaker’s acquisition strategy contrasts with typical VC models. Rather than seeking 100x returns by applying “ungodly amounts of pressure” and risking many failures, their approach focuses on “everyday businesses” like mortgage sales or photography shops [00:40:27]. Their goal is for all businesses to “triple over 5 years,” achieving similar or better overall returns without “burn[ing] 49 relationships” [00:41:26]. This demonstrates a preference for sustainable, long-term growth and relationships over high-risk, high-reward ventures, reflecting a balanced perspective on investment and financial advice for business growth and the role of longterm investment in personal growth.
In conclusion, investing in personal growth and mentorship is about consistently challenging weaknesses, learning from experience and experts, finding enjoyment in discipline, and applying knowledge practically to achieve tangible results. It’s a continuous, iterative process that prioritizes sustainable development.