Overcoming societal and personal challenges to achieve success

From: alexhormozi

This article is based on advice given to Avante, a young man working two jobs with a one-year-old child, who expressed being “sick and tired of being poor” and unsure how to escape his situation [00:00:01]. His story presents an opportunity to become an inspiring figure, as his success story will serve as a powerful message [00:00:30].

Mindset Shift: Rejecting Luck and Embracing Extreme Effort

To escape challenging circumstances, one must assume that luck isn’t real, or at least doesn’t apply to them [00:00:36]. The only way forward is to develop something of value that others desire [00:00:41]. Currently, individuals with low skills primarily trade time for little return, which is a difficult game to play [00:00:45]. The main objective becomes finding the time to learn a valuable skill while still providing for one’s family [00:00:50].

Short-Term Sacrifice

In the short term, family may suffer, but it’s better for this to happen when children are too young to remember than when they are too old to forget [00:00:55]. This period of intense effort is not forever, but it is necessary [00:01:01]. Without extreme action, one risks blinking and finding themselves in the same, or worse, position years later [00:01:08].

A feeling of sadness often stems from a perceived lack of options, leading to hopelessness [00:02:24]. Instead, this feeling should be reframed as “ignorance, not sadness,” meaning one simply doesn’t “know enough,” which is something controllable [00:02:28]. The goal is to become “undeniable” in one’s field, which can be achieved in less than a year [00:03:00]. This requires an “extreme and unbalanced” approach for the current season of life [00:05:20], aiming to firmly get one’s “head above water” [00:05:32].

Practical Steps to Achieve Financial Success

1. Cut All Costs: Eliminate all non-essential expenses. This means no eating out, only buying from discount grocery stores, and making existing clothing last for two years [00:01:11]. Reuse, trade, or shop at thrift stores [00:01:24]. Housing should be as cheap as possible, ideally living with family or sharing a space with multiple people to split costs [00:01:27]. The only expenses should be food and shelter, reduced to the greatest degree possible [00:06:18].
2. Increase Income:
   • Actively seek better-paying jobs that align with long-term goals [00:01:46].
   • Consider entry-level phone sales jobs, which can pay $40,000 a year or more with no experience [00:01:54].
   • If possible, drive for ride-sharing services like Uber [00:02:03]. If without a car, save aggressively to buy a cheap, cash-only vehicle (e.g., $5,000-$10,000) to eliminate monthly payments [00:07:31].
   • The goal is to get more return for time spent working [00:05:10].
3. Learn to Sell and Flip:
   • Start by selling other people’s items [00:02:07].
   • Learn to buy items cheaply and “flip” them for profit. The larger the item (from cards to furniture to homes), the greater the potential profit [00:02:10]. This “trading up” process is key to significant financial change [00:03:15].

Strategic Skill Development and Job Application

Dedicated time to personal development is crucial. Commit 4 hours a day to watching videos and taking notes to learn one specific skill. This isn’t “doom scrolling,” but focused learning [00:07:44]. Even 20 hours of focused study can quickly provide basic knowledge [00:08:07].

Job Application Strategy

Don’t just apply for jobs; become the best possible candidate [00:08:22].

1. Address Lack of Experience: Explicitly state in applications that while experience may be limited, you will “make up for it in hustle” [00:08:29].
2. Personalized Outreach: Message multiple people at every target company (HR recruiter, head of talent, director) on LinkedIn. Each message must be personalized after researching the company and individuals [00:08:33]. Avoid generic copy-pasted messages [00:08:39].
3. Custom Cover Letters: Submit a personalized cover letter with every resume, demonstrating knowledge of the business and how your skills align with the job description [00:08:54].
4. Demonstrate Hustle: For lower-level roles, hustle matters more than resume [00:09:07]. Show employers you will go “above and beyond” [00:09:16].
5. In-Person Follow-Up: For highly desired jobs, visit the workplace after your shift, introduce yourself, express excitement for the opportunity, and promise to work harder than any other candidate [00:09:40].

Overcoming Social Influences and The Role of Rejection

One of the significant challenges is dealing with friends and family, especially if they are also struggling financially [00:03:46]. They often hold negative views on money and may disapprove of new ideas or learning from the internet [00:03:50]. They will frequently be “right” about failures, saying “I told you so,” but their overall perspective is 100% wrong in the long run, akin to being right about every breakup except the final marriage [00:04:02]. This can be incredibly disheartening [00:04:21].

Information Diet

Ignore advice from those who are poor on how to get rich [00:04:27]. Actively filter information and spend time only with people who support and help build towards your goals [00:04:40]. Time and money are finite resources, and every person or activity consuming them must “earn their keep” by contributing to your advancement [00:04:48]. Cut out people who don’t have bigger dreams for you than you have for yourself [00:07:01].

Volume Negates Luck

A core principle for consistent success is “volume negates luck” [00:11:10].

• Learning Volume: Dedicate hours to watching videos, taking notes, and learning industry-specific lingo [00:11:16].
• Practice Volume: Watch mock interviews and learn from hiring experts on how to present yourself [00:11:26].
• Application Volume: If applications aren’t yielding interviews, drastically increase the number of personalized messages and cover letters sent daily [00:11:38].

Even if applying to a thousand places over six months yields many rejections, one will eventually get a job [00:09:35]. When an opportunity arises, “shove it in everyone’s face how hard you work,” not with words, but with actions. “Be silent and just kill” [00:10:04]. Emulate figures like Kobe Bryant, who achieved greatness by doing “three practices a day” when others did one or two, getting ahead and then maintaining that pace [00:10:13]. To get ahead, one must match the current top performer’s effort and then add an additional “get ahead” effort, working when they clock out [00:10:34].

Embracing Rejection as a Win

A significant amount of money and opportunity lies on the other side of being willing to be rejected by strangers [00:13:23]. Getting rejected a thousand times leaves you no worse off; in fact, you gain a thousand experiences [00:13:28]. This means by trying, you either learn or you win, making it impossible to lose [00:13:35].

Analogy of Asking to Prom

If you ask someone to prom and they say no, you’re in the same position as before – no prom date. However, you now have the experience of asking. With each subsequent attempt, you’ll be less nervous and realize you survive rejection. If you ask 100 people, one will likely say yes, making you better off than before [00:13:42].

The moral: you lose nothing from a “no,” and only stand to gain from a “yes.” One “yes” can change your entire life [00:14:13].

People struggling will tell you to lower your expectations because “that stuff’s not for us” [00:14:27]. However, having a hard beginning means a bigger monster to slay, making the hero’s story more epic [00:14:44]. If you cannot find the willingness to fail for yourself, be willing to fail for your child and for the future Avantes you can inspire with your story [00:14:57]. This commitment to the process for success will eventually lead to triumph.