From: alexhormozi
Achieving significant success, such as building wealth or growing businesses, requires a fundamental shift in perspective towards action, focus, and an insatiable desire for improvement [00:00:11]. The pursuit of extraordinary results often involves embracing discomfort and consistently operating with a high degree of urgency [00:01:09].
Defining Focus and Action
Focus is not an amorphous term; it is concretely measured by the number of things one says “no” to, or inversely, how few things one says “yes” to [00:03:24]. The most focused individuals commit to a single primary objective, rejecting nearly all other possibilities [00:03:31].
The 100x Mindset
Exceptional growth is often a result of doing things 100 times more, not just twice as much [00:03:40]. This requires making significant “trades” or sacrifices, such as dedicating extensive time to work at the expense of other areas of life [00:04:15]. Those unwilling to make such trades should not expect the same outcomes as those who do [00:04:26]. This principle applies across various domains, from business growth to personal branding, where increased volume often leads to improved skill and greater output [00:09:09].
Cultivating the Work Ethic
Many people believe they work hard, but often their output does not match the time spent [00:05:07]. To truly understand one’s capacity for work and accelerate goal achievement, an intense period of sustained effort is recommended, such as working 12 hours a day for 30 consecutive days with no weekends [00:05:20]. This exercise reveals:
- Resilience: You are not “made of glass” [00:05:31].
- Capacity: How much more work is possible [00:05:33].
- Speed: How much faster goals can be achieved [00:05:34].
- Improvement: The potential for daily progress [00:05:39].
- Endurance: The ability to tap into a higher gear when needed [00:05:43].
- Competition: Awareness that others are working even harder [00:05:52].
This intense period of work develops a “relentless” mindset, enabling individuals to push through fatigue, lack of sleep, or feeling overwhelmed, knowing they have overcome similar challenges before [00:08:05]. This experience distinguishes a veteran from a newbie, providing confidence and composure in high-pressure situations [00:08:18]. The ability to “whip yourself back in” when feeling fatigued or distracted is a muscle that takes practice and repetition through discomfort [00:12:08].
The Power of Proof
People often seek status or reputation through promises, but true credibility comes from actions and documented achievements [00:20:56]. Business titans gained their influence by building substantial businesses, and their credibility arose from their results, not from initially focusing on personal branding [00:21:44]. In a world saturated with claims, trust is the scarce commodity, and it is built by consistently delivering on what one claims to have done [00:22:12].
People observe “overnight success” as an output, failing to recognize the long period of consistent inputs and hard work that preceded it [00:22:58]. To model success, one must focus on the inputs and actions taken, rather than merely copying the visible outputs or the perceived “plateau” of those who have already achieved success [00:23:26]. This aligns with the value of actions over intentions.
Acting with Urgency
Successful entrepreneurs demonstrate a strong sense of urgency, minimizing the gap between thought and action [00:24:05]. This “potency as a person” is improved by accelerating decision-making and execution [00:24:24]. A simple tactical approach is to ask: “If I say I’ll get this done by the end of the week, can I get it done by the end of today?” [00:25:07]. This mindset can increase the pace of progress by 7x [00:25:13]. For short tasks, if it’s a five-minute task and you have five minutes, “do it now” [00:25:48]. This rapid execution prevents tasks from lingering and accelerates overall progress. This also relates to setting priorities for success and prioritizing tasks for business success.
The notion that one has “plenty of time” as a young person is often misleading [00:26:29]. Life’s brevity and the subjective acceleration of time as one ages highlight the importance of immediate action [00:26:54].
Redefining “Hard Work”
Problems and stress are inherent parts of life, especially in growth [00:32:27]. The biggest error is assuming that having problems or feeling stressed signifies something is wrong [00:32:36]. Instead, they indicate being alive and engaged in activity [00:32:42]. The “hard times” of today often become the cherished “good old days” in retrospect [00:31:48]. Growth itself is accompanied by “growing pains,” not “growing joys” [00:32:12].
There are three outcomes when facing difficulty: quitting, it getting easier, or becoming harder yourself [00:29:44]. Winning means not quitting before seeing it through [00:29:52]. Challenges faced years ago, which seemed insurmountable, become trivial with increased experience and capability. This is not because the problems changed, but because the individual grew stronger [00:30:00].
“I hated every minute of training, but I would tell myself, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” [00:20:20] — Muhammad Ali
This reflects a champion mindset: pushing through discomfort when others would stop, and seeing the “wall” as the point where one surpasses the competition [00:20:39].
The Investment in Education
Education is not an expense but an investment in oneself, framed by its potential return rather than its initial cost [00:45:01]. The cost of not being educated is far greater than the cost of education itself [00:43:21]. Investing in skills, knowledge, and network directly contributes to future earning potential [00:44:40].
To maximize learning from any educational program, the process involves:
- Doing everything exactly as instructed initially [00:46:41].
- Taking what works and discarding the rest [00:46:48].
- Learning from all experiences, including what not to do [00:47:19].
- Identifying discrepancies (missing “bricks” in the foundation) and filling those gaps through further learning or personal effort [00:48:46].
Overcoming Obstacles: Fairness and the Insatiable Desire to Improve
Complaining about “fairness” is a major distraction that keeps people from progress [00:52:44]. Life is not inherently fair, and acknowledging this eliminates unproductive expectations from an “uncaring universe” [00:53:05]. While some may start with advantages like connections, money, looks, or intellect, these can be overcome by an “insatiable desire to improve” [00:50:40]. Someone who improves every second of every day without stopping is incredibly difficult to beat [00:50:49]. The rate of progress, or “speed of learning,” is within one’s control, regardless of the starting point [00:51:50]. This relates to understanding the impact of commitment and focus.
Understanding Trade-offs
Success often comes with inherent trade-offs, and many people desire the benefits without being willing to pay the associated cost [00:54:35]. Examples include:
- Privacy is the price of fame [00:54:22].
- Loneliness is the price of ambition [00:54:25].
- Pleasure is the price of discipline [00:54:27].
- Novelty is the price of loyalty [00:54:30].
- Discretion is the price of trust [00:54:32].
The challenge lies in accurately assessing the degree of the trade-off [00:55:18]. People often believe they are putting in 10/10 effort for a goal, when in reality it might only be 1/10 of the required effort [00:55:40]. Outcomes only occur when all conditions are met, like opening every valve in a pipeline [00:56:16]. This also draws parallels with scarcity and urgency as persuasion tools and utilizing scarcity urgency and guarantees in sales in terms of perceived value and actual cost.
The Importance of High Standards
The highest level of achievement involves becoming the “source” of one’s own standards, holding them higher than external market approval [01:00:02]. This means continuing to work on something, like a book draft or content, until it meets one’s internal, elevated benchmark, regardless of external validation [01:00:07].
“The person who should make the decision in every organization is the person who has the highest standards.” [01:00:58]
This commitment to extremely high standards implies that one can only truly master a limited number of things (perhaps three to four) in a lifetime due to the immense effort and time required [01:02:15]. Believing in “overnight success” or that things “should be easier” leads to mediocrity [01:02:43]. It’s about accepting reality and adjusting actions accordingly [01:02:48]. This underscores the importance of commitment and setting priorities and prioritization in business.
Ultimately, success demands an understanding that “it takes what it takes” and “it costs what it costs” [01:03:59]. There is no shortcut to excellence; it is built through relentless action, persistent bidding against discomfort, and an unwavering commitment to one’s chosen path [01:04:01].