THIS IS ISSUE.002 OF THE SMRT LIST
In this issue:
Hello Friends!
This edition of THE SMRT LIST was inspired by one of my many favorite thought leaders, Grant Cardone, because that’s how I personally learn.
Think of a military sergeant screaming in your face. I love that shit. I know I offend a lot of people but I say it how it is because I can take it.
Getting out of my comfort zone is my specialty.
I think everyone should develop this mindset because it will change their life! 🤞🏼
I’ve been burning myself out again lately and overthinking during my downtime, suffering from productivity guilt. I know the best prescription for this is to sit with nothing but my thoughts, my bike, and whatever Mother Nature will throw at me for 6-8 hours a day for a week straight.
I’m currently in the French Riveria having fun and working remotely while waiting for my bike tour to start next week. It’s the one thing I really look forward to every year because there is nothing like a week of suffer, climbing some of the world’s steepest mountains to reset your mind.
It works because you put yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to finish what you set out to do. It’s hard, and sometimes it sucks, but in the end, we always come crawling back for more.
The personal growth is addicting AF.
The crazy thing about being a cyclist is that we pay $$$$ for pain! But it’s 5-star service, I swear! That’s the only way to live your life to the fullest!
Here is a mantra that helped me live my best life to this day: ”There is a solution to everything!”
Knowing this enables you to take risks because if you stay cool and collected, you trust yourself to always find a way. This is how I live my life and why I think every day of my life is just one big adventure.
It’s a mindset thing. ↓
💡 INSIGHT
Let me tell you a story about how I made the dreamy South of France my “second home.”
Have Obsessions
I was obsessed with many things ever since I could remember. One of them was history.
The memories of my early teenage years were the gazillion Wikipedia tabs I had opened on Firefox reading history and biographies until the sun rose.
I was always in love with the dramatic yet glamorous turmoil of European high society. I was enamored with French society, politics, and fashion and all the real-life characters that made it happen.
Come to think of it, I am obsessed with stories. Everyone has a story to tell and I wanted to know the stories of the most significant figures in history.
Because of that, I subconsciously decided my life will be a story worth telling.
I also became obsessed with cycling since La République is home to Le Tour De France.
During a pretty conventional and sheltered life in 2014, the first thing I did when planning my first solo maiden trip to Europe was to find a way to climb the famous Mont Ventoux, the Giant of Provence. Since then, I’ve ascended that beast (and many others) four times. You can read about it here!
That trip was during a significant time in my life huge changes were happening (ending an 11-year relationship, resigning from a 10-year career). I was 26, the world was my rollercoaster and I happened to be in Nice, France with one of my best friends.
We have “favorite places” because those are places where memories are forged.
I will never forget the place where I saw the world for what it truly was: opportunities.
I made the South of France my home because that was where my renaissance began.
Gone was my old world confined to my little bubble, in my little neighborhood, with my little group of similar friends.
Chained in a 9-5, toxic hustle culture, and surrounded by the innocent mindsets of those not well-traveled who have tendencies to think the world is unsafe and warns you to be careful everywhere you go.
Nope— the world is a limitless place and what you make of it.
I wanted to experience as much of life as possible so I have a story to tell.
The world became my home.
I ended up meeting so many people different than me. There is nothing more invaluable than surrounding yourself with people from all walks of life so we don’t get stuck in dangerous mindsets.
My mindset shift from lack to abundance began in the South of France.
Ever since then, I try my hardest to come back every year because there is truly no place that makes me happier than home.
Ironically, I am comfortable here even though it was the place that led me to a life of discomfort.
I love being comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Everything Happened Because of Obsession
Most of the world treats obsession like a disease because most people lack the discipline to to control their own unhealthy urges.
Balance is the secret and the hardest thing in the world to achieve.
It’s like people who tell you to “ease” into certain things like a new eating regimen, a workout, or even getting over your traumas.
People tend to drag things longer than they should because they are unconsciously resisting change. If you have the strength to go all in at once and the resilience to handle the discomfort, life will happen for you much faster.
They lack discipline. They lack drive. They lack obsession.
That’s the definition of an average mindset. Mediocrity.
Would you rather take forever to form healthy habits or face discomfort, in the beginning, to obtain them faster? Would you rather take forever to heal? Or face the demon’s head on and heal faster?
If you want a fulfilled life, you must have obsessions to take you to the next level.
Obsession is a gift.
Be Obsessed or Be Average
In the book The 10x Rule, Grant Cardone argues to be successful, you must be willing to work 10x harder than everyone else.
Be obsessed.
Obsession may have a bad connotation but that’s a mindset reserved for the mediocre.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be mediocre. I expect to do and see great things in my life.
Average is where all things go to die because you never get out of your comfort zone.
Imagine if there were no Elon’s, Galileo’s, Napoleon’s, and Mother Teresa’s in the world. Our human race wouldn’t be where we are today.
To be successful is the ethical thing to do thus being obsessed is your duty, obligation, and responsibility to achieve your goals.
If you are not obsessed with the things that you want, you will spend the rest of your life making excuses for why you didn’t get the life that you wanted.
Is that what you want?
Do You Know Grant Cardone?
You either hate him or you love him. I love people like him. He’s direct, in your face, and says it how it is.
Truth be told, many people can’t handle this type of attitude and will quickly label him ‘cocky’ but I gravitate towards this ‘say it how it is’ mindset because life is short and no one has time for fluff.
I hate people who sugarcoat everything.
That’s what average people do.
They keep you in your comfort zone.
They only tell you what they think you want to hear.
They are afraid of hurting your feelings because they don’t want their own feelings to be hurt.
Get it?
Average people project mediocrity toward each other.
If you want to level up fast, you have to be willing to get fucking uncomfortable. That means hearing uncomfortable truths.
Society promotes mediocre standards and that it’s okay to not do better.
Why is that okay?!
People are afraid to work at my friend’s salon because of the sky-high standards that are a part of her reputation. That’s why I admire her work ethic, attention to detail, and consistent delivery.
Now imagine a world where everyone has higher standards.
Success, motivation, and passion are all contagious.
Imagine if every business maintained standards. If everyone stepped up and wanted to perform at their best.
You shouldn’t need your boss or your fitness instructor to encourage you. You should be able to intrinsically motivate yourself.
Don’t you hate people who complain about shitty spin instructors? The class is what you make of it. They set up the structure and you do the rest. Music sucks? Instructors not bubbly? Please. Work on yourself.
Just saying. Don’t worry, I’m not judging you! I honestly don’t care what anyone does unless you’re my partner who’s a part of my primary environment. 😉 We are all on a journey!
Can you imagine how effortlessly our lives would be if we worked together as a collective consciousness of strivers and thrivers?
When your standards are high (especially for yourself), your confidence is high because you believe you will always make it work. We take more calculated risks because we are not afraid to fail.
Everyone helps each other.
No one gets offended because they know they have to hear uncomfortable hard truths to level up. There is less anger, and resentment, and people are able to control their triggers.
So what can you do to build an obsession?
- Find something you love and do it often. Passions are developed through consistency.
- Hang out with people with obsessions. I told you— motivation and passion is contagious.
- Hang out with athletes. There is nobody more obsessed than the athlete. To be able to train consistently and perform at your best, you need insane discipline.
- Work on yourself daily. Catch your triggers. Be aware of everything you see / think / feel / say / do and how it affects your internal and internal world. Develop self-awareness.
- Find your WHY. Do you want to have a better life? Take care of your family? Do whatever you please?
🏆 Bonus
The Athlete’s Manifesto
Truthfully, sometimes it’s frustrating for me to talk to people who don’t have a growth mindset because they don’t understand what it means always drive forward no matter what— failure is simply not an option. But I always use this as an opportunity to teach myself to be patient.
Many accomplished athletes are successful in business because it takes a certain type of drive and personality to perform and be well-rounded. This is why I love surrounding myself with athletes and why I wanted to become one.
The environment is inspiring and contagious AF.
*hint: that’s why sports is also a great way to network!
Everyone can benefit from developing these principles because it translates to success in health, business, relationships, and everything in between.
🏆 Here is The Athlete’s Manifesto:
- Never Give Up: Pain is a mindset we will always overcome.
- Show Up Every Day: Consistency is the key to success in everything.
- Just Do It: Fuck fear or hesitation.
- Level Up: Consistently running towards challenges to overcome.
- Radical Self-Belief: “**I can’t” does not belong in our vocabulary.
- Trust The Process: We believe in our abilities to get sh!t done.
- Fail Well: Every failure is a lesson to get better. If you don’t fail, you’re not growing.
- Work Hard, Recover Harder: Balance is the hardest thing to achieve but we do it right.
- Enjoy The Suffer: We seriously fucking love every minute of it. Why? Because we know what’s on the other side: glory.
- Do Better Than Yesterday: Life is a never-ending journey.
🛠 How to Develop An Athlete’s Mindset:
1️⃣ Pick a sport you actually enjoy doing and do it every day for 3 months.
2️⃣ Even if you do it for 10 minutes or 60 minutes— just do it. Momentum will help you build up.
3️⃣ What’s your excuse?
4️⃣ Now, let’s get the hammer on! Allez. 💨
🧠 Podcasts
Curiosity Is The New Intelligence
I listen to a lottt of podcasts because they are convenient and the best way to get into the minds of the best and brightest. Here are a few of my favorites from the past couple of weeks.
- Alex Hormozi on Mastering Sales, Making Your First Million & Overcoming Mediocrity
- Why Alexis Ohanian Left Reddit to Build an Impact-Focused VC Firm (I’m all about impact-focused missions)
- Rich Roll x Peter Attia On Becoming a Centenarian Decathlete, Metabolic Health & All Things Zone 2 (If you care about your wellness, you listen to Peter)
- The Skeptic Guide’s to Meditation (I’m definitely not one but trying to get my friends into it because it is life-changing)
- Regulating Your Nervous System & Heal Your Soul (something I’ve successfully been working on the past couple of years)
- Rewiring Your Brain (I’ve also been obsessed with neuroplasticity and have successfully changed many habits for the better)
☕️ Stay Informed
Wealthy Minds
- Current: The Secret History of the U.S. Government’s Family-Separation Policy (an investigative report)
- Health: The Reason You’re Not Motivated (and how to get motivated)
- Wealth: The Problem With America’s Semi-Rich (an Interesting take on the 9.9%)
- Love: How To Find The Perfect Relationship
- Life: Friendships with rich people may help lift children out of poverty (obsessed and successful people gather together— however, if you want in, you must have the same mindset)
- Future: Living Closer Together (I don’t know about you but I LOVE living in the city for convenience as long as I have a place to escape. That’s why I cycle)
Next time, we will be doing a deep dive into:
- The #1 “skill” you need to develop for a life of fulfillment and inner peace. In 2021, my word of the year was “CALM” and by that December I realized I have actually achieved inner peace. I can tap into this state in literally minutes.
Till then. 🤟🏼
