How To Not Live An Average Life (Productivity For High Achievers )

I spent 6 months to learn 6 high value skills that will take the average person 36 months.

Each course I took was estimated to be completed in 6 months if one spent average of at least 10 hours a week.

I knew if I had to complete the courses in record time I needed more than motivation to finish them.

“Don't expect to be motivated every day to get out there and make things happen. You won't be. Don't count on motivation. Count on discipline.” - Anonymous

There’s something very reassuring in these words, and I agree with this point of view. Ideally of course, it would be nice to have both motivation and discipline in your life. But it’s not necessary to always have motivation to get things done.

I’ll explain why.

Motivation

Motivation is a drive, need, or reason to take action and move towards a goal.

It is derived from the word motive — a need that requires to be satisfied.

Motivation can be extrinsic (inspired by outside forces) or intrinsic (inspired by the individual).

Here's the problem: motivation changes over time. It is not a constant.

You can be super motivated to start a new project one day, and by the end of the week you don’t feel like doing it any more.

Goals are highly important to achieve your ideal self. The self you continue to project in your mind every day. Without goals your ideal self cannot actualized.

But you cannot bang on motivation to knock off all our goals that is targeted in actualizing the ideal version of you.

Discipline

Self-discipline, on the other hand, is a practice, a daily habit, a lifestyle.

It’s a choice to take action and do something that will get us closer to a personal goal.

It doesn’t matter if we don’t feel motivated at that moment. We do not rely on motivation and we do it anyway. Why?

Because we know that all the small things we do every day will add up to something much bigger. And, we keep our eye on that future version of ourselves we want to be.

To finish all the courses and acquire the essentials skills I required to build my projects I designed a timetable that maintained my consistent progress.

Self-discipline isn’t a trait you’re born with; it’s a skill you build through consistent practice.

If you want to achieve more, it starts with building habits that strengthen your focus, determination a.k.a mental mastery, and resilience (grit).

Build Your Focus

1. Start Your Day with a Question to Increase Focus

What is the one thing you are committed to completing today?

This isn’t about setting an impossible to-do list. Identify the task that, if completed, will make your day a success.

The power of this habit lies in its simplicity and focus.

Every morning, write down one critical task.

Keep it visible as a constant reminder of what you must accomplish before the day ends.

With practice I can hold this list at the back of my mind and pursue each day's task within this frame.

2. Do Deep Work in the First 2–4 Hours After Waking Up

Your brain is sharpest in the morning. Use these first few hours for deep work—those complex, cognitive tasks that require full concentration.

This could be studying, reading, problem-solving, or any work that demands your mental peak.

Every day I have about 3 high leverage tasks I focus on. For example, I draft my newsletters, write about 3 posts to repurpose to my social media accounts (these are educational posts, awareness posts that target pain points of my target audience which continue to bring in clients) and do deep research for materials to build and refine my courses.

I complete these tasks early in the morning whiles the world is still asleep.

Block out the first 2–4 hours after waking up for deep work. During this time, avoid meetings, emails, or anything that pulls you away from focused tasks.

3. Make it a Goal to Do the Hard Work First

It’s human nature to want to avoid difficult tasks. But if you train yourself to do the hard work first, you build resilience.

Practice the Marshmallow technique). Delayed gratification leads to greater success.

Tackle your most challenging task first thing in the morning, before anything else.

Reward yourself afterward to reinforce this behavior.

4. Eliminate Distractions

Focus is a superpower in a world full of distractions especially with social media and information bombarbing our screens everyday. If you allow distractions to control your day, they’ll sap your productivity and destroy your focus.

Set strict boundaries with social media and other distractions. Use tools to block access during deep work hours.

Flipping the social media switch

Social media is the devil if you perceive it that way.

Social media is the vessel for your potential if you perceive it that way.

How you perceive opportunities depends on your self-development.

You won’t see a viral social media post as inspiration if you don’t identify as a writer.

You won’t see a business owner’s complaint as a potential lead if you don’t identify as a consultant or service business owner.

Most people see cliche advice as “cringe” because they identify it as mediocre thanks to an abundance of self-deprecating memes occupying their worldview.

Entrepreneurship is the only logical option for long-term thinkers.

A personal brand is an extension of your character, the self you continue to develop.

Your goals are what attract like-minded players.

Your problems, when solved, are how you help others in the form of a product or service.

Your ideas are the posts that occupy the mental real estate of your followers and shape their sense of self.

Writing and speaking your beautiful mind to the masses through social media is how you check the boxes of a fulfilling life.

5. Practice a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that you can develop abilities through skill and distill your experience through your life's work for people who are two steps behind you.

This mindset encourage a willingness to embrace challenges.

Because without challenges there's no growth.

Incorporate at least one new habit into your day that challenges you. It could be learning a skill, reading a chapter a day, going for long meditative walks.

I spend 20-30 mins to read high value books to challenge my worldview and promote deep thinking. This is how I am able to write novel ideas for my social media and write these newsletters

6. Work Within Timetables, Deadlines, and Schedules

Structure breeds discipline.

Timetables, deadlines, and schedules are not restrictions—they’re tools that help you channel your efforts efficiently.

Plan your day the night before. Set clear deadlines for each task, and stick to them. This structure will keep you on track and prevent procrastination.

If you build self-discipline muscle with these habits, you’re transforming yourself into someone who can achieve anything.

Mental Mastery

Specific goals demand a specific amount of mental energy to actualize.

Look around, and you'll notice that the highest-paid individuals aren't the ones mindlessly grinding away.

The highest-paid individuals are the strategists, visionaries, and true creatives of the world who have committed a certain amount of focus into mastering their craft .

These individuals don’t just work hard—they work smart. They set specific goals that channel their mental energy into a clear, directed path.

The people who get what they want have developed a self that makes their ideal future inevitable.

Your “self” is an idea.

A concept.

A set of beliefs that are conditioned into your mind through learning. And when we are young, we absorb external information like a sponge.

This information is often passed down by your parents who were influenced by society, the government, and culture – especially if they don’t question those beliefs.

This is exactly how you live a mediocre life.

By doing what everyone else tells you to do.

By letting your attention be stolen from you without building systems that will maintain your focus.

By waking up one day after doing exactly what you were told would lead to happiness, but only having unhappiness to show for it.

Mental mastery is the act of chiseling your psychic body to the point of ideal outcomes in health, wealth, relationships, and happiness.

To craft your ideal mental physique, accept that the path will be painful.

Right now “you” are a blob of limitations that were projected on you.

Your job is to become aware of these limitations, release them, and increase your complexity of self.

“Complexity of self” is the knowledge, skill, and beliefs you have that determines the amount of clarity you can generate as you navigate life.

A clear mind is an asset in a distracted world.

Clarity, or making sense, or ordered consciousness is the prime ingredient for life enjoyment.

The problem is that most people are anxious, overwhelmed, and uncertain when it comes to doing what they want.

To do what you love and make a living out of it, move up to how to build your focus and cycle through the steps.

Thanks for reading.

-Patrick