Solopreneur Life - Don't hold yourself back? - June 23rd Edition

I'm my own worse enemy.

Here's how I lived before I got serious and started working on myself.

?? Craving for security held me back from access to the full potential inside me

?? Insecurity created a need always to know the answers and be right about everything

?? Validation of my value became more important than embracing the constant challenge

?? Traps inside my mind never got challenged as I did not learn from wise people

?? Statis led to thinking that I could not embrace radical change or transformation

My struggle continues, but it's a different struggle from what I went through for most of my life. How did I unlock my mind, change emotional reactivity, and embrace inner truth?

The journey started in April of 2011 on a transformational weekend. I learned that my sabotaging circular thought patterns, hidden, repressed, and denied, controlled my life.

Cracks in the door opened from time to time, but fear of financial disaster, doubt about my business direction, and old thought patterns slammed the door again and again.

Pain prompts change. In the Fall of 2020, my business struggled with a cash flow crisis. We solved the problem but what came out of the turmoil was a significant decision.

Everything changed permanently with my decision on September 20, 2020, to turn my company over to a partner, start a new business, and fulfill my potential.

Knowing my clear purpose opened up a world of new possibilities, despite massive uncertainty. The movement from hopeful to confident happened fast.

Solopreneur Inc. is my way of bringing purpose to the world and meaning to myself.

Wise people taught me fundamental principles that allow me to build out this vision and create practical frameworks for others who share my interest in successful self-employment.

I'm the only one I know who combines and tests practices from different domains into one package suited for highly motivated solopreneurs.

?? Ancient wisdom from traditions such as Buddhism, Stoicism, and Daoism

?? Peak performance science from the high achievement coaching industry

?? Mindset transformation practices designed for business and financial success

?? Personal branding, social media, digital marketing, sales, and networking innovations

?? Business improvement industry, including systems, productivity, and habit practices

The past few years include a hodgepodge of connected approaches that I've tested, kept, or discarded depending on how well they worked for me.

These resources proved themselves and continue to pay dividends.

Naval Ravikant - Lines up almost perfectly with my views on life

Naval brings together all the dimensions in life that matter to me. It's not really about getting rich. He talks about a new way of life anchored in ancient principles that work.

Thich Nhat Hanh - My morning reading material after doing Tai Chi

Jumping around from author to author no longer seems necessary for daily morning readings. Anything that I need spiritually comes with his books.

Brenden Burchard - The only coach that I'll ever need for $318.74 year

I don't need to meet Brenden as the GrowthDay App includes everything I need to bring peak performance ideas into my life. The upsells are irritating, but the content works.

Eli Goldratt - The Theory of Constraints focusing approach changed everything.

The decision system we use includes thinking processes inspired by Dr. Goldratt. He encouraged us more than any other business system expert explored over the past few years.

The approach does not directly follow his Theory of Constraints method, but Goldratt knows more about how people think, feel, and act than anybody we've found.

Ray Dalio - Principles for Success video series

Ray surprised me. He's a billionaire hedge fund investor. Luckily he enjoys teaching and giving back to others like me.

Reality-based thinking came from my experience with Buddhism and Tai Chi. Its business application comes from this 30-minute series by Ray Dalio.

The Hero and the Outlaw - Margaret Mead and Carol Pearson

Knowing that we are magicians with minors as outlaws and creators eliminated confusion about the market, product, and company name. Everything changed overnight.

Now that we know our archetypes, the Solopreneur Inc. customer and what we offer them become clear. Plot your customer on the core drive matrix once you know your archetypes.

Achievement requires giving up the safety of stability and control and taking risks to attain mastery over yourself and your company. We only want customers who fit this profile.

Transformation never ends, but significant milestones get passed, and change becomes a way of life. I'm permanently changed and wake up each morning knowing what I do matters.

I also wake up with Saboteurs inside my head trying to stop me from realizing my vision. I've accepted this, and don't pretend to be standing at a mountain looking down at others.

This video is one of the best explanations of how to live an imperfect life that I've seen.

Here are a few quotes that inspired me this week.

?? "The fundamental delusion — there is something out there that will make me happy and fulfilled forever." Naval Ravikant

I changed the word destination to dimensions. We don't want to get somewhere. The goal is to enter the present moment and live the way we enjoy today.

?? "At the end of our lives we all ask, Did I live? Did I love? Did I matter?" Brendon Burchard

Entering the present moment solves this problem. It's simple, but it's not easy to do every day.

?? "The most effective strategy for weakening your Saboteurs is to simply observe and label your Saboteur thoughts or feelings every time you notice them." Shirzad Chamine

Shirzad's Positive Intelligence approach took over the coaching world. Every time I turn around I meet another coach who trained in this method. It's a good one.

Here's my offer for the week.

Are you interested in the Get Unstuck program? Ping here for details.

To attend the free weekly Solopreneur Inc. Thursday Forum, register below. Later today, at 10 CST, we will be learning about saboteurs and how to manage them.

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