How to Radically Change Your Life From The #1 Medium Writer
After hearing Tony Robbins say, “Success leaves clues” at his seminar last year I realized that was it.
I need to follow more of these clues to reach my goals.
I have some big goals for 2018 — become a top writer on Medium, earn 10X more than last year, and become a professional golfer.
Goals are great but without a strategy, it’s nearly impossible to achieve them.
Luckily, I started following Benjamin Hardy on Medium last year. In late December he sent out an email to subscribers about a Mastermind he was doing for all of 2018.
After reading a ton of his articles and soaking up every bit of knowledge in his free ebooks I knew I had to join.
His free work was beyond incredible, I knew I had to learn from the top writer on Medium.
Benjamin Hardy has been featured in Forbes, Huff Post, Psychology Today, Business Insider, and countless other huge publications.
Here are the biggest five lessons I’ve learned from the #1 writer on Medium.
Create an Empowering Morning & Evening Routine
Prior to this mastermind, I had no problem getting up early but lacked the structure of a good morning routine.
I’d read about journaling, visualizations, and meditations so I tried them all.
Some days I’d write about my goals, other days I’d sit in silence “trying” to meditate or attempt to visualize but only see darkness.
Or just fall asleep.
After reading countless personal development I knew these were all habits successful people shared but lacked the direction and detail to make them effective.
Luckily, Benjamin has helped clarify all of these and more.
A Good Morning Routine Starts the Night Before
While most people have used a morning routine I’d never read about an evening routine.
Benjamin taught us that successful people intentionally direct their subconscious to help them with problems before going to sleep.
A great morning routine actually starts the night before.
As Thomas Edison said, “Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious."
Now, each night I spend 5–10 minutes using my journal to think of what I am trying to accomplish.
I start by writing my three wins for the day to feel accomplished and proud of the day.
Then, I look at my goals and ask some questions about why I am struggling to achieve them. Instead of thinking of them hard, I write out the problem and several questions asking for answers.
This will give my subconscious mind something to work on while I sleep.
Lastly, I write out some of my goals as already being completed.
For example, instead of saying “I want to be a professional golfer” I write “I am a professional golfer on the PGA Tour.”
Then, I visualize for a few minutes each of these dreams as already completed to give myself a positive visual image before going to bed.
This was exact opposite process of what I had previously done.
Usually, I would wind down in the evening, watch some TV, and go to bed. But when I was drifting off to sleep I would worry about the future instead of dreaming about it in a positive way.
I’ve since learned this negative thoughts, especially at night, is poison for your mind and goals. Unfortunately, that’s what most people do — go to bed dreading tomorrow, worrying about paying the bills, keeping their job.
Wake Up With Purpose
Instead of waking up early and attempting to journal, meditate, and visualize Benjamin showed us the best process.
Now I write in my journal with a PURPOSE. After creating a vision board for my 2018 goals I stare at it and write down my goals in specific details.
I write about them happening. I write in detail how they will happen, when they will happen and what it will feel like when they are accomplished.
This helps give my subconscious mind a clear image of what I am trying to achieve. I usually do this after 10–15 minutes of using the “Primed Mind” app or meditation.
Use Your Journal For Mental Creation to Create Physical Manifestation
Ben has been a huge proponent of journaling and credits it as one of the main reasons he is as successful today. In the mastermind, we also received access to Ben’s Journal Mastery Course 100% free.
Last year, after reading and hearing the importance of journal writing from nearly everyone, I decided to give it a try.
The only problem was that I had no clue what I was supposed to write about.
Somedays it was a recap of the day, other entries were how I was feeling, and sometimes it was just random thoughts. While I still got some value, once I learned how to structure my journal writing I finally began to see results.
By writing in your journal each morning you are able to tap into your subconscious as the fog is still clearing from your conscious brain. Instead of aimlessly writing I spend 10–15 minutes each morning brain dumping:
- I write about 2–3 things I’m really grateful for in my life.
- Review and write my goals and vision.
- Detail my goals as already completed. Write out the specific details and bring in other senses of the goal becoming accomplished.
Journaling will help reframe your subconscious and reshape your identity by using it as a vehicle to consciously create your intended future.
“The subconscious mind will translate into its physical equivalent, by the most direct and practical method available.” — Napoleon Hill
10X Your Goals
The best part of getting up early is that it allows you extra time to focus on YOU and your goals.
It’s a time for you be proactive instead of reactive in designing your future. While goal setting has never been an issue Ben taught us a new strategy to make them even bigger.
How often do you think of taking your goals and multiplying them by 10? If your goal is to earn $100,000 in the next 12 months why not add a zero and make $1,000,000?
You might think it sounds crazy and I did too. But once he showed us one of his mentors, Dan Sullivan, I began to understand the power of the 10X’ing your goals.
As Dan said in this video, “As an entrepreneur, it’s a lot easier to go 10x on your goals instead of 2x.”
By choosing to 10X your goals you will gain intellectual engagement and emotional commitment. Once you are committed your brain will act as a filter and get rid of anything that is unnecessary to your goal by delegating or deleting it.
With every decision you make moving forward your brain will see if it is helping or hurting your 10X goal.
10X vs. 2X made me create a totally different mindset to operate in the world.
Reshape Your Environment
Benjamin recently published “Willpower Doesn’t Work” which says most improvement books have it all wrong.
Most books preach about discipline and will power to achieve your goals. While those are needed, you also need to change your environment to shift everything else.
As Ben said, “Environmental design is different. It’s about creating conditions that make your success inevitable. For example, if you want to be focused at work, you need to remove all distractions from your physical and digital workspace. If you want to eat healthy, remove all of the unhealthy foods from your house. If you want to get creative insights, get out of town and relax for a day or two.”
Willpower fades but your environment can always be changed to help you reach your goals. And it’s worked amazing. I’ve reshaped my environment by decluttering, cleaning, and removing anything that doesn’t give a feeling of success.
This may seem too easy but start by cleaning your desk or closet and you’ll notice a significant change.
“A person’s environment forms every aspect of their lives, from their income to their value system to their waistline to their hobbies.” — Benjamin Hardy
Invest Heavily In Yourself
As Warren Buffett said, “The greatest investment you can make is in yourself.”
In his videos and lessons, Benjamin constantly talks about the importance of investing in yourself with books, seminars, and masterminds.
He practices what he preaches too.
Ben has said he spent $25,000 working with a mentor for his book launch and another $25,000 to join the Genius Network Mastermind.
Sure that sounds like a lot for most people but if you want to 10X your goals you need to get the right people to help. Remember your closest five people in your life massively affect your ability to succeed.
By following the clues of success and modeling others he has become very successful in a relatively short time.
Ben taught that the reason investing in yourself is so effective is a principle known as “sunk cost fallacy.”
The term tends to have a negative connotation because you are overvaluing something (i.e. relationship or business) and continue to stay with it when it’s clearly not working.
But as Benjamin said, “Sunk cost doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Actually, you can leverage this human tendency to your benefit.”
By investing in yourself you put skin the game.
You are telling your brain what is important and what is a priority. Whether it’s spending money on a coach, trainer, mastermind, or event, it will help you speed up success.
Conclusion
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” — Napoleon Hill
Success and achievement of your goals will only come from getting outside your comfort zone. By changing your environment, routine, and thoughts you can change your life. Once you are clear about your future you can use these lessons to accomplish anything.
Don’t expect change to happen naturally. As Tony Robbins said, “If you want life to change, you have to change. If you want life to get better, you have to get get better. It’s the only way.”
How will you change your habits, routine or environment to accomplish your goals?
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