She sent me an article on Unicorn companies — you know, those behemoths who score billion dollar valuations. But are still in low-asset, high venture capital growth mode.

Amazon was there once. Living negative cashflow for years.

But Mr Bezos ain’t no clown. He figured out that every technology and physical asset they created, could be leveraged to the masses.

S3, their storage systems, drives trillions of bits of data for hundreds of thousands of companies, including mine.

Warehouses? Yup, those too. We ship both incoming inventory and outgoing finished, custom product via Amazon’s incredible infrastructure.

But I digress.

Here’s the deal: every day you are presented with opportunities. Some of us see lots of them thrown across the bow of our respective ships.

Maybe 30% of them have real potential. Maybe 2% would be worth the time to explore.

But regardless, it’s not opportunity that is stopping our respective success. It’s not the new new thing that has come between you and your private island.

It’s execution.

In the VC/startup world, there’s a term thrown around called “the pivot”. Coined by a truly talented startup guru, the term basically means an incremental shift in strategy or tactic.

It’s not a major overhaul in one big, swing for the fences plan. It’s little, measurable, incremental changes that, hopefully, solve the big problem of serving the right customer with the right need at the right time, who are willing to pay the right price.

Now, back to you and me.

Wherever you are right now, you can make that incremental shift in your life. In your position. In your business.

Yeah, I know: you’ve only got 27 years left until retirement. Why rock the boat, right?

Because: it’s the right thing to do.
For you: because high contribution trumps a cog in the wheel life any day. Every day.

Because it could very well save your business. Or, maybe more significantly, create a new one.

And lastly, it could accelerate your retirement from tomorrow to today. (Or, as Tim Ferriss might say, “ it could give you the lifestyle that makes retirement obsolete.”)

For those intellectuals in the group, you may recall reading a little storybook in your Masters classes called The Goal. Eli Goldratt, a physics prof, penned this genius guide.

In it, we learn about The Theory of Constraints. About how there are limiting factors hiding in plain sight all throughout your life and business. And by making incremental changes, opening up a single bottleneck, two things happen:

1) You improve throughput. Which translates to shipping more stuff (and yes, this also translates just as well to bits and bytes as it does to packages). Shipping more means more money. And…

2) You find the next bottleneck in your operation. Which was hiding behind the first bottleneck you fixed (see #1, above).

Now, applied to your life, position and business, these approaches can and will change your life.

Oh, and a caution: they may also get you fired. (Yes, more than once I have put myself at risk for discovering and then trying to implement a fix to a major bottleneck. Some people don’t like that. Some companies and management use the bottlenecks to hide problems and money and their position within the company. I urge you to take the risk. It’s way more fun to do something cool, than to know it’s broken and sit in your hands. I know. I’ve done both.)

So: opportunity or execution? What’ll it be?

You gonna’ try one more business idea? Get one more job?

Or are you going to look at your current business or career with new goggles. And fix what’s broken?

I say, opt for the latter.

But then again, I’m still living on the mainland. So what do I know?

— — — — — — — — —

ADDENDUM: I have notebooks going back to 1985, when I started my first real business.

Those notebooks are chock-full of ideas, strategies, tactics, plans, business models, notes, and creative expression.

Whenever I feel really stuck. Whatever I am doing is not feeling good. Not paying off, I grab a couple notebooks and start paging through.

In them, I find old ideas that have ready been implemented by billion dollar companies.

As well as ideas you find at the check stand for 99¢.

Even ideas that make no sense.

But what I get from those notebooks is hope.

I realize I will never be very far from a good idea. From a viable opportunity.

That kernel of knowledge gives me hope. Hope that I won’t ever find myself wandering the streets with nothing to do.

And, I might just find the solution to my problem within those pages.

Just thinking out loud here.

Q: Why are the right mindset and motivation important for entrepreneurs?

Because unless your last name is SnapChat, TikTok or Instagram, this is not a sprint. This is a marathon.

The Must-Do list of stress-inducing, heart attack producing issues is much longer than the Get-To-Do list of drinking mojitos on your private yacht filled with hookers and blow.

First: I cannot imagine life any other way. Getting to make cool sh*t with awesome people that fills a demand paid for by badass customers are three of life’s greatest pleasures. Bonus if you eat your own dog food (use your own products) because they’re just that good.

Second: Having some semblance of upside is the Hopenol we all need to fulfill our days grinding away at that killer idea. The one that looked so damn simple sketched out on a napkin. But becomes a Godzilla-scale menace to life and limb once you’re into your Series-A round.

Understanding those things prepares you for the slog that is the reality of any successful startup.

Example: I’m on Year 9 of my current startup, WebNutrients.
But that doesn’t include the 3+ years of research and testing prior to incorporating in 2012.

Nor does it address the decades of prior brain-stretching efforts to decipher my own health and wellness issues, learning all the jingo and sciency stuff necessary to become a domain expert of sorts.

Keep in mind that, in my former life, 3 years was a lonnnnnnnnng time for me to move from startup to sell/kill/hire a real manager to run the ship.

I was Entrepreneurially ADHD.

So Mindset and Motivation are the core elements necessary to show up every day (and yes, I do mean EVERY day — 24/7/365 — until you get your baby out of diapers, into an Italian suit, catered to by the capable hands of an awesome team and amazing customers.)

Here’s to your killer mindset!

As of late, I’ve adopted more of Scott Galloway’s immortal insights into a better way to manage the sprint we call Startups. Here’s the gist of the book, in a little 10-minute slice of awesome:

I’m serious…
Raise your kids on music.

No matter what, raise your kids on music.
Teach your children to listen closely to the words.
To appreciate both the simple and the complex.
To engage polyrhythms and 4:4.
To emotionally dance with chord changes.
To engage their heart of hearts.

Teach your children real music, not the slop dished out by the popular music machine.

Every question ever asked has been answered in song.
Every emotion every experienced has been lyricized and prophesied by a musician connected to the soul of man. The heart of God.

Teach your children well.

Teach your children the expanse of the universe, captured in song.
Show them that no question is too complex for the meter of music.
That every answer is but a drum beat away.

Guide your children with the rhythm of love.
Encourage your offspring with a trick of the tale.
Embrace the fruit of your loins by enlightening them with the words of truth and curiosity and adventure and passion chanted by the couriers of song.

You will make a million mistakes.
Suffer a thousand cuts, raising your children.
Give them, and you, the ministering salve of music.

Your failures will be forgiven.
The seed of knowledge will bloom.
The grace of the Almighty will smile upon them.

Give your kids a fighting chance.
Give them the sword of Lyricism.
The heart-beat of Rhythm.
The shield of the perfect Chorus.
The Bridge over every troubled water they will ever experience.

Whatever you do, do this.
Give your kids the love of song.

Their donor rocket uses gravity and the curvature of the earth to accelerate, slicing through the various “spheres” that protect us. (From low to high — troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere).

Escape velocity is the exact amount of thrust to exit our earth’s gravity, and enter the great unknown.

If you’re short of escape velocity, you get to come back to earth in a hurry.
A massive expense of fuel. And even greater investment in time.
Of opportunity cost.

Plus, it beats the hell outa’ your space ship.

It’s important to remember a few lessons here:

1) We all have a finite amount of fuel — energy, time, money, creativity, relationships, health. Use them wisely.

Sometimes you need just enough to idle. Other times, you’re gonna’ use up a full tank in an hour or two, trying to break free.

Or break into an other level of life.
Of performance.
Of Success.

2) If you don’t know your escape velocity, it’s easy to use all your fuel flailing. Going nowhere, fast.

This is why getting a 30,000 foot view.
Approaching the issue from multiple angles.
That’s why those strategic insights are key to going to the heights you desire.

Often a fresh set of eyeballs (and earballs) on the subject can greatly improve our success potential.

“Luck” is often packaged as an offhand remark made in passing at a Starbucks. Or that comment made by a mentor you’ve been resisting.

Pay attention.

3) You have more fuel than you think you do.

There are days I wake up and immediately start conserving energy. Afraid that I won’t have enough for… whatever it is I’ve gotta confront today.

What I’ve learned is that, in most cases, putting a pillow over my head for another hour is not the cure.

Getting up, donning sweats (conveniently hanging on the back of the bathroom door), grabbing the leash and heading up The Hill with Elliot the Dog — that’s the real cure.

(P.S. I fail in this more than I like. But always move forward.)

4) Respect and Honor Momentum.

It’s important to leverage The Big Mo.
Momentum can help you break through big walls and issues.
It takes energy, excitement, focus, intensity, commitment, and obsessive enthusiasm to create momentum.

Once it’s lost, it often takes 200% to 1,000% more energy to recover it.
Unless you’re deep pocketed. And your market has plenty of runway left, you may find yourself SOL if you lose momentum in your idea, project, business or life. Nurture and protect it with your life.

As a wise man once said…

Hope begets energy.

Creative problem solving is more of a rush than a serious bump of cocaine at Studio 54 in the “good ‘ol days.”.

Nurture your energy reserves.

Know thyself. Understand where and how you get energized. Where you find hope and possibility and adventure.

Call The Muse by Doing The Work.

I assure you, the energy you seek — Your Escape Velocity — is primed and awaiting your arrival.

Show up, and she’ll get your tank so full you’ll have a hard time taking a seat. Too Much Good Stuff.

What’s Your Escape Velocity?

What are the factors you need to move from here… To there?

Figure that out. Meditate on that vision.

Imagine yourself breaking through your own personal exosphere, to Something More.

I’ll be here to celebrate with you.

I don’t have all the answers.
Sure, the basics are clear:
Get plenty of sleep (but not all day!)
Get healthy (sleep and exercise are clinically proven better than Prozac).
Lay off the booze a bit. Smoke a little less weed.
Eliminate sh*tty people from your life.
Find something to be hopeful about.
Practice self-care.

Experiment with solutions until you are rockin’ again.

For me, an accidental trip to an MD/ND at his B&B in 1993 (that there’s a lyric just waitin’ for a 6-string!) saved my life. Within the hour he ballparked the issue. Within 4 days, he had real answers:

Hypothyroidism (from a combo of overwork, stress, historical Accutane use, lack of sun, poor exercise/training routine, mercury and lead exposure as a geeky kid) — that was my Krytonite.

The solution?: A little desiccated thyroid (from New Zealand free-range bovine). And a six short weeks of recuperation.

I went from nearly suicidal to nearly Mick Jaggar.
From chronically ragged to rock star.

The big epiphany was:
YOU (Me and You) can own our health and happiness.
In fact, it’s mandatory.

Once you realize that.
Once you take command.
Make it your mission to live badassedly.
The world will open up and rejoice at your discovery.

Here’s something to try (and this is my path to better managing both my health, and my various expert practitioners).

1) Do your own research. Your GP, and often your Specialist, they’re maxed-out just trying to run their practice. Handle insurance billings. Keep up with state requirements.

Help them out by doing real research: (NCBI/PubMed/Examine/SelfHacked). There’s a wealth of research out there just waiting for you to discover. Some of these insights will be major epiphanies into your campaign toward happiness.

2) Collect the most science-backed insights. Print them out.
Highlight the areas that most apply to your possible issues.

3) If it’s within the scope of your interest and ability, apply what you’ve learned and document your results. This will be invaluable to your medical professional. And maybe, to you as well. (Be careful. Be intentional. Don’t do anything dangerous. I’m not a doctor. Seriously).

That said, don’t be afraid to dip your toe in the water of your own health. Just watch for and research interactions with your existing physical and mental issues. And any meds/supplements/herbs you may be currently using. Engage your specialist(s) as early as possible in the process.

4) Bring that pile of papers and insights when you visit your medical professional (or ND, if that’s how you roll…;-)

You’ll infuse your world with Hopenol.

You’ll collaborate with your doctor in a positive way.
And, just maybe, you’ll smile as you realize you’ve moved from victim to victor.

And that, my friends, makes all the difference in the world.
Here’s to YOU, owning your health and happiness.

Seth Godin’s excellent Akimbo podcast is a smorgasbord of insights.
History lessons. And novel ideas.

This is one of his maxims.
One that snuck out and attacked me during one dog-walking moment.

I love making cool products.
I consider both the process and the products a form of art.
But dammit, they better also be highly functional.
Effective. And both interesting and beautiful to look at.

In the end, they also best solve some gnarly problem or issue in some novel and valuable ways.

Because… (see below).

The year: 1979.
After being kicked out of the house for being a non-conformist kid (my claim to fame was District Tennis Champ and Clearing a 6-Foot Bong in One Hit), I hit the wall. My best friend Steve and I had barely hung on by a thread that year. My ’67 Camaro belied the truth behind my meager existence.

I rode a Honda 175 to the Oregon Coast for our annual family get together.

My incredible Mom walked with me across the shore on an early morning walk through the fog.

Mom sensed my less-than-optimal state, asking of I needed an upgrade in life.
Hell yeah!

She gave me a room with one requirement: I’d get a job within 6 weeks.
I had 2 within 2 weeks: Gas Station Attendant.
And Clinical Lab Supply House Dude.

During that year, my big brother and true living hero Doug, ventured back from Eddies Air Patch (aka Edwards Air Force Base — home of the Space Shuttle) to share stories of his life amongst the winged machines.

As I made him chuckle with my very best David Letterman impressions. He did USAF marches across the livingroom.

I was transfixed. Interested.
Maybe there was something there to behold.

My step dad Jack made me a deal.
See, it was his clinical lab I worked for.
And he was the one who, since 8th grade, lit the spark called Entrepreneurship, in my heart and soul.

After dinner one night, Jack being three whiskey’s into his evening routine, asked me what my plans were for the next few years.

I let him know I intended to be a business owner. Perhaps his clinical lab?

Jack, being a decent judge of character. And a damn good CEO, said “Here’s the deal, Mark: You scored a 197.9 on your GED. And you were a district tennis champ in both singles and doubles. So you could probably get some scholarship opportunities.

I will pay your first year of University of Oregon, if you elect to attend. But you won’t like the pace of the typical college education (Jack had his PhD in microbiology. So he knows what he speaks).

But if you join the military like your big brother Doug, I’ll match whatever you send home, for the length of your first enlistment.”

The next morning I called the USAF recruiter and cornered him: How long can I make my first enlistment?

He let me know 6 years was the best deal.
I let Jack know, and threw my hat into the ring.
I wanted that juicy Clinical Lab cash, mixed with my USAF bones, to fund my startup.

Fast forward to December of Year One: Jack lets me know, in no uncertain terms, that he wasn’t expecting me to be such an aggressive saver. He was reneging on the deal. No more matching funds.

But I was too far in to stop.
So I continued to save.
Copped a degree in Robotics.
And saved $32,000 in cash to launch my eventual startup (which was managed by Big Brother Doug. Thankfully).

I spent 6 years in the USAF, dodging far more politics than bullets.

I was super lucky, and found great people to work with.
A community of friends and coworkers to learn from.
A spiritual awakening that I dove deep into.
Hang Gliding, thanks to an exceptional boss in Doug Mills, my very favorite coach and guide. (Doug, I thank you every day for giving me a safe place to play. And greatly reducing the sentence my occasional sh*tstorm might have otherwise created for our little corner of the world.)

I made it out alive.
Saved enough moola to create a business.
And learned to motorcycle Road Race AND Hang Glide!

My 6 years as an enlisted member of the USAF made a lasting impact on my life.

Some organizational.
Some educational.
Some people skills.
A whole lotta life skills.

And I saved enough to start a company.
To begin an entrepreneurial journey that continues to this day.

I’m on company #18.
But I wouldn’t be at Company #1 if it hadn’t been for the USAF.
And the things you can only learn while under enemy fire.

On this Veterans Day, I wanna’ thanks The Two Dougs.
An incredibly supportive Mom.
A step-dad who supported me.
And the joy of living a life most people only dream about.

Once you’ve handled the basics of Maslow’s bottom layer, you can take a moment to reflect. And in that moment, you can decide what makes you happy. What fulfills you. What touches your head and heart. What motivates you.

Once you figure out that money is not meaning… but that it can empower meaning. That’s when you experience that “aha” moment. The waking up. When you look up from your desk and realize the work you’ve been doing is suddenly outperforming even your greatest feats of imagination.

Both times I entered the nutrition industry, it was because of radical events leading to my own awakening.

The first time I found myself at a B&B after 7 years of vacationless, obsessive, heads-down work in geeky hardware and consumer technologies. To the point my failing heath finally tipped the scales and sent me off for an extended weekend.

The happy accident? It just so happens that B&B owner was also a world-class physician. With a gentle lean toward natural practices. And in a moment, he looked into my eyes. Held my hand, smiled and said “I think I know what to do.”

And in that, I experienced hope. Hope that my body could maybe once again keep up with my mind. And that my mind could also be healed.

And it did.

Within weeks I went from fatigued and frustrated and hanging on by a thread. To awake, encouraged, dramatically happier… And no fear that “the other shoe is about to drop” (those of you who’ve suffered through anxiety or depression know exactly what I mean by that).

I know it made a difference in my life. And I remember my wife coming to me with a big smile and renewed passion. She rediscovered the old me. And that helped uncover the best of her.

We never know what we can do until we have to make a decision. We can meander through life on autopilot, making enough to feed our needs. Then our wants and desires. But what about feeding our souls?

I don’t mean to get preachy. But I do find, when the opportunity arises to spend time with truly successful people, that within minutes, the conversation heads into “what if” land.

What if we fixed the dirty water issue?
What if we could help the homeless become productive and independent?
What if we made that plastic out of non-toxic corn refuse?

This isn’t small talk.
This is dialogue that stretches the mind.

Why? Because survival isn’t Top of Mind.
(“Ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh, Stayin’ Alive, Stayin’ Alive…”)

Now that the car payment is a moot point, maybe we can transport someone else to this promised land. The one of opportunity. Of living beyond Groundhog Day.

One of the greatest gifts given to me was the love of my kids as we collectively experienced the love of my life take her last breath.

As devastating as that moment was to all of us, it was also relief. If you’ve ever experienced someone close to you held captive by disease… especially the disease of addiction… it’s a sorrowful place. There is no respite. It is all consuming. Even the days where it’s not obvious, and things appear normal, there’s always the undercurrent of That Thing. The elephant in the room is still big and smelly and sometimes noisy. You have to step around him to navigate your day. No way around it.

So this is the deal. And this should give you hope:
There are powerful people whos intention is to do better. To make things more livable. To create a space for those who are eking by, living one little error in judgement from the street…

Conspiracy theories aside, I’m encouraged. And here’s the magic: Bill Gates, even with $90+ billion of his own dollars to spend, can’t do it without you and me. He knows that. Melinda reminds him daily.

We get to be the feet on the street. We get to take action and in that, build our own cushion.

Is that fair? Can enterprise and commerce thrive while providing the hopeless with a little Hopenol?

Hell yeah. It’s not a bad thing to leverage your creative talent in the vision of supporting the disadvantaged.

And what if it makes you rich?

Guess what? You cannot escape the cycle. Eventually you will get to the point where one more 6-figure car in the driveway won’t thrill your soul.

But seeing a slightly insane homeless person get the attention they need to turn it all around.

The child who only knows poverty and survival suddenly get an opportunity, the big break, to connect with the one person who can help them thrive.

I get to work in a field I am uniquely unqualified to be in. And as a result, rewrite the rules for how to improve the mind and body. I get to see people who felt they would always be average, perform like the rock stars they are inside. And this feedback loop is one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.

Alex DeGrassi wrote this beautiful song called Turning, Turning back. I want to rewrite it: Giving, Giving back.

Chasity once said “What’s good, is when you have a product that generates forgiveness”. If I could extend that, I’d have to say “What’s good is when you create a product that raises the spirits of everyone it touches”.

We’re on the threshold of a dream, you and I. We have the unique opportunity to… do anything we want. Access to knowledge and capital are a moot point. As my friends Seymour and Amy have proven: A little insight into a problem (like messy, inefficient and ugly device chargers) can be the start of a revolution (one that is funded by me and you just prepaying for their brilliance. And getting just what we need as a result).

The opportunity you and I have to change the world is no longer out of reach. And it begins this very moment.

Here’s the quick outline:
1) Do your magic. Whatever it is that moves you, make sure and do a little of it each day. If not your vocation, make sure it’s at the top of your avocations. And make sure to propel it forward bit by bit. Because it does make a difference. Your hope empowers others.

2) Make sure you regenerate your energy and life force. Whatever moves you: a good cup of Verona. A dancing girl scribbled across the page. A few words of encouragement sent and received. Moving iron plates until that last rep has your muscles shaking.

I’ve learned that energy is not something to take lightly. It’s the difference between existence and existential epiphanies. Without it, you barely survive (ask anyone with mono. Or with any form of energy-draining condition or lifestyle or work. It literally “sucks the life right out of you”.)

So preserve and create energy. It’s life force at its most essential.

3) Get clarity. Many of us have become a bit numb. We repeat the same day each week. We want more, but we’re in this rhythm. And it might not be our own personal, passionate success rhythm. In the end, it’s a fog that keeps the crispness of possibility just out of reach.

So get clear. No matter what your method.
Journaling? Morning Pages (a favorite of mine to knock loose some otherwise hidden potential)? A brisk run? Spinning (yes Nicole, I’m talkin’ to you!). A hike up the canyon. Communing with an Olympic pool (Mr Kirker, this be your domain).

Whatever you do to get clear, do it. I am very fortunate to have a secret weapon that I can take on demand that helps me in this area. As the poster child for ADD/ADHD, I can use a little help. And thanks to a very circuitous route, I ended up smack-dab in the middle of the creation of such a thing. How cool is that?

It can happen to you, too. The more energy you give to developing a clear path to your passion, the more your passion will come visit you. And that creates more energy.

See how that works?

4) Passion. I know, it’s almost overdone at this juncture. But it’s really key. We need fewer zombies, and more illuminated souls. And passion is that source of light.

My own best friend and the mother of my beautiful children died once from a drug overdose. But she died a million deaths in between from a lack of passion toward life and something more (low energy, and painkillers. Now you know why my stump speech). A simple spark is all it takes. It doesn’t even have to be a big deal. Just enough to get you out of bed in the morning.

Sure, there’s more. But these are the essentials.
And, you know, I’ve got some pills and potions to create. Who knows where this could lead…

To your exceptional self.
May your riches make a difference in everything you touch.

P.S. Thank you for being part of this journey I’ve ben fortunate to take. If you would have approached me in September 2008, I would have told you “life might as well be over”. I knew better, but I didn’t feel it at the time.

A lot of people stepped in to keep my kids and I from spinning down the drain. David Aaron McInnis played the part of not just my brother. But he patiently carried the burden of this surrogate family as he allowed us to heal and get our sh*t together as a family. And also played White Rat to more than a few early nootropic stacks. (and I quote: “Yeah mark, this wakes you up. Anything that tastes that bad is bound to wake you up. But wouldn’t I actually BE smarter if I quit drinking this cr*p?”)

There were many more.
And I’ll make sure you get some screen time as I reflect.

Here’s to 2019. And you.

Years ago (25 years ago, to be exact) a mentor and friend said this to me: “Mark, it’s easier to give birth than it is to raise the dead”.

At the time, he was talking about not wasting time with clients and channel partners who had lost momentum (Momentum… that’s another post, coming soon).

Anyhow, it was an incredible revelation. How much of my time was wasted coddling people who were just going to fold the moment I let my foot off the gas?

(ANSWER: Most of them. Sometimes, all of them). You have to find your own intrinsic motivation to keep plowing ahead, regardless of the issues in your way. Relying on an outside source of power creates a very fragile relationship. Dependence, rather than Independence or, as Covey so aptly declared in his classic 7-Habits, Interdependence (the best of both worlds).

So, for the most part, this makes sense. And for you and I, focusing on maintaining momentum when we have it is really important. Losing it can cost us revenue. Time. Prior investment. Employee happiness. And goodwill. (Not the kind where you buy used Levi’s for $5 bucks a pair. The OTHER goodwill. The kind that takes years to develop).

But this is where we need to gain perspective: This does NOT mean abandonment. This should not be construed as Fight or Flight. This is not about abandoning the fight. It’s about ensuring your limited resources are invested in the right places.

Here’s to maintaining momentum. And, when it makes sense, successfully resurrecting those people, products and deals that may otherwise die an ugly, drawn-out death.

Or perhaps, birthing new business and relationships that you can maintain without fear of them dying if you head to Maui for a much deserved vacay.

Giving Birth vs Raising the Dead… was originally published in Startups & Venture Capital on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

They’ve resigned themselves to a fixed or declining energy level.

They’ve allowed common thinking to give the excuse to the middle age bulge.

They’ve been beat-up enough that real fulfillment and success are long faded dreams buried in a beer and a TV show.

But the difference between a life of fulfillment and success or mediocrity is very narrow. In my 44 years of real observation, it’s 12% to 15% more output than we natively expense.

Slightly more than 1% more per month, in any given year.

Here’s the interesting thing:
that 1% will actually produce more results with less effort over time.

At a certain point, momentum takes over. The energy and focus you invested last month accelerated your results this month. Compound interest kicks in, and each day gets easier, not harder.

Our common mistake is that we project three months in the future and it looks exhausting. We equate a given level of results with an equivalent level of commitment and energy outlay.

Instead, we need to think about accumulated results. We need to realize that 1% this month. Forming that new habit. Leveraging those results. Means you’re already ahead next month.

You’ve increased your baseline to a new level. One that, when done right, becomes nearly effortless to maintain. The work you put in begins to work for you. You develop tolerance to your energy outlay. You get better at managing your movement.

Once we apply this principle to the areas of our lives we want to improve, incredible things begin to happen.

Exhaustion gives way to possibilities.
Resignation gives in to hope.
Failure fades under the rise of success.

Think of all the areas in your life where you can apply a 1% improvement.

Since each one typically takes a different kind of energy, it’s even possible to improve multiple areas at once, with ease.

I implore you to invest in your 1%.
I guarantee you won’t miss the minuscule investment in energy.

I also guarantee that this year’s 12% increase will change your life.

SIMPLE SUCCESS: A Measly 1% More… was originally published in Startups & Venture Capital on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.