Greetings from a cozy chalet in the Italian Dolomites mountains

If you live in the northeastern part of the US, or frankly anywhere where winter is really winter, you might be like me - waiting for the warm weather to return.

So I picked up and flew out to Italy to go snowboarding in the mountains - I know, it doesn’t fully make sense.  But I’ll explain more when I’m back next week.

This week I’m breaking down the habits I formed when I was at the lowest of the lows in my life - the things that literally got me out of a place I never thought I’d be in.  These are all habits that have helped me achieve the success I’ve had as an entrepreneur and basically transformed my life.

And I know for a fact they will help you too.  

Let’s jump in.

Creating success through
consistent habits

Does it ever feel like everything is on cruise control?  

You’re moving forward, progressing with your goals, everything seems fine and then poof - something happens that dramatically sets you back.

For me that moment came when I was 25.  

As a lot of you know, I got my start in YouTube by posting gaming videos.  I loved video games and I got paid to create content around them, what more could you ask for?  This was my dream job.

I move to LA and my career around gaming content was growing every year. I truly felt on top of the world!

And then I got laid off.

Mike Tyson couldn’t be more right.  Although I initially felt lost, broken, and just flat out embarrassed that I didn’t have a job anymore, truthfully losing my job was the best thing that could’ve happened to me because it forced me to build these habits that have now propelled me into who I am today. 

This is exactly what I did…

Replace entertainment with education

Now this isn’t to say that I gave up on having fun in life, because I didn’t. 

However I began to take learning more seriously.  As I made money again I began to consume content that helped me figure out how to make more, and actually manage it.  

Instead of spending an hour watching Netflix I would listen to an audio book like Rich Dad, Poor Dad, or put on a podcast like My First Million to get any kind of education I could around anything to do with finances and building a business.

Learning became the main priority in my free time. 

How a lot of these millionaires and billionaires made their money is available online for free - the world is your oyster when it comes to finding and consuming educational content.

Communication is everything

When we moved to the U.S. from Brazil, I couldn’t speak a lick of English and even as I started learning, my thick Brazilian-Portuguese accent held me back from really being able to express myself.

It was YouTube, of all things, that really taught me about how valuable communication can be. 

Now I’m not saying you need to go become a YouTuber, but what I am saying is your ability to communicate matters more than you think.

It’s as simple as recording your voice to hear how you talk.  You’re probably not going to like how you sound, but that’s okay.  Hearing how fast or slow you speak, how clear it is, and what it generally sounds like will help you refine how you convey messages to others.

The better you get at articulating yourself, the more confident you’ll become. The more confident you become, the more likely you’ll put yourself in situations for opportunities you actually want - and the domino effect continues from there.

Dress with purpose   

I absolutely used to think fashion didn’t matter - it was just something extra guys didn’t worry much about.  But the truth is, when people see you, they judge you within seconds. 

Before you even speak, your appearance is doing the talking.

When I started dressing better, I noticed people started treating me more seriously.  

And more importantly, I treated myself more seriously.  

I wasn’t just dressing for the outside world, I was dressing for myself, which boosted my confidence and truly made me feel like I could take on anything.

And I keep it simple with my wardrobe - nothing flashy, very little  logos, just timeless pieces I know will work no matter what the fashion trend is.  Think simple polos, sweaters, loafers or straightforward sneakers, and invest in a good jacket that you can wear for years to come.

Master your time 

When I worked at Google I balanced a full time job, a growing YouTube channel, a consistent gym routine, and my personal life.  

The only way I kept up?  

I scheduled everything.

Google calendar became my secret weapon (and still is to this day) where I would block time throughout the day to ensure I had ample time to handle my job, my content creation, and the elements of my daily routine that were non-negotiable.  

When I got used to having my time blocked on the calendar, this ironically freed me up as I now realized how much time I had during the day for anything outside of these core tasks.  

Try it for yourself.  Plan your day in chunks and set deadlines. Work will always expand to fill the time you give it, so keep your schedule tight and watch how much more productive you become.

These habits didn’t just form overnight, this has been a 10+ year journey for me.  

You can find the full list of habits that have transformed me into the person I am today here. 

As always, do what’s right for you, it’s never too late to start.

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