Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry XMAS and Happy Holidays. No matter your beliefs, the holidays are a great time to pause, to reflect where we've been and where we want to go. Life sometimes seems chaotic and unmanageable, but you're always in control of your thoughts and the actions they produce. And don't forget the benefits of "no thoughts" every so often via meditation! Enjoy! 🙂🎄☃️~MJ

You might benefit from one of my 2021 reflections: I have an inverse correlation between my happiness and media consumption, namely network news, social media, partisan websites (both sides) and "Americanized" television. In short, the less I consume this media, the happier I am. Some types of ignorance is indeed, bliss. You might want to experiment with a media detox: then observe how you feel.

As we head into 2022, I'll depart your 2021 with this message from the past US President Theodore Roosevelt: "Far better to dare mighty things, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." Happy New Year! 🎊🎉~MJ

Tim Grover, author of Winning and Relentless and trainer of legends like Kobe, Michael Jordan and others, echoes a sentiment I've been parroting for 10 years: If you want to earn a 1% life beyond that of your peers, swap BALANCE for COMMITMENT, or OBSESSION. Because I lived my life with commitment that others mistook for obsession, I can now live a great life of balance, one not limited by time or money.

Someone posted this in the group chat, however this is a must view: It's why I don't make NYears Resolutions, moreover, it outlines a complete goal setting system that I've been using for years, and it's how your life at 10 years from today can look NOTHING like it does today. NY Resolutions are events. The system outlined in this video, is the PROCESS. Good luck!

https://youtu.be/2EgdIpa3FLM

As we're still early in the New Year, a reminder that any goal you have, short or long term, needs to be MEASURABLE and SPECIFIC. Action faking goals sound like this: "lose weight" "make more $" or "get married" - reduce those goals into specific numbers: "Lose 50lbs", "make $25K more next year", and "go on X dates": Google "SMART goals" for more details. Have a great week! ~MJ

Interesting factoid: Charles Schulz of Peanuts fame (Charlie Brown / Snoopy) didn’t just dream up the idea randomly, he got the idea from another comic strip (Krazy Kat) which seeded a similar idea, plus validated to him that he can draw children that addressed adult topics with adult dialogue. His success reflects how most entrepreneurial ventures are born, wheel reinvention, not required.

Since we're discussing goals, here’s another PRO-TIP: Don’t make goals you cannot directly control. Example: “Get 100K YouTube subscribers by 2023.” You can’t control that! Instead, break non-controllable goals into controllable metrics that can INFLUENCE the desired outcome. Instead of a goal for 100K subscribers, make a goal to produce 4 videos each month during the year. This might get you the uncontrollable goal. Have a great week! ~MJ

Years ago, Mark Pincus (founder of Zynga, video games) met with Steve Jobs where Pincus was promptly told by Jobs that “in app purchases” was a “stupid idea”—that stupid idea would end up generating BILLIONS in new revenues, and later, TakeTwo would acquire Zynga for $12.7 BILLION. Point: The market is the ultimate judge & jury for ideas, not even an opinion from Steve Jobs can change this truth...

*THIS* is quite possibly a key to finding more happiness, regardless of your financial status...

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/lambos-millions-and-mansions-wont-cure-depression-but-this-might.102692/

On days like today when the stock market crashed hard (then a late recovery) it’s a great reminder that there are gurus out there who call themselves “financially independent” who are/were sweating bullets, as their “financial freedom” is ironically, dependent on the uncontrollable whims of stock market action. This is why a CENTS-based business remains your best bet for lasting, durable wealth.

Looking for the next billion+ opportunity? A new wave of billionaires will be minted in the next 36 months in one emerging industry that is also ripe for disruption and a new paradigm: online K12 home schooling apps and curricular. Execution could be free of political BS, or it could come loaded with it, either way, you can bet there's a niche for it.

"Trust the process" is a pretty common platitude, but what exactly does it mean? It means that you can have faith that your habitual effort will yield the outcome you desire, whether it is weight loss, fame, success, money: you can control the process, but you cannot control the outcomes. If you "trust" the process, you likely will get what you want, or less, you'll be clearly headed there.

Sorry folks I've ghosted the group this week, I've been out with COVID 🤧since Sunday. Been handling it pretty good, lots of fatigue and some fever, no other symptoms. Been getting regular IVs through a mobile IV service, there's a post on the forum about that emerging opportunity that has helped me tremendously. Hope to be back in the swing of things next week. 🙂📈

Read something the other day about this entrepreneurial journey we've decided to take, a journey that can be lonely, challenging, and full of ups-n-downs... however it bears repeating: "You don't build a business, the business builds you."

PS: I've posted my COVID update on the TheFastlaneForum.com.

Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady exemplifies this truth: A lot of pros with middle-of-the-road talent go on to become GOATS whereas extremely talented pros endure mediocre, under-achieving careers. Hard work can beat talent, whereas talent tends not to work as hard and relies on inherent gifts or laurels. Don't let lack of talent discourage you, disciplined work can overcome!

What do you want out of your business? An empire with hundreds of employees? A lifestyle business? A business to set you free? These are important questions you need to ask before starting & growing your business. The 2nd time I sold my business I knew I didn't want a huge business which made the sell decision clear. A great thread on this topic is here: https://bit.ly/3rVZOG4

No one is born with any particular skill. Jerry Seinfeld wasn't born delivering jokes. Tom Brady wasn't born throwing a football. Elon Musk wasn't born a founder, an inventor, or an entrepreneur. Everything you want is on the other side of FEAR and PERSISTENCE, the relentless drive to step outside of comfort zones while overcoming the tough challenges that await. Have a great weekend! ~MJ

Interesting factoid: In 2000, Netflix offered itself for sale to Blockbuster for $50M. The Blockbuster CEO refused & laughed. Netflix is now worth nearly $200 billion, Blockbuster a figment of the past.

I bring this up because I recently did a YouTube video that covers this "sell or hold" decision which marks my 3T Strategy, a guide for making financial decisions. Check it out and it might save you 7- or 8-figures.

https://bit.ly/3t0ViWo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOL3gYh3Gwg

Very few authors (and entrepreneurs) get to sell over 1,000,000 of anything. When people ask me for some type of strategy or secret, the answer is always the same, not just for me, but for other successes: My customers represent most of my marketing department through word-of-mouth. I spend very little $ on marketing. If you lack this crucial element, you risk owning a marketing venture that dies sans-marketing, not an actual product-centered business that can survive on its own momentum.