The Overthinker's Guide For Taking Action - A Complete Guide - StartupBros

2017520 TheOverthinker'sGuideforTakingAction:ACompleteGuideStartupBros
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The Overthinkers Guide for Taking Action:
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A Complete Guide
by Kyle Eschenroeder
Life is about execution rather than purpose. Nassim Nicholas

Taleb
https://startupbros.com/overthinkersguidetakingactioncompleteguide/ 1/154
Preface: Talking AboutAction

If you read anything on StartupBros you will go away having the
capability to do something that you werent able to before. From
validating your business idea to perfecting your logo, from releasing
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your motivation to creating an importing business this week, from
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freeing yourself from information overload to pinpointing the source of
your side business stagnation its about taking action.
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The trouble is, you cant write guides for the hardest things in life. The
reason is simple: the hardest things are so hard because there is no
guide.
Will once discussed the importance of taking action. Its one of those
painfully simple ideas that cant be repeated enough: without taking
action you wont get anywhere. Most posts are about a taking a
specific action. This post is different, its a complete guide to becoming
a man or woman of action. Taking the actions suggested in this post
will make it exponentially easier to take action in every other area of
your life. You will begin to automatically do what you had to fight to
do before.
The tools here have been the most powerful in living a better life that I
have come across. Adopting an action-oriented life has made me
simultaneously more productive (without using silly productivity
hacks), more bold, and given me a level of mental wellness I havent
had since I was a kid. Oh and its been the most powerful part of
integrating antifrigility into my life.
On to the post
If youre looking for a guide to take action I put together this awesome
course on taking action!
Check out The Action Course Learning the Art of Doing
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Introduction
Your life would be better if you took theaction youve been avoiding.
Showing your interest in that girl. Actually making a habit of getting

exercise. Taking the first step towards starting your business.
I hate writing about taking action. I feel like an idiot. We already know
we need to take action! Why talk about it!?
Because it helps.
Ive spent huge portions of my life in frustrated rationalization and

pussy-footing my way around the thing that I know would be best for
my life.
The only way I was able to escape this smart-seeming idiocy was to
prove to myself incontrovertibly that I was better off taking action
than thinking something through again.
Its easy to give too much credit to the thinking mind. The thinking
75mind is right. Action isnt so obvious. Action forces us to risk being
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wrong.
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The economist Tyler Cowen points to an important shift in our
economy:
The more information thats out there, the greater the returns
to just being willing to sit down and apply yourself. Information
isnt whats scarce; its the willingness to do something with it.
Everybody has access to pretty much all the information in the world.
Google will give you any information you need nearly instantly.
If you collect information without using it youre only going to be

frustrated. Trust me, I have to fight this urge all the time.
Reading ten books about meditation isnt as useful as ten minutes spent
meditating. Youve got to do the thing!
Again, this seems so obvious! It is, but we still avoid the hard
conversations, we still stagnate in life until we get depressed, fat, poor,
and stuck.
This post represents a whole lot of hours deconstructing my own

inaction and building systems and reminders to trick myself into taking
action.
Lets get down to it. Here is an overview of where well go in this post:
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Table of Contents:
1. Defining Action:Everything is an action, isnt it? Here we will define

exactly what were talking about when we discuss action.
2. 2 Heuristics:If you follow just these two rules, you will have taken a
massive step toward creating a habit of taking action. You can think
of this as a minimum effective dose of action-taking theory.
1. Err on the side of action or how to be right while being wrong.
2. Action as research dont read another book until you take the
first step.
3. 10 Overlooked Truths About Action:A deep exploration of what

happens when you take action. When you understand the nature of
action youll find yourself more free to take it.
1. Action is Cheaper Than Planning
2. Action Allows Emergence
3. Inaction is Scarier
4. Motivation Follows Action
5. Action is an Existential Answer
6. Action Creates Courage
7. Explanations Follow Actions
75 8. Action Beats the Odds
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9. Action Makes You Humble

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10. Action Isnt Petty
11. Action Creates Antifragility
4. 20 Reasons for Inaction And How to Short Circuit Them:I said

reasons but I could have just as easily used excuses. Here we will
take a look at the most dangerous and subtle rationalizations we use
to avoid doing the things we know we should in life.
1. Im waiting for help.
2. The conditions arent right.
3. This setback proved its not possible/not worth it.
4. I picked the wrong path I should just try something else.
5. I dont know where to begin.
6. Nothing I do will make a difference.
7. Im overwhelmed.
8. Im not making any progress.
9. Im trapped.
10. Its below me or Im too good for that.
11. I need to know more.
12. Im a perfectionist.
13. They are already doing it better than I could.
14. I have no resources compared to them.
15. Im so drained from my existing obligations.
16. Im completely burned out.
17. I am taking action!
75 18. It wont work.
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19. I dont have the right resources (money, equipment,

54 connections.)
20. Im not good enough.
5. 5 Exercises for Building an Action-Taking Habit:Here we are going

to explore the most powerful exercises we can practice to create a
habit of taking action.
1. Meditation (What?! Hear me out)
2. Internalizing Goals
3. Input Deprivation Week
4. Stream of Conscious Writing
5. Memento Mori
First things first.
Lets define what were talking about here.
Defining Action
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How can we tell the difference between action and inaction? Everything
is an action. Breathing, eating, sitting, sleeping everything we do.
We are talking about something different from the definition Google

serves about when asking about action:
When were talking about action were actually discussing right action.
Its probably close to what you think about when you think Ive got to
do something about this! Its guided action. Its purposeful and its
conscious.
Ryan Holiday has done a great job defining it in his new book, The
Obstacle is the Way:
What is action? Action is commonplace, right action is not. As a

discipline, its not any kind of action that will do, but directed
action. Everything must be done in the service of the whole.

Step by step, action by action, well dismantle the obstacles in
front of us. With persistence and flexibility, well act in the best
interest of our goals. Action requires courage, not brashness
creative application and not brute force. Our movements and
75 decisions define us: We must be sure to act with deliberation,
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boldness, and persistence. Those are the attributes of right and
effective action. Nothing else not thinking or evasion or aid
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from others. Action is the solution and the cure to our
predicaments.
We are not talking about mindless flailing. That will waste your energy
and leave you where you started. If you dont learn from the actions
you take then you wont be able to become more effective. If you dont
guide your actions with principles, heuristics, or aims then you wont
have much say at all about where you end up and who you become.
The idea is not to become a mindless machine that breaks everything in

its path. Instead, we need to rebalance our appreciation for the
power of action with our tendency to overthink, over-plan, and
otherwise waste our energies in abstraction.
Creating a plan is taking action. Refining past the point of necessity is

inaction.
Never has there been a map, however carefully executed to

detail and scale, which carried its owner over even one inch of
ground. Og Mandino
Right action is pushing toward the thing you normally avoid. Right
action is moving into what is uncomfortable or what scares you. Right
action is mindful.
This post is a resource something that I really should have just made
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a book or course and charged for but I just wanted to get it in front of
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more people so its going to be pretty long.
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The next section offers two rules to adopt that will go a long way
towards creating your personal ethos of action.
2 Heuristics: The Minimum Effective Dose

of Action Theory
If you apply just these two rules you will short-circuit your overthinking
tendencies and prove to yourself the power of taking action.
The danger in offering these up-front is that its hard tostay dedicated
to rules without understanding the theory behind them. If you stop
here you run the risk of repeating the cycle of: read blog post, apply
once (or not at all), read anotherblog post for a hit of feeling
productive while staying safely stagnant.
Of course I suggest you read the rest of the post but I know that you
might not have time now (or you dont trust me yet to make good use
of that much of your time).
So here Im going to offer you the two simplest, most powerful rules I
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follow to force myself into taking action.
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Heuristic 1: Err on the side of action as long

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as the pain isnt irreversible.
We usually dont know what the best option is. Maybe its best to wait,
maybe its best to act. We cant know, but if we set our default to
action well win in the long run.
Some important clarifications:
Action is normally against your impulse. Will and I are roommates

and he keeps the house stocked with Swiss Rolls. Delicious freaking
Swiss Rolls. Its torture. For me, resisting the urge to stuff my face is
taking action not the action of face-stuffing. (Remember that
were creating a habit of right action, any dingus can take any
action.)
Pain is good, just not irreversible pain. Up to a point, our lives

actually get better the more uncomfortable we get. Im not
suggesting putting your health in danger. I am suggesting putting
your ego, comfort, and routine in danger.
75Some examples of how I (successfully) use this in my daily life:
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This morning I said, Im going to fast today. Why? Maybe because

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Im dumb, I dont know. But Im committed. Its 2:20 PM now and Im
f*cking starving. I want more than anything to eat something
(preferably a Swiss Roll) but I wont. Thats taking action. [Update: I
went for 43 hours before feasting at BJs.]
Earlier today I was running sprints. I did a series of 30 second

sprints. Im asthmatic and overall suck at anything cardio-related.
Its my hell. I would give out at 20 seconds every time. I noticed this,
regrouped, and doubled my effort to push into the 30 second mark.
(There was a pretty girl there as well if she wasnt there I can
pretty much guarantee you I would have just stopped and cried. Its
amazing how much a pretty girl (or boy, whatever) can push you to
find strength you didnt have before.)
Just now I had the urge to stop writing. Its hard to write this. Its
easier to go to reddit. reddit=inaction, writing this=action
I take cold showers sometimes. Sometimes I dont. As soon as I begin

justifying taking a warm shower I know I need to take a cold one.
As soon as I think Ill do it laterabout something that I never

actually do later I know Im screwing up usually I still screw this up
but sometimes I actually take action on the thing.
Im feeling bad about talking about successes. Dont believe

peoplewho only talk about their successes. The biggest reason people
get interested in something is because they failed so bad at it before, I
swear. Thats why psychologists are crazy, happiness researchers are

often miserable, and rich people often started off poor. We react
against our weaknesses. Its good, they shape us and end up creating
our greatest strengths.
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What Im saying is I avoid action at all costs. Here are some examples of
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my failures to take action:
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There are 3 emails that I need to send. Ive needed to send them for
2 weeks or more. Why havent I? Im being an idiot.
I dont have to get out of bed in the morning because I have an

awesome way of making a living (youre reading it) so I dont. Most
mornings I lay and read. Which is good, even an action, for a while.
But then I keep doing it and avoid getting out of bed. Stupid.
Luxury, when we overindulge, becomes poison.
I want to build stronger relationships. I tell myself Ill make more

phone calls and be more social. But I dont. I avoid these things all
the time.
Meditation. I know my life is significantly better when I do it yet I

continue to fail making a habit of it.
Things I dont even know about. The most insidious forms of inaction
are the ones we havent even identified. I know theyre there. Thats
why I have to dig every day to expose these things so I can do
something about them.
Actually writing down those failures just made me way more likely to
sort them out. I bet you I send out those emails after I finish this.
Again: Err on the side of action as long as the consequences arent

irreversibly terrible.
Heuristic 2: Act before researching.
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This has been the most powerful rule for me. If you only try one thing
from this post, make it this.
This is not a rule against research. Benefitting from the knowledge of

others is one of the powerful things we can do as a human being. The
problem is no longer that we lack knowledge, its that we dont have an
effective frame for knowledge.
We all have massive amounts of wasted information stored. We were

told to learn and so we learned what we forgot to do was apply the
information.
Paradoxically, taking ignorant action will make your research much

more effective.
Im not suggesting you write a whole book before doing research. What
Im suggesting is that you create a habit of writing before doing
research. This habit of taking action will give more purpose and
direction to your research. Youll know what information actually
matters and what is fluff. Youll immediately put new knowledge into
practice instead of forgetting it.
Here are examples rules Ive set for myself using this idea:
I cant read anything about fitness unless I have already exercised

that day.
I cant read anything about meditation unless Ive meditated that

75 day.
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I cant read anything advanced about business unless Ive made sure
54 the fundamentals are in place.
Why is this trick so powerful?
There are so many findings out there that are focused on perfecting
things. Giving us the edge. Well, it turns out, all these people are
focused on tiny changes with tiny results. Its just too much.
You will be amazed at the information you already have if you just force
yourself to apply it.
Its too tempting to try to sound smart instead of being effective and
its embarrassing how simple things actually are. (People are paid well
to make simple things complex.)
The richest man in the world avoids complexity like the plague. Heres a
quote from Warren Buffett:
Easy does it. After 25 years of buying and supervising a great

variety of businesses, Charlie and I have not learned how to solve
difficult business problems. What we have learned is to avoid
them. To the extent we have been successful, it is because we
concentrated on identifying one-foot hurdles that we could step
over rather than because we acquired any ability to clear seven-
footers. The finding may seem unfair, but in both business and
investments it is usually far more profitable to simply stick with
the easy and obvious than it is to resolve the difficult.
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Easy and obvious isnt sexy, but its effective.
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Again: Act before researching.

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Those two heuristics will take you a long way.
For me this wouldnt be enough. My faith in action over overthinking

only came after I overthought overthinking and action into dust. I have
a feeling you might need the same treatment.
Next we are going to look at 11powerful and mostly ignored truths

about taking action that will be inspiring if nothing else.
11 Overlooked Truths About Action
This section is based on a post I wrote for Art of Manliness (although

theres a ton of original stuff too ). The popularity of that post is
what convinced me that a more comprehensive post was worthwhile.
University of Chicago Booth School of Business professors shared it
with their MBA students, it was highlighted on the economist Tyler
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Cowens blog, and I received a torrent of emails from people telling me
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how they had changed their lives because of it. Okay no more horn
tooting.
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Here are the 11 truths:
8. Action Beats the Odds
Ive consolidated the information from that post below:
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We think were not giving anything up while we mull over our plan for
the 50th time. Were playing it safe by not doing anything until we
know exactly what to do.
Were so, so wrong.
Planning is expensive.
The Wright brothers were able to beat out corporations in the race to
build a working plane because they emphasized action over planning.
After a failed flight, the Wright brothers would go back to their

workshop and make a small, cheap, quick tweak and test the plane
again. The corporations would spend months of planning and massive
sums of money before trying another flight.
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The Wright brothers won because they learned from taking action.
Their well-financed competitors lost because they tried to predict
everything by creating a more perfect plan.
This philosophy of failing fast has spread through Silicon Valley and
beyond thanks to Eric Ries workThe Lean Startup.We can imagine the
Wright Bros. writing this passage from Ries book:
Ive come to believe that learning is the essential unit of

progress for startups. The effort that is not absolutely necessary
for learning what customers want can be eliminated. I call
thisvalidated learningbecause it is always demonstrated by
positive improvements in the startups core metrics.
This calls to mind Heuristic 2 from above: Act before researching.
I can almost guarantee you that you are exaggerating the pain of
potential failure and underrating the amount of progress youll make
by just trying.
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Five years ago, did you know your life would be as it is now?
I doubt it. I cant imagine having spent this much time writing five years
ago. I couldnt have imagined been interested in the things Im
interested.
How many times have you been exposed to a new possibility that
didnt exist before? Maybe you thought you would be fat forever. Then
after a couple months of working out and eating well you realized that
you had the potential to get ripped.
Imagine walking alone in the desert. Its endless and it sucks. Nobody
has ever had fun walking in the desert. Youre going to die. There is
absolutely no chance at being saved. You climb one last dune and you
see an oasis. Its not an illusion.
Youre persistent walking created a possibility that had zero percent

chance of happening if you stood still. Each step was an action
providing a new viewpoint.
If you stood still and thought about your predicament you would have
died. It was only by taking step after step that saved your life. That final
step that revealed the oasis might get all the credit, but all those
hopeless (useless) steps before made the final one possible.
You got to keep moving.
75Our ability to predict the future is pretty much zero. No matter how
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many times scientists prove this to us, we refuse to believe them.
Nassim Taleb explains:
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So let us call here the teleological fallacy the illusion that you
know exactly where you are going, and that you knew exactly
where you were going in the past, and that others have
succeeded in the past by knowing where they were going.
The rational flaneur is someone who, unlike a tourist, makes a

decision at every step to revise his schedule, so he can imbibe
things based on new information, what Nero was trying to
practice in his travels, often guided by his sense of smell. The
flaneur is not a prisoner of a plan. Tourism, actual or figurative,
is imbued with the teleological illusion; it assumes
completeness of cision and gets one locked into a hard-to-
revise program, while the flaneur continuously and, what is
crucial, rationally modifies his targets as he acquires
information.
Its hard to see the possibility of success if youve only experienced

failure. Yet its often only after a number of failures that we have a
chance at success.
Dont assume that the possibilities you can see are the only possibilities
available. Youre actions literally create new potentialities that didnt
exist before.
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Sometimes the best way to be strong is to consider the pain of being

weak.
How much will you regret eating that donut? How much will you regret
settling for that shit job your entire life? How much pain will you suffer
later to avoid it now?
Action hurts now. Well get scarred. Well be uncomfortable. Well take
losses. But well grow.
Inaction doesnt hurt now, but it hurts for the rest of our lives. Well
be comfortable now and be unable to do the uncomfortable thing later.
Well be made soft by our stagnation. Well decay.
Every day we choose inaction over action it makes it harder to take

action. We weaken ourselves. Every time we take action we become
stronger.
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Waiting is the least motivating thing you can do. Writers who wait
around for motivation arent actually writers.
Imagine an entrepreneur who only got shit done when he was

motivated.
What?!
Motivation is not the cause of action its a consequence.
Motivation (and passion) will follow you if you have the balls to go
without them.
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I have spent most of my life in an existential crisis. Maybe not most, but
an annoyingly long time.
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Ive read all sorts of philosophical and spiritual texts talking about it.
Theyve all given answers that worked for a while. Then didnt.
The only existential answer that has ever consistently worked? Action.
It doesnt satisfy our rationalizing brain it shuts it up for a minute so

we can actually do something.
There is no abstract mission, purpose, or paradox that will satisfy

your existential needs. There is no labor, when focused on, that wont.
Courage is not something that you already have that makes you
brave when the tough times start. Courage is what you earn
when youve been through the tough times and you discover
they arent so tough after all. -Malcolm Gladwell,David and
Goliath
Seneca put it this way:
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is

because we do not dare that things are difficult.
Were all scared. Whether or not youre courageous depends on what

75you do with that fear.
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Do you lean into it? Do you cower from it?

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What we see as courageousness is really just a habit of taking action.

Of doing things even though were scared to do them.
Motivation, passion, inspiration, courage, opportunities, possibilities,

strength these things only come with taking action. Its amazing that
we still have such a hard time doing!
As someone who overthinks everything I am desperate to justify my

actions. Without a reason to do something well, why even do it? I
need a cohesive narrative.
Neuroscientist David Eagleman has done a study that shows what

happens when a good explanation or narrative isnt available. He
reports on the behavior of people who he put through a gambling

game:
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The interesting part came when I interviewed the players
afterward. I asked them what theyd done in the gambling game
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and why theyd done it. I was surprised to hear all types of
baroque explanations, such as The computer liked it when I
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switched back and forth and The computer was trying to punish
me, so I switched my game plan. In reality, the players
descriptions of their own strategies did not match what they had
actually done, which turned out to be highly predictable. Nor did
their descriptions match the computers behavior, which was
purely formulaic. Instead,their conscious minds, unable to
assign the task to a well-oiled zombie system, desperately
sought a narrative.
The mind that tells you about your life is probably wrong. Scientists tell
us we make up memories all the time.
Whatever reason you give yourself for doing something came after
the decision to do the thing.
So what can we do? We can treat our actions as experiments and

measure the results.
When weknowour stories are probably wrong we can give them less
power. Dont let your scary stories paralyze you. Act and let the
narrative follow (just as courage and motivation do).
8. Action Beats The Odds

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Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are building a
company,you must believe there is an answer and you cannot pay
attention to your odds of finding it.You just have to find it. It
matters not whether your chances are nine in ten or one in a
thousand; your task is the same. Ben Horrowitz, The Hard
Thing About Hard Things
Statistics can tell us a lot of things. Most of them dont matter.
Cortes had 500 men to take on 500,000 Aztecs. What was his grand
plan? He sunk his ships to eliminate any possibility of retreat.
Why was this effective? Yes, it created the force of necessity, but how?
Because it focused the armys attention on action instead of
abstraction.
Cortes noticed that his men were being weakened by thoughts of

retreat and seeing their wives. Once the ships were sunk, there was only
one thing they could focus on: fighting as hard as possible.
Stopping to consider whether or not youll be able to do something

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never helps and often hurts. Its also inaccurate. Actually doing the
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thing is the only accurate test of possibility.
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We stack the odds against ourselves. We make up obstacles that dont
exist. Or we become delusional about the greatness we will achieve in
some undefined future. Either way, were hurting ourselves. Test your
mettle the only way that matters: by taking action.
My wish for you, Kalistos, is that you survive as many battles in

the flesh as you already have fought in your imagination. Perhaps
then you will acquire the humility of a man and bear yourself no
longer as the demigod you presume yourself to be. Dienekes,
in Steven Pressfields Gates of Fire
Teenage boys are comically arrogant. Why? Because they are told they
can do anything yet they havent had to try to do anything yet.
Theyve learned just enough to see infinite possibilities but have no
awareness of their limits.
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This overconfidence can be useful, especially for entrepreneurs, yet it
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can quickly become delusional. Unless grand plans are executed they
rot the schemers soul.
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We must be willing to test the validity of our vision.
At the same time, we have to be careful not take failure too much to
heart.
Most adults are scared to have any vision because they know failure
they were burned.
Instead of growing from their failures they cowered from them. They
were made timid because they were afraid to get back into the ring.
Why? Because they thought the abstract ideal was more important
than reality. We rarely can bring our exact vision into existence we are
not gods creating worlds! We are humans, like the Wright brothers. We
go out onto the field with one design, crash, and go again.
A dedication to action makes you humble while allowing you to do

more than you ever thought possible.

Action doesnt care what you think, just what you do.
Action doesnt care about what should of happened, just what is.
Gossip is impossible in action.
Smallness is impossible in action.

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The general principle of antifragility, it is much better to do

things you cannot explain than explain things you cannot do.
Nassim Taleb
Antifragile is one of the most important (practical) philosophical ideas

to emerge in our recent history and, for me, putting action ahead of
abstraction is the most important step toward becoming antifragile.
Essentially, taking action makes us more able to take advantage of a

volatile future.
__
In the next section we are going to look at 20 common reasons for in

action and how we can take action anyway.
20 Antidotes to Perfectly Good Reasons

for Inaction
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The following are some of the most powerful rationalizations that stop
me from taking action. They usually seem logical. Its almost impossible
to see them at work unless you become aware of them. Even once you
know about them it takes a ton of practice to learn to lean into them.
For each excuse (reason, whatever) Ive included the antidote I use to
overcome it. These work for me. Not always, but enough to matter, a
lot.
Maybe you have the same reasons for not doing things. You probably
have at least some that I dont have. Find the most similar reason I have
listed and Id be willing to bet the antidote will work for you.
Here is the list again:
3. This setback proved its not possible/not worth it.
4. I picked the wrong path I should just try something else.
7. Im overwhelmed.
9. Im trapped.
10. Its below me or Im too good for that.
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13. They are already doing it better than I could.
14. I have no resources compared to them.

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15. Im so drained from my existing obligations.
18. It wont work.
19. I dont have the right resources (money, equipment, connections.)
Are you really? Did you call for help? Did someone say help is on the
way? If not, nobody is coming.
Nothing is going to come and give you motivation to get off your ass.
Nobody is going to come and give your life purpose. Nobody is going
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to offer to start a business for you. Nobody is going to offer to fund
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your movie. Nobody is going to come and force you to have good
habits. Nobody is going to come and ask to be your significant other.
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Nobody is coming to the rescue. (Either is inspiration.)
Okay, maybe they are, but thats a lousy bet.
The person who tries is the person who gets help. The person who
loves is the person gets loved and has a better chance at a significant
other. The person who makes shitty cheap movies is more likely to raise
money to make a less shitty less cheap ones (and eventually really good
ones).
Youre at StartupBros, its a good chance you want to start your own
business.
Do you actually want that?
If you havent started, why the f*ck not? Are you waiting for a blog
post? A book that will finally convince you to sack up? Somebody to
come and tell you exactly what to do? Im just guessing, those have
been some of the things I waited around for, you might have your own.
Antidote: Assume that no help is on its way. Remember that help can
only come to those who help themselves. Take action.
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Youre probably right. Most of the time conditions suck for most
things. I dont want to list all the major corporations that were created
in depressions (okay, a couple: Walt Disney Company, Costco, Standard
Oil, LinkedIn, Microsoft), you can Google that if you want.
Warren Buffett and his partner Charlie Munger ignore the

macroeconomic environment when they make decisions. Instead, they
look for businesses that will be doing well in 20 years through
recessions, depressions, and booms.
Charlie Munger has given some fantastic lectures to college students.

When asked whether he thought it was as difficult now (this was in
2010 I believe, the pits) as during the Great Depression he said (1) its
easier to get hired now people were having to combine households
during the Great Depression and (2) it doesnt matter, just put your
head down and work.
You are going to live through good times and bad times. You are going
to live in periods of excess opportunity and times when it looks like
there is zero opportunity.
The strategy? Focus on doing the best work you can today.
If there is no opportunity currently then you better be getting as good

as you can for when opportunity comes. And when it does come? Jump
on it like itll never be back again. Again put your head down and seize
the moment.
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Munger said that Berkshire Hathaway, one of the most successful

companies in the world, has been made by about 20 great moves.
Without those 20 their track record is miserable. They were able to
make those career-defining moves because they were ready. They
were ready because they were always focused on doing the best
work they could in the present moment.
Antidote: Focus on doing your best today and youre guaranteed to

have huge opportunities and youll be ready for them. This applies no
matter the surrounding conditions.
3. This setback proved its not

possible/not worth it.
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Why is it not worth it? Did you learn anything from this set back? Could
you make it happen if you really wanted to? I think you could.
Persistence makes a lot of things possible.
Maybe you dont think its worth it.
Do you have something better to do than try to make this work

though? Or are you just being soft?
Probably 95% of the times I say something isnt worth it Im just being a
baby. I dont want to try hard. I dont want to take action. I pretend I
dont care about the outcome and I pretend the setback is way bigger
than it actually is.
Chances are you are just avoiding pain when you should be leaning
into it.
Antidote: Double your efforts and lean into the setback. You set your
aim from a rational place and now your pain-avoidance tendency is
overvaluing the setback and undervaluing your aim. You should train
yourself to react into setbacks, not flinch away from them. You can
always quit tomorrow or next week.
4. I picked the wrong path I should try

something else.
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Again, is this your pain-avoidance tendency talking or is this actually

the wrong path for you?
Its important to be able to quit or fail quickly to abandon paths that

no longer make sense for us. Many people get stuck in a cycle of
jumping ship as soon as things get hard though. If you quit now, will
you regret it when youre older?
Are you frustrated by a plateau that you can work through? Do you
have an idea of what to do next?
Theres no way to tell when the best time to jump ship. Sometimes Ive
had to have a nagging feeling for more than a year to even notice I
should do something. Sometimes I quit as soon as it gets hard and I
think its just all bad.
We cant know for sure. But if were paying attention we can make
pretty great guesses.
Antidote: Treat yourself like a startup. Try a bunch of things actually

try them dont just research them. Figure out what you like and (maybe
more importantly) what you dont like. If you have a history of quitting
as soon as things get hard then force yourself to stay in it a while longer
and push through. Ask yourself what taking action would like that
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question will probably point you to the thing you know you want to do.
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Yes you do.
You begin from Step 1.
Clever plans and abstractions will have you believe that you can start at
step 3. Stop expecting to see a clear path to the end. You dont need
to know where youll end to know where to start. Coca-Cola started as
a pharmaceutical company. Twitter was the side project of some guys
working on a podcasting company.
You start by ignorantly trying. Through failing you figure out what you
need to learn about and get better at.
Antidote: Act before you research (or think anymore) about the thing.
For more check out Heuristic 2 from earlier in this post.
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Of course it will. Of course it wont.
You cant help but make a difference in peoples lives. Whether you
smile or scowl at the person walking down the hallway can completely
change their day. What if that person was going to commit suicide but
you made him feel noticed? It sounds ridiculous but, as a recovered
depressive with suicidal thoughts, I can tell you it matters in a huge
way.
That smile doesnt stop there. It ripples through people. If you smile at
one person they are more likely to be nice to the next person they meet
and on and on.
I call this the Invisible Legacy. I think that every one of us has a silent,
invisible legacy that we can never measure and that nobody will ever
applaud us for. This is the thing that will change the world the most.
Even more than the people we think as great figures in history.
Everything you do matters.

It might not change the world in the ways that are easy to measure. It
might now solidify your place in a history textbook but really, how
much has a person in a history textbook changed your life? I guarantee
you that a hug at the right time from somebody you love changed your
life more. Or one lesson taught to you by your grandpa.
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Why do we have to aim at being remembered by people well never
meet? I think we ought to focus on the people we can right here right
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now.
The other thing, aiming at making a difference usually alters the

difference you make, for the worse. You dont have a choice, youre
guaranteed to change the world. Consider Nassim Talebs Silver Rule:
Some clarity.
The Golden Rule (do to others what you want them to do to
you) is an invitation to interventionism, utopianism, and
meddling into other peoples affairs, particularly poor nations, as
represented by the the NGO clowns at TED conferences trying to
save the world, and causing more harm with unseen side
effects. Remember that Mao, Stalin, Lenin, and were following the
positive Goldenrule. At the personal level, I may feel good trying
to nudge a vegetarian to eat raw kebbeh (Lebanese steak
tartare) because I like it myself.

The Silver rule (do NOT do to others what you dont want them
to do to you) leads to a systematic way to live doing no harm
and gives rise to a liberating type of ethics: your obligation is to
pursue your personal interests provided you do not hurt others
probabilistically unless you are yourself exposed, & not transfer
risks to others (skin-in-the-game at all times). But, and here is
the key, should there be a spillover, it will necessarily be

positive. It is therefore convex.(Typical via negativa rules are
convex). It separates the self-interest in Adam Smith from the
selfish version. And if you want to help society, just try to
benefit WHILE at least harming no one.
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This distinction puts a lot of clarity behind the idea of free
markets and morality. You should never have to prove that what
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you do is GOOD for society (hard to express in words and
rationalistic framework), but you can certainly show you are
NOT hurting others more than yourself via skin-in-the-game.
Antidote: Remember that you cant help but make a difference. Then
do whatever you can.
7. Im overwhelmed.
Overwhelm, one of the 7 Motivation Murderers, is one of my biggest

enemies. I always think from Step 1 to Step 97. Its stupid. I kill any
success I have by thinking so big its drowned out.
Or I think of eight things I have to do and then I freak out because I

75cant do them all simultaneously.
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Obviously, if you take action you will stop being overwhelmed. You
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immediately shift your focus from staring at the impossible path in front
of you to taking the first step.
I used to live on a small ranch. (Will always made fun of me for having
horse chores and not being able to hang out with the other kids.) My
parents would make me move truck loads of sand. Where? To places
that needed sand, apparently. I still dont understand it. The point is,
when I started shoveling the sand, it got easy. I would stick my
headphones in, listen to a chapter of some success book, and look up
and see the pile halfway gone. It got easy as soon as it was begun.
Antidote 1: Break it down into small goals that fit on a single sheet of
paper. Things overwhelm us because they feel undoable. Obviously
start a business isnt helpful if we dont know the first step. Verify
business idea A. Is something you can take action on now.
Antidote 2: Internalize your goals. We get overwhelmed because we

think that everything should be under our control. Its not, though, not
even close. The goal Make a profitable business might not be able to
be accomplished. You might die before you become profitable. The
goal Do everything I can to make my business profitable today
focuses on what you can control. You can force yourself to try really
hard. You can force yourself to put the odds in your favor you just
cant define the odds.
8. Im trapped.
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Sometimes it looks like theres nothing we can do. Even if there was
something we could do, it wouldnt help. We cant see the light at the
end of the tunnel.
Were stuck.
Sometimes Ill get stuck like this for a full day. I forget that progress is a
possibility. I forget how far Ive come in the last year. I forget that I
have any power in the world.
There are two ways to escape
Antidote 1: Lower the bar. Youre not going to reinvent your whole life
today. There are no transformations waiting to happen. You cant
independently make a living today. You know what you can do? Go to
the gym. Eat an apple. Write. Meditate. Reject the next donut. These
tiny acts will snowball into massive changes. This technique is what got
me out of a suicidal depression where I felt completely trapped for
more than a year.
Antidote 2: Be fatalistic toward the past and present. Theres nothing

you can do to change the past or where you are the instant. No amount
of analysis is going to change anything. There are no magical answers

waiting for you in your past. Theres not even anything you can do to
change this moment. As soon as you think of this moment its gone. So
aim slightly forward. Put your mind in a future possibility. Not a five
year plan, maybe a five minute one, maybe even a tomorrow plan.
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Remember that your brain is messing with you. That success does not
look like a graph going up and to the right its not near that clean.
Our brain is not cut out for nonlinearities. People think that if,
say, two variables are causally linked, then a steady input in one
variable shouldalwaysyield a result in the other one.Our
emotional apparatus is designed for linear causality.For
instance, you study every day and learn something in proportion
to your studies. If you do not feel that you are going anywhere,
your emotions will cause you to become demoralized. Butreality
rarely gives us the privilege of a satisfying linear positive
progression: You may study for a year and learn nothing, then,
unless you are disheartened by the empty results and give up,
something will come to you in a flash.. . This summarizes why
there are routes to success that are nonrandom, but few, very
few, people have the mental stamina to follow them. . .Most

people give up before the rewards. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Youve got to remember that progress doesnt always look clean. Its
not always obvious, and that the breakthrough could happen in the
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next minute of work. The creator of Dilbert, Scott Adams, suggests
using a system-based orientation instead of a goal-based one. Adams
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explains:
Goal-oriented people exist in a state of continuous pre-success

failure at best, and permanent failure at worst if things never
work out.Systems people succeed every time they apply their
systems,in the sense that they did what they intended to
do.The goals people are fighting the feeling of discouragement
at each turn.The systems people are feeling good every time
they apply their system. Thats a big difference in terms of
maintaining your personal energy in the right direction.
Antidote: Turn your goals into systems. For instance, I had a goal of
getting to 210 lbs. and 10% body fat. I immediately stopped going to
the gym I didnt even know how to reach a goal like that! I turned the
goal into a system: go to the gym 5 times a week. As soon as I did that I
started making real progress. (Note that this is very close to Internalize
Goals Antidote 1 from Reason 8.)
10. Its below me
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When I was trading I knew a guy who was trying to trade as well but
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couldnt make any money. He was broke but refused to get another job.
He scoffed at bagging groceries or anything else. He basically thought
he was the millionaire who didnt make his money yet. Instead of
getting a job below him, he started teaching (read: scamming)
people to pay the bills, dipping into outright theft. Now, a lot of years
later, hes still trading
On the other hand, John D. Rockefellar spent an amazing amount of

time checking and double-checking his bills to make sure they were
accurate. He went so far as to sue doctors he thought overcharged him.
This is the richest man in the world worrying over a couple of dollars.
Its because, for him, it wasnt just a couple of dollars, it was principle!
He didnt see just a couple of dollars. He saw the potential of those
dollars invested, he saw the money he was saving other from being
screwed by this doctor.
If you think certain types of work are below you then you will block
possible paths for yourself. Your arrogance will show and others will see
it.
Antidote: Remind yourself that its temporary, that the biggest

entrepreneurs have done manual labor in the process of creating their
empire.

No you dont. At least not now.
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This is the most rational of the rationalizations and its the hardest to
shut down.
It just feels so productive to learn one more thing.
Shut up and go to work as best you can. Then do research once you
understand what information you actually need to know.
More knowledge isnt going to going to save you only action.
Antidote: Input Deprivation Week. Basically Heuristic 2: Act before

researching. For more on Input Deprivation Week, see the final section.
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Theres no such thing as a perfectionist. There is literally nothing you

have ever done that is perfect or will ever do that is perfect.
Youve just found a delusional, yet proud way to hide your cowardice.
Youre afraid to show that you, too, are a human who makes things with
errors.
Again, shut up and do your work.
Its great to aim for an unobtainable ideal to guide your work. Just
dont stop when you inevitably fall short.
Antidote: Share something that youve done before its ready.
13. Someone is already doing it.
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Dont let competition scare you away. Instead, let it prove to you that
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there is a market for what you wanted to make.
Unless youre in a monopoly situation (you arent) then this is an

opportunity to stand on the shoulders of giants:
How could you do it better than them?
How could you simplify what theyre doing?
How could you make something more comprehensive?
Who could you serve that they are not?
Antidote: Put a twist on what they did and begin building.
14. I have no resources compared to

them.
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Malcolm Gladwells most recent book, David and Goliath, is all about
how people regularly win who shouldnt. Having less resources can
actually be an advantage.
Consider the Wright Bros. They had a few thousand dollars and beat
out corporations with millions of dollars in funding. The size of these
companies actually worked against them. The Wright Bros. won
because of their limited resources.
Instagram had a team of 13 people when they sold for $1 billion.
Technology has given us an opportunity to leverage our resources like

crazy.
Antidote: Instead of looking at what you cant do because of budget

restraints, look at what you can do that well-funded people cant.
15. Im so drained from everything else

(work, other responsibilities.)
People with this reason often take pride in their busyness. Their
exhaustion proves that theyve been working hard.
It doesnt, though. You might gain energy from going to the gym. Or
forcing yourself to start working on your side project.
Antidote: Refocus your energies. Cut out the 5 most energy-sucking

activities in your day (watching TV, drinking alcohol, engaging with
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shitty people, discussing politics). Then select ONE thing that you can
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do today that would make things matter much more.
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No, youre talking about it.
Antidote: Do something.
Youve probably been confusing busyness for action; flailing violently

without learning anything. Maybe youve spent all your energy doing
what you thought you were supposed to do and its not working.
Maybe you just havent taken a break.
Whatever it is, the most important action is non-action.
Youve got to create some clarity so you can see up from down.
Antidote: Meditation and/or Stream-of-Conscious writing (more info in

the next secion). And reducing your workload. Maybe pick up a fiction
book.
18. It wont work.

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Youre probably right, but maybe youre wrong.
This post probably wont work, but it might.
Most things worth doing probably wont work. Most businesses fail,
most books dont sell any copies, most bands break up.
Does that mean its a bad idea to try? Not at all.
Elon Musk is trying to populate Mars. Will this work? Probably not. I
would never tell him to stop trying though.
Antidote: Shift your focus from the probability of things working to the
magnitude of awesomeness that would happen if they did work. Your
life could be totally transformed if your startup worked, if it fails then
you still have your job. Even if the thing fails, you got better because
you tried so youre more likely to win next time.
19. I dont have enough resources (money,

equipment)
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Start doing what you can with what you have.
Taking action gives you the chance to attract the resources you need.
Even if youre the only one working, your conviction will make other
more likely to help.
You might not have what it takes to create the business you want to
create. You can start laying the groundwork though.
Antidote: Again lower the bar. Begin with what you have and identify
exactly what resources you will need to take certain steps.
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Maybe youre not. You can become good enough though.
If you see yourself as stagnant then you will be less likely to learn.
I didnt know anything about blogging as a business a year ago. Since

then I have begun to understood exactly how to create sales funnels,
content that works, and everything else. If I knew how much I needed
to learn I may have not gotten into it but I did, and Ive learned what I
needed to know.
Every day Im learning more and more. My skills are expanding. My

understanding is simultaneously deepening and broadening.
Im not good enough to do what I will be doing in three months from

now. Ill get good enough, though, or Ill try.
Antidote: Shift yourself into a growth mindset. Realize that you know
more than you did a year ago. Your skill are better than they were a
year ago. Just take the first step and have faith that everything you
need will follow.
____
In the next section were going to look at specific exercises that will
undermine many of the excuses weve just gone through.
5 Exercises for Becoming an Action-Taker

75Up until now, what action have you been taking? Reading. Taking in
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information and reorganizing the way you consider the world, your
goals, and your behavior.
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Thats important. Understanding a way of being makes it easier to stick

with it when things arent working exactly as we want them to.
However, it will be mostly wasted unless you do something with it. You
need to take the framework that weve been discussing and make it
palpable. It needs to become a part of your daily life.
In this section I will suggest five tools you can use to begin changing
your default response to action (right action.)
Here are the tools:
1. Meditation
4. Stream of Conscious Writing
5. Memento Mori
Putting these tools into action will help. Adopting all of them
simultaneously will probably be unsustainably difficult, though. If would
suggest adopting one or two, practicing them for a week, then maybe
adding another or switching one out.
Anyway, here are the tools:
1. Meditation
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It doesnt make any sense, right? Just sitting there doing nothing is far
from taking action
Actually, meditation is an amazingly powerful tool for taking action.

Why?
Because it makes you aware of not taking action. Our inaction usually
comes from our hyperactive mind rationalizing our way out of doing
things that matter.
Meditation makes it easier for you to call yourself our on your own BS.
It has all sorts of health benefits as well that have been written about all
over the place.
How to Start Meditating

Im going to recommend anapana meditation because its the easiest to

start with. Its the type of meditation I always go to when rebooting my
own practice.
Ive listed basic instructions. They are purposefully non-specific in some
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areas because the whole point here is to not overthink it. Practice like
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this for a week before you read anything else about practicing
meditation.
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1. Sit down. You can use a chair, a pillow, or the floor. I just sit cross-
legged on the floor. Sit up straight and keep your belly soft.
2. Set a timer for 5 minutes. (Work your way up to 20+ one minute at a
time each day.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Focus your attention on the sensations you feel on your outer

nostrils and upper lip.
5. Relax your face. You may want to look towards where youre paying
attention to, try not to.
6. Relax your body.
7. Breathe through your nose into your belly. (Remember to keep it

soft.)
8. Each time your mind wanders to a thought bring your attention

back to the sensations on your upper lip and outer nostrils.
9. Be nice to yourself. The goal isnt to not think about anything, its
just to increase your awareness when you do think about things. If
youre sitting and meditating then youre not failing.
Thats it. Its simple. Just sit, breathe, and observe.
This, out of all of the exercises, is the hardest for me to do consistently

because it doesnt feel productive. I cant measure progress or see
anything getting done.
Inevitably I stop meditating. Then a couple weeks later I notice my

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brain feels disorganized. And I realize I havent been meditating. Then I
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go back and meditate and the brain gets clean again and I repeat this
over and over.
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We all know the serenity prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot

change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Another way to say this:

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Some things are up to us and some things are not up to us.

Epictetus, Stoic philosopher
Another way:
Internalize your goals.
This means shifting all your goals to things that you can control. If
you want something you have no control over, you may be paralyzed
and not take action. However, if you set goals that you have control
over, then you will always have the ability to take action.
William Irvine explains how this concept might work for an aspiring
novelist in his excellent book A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Are
of Stoic Joy:
How can the aspiring novelist reduce the psychological rejection

and thereby increase her chances of success? By internalizing her
goals with respect to novel writing. She should have as he goal
not something external over which she has little control, such as
getting her novel published, but something internal over which
she has considerable control, such as how hard she works on the
manuscript or how many time she submits it in a given period of

time. I dont claim that by internalizing her goals in this manner
she can eliminate altogether the sting when she gets a rejection
letter (or, as often happens, when she fails to get any response at
all to the work she has submitted). It can, however, substantially
75 reduce this sting. Instead of moping for a year before
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resubmitting her manuscript, she might get her moping period
down to a week or even a day, and this change will dramatically
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increase her chance of getting the manuscript published.
Irvine also gives an example of how a tennis player might internalize his
goals:
[H]is goal in playing tennis will not be to win a match

(something external, over which he has only partial control) but
to play to the best of his ability in the match (something internal,
over which he has complete control).
We talked earlier (Reason 9) about how this is similar to creating

systems instead of goals. Here is the quote from earlier:
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Goal-oriented people exist in a state of continuous pre-success
failure at best, and permanent failure at worst if things never
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Shares work out.Systems people succeed every time they apply their
systems,in the sense that they did what they intended to do.The
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goals people are fighting the feeling of discouragement at each
turn.The systems people are feeling good every time they
apply their system. Thats a big difference in terms of
maintaining your personal energy in the right direction. Scott
Adams, creator of Dilbert
Warren Buffett uses a similar strategy called the internal scorecard. If

he does as best he can according to what he knows, then he doesnt let
temporarily bad results (and the public criticism that comes with them)
bother him. He acted as well as he knew how.
Internalizing your goals can be a powerful way to keep the motivation

through tough times, plateaus, and haters.
Heres how:
1. List all your goals.
2. Internalize them.
Thats it.
Put everything that matters within your control. Focus on that and the
rest will follow (eventually).
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54
Ive written about this on StartupBros before. Recently I restated it for

an Art of Manliness piece (the one we looked at earlier). For our
purposes Im going to reuse the directions from that article:
Go an entire week with zero information consumption.
I first tried this last year and it was wildly successful. I got more
done in one week than I had in themonthprior. I also ate the
best I had all year and solidified my meditation practice. It was so
effective I offered it up to the readers of my blog,StartupBros.
Most of the people mocked me or called me naive. A few actually

tried it, though. And many of them are still practicing it to this
day. Its the most effective way Ive found to boost output.
Its also the most painful.
You are going to, for an entire week, live without information
input.
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Stay with me on this.
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For one week:

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No reading books.
No reading blogs.
No reading newspapers.
No going on Facebook (even just to post).
No watching TV (shows, sports, news, anything).
No watching movies.
No listening to talk radio.
No going on Reddit.
No going on Twitter.
No information input only output!
You must force yourself to spend an entire week with yourself

and the people immediately surrounding you.
This will, first and foremost, force you into action by stripping
away every activity you run to in order to avoid actually doing
the work you know you should be doing.
Besides that, it will increase mindfulness, increase the respect you

have for your own ideas, youll have more ideas, unsolvable life
problems may begin to make sense, youll have an increased

appreciation for the news that actually matters, youll become
more social, youll gain perspective, and youll become more
original.
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It sounds too good to be true but its not. Its what happens. The
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only way for you to appreciate this is todoit.
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When Ifirst suggestedInput Deprivation Week I provided the
following 5 steps to start strong, and they still work just as well:
o Install StayFocusdor its equivalent and put all your time-

sucking websites on there. ALL of them! Facebook, Twitter,
MySpace (??), reddit, Digg (??), Chive, EVERYTHING!
o Delete your consumption apps.I deleted Facebook, Pulse,

and Twitter off my phone. Delete the apps that you reflexively go
to when you have a minute of free time.
o Move your books and magazines.They will just taunt you if

theyre sitting on your bedstand or at your desk. Make a stack
and put it out of sight.
o Carry a notebook with you.Youre going to begin having

ideas pop up in your head; make notes of them. I like notepads
more than phones because we associate them with creating
instead of consuming. Its risky to take notes on a smartphone if
youre trying to avoid inputs.
o Take the batteries out of your remote.When you have the

urge to flick on the TV youll have to go get batteries for the
remote. This is a barrier to TV that will save your willpower pool
from draining as you stare down the remote thinking about all
theGame of ThronesandMad Menyoure missing.
This may be the hardest thing you do all year. The benefits may
not be obvious on Day 2. By Day 6 theyll be undeniable.
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Your focus will turn to production instead of consumption. You
will become a giver instead of a taker. You will see your addiction
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to novelty and useless information plainly.
Remember that this isonlya week andnota suggestion for a

lifestyle. Ilovebooks. I love learning new things. I consume
information like crazy. And its valuable! Input Deprivation Week
is about creating a better relationship with information, not
denying its importance.
Like a girlfriend that you didnt fully appreciate until she was
gone, your relationship to information will be forever
changed.You will appreciate quality information and be more
able to ignore the rest. You wont be an addict to useless
information.
If you need any support or have any questions, comment

belowor even email me (info below).
4. Stream-of-Consciousness Writing
75
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Every morning I roll over and write two pages. What do I write?
Gibberish. Sometimes about a dream I woke up from, sometimes about
my plan for the day, sometimes about an idea Ive been thinking
through, sometimes about ideas for my business.
I got this idea from the author of The Artists Way, Julien Cameron
forever ago and its proved to be the single best habit for self-
awareness that I know.
If theres a problem that Ive been avoiding, itll become obvious in the
pages.
Its the best place for creative ideas and discovering things that were
bugging me that I wasnt even aware of.
The process is simple:
1. Write two pages. (I like pen and paper.)
2. Dont stop.
3. Write fast.
4. Dont stop.
5. Dont stop.
The idea is to keep your pen moving no matter what.
Notice that this is another awareness exercise. If youre hiding from

taking uncomfortable action, the pages will force you face that every
day. If youre staying super-busy to avoid doing the real, important
75work you know you should be doing, the pages will find you out.
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Because you cant stop writing you will begin to unearth stuff from your
54
subconscious. Sometime you will find yourself writing down thoughts
that have been swirling around your head tormenting you. When you
see them on paper they are reduced to absurdity.
When Ive fallen out of the habit, it takes one to two weeks to really
start getting into the good stuff with this practice.
By forcing awareness to ideas that usually stay unnoticed you will be

much more likely to take action on them.
5. Memento Mori
Memento mori is Latin for something like Remember death. Its a

reminder that this whole life thing were doing isnt going to be forever,
in fact, its quickly coming to an end.
So hop to it!
75
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Its easier to take action if you feel the sensation of death on your heels.
54
Itll be much easier to make that phone call youve been avoiding if you
remember that you will die.
Theres a second, more important part: when you meditate on

yourdeath, its not just WHAT you do that changes, the WAY you do
things changes as well.
Its not all about #YOLOing all over the place. You dont need to buy
a ticket to Africa or Paris or whatever. You might not need to quit your
job and go hike across the country (although that would be cool).
Maybe the shift is more in the type of attention you have with what
youre doing right now. Reading this could be the last thing you do. The
shower you take today could be the last thing you do. Everything you
do could be the last thing.
When you remember this, your experience shifts. You become more
present.
Decisions stop being so hard.
There are a lot of ways to keep death on the mind. Here are a couple:
Remembering that you might die in the next minute. This is the
most basic, and the one I practice daily. If you take a few seconds to
appreciate the fact that you might not have tomorrow things gain
some serious weight.
Eternal Recurrence. What if you had to live this life over and over
75 again for eternity?
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54
The greatest weight. What, if some day or night a demon were
to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you:
This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to
live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be
nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every
thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in
your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession
and sequence even this spider and this moonlight between the
trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass
of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with
it, speck of dust!
Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and
curse the demon who spoke thus? Or how well disposed would
you have to become to yourself and to lifeto crave nothing
more ferventlythan this ultimate eternal confirmation and
seal? Friedrich Nietzche, The Gay Science
ReSpawn. Imagine that you died and were just reborn into the
world. How would you act differently?
If you want a more in-depth look at death, check out 5 Ancient Secrets
of Death and Motivation.
Just Do It
If youve made it this far, youve invested a significant chunk of your life
to these ideas. Youve also proved to yourself a certain commitment to
taking action.
75
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Dont let this theory go to waste.Use it!
54
Pick one or two of the exercises today and practice them every day this
week. Apply the two heuristics.
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments.
If you have any ideas that others could benefit from, let us know in the
comments!
Godspeed!
Check out The Action Course Learning the Art of Doing
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AUTHOR
Kyle Eschenroeder
Thanks for taking the time to read this! Let me know what you
think - the good, the bad, the ugly - in the comments below.
I'm an entrepreneur (more in the StartupBros About Page) in

St. Petersburg, FL
68 COMMENTS add yours
75 DANNY says:
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April 24, 2017
54
This is great man, and all true, as I have lived this way since before many here
knew what anything was; but there comes a point for some where this type of
action no longer works. Then youre done.
The realization that all of this stuff about action is ultimately an avoidance of [or
bringing one to] non-dual reality i.e. that the game is a lie; it is a massive
superimposed collective illusion created by the demiurge [or Satan* if you will]
in order to control this world (via collectivism). Im not religious per se Im just
stating what I have come to clearly see, the obvious.
The instant you see this you enter the kingdom of an actual living God that gives
you more power and excitement than one can imagine. This is when you begin
to float like a feather through life in awe of every moment. This is why all of the
propaganda, why the world seems upside down much of the time.
Best.
*If not, then evil defined.
REPLY
RICKVIAN says:
January 4, 2017
i read just a couple of sentence above, and realize i dont need to read the rest
and start taking action. Thank you
REPLY
JONATHAN JOHANSSON says:

December 12, 2016
75 awesome article
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54
PJ says:
December 10, 2016
Not sure to understand how to create systems or what do you mean by create
systems? Do you have a specific post on that specific subject?
REPLY
JUSTIN W says:
November 17, 2016
The knowledge you shared was priceless and resonated deeply. One action that
I have been meaning to take is to start approaching women. After reading this
post, I realized that I could no longer rationalize my inaction away. I HAD to take
action, and I did- I went out and made multiple approaches last night. Thank
you.
REPLY
TOMSPY77 says:
July 27, 2016
Im sorry this is nothing but BS The author already lives off writing, everybody
in the comments is kissing his behind If course he can be positive.
Then there is that look at your Facebook pics thing.. You were directing a
movie? At a book unveiling? Mine were two selfies and some plants oh yes my
life is so interesting.
75
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And meditation does none of those things You sit breathe and thats it No
enlightenment, no feeling better Its a crock.
54
Then you get its better to try and if you failed you tried? Tell that to a land lord
or the members of the opposite sex who will shun you cause your real world
value is less then zero.
Oh Ive been writing since 2006, in 2011 I was in a book and neither paid
anything and have done f all for my life.
Point is its easy for those already living life to tell us losers what to do Because
they have it already.
For some of us, life is just nothing but failure, pain and darkness and we will
never get out. Drinking the kool-aid will do nothing for it.
REPLY
RAFAEL says:
November 8, 2015
Fuck. This is exactly what I needed.
REPLY
EUGENIA says:
August 28, 2015
A simple thank you is just all I want to say!

You really helped me put things into perspective- I will be looking forward to my
Input Deprivation Week by Gods grace-starting this weekend!
Thank you!!!!
75
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KYLE ESCHENROEDER says:
August 30, 2015
Keep in touch and let me know how itgoes!
REPLY
KARENA says:
August 12, 2015
Ohhh i felt so guilty for reading this and taking the time as I am more than
aware of my procrastination, fear and excuses which were even more evident
and valid the more I continued to read, damn you for being in my head! I have
held such disappointment, shame and dislike for the path I keep going on and
ironically I have less respect and time for people who have a world of
opportunities for them to embrace yet they talk not walk so I persevered and
kept reading your powerful novel. It was the boot I needed to stop this
mindless clutter of excuses. So I thank you. I will put this advice into action and
empower myself and start to believe I am more than capable. Much respect to
you. Karena, (small business owner) Brisbane, Australia
REPLY
August 13, 2015
Godspeed!
REPLY
75
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DREWB says:
July 18, 2015
There is a generosity of information sharing here that is rare online. You guys
deserve all your succcess.
REPLY
KATE says:
March 30, 2015
Kyle,
For too many years Ive been so busy surviving life that I havent been living it.
Ive read so much about ebay businesses, dabbled for awhile and allowed
negativism to cause me to give up. I thought it was others but it was My own!
The inactivity, fear if failure your description of these life wasters is hilarious
but so true. Im not sure why your step-by-step stuff is all free, but thank you
times a million. My passion is not about being rich but philanthropic works
require money.
Thats just how life works.
My son is convinced he was born to be an entrepreneur, and had a small retail

business that did very well for a while and then failed. Now, he thinks it was his
one & only, like the girl who broke his heart in high school. Hell be moving off of
consoling himself with inconsequential articles and YouTube and reading your
posts. For that, I cant thank you nearly enough.

Truly,
Kate
REPLY
75
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March 30, 2015
54
Hi Kate,
Thank you for the kind words!
If your son can do it once he can do it again and much better this time.
There are very few entrepreneurs who have lifelong success with their first
venture. He should just be getting started
REPLY
ANGELA says:
March 18, 2015
Kyle, I really resonate with pretty much everything youve covered here including
much of the personal stuff youve shared. Much of this is the way Ive tried living
my life in general and I say tried, because as we all do, Ive often lapsed. The
important thing is to be aware of ourselves and keep picking ourselves up faster
and faster as soon as we realised weve slipped and keep moving. Keep moving
and doing and acting, since this is the best way we can do our lives justice. And
it really is all so much easier when we live every moment in the moment, in a
mindful way, with purpose. Further to this, reading through makes me feel like
Ive come home in a way. Its reminded me and reinforced for me who I am and
despite the fact that Im doing things about 80% of the time, activating that
remaining 20% will really kick things off to a whole new level. Your writing also
reminds me of people I used to hang with in the past and have the most
awesomely deep conversations withand one big thing Ive taken away from
this is that I need to reconnect with that again and steer myself away from this
vacuous world devoid of soul that Ive found myself in in recent years. Well here
we go then.
Thanks for all the time youve put into writing this and for sharing it with
everyone and thank yourself too for being true to yourself, the only way to be.
75
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54

March 18, 2015
Angela, that comment wow! Im so glad this resonated with you. Its been
tons of fun having you in the Jumpstart Group. Youre a lot of fun to spend
time with (even virtually!)
Thanks for taking the time to share your insights as well. And for showing
up the way you do
REPLY
PAMELA says:
March 17, 2015
Wow what a post. I have copied and printed the Analysis Paralysis image.
Been at the business since last May and have more 1.5 TB of info.yes that is 1.5
Terabytes of information on the online selling business. Talk about overload.
That cartoon is exactly how I am coping. It is almost like a drug.just cannot get
enough information. I start surfing at one website and down the never ending
wormhole I go.
Have spent over 5 figures on every offer going.
Is there a detox unit for online store seller info junkies. All jovality aside I do
worry how to get myself out of this addiction.
I will read this post again and again.
REPLY

March 17, 2015
75 Hi Pamela,
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Theres no easy answer. Like you saw in the post, its usually about
54 consciously forcing painful deprivation of information/input and
establishing action. Youre in the group though, so on the bonus session
well talk about some strategies specifically for importers.
REPLY
ELIJAH says:
March 4, 2015
This is. inexplicably valuable! I shall indeed be applying what is written here. I
just recently started blogging (finally) and this will truly help me stay on the ball.
There is much I want to comment and ask about but I must know one thing
first:
Input Deprivation Week Im not going to lie this sounds horrendously stupid
and egregiously painful but so very necessary!!
How do I do such a thing though?! I really enjoy learning new things via
YouTube (Vsauce, Veritasium, ExtraCredits, Game Theory, Idea Channel,
SciShow etc) and blogs, and science articles, and . but I understand why I
should do this but I dont want to!!
HOW?!
Does that mean no music too?!!! What am I supposed to do if I cant listen to

music for a whole week?? I do not if I can stay sane
What about games? I just got a new game and try to play at least an hour a day
(and all day on the weekends) as a way to wind down and relax it helps.. are
you saying I have to lose all my dailies for a whole week??!!!
Ugh, and after reading this whole article every single reason (ie excuse) I can
come up with is knocked down by the realization that this is the best, and only
75 way to really get things done. Action.
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Im sorry if I sound a bit incoherent and unhinged here.. its because I am. It is just
54 hard to fathom such a thing. I need (or want) your confirmation that I should
really do this (probably going to do it anyways) but man this sounds so scary
8{
REPLY

March 4, 2015
The more youre freaked out by Input Deprivation the more you need it I
think you already know that though.
Doing it without music is better. The idea is to be with your own ideas as
exclusively as possible.
This is how you do it: WRITE in your journal how terrible and stupid it is and
how much you want to be playing your videogame or listening to music.
Remind yourself that its only a week. Remind yourself that youre doing
something that will strengthen your mind for a long time.
Nobody that has ever done this has told me its a waste of time. It works.
Of course, youre the only person who can force yourself to do it. I hope you
do.
REPLY
JENNIFER says:
January 5, 2015
Thank you for this article. Very different, insightful & refreshing!
75
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54
JOEL says:
November 11, 2014
Great writing! This explains in depth what sort of process Im trying to go thru.
One thing that you didnt mentioned that has helped me is physical exercise. Ive
started to realize that by pushing My body hard, tasks that before seemed so
hard to do is way easier! My conclusion is that you automatically compare the
task in front of you with the hard thing you did before, making a phonecall
seems like vacation after you been running uphill and youre legs are screaming!
REPLY

November 11, 2014
Amen! Im a big fan of mind-body boosting. Thanks Joel!
REPLY
LOGAN says:
October 25, 2014
Hi Kyle, great post! I have a chronic inaction problem that I am in the process of
sorting out, and have actually already stumbled upon many of the things you
speak about here like meditation and journaling by accident.
I have been working to finish a masters in a field which I did not originally study,
and have been thrown against the rocks of incapability and seeming stupidity
75 time and time again, until I literally had no self-confidence whatsoever. I know I
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am capable, yet my inaction and the size of the task at hand has just kept
pushing me further and further down the rabbit hole.
54
Today marks the start of the climb. One step. Just one. Im going to write one
line of code. No more research, no more getting lost in the depths of maths, Im
going to start, and correct my course as I go, not try and plan my every move
from afar. Thank you for putting it together so succinctly (I consider this
succinct, you could write a library about this topic), it takes a lot of time and
effort to put something like this together. It is greatly appreciated.
REPLY

October 26, 2014
I cant wait to see what you make
REPLY
SASHA SRDIC says:

July 22, 2014
Great post Kyle. I certainly appreciated the honesty and vulnerability.
I have to admit I often found myself facing an inner conflict while reading:
should I keep reading and getting value from this post or should I stop because
Im avoiding taking action!
I appeared on Dragons Den / Sharks Tank and was mutilated on National TV. I
knew it was going to happen and went in with my eyes open but nonetheless it
didnt feel good being humiliated on national TV. The cool thing is that after the
show I went on to find another investor and my kitchen gadget made it to
75 market. Little did I know that marketing the product was more important than
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the product itself. Im still learning.
54 That experience of being humiliated REALLY played on my fear of being judged

and/or failing. It has kept me stuck for quite a while now but Im tired of being
stuck. Hence, I stumbled upon your post and Im glad that I did.
In any case, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to write this. I got much
out of it and am now putting together my course: idea to market for less than
$200. My goal is to help as many people as possible to achieve options.
Thats my way of saying freedom to do what you want, when you want and
with whom you want. Will it work? Will people want to pay $99/month for
access to my knowledge, processes and most importantly, my mistakes? I dont
know. However, I do know that I will never find out unless I take action and put
myself out there again.
Thanks again Kyle. Wishing you much success.
Sasha
REPLY

July 23, 2014
Hey Sasha! Thanks for stopping by Id love to find you on Shark Tank,
what episode were you on?
If you need help in building/launching your course feel free to contact me

and Will. That kind of information is in high demand I think youll be able
to kill it!
Looking forward to seeing what you do
REPLY
75
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SASHA SRDIC says:
July 23, 2014
54
Hey Kyle,
I live in Canada so our version of Sharks Tank is Dragons Den. This is my

episode: http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/pitches/strawberease.
Just be aware that not everything is as it seems when it comes to

Reality television. There is lots of re-sequencing and re-dubbing
footage. Im not saying that happened in my case because if I said that, it
might be a breach of a confidentiality agreement Im not even saying
exists because that would be a breach in itself, but you get my point
I actually thought I was going to puke that day! I had never had such a
dry mouth in my life! Every time I tried to speak my tongue stuck to the
roof of my mouth! I could hear myself speaking and knew I sounded like
an absolute moron. lol
I originally went with the StrawberEase branding but realized, after

consumer feedback, that my gadget actually worked well on just about
any fruit or vegetable with a core so we re-branded to EasyCore. The site
is at http://www.easycoreonline.com.
I realized that it may not be my product that is as valuable as my

knowledge. Anyone that has done what I have done knows what Im
talking about as you kind of have to learn everything from ideation to
engineering to procurement (I went to China and have some HILARIOUS
stories about some of the CRAZY food I ate) to importing to logistics to
yada yada yada
Like I said, Ive been quite hesitant to put myself out there after my
experience but I KNOW I can help many people. It took me nearly 6
years to do something I can do now in 6 months. Plus with all of the
methods to test marketability of a concept these days, one can literally
test and discount or test and move forward with a concept for under
$200 (including validation, building an eCommerce web site and making
money).
75
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Id love to hear your proposal on how we might be able to work

54 together.
Looking forward to chatting with you. BTW, feel free to email me directly
at my submitted email address if you wish.
Cheers!
Sasha
REPLY

July 26, 2014
The market for your expertise is HUGE right now! You could do
extremely well helping others get on the fast track instead of taking
the 6-year path you took originally. ESPECIALLY coming from
someone whos been on Dragon Den!
REPLY
NAOMI@BUSINESS START UPS says:

July 22, 2014
Thanks for the great post Kyle,
This is an article definitely worth bookmarking as it has so much useful juice it

can be referred back to again and again.
Naomi
75
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54

July 23, 2014
useful juice is high praise Naomi, thank you! I hope you leave a comment
next time you come back Id really like to hear how/if this sticks with you!
REPLY
MIKE CARL says:

July 21, 2014
Hi Kyle Cleverly motivating post!
For me this is about demystifying fear, or how to smash the last obstacle
between you and your business success.
What I take away from it is:
>>>>>FEAR IS THE OBSTACLE<<<<>>>>TODAY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN

TOMORROW<<<<>>>>THINK LESS. DO MORE. <<<<>>>>YOURE BETTER
OFF MAKING REAL-WORLD MISTAKES<<<<<
Even if your try to imagine every possible outcome or scenario (some people call
that "planning"), the world eventually throws you something you don't quite
expect.
Accept the unexpected. Action gets you places. Planning doesn't.
And the only obstacle? Fear
75 The result for action? Wealth, freedom, success, happiness.
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I think the true secret of amazing success is the ability to overcome failure after
54
failure and get something out of each experience.
I'm not there yet, but I am persistent.
Thanks for the well thought out post. It reminded me how overwhelmed I get
myself sometimes.
REPLY

July 23, 2014
Thanks for the well thought out comment, Mike! You distilled a lot of the
post here:
I think the true secret of amazing success is the ability to overcome

failure after failure and get something out of each experience.
Winston Churchill said something similar Success is going from failure to

failure without losing enthusiasm. (Im paraphrasing.)
>>>>>FEAR IS THE OBSTACLE< <<<>>>>TODAY IS MORE

IMPORTANT THAN TOMORROW< <<<>>>>THINK LESS. DO MORE.
< <<<>>>>YOURE BETTER OFF MAKING REAL-WORLD MISTAKES<

<<<<
Oh HELL YES!!! Fear is the obstacle we constantly have to push into. Today
is more important than tomorrow because what we do today CREATES
75 tomorrow.
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Awesome Mike. You are consistent man, Ive seen that and Ive got full
54 faith in you.
REPLY
LUIZ CAMPEDELLI says:

July 20, 2014
Awesome post, Kyle. Thanks.
I printed (this post got 39pages!!!) and took me 2 days to read, but, man, it was
worth every second. After reading it, I started the youtube prank channel that I
was avoiding to start forever, even though I knew that would be great in the
long run to pass through massives social awkward moments. I also started one
blog to talk about random stuff, just to practice my writing and think a little bit
more. I also asked the top model that I have a crush out and we will marry next
week(ok, this last one may not be 100% true).
I will try to start some meditation this week. Looks to be a really good habit.
Never heard anybody saying that lost their time after starting to meditate. So,
lets try!
Oh, and I laughed hard about the power of hot girls to increase your willpower.
Somebody should make one research about that, the results would be really
funny.
REPLY

July 23, 2014
75 Luiz! What is this YouTube channel? Im pumped to see this.
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54
LUIZ CAMPEDELLI says:

July 26, 2014
Oh, would be a honor to have you as one of my first viewers on youtube,

Kyle. Thanks! The problem is that the channel is in portuguese, so would
be kind of pointless to you to watch. But I promise to warn you if I make
some video in english.
REPLY
CAPTAIN CONNECT says:

July 12, 2014
Just taking the action of leaving a comment. Not really sure what I was planning
on leaving in this comment but it sure does feel good to take action. Your post
helped me realize that the actions I take and the actions that I avoid taking are
all learning experiences. That I must keep making the scary actions and that by
doing so things will continue to fall into place.
At times it seems impossible that my small team of friends will be able to

change the way students think about going to school. The thought of how
awesome it will be when we help just one student change their view of
education and participating in class is what keeps me moving forward. If just
one student changes their perspective and realizes that education is a lifelong,
fun and rewarding experience I will be happy.
Thanks for taking the time to write a killer article it was well worth the read. It
gave me a lot to contemplate. I am glad that I had faith in your ability to inspire.
Keep on Kicking Ass Kyle!
75
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54

July 12, 2014
Awesome takeaways, Cpt. Connect!
What is your education project? Id love to learn more.
REPLY
CAPTAIN CONNECT says:

July 12, 2014
I will refer to what we are doing as Project Humble as we are in our

infancy.
Project Humble is a little dose of gamification at school. By fusing the

existing features and benefits of a token economy with video game
mechanics, while eliminating the amount of time it takes to start and
maintain a beneficial system. We have discovered a unique way to
provide teachers with a motivational tool for their classroom.
Thanks for showing interest Kyle. If you still want to know more I would
be happy to share in an email.
REPLY

July 12, 2014
Sounds amazing man Id love to know more. kyle at startupbros dot

com
75
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54
SCOTT SIND says:

July 10, 2014
Kyle first time reader here, and you earned my subscription with this post. As a
matter of fact, I would have purchased this if it were an eBook. Im struggling
with this very thing right nowtaking action amidst all the noiseand your
detailed and insightful post will be my baseline from here on out. Appreciate the
work youve done here!
REPLY
LUDVIG SUNSTRM says:

July 6, 2014
GREAT post Kyle,
Were thinking the same things! I even wrote an article using the Nassim Taleb
quote in the start and some stuff from Shaw. (though not the same that you
did).
I will re-read this sometime again soon and probably comment again.
REPLY

July 9, 2014
Awesome Ludvig! Loving your articles
75 REPLY
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54 LUDVIG SUNSTRM says:

July 10, 2014
Just re-skimmed the article. And funny enough, yesterday I read the
quote from Buffett in Poor Richards Almanac.
Would you recommend reading the book from William Irvine? I got an
email yesterday from a reader who thought I should read it. Does the
book add anything new that hasnt been said by Marcus Aurelius or
Seneca?
On a last point, YOU are definitely the one who got the most out of
writing this monster of an article. Its like Marcus Aurelius dialogues on
steroids.
PS: Great job doing the article for AOM. Id love to hear more about that!
REPLY

July 11, 2014
I think the Irvine book has two things that the old Stoics didnt offer:
1. Organization He takes us through the evolution and demise of the
philosophy and separates out some of the core practices/beliefs, then
presents them extremely well. It provided me a framework to hang
other Stoic reading on.
2. Modernizing I believe Irvine is the first modern academic

philosopher to seriously look at the Stoics. His understanding of the
wider field of philosophy makes his observations that much sharper.
hahaha I sure did benefit
75 Thanks! I love the AOM community, actually working on another piece
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for them now.
54
REPLY
LUDVIG SUNSTRM says:

July 14, 2014
Alright.
Thanks. Got the book. Will read it in the months to come.
REPLY
ABIGAIL says:
July 4, 2014
Thanks so much guys. Overthinking is my current situation now. I feel so much

stuck but then out of the blue your e-mail pops up and made me realize that I
have to go for it. Im going to try your methods immediately!
REPLY

July 8, 2014
Im looking forward to hearing how it goes
REPLY
ABIGAIL says:
November 15, 2014
75
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Hi Kyle,
54
Ive gotten a job since then but then realized it wasnt for me. Not that
Im picky, I just feel not performing well in that job like thinking about
another thing. So Im going to leave my job since I have now a contact
with a small publishing company who is willing to publish one of my
novels (it is still unfinished though) the pay isnt that big but at least its
a start, right?
REPLY

November 15, 2014
Congrats on getting published Abigail!
REPLY
MANI CANADAY says:

July 3, 2014
Do you ever NOT knock it out of the park with your posts??? This is fantastic.
And all of the exercises are things Ive done off and on (much as you describe
your meditation practice) for a long time. But I am committing to a week of free
association writing and only making goals for things that I can control, both of
which I have lapsed on in a most ridiculous way over the last several months.
REPLY
75 KYLE ESCHENROEDER says:
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July 3, 2014
54
Thanks for the kind words, Mani!
Let me know how it goes. Those two things together will create a massive
shift and some weird moments of Im not allowed to worry about that?..
or at least they have for me.
I hope your situation is finding some kind of equilibrium and Im so

grateful you have the strength to get through it.
REPLY
IYKE says:
July 3, 2014
Nice write up, it looked like I wasnt going to finish reading it:). I particularly like
the mental exercise part.
REPLY

July 3, 2014
Hey Lyke! Glad you dug the exercises. I hope you end up using them!
REPLY
NICK says:
July 2, 2014
75
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WOW. Amazing. Im floored at the level of insight and practicality of all of this;
thanks for crafting such a hard hitting and generous amount of insight &
54 inspiration. Im going to go take a few bites out of that elephant
REPLY

July 2, 2014
Id love to hear about your results!
Im real temped to get some boogie arsenal going after watching your
product vid lol
REPLY
WALT CHILDS says:

July 2, 2014
Love to see that the Input Deprevation Week concept is still going love it!
REPLY

July 2, 2014
Walt! Its awesome to see you here sir! Its about time we talk
REPLY
75 RICK says:
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July 2, 2014
54
Talk about complete! Bookmarking this and Ill check in after a week using the
heuristics
REPLY

July 2, 2014
Awesome! Looking forward to hearing how it goes
REPLY
ROB MCNELIS says:

July 2, 2014
First, I dont think this post is long enough. lol
Really like the suggestions for the 5 exersizes!
Rob
REPLY

July 2, 2014
Hey Rob! Lol I just couldnt type any more words
Id love to talk with you about why you decided to stop blogging for
75
yourself btw
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The Overthinker's Guide For Taking Action - A Complete Guide - StartupBros

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2017520 TheOverthinker'sGuideforTakingAction:ACompleteGuideStartupBros

Life is about execution rather than purpose. Nassim Nicholas

Preface: Talking AboutAction

Check out The Action Course Learning the Art of Doing

Showing your interest in that girl. Actually making a habit of getting

Ive spent huge portions of my life in frustrated rationalization and

If you collect information without using it youre only going to be

This post represents a whole lot of hours deconstructing my own

1. Defining Action:Everything is an action, isnt it? Here we will define

1. Err on the side of action or how to be right while being wrong.

3. 10 Overlooked Truths About Action:A deep exploration of what

1. Action is Cheaper Than Planning

2. Action Allows Emergence

4. Motivation Follows Action

5. Action is an Existential Answer

6. Action Creates Courage

7. Explanations Follow Actions

75 8. Action Beats the Odds

9. Action Makes You Humble

11. Action Creates Antifragility

4. 20 Reasons for Inaction And How to Short Circuit Them:I said

1. Im waiting for help.

2. The conditions arent right.

3. This setback proved its not possible/not worth it.

4. I picked the wrong path I should just try something else.

5. I dont know where to begin.

6. Nothing I do will make a difference.

8. Im not making any progress.

10. Its below me or Im too good for that.

11. I need to know more.

13. They are already doing it better than I could.

14. I have no resources compared to them.

15. Im so drained from my existing obligations.

16. Im completely burned out.

17. I am taking action!

75 18. It wont work.

19. I dont have the right resources (money, equipment,

20. Im not good enough.

5. 5 Exercises for Building an Action-Taking Habit:Here we are going

1. Meditation (What?! Hear me out)

3. Input Deprivation Week

4. Stream of Conscious Writing

First things first.

Lets define what were talking about here.

We are talking about something different from the definition Google

What is action? Action is commonplace, right action is not. As a

action. Everything must be done in the service of the whole.

The idea is not to become a mindless machine that breaks everything in

Creating a plan is taking action. Refining past the point of necessity is

Never has there been a map, however carefully executed to

2 Heuristics: The Minimum Effective Dose

Heuristic 1: Err on the side of action as long

as the pain isnt irreversible.

Some important clarifications:

Action is normally against your impulse. Will and I are roommates

Pain is good, just not irreversible pain. Up to a point, our lives

75Some examples of how I (successfully) use this in my daily life:

This morning I said, Im going to fast today. Why? Maybe because

Earlier today I was running sprints. I did a series of 30 second

I take cold showers sometimes. Sometimes I dont. As soon as I begin

As soon as I think Ill do it laterabout something that I never

Im feeling bad about talking about successes. Dont believe

swear. Thats why psychologists are crazy, happiness researchers are