Change your mindset, change your life

Wake up.

Hit snooze.

Check every phone notification.

Rush to eat a quick breakfast.

Rush out the door.

Work on something you don’t care about for 8 hours.

Return home.

Eat take out.

Watch TV.

Sleep.

Repeat.

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No time for personal projects.

No energy left after work to exercise or get outside.

No desire to improve.

Brain-fried from burnout.

Stressed about today.

Anxious about tomorrow.

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Something Has to Change

I enjoy going against the grain.

Rather than doing what everyone else is doing, I’ve explored other options.

But I haven’t always been this way.

Three years ago, I was in this exact position.

Everything mentioned above was noted from my personal routine.

I never thought I would reach that point – but I did. And it’s easier to get sucked into the comfort of that lifestyle than I thought it would be.

I never thought I’d be that person to settle for anything less than my biggest dreams.

Yet here I was.

I had a job doing photography & video work for commercial clients.

The workplace was cool, and I didn’t even work in a cubicle.

And I was learning a lot.

All was gravy from the outside looking in.

But eventually I hit a wall.

I was burnt out creatively, and had capped my learning potential.

I hadn’t exercised in years.

And I could feel my body disagreeing with this sedentary lifestyle.

I was not in a good place physically or mentally.

Something needed to change.

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Throughout these years, I was learning as much as I could about business and entrepreneurship on the side.

I wanted to become my own boss and work towards something I believed in.

About a year before leaving this job, I started a couple side hustles to see where my curiosities would take me.

And finally, with a couple freelance photo/video clients and a pallet recycling business, I took the leap of faith.

It was a humble start, but it was the beginning of a new chapter of my life.

A fresh start intentionally seeking purpose and passion.

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The Season of Discovery

My future goals were unclear – besides the fact that I never wanted to work another 9-5 job in my life.

How could I make a livable income AND be my own boss?

This led to various rabbit holes of research soaking up interesting information.

I followed these curiosities and they led me to various projects.

And finally, I discovered the “one person business.”

I spent months learning how this could align with my goals.

Through a “personal brand,” I could use writing and video to create content.

Through this content, I could educate and encourage others in the areas that I had experience.

I could share about the things I was stoked about, and help others along the way.

It sounded like a win-win to me.

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A Changed Mindset

It all started with writing every single morning at 6:00am for 100+ days in a row.

I started this weekly newsletter (The Stoke Seminar 🕺) to share this writing.

And I continued to immerse myself in educational content every single day.

I did this by:

• Reading books
• Listening to podcasts
• Meeting with other entrepreneurs
• And writing every day to digest what I was learning

During this 6-12 months, my entire mindset and outlook on life changed.

I was no longer stuck in the rut that was holding me back.

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Writing each day has become the foundation of this new chapter of my life.

Today, my life looks 100% different from the routine mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter – and I’m extremely grateful for that.

To “stand out,” you have make the difficult decisions that most people aren’t willing to make.

But it doesn’t take much to escape from the unfulfilling daily routine that most people find themselves in.

• Consume educational content
• Work on meaningful projects
• Write to digest what you’re learning
• Create more than you consume
• Share your work
• Move your body and get outdoors
• Eat real food

These are the things I wish I knew 3 years ago.

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Takeaways for You

• What small step can you take to improve one area of your life this week?
• What daily task might allow you to break free from an unhappy routine?

If you’re interested in finding clarity for your life’s direction, you can sign up for the Content Clarity Crash Course here.

The goal of the course is to help you:

• Find your niche
• Develop mental clarity
• Begin taking action with confidence

Once you’ve discovered these things in your own life, it’s much easier to plan your “future vision” that you can work towards each day.

It’s those small daily steps that bring you closer to a new mindset, goals, and entirely new lifestyle.

But you have to start with one step.

What will yours be?

–Eric Pfohl