‘Be useful’: why hard work matters

Originally sent exclusively to The Letter subscribers on August 5. Want to be the first to get my personal newsletter in your inbox every Monday at 7am? Subscribe for free here.

Hey gang,

I have come to quite enjoy my new therapy: writing. My accountability, which shows up every week (that’s you lot) has kept me consistent.

If you haven’t tried the art of becoming a regular scribe, you’re missing out on the best form of personal development you’ll find on this planet.

The feedback you’ve given me encourages me to keep going, especially regarding last week’s letter.

If you take up writing, here are some things I promise you: you’ll speak better, articulate your thoughts better, experience lower stress (it's so good at clearing your head), and find that you have better ideas.

You’ll think better too. The higher you go in life, the more you’ll discover that great people excel at bringing others with them.

That’s how they get more done. I thoroughly believe that clear articulation of your vision is the secret sauce that makes people follow you, and writing helps with that.

This week, I need to answer last week’s question first.

I mentioned that Deborah Meaden of "Dragons’ Den" had been on the show for 20 seasons. I then asked you to guess how many times she had gone “in” rather than using the famous chorus we’re more commonly used to: “I’m out.”

The answer is 50 times. 20 years with probably thousands of investment opportunities boils down to 50 investments.

Furthermore, of those, she says around six of those investments have gone well. It’s that hard, gang.

The game we all play is like climbing a mountain with a bag full of bricks, few can do it

As we gather around this letter that I am writing - for my sanity and your applause (hopefully) - I’m constantly seeking hits to serve you up. Like Celine Dion did at the Paris Olympics - people are talking about that more than anything else in my office. Like Celine, that’s what I’m trying to do here: create hits to make your week hit the high notes.

This week’s high notes, that you want to talk about, I hope, are coming…

The ultimate philosophy of business is to build a business to sell, even if you have no intention of selling it. Like Celine Dion must sing “My Heart Will Go On” to her fans, I season my content with this belter as often as I can. It’s the best one.

It’s a metaphor for discipline and good habits.

Discipline and good habits are essential ingredients that make a great business owner. It’s what makes anything good in life.

I know this to be true. Life serves me shortcuts and laziness at every corner, and it will for you too.

I urge you to avoid this cancer. It serves up short term happiness. I’m super sure these new fandago weight loss drugs will not be the right remedy for the proper work of lifestyle change.

Don’t get me wrong. I love convenience and shortcuts at every opportunity.

I hate queues, small talk, waiting, traffic jams, and security at airports—especially security at airports. They are irritants. So much so that my wife’s nickname for me is “Mr Convenience”.

I’m an entrepreneur: my brain is wired to make things better. I hate waiting, and being this way has helped me to get things done and create momentum.

The thing is, while most can accept the above irritants, they try to find shortcuts to the real wins in life. They rarely succeed.

Work always wins. I hate queues but the hard work that most wouldn't endure - I'm all in!

Most people want to win quickly. They want shortcuts. They get lured in by promises of quick wins - learn to play the piano in seven days, get in shape by just taking this magic pill, or get rich with the laptop lifestyle… all this with less than 10,000 hours of practice.

YouTube and content have been that for me. I could have done the “get-rich-quick” scheme to appeal to the masses for ego views and win on YouTube quickly. Nope.

I have learned the craft over 1,000 videos and 10,000 hours of practice, and the compound effect is building now.

I am proud because it was tough but the result is an audience that's Rolex quality.

Everyone wants shortcuts, but the truth is there is no reward for shortcuts—just poor stamina and mental ability.

Knowing is the ultimate prize. Being effective and overcoming challenges is the gold medal. The olympians we’re seeing now - they know this with every ounce of their soul.

We all know the crypto millionaire on Instagram or the lottery winner who became rich overnight. Most yearn for this shortcut.

Those that inherit or win through a game of chance then feel a colossal emptiness and no training on how to cope with wealth. They waste so much on “stuff” that loses value and meaning, attracting cling-ons who try to muscle in on fake friendships in the hope of overnight riches

I have often said my worst nightmare is to get anything given to me, like an inheritance or winning the lottery. Yuck!

You need to “become” to retain what you get and train slowly, building strong foundations so you know how to cope with it.

That learning gives you the earning power. It makes you respect the resources you collect.

I worry dearly for my children. They won’t know what tough is.

In the last 24 months, they’ve been on more trips than David Attenborough. I am aware of this and must make them respect the art of work.

But we must revel in difficulties. It’s where we’re made.

I often ponder the immigrant entrepreneurs going to a country with nothing, building real wealth and prosperity in a generation, starting from scratch without family or friends, and having to learn new cultures.

My PT thinks I revel in stress and difficulty. So do I.

Here’s the James Sinclair pattern:

1. I make it easier because it’s so difficult—I accomplish the difficulty. I beat it. I win.

2. Then, for some unknown, stupid, idiotic, childish, pathetic, ego-driven reason, I make it difficult again.

3. I hunger for more skills and achievements. I fear mediocrity and not getting more done.

I want to be useful to the world.

So, how long does it take? What does success look like?

Each skill or business, I think, takes about 10 years or 10,000 hours of purposeful practice.

A YouTuber named Ben Heath came in for a consultancy session with me this week.

Yes, I know I say I don’t do consultancy anymore, but when they pay and are impressive, and I think I can muster up some magic for them, I make exceptions to the rule.

Ben’s an impressive chap. He's also a product of 10,000 hours of practice.

Go check out Ben's YouTube channel.

He specialises in teaching business owners about Facebook and Instagram ads. He really knows his onions when it comes to Mighty Meta and Zuckerberg's personal cash machine.

I was discussing Ben’s achievements with him when I realised that he's been doing YouTube for seven years and his marketing craft for 10.

In the first five years, he was doing okay. He was earning a living. But between years five and seven, YouTube blew up for him. Ben started really winning. It took him five years to get 100k subscribers and then two more years to get the next 200k.

So, five years to get 100k, and now he achieves that in just a year.

If you’re struggling right now or dissatisfied with where you're at, maybe the magic of compounding and establishment hasn't delivered its gifts yet?

Celine Dion can sing like she does because of her 10,000 hours. She’s established, and that wins.

The only two hacks I know are:

1. Knowing what you want to have, so you apply your precious resource—your time—to the right 10,000 hours.

2. Finding talent, buying other people's 10,000 hours to get their talent to help the growth of your business.

Remember, most business owners don't want to employ people better than themselves. They don't want to put the real work in or take any risks. They think in terms of low barriers to entry. But you can do things differently.

If you think things are tough right now, good for you, because I’ll tell you this: tough times make tough people. Tough people who build knowledge and become better are the ones who win in business and life.

My favorite human being on this planet is a man named Andrew Wolfe.

He’s been a father figure and mentor to me over the years. Yes, he’s a brilliant businessman, but he’s also an amazing human.

Andrew always says, “Good things happen to good people.”

Tough times do not daunt good people—quite the opposite. Usually, good people are a product of tough times.

Be firm, but be fair too.

Without being woo-woo, being a good person does deliver goodness for you too.

Be bold, stand your ground, but never be a bully.

Until next week, wishing you continued success,

PS. Our biggest event of the year is less than 1 month away. Limited tickets available, buy here.