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Srinivas Rao is an author and the host and founder of the popular podcast, the Unmistakable Creative, where he’s interviewed over five hundred creative people. Former guests on the show include Tim Ferriss, Simon Sinek, and Seth Godin.
His self-published book “The Art of Being Unmistakable “is the basis for this new, expanded version. It got the attention of media personality Glenn Beck, sold over 15,000 copies and hit the “Wall Street Journal “bestseller list
Favorite Success Quote
“Your temporary circumstances do not have to become your permanent identity” ~Greg Hartle
Key Points
1. Your Identity Determines Your Success (Not Your Circumstances)
Sh!t happens.
It just does.
No matter how smart you are, no matter how “lucky” you are, no matter how hard you work, and no matter what you do, there are going to be times in your life where you are struggling, stressed out, and wonder “Will I make it out of this.”
This is an inescapable part of life.
From Tony Robbins to Richard Branson to Elon Musk, all of these men have faced tremendous challenges and been caught up in tumultuous situations.
But they were able to overcome them and transform their lives.
Because they knew that their temporary circumstances did not define their identity.
Just think about the difference between lottery winners and self made millionaires.
Most of us know the statistic that over 70% of lottery winners end up becoming bankrupt after winning their fortune.
But what I find more interesting is how many billionaires and millionaires lost everything and were still able to rebuild.
Guys like James Altucher and Jordan Belfort amassed large fortunes, lost it all and still rebuilt.
Why is it that they were able to rebuild when lottery winners were not?
Was it their network and skill set?
That certainly played a role.
But more importantly than that was their identity.
Successful people all understand that their circumstances do not determine who they are.
This is why a 20-year-old entrepreneur who is flat broke, but mentally wealthy will always be able to find a way to reach success whereas 50-year-old old who has believed himself to be a “Poor person” his entire life will never be able to achieve financial abundance no matter how hard he tries.
Your identity (more importantly the actions and habits associated with that identity) is what determines your success, not your circumstances.
So if you are caught in a storm right now, grab onto the mast and smile through it.
This too shall pass and as long as you have a strong identity and belief in yourself, no circumstance will break you.
2. Follow Your Curiosity
We live in an age of overabundant information.
With the click of a mouse or TV remote, we have unlimited access to the lessons of history, the smartest minds, and ideas, of our time, and lessons on everything from Latin to entrepreneurship to relationships.
So why is it that so many people are bored and unexcited about life?
While neither Srinivas nor myself can diagnose the entire population, it is our belief that part of this cultural epidemic is caused by the loss of our society’s innate curiosity.
As children, we followed the things that intrigued us.
With no real restrictions on our time (and parents permitting) we had all of resources and energy to pursue our creative endeavors.
If we wanted to paint, we painted, if we wanted to sing, we sang, if we wanted to build, we built.
And yet, somewhere on the path to adulthood, we lost that childlike hunger for knowledge and novelty.
We get bored and sucked into all of the distractions that life has to offer.
Instead of following our curiosity, we follow the latest video game releases and Netflix original series.
The endless stimuli rob us of our inborn desire for more.
If you want to level up your life and truly find your “purpose” then just follow your curiosity.
Do things that interest you.
Embrace failure, accept that you are going to suck for a long time, and learn to love the process of learning and developing a high level of competency around things that intrigue you.
Don’t let society or anybody else tell you what you can and cannot do. Ignore everyone and follow your curiosity.
3. Consume Less Create More
I have already mentioned the vast amounts of information available to the general public.
And while this information is great whenever you are looking to follow your curiosity and develop new skills, it is also a massive detriment to your success when you allow yourself to become consumed by the information that is available.
We have created a culture by neglect or design that is focused on consumption.
Every day people consume more and more content.
But the problem is, they never actually implement that content.
Why do you think it is that I have people in my Awakening and Influencer courses who send me feedback telling me that they have totally changed their lives and created more wealth and abundance than they had ever dreamed of…
And yet I also have people who tell me that it “Doesn’t work”?
The problem isn’t in the content.
The problem is that people do not create in proper proportion to their consumption.
I believe that if you want to be successful, you should spend at least 3-4 hours of taking conscious action and implementing new knowledge for every one hour of education.
This mean if you buy a new course or read a new book, you should never get up from your computer or chair without having a clear plan for exactly what action you are going to take based on your new knowledge.
4. Plan Your Morning the Night Before
If you want to win the day, win the morning, and if you want to win the morning then start the night before.
One of the cornerstone habits that almost all successful people share is that they run their lives by routines and rituals instead of by emotions.
The first step that you should take is to plan your day the night before.
Shut off all work and electronics at least 2 hours before you want to go to sleep, sit down with a pen and a notepad and write down everything that you need to achieve the following day in order of importance.
Then, when you wake up, ensure that your morning is ruin by systems instead of feelings.
Make every action as simple as possible to eliminate decision fatigue and ensure that you are fresh and prepared for the day.
This typically comes in the form of some morning routine.
Pick out the outfit you are going to wear the night before, prepare the coffee pot or tea kettle the night before, and set out your gym clothes, or journal, or book that you plan to read to radically simplify your mornings and ensure massive success.
Srinivas recommends that you also write 1,000 words every morning before you do anything else.
These words can be random ruminations, thoughtful essays, or intentional content for a blog or book.
But if you can create this daily creative habit, you will find yourself a year from now with enough content to sign a book deal, launch a top blog, or simply create a “Letter to Your Unborn Son”.
Plan, systematize, write 1000 words script your morning
5. Change Your Environment to Change Your Life
One of the common reasons that people become disenchanted with their lives and situations is that everything is the f*cking same.
They wake up to the same breakfast, drive the same way to work, do the same things while they are at work, come home to their wife and have the same boring sex etc. etc.
While routines and habits are important, so is variety and novelty.
From an evolutionary standpoint, we are wired to crave variety.
And luckily, this doesn’t have to be something that takes a lot of time or money.
Go out to a new restaurant, drive a new way to work, pick up a new hobby, drive to the coast and rent a hotel for a weekend staycation.
Do whatever you need to do to break your current patterns and start achieving the success that you know you have the potential to achieve.
Influential Books
1.The War of Artby Stephen Pressfield
2. The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
3. Deep Work by Cal Newport