How to get what you want…

Summary

• I've built acquisition.com with my wife, and our portfolio of companies makes about $85 million a year.
• The hardest respect to earn is one's own, and people often ask me how to create businesses and gain wealth.
• Fundamental to success are three elements: the external goal (like making money), the process behind achieving it, and being the person who follows those behaviors.
• James Clear's "Atomic Habits" touches on the importance of identity in forming habits – "be, do, have" is a key philosophy in personal development.
• A key to my success is a keystone habit: asking myself what the person I aspire to be would do in a given situation.
• Writing down goals is less meaningful than often believed; what separates winners from losers is their commitment to necessary activities.
• The effectiveness of asking, "What would a wise man do?" lies in its simplicity and how it helps form our identity through repeated actions.
• Our identity can be shaped by the activities we choose, turning actions into evidence of who we are.
• Naming the type of person you want to become and reflecting that in daily decisions can embed desired traits into your identity over time.
• We can look to wisdom and the etymology of words like "identity" (repeated beingness) to understand how our actions define us.
• Instead of focusing on outcomes, committing to specific identity-aligned actions creates enduring success.
• Most people know what they need to do; the challenge is in not doing it. Asking, "What would a person with the characteristics I desire do?" can guide your actions.
• Continually choosing who you compare yourself to often leads to dissatisfaction; strive to measure against personal growth instead.
• Embody the characteristics of those you admire, like King Solomon or Warren Buffett, to guide decisions in various aspects of life.
• If uncertain about what a successful person would do, most of us already know deep down; we need reminders more than new teaching.
• Uncommonly obvious actions sustained over a long period define extraordinary achievement, as it's about being consistent with one's identity, not just external goals.
• I create content to help others not struggle as I did, sharing lessons learned from my experiences on the path to success.

Video

How To Take Action

I would suggest implementing a keystone habit. Ask yourself, "What would the person I aspire to be do in a given situation?" This helps shape your identity and drives the behaviors needed for success.

A good way of doing this is to avoid focusing on writing down goals. Instead, commit to the activities necessary to achieve those goals. Think about what separates winners from losers: their dedication to the required activities.

Here's what specifically needs to be done:

1. Identify the person you want to become.
2. At decision points, ask yourself, "What would a person with the characteristics I desire do?"
3. Choose actions that are aligned with that identity; this can be small things like eating healthier if you want to be fit, or reaching out to more customers if you want to grow your business.
4. Measure your growth not by comparisons with others but against personal development.
5. Embrace simplicity. Instead of a complex list of activities, focus on actions reflective of the person you want to be.
6. Remember, most people know what to do; the challenge is in actually doing it. Remind yourself more than seeking new knowledge.
7. Be consistent with your identity-aligned actions over long periods for extraordinary achievements.

By following these steps, implementing change becomes less about specific goals and more about becoming the type of person who naturally engages in behaviors that lead to those goals.

Quotes

"Winners and losers have the same goals"

– Alex Hormozi

<<<

"What would a person who does this type of thing do in this instance"

– Alex Hormozi

<<<

"Commit to the activities. That is the goal"

– Alex Hormozi

<<<

"If you are doing it for who you are, you will continue to play the game indefinitely"

– Alex Hormozi

<<<

"The vast majority of us know what we need to do, we're just simply not doing it"

– Alex Hormozi