Every successful company has a plan with clear short- and long-term goals. If you want to achieve financial success, especially when you're , you need one, too. The first step is figuring out where you stand financially today. From there, you can decide what you want for your future and map out exactly how you'll get there.
Sometimes the most profound insights come from the most unexpected places. A few years ago, I was in an Uber in Orange County when my driver, Charlie Clark, mentioned he had been Gwen Stefani’s high school voice coach. As a music expert, a couple of things he said really resonated with me. “An artist will create in a way that conveys how they feel about something as well as how they think about it,” he explained. He added, “Words and notes are not music, the stuff on the page is abstract, you have to turn them into life.”
It feels a little strange to be nearing the end of this month-long project. For the last 25 days, I’ve been thinking out loud, and sharing this process with you has been incredibly insightful. It’s forced me to deconstruct my own trading habits—actions that had become so second nature they were almost subconscious. I was trained to see specific chart setups and simply react.
This morning started like most: scanning the markets for familiar patterns. I was looking for specific setups, or “Waves,” that signal a potential move after a recent breakout. I quickly flagged three currency pairs that looked promising: the AUD/USD, USD/JPY, and EUR/JPY. For any swing trades, I needed to see a clear trend already in place before I’d even consider looking for an entry.
You've already put in so much work, but this is just the start. Now you have to become a master juggler, a full-fledged freelancer. I think of it as spinning multiple plates while wearing several different hats all at once. The plates represent all the different projects you’re working on, and the hats are the various roles you have to step into, beyond just being the expert at your craft.
I recently got an email from a coaching client who was hitting a wall. He’d been putting in the work on his new venture for three months but wasn't seeing the progress he’d hoped for. Frustration was setting in, and he started to wonder if the whole thing was a mistake. He asked the one question every person with a side hustle eventually asks: "When is it time to quit?"
Have you ever wondered why some people and companies make it big while others just fizzle out? It often boils down to how their leaders think. Take Apple’s old slogan, “Think different.” That wasn't just clever marketing; it was a mission statement that captured the company’s entire philosophy. Steve Jobs wasn't just building computers—he was sparking a movement. He saw a future driven by a community of creative people ready to change the world. His purpose, his “why,” was always bigger than the processors and hard drives he was selling.
One of the best parts of my week happens when I go live on Facebook to open my mail. I’m usually joined by a mix of coaching students and people curious about land investing. There’s a real excitement in turning on the camera and just diving into the day’s mail, completely unscripted.
You’ve seen the ads. A guy in a breezy floral shirt sips a margarita by a sprawling mansion pool and tells you, “This could be your life.” The scene cuts to him leaning against a red Ferrari, a stunning woman on his arm. Then, he’s in a high-rise office with ocean views, clicks a single button on his laptop, and yawns, “Done for the day! Man, I’m tired.”