Happy Friday everyone!
This feels like I'm writing the manifesto at the beginning of Jerry Mcguire.
Lets do it.
I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting lately. Some good, some bad. As many of you
know, I had a nervous breakdown in November of 2018 from excessive sleep
deprivation.
It taught me a lot. It was my breaking point.
I literally was living in an AirBnB, apt hunting. I attended Clever Talks and
was a speaker on stage and attended 12 hour days meeting amazing veterans that
I had only known online like Patrick Mudge and Steven Kuhn. I was averaging 3
hours of sleep and also working on my Tactical CEQ program.
Friday I drove from Clever Talks straight to Air Force drill and did my PT test
on Saturday. Its pushups, situps, waist measurement, then run as fast as you
can to complete a 1.5 mile sprint. It pushed me into some mania.
Sunday night I drove back and Monday I started a new job. Yay, an hour commute
each way.
Closed a $1500 deal on my lunch break and realized I was LOSING money being in
a cubicle.
The entire week I was harassed by the job placement guy at an agency about
paperwork. He was a real prick. During work hours, I would get voicemails,
emails, and texts demanding I drop what I was doing, log in and complete forms
on their shitty website that didn’t work half the time.
Still sleeping 3 hours a night.
Friday, I went to the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. Sitting there,
head in hands. I listened to my voicemail. It was Agency Guy screaming at me to
get some forms done.
I walked out, drove to
I’d had enough. I called a suicide hotline just to talk to someone. Then I
checked myself into a nice hotel and slept.
The next day my dream apartment opened up. I never went back to that job. I
went full time business strategist and magazine owner and put Steven Kuhn on
the cover of SHIFT Advanced Life Design.
I’ve had a stressful few weeks lately. Too many projects converging, not enough
fun time, being pulled in a lot of directions. I’ve learned a few things from
some of the business minds I have interviewed and I have gained some knowledge
from my own breakdown.
Lesson 1: Your business runs off of YOU
You need to do internal work for your business to grow.
*Spiritual Growth
*Journaling
*Fitness
*Self Education
*DAYS OFF (capitalized to emphasize importance)
*Balance
*The Love From Others
If you are out of shape, arguing with people, in a loveless relationship, and
struggling to turn a profit, its time to be honest with yourself. Change starts
with you.
Currently I’m 15 pounds over my regular weight. I cant remember the last time I
had a day off and Monday I had 7 different projects/people to attend to. I was
getting a little close to the edge. Oh yeah, and some Air Force paperwork from
3 years ago is long overdue and my taxes need fixing.
These small things can set us off. When they “value stack” vertically, they can
shut us DOWN.
Yesterday it bled over. I hosted a group call and people could tell that I was
off. I didn’t even want to do the call but I realized the importance as people
started showing up. I realized that my energy was WAY off and finally just did
a few small tasks and wrote off yesterday as a shit day.
Lesson 2: Accept sadness, depression, and bad moods as temporary renters but
not homeowners
Entrepreneurs are strange.
That’s why I love them. The creativity, the rollercoasters, the sheer
brilliance of their lives. But it’s a fight. You know why?
We develop EVERY ASPECT OF OUR JOBS.
Every fucking decision must be made. EVERY ONE.
There are going to be days where you just feel off. Guess what? It happens to
everyone. Even the shiny smile dickheads on your Facebook ads promising you
easy wealth and the rented Lambo.
Have a strategy for bad days, but don’t make it a crutch. Some people smoke
pot, some go feed baby goats, some visit a favorite relative. Understand your
programming and what brings you LEGIT joy. (I’ve been ordering Iron Man Graphic
Novels and I caught myself doing something really weird reading them. I was
smiling.)
Don’t let depression or a bad experience last too long in your mind. I hit a 3
week span where I could not remember the last time I was genuinely happy and
realized it was time to change.
Remember: YOU DESERVE HAPPINESS
Lesson 3: Have some form of therapy or release
Tuesdays are great in my FB group (Link)
We have a group post where we air our grievances, bitch about our companies or
just talk about the nuances of life. But in a funny and positive way.
Highest engagement thread EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
Its healthy bitching and I LOVE IT. We keep it funny and constructive but we
AIR THAT SHIT OUT.
My newest therapy? I go outside to my balcony, sit on my Wayfair patio set and
read business books while listening to Moby. Its WONDERFULLY relaxing and keeps
me grounded. Iron Man Graphic Novels give me something to look forward to and
keep my creative energy flowing.
Find what makes you happy and act on it.
Thanks for reading this. Its been a very strange trip but I still am amazed
that a high school dropout that never thought he would go to college ended up
like this.
I’m blessed to know you. And if you are having a bad time, REACH OUT TO ME. Its
ok. You aren’t bothering me. I WANT to hear from you. Let’s fight that shit
together.
Your friend,
Rob
