The Shortcut To Success

77 Success Hacks That W
ill Transform Your

Life.
GLHE
A book by
Adrian Gee
The Shortcut to Success
77 Hacks That Will Transform Your Life
By Adrian Gee
Copyright © 2018 by Adrian Gee.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
copyright owner. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents
either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely
coincidental. This book was printed in the United States of America.
To order additional copies of this book, contact: adrianpgee@gmail.com
CONTENTS
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1
Hack #1: The Human Element ..................................................................... 3
Hack #2: Travel .................................................................................................. 4
Hack #3: Carpe Diem ........................................................................................ 5
Hack #4: Make Lists and Use Notes ........................................................... 6
Hack #5: Ask for What You Want ............................................................... 7
Hack #6: Have an MIT ...................................................................................... 8
Hack #7: Create a Daily Calendar Based on Your To-Do List ....... 10
Hack #8: Know Your Strengths and Find Others to Cover Your Weak Areas
......................................................................................................... 12
Hack #9: Rearrange Your Sleep Patterns .............................................. 14
Hack #10: Get an Assistant .......................................................................... 16
Hack #11: Believe in the Power of (Self) Prophecy .......................... 18
Hack #12: Loose Lips Sink Ships ............................................................... 20
Hack #13: Believe That the Odds Are in Your Favor ........................ 22
Hack #14: Appreciate What You Have ................................................... 23
Hack #15: Put Your Time on Lockdown ................................................ 24
Hack #16: Put Your Phone Down ............................................................. 26
Hack #17: Schedule Time for Email ........................................................ 28
Hack #18: Focus on Just One Thing at a Time ..................................... 30
Hack #19: Get Your Least Liked Tasks Done First ............................ 32
Hack #20: Take Frequent Breaks ............................................................. 33
Hack #21: Learn Something New Regularly ........................................ 36
Hack #22: Use the Right Learning Tools and Techniques ............. 38
Hack #23: Look on the Bright Side .......................................................... 40
Hack #24: Don’t Fall into a Routine ......................................................... 43
Hack #25: Learn to Laugh ........................................................................... 45
Hack #26: Read, Read, and Read Some More ..................................... 47
Hack #27: Create the Right Environment for Sleep ......................... 49
Hack #28: Make Use of Free Resources ................................................ 51
Hack #29: Build the Right Network ........................................................ 53
Hack #30: Frugality Rules All .................................................................... 55
Hack #31: Make Time for Health ............................................................. 57
Hack #32: Learn How to Meditate .......................................................... 59
Hack #33: Be Grateful ................................................................................... 62
Hack #34: Don’t Be Afraid to Be Yourself ............................................ 65
Hack #35: Surround Yourself with Successful People .................... 67
Hack #36: Do What You Love .................................................................... 69
Hack #37: Define Your Success by Happiness ................................... 71
Hack #38: Don’t Make Excuses ................................................................. 72
Hack #39: Find a Mentor ............................................................................. 74
Hack #40: Set the Bar Higher .................................................................... 76
Hack #41: Say No to Good Enough .......................................................... 77
Hack #42: Be Respectful .............................................................................. 79
Hack #43: Avoid the Easy Road ................................................................ 81
Hack #44: Avoid Negative People and Situations ............................. 83
Hack #45: Set Alarms for Everything ..................................................... 84
Hack #46: Create Your Schedule in Related Chunks ....................... 85
Hack #47: Save More Than You Spend .................................................. 86
Hack #48: Establish Your Personal Brand Online ............................ 87
Hack #49: Leave Room for You ................................................................ 89
Hack #50: Stay Humble ................................................................................ 90
Hack #51: Giving Up Is Not an Option ................................................... 91
Hack #52: Be Excited about Your Morning ......................................... 93
Hack #53: Get a Standing Desk .................................................................. 94
Hack #54: Use Coffee Shops as Your Workplace ............................... 95
Hack #55: Keep Your Emails Brief ........................................................... 97
Hack #56: Barter Free Work for the Opportunity to Learn .......... 98
Hack #57: Be Mindful .................................................................................... 99
Hack #58: Focus on Your Breathing When the World Runs Out of Control
.................................................. 100
Hack #59: Smile More ................................................................................. 101
Hack #60: Be a Whole Person ................................................................. 102
Hack #61: Use Mistakes to Propel You Forward ............................ 103
Hack #62: Make Your Own Luck ............................................................ 104
Hack #63: Share ............................................................................................ 105
Hack #64: Know Your Audience ............................................................ 106
Hack #65: Get Rapid Feedback ............................................................... 107
Hack #66: Have a Strategy ........................................................................ 108
Hack #67: Have a Dream ........................................................................... 109
Hack #68: Don’t Value Things ................................................................. 110
Hack #69: Wait for the Perfect Wave ................................................... 111
Hack #70: Find the Right Superconnectors ...................................... 112
Hack #71: KISS ............................................................................................... 113
Hack #72: Be Honest ................................................................................... 114
Hack #73: Follow Your Intuition ........................................................... 115
Hack #74: Find Inspiration in What Benefits Others .................... 116
Hack #75: Make Decisions with a Clear Head .................................. 117
Hack #76: Don’t Sacrifice Time with Family ..................................... 118
Hack #77: Give of Yourself ....................................................................... 119
Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 120
INTRODUCTION
It’s funny that we all want to achieve success, and yet it takes most of us so long to
actually get there. Some of us never really make it at all. Others get there, but not until
they’re firmly in their “golden years” and too old to really enjoy the fruits of their labors.
There has to be a better way, doesn’t there?
Actually, there is. Well, more accurately, there are. This book offers immediate access
to 77 hacks and tips that will help you transform your life and propel you toward success
faster.
Whether you’re just starting out on your quest, or you’ve been steadily walking up that
increasingly steep slope for decades at this point, the information contained in this book
will help you accelerate your efforts to attain true success. Why go from point A to point
B to point C, all the way down the line when you can take a shortcut from A to Z? That’s
what you will discover within these pages.
The Proof of Acceleration
Think that there’s a requirement that you slave away, underpaid and unnoticed, in order
to achieve success? That’s wrong. Believe that you need to “pay your dues” before you
get what you deserve? Think again.
If you were to look at the last century and half of history, you would see one overarching
trend emerge - we’re doing things faster. Speed is the rule of modern life. Everything
has been picking up steam.
We drive faster. We work faster (and longer). We eat faster. We shop faster.
In short, we live faster.
THE SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS | 1
That increase in pace doesn’t just apply to everyday life. They also apply to the amount
of time necessary to generate significant financial results. Not on board with that idea
just yet? Consider the following achievements, listed in historical order:
• It took John D. Rockefeller almost 50 years to become a billionaire.
• It took Michal Dell 14 years.
• It took Bill Gates 12 years.
• It took Jerry Yang of Yahoo four years.
• It took Pierre Omidyar of eBay three years.
• It took Andre Mason of Groupon just two years.
What do you see? Is there a common trend? Sure, there is. Each successive individual
required substantially less time to reach billionaire status. We have made it possible to
achieve what once took most of a lifetime in just a few years. Of course, that depends
largely on technology and the intelligent application of that technology to your life and
plans, but it is possible to see success fast, while you still have the energy and time to
actually enjoy living life on your own terms.
The hacks, tips, and strategies found within this book will help ensure that you are able
to supercharge your path to success. There’s no reason to slave away for decades. You
can achieve your dreams in just a few years.
2 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #1: THE HUMAN ELEMENT

For most of us, increasing the speed with which we attain success seems like it
depends on technology. That’s certainly how Bill Gates and so many others did it. Or
did they? Yes, technology played an important, even central, role in their rise to
success, but so did human beings.
Our first hack is this - focus on the human element. Without other human beings around
you, any success you attain is fleeting, ephemeral. It may not even exist in the first
place. After all, if you’re successful in a vacuum, have you really achieved anything? If
you fail to give value to others, is there real success or are you just running a smart
con?
The human element incorporates a wide range of focuses. Your customers or clients
are human. Your employees are human. Your family and friends are human. Your
competitors are human, at least behind their corporate façade.
It is essential that you focus on the human element early on. Build the right network, the
right support group, the right sounding board, and the right customer/client base. Never
underestimate the power of other human beings on your own efforts, whether through
direct feedback, recommendations, or simply being able to bounce ideas off someone
who can think for themselves.
HACK #2: TRAVEL

There have been reams upon reams written on the value of travel. It gets you out of
your comfort zone. It opens your eyes to new experiences. It helps you broaden your
mind. Getting away from the area that you call home can also spark creativity. That’s
important for everyone, not just writers, artists, or other professionals who routinely
need creativity.
Get out of your regular stomping grounds. Travel at least 150 to 200 miles to an area
that you do not know well. Find a place to stay and then enjoy some rest and relaxation
while focusing on self-improvement.
The right plan will allow you to travel to multiple different locations throughout the
course of a year, staying somewhere different in each location. Get out away from your
norm here, too. If you usually stay in high-end hotels, go for a bed and breakfast. If you
usually go the budget hotel route, invest in an Airbnb rental. What you want is a
complete break from your established patterns.
In addition to your destination and accommodations, you need to engage in some
recharge-related activities. Read self- improvement books. Work on your business plan.
Start the great American novel. Create a business strategy to help your company trump
the competition.
There’s no real rule on how long these trips need to last, but they do need to be “just
long enough”. What you’re looking for is a duration that allows you to get a break from
the everyday, recharge your mental and emotional batteries, and feel reenergized
without it becoming an actual vacation. Usually, two to four days is enough for these
mini-breaks. You’ll be surprised at how much these periods of self-reflection and
improvement can transform where your life is headed.
4 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #3: CARPE DIEM

Coined by Horace in his Odes, carpe diem literally translates to “pluck the day” as in the
sense of a ripe fruit for the devouring. That carries connotations that we do not usually
associate with the more commonplace translation of “seize the day”.
What I mean here by seize the day is that you need to seize the opportunities that
present themselves to you without thinking too long or hard about the logistics or details
required by the opportunity. Yes, good planning is essential for success, but missed
opportunities cannot be regained.
Some opportunities are just too good to pass up. For instance, you could find a
bank-owned property that would be the perfect investment option. However, if you were
only able to scrape together a small amount of capital, you might decide to pass on the
chance. That would be a mistake - someone else will come along and snap it up before
you can work out the details.
In this example, you could find a way to obtain some leverage to give you time to get
your finances in order. Perhaps the building needs serious work (structural issues).
Maybe there’s a hidden problem with the title that could be exploited to make the bank
hit the pause button on the sale.
Whatever the case might be, if you spend too long thinking about the details, the greater
the chance is that you’ll miss the opportunity altogether.
So, seize the day. Grab that opportunity (fruit) and devour it.
HACK #4: MAKE LISTS AND USE NOTES

No one achieves success without at least some degree of difficulty. That usually comes
in the form of having to juggle multiple tasks, goals, or even businesses at the same
time. Doing that successfully on your own without letting some things slip through the
cracks can be impossible. Thankfully, there are two solutions - lists and notes.
Lists are amazingly powerful tools. Think about it - they encapsulate incredibly
complicated schedules, distilling them down into bullet points. Use lists throughout your
day. In fact, start your day with a list.
Prioritize that list so that you get the most important tasks done early, while you’re fresh
and your brain is alert. Then, you can move on to less important tasks. Of course, you
do need to realize the difference between important tasks and urgent but not important
tasks. Urgency is not usually an indicator of importance. Always gravitate towards more
important tasks and leave those urgent projects for later.
You should also make good use of notes. Leave them for yourself as reminders. A list is
only good if you’re looking at it, but if you leave yourself notes in the office, at home,
and in other areas, you’ll be constantly reminded about what it is you need to achieve.
You’ll be far less likely to let little things fall through the cracks.
The immediate upshot of both lists and notes is that you can dramatically ramp up your
productivity and the results that you are able to achieve. Success feeds on success,
and a body in motion tends to remain in motion. In other words, the more your
productivity improves, the more productive you will become.
6 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #5: ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT

We’re encouraged to dream big, and most of us do. However, we probably aren’t
dreaming big enough, at least not out loud. You need to ask for what you want, and you
need to be as clear as possible about what that is.
When you dream big, are you dreaming about what you think is possible? Are you
dreaming about what you think you might deserve? Are you thinking about what you
feel is doable or achievable? Are you limiting your thinking to what is feasible?
In every single one of those instances, you are not asking for what you want. Your
asking is limited. It is curtailed. It is less than it could be. That has a significant impact
on what you can achieve.
If you do not ask for what you want, then no one has the means to help you achieve it.
No one knows what you really want. However, if you are able to ask for what you want,
then you can actually have a hope of achieving it.
Of course, this does require that you know what you want, and that means being honest
and transparent with yourself. For instance, you might think that what you want is to
operate a software company, but what you really want is to run the most successful
software firm since Microsoft first hit the scene.
Don’t shy away from those specifics. Embrace them. Hold to them. Let them be your
guiding light. Ask for that - and by asking, you automatically empower those around you
to help in achieving that goal.
HACK #6: HAVE AN MIT

Think about your day to come. What sorts of tasks do you have on your list (remember
the lists we talked about previously?)? More essentially, what is the single most
important task (MIT) on your list? Where is it slated? How much time did you allot for
completing it?
You should have one single most important task every day. Note that this does not
mean the most urgent task. You should not be rushing around putting out fires. You
should be able to delegate for that. If not, you probably need to revisit your delegation
skills. Your focus needs to be on growth and success, not daily operations and certainly
not minor crises better handled by your team members.
So, make sure that you choose your MIT with care. It should have high value to not just
your day, but the week, and the overall course of your business itself. You also need to
make sure that you have an appropriate amount of time to accomplish it. Usually, this
should be between two and four hours. Make sure that your team knows that you are
not to be disturbed during this time unless it’s an actual emergency.
We also recommend that you schedule your MIT as early in the day as possible. Your
energy levels are higher in the morning. Your mind is clearer during the first half of the
day. You’re fresher and more focused in the early hours. So, your MIT should really be
scheduled between the time you get to the office and lunch, although skewing closer
toward your arrival time is better.
You’ll find that you enjoy a number of benefits when you start organizing your day this
way. You’ll be more focused. You’ll enjoy better productivity. Your team will take a cue
from your
8 | ADRIAN GEE
structure and their own productivity will increase, as well. Finally, because you are able
to focus on the task more and work without interruption, the quality of the work you
complete during this time will also improve.
HACK #7: CREATE A DAILY CALENDAR BASED ON YOUR

TO-DO LIST
We’ve talked about lists, notes, and most important tasks several times so far, and this
hack relates to those. It builds on them in a unique way. If you haven’t yet mastered the
art of list making and avoiding low-value, low-importance, high-urgency tasks yet, that
should be your focus. Go back to that. I’ll wait for you.
All good now? Great, let’s expand on your list making. In this technologically-oriented
world, we all have smartphones that we carry around. Some of us go so far as to use
products that offer seamless integration of a single eco-system - your iPhone hands off
to your iPad, which hands off to your MacBook Pro, which hands off to your iMac,
creating a cohesive experience where everything is available on all devices at the same
time. That’s important for this hack - create a daily calendar based on your to-do list.
Doing this is actually pretty simple. You’ll just need to take five minutes to transform
your to-do list into actual calendar entries. We recommend using a digital calendar here
as it will provide you with alerts and reminders. Paper calendars are just too easily
overlooked or even left behind.
So, as you’re headed to bed, take a few minutes to transform your tasks into calendar
entries. Make sure you get the date right, and allot the appropriate amount of time for
each of them. Leave room for things like lunch, meetings, and the occasional break so
you can get up and stretch your muscles.
Once you’re done, look over the calendar. Is it doable? Is it workable as is? Do you
have enough hours in the day? If not, where are you overloading yourself? What tasks
can be delegated to your team and which ones must be done by you?
10 | ADRIAN GEE
By following this hack, you will free your days of tasks that are better done by others,
while ensuring that your to-do list actually gets finished.
HACK #8: KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS AND FIND OTHERS TO

COVER YOUR WEAK AREAS
As an entrepreneur, you have to wear many hats. However, that does not mean that
you have to wear all the hats. In fact, there are some good reasons to avoid certain jobs
within your business.
We all have our strengths, but we also have weaknesses. In your drive to find success,
it can be easy to gloss over your weaknesses. You might think, “Well, I’m not really
that bad at this task. I’ll handle it and it’ll be fine.” The problem here is that “not that bad”
is not really “good”. And your business needs at least good, if not outstanding.
The first step is to identify your weak areas. Be honest with yourself. What areas of the
business might be suffering with you handling those tasks? Is it accounting? Is it
payroll? Is it vendor invoicing? Is it dealing with stakeholders? Identify those areas and
write them down. Create a list.
Next, you need to think about who you can get to cover those areas. This will require
that you delegate responsibility to other people, which can be hard, particularly if you
have usually handled those tasks yourself. Other people will have different ways of
going about things, while still achieving the same results. Realize that there’s nothing
wrong with this, and that it is only the end result that matters. This can help reduce your
desire to micromanage.
Don’t have any in-house talent well suited to dealing with a particular task? You have
two options. You can hire someone (the costlier option) or you can outsource (the more
logistically challenging option). Both have their pros and cons, and there is no
one-size-fits all answer as to which is best. Some companies
12 | ADRIAN GEE
will benefit from hiring in-house talent, while others might benefit more from outsourcing
tasks. You’ll also find that specific job roles are better suited to in-house/outsourcing.
The ultimate point is this - know your weaknesses. Admit them. Convince yourself to let
go of those areas, and find someone who can do a better job. Your business will thank
you.
HACK #9: REARRANGE YOUR SLEEP PATTERNS
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Yet some people are able to get so much more
done than others. There are numerous reasons for this, all of which will be covered in
this book. One of the simplest to master for your own success is this: rearrange your
sleep schedule. No, that does not mean getting up at midnight, or working 24 hours per
day.
It’s as simple as this - you need a base amount of sleep. However, you do not need that
much sleep in consecutive hours. Find the minimum amount of sleep on which you can
function well during the day, and then add a midday nap to your schedule.
For example, you might find that you can function pretty well with just five hours of sleep
each night. That allows you to stay up late and get up early, burning the candle at both
ends as it were. However, you cannot leave it at that, or you will eventually burn out
(and suffer some serious health consequences that we’ll discuss shortly).
Instead of just sucking it up, add in a short nap during the day - say, 30 minutes. So,
you would effectively get five and a half hours of sleep per 24-hour period. The five
base hours at night would give you the restoration that your brain needs, and the
30-minute nap during the middle of the day would give you the recharge your batteries
need to get you through the later afternoon and evening hours with plenty of energy.
The Dangers of Too Little Sleep
With all of that being said, it is important to realize that sleep is vital to your overall
health. Not getting enough sleep can have profoundly negative effects on your health.
Obviously, success means nothing if you’re not around to experience it.
14 | ADRIAN GEE
Sleep quality and duration have been linked to things like:
• High blood pressure
• Cognitive health
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Ability to work with others
• Decision making
• Solving problems
• Controlling your emotions
These are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Suffice to say that sleep is absolutely
essential to your life, and without it, any success you see will be fleeting as you will not
be able to enjoy it. Find the right sleep schedule to support your mental, emotional, and
physical health and then stick to it.
Also, if you choose to follow a restricted sleep schedule like the one outlined above, it’s
important that you only do so for a limited amount of time, say four to six months.
Anything longer than that puts your health in jeopardy. The topic of sleep’s impact on
your overall health is outside the scope of this book, but the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health) has a lot of valuable information
here.
HACK #10: GET AN ASSISTANT

We all think we can handle most of our tasks. In many instances, that’s the case.
However, when you pile humdrum duties on top of more important tasks, on top of
business-critical responsibilities, it can feel like you’re barely treading water. We’ve
discussed the importance of delegating already, but there are some tasks that cannot or
should not be delegated to team members, yet still drag down your productivity. In these
cases, a personal assistant, or PA, can be a lifesaver.
As an entrepreneur, your mind moves fast and so does your body. You change tasks
quickly, but in the process of shifting gears, some things can fall through the cracks. A
personal assistant can help keep you on schedule, ensure that your to-do list actually
stands a chance of getting done, and help you maintain your sanity.
Of course, that begs several questions. Who should you hire? Should you pay them by
the day? By the hour? Should they be fulltime employees?
There’s no right or wrong answer here. Your schedule should be the deciding factor,
really. For instance, if you just don’t have enough time during certain days of the week,
consider hiring a PA for those days only. This gives you an “on-demand” solution that
only comes into play during your heaviest overloads, and saves you a bit of money.
If you’re struggling to get everything done on a weekly basis, then you might want to
hire a personal assistant who will work for an hourly rate, but who might not necessarily
be a company employee (a freelance PA will work well). It’s never been simpler to find a
good freelance/temporary workers, either, thanks in large part to the Internet.
16 | ADRIAN GEE
Finally, if you have the need and the bankroll, you can see quite a few benefits from
hiring a personal assistant as a fulltime employee. This can be a better solution than a
virtual assistant, who cannot help with anything in your physical office. It can also be
better than an on-demand assistant, as it allows them to be there at all times, so you
can always hand over tasks as your needs change and the situation in your business
evolves.
Ultimately, whether you go the on-demand route or choose to hire a personal assistant
as a fulltime employee, these professionals can free up your valuable time to focus on
things that matter the most, without forcing you to delegate unimportant tasks to team
members whose time is better spent on other things.
HACK #11: BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF (SELF) PROPHECY

Words have incredible power. They can even predict the future. We’re not talking about
end times prophecy, or the rantings of some mad monk holed up in a Himalayan cave.
We’re talking about the power of the words that you use to describe your future, and
how those words actually dictate what will come to pass.
The Power of Words
The words you use have power, and that is because they are based on your perception
of reality, and because they reinforce that perception of reality. It’s called “self-talk”, and
it can be one of the most influential elements in your life, whether for good or ill.
Psychology Today contributor, Gregory L. Jantz. Ph.D., stated, “Each of us has a set of
messages that play over and over in our minds. This internal dialogue, or personal
commentary, frames our reactions to life and its circumstances. One of the ways to
recognize, promote, and sustain optimism, hope, and joy is to intentionally fill our
thoughts with positive self-talk.”
The same is true for success. Let’s look at it this way: Suppose you are a young
entrepreneur just setting out in life. If you’re like most people, there’s a near-constant
stream of negative self-talk running through your mind. You’re not good enough. You’re
not smart enough. You’re not dedicated enough. Your idea is dumb. No one will really
want to support your business. Those ideas run just beneath the surface of your mind,
and they sabotage your success.
It goes deeper than just creating an overall negative outlook. In many ways, those
words can create your future. To continue
18 | ADRIAN GEE
using the example above, let’s say that you plan your efforts out as a young
entrepreneur. You think that you might do well to earn $30,000 within five years. You
think you might be able to struggle up to $50,000 within 10 years.
Here’s the thing - by limiting your vision based on negative self- talk, you create the
reality that you will experience. If you expect to see limited success, that’s exactly what
you will see in most cases. If you expect your future to be bleak and unhappy, that’s
exactly what you get.
We create our own realities based on our internal self-talk.
You need to change your internal conversation - positive self- talk can help you create a
more positive outcome. For instance, expect that you’ll meet with significant success in
your business. Be dedicated to creating a bright future with financial security and
happiness. Keep pushing toward that positive outcome even in the face of adversity.
By changing your mental outlook and internal conversation, you change your own
future. You create a self-fulfilling prophecy that will steer you toward success.
HACK #12: LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS

It’s as true today as it was when the phrase was first coined back in WWII - loose lips
sink ships. Back then, it was meant as a warning to guard your tongue against divulging
potentially useful information to spies. Today, we’re using it in a different but no less
crucial sense - protecting your business life and private life from unscrupulous people.
Humans are social creatures. We are meant to work better in groups. Communication is
perhaps our most significant tool, allowing cooperation between different individuals,
and even between different groups of individuals. However, communication can be a
two-edge sword if the wrong information is being talked about. Ideally, you’ll bear that
phrase above in mind, and keep a few things to yourself, even if you’re just shooting the
breeze with stakeholders after a big conference.
What are some of the things you should avoid discussing? Let’s look at a quick list:
• Your Romantic Life: Share as few details as possible with your work colleagues,
cofounders, and other business- related acquaintances. It is fine to share the fact that
you’re married or single, divorced, etc., but you should not discuss relationship
challenges or problems, or the like. Don’t be that person who talks about what you were
up to last night around the water cooler.
• Your Aspirations: Keep your professional life as professional as possible, and keep
talk about your future aspirations and dreams out of the conversation. Why should that
be the case, particularly if those aspirations are related to business? Most
entrepreneurs start, build, and sell multiple businesses over time.
20 | ADRIAN GEE
By discussing your plans for the future, and your goals, you could inadvertently
sabotage the business you’re currently building. For instance, suppose a key player in
the business learns that you plan to sell it eventually. Dis- heartened that you will be
leaving, they decide to go looking for some other employment, leaving you scram- bling
to find someone to fill their shoes. This could even lead to a larger-scale defection of
staff.
• Your Earnings: While there’s a lot of argument for and against allowing employees to
discuss their own salaries, one thing is not in question. Your salary as an entrepreneur
should not be open to discussion. No one should know how much you earn but your
accountant or accounting department. This keeps the conversation within your
business away from earnings and focused on what your business does best.
• Your Strategy: Some elements of your business strategy are fine to discuss, at least
in so far as they apply to building success for the current business. However, your
overall strategy should not be up for discussion. This is for the same reasons that you
don’t discuss your future aspirations. You need to keep your next move under wraps so
that your team does not become demotivated thinking that you are looking to leave the
business, but also so that someone else doesn’t act on that idea before you have a
chance.
Ultimately, learn what you can discuss and what is best kept under wraps. The fewer
sensitive details that you share with those around you, the better.
HACK #13: BELIEVE THAT THE ODDS ARE IN YOUR FAVOR

Getting a business off the ground can be an incredible challenge. However, you’re up to
it. Running a successful company and then either steering it into the future or selling it
and moving on to your next idea is possible, even likely. The odds are in your favor.
Take a look at the business landscape of America. What’s the single largest
component? Is it Fortune 500 companies? Are the Walmarts and Apples of the country
the dominant force? Not even remotely. Want proof? Consider these statistics from the
Small Business Administration:
• Small businesses account for 99.9% of all businesses in the US.
• Small businesses account for 70% of all job creation in the US.
• There are 30.2 million small businesses in the US.
• Small business payroll for 2015 (the last year for which data is available) totaled
$2.55 trillion, which is almost 41% of all business-related payroll in the US.
• Small businesses employ almost 50% of all workers in the country, at 65.1 million
people.
Those statistics should be eye-openers for you. Not only is it possible to build a
successful business, but it is not uncommon. Does that mean it will be easy? No, but it
doesn’t mean that it’s an insurmountable barrier. The odds are actually in your favor.
Millions of other entrepreneurs and small business owners do it every single year.
Hold tight to that belief. Focus on it when you feel that things are becoming bleak or that
the struggle is becoming too much. It’s not just possible to grow a business into
profitability or to achieve personal success, but it’s likely that you will be able to do so.
22 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #14: APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE

This hack might sound a bit counter intuitive. After all, if you appreciate what you have,
doesn’t that mean being content with your lot in life? Doesn’t that imply that you should
not strive for more?
Not at all.
Appreciating what you have simply means that you are able to be thankful for the
achievements you have already made, and the success you have already earned. It
might have just been one or two steps on your ladder toward achieving your ultimate
goal, but you should be thankful for each of those rungs.
Being thankful for what you have already achieved does not in any way mean that you
cannot or should not pursue future success. It does mean that you’re more likely to
appreciate the journey toward success, rather than hyper-focusing on the pinnacle of
your plan to the extent that you cannot enjoy life.
Remember that life is a series of small, interconnected moments. It’s the stuff that
happens in between the big achievements. Be thankful for all the moments in your life
and you’ll find that your ultimate success is that much more profound, and your journey
to that point much more enjoyable.
Every day take a moment to reflect on where you have been, and how far you have
come. Think about what you achieved to get where you are now. Looking forward
toward your ultimate goal is necessary, but it should not be the only thing you do. You
cannot appreciate what you ultimately accomplish if you do not remember the path that
took you there.
HACK #15: PUT YOUR TIME ON LOCKDOWN

Remember the hack on setting your MIT? We also discussed the timeframe for that
task. Lockdown is another name for that period - the two to four hours you’ll work on
whatever your MIT might be.
In the previous hack, we talked about the benefits of setting your most important task for
the day, but we really did not address how to lock down those hours to prevent the
humdrum, everyday interruptions that inevitably derail your efforts. That’s what we’ll do
here.
Think of this period of time like prison lockdown. No one moves. No one so much as
sneezes without express permission. Sure, life doesn’t really work that way, but with the
right approach, you can at least minimize the interruptions you suffer from.
The Right Location
First, you need to choose the right location. This could be your office if it has a door that
can be closed and locked (yes, you need to lock it). It could be the garage of your
home. It could be the bathroom. The room itself doesn’t really matter. You just need to
be able to lock yourself away and lock down your time.
You must be able to prevent any and all interruptions unless they are dire emergencies.
And, we’re talking real emergencies here - the building is on fire and you’re in legitimate
danger of dying is an example of a true emergency. Find the right location. Make sure
you can keep it completely private and completely silent.
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The Right Duration
How long should you stay in lockdown mode? That really depends. A minimum of two
hours is a great place to start. However, it can be more time if you can afford it.
Remember that your productivity will skyrocket while you’re in lockdown, so the more
time you spend there, the better. Shoot for between two and four hours. However, even
just a single hour will give you a considerable productivity boost.
Lockdown: The Steps
Now that you have the right place and an idea of how much time you will be spending in
this room, it is time to talk about the how of it all. How do you prevent interruptions from
eroding your momentum? Just follow a few basic steps:
• Make sure your team knows that you are not to be inter- rupted for any reason short
of a disaster.
• Make sure your family knows that this time is inviolate.
• Make sure that your significant other (in the case that you’re not married) knows that
you cannot be contacted during this time, not even by text message.
• Put your phone in airplane mode. Plan to check messages and voicemails after two
hours.
• Log out of social media sites on your computer.
• Lock the door of the room if possible.
• Know what you intend to work on and have all the materials, information, or other
requirements so that you can do so.
• Have water and snacks with you so that you avoid having to stop for hunger or thirst.
Put these tips into practice and you’ll find that locking down your time is less challenging
than you might have thought.
HACK #16: PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN

Until the first iPhone debuted back in 2007, cell phones were little different from landline
phones. You could make and receive phone calls. You could send text messages if you
wanted to spend a bit more per month with your carrier. That was really about it, though.
Today, our phones have become incredibly sophisticated. We can send and receive
calls, still. We can still text, of course. However, the average cell phone is almost as
powerful as the home desktop, more so in some instances. We can access apps that
allow us to do everything from balancing our budget to communicating with people on
the other side of the world via social media.
It’s an incredible thing, but it is also a terrible situation, particularly for entrepreneurs.
The phone has become a powerful tool that can help enable success, but it has also
become a huge time suck.
Some of the most common time wasters revolving around smartphones include:
• Text messages
• Clearing notifications
• Email
• App updates
• Checking weather
• Checking news
• Surfing/searching the Internet
Sure, some of those things are actually important. Checking email allows you to stay in
contact with business partners, vendors, suppliers, employees and more, right?
Replying to text
26 | ADRIAN GEE
messages is faster than answering a phone call and having a conversation, right?
Yes, those are true. However, they are not the whole story. Every time you pick up your
phone, you disconnect from whatever it is that you’re currently doing. Even if that is only
for a few seconds to clear those annoying red notifications, your concentration and
attention has left the task you were on. It takes time to get that back, and it also
increases the chance of making a mistake as your attention moves from one task to
another.
According to Fortune magazine, the average worker wastes almost an hour per day on
their phone. That adds up to just less than five hours per week. Think about that - what
could you accomplish with an additional five hours per week? We’re not talking about a
few minutes here or there. We’re talking a significant chunk of time.
How do you regain that time? You put the phone down. You move it to somewhere out
of sight, like inside a desk drawer (most of us keep our phones not just in reach, but in
sight). You set it to do not disturb mode, or put it in airplane mode.
That’s great, you think, but how are you supposed to respond to all those requests,
invitations, emails, and mentions? You don’t. They can wait. Focus on what you’re
doing right now. Facebook and Twitter, Gmail and The Weather Channel can all wait
until later.
HACK #17: SCHEDULE TIME FOR EMAIL

What do Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and The Washington Post
all have in common? Sure, they’re all well respected publications. That’s not what we’re
looking for.
If you answered that each of these sources has published warnings on the amount of
time business owners and entrepreneurs waste daily on email, then you’re our winner.
You get a gold star. Good job.
According to the most recent findings, we lose somewhere around two and a half hours
of productivity every day due to nothing more than email communications. That’s a ton
of time lost to something that is ultimately not all that important.
Wait, you object. Those emails are important. They’re work related, and contain crucial
information.
Maybe. Some of them, perhaps. Most of them are nothing more than breaks in your
concentration that derail your progress and erode your focus.
Look at it this way - the average business person checks their email 15 times per day.
Each of those instances requires that you stop what you are currently doing, open a
browser tab or your email app, scan through the emails you’ve received (including spam
emails, social media notifications, promotional mail and more), delete
unwanted/unneeded/junk email, and reply to pertinent messages.
All of that must be done before you can get back to what you were doing. And, if you
have to stop to reply to an email, you break your concentration again, and have to start
the process over.
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You waste two and a half hours each day on nothing but email. However, the real toll on
your productivity and success is significantly greater. The only way to mitigate that is to
schedule times to check and reply to those messages.
What schedule will work for you? Surprisingly, most of us benefit from the same one.
Set two periods per day to check and respond to email - one in the morning and one in
the afternoon. During the rest of the day, leave your email client closed. Turn off
notifications on your phone.
What will people do if they actually have to get ahold of you? They can call. They can
even drop by your office in person if it’s really that important.
Cut down on the time you lose to email every day and you’ll find hours added to your
schedule, helping you pursue success.
HACK #18: FOCUS ON JUST ONE THING AT A TIME

We like to think that we can multitask. In fact, hirers have based their decision on
whether to bring a new employee onboard on their ability to multitask. Here’s the
problem - it’s a lie.
Let’s put this as plainly as possible: unless you are a computer, you cannot multitask.
Why is that? Multitasking literally means doing more than one thing at the same time.
When was the last time you tried writing a letter while grilling a steak at the same time?
It’s not really possible, is it?
Human beings are incapable of doing two or more things at the same time. Our brains
are just not wired that way. What we call multitasking (at least with humans) is simply
switching your attention from one task to another very quickly with a handful of
exceptions. For instance, if you have completely mastered a simple physical activity,
such as walking, you can also perform a mental activity at the same time, such as
speaking. So, you can talk to a friend while you walk, but you cannot do two physical
things or two mental things at once.
That fast swapping can make it seem like you’re getting more done at one time, but the
truth is that you’re not. The truth is that you’re most likely degrading the quality of what
work you do get done. In fact, Psychology Today notes that multitasking actually costs
you productivity - up to 40% of what you could be getting done is not, simply because
you’re trying to do more than one thing at a time.
Swapping between tasks costs you time, attention, quality, and even sanity. It adds
stress, and actually forces your brain to work harder than it should, and in less natural
ways. Ultimately, trying
30 | ADRIAN GEE
to multitask does nothing more than put you farther behind, while reducing your
chances of success.
What should you do if you want to really improve your chances of success? That’s
simple. Focus on one thing at a time. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can
multitask with most things.
Adopt a strategy called concentrated time. This is actually the opposite of multitasking.
You’re hyper-focused on completing a single task by outlining blocks of time each day
(similar to what we discussed in our hack about lockdown time for your MIT, previously).
Block out 30 minutes of time where you can focus on just a single task. Larger items
might require an hour of blocked out time. Leave space between those blocks for other,
smaller tasks, like replying to emails or answering messages.
HACK #19: GET YOUR LEAST LIKED TASKS DONE FIRST

We all have things that must be done from time to time that we hate. There are
responsibilities that you just loathe. There are duties that you put off because you just
don’t like doing them. That’s pretty universal to humans in general.
The problem is that the more you put those hated tasks off, the greater the chance that
it won’t get done at all. Procrastination becomes the rule, and the task just keeps getting
bumped farther down the list, even if it is important.
Instead of falling into this trap, just make your most hated task the first thing you
complete during the day. No matter what that task might be, make it your first up duty.
When you’re creating your plan for the coming day, bite the bullet and jot down that task
in the time slot right after you wake up.
You’ll find a number of benefits to taking care of hated tasks first thing in the morning.
One of those is that you get a sense of accomplishment out of it. You completed that
loathed duty. Pat yourself on the back - you deserve at least some recognition for
forcing yourself to go through it.
Another benefit here is that you have more to look forward to in the rest of the day. That
can add a sense of excitement to what would otherwise be a humdrum day. Of course,
there’s the fact that you reduce your stress load by taking a disliked responsibility off
the playing field right away.
Finally, you are able to build your sense of self-confidence. By following through on a
commitment you made, even one made to yourself, you reinforce the idea that you are
a person who walks the walk, someone who keeps their word. That self-confidence will
buoy you through turbulent times as you pursue success.
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HACK #20: TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS

This hack might sound like nonsense at first, particularly if you do not realize the
importance of breaks for your motivation. Many of us still labor under the notion that
having your nose constantly to the grindstone is the only way to achieve success. That’s
a lie. Your mind and body need breaks, and the most successful people in the world
understand this.
The Value of Regular Breaks
How can you really hope to achieve success if you stop all the time for breaks? The
answer to this question hinges on the value of breaks to the mind and body.
Work takes a toll on the mind and the body. You deplete resources - your energy levels
begin to decline. Your ability to focus decreases. Your attention span shrinks. The
longer you force yourself to push through, the worse things become.
Eventually, if you simply try to work as long as possible at a nonstop pace, you’ll find
that the quality of your work suffers. You’re no longer productive. In fact, you could be
making mistakes that actually mean you’re going backward rather than forward.
The body and mind both need breaks from the work routine to recharge. A few minutes
away from the desk is enough to accomplish that, and can even help improve your work
performance. Short breaks during the day have been shown to:
• Improve attitude
• Improve focus
• Improve energy levels
• Boost mental performance
• Increase problem solving abilities
• Improve productivity
Those are all positive things that can help push you toward greater success. However,
not all breaks are the same. Some can actually make you feel more tired, sluggish, and
unfocused. The key is to know when to take a break, and how to set the right duration
for your break.
Break Strategy Defined
As mentioned, not all breaks are created equal. Some of them can be rejuvenating,
energizing, and invigorating. Others simply make you feel more drained. The primary
reason for a break to leave you feeling like you haven’t even had one is waiting until
you’re tired to take it.
Instead, create a proactive schedule that ensures you can get away from the desk
before your body is ready to call it quits. Below, we’ll run through some important tips to
help you structure your day and ensure that your breaks do the job.
• Take micro-breaks every hour. At least five minutes out of every “on the clock” hour
should be break time.
• Focus on the break while you’re away from the desk. Don’t ponder issues you’re
facing in the office. Don’t think about that project that’s looming. Be committed to taking
a break.
• Get up and get moving. This is particularly true for shorter breaks. Take a walk
around the office, head down and up a set of stairs, or get your body into motion in
some other way. Physical activity improves oxygenation in the body, and also boosts
blood flow.
• Find someone to take a break with. Going solo is fine, but if you can break with
someone else, that’s better. Again, humans are social creatures, and social interaction
in a non-work environment can be refreshing and renewing.
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• Get outdoors to make the most out of your break. Walking around the office is fine,
and it will be the only option at times. However, getting outside in the sun and surround-
ed by nature has been shown to have a much more profound effect on the mind and
body. In fact, a shorter break outdoors can have more impact than a longer break taken
indoors.
So, if you want to really boost your productivity, focus, and ability to achieve, take
regular breaks so that your mind and body are able to support your goals.
HACK #21: LEARN SOMETHING NEW REGULARLY

From Inc.com to SF Weekly, US News and World Report, and even the US Department
of Education, the verdict is in. If you want to really see success in your career, or life
itself for that matter, you must become a lifelong learner. What does lifelong learning
entail and why should you consider it?
The Truth about Lifelong Learning
Look at anyone who has achieved renown and success - Einstein, Rockefeller, Gates,
and Musk, for instance - and you’ll find one thing that they all have in common beyond
their achievements. Every one of them was committed to learning new things regularly.
They were (or are in the case of Gates and Musk) avid students of the world, ready to
learn something new all the time.
Yes, it’s tempting to think that you’re done with learning when you graduate from
college. Isn’t that what higher education is all about - to give you the knowledge that
you’ll need to succeed in life? Not really. It’s about building a foundation, but a
foundation is only the first step in creating a successful life. You need walls, rafters, a
roof, and those only come through ongoing self- improvement and learning.
As The Economist noted, “A college degree at the start of a working career does not
answer the need for the continuous acquisition of new skills, especially as career spans
are lengthening. Vocational training is good at giving people job- specific skills, but
those, too, will need to be updated over and over again during a career lasting
decades.”
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The Value of Lifelong Learning
Take a look at any career that requires professionals to commit to continuing education.
We’re talking about physicians, registered nurses, IT professionals, dentists, and more.
All of these professionals must continue learning even after spending a significant
amount of time in school in order to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.
Think of your own lifelong learning in the same way. No, you might not need to re-up
your MBA in order to run a successful company, but there are plenty of things that you
can learn that will make you a better entrepreneur. And, in the end, that’s what it is all
about. You need to focus on being the best you can be, using tools, techniques,
strategies and solutions that foster growth and profitability.
HACK #22: USE THE RIGHT LEARNING TOOLS AND

TECHNIQUES
In the previous hack, we explored the idea of lifelong learning and why you should be
committed to it. However, that is really only the first step. Once you accept this, you
need to embark on a plan that allows you to continually build your skills and capabilities.
The right tools and techniques will help here.
• Use Your Down Time - One of the most important techniques to improve lifelong
learning is to identify down or dead time in your life and use that to your advantage. For
instance, do you have an hour train ride to work? If so, that’s a perfect time to listen to
an audiobook or two, or to read a physical book. Other potential times during your day
include:
o While eating breakfast or lunch (but not at the ex-
pense of spending time with family).
o While having your morning cup of coffee.
o While winding down at night as you prepare for bed.
o During short breaks in the day.
• Commit to It - It’s important that you commit to learning regularly. This will require
that you focus on it, and that you are dedicated to finding new things to learn.
• Let Your Interests Lead You - It can be challenging to find new things to learn at
times. Let your interests lead you. Your learning does not have to be solely focused on
professional development. Make time for personal development, too.
• Schedule It - While you can and should use down and dead time during your day to
shoehorn in some additional learning, you should also schedule time for it. It might be
just an hour per day, but any dedicated time will improve your chances of success.
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• Enjoy It - Learning should not be drudgery. If you’re not able to focus on whatever it
is that you’re learning, then chances are good that you’re not interested in it and it may
have little or no value to you. Learning should be about enjoyment just as much as it
should be about pro- pelling you toward success.
Ultimately, realizing the need for lifelong learning, committing to it, scheduling time for
learning, and ensuring that you’re having fun while building your skills will have a
profound impact on your life and your level of success.
HACK #23: LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

As an entrepreneur, it can be challenging to keep looking at things optimistically.
Setbacks, overspending, projects that fall through - these can all darken your outlook.
However, there’s a lot to be gained by cultivating a sense of unending optimism. Sure,
sarcasm and a jaded outlook are en vogue today, but that doesn’t mean they do you
any good. In fact, there’s evidence that a pessimistic outlook may actually sabotage
your success.
Why should you focus on looking on the bright side, rather than being a pragmatist, or
even a pessimist? We’ll explore the many powerful benefits of optimism for your
entrepreneurial efforts below.
Optimism Supports Creativity and Ideation
Perhaps one of the most important reasons to look on the bright side is the fact that
optimism improves creativity and fosters ideation. In fact, this seems to be a natural fit.
Optimists are future-oriented, usually. Entrepreneurs are, as well.
The two support one another and allow you to look into the future with greater creativity
and with less focus on risks. Thinking about the future stimulates your innate creativity,
flooding your mind with new ideas. Any one of those ideas could be your next business
success!
You’re More Likely to Act
As an entrepreneur, you must be prepared to act, sometimes with little forethought and
planning. When you see an opportunity, you must be prepared to act on it. Optimism
puts you in a prime position from which to act.
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Optimists usually experience a drive to act, a need to make things happen. That
coincides with the needs of an entrepreneur, allowing you to be more effective, to make
decisions with greater confidence, and to avoid the stagnation that can come from
taking a darker view of the future.
You’re More Motivated
If there is one thing that all entrepreneurs need, it’s motivation. Without it, you’ll find that
success is impossible to attain. Optimists are much more motivated to stick to their
chosen course of action, pursuing their goals when others might fall by the wayside.
Optimists are able to stick to their strategy even if they feel that they are treading water,
without succumbing to fears and worries that they might not eventually succeed.
When you’re optimistic, you’re able to keep putting one foot in front of the other, happy
to continue, even if the odds seem to be stacked against you or naysayers are trying to
discourage you.
You’re Less Likely to Let Failure Derail You
We all fail from time to time. The real judge of success is whether you get back up from
that failure and soldier on. Optimists are much more likely to get up, dust themselves
off, and continue on their merry way, counting the failure as a lesson learned.
Pragmatists and pessimists are more likely to take failure as a sign that they shouldn’t
bother continuing at all and throw in the towel. Obviously, that does not lead to success.
It seems that optimism actually breeds resilience, which is a character trait you will
definitely need as an entrepreneur. It insulates you against failure and doubt, while
allowing you to focus on what you can do next to get out of the failed situation.
Additionally, an optimistic point of view allows you to be more open minded and to
better think around corners, finding solutions to challenges that eventually limit the
number of failures you experience. In short, optimists are much less likely to fail than
those who don’t look on the bright side.
Ultimately, looking on the bright side not only makes your life more enjoyable, but it can
dramatically increase your chances of success.
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HACK #24: DON’T FALL INTO A ROUTINE

Human beings are creatures of habit. There is also a lot of value in creating a
repeatable daily routine. It allows you to take care of tasks and responsibilities without
really thinking too much about them. You get your day started and then just follow a
predetermined path - A, B, C, D - until you’re done.
However, there are some problems with this. A routine can be comforting, and it can
help with productivity, but it can also be stifling. It can be restrictive. It can blind you to
other, better ways of doing things. Ultimately, it leads to the “we do it this way because
we’ve always done it this way” mentality that can lock you into outmoded methods of
doing things, or even ways of thinking.
That is not to say that you should have no routine at all. Some structure is necessary,
particularly for entrepreneurs who might otherwise be distracted by new ideas, thoughts,
or processes. The best option is to strike a balance. You don’t want to be tightly bound
into a rigid daily routine that accounts for every minute of every day, but you also don’t
want to have no structure to your day.
We’ll call this creating a “minimally necessary structure” rather than a routine. Think of it
as a series of touchpoints or guide- posts that help you get from the beginning of your
day to the end. What sort of touchpoints should you have? There’s a lot of flexibility
here, which is vital, but some of the options you could embed in your day include the
following:
• Add in time to reflect and plan in the morning, either over coffee, while catching up on
email, or during your com- mute to work.
• Keep a diary that chronicles your ideas and actions. This can help you trace how you
got to one point from another when you lose track of it in the heat of the moment.
• Set goals for each and every day. They don’t need to be earthshaking. They don’t
even need to be major mile- stones. They just need to be goals that you can accomplish
and that matter to your life and your success.
• Start meditating. Meditation can provide you with greater focus, stress reduction, and
even allow you to visualize your path to success more clearly.
• Practice mindfulness. Living in each and every moment will make the journey to
ultimate success that much sweeter and more meaningful.
The right structure to your day can make you more effective, give you time to improve
yourself, and more. However, a rigid routine can blind you, make you complacent, and
be restrictive, curtailing your creativity and ability to innovate.
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HACK #25: LEARN TO LAUGH

“A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting
things done.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Humor is one of our most important traits as human beings. However, it is also
something that we share with other animals on our planet. From dogs to dolphins, it
seems that many different species have a sense of humor. There is good reason for
this, apparently. Learning to laugh, and laugh well, can have powerful benefits for your
life and your career.
How Humor Can Help
Not really sold on the idea that laughter can help improve your life? You’re not alone.
There are plenty of dour, wizened business owners who share that point of view, but if
you look at them, you’ll find that most of them suffer from a relatively low quality of life
and limited success in the business world.
In contrast, if you look at some of the most successful individuals in the world, you’ll find
that they almost universally possess a great sense of humor. This is true from Bill Gates
to Richard Branson and many others in between.
So, how does a sense of humor help improve your quality of life? What might it do to
improve your success?
First, it’s important to understand what humor actually is. It’s more than a great
one-liner. It’s bigger than a pie in the face, or a prat fall. According to Psych Central,
humor is “an advanced intellectual means of developing new perspectives and coping
with extreme circumstances”. So, like your skills and abilities, humor is a tool that allows
you to deal with the vagaries of business life.
Humor has many, many uses. It can:
• Help reduce stress and strain.
• Improve the immune system.
• Defuse fear and alleviate uncertainty.
• Reassure people.
• Help people relax around one another or in new situations.
• Cope with change or complications to a plan.
• Make connections with new people, or strengthen exist- ing connections.
Of course, there are useful types of humor and then there are types of humor that have
no place in the workplace. Mean- spirited humor, where you make someone else the
butt of your joke to their detriment, should never be used. In fact, it has been argued
that this is not actually humor, but a masked form of aggression similar to assault.
Instead, use self-deprecating humor, and humor that helps build others up rather than
tearing them down. Learn to laugh at yourself, as well, while finding humor and irony in
everyday situations. Laughter can heal, motivate, support and even buoy you and your
team during difficult times. Learn how to use it effectively and you’ll be more successful
(and definitely happier!).
46 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #26: READ, READ, AND READ SOME MORE

We’ve touched on reading a couple of times so far in this book, and for good reason. It’s
central to many other hacks, such as investing in yourself and becoming a lifelong
learner. However, reading has many other benefits that are not strictly related to
learning or self-improvement.
It’s important that you read. It’s important that you read voraciously. It’s also important
that you read as widely as possible.
You might think that the most important books for an entrepreneur are business
related, or about learning how to think or look at the world in new ways. You’re not
entirely wrong, but that is only part of the picture. You need to read books that have
nothing to do with business.
Take Mark Zuckerberg as your example. Back in 2015, he committed to reading a new
book every other week. He also formed the Year of Books book club where he
recommended a new book every two weeks to his fans. What did he read? Anything
and everything. His recommendations and reading list ranged from The End of Power
by Moisés Naim to On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss and the Beginning of
Infinity: Explanations that Transform the World by David Deutsch.
Follow Zuckerberg’s example. Or, if you’re not that big a fan of Facebook’s founder,
consider any of the following billionaires who credit their success to their ability and
willingness to read widely and voraciously:
• Elon Musk
• Charlie Munger
• Warren Buffet
• Bill Gates
• Oprah Winfrey
These are just a few of the mega-successful people in the world whose example you
can follow when it comes to reading. However, do more than just follow someone else’s
lead. Break out of the mold and find new genres to explore that help you learn about the
world, about humanity, about yourself, and about the nature of life itself.
48 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #27: CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR SLEEP

We discussed rearranging your sleep patterns in order to help you achieve greater
success, and touched on the importance of getting the right amount of sleep in a
previous hack. In this one, we’re going to double down on how vital it is that you get the
right amount and quality of shuteye. However, we’re going to explore how you can
create the right environment to foster good sleep.
The Steps You Need to Take
Getting the right amount of shuteye, and ensuring that you’re actually enjoying quality
rest, is harder than you might think. It may actually require you to break some of your
lifelong habits. Here are some of the most important steps to ensuring that your Z’s are
as restful and rejuvenating as possible.
• No Screens - Increasingly, research shows that the blue light emitted from
smartphones and tablets decreases production of melatonin in the body. This is the
hormone that makes you sleepy. There are many hacks that promise to help you get
around this, from screen filters to glasses, but the best tip is to just put down the
gadgets about 30 minutes before you go to bed.
• No TV - Do you go to sleep with the television on? It’s pretty common. Many of us
even believe that the light and noise help us sleep. The thing is that it’s not true. We’re
lying to ourselves. This is particularly true when it comes to the light, which actually
stimulates the brain even while you’re asleep, leading to more light sleep and less deep,
healing sleep.
• Cool Down - Sleep studies have found that humans sleep better when it is cooler in
their immediate environment. Turn down your thermostat so that you can chill out. Then,
bundle up well and enjoy a good rest.
• Trade in Your Mattress - Mattresses are expensive, particularly good ones. That
makes us want to get as much mileage as we can out of them. However, that often
leads to us sleeping on worn-out beds that rob our sleep of quality. If your mattress is
10 years old, it’s time to ditch it for a new one.
• Cut Out the Alcohol - While a drink or two might make you feel drowsy, it actually
reduces the quality of the sleep you do get, and it makes it harder to stay asleep
through the night. Cut out the alcohol, or at least limit your intake before bed.
• Get Exercise - Looking for a way to boost your sleep quality? Focus on getting in
some exercise in the afternoon or early evening. You’ll burn calories and wear out your
muscles, making it more likely that you’ll be able to stay asleep. However, avoid
exercising within an hour of your bedtime, as working out stimulates you in the short
term.
• Meditate - We’ve mentioned meditation several times thus far, and this won’t be the
last. Meditation can help you calm your racing mind, reduce your stress, and get sleepy,
helping you get to sleep faster.
• Have a Consistent Bedtime - This one can be challenging, particularly for new
entrepreneurs who are still trying to get things up and running. However, going to bed
within the same 30-minute window every night can help you get to sleep faster on a
regular basis and stay asleep throughout the night.
Use these hacks and get the quality sleep that you need to ensure focus, energy, and
clarity of thinking during the day.
50 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #28: MAKE USE OF FREE RESOURCES
Changing your life for the better requires that you read and improve yourself in a
number of ways. All of that can be quite costly. However, it does not have to mean
spending a fortune. In fact, with the right resources, you may not have to spend any
money at all, particularly when you’re just getting started as a budding entrepreneur.
Once you have your business up, running, and generating income, you can begin
looking into paid options. Where should you look for free resources, though? The
Internet is the answer, but a few specific locations will yield more results than others.
YouTube
One of the most important resources for any would-be entrepreneur is YouTube. From
TED Talks to how-to videos from today’s business leaders, you’ll discover a wealth of
learning opportunities through YouTube. And, while most of them will have video ads
that you must sit through to get to the meat of the topic, that’s a small price to pay for
free knowledge from some of today’s most successful leaders.
MIT
While MIT is definitely a tech-specific school, there are tons of things you can learn
here, and you don’t have to pay for it, either. You’ll find that MIT OpenCourseWare
gives you access to almost all of MIT’s course content at no cost whatsoever. While that
doesn’t come with the benefit of a professor for the human element, it does ensure that
you have access to all the base materials you’ll need to educate yourself.
Harvard
MIT is not the only major school to get in on the free education thing. You’ll find that you
can access almost all of the educational content taught by Harvard through what’s
called HarvardX. This makes it simpler than ever to get the education and knowledge
that you need in order to be successful.
Additional Options
If you’re looking for business courses specifically, and those led by a professor, but
you’re hoping to save a bit of cash, then you’ll discover a host of options out there. From
business writing to economics, financial accounting to business growth and business
culture improvement, there are tons of options. Most of these are offered through
big-name schools, like UC Berkeley, or Georgetown. You can find a list of 10 free
business courses put together by CNBC right here.
Again, there are tons of free resources available online to help you learn and build a
successful business. Most of them will not result in a diploma, but for an entrepreneur,
it’s the knowledge that really matters, as this is what allows you to forge ahead and
create a future on your own terms.
52 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #29: BUILD THE RIGHT NETWORK
Networking was something of a buzzword several years back, before social media took
over the notion. Today, the idea of building a network is once more gaining traction as
the luster of sites like Facebook and LinkedIn begin to fade a bit, or at least as they
become less dazzling and we can once again realize the importance of face-to-face
interaction. Build the right network to support your entrepreneurial efforts. Always
remember that it is not what you do, but who you know.
What’s in a Network?
First, let’s discuss online networking vs. offline networking. Both are valuable tools.
Using platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to build your professional success is not
optional. What we’re talking about here, though, is building success through an offline
network.
Once upon a time, before the Internet exploded and well before the rise of social
networks, business owners and entrepreneurs still needed a way to create beneficial
relationships with one another.
They would meet at mutually agreed upon local venues, such as the local chamber of
commerce. There, they would get to know one another. They would discuss their
strengths and weaknesses, their goals and challenges. They would make connections
with one another.
This was called “networking.”
Today, in-person networking is once more on the rise. It has changed very little from
what it once was, and is an excellent way for aspiring and current entrepreneurs to
make the connections that they need in order to succeed.
Why network face to face, though? Simply put, it gives you the means to build real,
lasting relationships with people you can help (and who can help you in return). You can
find any number of advantages to networking with other business owners in your area,
including advice and guidance, recommendations, and even synergistic relationships
that help build both businesses at the same time.
There is no time to waste in building relationships. Visit your local chamber of
commerce’s website and find out when their next local business owner networking
session is scheduled, and make plans to attend.
Be an Invaluable Connector
Building networks is a great thing. It gives you places to turn when you need to solve a
problem. However, there’s a lot of value in being the go-to person within your network,
too. Make yourself indispensable to your network members.
When you become a connector, you cement yourself as being one of the most
important people within the group. That importance comes not from what your business
offers or your net worth, but from what you can give back to the group.
54 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #30: FRUGALITY RULES ALL

It can be tempting to splurge on your business pursuits. After all, you get what you pay
for, right? Well, that might be true in some instances, and there might come a time in
your entrepreneurial life when spending big bucks is acceptable, but that time is likely
not now. For more business owners than you might suspect, frugality is a vital
consideration.
Why Does Frugality Matter?
Frugality is the art of saving money wherever possible. It is a core tenet of organizations
ranging from the Boy Scouts of America to religious sects. It also makes good business
sense. As an entrepreneur, it is essential that you keep your overhead as low as
possible. This allows you to build greater profitability, and bolster your success that
much faster. Every penny that is not spent to run your business can be reinvested in it
in some way.
There are plenty of ways to help make you more frugal, too. Not sure what those might
be? Consider a few of these options:
• Locate your business headquarters outside of expensive downtown areas.
• Rent smaller spaces for your business to reduce overhead.
• Allow and even encourage employees to telework and make your business a
remote-friendly location.
• If you’re not selling a physical product, skip the physical headquarters and run your
business out of your home, or your local coffee shop.
• Skip on unnecessary things - for instance, if public transit is well developed in your
area, there is little point in owning a car or paying for auto insurance.
• Make do with technology that works and do not upgrade until absolutely necessary.
Even then, don’t invest in the latest generation of a particular technology - go for the
outgoing one to save big bucks.
These are just a few of the ways that you can benefit from frugality without being
“cheap” and still bolstering your success.
56 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #31: MAKE TIME FOR HEALTH

We’ve touched on health a couple of times thus far in this book, particularly in relation to
sleep. However, we need to explore that in greater depth. One of the most important
hacks for any entrepreneur is to make time to take care of your health, and that goes
well beyond getting the right amount of shuteye.
Take a cue from Richard Branson - an incredibly successful individual well-known for
his high energy levels and tremendous stamina. He attributes that not to anything
within himself, but to the fact that he works out every single day.
With all that being said, it is incredibly challenging for business owners and
entrepreneurs to be health-focused. After all, you’re already spending almost all your
waking hours trying to build a successful business. That leaves little time for working
out. Thankfully, there are ways that you can avoid neglecting you physical body.
Simple Ways to Hack Your Workout
If you’re not really sure how to shoehorn a workout into your already jam-packed daily
schedule, don’t feel alone. In fact, most entrepreneurs find themselves facing the battle
of the bulge without any real idea of how they can win. Here are some simple habits,
hacks, and strategies to help you include physical activity in your daily routine:
• Get up 30 minutes early and use that time to walk, run, or engage in some other type
of cardio activity.
• Get a fitness tracker and track your steps daily - set an initial goal of getting 10,000
steps per day and then slowly increase that to a higher step count.
• Break your lunch into 30 minutes for eating and 30 minutes for exercise - walk
around the parking lot if nothing else.
• Bike to work if possible. Bike during your downtime, too.
• Walk everywhere you can, whether you’re on the way to work, going to the corner
store, or something else.
• Take the stairs, not the elevator.
• Track more than your weight - look at how your clothes fit, how you feel physically,
and how you feel about your body.
• Take a five-minute break every hour and walk around your office, or even your
workplace to get in some activity.
• Leave the office 30 minutes early so you can get in a walk, run, or other type of
exercise in the afternoon before closing out your evening at home.
• Get an accountability partner and hold one another accountable for your physical
activity each week, or even each day.
• Make physical activity a permanent part of your daily routine, whether in the morning,
afternoon, or evening. Once it becomes a habit, you will not have to think twice about
getting up and getting active.
The point is this - make time for physical activity. If you fail to do so, no amount of
success in life is going to make it worth the cost to your health.
58 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #32: LEARN HOW TO MEDITATE

Several hacks back, I mentioned that we were not done with the topic of meditation. It’s
time to delve into this Eastern practice that has grown so popular in Western culture
today, and discover what it is that it can offer the aspiring entrepreneur. What is
meditation? How does it benefit you and help you achieve success? How do you do it in
the first place?
What Is Meditation and Why Should You Care?
Chances are good that you’re familiar with meditation, at least in a passing fashion.
However, it’s just as likely that you really have no idea what it involves beyond someone
sitting on the floor, cross-legged, forefingers touching thumb-tips, while muttering “om
mani padme hum” to themselves.
Meditation is a powerful tool. It is used to help improve mental clarity, to improve focus,
and to relieve stress. It’s about getting in touch with the true you, crystalizing your
vision, and seeing the world and life for what they truly are. It’s akin to prayer, and
scientists the world over can attest to its power and versatility.
Why should you care about meditation and make an effort to integrate it into your daily
schedule? Here is just a partial list of what you can accomplish with a successful
meditation practice:
• Stress reduction
• Anxiety reduction
• Improving emotional health
• Improving self-awareness
• Improving attention span
• Reducing age-related memory loss
• Improving empathy and increasing kindness
• Help fighting addictions
• Improving sleep
• Controlling pain
• Decrease high blood pressure (hypertension)
As few as five minutes per day spent in meditation can help you enjoy these benefits
and many others. So, how do you go about meditating?
Meditation: A Brief How-To Guide
True meditation is a lifelong pursuit that can take decades to perfect. However, it takes
only minutes to get started. From that point, you can immediately begin noticing the
benefits. Mastery is not necessary to enjoy the perks offered here.
So, how do you get stated? Below, we’ll run through a brief crash course in getting
started. As a note, there are tons of books and even smartphone apps available that
can offer further help and guidance.
1. Choose a time, preferably one that you’ll be able to stick
with. 2. Choose a spot - a quiet place where you can be alone
while sitting comfortably. 3. Sit down. You’ll need to sit comfortably upright, although
some beginners find lying down more comfortable. 4. Close your eyes. 5. Take several
deep breaths in, inhaling through the nose
and exhaling through the mouth. 6. Focus your attention on your breathing. Feel the air
moving through your nostrils, down your throat, into your lungs, and then back out once
more. 7. Your mind will wander during your session. Let it. Let your thoughts come and
go like clouds on the summer sky. 8. Gently rein your thoughts back to your breathing,
making
your breath your home base.
60 | ADRIAN GEE
9. Keep this up for about five minutes, and then slowly open your eyes and become
aware of your surroundings once more. 10. Repeat this daily, and lengthen your
sessions as you
become more adept at meditation.
That’s it - meditation is simple, yet powerful, profound yet subtle. It can take a lifetime to
master, but delivers benefits with the very first session.
HACK #33: BE GRATEFUL

Volumes have been written over the power of gratitude to transform lives. However,
there is a notion that this self- improvement has little to do with achieving success in the
physical world. It’s relegated to the spiritual and emotional realms instead. The truth is
that all of these aspects are connected - we are whole individuals, not pieces.
Gratitude has an incredible power to transform all aspects of your life, including your
success as an entrepreneur. In addition to its tremendous transformative power, you’ll
find that gratitude can also deliver a host of important benefits that speak directly to your
ability to achieve your goals in life.
The Power of Gratitude
Gratitude is perhaps the single most powerful force in your life for positive change and
growth. It’s about appreciating things in your life - whether that’s your spouse, your
children, your parents, your customers, your faith in a higher power, or something else
completely. By focusing on feeling grateful for the good things in your life, you change
the conversation in your head to one of positivity, rather than negativity.
According to Merriam-Webster, gratitude is defined as, “the state of being grateful;
thankfulness”. According to Huffington Post contributor, author, and psychologist Dr.
Randy Kamen, explains, “cultivating personal attributes fortifies us during times of
adversity and emotional turmoil and leads to greater happiness and resilience.
Moreover, of all the attributes one can develop, gratitude is most strongly associated
with mental health. Gratitude is our motion that relates to our ability to feel and express
thankfulness and appreciation.”
62 | ADRIAN GEE
Grateful people have been shown to enjoy better physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual health, as well. It is for this reason that you need to focus on becoming a more
grateful person. It does more than just cause feelings of gratitude to well up within you.
It connects us to the world around us in unique new ways, including connecting us to
other people.
The Benefits of Gratitude
Modern science has discovered that gratitude has a way of augmenting and amplifying
other emotions, particularly happiness and contentment. This allows it to create
dramatic effects on our health that can last for very long periods. Some of the benefits
of cultivating a sense of gratitude in yourself include:
• Improved mental health
• Improved emotional well-being
• Improved social well-being
• Greater happiness and a better sense of optimism
• Improved feelings of connectedness to other people
• Greater sense of empathy
• Improved self-esteem and a heightened sense of self- confidence
• Improved energy levels
• Improved determination
• Greater mental and physical alertness
• Reduced pain and discomfort
• Improved ability to focus on and achieve personal and professional goals
• Improved ability to create and then sustain relationships, both personal and
professional
• Improved physical health and wellness
• An improved sense of generosity
• Improved emotional intelligence
• Improved academic intelligence
• Decreased stress
• Decreased depression
• Improved likelihood to exercise and take care of ourselves physically, including
eating better and getting more sleep
• Improved immune system operation and resistance to bacteria and viruses
• Decreased blood pressure
The list above is only a partial one, and all of these benefits have been established by
science. It’s a pretty powerful reason to consider cultivating a sense of gratitude in your
own life.
64 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #34: DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE YOURSELF

When you think about successful business owners and entrepreneurs, what comes to
mind first in terms of their interests and hobbies? If you’re like most of us, you give
those little thought. You’re more focused on their accomplishments than who they are
under the business suit.
For too many people, the idea of success is bound up in some sort of false societal
norm in terms of behavior and personality. We look at successful people and we see
just the success, just the polished veneer presented to society at large. We don’t look
beneath the surface, which gives us a false impression of who these individuals are. It
can also make you afraid to be yourself when it comes to pursuing success. You’re
trapped into thinking that you need to fit some preconceived mold of how an
entrepreneur should act, what they should be interested in, and how they handle their
lives.
Here’s the thing - many of the most successful entrepreneurs march to the beat of their
own drummer. They have unique interests and hobbies. Some of them are downright
odd. But that does not stop them from living life on their own terms. They are not afraid
to be themselves, and you should not be, either.
You’ll find there are lots of benefits to being yourself, even if that self is somewhat
strange by society’s norms. Being yourself is freeing, and it builds both self-confidence
and self-esteem. When you are able to see your interests as having value simply
because they are part of you, the conversation in your head changes and you begin to
worry less about what other people will think if they find out you like to knit, or that you
collect vintage troll dolls, while focusing more on how you can lead your team to
success.
Want some concrete examples of recognizable business leaders with off-the-wall habits
just to prove that you’re in good company? Here you go:
• Warren Buffet plays the ukulele, and even teaches others how to play the diminutive
instrument.
• Henry Ford restored old buildings in an attempt to create museum-like towns.
• Elon Musk collects James Bond memorabilia.
• Thomas Edison followed fad diets.
• Bill Gates focuses on collecting rare books.
• Walt Disney collected model trains large and small.
• Nicola Tesla cared for wild pigeons, going so far as to hire someone to feed the birds
that flocked to his apartment when he became too sick to do so himself.
These are just a few examples. Others include Mark Zuckerberg, Bob Parsons, Thomas
J. Watson, and countless others. If these magnates of the business world can feel free
to be themselves, so can you.
66 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #35: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUCCESSFUL

PEOPLE
How often do you think about the effect of your inner circle on the direction your life
takes? It’s a profound question, and one that many of us give little thought to. There is a
direct correlation between these two seemingly different things.
If you take a look at some of the world’s most successful people, you’ll find that their
closest friends are also very successful. That’s not happenstance. That’s not random
chance. It’s cause and effect.
If you surround yourself with driven people motivated to find success for themselves,
you’re more likely to do so yourself. You’re also more likely to inspire your friends to
greater heights. Creative, driven people feed off one another. They support one
another. Their examples encourage others to push toward new heights.
The opposite is also true. Those who are not driven to succeed tend to pull you back.
Their example, guidance and counsel can lead to you forgoing your dreams and
forsaking your ambitions.
As Gerard Adams, a self-made millionaire and entrepreneur, wrote in an article for
Entrepreneur magazine, “The people we choose to surround ourselves with impact the
way we think, act, and feel on a day-to-day basis. In many ways, entrepreneurial
success is determined much like success in any other aspect of life. A young football
player is going to succeed if he surrounds himself with people who push him to become
better, not people who distract him from his potential.”
Surround yourself with those who:
• Are passionate about what they do and what they want out of life.
• Have positive, upbeat attitudes.
re relentless workers who care about quality and value hard work.
• A
• W ho question everything in an effort to improve processes, products, and services.
• W ho have high-flying dreams and are committed to pursuing those dreams.
68 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #36: DO WHAT YOU LOVE

This hack is actually a bit controversial. There is a massive ongoing argument between
some of the most intelligent people in the business world whether you should do what
you love, or whether you should love what you do. Really, they’re two sides of the same
coin, but let’s break the argument down.
Do What You Love
Doing what you love is more than just a catchy phrase for a motivational poster. It’s
sage advice. If you don’t do what you love, then you’re eventually going to get burned
out on it and want a change. So, make sure that your work involves something that you
love, whether that’s transforming a hobby into a nation- spanning business or exploring
your different ideas for businesses, and then selling them as they achieve success, so
you can move on to the next one.
The argument against this is that if you do what you love, then whatever that is
eventually becomes “work”. For instance, if you were able to take your hobby and
leverage that into a successful business, this thinking says that your joy in that activity
would eventually be diminished. Anything can get “old” when you do it day in and day
out.
Love What You Do
Loving what you do is exactly what it sounds like. Proponents of this way of thinking
urge you to find something that you love about what you already do, even if that is not
something that you already loved. It’s similar to finding the silver lining in a bad
situation, or making the best of a situation.
The argument against this is that if you’re forcing yourself to find something that you
love about your work, then chances are good you’re in the wrong line of work to begin
with. It’s more like settling than success.
The Truth
So, which of these two disparate ways of looking at the situation is correct? Actually,
they both are. Love what you do until you can do what you love is what most
entrepreneurs actually do. Follow your instincts. Your gut is usually right in these
instances. Start small and work your way up until you’re doing something that you truly
love.
70 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #37: DEFINE YOUR SUCCESS BY HAPPINESS

This is one of the single most important hacks in this book. Your notion of success will
determine many things about your career, and even your entire life. You need to make
sure you’re using the right yardstick to measure your success.
What does success mean to you? When will you know if you have achieved it? If you
were to ask 10 entrepreneurs the same question, you would probably receive several
different answers. Among those might be:
• Achieving a sought-after level of wealth
• Earning more than a competitor
• Being able to afford a nice home and all the best for their families
All of those reasons are tied to wealth. And, to be honest, many entrepreneurs get
started because they’re lured in by the thought of building their wealth. Here’s the
problem, though. Money doesn’t really indicate success, and the most successful
entrepreneurs don’t use their wealth as a yardstick to measure how successful they are.
So, if wealth isn’t a direct indicator of how successful a business owner is, what should
you use? Happiness is the answer. The most successful people in the world gauge their
success by how happy they are.
In this way of thinking, someone who was happy, but only earned $40,000 per year
would be far more successful than someone who earned $300,000 per year but who
was unhappy. Being happy does not mean that you cannot strive for more. It doesn’t
mean that you just stop being an entrepreneur and rest on your laurels. It means that
you’re happy with what you have in life, and that you would be just as happy regardless
of your wealth.
HACK #38: DON’T MAKE EXCUSES

What do you do when things go wrong? What is your go-to when an action doesn’t yield
the anticipated outcome? If your first thought is to make an excuse, then you’re in need
of a new mindset. Successful people don’t make excuses. They make things work.
“Wait,” you say. “I’m not making an excuse. I’m highlighting the reason that this action
failed.” Are you really? That’s doubtful. Too many of us think that we’re citing a reason
when all we’re doing is making excuses. How do you tell the difference?
The Difference between Excuses and Reasons
The simple difference between an excuse and a reason is this: a reason can be an
excuse, but an excuse cannot always be a reason.
With a reason, you’re attempting to determine the actual cause of something - what
really made a process breakdown, or why a plan went awry. With an excuse, you’re
simply looking to shift the blame away from yourself.
So, to tell whether or not you’re making excuses, look at where you’re trying to shift the
focus. If that focus is anywhere other than yourself, then chances are very good that
you’re making an excuse, rather than finding the underlying reason that something went
wrong.
Don’t make excuses. Whether your plan or decision worked out well or went horribly
wrong, own it. Own your actions. Own your successes and your failures. Take
responsibility for what happened. Be accountable for your role in the situation.
72 | ADRIAN GEE
By taking responsibility, you change the conversation. Excuses bring forward
momentum to a halt. Reasons (and accountability/responsibility) allow you to start
moving forward once more. You find the true reason that something happened, even if it
was 100% your fault, and then you take corrective action. It ensures forward
momentum, growth, and adaptation so that the problem doesn’t occur again.
HACK #39:
FIND A MENTOR
Once upon a time, anyone who wanted to go into a skilled trade

was first required to become an apprentice. During this period,
they learned the rudiments of their trade and began to hone
their skills.
After they achieved enough proficiency, they were graduated to
the journeyman status. Then, after years more work and effort,
they were acknowledged as masters of their trade. This process
is still used today in many fields, such as sheet metal and pipe
fitting. However, there is no such correlation with the world of
business ownership and entrepreneurship. Or is there?
Actually, there is - mentorship is very similar to apprenticeship
in many ways. It also offers the same benefits. You’re able to
learn the ropes from someone who has not only been where you
are now, but who has gone on to achieve success, as well.
Mentors can offer you a lot of benefits. Chances are good you can
think of a few right off the top of your head, such as:
• Connections with others
• Contacts in and out of an industry
• Shortcuts to success
Yes, those are benefits, but they are not the most valuable things
you’ll gain by working with a mentor, at least if you find the right
mentor. Ideally, you’ll work with a leader who is honest about
their own path to the top and the pitfalls they encountered along
the way.
Really, the contacts and connections you make are secondary in
value to the lessons you will learn. The right mentor will share
what went wrong, when, and why it happened. Then, they will
help you understand what was needed to turn things around.

You must be able to learn from a mentor’s successes, but also
their failures.
Find yourself a mentor who is confident enough to be completely
transparent with you about their successes and their failures.
There are always two sides to a path to success, and no one
achieves success without encountering a few problems along the
way.
76 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #40:
SET THE BAR HIGHER
What will you do when you reach success? Will you retire?
Throw in the towel and call it quits? Chances are good that you
won’t even remotely want to be finished then. You’ll reinvent
yourself and keep going. The same concept should be followed
when your work finally meets your current set of standards.
Don’t call it good enough - keep pushing forward and set the bar
higher.
You work toward creating a product or service with a specific set
of expectations in mind, whether that’s product quality, service
speed, customer satisfaction, or something completely different.
When you finally reach those standards, don’t settle. Doing so
means that you’re done. It is a signal that real growth and
evolution is finished and you’re just going to be trying to
replicate that success from here on out.
Truly successful entrepreneurs realize the lie at the heart of that
notion. It’s not product or service perfection. It’s stagnation. It’s
death by inches. To save yourself and your business, you need to
act.
Once you reach the pinnacle of your expectations, double them.
When you reach those, double them again. Realize that there is
no such thing as “perfect” and only the pursuit of better matters.
“Good enough” is not what you want to be known for. Celebrate
what you have achieved, then set your bar higher and keep
going.
HACK #41:
SAY NO TO GOOD ENOUGH
We have quite a few adages that all mean pretty much the same
thing.
“Close enough for government work.”
“We’re in the ballpark.”
“We’re close.”
Each of those phrases simply means “good enough”. As an
entrepreneur, you need to delete those words from your lexicon.
Forget that you ever heard them. Good enough never is. Say no
to the notion that you’ve achieved a “good enough” product or
service.
Think about it this way: Does Apple stop introducing new
features, functions, and even form factors for their devices
because the previous model was “good enough”? No. Does
Brooks stop redesigning and redefining their running shoes
because the current model is “good enough”? Again, no.
So, why would you settle for good enough in your own efforts?
Realize that giving 100% all the time is what breeds success.
True winners don’t call it quits because what they had achieved
was good enough. They don’t settle for bronze because it’s fine
and almost as good as gold. No, they keep pushing until they win
the ultimate prize.
You need to do the same thing. However, don’t let the idea of
“good enough never is” crystalize into fear that prevents you
from putting out a product in the first place. Find a minimal
viable product (or service), launch it, and then do it again, each
time iterating and innovating to build something better and
more valuable than what came before.
78 | ADRIAN GEE
Don’t settle for less than greatness. Never think that what you
have is good enough. There is always a way to make it better,
cheaper, more durable, more widely available, or to improve it in
some other way.
HACK #42:
BE RESPECTFUL
There’s a notion that successful entrepreneurs must be cutthroat

in their approach to life. That you need to step on others in order
to reach the top. Here’s the thing - you can take that path, but
you’ll likely find that your achievements are empty if you’ve
done nothing but tear others down in order to build yourself up.
The answer to this is to be respectful of others.
How do you do that, though? In our modern world, the very idea
of respect is muddied and dim. It makes it challenging to figure
out what you need to do if you’re intent on earning success while
being respected and being respectful of others. Here’s a quick list
of ways you can be respectful of others that will encourage them
to respect you in return:
• Be polite. Say thank you and you’re welcome. This applies
not just to higher ups or to potential business partners,
but to everyone you meet in life, from CEOs to clerks at
the grocery store.
• Appreciate others with whom you interact. Show that
appreciation by paying attention to what they have to say.
• Contribute to the success of others. If you really want to
be successful, you need to build up others on your way to
the top.
• Put down the cell phone. There are few things more
disrespectful than picking up your phone or tapping
through apps while someone else is speaking.
• Listen to understand, not to respond. Too many of us
listen for no other reason than so that we can respond
with our own view. We have stopped listening in an at-

tempt to understand. Change that in your own life.
80 | ADRIAN GEE
• Don’t always need to be right. No one is always correct,
and if you present yourself as if you are, you’re in a no-

win situation in which you’ll lose the respect of the very
people from whom you need it most.

• Be authentic. Inauthenticity is the death knell of respect.
That means don’t suck up. Don’t brown nose. Be genuine
with those you meet and with whom you interact.
HACK #43:
AVOID THE EASY ROAD
You have two options when building a business - the hard road,
or the path of least resistance. Choose the latter every time.
Why? There are plenty of reasons. Let’s look at some of the most
important.
1. It’s More Rewarding
One reason you should take the harder course is because it is
more rewarding. This relates primarily to your business. If it’s
harder to do, then chances are good that there are fewer other
entrepreneurs doing it. Less competition means more ability to
dominate and better profitability off the bat. Plus, you can build a
reputation as something of a pioneer or risk taker.
2. It’s More Satisfying
Another reason to avoid the path of least resistance is that taking
the harder route is more personally and professionally
satisfying. No self-respecting entrepreneur is going to feel good
about themselves if they continually take the easy way out. It’s
not in your nature. You thrive on challenge, and that comes from
doing the harder thing, rather than takin the easy road.
3. It’s a Better Use of Your Time
Within your business, anyone can handle the easy things. So, you
taking care of those is not a good use of your time. Pay someone
else to do them, whether you hire an employee or outsource, and
keep your time reserved for real challenges that need your
experience, expertise, or doggedness.
4. It Allows You to Focus on Your Next Challenge
Avoiding the easy route allows you to offload simple, easy to
complete tasks to other people, while you focus on your next
challenge or your next big idea. This is the concept behind
82 | ADRIAN GEE
starting a business, building it up to sustainability, and then
selling it in a nutshell. The creation and building up are the hard
parts - running it once all the systems are in place is easy.
Take the harder road and leave the easy tasks to others.
HACK #44:
AVOID NEGATIVE PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS
Before we dive into this topic in too much detail, let us set
something straight. Negative experiences are going to happen.
They must be pushed through, not run away from. What we are
talking about in this hack is the association with negative people,
or negative situations that you have some control over.
They need to be avoided - eliminated, even.
We touched on the power of the negative in the previous hack on
self-talk. Negative thoughts can exert an immense amount of
influence over your personal and professional life. Here, we’re
discussing external forces, though - people and situations
outside of you, but that can still influence your success (or lack
thereof).
It is important to notice who the “downers” are in your inner
circle, as well as within your employees if and when you begin
hiring. Naysayers, those who immediately look on the negative
side, and those who would prefer to discourage rather than
encourage, should all be excised - cut away so that they cannot
poison the healthy tissue of a thriving business.
This can be more challenging when it comes to situations. Some
do need to be endured. Others will need to be avoided from the
outset. Surround yourself with others who have a positive
outlook and who see the best in things, and you’ll be able to
avoid many of those negative situations.
Again, this applies to more than just your inner circle. Your
employees, and even your business partners, should all be vetted
based on their innate positivity or negativity. Saddling yourself
with a negative person will ultimately drag you and the entire
enterprise down.
84 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #45:
SET ALARMS FOR EVERYTHING
We’ve explored the idea of turning your to-do list into calendar
items. This hack is in the same vein, but it is a bit more proactive.
Calendar reminders are easy to ignore, or miss outright if you’re
not really paying attention to your device. Alarms are another
matter altogether.
If there are must-accomplish things that you need to handle
during your day, put it in your calendar, but also set an alarm for
it. Choose the loudest, most obnoxious alarm sound in your
phone for it, too. Make sure that your phone is not on mute, or
this will do you little good. Obviously, you’ll need to work around
your schedule in terms of things like your MIT or any time
you’ve set aside during the day to focus on tasks without
interruptions.
Setting alarms offers more benefits than simply ensuring that
you don’t miss important things on your schedule. It can actually
free up brain power for other tasks. Rather than delegating
neurons to remembering tasks that you need to perform, you are
able to get your entire brain to focus on what you’re doing.
Set alarms for anything important that must be accomplished
during the day. Less important tasks require just a calendar
reminder. Depending on your device or calendar app, you may
be able to set different alarms or alerts for different tasks and
different priorities, further allowing you to lighten your
cognitive load and focus on building your business.
HACK #46:
CREATE YOUR SCHEDULE IN RELATED CHUNKS
As entrepreneurs, we tend to bounce back and forth between

different tasks. That’s natural - you’re pulled one way by one
responsibility, then another by a different circumstance. You
likely also schedule your day and even your week out in a way
that reflects this.
That’s a mistake. You should actually be creating your daily and
weekly schedule in related chunks. What does that mean? It’s
pretty simple.
Suppose you have 10 calls that need to be made during a given
week. It’s natural to try to add those calls to your schedule to fill
in the cracks, a call here, and a call there. This is actually a waste
of time.
What you should do is schedule all 10 of those calls during a
single afternoon. This allows you to move from call to call,
completing those responsibilities all in the same day, and
streamlining the rest of your week. By “chunking” your schedule
in this way, you create blocks of time where you’re able to work
with the most efficiency, moving from one related task to
another until the entire chunk is complete.
In addition to improving efficiency, you also improve your
mental power and your energy levels. For instance, if you take a
call with a client, then go over your list of materials needed for
an upcoming job, place a bid on work, answer three emails, and
then call a vendor about a supply shortage, your energy level will
be depleted before lunch and your mental focus will be shot.
To improve efficiency, maintain good energy levels, and improve
your focus, chunk your schedule.
86 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #47:
SAVE MORE THAN YOU SPEND
We explored the concept of frugality in a previous hack, and this
one is related, but different. It applies more to entrepreneurs
who are looking to break out of the shackles of their 9-to-5 grind,
but it also applies to those who have their business idea up and
running.
Save more than you spend. In almost all situations, saving more
money than you have going out will provide you with financial
stability and peace of mind. However, there’s more to it, as well.
It’s also about ensuring that you have the ability to take risks
financially speaking.
Think about it this way. Leaving your current job to pursue
success on your own terms is risky professionally. However, the
financial risks far outweigh any others. In fact, more would-be
entrepreneurs fail to get off the starting block because of
financial reasons than any other cause.
If you cannot stomach the financial risk inherent with starting a
new business (e.g. not earning a paycheck for a year or so), then
you are obviously not in a position to take that risk. By taking the
time now to start creating mental practices and lifestyle factors
that allow you to save more than you spend, you help ensure
that you have the financial solidity to stomach those risks and
make the leap to being an entrepreneur.
You will also find that by changing how you spend, you also
change your outlook on life. The peace of mind that comes from
knowing you can weather a financial storm builds confidence
and helps you maintain a positive outlook.
HACK #48:
ESTABLISH YOUR PERSONAL BRAND ONLINE
We have been conditioned to think that branding relates solely

to businesses. Nike, Apple, McDonald’s - these companies all
have definable, measurable, knowable brands. However, you
have one, as well, and you need to begin building it as soon as
possible.
In the past, building your personal brand took a lot of time and
effort. It was tied to your work ethic, and your results in the
workplace. Today, things are a bit different. You can use the
Internet to help you create this essential tool. By doing so, you
let other people know who you are, what you stand for, what
they can expect when they interact with you, and even set the
tone for things to come.
So, how do you go about building your personal brand online?
There are tons of ways, and many of them cost you nothing but a
bit of time. Below, we’ll run through just a few examples of how
you can start creating your personal brand right now:
• Answer questions in user groups, forums, or social
network groups that are related to your specialty or field
of knowledge.
• Answer questions on Quora and similar online platforms.
• Share important information from reputable sources with
your audience on Facebook and Twitter.
• Get active on LinkedIn and interact with other people.
• Write blog posts related to topics of interest in your field
of interest or specialty to help inform others and then
make sure to share those through social media, too.
• Comment on the posts of others - thank them for their
insight, answer their questions, and generally be a good
human.
88 | ADRIAN GEE
These steps will get you started. There are plenty of other ways
to cement your brand once you’ve started building it, from
creating the right website to email marketing and everything in
between.
HACK #49:
LEAVE ROOM FOR YOU
We’ve created something of a toxic entrepreneurial culture here

in the US. We take the view that we need to work hard to build
our brands and businesses. We need to be focused and
dedicated, unrelenting in our fierce pursuit of success. However,
what is success worth if you don’t have time to really enjoy
anything along the way?
Make time for you. Leave room for downtime. Shoehorn in a
little bit of time each day to do something that has nothing to do
with your business or entrepreneurship at all. Leaving no time
for yourself can lead to a host of problems, such as:
• Burnout
• Poor decision making
• Clouded judgement
• Poor health
• Low motivation
• Loss of optimism
By scheduling in some time to relax and actually enjoy your life,
it is possible to strategically recharge your batteries while still
pushing forward almost completely. How do you “strategically”
build in downtime?
• Take a full hour for lunch on days with hectic morning
tasks.
• Turn off your phone after 7 PM.
• Don’t check work emails after 7 PM.
• Plan activities that rejuvenate you after a long, stressful
week.
There are tons of other options. Just remember that it’s about
the long game, not the short-term. While you might be able to
push through right now, it is not sustainable over the long term.
Create a schedule that allows you to rest, recharge and enjoy life.
90 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #50:
STAY HUMBLE
Your goal as an entrepreneur is to find success, whatever that

means for you, personally and professionally. As you build your
success, your confidence will rise. You’ll move from being a new
entrepreneur to being a seasoned pro.
Along with that comes ego. It’s natural. You start to see yourself
as being accomplished. It becomes possible to see others as
somehow less worthy, or that you are somehow better than they
are because of what you have achieved. The higher your success
moves, the greater the boost to your ego. Eventually, you begin
to distance yourself from mere mortals.
Don’t fall into that trap. Letting your ego grow too large is the
first step toward failure. Pride follows ego, and we all know what
pride goes before.
That does not mean you should not take pride in what you have
accomplished. Do that. Just do not let pride come to dominate
your thinking.
Avoiding the pitfall of ego takes care, and it takes constant
action. This becomes more and more important the more
successful you become. Fight back against that inclination.
Remember where you came from. Give back to those who have
not yet reached your level of success. Stay open. More than
anything else, stay humble.
HACK #51:
GIVING UP IS NOT AN OPTION
Usually, the mantra being preached is that “failure is not an

option”. That’s untrue. Failure is always an option, and it is
always possible. Sometimes, it’s even a good thing. You simply
pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going when that
happens. Really, the only thing that should not be an option is
giving up.
Being an entrepreneur can be tough. It can be very lonely. It can
be incredibly frustrating. At times, it can feel as though it is just
you against the entire world. Don’t give up during those dark
moments. There is always a light on the other side.
Remember that every failure makes you stronger. Every setback
helps you refine your offering that much more. Every misstep
allows you to refine and improve. As long as you can keep
putting one foot in front of the other, it doesn’t matter.
We all fail. Over and over and over again. It’s part and parcel of
being human, and you need to expect that it will happen to you
no matter how brilliant your idea might be or how innovative
your processes are. Accept that. Breathe it in and make it part of
you. That way, when failure does happen, you won’t be tempted
to give up.
If you find yourself tempted to throw in the towel, consider
doing the following:
• Find a mentor who has been in the same position and can
provide advice and guidance.
• Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs who can
help you see the light beyond the current crisis, or even
offer help.
92 | ADRIAN GEE
• Build relationships with as many different people as
possible so that you have access to insight and infor-

mation when needed.
• Create a support network of professionals with comple-

mentary skills to help offset your weaknesses.
Ultimately, it’s all about creating the right environment, support
group, and connections to necessary to help you keep moving
forward.
HACK #52:
BE EXCITED ABOUT YOUR MORNING
One of the best ways to ensure that you have a great day is to
start it with a sense of excitement. If you go to bed already
thinking about the day to come (with eagerness, not dread), you
wake up already motivated and ready to take on whatever might
come your way. So, how do you get excited about your morning?
Here are just a few ideas:
• Plan a Great Breakfast: Even if you’re not a foodie, you
can get excited about a great breakfast. What breakfast
foods make you happiest? Are you a chicken and waffles
kind of person? Prefer your pancakes with whipped
cream rather than syrup? Bacon and eggs more your
deal? Whatever it is, plan something exciting to eat to
help motivate you in the morning.
• Get Some Exercise: Working out releases feel-good
endorphins in the brain, allowing you to change your
mindset and get to the office in a great mood. You can also
burn off some calories from that big breakfast, and work
on keeping your body, mind, and spirit happy and
healthy.
• Start with Something Meaningful: We can meet the day in
a better place if we do something that we find meaningful
to start it off. Read the Bible. Meditate if you’d rather.
Read about someone who inspires you. Sit down and have
a real conversation with your spouse. It can be almost an-

ything - just make sure that whatever it is, it has real
meaning for you.

By getting yourself excited about the morning, that feeling
carries over into the rest of your day. Repeated over time, this
can help you build a positive mindset that supports you
throughout life.
94 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #53:
GET A STANDING DESK
It should come as no surprise that a sedentary life is incredibly

harmful to your health. However, that applies to more than just
being a couch potato at home. Most of us sit at desks for the
majority of our workday, and that is just as unhealthy as coming
home and crashing on the sofa for the rest of the evening. A
standing desk can help you stay healthier and more motivated.
A standing desk is exactly what it sounds like - a desk made to be
adjustable so you can move from sitting to standing and back
again. You can move it up or down throughout the day to fit your
needs and your energy levels. You will find both manual and
power options on the market. The only real difference here,
other than the jump in price from manual to motorized, is the
amount of effort needed to raise the desk from the sitting
position to standing position.
When choosing your desk, consider other things in addition to
manual or motorized. Think about the size of the desk - many
standing desks are larger than standard desks. You also need to
think about things like drawers, where you’ll place your
keyboard, and the like. The vast majority of standing desks out
there are little more than tables, meaning that you have less
storage space, and that typing may be less ergonomic than what
you’re used to with a keyboard drawer.
You can also find options that can convert your current desk into
a standing model, although this does require some work and
likely isn’t doable with all conventional desks. If you’re stuck for
options and not sure how to proceed, then Fast Company’s
standing desk buying guide is right up your alley.
HACK #54:
USE COFFEE SHOPS AS YOUR WORKPLACE
Need to get out of the house? Don’t have the space at home for
your entrepreneurial pursuits, but can’t afford to rent office
space? The solution is simple - use a coffee shop as your
temporary workplace. These public spaces have long been used
by freelance writers and authors for exactly that purpose.
However, you’ll need to know a thing or two in order to make
the best use of these locations.
Find a Corner - Sit with your back to a corner so that you can see
the rest of the coffee shop, but others cannot see what you are
working on.
Take or Make a Friend - Having someone with you gives you an
ally who can watch your gear if you need to go to the counter for
a refill or you need to hit the restroom.
Choose Carefully - If possible, go to a larger coffee shop. There is
more room inside and the staff will be less likely to hurry you
out if things get crowded.
The Right Location Matters - Make sure the table you choose has
a power outlet located nearby so that you can power up your
devices, charge your phone, and stay productive.
The Chair Matters - Look for a location with a large, comfortable
chair. You’ll want to change position throughout the day and
that’s easier to do with a bigger chair, rather than a stool.
Hydrate - Just because you’re setting up in a coffee shop, don’t
assume that you need to drink their beverage du jour all day.
Bring water (or buy it) so you can stay hydrated and lubricate
your mind.
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If you’re in need of workspace outside the house, but cannot
afford an office just yet, these tips will help you make the best
use of your available assets.
HACK #55:
KEEP YOUR EMAILS BRIEF
We’ve discussed just how much time we lose each day dealing
with email and talked about ways to help reduce that time suck.
However, you can do more while still answering those messages.
The solution? Keep your responses super brief.
You might not think it is possible, but you can usually keep the
reply to an email at around the length of an old-school tweet -
140 characters. This gives you just enough length to get to the
point, but nothing extra.
You might worry that you’ll come across as terse or unfriendly,
but that’s not the case. In fact, the other party will likely
appreciate your brevity, as it also allows them to get on with
their day.
Finally, there’s the fact that if you cannot distill your email down
into 140 characters, there is something else going on. It is
possible that you’re not entirely sure what you are trying to say,
in which case you need to stop, compose your thoughts, and then
proceed when you have them in order. It is also possible that if
the reply cannot be 140 characters in length, then the subject is
not suited for email. Try a phone call or a face-to-face conversa-

tion.
98 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #56:
BARTER FREE WORK FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
LEARN
We all have people we look up to in life. It might be a successful

business person. It could be a college professor. It could be a
childhood hero. Whatever the case, there are people we would
all love to work with and learn from, but we simply never get the
opportunity. That might be just because you haven’t tried this
hack.
If there is someone you want to work with and learn from so
badly that it makes your teeth ache, offer to work for them free
of charge. Put yourself into the role of an intern and do what
needs to be done. Just don’t worry about the pay.
Many people will balk at this. If it’s not a paid position, then you
shouldn’t do the work, right? You’ve come too far to start giving
away your work. You’re too old to go back to being an intern. If
those are your thoughts, then you will never learn from the
individual in question.
Think of it this way - you’re being paid, just not in money. You’re
earning information, training, insight, and knowhow. Or, you can
look at it as you’re the one doing the paying. You’re paying for
that individual’s expertise by working for it. Money isn’t the only
thing of value.
HACK #57:
BE MINDFUL
Want to really ramp up your success? Live in the here and now.
Most of us live either in the past or the future. We’re either
regretting something we did, or longing for the way things used
to be. We’re either comparing how things are now to the way
they’re going to be when we get what we want, or we’re doing
our best to ignore the present because of the promise of the
future.
Both the past and the future are lies. The past is gone. It’s dead.
The future has not arrived, and it never will. All you really have
in this life is this single moment. By focusing on either the past
or the future, you sacrifice the now - your life - for something
that does not really exist.
If you want to be truly successful, you need to practice
mindfulness - the art of living in the present moment by being
totally, completely here. It is a lot like meditation, and there are
entire meditation practices built around the concept.
At its root, mindfulness is nothing more nor less than the
profound concept of being alive in the present moment. When
you eat, just eat. When you relax, just relax. When you drive, just
drive.
Driving actually presents us with a great example of the opposite
of mindfulness. Chances are good that you have been behind the
wheel and arrived at your destination without any clear memory
of how you got there. You drove on autopilot. It was mindless,
not mindful. You went away somewhere and lost that time
completely.
Don’t put your life on autopilot. Don’t sacrifice the present for
the past or future. Live in the here and now.
100 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #58:
FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING WHEN THE WORLD
RUNS OUT OF CONTROL
We’ve all been there before. A situation picks up speed, and

things get faster and faster. Maybe you’re dealing with a
business partner who just refuses to see things your way.
Perhaps it is a critical vendor who is being problematic. It could
be a customer or client - anyone, really. As things spiral further
and further out of control, you feel that loss.
Take three deep, slow breaths.
If life itself seems to be moving too fast for you, with events
coming at you rapid-fire, slow them down. Take three deep, slow
breaths.
When it feels like your day is about to fly into pieces, or when
your life is becoming so stressful that you just cannot see a way
out, take three deep, slow breaths.
Focus on those breaths. Feel the air flow past your nostrils,
through your nasal passages, down your airway. Feel your lungs
inflate, and your abdomen rise. Push all other thoughts out of
your mind, and just focus on your breath.
Take time to just breathe. The world will slow down, and you’ll
be able to take control once more. Reinforce those breaths with
the realization that right now is all you have - the present
moment is all that exists.
HACK #59:
SMILE MORE
At the root of every human action is the desire to be happy. That

is, ultimately, all we want, although our happiness may not look
like someone else’s. If you want to be happy, one of the most
powerful hacks is this - smile.
Smiling is one of the only human activities that has the same
meaning across all cultures. Not even kissing can claim that. It is
also one of the most powerful things you can do. A simple smile
uplifts your spirit, changes your physical appearance to be more
attractive, and affects those around you.
A simple smile can turn a tense situation into something more
relaxed, and it can even have therapeutic effects, such as
reducing stress and stress-hormones in the body. Even faking a
smile can have profound physical, mental, and emotional effects
on your body.
So, smile. Make it your mission to smile at several different
people each day, even if you don’t know them. Smile at drivers
who pass you on your morning jog. Smile at the barista pouring
your morning java. Smile at the cashier at the grocery store.
Get up and put on your smile, and you might be surprised at not
just how good you feel throughout the day, but what you are able
to accomplish. It’s incredibly motivating and satisfying.
102 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #60:
BE A WHOLE PERSON
We talk about work-life balance pretty regularly as a society, but

few of us really take in all the implications of the concept. As
entrepreneurs, we push ourselves to do more, to achieve more,
to be more than the average individual because that’s what we
love. However, we often forget that our true measure of success
involves both our professional lives and our personal lives.
How successful would you consider a millionaire CEO who spent
so much time running the business that his spouse left him, and
his kids were complete strangers? How successful would you
consider an entrepreneur who spent so much of her life helming
her business ventures that she sacrificed all her time with her
siblings and parents?
Humans are social creatures, and our ties to our families are
among the most important. Sacrificing those ties in the name of
pursuing business success is folly. There is no such thing as an
entrepreneur who is professionally successful but personally a
failure. Both personal and professional lives are connected. In
fact, they’re the same - you only have one life. Success in your
professional life hinges on success in your personal life.
Ultimately, you need to realize that there is really no line
between work and home. It’s one life - your life. Failure in one
area will impact the other. Success in one area will affect the
other. Be a whole person and celebrate your entire life.
HACK #61:
USE MISTAKES TO PROPEL YOU FORWARD
No one likes to make mistakes. Yet, some of us are able to use

them to help us build a brighter future, while others deny their
responsibility. They make excuses for their mistakes. They
blame others. The result? Failure.
If you want to be successful, you need to recognize mistakes for
what they are. They’re inevitable, first off. Human beings are
imperfect. We all make mistakes. Even Warren Buffet and Bill
Gates commit faux pas and errors. The difference between those
magnates and other mere mortals is that they choose to learn
from their mistakes and use them to propel their success
forward.
To be clear, there is a difference between using a mistake as a
learning exercise and blithely going from mistake to mistake
without a care or worry in the world. In the first instance, you
use the repercussions of your mistake to inform your future
actions. You take careful stock of what went wrong, why, and
what your role was. In the latter, you deny any value or learning
opportunity, even the mistake itself, and go on to your next
business idea without bothering to improve yourself.
Learn from your mistakes. Use them to build a ramp that takes
you higher and higher. Use them to propel you forward to new
heights of success.
104 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #62:
MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK
Luck.
Chance.
Happenstance.
The roll of the dice
These are just some of the false ideas we have about the forces
that affect our lives. Luck has nothing to do with most entrepre-
neurial success stories. Behind every entrepreneur who seems
to hit it big right out of the gate, or who earns their first million
seemingly overnight, there are years of hard work and an
immense amount of sweat equity that no one wants to see.
Let’s put this as clearly as possible - luck will not get your foot in
the door. Bad things happen. You will hit snags. Make your own
luck. It is only through perseverance and persistence that
success comes. If you’re sitting around waiting for opportunity
to knock, you had best be prepared to sit there for a long time.
If you want to be successful, get up. Get active. Have an idea and
then create a plan on how you’ll bring that idea to life. Take a
look at the most successful people in today’s world, and you’ll
find that none of them just sat back on their futon, happily
twiddling their thumbs while waiting for luck to drop an
opportunity in their lap. They were out there forging their own
destiny, making their own luck.
You must do the same.
HACK #63:
SHARE
We are tempted to think of entrepreneurial success in a vacuum.
Business people achieve wealth, and then live their lives as they
wish, right? Actually, that’s not really the case.
The most successful people in today’s world focus on those
outside their inner circle. They share with others. They realize
that their success enables them to be better people, and they do
what they can to improve the lot of others. How do they do that?
There are tons of ways that you can share with others. For
instance, you could take a cue from Bill and Melinda Gates and
donate to charitable causes. You could take a page out of Elon
Musk’s book and invest in helping less fortunate communities
develop the infrastructure they need. You could follow Mark
Zuckerberg’s low-key stance and donate almost anonymously.
It’s not just cash, either. You can share in any number of other
ways. Share credit with your team. Donate time to help with
causes. Allow your employees time off to support causes and
issues that matter to them and to the world.
The most important thing is to make sharing part of your
entrepreneurial mindset. Success is not achieved on your own.
Sharing allows you to give recognition to those who helped you
on your way, and it also allows you to give back to the world
itself.
106 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #64:
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
No matter whether your focus is on the B2C sector, or you want

to operate a B2B organization, you’re going to have customers or
clients. These form your audience - they are the bedrock on
which your business venture is built. It is vital that you know
who they are and what they want.
Knowing your audience is one of the single most critical
elements to finding success as an entrepreneur. Not knowing
your audience will lead directly to spectacular failure. There
have been uncounted numbers of products and services
launched without a good understanding of an audience’s needs,
expectations, pain points, wants, and challenges that have failed
right out of the gate.
Don’t let yourself be counted in that number. Do not become yet
one more statistic. How do you avoid that fate?
Learn what it is that your audience truly wants and needs, and
then build around that information. Make your product or
service about answering those underlying concerns, rather than
about the bells and whistles. Features are great, but if the
product does not address your audience’s core requirements
and stand out from the competition, the features won’t matter.
You’ll still fail.
Know your audience. Understand their pain and their challenges.
Build to suit. It’s that simple.
HACK #65:
GET RAPID FEEDBACK
Entrepreneurs bringing new products to the market want to

make sure that they are as perfect as possible. We want to slowly
develop, refine, and redefine whatever it is that we’re offering.
This can lead to slow development times, even fear-based
paralysis.
Our natural inclination when working on a new invention or
developing a new idea is to keep it hush-hush. We want to keep
it under wraps so that others cannot steal it, or so that we can hit
the market with it to resounding acclaim as everyone sits back
and wonders where our brilliance came from.
The problem here is that the speed of life is ever-increasing.
Being slow to market often means arriving late. You might spend
all that time and effort revising and refining your concept, only
to find that three other entrepreneurs already have something
remarkably similar available to their customers. That leaves you
bringing up the rear.
To avoid this fate, you need to get rapid feedback on your idea.
You need to create faster iteration and development cycles. One
way to do that is to arrive at what’s called a “minimum viable
product” and sent it to market. This will hit the middle ground
between viability and speed to market, allowing you to then
iterate again and again, refining your idea as you go without
missing your window to make your mark.
Don’t keep your idea under lock and key until it’s perfected. Find
a good middle ground, and then commit to ongoing refinement.
108 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #66:
HAVE A STRATEGY
Highly successful people know that they will continue to find
success. They do this through hard work, but also through
strategizing. They realize that putting in 110% all the time is
only worth so much. Yes, hard work will get you part of the way,
but without a plan to guide your actions and decisions, you’re
really just spinning your wheels.
You need to have a detailed strategy about how you will achieve
success, and how you’ll continue to do so over time. Realize that
coming up with a successful idea is only one piece of the puzzle.
You need to know what you’ll do after ideation, after bringing that
idea to market, after your customers rush to buy it, and so on.
Before you put your nose to the grindstone, make sure you have
a clear idea of where you’re going and how you’re going to get
there. Create a business plan if this will help - it can allow you to
crystalize your ideas into concrete plans surprisingly well. Not
sure how to write a business plan or what might be necessary
for one? The Small Business Association offers a great guide to
help you get started.
You’ll find that in addition to helping you create a strategy that
will carry forward, a business plan will also help you identify
pitfalls, bottlenecks, competition, and more. It will also put you
in better stead when you decide it’s time to seek funding.
HACK #67:
HAVE A DREAM
Opposition will arise to your plan. Setbacks will occur.

Challenges will threaten to derail your success. Your ability to
push through hinges on several factors. One of those is the
strength of your belief in your dream.
As an entrepreneur, you dream of success, but if those dreams
are ephemeral, they’ll evaporate in the face of the opposition you
ultimately face. Your dream must be strong enough to survive
that onslaught.
However, your dream cannot be static. It must be dynamic - able
to grow and evolve with market factors, and even as you change
and grow. Hold to your dream even when you are faced with
doubt or struggle through failure. Know that you will achieve it,
and adapt your plan to help you do just that.
Finally, don’t let anyone tell you that your dream is not worth
pursuing. If it has value and meaning to you, then chances are
good that you can make it a success. Find others who see the
same value in it. Build your tribe and allow them to help you
hold onto your dream.
Dream. Dream big. Hold tight no matter what the world throws
your way.
110 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #68:
DON’T VALUE THINGS
We live in an undeniably materialistic world. Often, someone’s

success is measured not by what they have achieved or by how
happy they are in their life, but by what they own. This is the
underlying focus of our consumer culture, and while that has
been a definite boon for manufacturers and marketers, it has
skewed our sense of value.
As an entrepreneur, you cannot afford to have the same view. In
fact, the most successful of us realize the lie at the heart of
consumer culture. Things actually hold no more value in your life
than the benefits they can provide. Additionally, things
ultimately end up owning you. You’re responsible for cleaning
them, storing them, charging their batteries, updating their
operating systems, and more.
The more things you own, the more things own you and the less
free you are. The most successful individuals inherently
understand this and put their value in something else. What
might that be? Experiences, not possessions.
That trip to Europe, that climb up K2, that time you spent
serving Thanksgiving dinner in the soup kitchen - those are the
things that add value, depth, and verve to life. It is not the car
you drive, the size of the house you live in, or the suit that you
wear that matters. It is what you do with the time you have on
this planet.
Don’t value things. Value experiences and your ability to
improve the lives of others around you.
HACK #69:
WAIT FOR THE PERFECT WAVE
What quality makes one surfer great, while another is just

mediocre? Is it the ability to stay on the board in the roughest
seas? That’s certainly helpful, but there’s more to it. The most
successful surfers, like the most successful entrepreneurs, are
able to read the sea and wait for the perfect wave. This allows
them to avoid wasting energy, time, and resources.
Take a cue from this. Wait for the perfect wave. However, you
need to know the signs to look for.
• Identify an unmet need in the world around you.
• Identify how you might be able to meet that need.
• Determine market size and viability.
• Notice what other entrepreneurs are doing in relation to
that need.
• Read the signs within your industry.
• Make sure that the idea is something that you should do,
not just something that you can do.
• Watch the world to see what is going on, where the
currents are going, and what the trends are.
Learn how to read the ocean and you can begin to ride the
waves. Save your energy and resources for only those waves that
are worth riding, though. And, always remember - just because
something can be done, it does not necessarily mean that it
should be done, or that now is the right time for it. Microsoft
debuted the concept of the tablet computer years before Apple,
but it fell on its face, not because the idea wasn’t worth
exploring, but because it wasn’t the right time yet.
112 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #70:
FIND THE RIGHT SUPERCONNECTORS
You’ve heard the term “super connector” before, at least if you

follow Seth Godin. The term has become something of a
buzzword in the entrepreneurial world, but it has also had some
of its meaning diluted. The truth is that superconnectors can
have profound effects on your success, but you must ensure that
you have the right ones in place.
First, understand that super connectors can be more than people,
although Godin used the term primarily for its human associa-
tions. Yes, you can find people who can help you connect with
others, and broadcast your message to all and sundry. We often

call these people influencers today. They have massive audiences
online and off, and they can get your product, service, or idea, in
front of millions of folks, all of whom are primed to take what the
influencer says as gospel.
However, super connectors can also be things other than people.
Twitter can be a super connector itself. Facebook can, as well. We
can dig deeper - newspapers, magazines, radio programming -
these can all be used to amplify your message and get it out to
the right people. You just need to know how to use them. Being
aware of them is the first step.
Use superconnectors as tools, unless they’re people. Then, work
with them, but treat them like the human beings they are. That is
perhaps the most important rule of them all - be human treat
others as such.
HACK #71:
KISS
No doubt you’ve at least heard of the acronym KISS, which

stands for keep it simple, stupid. It’s a design principle that was
first used by the US Navy back in 1960. It might actually be
better phrased as “keep it stupid simple”, as in make it as simple
as it possibly can be while still doing the job it was made to do.
What does KISS have to do with your success? Simply put, it
means that you need to keep your ideas, products, or services as
simple as you can. If you cannot explain what your idea is to a
five-year-old, then it is not simple enough.
Want some concrete examples of complexity in product or
service design? Here you go:
• Too many colors
• Too many configuration options
• Too many levels
• Too many performance choices
• Too many service plans
You get the idea. If you overwhelm people with options, choices,
variations, and functions, then they’re not going to know where
to start. This applies to everything from the design of physical
products like cars and toasters to intangible products like
websites, and even services like landscaping.
Keep it stupid simple and your audience will know what you’re
offering immediately. Additionally, you reduce your costs and
time to market, while also ensuring that you have ways you can
iterate in the future.
114 | ADRIAN GEE
HACK #72:
BE HONEST
This is critical. Be honest. Be honest with yourself. Be honest

with those around you. Be transparent with your employees and
stakeholders, your investors and your business partners. Be
open with your spouse and with your children.
Honesty is by far the best policy for entrepreneurs seeking
success. If you do not obfuscate, there is nothing that can come
back to bite you in the end. If you are transparent, no one can
claim that they did not understand what was going on or that
they were not informed of the risks versus the rewards.
Being honest should come easy to you. Let your passion for what
you do lead the way. Let your love of a challenge take you there.
Allow your idea to speak through you.
Not sure that you can be honest and transparent? If that is the
case, then you probably need to take a long, hard look at your
idea or business model. Chances are good that it’s not what you
think it is.
In all things, be open, honest, and transparent. Build your
success on that platform and you’ll never look back from a place
of regret.
HACK #73:
FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION
As an entrepreneur, you must be comfortable and confident

marching to the beat of your own drummer. This applies to just
about all aspects of your life. Chances are good that you have a
very strong independent streak as it is, but you must not let the
lack of enthusiasm or agreement from other people dampen
your willingness to walk your own path. Following the herd is
not for you. Follow your intuition to greatness.
As Alan Alda once said, “At times, you have to leave the city of
your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What
you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is
yourself.”
How do you start following your intuition? In a world where
we’re conditioned to listen to “reason” at all costs, that can be
hard to determine. Here are a few simple tips to get you on the
right path:
• Listen to your instincts. They’re usually right.
• Be curious and consider all options before making a
decision.
• Listen from your heart, not your head.
• Listen from your gut second.
• Take deep, slow breaths and focus on what you are
feeling.
It can be as simple as that. Intuition is not infallible, but
following it will put you in better stead than trying to live up to
the expectations of others, or following illogical advice that
masquerades as reason.
116 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #74:
FIND INSPIRATION IN WHAT BENEFITS OTHERS
This hack might seem a bit nonsensical. After all, you’re

supposed to be building your own success, right? Actually, as
we’ve touched on several times in this book, helping others
succeed is your key to success. Find inspiration in what benefits
others.
If you think about it, benefiting others is what every single
business in the world is founded on. Every successful entrepre-

neur is ultimately a servant of others. Whether we’re talking
about next generation GPU technology, the development of new

ways to cook food safely, or the hottest athletic shoe on the
market today, those products all go to serve the needs of the
customer. The producer behind it is the servant of the customer.
Let that inspire your own path forward. What pain points do you
want to address? What problems do you want to solve? What
benefits do you want to bring to the table? How will you serve
others and make their lives better?
In the end, every business owner must be able to benefit their
audience, or they will not remain in business for very long. Never
fall into the trap of thinking that your customers have no options
- that is the short route to disaster. Never forget that you are the
servant and the buyer (whether consumers or businesses) is the
master in this relationship.
HACK #75:
MAKE DECISIONS WITH A CLEAR HEAD
You will be called on to make a wide range of decisions. Some of

these will be minor. Some will be major. Some will seem
relatively simple, but will have wide-ranging impacts that could
affect your success for years to come. It’s critical that you are
able to make decisions with a clear head.
Given the fact that you are going to be emotionally invested in
your idea, it is very difficult to eliminate emotions from the
equation when making business-related decisions. These can
color your choices, and even cause you to make dangerous
assumptions. Thankfully, a few tips can help you approach
decisions with a clearer head.
• Get Advice - While you’re the decision maker, never
assume that you’re the only one with valuable input. Seek
advice from others and then make an informed decision.
• Get Creative - The phrase think outside the box has
become clichéd, but it remains true. Get creative with
your thinking and decision making.
• Ask Questions - Ask whether you’ll be satisfied with your
decision in a year, or five years. Ask if there are alterna-

tives. Question everything and then decide with
confidence.
• Listen to Your Gut - We’ve discussed intuition already,
and this is where it comes into play. Listen to what your
heart and gut are telling you.
Ultimately, your decision will impact the future of your business
and your ability to succeed. It is vital that you eliminate biases,
remove notions clouding your judgment, and make decisions
based on clear thinking.
118 | ADRIAN GEE

HACK #76:
DON’T SACRIFICE TIME WITH FAMILY
The most successful individuals in today’s world realize that

their family is the most important part of their life and they don’t
sacrifice time with them for anything. This flies in the face of
how most of us think here in the US, but it is becoming
increasingly common.
Remember that you have only this moment right now. Tomor-
row is not promised. Yesterday is gone and will never return. If
you were to die tomorrow, what would you regret more - not
closing that business deal, or not being there for your daughter’s
birthday? What would eat at you more - not taking advantage of
a competitor’s weakness, or not being there to teach your son
how to drive?
Our families are the single most precious things in our lives and
sacrificing any time with them in the name of so-called success is
foolish. After all, without your family and friends, success is
empty. It’s nothing. Without someone to celebrate that success
with you, who is happy for you, all your entrepreneurial
achievements are dust.
Make time for your family. Do not sacrifice the chance to spend
time with them in the quest for business success or wealth. It’s
not an even trade. Pursue happiness. Be mindful that now is the
only time you truly have. Make the most of what you’ve been
given.
HACK #77:
GIVE OF YOURSELF
What is the most important thing you can do as an entrepre-

neur? Is it building a legacy to leave for your children? Is it
creating a thriving business that can be sold to fund your next

idea? Is it becoming a recognized leader in your industry?
Actually, it’s none of these things.
The single most important thing you can do as an entrepreneur,
other than spending time with your family, is giving back to your
local community. It is vital that you give of yourself. Go beyond
writing a check to a charity for the tax deduction. Get out there
and give of yourself. Give your time, your sweat, your tears and
your blood.
You don’t need to be in a war-torn area in order to benefit your
local community. Every part of the country has those in need.
Every community in the nation has less fortunate, or problems
that could be solved by coming together with others. From clean
drinking water to food drives, soup kitchens to blood drives,
there are tremendous opportunities to give of yourself.
Why, though? First, it helps create a thriving community in your
area, which should be one of your first priorities, anyway.
Second, it shows that you care about those who share your
community. Third, it is your responsibility as an entrepreneur.
Give of yourself in as many ways as you can, and you’ll build
goodwill, a stronger community, and recognition as a compas-

sionate, successful entrepreneur.
120 | ADRIAN GEE

CONCLUSION
Finding success as an entrepreneur is not only possible, but you

can do it in a far shorter time than what most people would
assume. The 77 hacks we’ve explored in this book embody
actionable steps you can take right this second to accelerate your
success, to increase the odds of you achieving greatness, and to
ensure that you’re able to avoid the pitfalls that derail others.
From working smarter to taking time to live in the moment, from
exploring the power of gratitude, to understanding the
importance of having a strategy that underpins your efforts,
these hacks lay the groundwork for a life of confidence and
success.
If you do want to take it a step further and achieve true life
success, be sure to join my new program, Six Figure Sunday.
There, I’ll teach you exactly how I was able to quit my 9 to 5,
make 6 figures a year all while traveling the world. Not only will
you learn how I did it but I will teach you exactly how you can
also do it. Simply visit: sixfiguresunday.com to watch the secret
video.

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The Shortcut To Success

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77 ​Succ​ess ​H​ack​s ​That W

​ ill ​Tr​an​s​fo​rm ​Your

Copyright © 2018 by Adrian Gee.

H​ACK ​#1: T​HE ​H​UMAN ​E​LEMENT

H​ACK ​#2: T​RAVEL

H​ACK ​#3: C​ARPE ​D​IEM

H​ACK ​#4: M​AKE ​L​ISTS AND ​U​SE ​N​OTES

H​ACK ​#5: A​SK FOR ​W​HAT ​Y​OU ​W​ANT

H​ACK ​#6: H​AVE AN ​MIT

H​ACK ​#7: C​REATE A ​D​AILY ​C​ALENDAR ​B​ASED ON ​Y​OUR

H​ACK ​#8: K​NOW ​Y​OUR ​S​TRENGTHS AND ​F​IND ​O​THERS TO

H​ACK ​#10: G​ET AN ​A​SSISTANT

H​ACK ​#11: B​ELIEVE IN THE ​P​OWER OF ​(S​ELF​) P​ROPHECY

H​ACK ​#12: L​OOSE ​L​IPS ​S​INK ​S​HIPS

H​ACK ​#13: B​ELIEVE ​T​HAT THE ​O​DDS ​A​RE IN ​Y​OUR ​F​AVOR

H​ACK ​#14: A​PPRECIATE ​W​HAT ​Y​OU ​H​AVE

H​ACK ​#15: P​UT ​Y​OUR ​T​IME ON ​L​OCKDOWN

H​ACK ​#16: P​UT ​Y​OUR ​P​HONE ​D​OWN

H​ACK ​#17: S​CHEDULE ​T​IME FOR ​E​MAIL

H​ACK ​#18: F​OCUS ON ​J​UST ​O​NE ​T​HING AT A ​T​IME

H​ACK ​#19: G​ET ​Y​OUR ​L​EAST ​L​IKED ​T​ASKS ​D​ONE ​F​IRST

H​ACK ​#20: T​AKE ​F​REQUENT ​B​REAKS

H​ACK ​#21: L​EARN ​S​OMETHING ​N​EW ​R​EGULARLY

H​ACK ​#22: U​SE THE ​R​IGHT ​L​EARNING ​T​OOLS AND

H​ACK ​#23: L​OOK ON THE ​B​RIGHT ​S​IDE

H​ACK ​#24: D​ON​’​T ​F​ALL INTO A ​R​OUTINE

H​ACK ​#25: L​EARN TO ​L​AUGH

H​ACK ​#26: R​EAD​, R​EAD​, ​AND ​R​EAD ​S​OME ​M​ORE

H​ACK ​#27: C​REATE THE ​R​IGHT ​E​NVIRONMENT FOR ​S​LEEP

H​ACK ​#30: F​RUGALITY ​R​ULES ​A​LL

H​ACK ​#31: M​AKE ​T​IME FOR ​H​EALTH

H​ACK ​#32: L​EARN ​H​OW TO ​M​EDITATE

H​ACK ​#33: B​E ​G​RATEFUL

H​ACK ​#34: D​ON​’​T ​B​E ​A​FRAID TO ​B​E ​Y​OURSELF

H​ACK ​#35: S​URROUND ​Y​OURSELF WITH ​S​UCCESSFUL

H​ACK ​#36: D​O ​W​HAT ​Y​OU ​L​OVE

H​ACK ​#37: D​EFINE ​Y​OUR ​S​UCCESS BY ​H​APPINESS

H​ACK ​#38: D​ON​’​T ​M​AKE ​E​XCUSES

T​HE ​S​HORTCUT TO ​S​UCCESS ​| 73

Once upon a time, anyone who wanted to go into a skilled trade

THE SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS | 75

THE SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS | 77

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There’s a notion that successful entrepreneurs must be cutthroat

with our own view. We have stopped listening in an at-

and if you present yourself as if you are, you’re in a no-

people from whom you need it most.

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As entrepreneurs, we tend to bounce back and forth between

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We have been conditioned to think that branding relates solely

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We’ve created something of a toxic entrepreneurial culture here

Your goal as an entrepreneur is to find success, whatever that

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Usually, the mantra being preached is that “failure is not an

possible so that you have access to insight and infor-

• Create a support network of professionals with comple-

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a real conversation with your spouse. It can be almost an-

meaning for you.

77 Success Hacks That W

ill Transform Your

HACK #1: THE HUMAN ELEMENT

HACK #2: TRAVEL

HACK #3: CARPE DIEM

HACK #4: MAKE LISTS AND USE NOTES

HACK #5: ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT

HACK #6: HAVE AN MIT

HACK #7: CREATE A DAILY CALENDAR BASED ON YOUR

HACK #8: KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS AND FIND OTHERS TO

HACK #10: GET AN ASSISTANT

HACK #11: BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF (SELF) PROPHECY

HACK #12: LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS

HACK #13: BELIEVE THAT THE ODDS ARE IN YOUR FAVOR

HACK #14: APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE

HACK #15: PUT YOUR TIME ON LOCKDOWN

HACK #16: PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN

HACK #17: SCHEDULE TIME FOR EMAIL

HACK #18: FOCUS ON JUST ONE THING AT A TIME

HACK #19: GET YOUR LEAST LIKED TASKS DONE FIRST

HACK #20: TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS

HACK #21: LEARN SOMETHING NEW REGULARLY

HACK #22: USE THE RIGHT LEARNING TOOLS AND

HACK #23: LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

HACK #24: DON’T FALL INTO A ROUTINE

HACK #25: LEARN TO LAUGH

HACK #26: READ, READ, AND READ SOME MORE

HACK #27: CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR SLEEP

HACK #30: FRUGALITY RULES ALL

HACK #31: MAKE TIME FOR HEALTH

HACK #32: LEARN HOW TO MEDITATE

HACK #33: BE GRATEFUL

HACK #34: DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE YOURSELF

HACK #35: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUCCESSFUL

HACK #36: DO WHAT YOU LOVE

HACK #37: DEFINE YOUR SUCCESS BY HAPPINESS

HACK #38: DON’T MAKE EXCUSES

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