Hey there!

So, we’ve had 8 guest writers on the newsletter so far. We want to give some appreciation to what they’ve done for us so far, and we would also like to know which of their articles have resonated with you all the most. If you could, please let us know which of their articles have resonated with you the most. Here’s a list of all of the guest writers and their articles we’ve had so far:

• Jaqueline - You Are What You Eat

• Kawah - Delulu is the Solulu

• Lina - Psychology of Morning Routine

• David - The Ultimate Life Enhancer

• Georg - Stream of Consciousness

• Sebastian - Always Up and Down, Never Down and Out

• Anita - The Power of the Imagination

• Sam - How to Maximize Misery

• Alexandra - So you want a 4-legged running buddy? Here are 5 tips to get you started

Vote on the best article so far.

Michael’s still working on his thesis while in Guangzhou. He made friends with a French guy here today. Lina just got rejected again for her EU visa, so they’re strategizing how to smuggle her in.

Juan is trying to be beach-body-ready by the end of July.

FOCUS
Paint the Windows Black

These days, it's difficult to stay focused with all the distractions around us. From social media to constant notifications, it's hard to get anything done. But sometimes, you hear stories that remind you of the lengths people will go to achieve their goals. I heard one such story on the MFM podcast.

Rocky’s Road to Success

Sylvester Stallone wanted to be an actor but couldn't land a role, so he decided to write a movie and cast himself in it. To make sure he finished the script, he locked himself inside and painted his windows black. No distractions, just pure focus.

Victor Hugo’s Bold Strategy

There's another story about Victor Hugo, the author of "Les Misérables" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame." Hugo struggled with procrastination, so he locked himself in a room, took all of his clothes, and locked them away. With nothing else to do and no way to go out, he had no choice but to write. This might seem drastic, but it shows how eliminating distractions can help you get things done.

More Boredom = More Productivity

These are pretty extreme examples that most of us won't replicate. But they teach us an important lesson: it's tough to get things done when we're surrounded by distractions. When we need to focus, it's a good idea to cut out those distractions. Whether it's taking a break from social media or working in a boring place, creating a distraction-free zone can really help us be more productive.

"You can't do big things if you're distracted by small things."

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— Michael

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Winner Effect: The science of success.

In a study, researchers observed the behavior of two mice engaged in a fight. Initially, they administered a drug to Mouse B, ensuring that Mouse A would win. In a subsequent fight without the drug, Mouse A still won, but with a significantly higher probability.

Why did Mouse A continue to dominate? 
This was attributed to Mouse A's increased confidence and elevated biochemical state from the previous victory. This phenomenon illustrates a self-reinforcing cycle of confidence and success that can be observed across various aspects of life.

The more you win, the more likely you are to keep winning. This pattern is frequently observed in athletes who experience winning streaks. Similarly, in dating, men with many love interests often become more attractive due to their existing popularity. Have you ever noticed how success seems to breed more success?

Winning a competition enhances your biochemistry and cognitive abilities, increasing your chances of winning again. Conversely, losing can leave you feeling stuck, filled with self-doubt, and more prone to further losses. You are either on an upward spiral or a downward spiral.

How much positive or negative momentum do you currently have in your life? 
There are 5 ways to make use of the winner effect in our life. The basic principle is about developing a healthy relationship with results.

1. Acknowledge and count your wins

   Every night try to write down 3 wins of the day that push your momentum forward.

   You may feel like you have no successes. How do you get started? Well, did you get dressed this morning? Did you clean your room? Did you get in front of the computer? Start building that momentum.

2. Reward efforts, not outcomes

   But you have to praise the right things. A research paper found that kids perform a lot worse if they are praised on Intelligence and perform a lot better if they are praised on effort instead. Here is the study, presented by Andrew Huberman:

3. Easy wins first, then stack

   Tim Ferris shared that to get good at something fast and really well, you need to have early wins. You need that initial boost in confidence, testosterone, dopamine, etc, to kickstart your momentum.

   Everyone knows Mr Beast. Few people know that he was uploading to YouTube for years without getting any views. But fewer people know that the first video he ever made went viral. It was a random Minecraft video. This early win probably spiked his dopamine and confidence, which fuelled his hunger to get that feeling again.

   Get out of bed, make your bed, take a shower. These small early wins can lead to winning the rest of your day.

4. Build self-trust in your word

   Whenever you make a commitment to a challenge, a promise, or a to-do list, and you don’t keep it, you lose trust in yourself. When you don’t trust your own word or commitment, you’re f*cked. From now on, “Your word is Iron”.

   alpha_kingpin_motivation

   

   

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5. Manage expectations

   Understand that not every endeavor will result in success. That is perfectly normal. Setbacks are part of the journey. You might need to constantly redefine what success means to you.

6. Visualizations

   You need to tap into a reservoir of potential within your mind. It’s not about daydreaming or wishful thinking. It’s about actively engaging with your goals and the steps needed to achieve them.

   When you’re visualizing positive outcomes, you’re activating the same neural networks as if you were performing the task. A mental rehearsal.

I hope this was helpful for you guys to build a healthy relationship with results and start building that upward spiral.

“We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions”
- Unknown

SOURCE: The Winner Effect - Ian Robertson

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— Juan

TAKING ACTION

Sign up to our Accountability Clubs

Want a community to keep you accountable? Willing to put your money where your mouth is? 😂

How it works:
💸 Everyone makes the same deposit at the beginning of the month.
✅ Every day you succeed, you get paid back a small amount from your deposit PLUS the money from others who failed that day.
❌ Every day you fail, your money for that day goes to people who succeed.
🗓️ It is 5 times a week. Month-to-month contract. You can join or leave at the beginning of each month.

June Clubs you can join:
🏋️ Exercise 5 times a week.
⏰ Wake up early during weekdays.
📵 Digital minimalism during weekdays.
📝 Signup to join for June

Updates from this week:

We want to start some new accountability groups! So if you have some ideas for what you’d like to be held accountable for getting done, let us know 😉.

Exercise:

Wakeup:

Digital Minimalism:

Highlights from Exercise Club: