Dan Martell

Anytime I'm working with entrepreneurs, we always build a five-year plan, and I just ask them, what would need to be true for you to get that done in one year? And most people are like, well, it's impossible. I say, well, what's your confidence score that you could get it done if you had to get it done? And usually it's like two, three.

Anytime I'm working with entrepreneurs, we always build a five-year plan, and I just ask them, what would need to be true for you to get that done in one year? And most people are like, well, it's impossible. I say, well, what's your confidence score that you could get it done if you had to get it done? And usually it's like two, three.

Anytime I'm working with entrepreneurs, we always build a five-year plan, and I just ask them, what would need to be true for you to get that done in one year? And most people are like, well, it's impossible. I say, well, what's your confidence score that you could get it done if you had to get it done? And usually it's like two, three.

I mean, this is a five-year plan you're asking me to get done in one. Then I invite them to consider this. What if you knew at the end of the year that if you didn't hit the five year goal, that you had to not only sell the business, you lose all your money, and you would only be able to work for somebody else for the rest of your life, how likely are you to hit that goal?

I mean, this is a five-year plan you're asking me to get done in one. Then I invite them to consider this. What if you knew at the end of the year that if you didn't hit the five year goal, that you had to not only sell the business, you lose all your money, and you would only be able to work for somebody else for the rest of your life, how likely are you to hit that goal?

I mean, this is a five-year plan you're asking me to get done in one. Then I invite them to consider this. What if you knew at the end of the year that if you didn't hit the five year goal, that you had to not only sell the business, you lose all your money, and you would only be able to work for somebody else for the rest of your life, how likely are you to hit that goal?

All of a sudden, their confidence level goes to 10. Most people don't create a scenario where they have to make it a must. They give themselves an out. They don't burn the boats. The best entrepreneurs go all in. My philosophy is I don't trick myself into liking to do things. I create a scenario where I have to do things. So I've discovered there's only three ways to burn the boats.

All of a sudden, their confidence level goes to 10. Most people don't create a scenario where they have to make it a must. They give themselves an out. They don't burn the boats. The best entrepreneurs go all in. My philosophy is I don't trick myself into liking to do things. I create a scenario where I have to do things. So I've discovered there's only three ways to burn the boats.

All of a sudden, their confidence level goes to 10. Most people don't create a scenario where they have to make it a must. They give themselves an out. They don't burn the boats. The best entrepreneurs go all in. My philosophy is I don't trick myself into liking to do things. I create a scenario where I have to do things. So I've discovered there's only three ways to burn the boats.

Number one, force a deadline. I don't care if it's signing up for an Ironman, selling a product before you ever build it. You have to have a timeline and a date. The second is you gotta put money on the line. My to-do list is always prioritized based on where my money is. Putting my money on the line is a great forcing function of focus.

Number one, force a deadline. I don't care if it's signing up for an Ironman, selling a product before you ever build it. You have to have a timeline and a date. The second is you gotta put money on the line. My to-do list is always prioritized based on where my money is. Putting my money on the line is a great forcing function of focus.

Number one, force a deadline. I don't care if it's signing up for an Ironman, selling a product before you ever build it. You have to have a timeline and a date. The second is you gotta put money on the line. My to-do list is always prioritized based on where my money is. Putting my money on the line is a great forcing function of focus.

Even if you don't have money, just make a bet to somebody else that if you don't achieve that goal that you set out for yourself, you'd have a big IOU. Create the financial pressure, it's okay. And then the third is have a commitment that you make externally, a public commitment to your friends, to your coworkers, to your investors.

Even if you don't have money, just make a bet to somebody else that if you don't achieve that goal that you set out for yourself, you'd have a big IOU. Create the financial pressure, it's okay. And then the third is have a commitment that you make externally, a public commitment to your friends, to your coworkers, to your investors.

Even if you don't have money, just make a bet to somebody else that if you don't achieve that goal that you set out for yourself, you'd have a big IOU. Create the financial pressure, it's okay. And then the third is have a commitment that you make externally, a public commitment to your friends, to your coworkers, to your investors.

The truth is you'll do more for yourself if you're emotionally connected to the stakes to avoid the pain than you ever will to have a gain in your life. So now that you have no way out, it's time to move forward. Which brings us to step two, default to action, not preparation. See, most people make the mistake of preparing for action instead of taking action.

The truth is you'll do more for yourself if you're emotionally connected to the stakes to avoid the pain than you ever will to have a gain in your life. So now that you have no way out, it's time to move forward. Which brings us to step two, default to action, not preparation. See, most people make the mistake of preparing for action instead of taking action.

The truth is you'll do more for yourself if you're emotionally connected to the stakes to avoid the pain than you ever will to have a gain in your life. So now that you have no way out, it's time to move forward. Which brings us to step two, default to action, not preparation. See, most people make the mistake of preparing for action instead of taking action.

One of my favorite recent stories about Elon Musk that came from his book by Walter Isaacson is that after buying Twitter that he renamed to X, he asked the team that was in charge of the data centers how long it would take them to consolidate and shut down some of these data centers. And somebody on the team said six months. And he's like, it doesn't take six months.

One of my favorite recent stories about Elon Musk that came from his book by Walter Isaacson is that after buying Twitter that he renamed to X, he asked the team that was in charge of the data centers how long it would take them to consolidate and shut down some of these data centers. And somebody on the team said six months. And he's like, it doesn't take six months.