How can I go from being a loser to changing the world? I lack discipline, consistency, patience, focus, drive and willpower. I’m very shy and insecure. I have big dreams. How do I change?
A 17 year old asked this question on Quora.
This is part 1 of 8 of a series called, “From Nothing to Something.”
You remind me of... me.
Let me know if I'm off on anything, I'm happy to contribute my experiences and dialogue.
Short energy spikes
I used to spend waay to much time on the computer -- this was a big contributor to my short energy spikes. The easiest way to beat this is to surround yourself with people, like face to face.
You said you wanted to help people, end poverty, improve the education system, and improve AI. How many homeless people have you spoken with? How many people from a low income background have you taken the time to talk to? How many teachers/educators have you spoken with? How immersed are you in the world of AI?
Meeting with people will:
Help with the short energy spikes
Deepen your passion to make an impact since it forces you to talk about it more
Enable you to connect with people who share your passions and therefore build a network to potentially make it happen
Commitment problems
Too many choices. You have a blank slate and too many interests. This is not a bad thing, you just need to learn how to say 'no' to 99% of those things and focus on 1 or 2 things for now.
Reading this and this helped me get to that place.
That comic and James Altucher's post crushed the psychological barrier that "I gotta do everything NOW!!!" It gave me permission to take the time to get really good at one thing, and then move on to the next thing, and then eventually combine those realms of expertise when I'm older -- that's super exciting to think about.
Eventually, I'd like to have high level mastery in medicine, biology, chemistry, engineering, law, leadership, building businesses, economics, programming, etc etc. but one step at a time.
I decided to focus on mastering real estate first to take care of the financial foundation so I will have the freedom to pursue all my interests down the road (let's not ignore this -- having resources just makes it easier to accomplish everything we want to do).
Find a mentor. A real life one. Someone who you can field questions to. If you're like me, you want the fast track, you want to learn quick -- internet courses and classes *boring* -- you need a competent mentor. If you had a mentor that's light-years ahead of you, you will finally have an engaging challenge and you'll have 100x more focus.
Insecurities
Hey man, I get it. I'm introvert as well, my best friend died when I was 14, I was suicidal as a teen, I didn't have the best grades, I dropped out of college, I was living hand-to-mouth for 3 years -- I had very little "going for me" for a long time.
I decided that I'd rather be doing things for my own reasons than to try to live up to everyone's expectations of what I "ought" to be doing.
I decided that the opinions that mattered were the ones that accepted me for who I was, not how I measure up against everyone else.
I decided to not derive my sense of self-worth and confidence from external measures (accomplishments, awards, social norms), but instead from internal measures (my ability always learn and grow, have a clear conscience in everything I did, and the fact that I could think for myself). I've walked with my head held high ever since this decision.
And about your shyness? Baby steps and a good framework to start with.
I refuse to end up as a cog in the machine. I know it holds the system together but I'd rather not live at all than fade away. I want to make an impact. And my desire is strong but my habits are keeping me back.
That.
That's me to a T.
I've used the exact same words.
Check some of these books out, I think you know which one I'm referring to:
Brandon Lee's answer to I'm 17. What books would you recommend to me to improve myself on the most important aspects of life (communication, philosophy books to change my perception of the world, science)?
Hopefully this is all relevant and helpful.
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