When I first started in the gym,

I went 3-4 times a week, 1-2 hours a day

Then I started going 6-7 days a week.

I was super consistent.

I'd lift weights at the gym.

Go home and workout some more

On top of that, I’d run and train martial arts several times a week

Eventually I burned out.

Not once but more times than I can remember.

This is the delusion of how to achieve your goals fast

Or in this case, how to get into the best shape

We’re told that in order to achieve big goals we must:

• “Wake up early and grind”

• “Keep grinding, even if it's hard.”

• “Work hard and you’ll become successful”

But that’s not really how it works.

Our mental energy is like money.

If we under-spend today, we’ll have some left over for tomorrow, and we can expect to feel good tomorrow.

If we overspend, we accumulate “debt”, and we suffer the next day.

If you’re constantly “overspending” yet you feel like you’re not getting anywhere near your goals, it may be time to take a brutally honest look at your “expenses”.

And logically it makes sense that if you do more, you get more results. But in reality, it’s not always the case.

Why?

Most people want to achieve a muscular body, but they can’t get themselves to consistently do the work

I get it, it's hard. Finding motivation is hard. Having to find the mental energy to workout after a long day at work is hard.

The only option is to stop going down the same path.

The One Path Mindset

There are 2 paths to achieving any goal. Technically there are more but stick with me.

The path you choose to go down, is the one you’ve been told.

You’re worried if you don’t do enough, you won’t see results.

Successful people aren’t worried about this because they understand it's not about what you do or how long you do it for, it’s how you do it.

If you want to achieve anything faster than 99% of people, you need to understand the One Path Mindset.

For example in fitness:

• Path A - workout 60 mins/day, every day

• Path B - workout 10 mins/day, every day

And yes, assuming one is consistent on either path, over time they lead to the same goal.

But here’s the difference -

• Path A - chances are you see this big mountain you must climb to see even the slightest result. It feels hard.

• Path B - chances are you see a set of stairs. you can see the top (goal) while standing at the bottom (start). It feels a lot more achievable.

One path is more likely to result in achieving your goals over time (compared to the other).

When you achieve your goals you build unshakeable confidence.

If you workout, and you see results in the mirror, this reinforces the belief in your ability to achieve more.

It's how you become motivated to keep going and to strive for bigger and better goals.

In other words, choose a path that actually allows you to be consistent. And only then will you achieve your goals fast.

How to Achieve Anything Fast

Step #1: Set

When I first joined the gym, I had no idea what I wanted to achieve. I went for the sake of going.

At the time, I didn't realise the importance of knowing or having a "destination".

Like hopping into your car and not knowing where you're going and how to get there. It's the same in life. 

If you're unsure about what you want, do this 2 Minute Exercise:

• List everything you don't want,

• Then write the opposite.

For example:

1. Overweight - Build a lean muscular body

2. Live a short life - Live a long, healthy and capable life

3. Work 9-5 for the rest of my life - Make money doing what I love/passionate about

So Step #1 is to Set A Goal

Step #2: Specify

• If you can spend 2 hours a day mindlessly scrolling through social

• Then you can spend 2 minutes a day to get you one step closer to your goals

• Tiny actions lead to insane results over time.

People often make the mistake of going down Path A - like having to workout every day for 60 minutes or read 3 books a week.

That's what causes them to overwork themselves, burnout and quit.

Which then reinforces the idea that they're not good enough. That they're a failure. And social media makes this worse.

But I get it.

Some people need to hear it.

Instead, for most of us, you'll want to break your goal into tiny or “micro” steps.

For example with fitness, the next step might be as simple as putting on your workout clothes or starting with 1 rep.

Make it easy, simple and enticing. The next step will sort itself out.

So Step #2 is to Specify the Next Micro-Step.

Step #3: Schedule

We've all asked this question - "What's the best time to workout?"

• Workout after work - skip

• Workout after dinner - skip

• Workout on the weekend - skip

More often than not, doing it first thing in the morning will guarantee that you actually get it done.

But you could make excuses like:

• "I start work early"

• "I'm not a morning person"

• "I can't workout on an empty stomach"

Stop making excuses. If you can't get it done, do it 1st thing in the morning and then go about your day with ease (thank me later).

So Step #3 is to Schedule An Appropriate Time.

Step #4: Scribe

We all want to see progress.

We want it fast and we want it now.

But one workout won't change your life. Neither will 10 or 1,000.

In other words, you won’t notice any progress in the short term but there’s a simple fix.

And this can often be enough to motivate you to sleep, wake up and do it all over again.

Simply track your actions or habits, for example:

• Meditation - track the days you practice.

• Lifting weights - track the weights you lift, the number of reps and sets. And then aim to improve those numbers over time.

• Learning a new skill - track the days you practice and what you learnt.

(of course, it can be as detailed as you like)

By doing this, you'll feel a sense of progress (you'll sleep better at night too ;))

So Step #4 is to Scribe or document your progress.

Step #5: Strategize

Without a plan,

Chances are you'll rock up at the gym with binoculars and cargo pants - you’ll feel lost. Not only will your body reflect that but you'll also look ridiculous.

I'm not saying you need to have an entire plan in place for the next 12 months, but it pays to know what you're doing tomorrow.

It could be as simple as knowing what exercises you're going to do.

Or as complex as knowing what weight and the number of reps and sets you should aim for.

So Step #5 is to Strategize Your Next Plan

And then of course - Repeat

Consistency trumps perfection.

What you do today will lead you either closer or further away from your goals.

It's the accumulated actions over time that lead to massive results.

I hope you enjoyed this letter.

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Speak soon and take care,

Anthony Minimal