Hey Friend,

This email is going out 1 day late, sorry for the delay. I just flew into Bali to lock in for the next 3 months. More updates on my instagram about that. I may be starting a new content series to document the whole journey.

But as I ramp up for this new content series and growth push

I wanted to talk about something this week that's been on my mind a lot...

You're not lazy.

You're not undisciplined.

You're not lacking willpower.

You're just disciplined toward the wrong goals.

When I fell out of love with my photography business and I become Addicted to Jiu Jitsu.
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Addicted with a capital A.

I trained twice a day, watched all the videos and instructionally I could, and become obbessed.

It consumed my life.

I let myself have that addiction because it wasn't necessarily bad for me, but it was the perfect fill for the void I was feeling in my career.

I felt empty and lost in my old business. I wasn't happy with deliver, the clients, the future growth if I decided to stay in that business. So a unintentional hobby took its place and my brain re-wired to achieve a new goal.

I did not have lots of discipline when I built my photography business and opened up one of the biggest creative studios in Toronto.

I did not have lots of discipline when I decided to train twice a day sometimes three and spent every other minute watching Jiu Jitsu Instructionals.

I did not have lots of discipline when I posted for twice a day for 2 months and gained 100 thousand followers on Instagram.

My brain was aligned with the goals I wanted at that time and did everything in it's power to stay focused on that goal.
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And if you have ADHD like me this can look extremely obsessive by nature haha but this can be a good thing.

SO...

If are unhappy about a certain aspect of your land want too change it for the better and have it feel easy instead of hard.

Here is how you can reshape your frame of mind.

The Three Blind Spots Keeping You Stuck

Most people think they know what's holding them back.

"I'm lazy."
"I lack willpower."
"I'm just not motivated enough."

But the truth is, you have blind spots. And these blind spots are keeping you trapped in a life you don't want.

Think about it like a video game.

You know that black fog that covers unexplored areas of the map? You can't even see where the path is until you unlock that part of the map.

That's what these blind spots are doing to your life.

Here are the three most common ones:

Blind Spot #1: Confirmation Bias

Your brain is wired to look for evidence that confirms what you already believe.

If you believe "I'm not a morning person," your brain will notice every time you struggle to wake up. It will ignore the times you woke up fine and focus only on the evidence that supports your belief.

It's like walking down the street and only noticing people taller than you, then concluding "I'm definitely short." while ignoring the 70% of people you may be taller than.

Your brain filters reality to keep you exactly where you are.

Blind Spot #2: The "I'm Different" Bias

Okay, so maybe you see someone else succeed.

You see another creator blow up. Another freelancer escape client work. Another person transform their body.

But then your brain goes: "Yeah, but I'm different."

"They had more time than me."
"They had more money to start with."
"They're more naturally talented."

Here's the truth: you're not that special.

I don't mean that in a harsh way, I mean you're not the one person on Earth who can't do this.

Yes, your circumstances are unique. But so is everyone else's.

And there are people with worse circumstances than you who have done it.

Blind Spot #3: Learned Helplessness

This is the most dangerous one.

You've tried so many times and "failed" so many times that you've learned to believe nothing you do works.

You tried to build an audience, didn't work.
You tried to start a business, didn't work.
You tried to go to the gym consistently, didn't work.

So your brain concludes: "I'm just not capable, why bother trying again"

But here's the reality: you didn't fail because you're incapable.

You failed because you were following the wrong map.

You were trying to use willpower instead of systems that work for yourself.

You were trying to force yourself to do things that conflicted with your identity.

And now you're stuck in this loop where you don't even try anymore because "what's the point?"

How To Do The Hard Things Easily

You're already disciplined. You're just disciplined toward the wrong goals.

So we need to change your identity.

Your identity is where your mind subconsciously puts energy towards maintaining.

Think about how easy it is for you to scroll on your phone for an hour.

Think about how easy it is to watch Netflix all day.

Think about how easy it is to stay in bed when your alarm goes off.

You're not lazy, you're incredibly disciplined at maintaining comfort.

You're disciplined at staying exactly who you are right now.

Your brain has an unconscious goal: stay the same.

Staying the same = survival. Change = threat and us unknown.

So when you try to start a business, or go to the gym, or build an audience, your brain goes into defense mode.

It makes you procrastinate. It makes you feel anxious. It makes you "forget" to do the thing.

Because doing the thing threatens your current identity.

Discipline is a Feature of Identity, Do Not Use Willpower

Discipline is about forcing yourself to do hard things.

But that's not how it works.

A bodybuilder doesn't struggle to go to the gym.

It's not hard for them to eat healthy.

Why? Because they're a bodybuilder - that's their identity.

They want to get ripped and they enjoy the lifestyle and process.

Going to the gym isn't something they force themselves to do. It's just what bodybuilders do.

In fact, NOT going to the gym feels painful to them because it threatens their identity.

Same with gamers.

A gamer doesn't struggle to sit in front of a screen for 12 hours a day. They're not using willpower to do that. They're just being who they are.

The question isn't "How do I get more disciplined?"

The question is "Who do I need to become?"

Do you need to become a creator? A business owner? A fit person?

Once you shift your identity, the actions become automatic.

And you shift identity through small, consistent actions that prove to yourself you're that person.

You don't need to believe it first -you act first, and the belief follows.

Every time you do the thing, you're casting a vote for that identity.

Do it enough times, and your brain rewires itself.

Build the Environment That Makes It Inevitable

Here's the final piece:

You can't rely on willpower alone.

You need to build an environment that makes the right actions automatic.

Deletion equals simplification.

Unfollow accounts that don't serve your goals.
Delete apps that drain your attention.
Throw away junk food.
Clean your workspace.
Cut out people who pull you down.

Make good habits frictionless. Make bad habits high-friction.

Want to go to the gym in the morning? Sleep in your gym clothes. Pack your bag the night before.

Want to stop scrolling? Delete social media apps. Put your phone in another room.

Your environment is either working for you or against you.

Look at your bedroom, is it designed for great sleep?
Look at your workspace, is it designed for deep focus?
Look at your kitchen, is it designed for healthy eating?

If not, you're fighting an uphill battle every single day.

When your environment is aligned with your goals, discipline becomes effortless.

You're not fighting yourself anymore.

You're not white-knuckling your way through life.

You're just flowing in the direction you've designed.

What This Means for You

So let's bring this all together:

You're not undisciplined, you're just disciplined toward the wrong goals.

Discipline is a feature of identity, not willpower.

And your environment is either working for you or against you.

If you're wondering what new identity to set for yourself, what new goals to set, or if you needed more clarity on your goals AND you're intersted in becoming a creator (I assume that's in the ballpark of 1 of your interests since you're on this newsletter)

Then consider checking out this youtube video here:

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It covers:

• How to create your first authentic digital offer
• How to get paid while you grow your audience
• How to post viral content consistently without burning out
• How to build a content ecosystem that sells while you sleep
• How to connect with your audience without being salesy
• And how to launch your first five-figure digital product

Let me know what you think about this email or about the video above bt messaging me on instagram here.

Always appreciate feedback and connecting with you guys

Talk soon,

Ethan

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