A&B #116

📚 Alex & Books #116

November 20, 2022

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    👋 Hey everyone,

    Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

      📚 Book Summary:

      This week's book is Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod.This book is a bit of a hidden gem–it's not a bestseller but it's packed with helpful advice for anyone who's in a creative field or pursuing their passion. It's only 127 pages so you can read it in one day. Instead of sharing 3 lessons from the book, here are 10 of my favorite quotes from the book: 1) "The more original your idea is, the less good advice other people will be able to give you."2) "You don't know if your idea is any good the moment it's created. Neither does anyone else."3) "The better the idea, the more 'out there' it initially will seem to other people, even people you like and respect. So there'll be a time in the beginning when you have to press on, alone, without one-tenth the support you probably need. This is normal."4) "Doing anything worthwhile takes forever. Ninety percent of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort, and stamina."5) "If your business plan depends on suddenly being 'discovered' by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain."6) "Thanks to the internet, you can now build your own thing without having somebody else 'discovering' you first. Which means when the big boys come along offering you deals, you'll be in a much better position to get exactly what you want from the equation."7) "You may never reach the summit; for that you will be forgiven. But if you don't make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow line, years later you will find yourself lying on your deathbed, and all you will feel is emptiness."8) "Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside." 9) "Art suffers the moment other people start paying for it. The more you need the money, the more people will tell you what to do. The less control you will have. The more bullshit you will have to swallow. The less joy it will bring. Know this and plan accordingly."10) "The less you can live on, the more chance your idea will succeed. This is true even after you've 'made it.'"Bonus:"If I had to condense this entire book into a line or two, it would read something like, 'Work hard. Keep at it. Live simply and quietly. Remain humble. Stay positive. Create your own luck. Be nice. Be polite.' I hope some of this was helpful. Hope you find what you're looking for. Thanks for reading. Godspeed."PS: Do you prefer the 3 lessons format or these key quotes? Let me know by replying to this email.

        ✅ Actionable Advice:1) No one knows how valuable your idea is, you have to figure that out yourself.

        • Write that book you've been thinking about for a year.

        • Build an MVP of that product you wish was on the market.

        • Hire a developer to prototype that app that you think could be a huge hit.

        2) The more you live below your means, the higher chance you have of making it.

        • Personal story: It took me 5 YEARS to become a full-time influencer. During that time I lived with my parents to save on rent, I didn't buy a car, jewelry, designer clothes, or any other luxury goods.

        • Achieving any dream will require a lot of time and sacrifice so you want to give yourself a long runway and the best way to do that is that live below your means so you don't have to trade your dreams for a paycheck.

        3) 90% of success is not quitting:

        • Another personal story: I "quit" Alex & Books several times. Early in my journey I was putting in 40+ hours a week but was making only a few hundred dollars from it. I felt burnt out and unappreciated. So I quit and took a break from posting blogs and content.

        • BUT after a few weeks, I realized that although my growth was slow, if I continued working, A&B would eventually grow large enough to the point where it could potentially become my main source of income.

        • And that's what happened. Had I given up in 2018 or 2019, A&B wouldn't exist today. Chances are the same is true for your industry, the ones who succeed are usually the ones who refused to give up.

          🎧 Podcast/YouTube Update:

          Here are 3 short videos you might enjoy:

              ⭐️ Quote:"When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running."From "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

                Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next Sunday!Read on,Alex W.

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