My last “winter arc”

Let me take you back to last winter:

I’d just started this Twitter writing business after failing 5+ businesses beforehand.

And I was more determined than ever to finally make it work so I could escape my part-time job and university (yes, I was juggling all these things simultaneously).

I just couldn’t bear the thought of clocking into the office every Mon-Fri any longer just to sit there and kill time by secretly watching YouTube videos and witnessing the endless lines of code go blurry.

So I took radical measures:

I woke up at 5 AM every morning to write my content … I canceled all social events on the weekends so I could engage on Twitter … I even changed my workout routine so I could spend more time “working.”

Seems very admirable, doesn’t it?

A man determined to unlock the life of his dreams!

Let me break that illusion for you:

Not only was it killing me inside & damaging my relationships … it was also completely & utterly useless.

I took pride in my loneliness.

“This is the lonely chapter. My ‘Rocky Cutscene’!”

I took pride in my bad mental health.

“This is what it takes to be successful. I want to be rich, not happy!”

I took pride in my unchained anger.

“I’ll prove all these fuckers wrong. They don’t understand. I’m destined for more.”

…

I cringe – very hard – when I hear all those things. But that was my mindset at the time. Here’s what it led to:

• Me destroying my health by sitting all day 

• Constant stress because of unrealistic expectations

• Damaged relationships with friends & family (because I’d literally isolated myself)

The worst part?

I was making NO MONEY whatsoever. I was wasting my time.

Look, I’m proud of myself for possessing the ability to work hard. It’s something that most people in the West nowadays can’t do. 

But here’s the deal: If your hard work is leading nowhere (as was the case for me) … you shouldn’t be proud of that … you should be questioning whether you’re actually working on the right things.

But I know how hard it is to let go.

It’s scary.

You feel lazy for taking a hot shower instead of forcing yourself to write another piece of content or line of code (to the point where it literally gives you headaches).

So how did I escape this?

Well, I’m gonna be honest. I still struggle with this sometimes. But I’ve made heaps of progress.

• I work 4-8 hours instead of 12+

• I have a very slow & relaxed morning routine

• I actually ENJOY my work instead of relying on discipline to sit down & write

I live a slower … more chill life.

(And I’m making much more money than I used to).

Here’s how I escaped the constant grind:

I PROVED to myself that giving up control won’t ruin my business. I gathered PROOF that resting more actually made me more productive. I gathered PROOF for the fact that my creativity is more important than how many hours I worked…

…By actually doing all those things.

There is no shortcut.

You have to TRUST in the fact that what I’m telling you here is not some woo-woo BS. And you have to prove it to yourself.

I want YOU to be able to enjoy time off without feeling guilty.

I want YOU to experience the peace of mind that comes with having a business that isn’t limited by you – the founder.

I want YOU to be able to have spontaneous day trips with your family or simply say “fuck it” and jet off to Thailand, like I recently have.

You might think:

“No Tim, you don’t understand. My business is different. I’m literally FORCED to work 10+ hours every day to stay competitive. There’s always fires to put out … projects to work on … and customer complaints to handle.”

I used to think the same.

How about this: instead of making this email even longer than it already is … let’s have a quick chat where I PROVE to you that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Let’s discuss the solution to how YOU can win back your time & peace of mind – even if you think it’s impossible for you.

Just reply with “winter” and I’ll send you my calendly link.

Remember, this is your life story. Do you want to spend it mindlessly grinding away? Or do you want to spend it building a business that allows you to enjoy time with your loved ones and follow your passions?

It’s up to you.

Reply with “winter” so I can help you win back your time.

Talk soon,

Tim <3