ASTON INCORPORATED
Episode 6- The Two Paths
Venture beyond the safety of the everyday blueprint and tap into the uncharted territories of success with your hosts, Wayne and Dallin Aston. As trailblazers ourselves, we're peeling back the curtain on the sacrifices and the seismic shifts in social circles that often accompany the rise to the top. Our candid discussions unearth the raw truth about what it takes to break the social agreement and navigate the waters of envy that success can stir, sharing stories that promise to challenge your perception of what it means to truly 'have.'
This episode is not just about defying odds; it's a masterclass in rewriting the rulebook. Discover how I turned heads and broke records in Moab's luxury real estate market, not simply by pricing condos at a premium, but by standing firm amidst a current of skepticism. Dallin and I dive into the critical nature of fostering a supportive environment, as the journey of innovation is a path walked better with allies. For anyone looking to push boundaries in their field, we're laying out the blueprint for success that's anything but conventional.
Finally, we strip down the glossy veneer of the 'American Dream' to reveal the gritty, exhilarating reality of entrepreneurship. Our conversation steers you through the philosophy of continuous growth and the pursuit of potential that's boundless. We're talking about principles over goals, action over dreams, and the transformative power of living in the present—inspired by legends in coaching and life alike. So, tune in, sync up with our steadfast principles, and let us ignite your path to chasing the horizon, armed with the philosophy of 'now.
Venture beyond the safety of the everyday blueprint and tap into the uncharted territories of success with your hosts, Wayne and Dallin Aston. As trailblazers ourselves, we're peeling back the curtain on the sacrifices and the seismic shifts in social circles that often accompany the rise to the top. Our candid discussions unearth the raw truth about what it takes to break the social agreement and navigate the waters of envy that success can stir, sharing stories that promise to challenge your perception of what it means to truly 'have.'
This episode is not just about defying odds; it's a masterclass in rewriting the rulebook. Discover how I turned heads and broke records in Moab's luxury real estate market, not simply by pricing condos at a premium, but by standing firm amidst a current of skepticism. Dallin and I dive into the critical nature of fostering a supportive environment, as the journey of innovation is a path walked better with allies. For anyone looking to push boundaries in their field, we're laying out the blueprint for success that's anything but conventional.
Finally, we strip down the glossy veneer of the 'American Dream' to reveal the gritty, exhilarating reality of entrepreneurship. Our conversation steers you through the philosophy of continuous growth and the pursuit of potential that's boundless. We're talking about principles over goals, action over dreams, and the transformative power of living in the present—inspired by legends in coaching and life alike. So, tune in, sync up with our steadfast principles, and let us ignite your path to chasing the horizon, armed with the philosophy of 'now.
Welcome back, guys. I'm your host, wayne Aston. This is my co-host, dallin Aston. Yeah, and this is Aston Incorporated. Thanks for tuning in, guys. So we got into some pretty deep shit on the last episode. I really enjoyed that, talking about the four pillars and finding harmony on our lives.
Speaker 2:Today I want to take this in a little different direction.
Speaker 1:It's we're gonna be talking some philosophy still and for you guys that are chomping at the bit to get into some some more, you know nuts and bolts on educational stuff. We're getting there, we're winding up, you guys, so stay with us. Okay, this philosophy conversation. Some of these are just must-have. Concepts Like these are foundational things that must be must be addressed. Yeah, so I want to drop a concept I'm gonna refer to as breaking the social agreement.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:And when I drop that out there with no explanation, what's your knee jerk to that Dallin?
Speaker 2:It's kind of like the first image that I have in my head is a school of fish swimming in one direction and you have one that's in the middle of swimming the other direction.
Speaker 1:It's kind of the image that I get in my head.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's a good one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a, that is a. That's a tight analogy to what I want to dive into here, because when we, when we find ourselves at the, the trailhead, getting ready to set foot onto the trail of becoming an entrepreneur, starting the journey to becoming entrepreneur, starting a business, there are certain things you can calculate and there's other things you could never calculate. Yeah, oh for sure. And and so there's this willingness, guys, that will permeate all of all of what we're doing with this show, okay, this entire show is. We will jump out of that plane with no net and figure it out on the way down. Okay, that really is what we're talking about here.
Speaker 1:But breaking social agreements is one of those things that, in my, in my relationships, in my personal journey of 27 years in the space, I never, never in a million years, could have calculated the casualties and the sacrifices that would come against my will, because of other people's choices and attitudes about what I was doing. And you know, the, the, in fact, this, this sleeve on my forearm here has it's got some gravestones right right here above my watch, and these gravestones represent people who called themselves friends at one point in my life when I was making good money and we were doing this and we were doing that and the money was good. Everyone wanted to be my friend, right? But when I got kicked in the teeth that first time and I was no longer defined by money in cars and houses and I had nothing but Wayne left, yeah, nobody was left.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Everyone just ghosted, and so these gravestones are here to remind me that relationships, relationships are the key. True, lasting, deep relationships are critical for long-term success. For me personally, it's my number one focus Authentic relationships. So in my worst of times, my darkest days, there are those handful of people that I can count on, always. Now, when we, when we talk about what does it mean that? What do you have to do to break the social agreement? Well, make a million dollars. Make a million dollars when you're 24 years old. You're gonna, you're gonna fucking break some agreements.
Speaker 2:And you don't even know what you're breaking.
Speaker 1:What's gonna happen is it's gonna show up with friends and family saying like Whispering oh man, who did he have to screw To buy those condos? Who did? Who did he have to steal from interesting?
Speaker 2:To make all that money and drive that fancy car that he's got.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, I'm talking about resentment and jealousy and I'm talking about the haves and the have nots. Yeah, being being in one side of the boat or the other the haves or the have nots Is not a circumstance, it's a choice. Yeah, anyone can be in either side of the boat and you can shift between boats. You can be in the have and have not. I've been in both boats back and forth three or four times, yeah, but I choose to be in the certain boat. I choose to be in the boat where I have stuff and I have success and I have relationships, consciously choosing that now. Yeah, I just really quickly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's interesting. Something just came to my head and I don't like to so. When I first bought my car, it had these racing stripes on it. Yeah, and there, and there's a reason, there's a purpose. I swear to this, okay, but you know, and you remember it right? Oh yeah, it looks sick. It was sick.
Speaker 2:But I would drive it and I felt, I was like man, it's just not like I felt a little gaudy, you know. I was like, oh man, like it's a little much for you. So my first inclination everyone's different, but my inclination is not to flaunt, and yeah, you know, I mean, and so I ended up taking the mom off.
Speaker 2:Because I liked how it looked, sleeker, you know, and but but that principle applies to what I was doing in Moab. Yeah, with these, this property stuff, I would go to Moab all the time and I have a lot of people around me. You know, whether it's, you know, friend groups or you know Acquaintances that I'd see at my apartment complex, they'd always see me Leaving for, you know a couple days of time, coming back and my car is covered in red sand, like what is this guy doing? Yeah, you know, and I'm gone always, you know, like I would. I was gone, I would go once a week down there for three months, you know, and it got to the point where I was living there.
Speaker 2:But but the point I'm trying to make here on this conversation is one day I remember I was getting back from a lot of this guy's like dude, what are you doing down there? And I was like you know I'm, I actually just I've been started this company and I started this company and I started this company and I again, I don't want to just like look at me, yeah.
Speaker 2:so I said I was like, why? You know I'm starting this business? And he's like, well, what is it? So he's asking specifically. So I'm okay. So I tell him. I was like, yeah, you know, I'm, I just bought these properties. I raised this money, bought these properties and I'm running in this nightly rentals. And he's like, why would you ever do that? And I was like, what do you mean? He's like, dude, just get tenants, why are you running him as nightly rentals?
Speaker 2:and I was like oh well, I mean, have you? And I asked him I remember this. I was like, oh, do you run property? Like you have tenants. He's like well, no. And I was like then, why are you? And I was trying to be as respectful as possible. I was like what's the? Have you ever done real estate? He's like no.
Speaker 2:And I was like so why? And I tried to be as kind and as loving as possible. I was like I don't, I'm just doing it because I think it's the best way I see fit, you know. And he was like, okay, well, geez, that's good luck, is what he said. Yeah, and I was like, thanks, good luck. Like you're a damn fool, you are clueless.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And I just remember seeing it, I was like what? And I was just so kind of taking it back. I was like why is this guy, who's never done anything of the sort, telling me that I'm a fool for doing what I've spent so much time trying to figure out? And it just made me feel kind of uncomfortable.
Speaker 1:So I was like well, thanks, man.
Speaker 2:Like yeah, I have a good one. And I walked away and it just bugged me, it just nagged my brain. I was like what you know? And the conclusion I came to was what we're talking about here is you know, you have people that you know, and I think now is you could go ask someone that makes $50,000 a year how to become a millionaire, and they'll tell you they will have an opinion, they will have a strong opinion. They'll be very vocal about what you should do. But have you done it? Is it? Well? No, okay, then why that?
Speaker 2:And that's the biggest thing to me, it's like okay, well, if I'm gonna try to do something, I don't wanna ask just anyone, because everyone will have an opinion, but the only one that I care about is the one that's done it. That's kind of what I, you know. So when we're talking about the have and have not, it's like everyone has an opinion and they're gonna tell you you're wrong. Everyone's gonna tell you you're wrong. Everyone's gonna say, well, maybe it's just not quite, maybe you're just not meant to be. You know, maybe this isn't working. When I first started Guitar Hacks, I was. I remember my computer literally broke and all my work was gone. I don't know if I've ever told you this but I lost everything.
Speaker 2:All my courses that I had filmed all my e-book like everything that I've written. I lost it all and I had someone tell me you know, maybe it's just not meant to be Like, maybe that's a sign, and I was like what? Get the heck out of here Like that didn't even cross my mind until you said that I was like that's not even in the realm of reality. You should just give up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was like that's not even real, Like what are you?
Speaker 2:saying you know? So it's this concept, I think.
Speaker 1:It's just interesting. Oh man, that's incredible. You know Thomas Edison had a factory you just spurred a short thing I wanted to share on those lines had a factory and he was inventing, you know, trying to invent the light bulb. Everyone knows that Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb in his first try. It took, I think, 10,000 times. He tried all kinds of things, but some crazy number yeah. Crazy number he has all this R&D, this research and development to develop a light bulb, and his factory burned down and it was a total loss and, as it was, burning and blue flames and all kinds of chemicals and stuff in this lab, the thing's burning down.
Speaker 1:He grabs an apprentice and some people around him was like, look at that, you know, and he wasn't in the give up mode, it only motivated him to. He's like man, imagine the possibilities of just starting from scratch with all the knowledge and experience I have. Could look like. Imagine what my investor, what my story to my investors will be when we're starting from scratch with all these ideas. That didn't work. And his perspective was totally different. It was a really inspiring story. You'll have to Google it and like actually read about that, because I've given you very high level and didn't do any justice to it. But you're so right, it's crazy. You know Sage Creek we'll talk about all the time because there's an example for everything we're talking about down there. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made as a resort developer was selling units to individuals when it was designed to be programmed as a resort. Yeah, Resort programming requires that all the furniture is the same. It requires that the programming is consistent.
Speaker 2:Right like a hotel.
Speaker 1:Like a hotel. I go sell 20 something units and guess what? Every condo owner's a professional hotelier. They're all telling me how the color should change, how we should do this different, and it's incredible People with no experience. They were the most vocal, strong opinions on how to program a world-class resort that's so interesting to me.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, and it's every level of anything.
Speaker 1:Well, I just want the listeners to make a mental note that when people are giving you opinions, strong opinions, that you're crazy and you shouldn't be doing that, you should do the opposite of what they're saying. Most of the time, those folks are working jobs that they're not willing. They don't have the balls to go and take the risk and jump out of a plane without a parachute. So they're gonna tell you a safer path. They're gonna try and protect you. Okay. Now, it's well known amongst pilots in the military that if I'm flying a B-12 bomber and I'm not taking enemy fire, I'm probably not over the target. If I'm taking heavy enemy fire, I'm right over the target. I'm right where I'm supposed to be Interesting, okay.
Speaker 1:So mental note guys, you're listening here the opinions of all of the folks that are not doing what you want to be doing. Not only do they mean nothing, but they should serve as fuel to show you you're on the right path of doing something they would never dare to do or it's never been done before. So there's another common tenet of becoming an entrepreneur You've got to be willing to do something that's never been done before and be passionate, and you've got to have an internal navigation system that can resist all of the naysayers and the have-nots. And you're breaking a social agreement because when you press forward with your crazy idea, everyone's angry. I don't know why. Another example in Moab. You know we're designing these condos. Okay, you love this. Realtors listening, you love this one? Listen to this.
Speaker 1:I'm talking to one of the most experienced old real estate agents in Moab. I'm not going to name his name because this is a very negative situation. What I knew was I had a floor plan. I know that the unit's three bedrooms, two and a half baths. I know it's 1,610 square feet. I go to the professional in Moab and I ask him to help me price it and he says well, I mean because you know the highest condo we've ever sold in Grand County, sold for 387,000. I think you probably should be pricing it 383.75 and we could sell through those. No perspective of resort programming, no perspective of the finishes, no perspective of cash flow potential. Little did he know the cost of each condo was $480,000. Right, so how am I supposed to sell a condo at $100,000 lost per unit? Yeah, right. So I'm doing something that's never been done before.
Speaker 1:So I decide that we're going to have a sales meeting, a pre-sales meeting. We're going to go down to the Moab brewery and we're going to invite all the agents in Moab. We're going to have them come and we're going to unveil the project Sage Creek at Moab. We're going to show them these pretty plans and these renderings and the site and we're going to tell them all about it. And we're going to roll out the opening price. And we did that and I decided we'd roll out at 450 a unit. That was a slight loss. Yeah, I figured you know what. We could probably take a loss, a few, a few condos for loss leaders, just to prime the pump and get some sales. And guess what the agents did? They all sat and gave me these price per square foot calculations and laughed me out of the room. They're like you are out of your mind.
Speaker 1:You can't sell a condo for 450 in Grand County. This is stupid, I mean. They were laughing at me. It was a very embarrassing and degrading meeting for me to stand up and have them all laughing and telling me how wrong I was because I was too greedy. Right and again, social agreements. Guys, keep your focus on the social agreements. Wow, these are realtors that have lived there for their whole lives. They don't have the resources to know how or the balls to go build something of value. They just want to sell whatever someone else creates. Right, but they have a very strong opinion about what it should be valued at. Yeah and so, wow. So here's fast forward a couple months. Here's what happens. Another competing project down there in Trotta. They end up having a sales agent with a little different attitude. They end up selling a unit for 470,000.
Speaker 1:That broke the records and set a new record, so I decided we'd better one up it and I bring an investor in. And we sold an entire building 12 units for 550 a unit 6.6 million cash for one building. So we shattered the the county record. Yeah, fast forward two more years. Condos well, just got a praise last year for a million and fifty a unit.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay. So you can imagine what all the agents in Grand County now are doing. They're looking at this and saying, shit, we could make so much money if we were, just if we would be open-minded and support the growth and support the values rising Right. And now, if you go look on the MLS, every condo in Grand County is going to be six.
Speaker 2:There's not one below Seven hundred thousand dollars, maybe five hundred.
Speaker 1:I mean to find something at 385 is going to be rare now, if it ever happens again. Yeah, so there's a lot to be said and I'm not tuning my own horn, I'm just saying I feel blessed that we stuck to our guns. We knew the value we were presenting. It cost a lot more to deliver that unit with all that value Three and a half million dollar pool. We built the pool a year before the first condos were finished so that people could drive by Highway 191 and see these big rock cliffs, 17 feet tall, with fire features and water and the changing color in the water. It's like, oh, it was like a billboard, right, everyone knew before those condos got built. Oh, my gosh, this is an amazing, world-class pool complex. I'll bet those condos are gonna be incredible 100%. But that takes determination and willingness to go blaze a new trail when everyone else is calling you crazy. Yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:Just an example, right?
Speaker 1:So when the nays? And so Huge. So get back to what I talked about casualties. You know, I shared a little bit about the friends that all kind of left in 2008.
Speaker 1:It's been one of the hardest, most impossible things to calculate in my life, being an entrepreneur, a successful entrepreneur making millions of dollars, just with the understanding that there's so few people who actually are happy about that.
Speaker 1:For me, yeah, what I find is 80% of the people I'm talking to don't really care, and the other 20% really want me to fail.
Speaker 1:So there's a very small group of people and it's because of just in my experience, they feel like I'm leaving them behind in some way. Right, you know, I could apply this to some family members. I could apply this to many, many folks that I would call friends at one point in my life, who are clearly not friends, and so it's really important for me to surround myself with authentic people, people who authentically support my success, who authentically support my crazy ideas with an open mind. Right, I mean, I have close friends that still think I'm crazy and they'll tell me, oh for sure, you're crazy, but they support that. I'm willing to go maverick, yeah, and something might happen. So I want to transition into this concept and if you guys have seen the matrix, the original matrix, kind of this is where the concept comes from for me. There's a scene in the movie where Trinity is in Neo or in the car and Neo doesn't realize he's the one yet he doesn't realize he's the chosen one, but Trinity and the other rest of the group they believe he is.
Speaker 1:And they're trying to help him understand his potential. And they pull up and it's rainy and there's all this chaos happening. And they pull up to this alleyway and Trinity's like Neo, look down that street, you see the end of that street, you know where that ends. And he's like, yeah, and she's like you don't want to be there. That's the problem, you know where that ends.
Speaker 1:That really impacted me, guys, because the analogy I'm sharing now is what I call the two paths. Okay, the two paths critical, foundational work for an entrepreneur, super, super, applicable for me and my life and how I operate On the left hand. So imagine we're always standing in a crossroads. On the left hand, there's a straight, narrow path and I can see what's at the end of it. It's safe, it's comfortable and secure. Yeah, I could have a job, I could have benefits, I could have insurance, I could have my bills paid, I could have all of those things that are familiar and comfortable. The only problem is I know where it ends, right, and it is a house with a white picket fence and nothing beyond that. The American dream, but nothing beyond that. So the American dream is a fallacy. We're talking about a white picket fence in the house. Okay, that will serve 90% of the population.
Speaker 1:I think I mean I'm being bold, guys. If you hate me already, then you're fair to chime in and tell me how much I suck. I don't want to be degrading to anyone, but unfortunately so. There's that path. That's the safety of the guarantees. On this other path it's a windy thing. It's a windy trail that goes up a mountain. There's trees, wild animals, landmines, all kinds of things that could kill me. There's no guarantee, there's no security. It's up to me solely to survive that one. If I have the guts to go down that path. I'm relying on myself solely and some faith in God that he can help me, help me avoid some of the snares on that trail. So it's again, it's a me and God partnership. But the question is under what circumstances do I choose either path Right? Is this resonating?
Speaker 2:with you yet? Yeah, yeah it is. It's interesting. I think you could think about a lot of ways, and I don't think it's being degrading. I mean, if we're talking about what we're talking to here, this is the entrepreneur, right? I mean there will probably have a wide group of people who listen, so all you guys out there listening it's, you know, what we're talking about here is the light. An entrepreneur, that's not your job, right? I think it's your lifestyle. It's not a career.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right it is a lifestyle that you live. Yeah, and I think this is painting the picture of what that actually means and I think it's important.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know and so I don't know. You think about you can see the end or you don't know the end. I it's interesting. It's almost like you're going up a staircase where you can't see the next step, almost.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Martin Luther King.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Martin Luther King talks about faith. He quantified, he defines faith by only being able to see the next step on the staircase. That's a great analogy, yeah.
Speaker 2:And that's what kind of speaks to me here, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And what's crazy to me is I think we oftentimes think, oh man, if my life were this way, I'd be happy, yeah. Or oh man, if only this, or if only that, if only. Or, you know, I think most people will say, man, this is my biggest dream. Yeah, if life were perfect, this is how it would look. And some people might not even have that idea, they might even know what that would look like. But I think even when we think that way, this is what my perfect life would look like, I feel like even that is limiting in a way. Right.
Speaker 1:Because, if you can see it, it's almost like well, that's it. When you get there, you're gonna stop.
Speaker 2:It's like with fitness oh man, I wanna be X-weight. When you get there, it's like great, now, what? Now, what right? That's not the idea. I think the switch is. My goal is not just X-weight or X, you know, lifting or whatever X miles on the treadmill, it's I wanna be fit. That's a race with no finish line.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's you know, you're never gonna okay, I wanna be fit.
Speaker 2:I guess I'll have to. I guess I have to keep going. Then I could hit my dream weight and just feel like, oh man, I'm good, now I'll just sit back. Or I could say, no, I wanna be fit, so I'm gonna keep going. What's the next level of that?
Speaker 1:What's the next level?
Speaker 2:So when you're thinking about the one where you can't see the finish line, it's almost like man. It's probably bigger than we can even imagine.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I think that's the point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we don't put a ceiling on it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a critical piece of this, critical piece of the analogy. So here's another movie cue for you. So those of us we love our comedies, guys, we might draw some Nacho Libre quotes.
Speaker 2:We might draw some Anchorman quotes, but today, today, what comes up for me is Dumb and Dumber.
Speaker 1:Okay, jim Carrey, magnificent performance, dumb and Dumber. If you've seen the movie then you know that Jim Carrey is just this really kind of nerdy dude. Nothing going for him. And he has this coincidental encounter to meet this really beautiful redheaded lady, and she lives in Aspen, Colorado, and she's rich and all of this. And he thinks he's falling in love with this lady, right, and he's so determined to be with her. So, if I recall correctly, the lady leaves a wallet and he decides oh my gosh, this is my chance. I'm gonna go connect with her and we're gonna fall in love and I'm gonna marry her and we're gonna write off into the sunset, I'm gonna return her wallet to her in where she lives, in Aspen, colorado or whatever.
Speaker 1:So in this buddy, get on their little moped. You guys see the scene. They're driving through the snowy past, a snot, all over their faces, frozen. They get there and the specific scene is he's encountering this lady and he asked her point blank. He's like what's the chance that we go on a date or we could be dating? And she looks at him and she's like brutally honest. She's like she doesn't wanna crush him, but she's like totally honest too. She's trying to avoid him. She's like man, it's probably like one in a million that I would go on a date with you and most people are crushed.
Speaker 1:But what does he do? He says so you're saying there's a chance? Right Like to him, that was like the best news he could ever receive, because there's a one in a million chance and he's living for a chance. So now I wanna apply that to the two paths. I live my life consciously on the chance of achieving something magnificent and unexpected and bigger than I can imagine, and I'll take that path every single time by default, over that secure path and knowing what's at the end of it. Every single time by default, as a serial entrepreneur, I live for the chance and there's no guarantees, but I'm cool with that. But I live for a chance to make something magnificent or do something that's never been done before. Critical philosophy, guys to program your mind to think that way. Think like dumb and dumber.
Speaker 1:So you're saying there's a chance. That means you, if not me, then who? Who's gonna be the one? Why not me? Okay, we've gotta believe in ourselves, guys. We've got to have a confidence inside ourselves, even if it's never been done, even if everyone's saying we're totally insane.
Speaker 2:Okay, and I think, something really important along those lines that I'm just thinking about as you're talking here. I don't know if you've ever read the book Principles by Ray Dalio Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So yeah, Ray Dalio is a Jedi.
Speaker 2:He is extraordinary, yeah, so if you haven't read that book, I strongly recommend it. I've been reading it lately and something that's really stood out to me is the whole idea of principles. You know, and I think if you go back into previous episodes, we talk about why, we talk about the purpose for what we're doing. You know we go seven layers deep, we do all this stuff. But then if you take a look at the two paths, you know, you're wise, you know you're gonna use that to push you through the jungle, with the bombs and the animals that rip you apart.
Speaker 2:But in my opinion, the only way to get through that, you know, and make it the only way to actually survive the jungle, is to live your life based on principles. You know, we're not talking about setting goals. We're not talking about, you know, a New Year's resolution. Yeah, yeah, hey, this year I'm gonna do XXX. These are my goals. I think goals are like they're okay, but what?
Speaker 2:In my opinion, when goals are predicated based on principles, that's where power comes. You know, Goals aren't honestly, and maybe you have a different opinion, but for me, goals aren't necessarily super inspiring to me. What's super inspiring to me is the principles that I've created for my life that allow me to say this is my grand vision. My grand vision is I wouldn't qualify that as a goal. I'd say that's my, that's what I'm to do, that's, you know, and I don't even know what's beyond that. This is just what I can see. The next step, but my principles are what I believe guide me through when the inevitable storm comes right, because your wise is gonna tell you okay, I have to get through this, but well, how am I gonna get through this, it's you have these principles engraved within yourself. I have 20 principles that I've written down. In fact, they're my lock screen. I have 20 principles that I believe guide and every part of my life is predicated upon, you know. I think that applies to going through the jungle.
Speaker 1:I think you're right. I mean, I agree with you. I think a New Year's resolution is a waste of time and energy.
Speaker 2:And I think a goal to me.
Speaker 1:When you say goals and ambitions, that's. It would be nice someday. I wish it's a daydream. Yeah, it's just bullshit. Guys, You're just stroking yourself with daydreams. Right Now, let's make a difference and make something actionable. Let's set a target. Yeah, you either hit the target or you miss a target. There's no varying degrees on a spectrum of did I succeed or fail? You either hit the target or you don't.
Speaker 2:I survived or I got eaten by an animal in the jungle. That's truly what we're talking about here, right?
Speaker 1:When you're talking about heading down the path with a no guarantees and no security, then it really is driven to results, and I totally agree with what you're saying. I think you almost live every day like it's New Year's Day.
Speaker 2:I set weekly targets.
Speaker 1:Ok, guys. So for practical application, what's worked for me is I like to take on a Sunday evening. I'll spend a couple hours and I'll set targets for my week, and I typically set only four. I'm not going to go set 10, because experience has shown I don't like to miss my target and I set too many targets for a week, then I just overwhelm myself and I don't get them. I like to set a target. That's a stretch. It feels improbable but it must get done.
Speaker 2:So what's the difference between a target and a goal? Well, the goal to me, is that's important, I think.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, the goal is it would be nice to have, and typically goals you know you set a year out.
Speaker 2:And so what if we quantified this? Ok, this year, say, it's New Year's and I'm setting here and I'm going. Man, I want to. I want to gain 20 pounds of lean muscle mass this year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So the difference for me so that's so. That could be the goal, that's a result. So the way I unpack that for results driven probabilities to hit that as a target is I set targets within the process required to hit the result. So instead of me saying I want to lose 20 pounds or I want to gain 20 pounds, whatever it would, be what I'm going to do is each week I'm going to say, ok, I'm going to consume 3,400 calories a day.
Speaker 1:Ok, yes, I'm going to do two hours in the gym at least five, six days a week. I'm going to hit this amount of weights. There are specific actionable targets that I either hit or miss on an ongoing, but then I set weekly that lead to that goal or the.
Speaker 2:So it almost.
Speaker 1:I still want to call it a target, but it's a year away.
Speaker 2:But right, it almost sounds to me like by very definition, a goal is kind of vague, it's you can get specific, yeah, but. I think the day I want to lose 20 pounds is that that's very specific yeah. But OK, well, how and why?
Speaker 1:How and why? Why not? Why not set a process?
Speaker 2:Yeah, why not? So the principle process. So here's, we're getting in principles, right, yeah? Yeah, my principle in my life is we don't have to get into that, but one of them could be I am, so you become your principles and your principles become you. I am fit. Yeah, my process of being that way is this yeah, right, that's kind of what I'm hearing, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's absolutely right. That's absolutely right. It's when I can establish a process and I trust the process will lead to the result. Nick Saban is a world renowned collegiate champion coach. Nick Saban if you study him, he talks about processes. You will not hear him talking about winning a national championship. What you will hear him talking about is what must happen inside of the workout for the football team today. Wow, and it's as a perfect as pros today's workout. If today's workout is as perfect as it can be, and we did these defensive drills and these offensive plays and we're focused into present and we trust the process. When we get to the end of that, we stack those reps up, the likelihood we win the championship is so much higher.
Speaker 1:It is an elevated consciousness around setting something long range, long range target. You're not. We are not focusing on that target out there. Yeah, like we are focusing on what I can control today. That's all I can control. It's just a yeah so take it from Nick Saban. And how, how does every coach not embrace that? I don't know, you know you, I understand you know huh, people try to find motivation in different ways, but I don't want to, I don't want to, beleaguered that. That idea, that's a pure idea. Trust the process, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I don't think it Ain't nothing to and I've said this before but I'll say it again it's not a matter of necessarily. You know, we're saying there's only one way, and there's so many ways, absolutely to do anything. Absolutely, you know. But when you take a setback, the principles apply. Yeah, right, and the principle of two paths, principle of having or why, the principle of you know, being present. I think these are Applicable to that.
Speaker 1:Anyone in every, you know every one and look, we could challenge not to interrupt you, but we could challenge what you're saying to. There's a hundred different ways to do it. That's true, right, but let's, let's think about Trevor Moad and his amazing book called it. Takes what it takes, he, he presents the concept of the illusion of choice. Yes, I could probably like to do a whole episode on the illusion of choice, but to give the listeners high level, you should go get that book if you can today and read it. He talks about college football players transitioning to the NFL.
Speaker 2:What does that?
Speaker 1:take Trevor Moad's, a life coach for professional athletes. He was the. He is the life coach for the Seattle Seahawks. You know, quarterback, who's won the Super Bowl? And now I'm forgetting his name. Sorry guys, I'm not a huge, huge professional, I'm not a huge supporter of professional athletics, but.
Speaker 1:But what he talks about is like these guys come out of college, they're hot stuff and they get the five million dollar contract to be in the NFL. Now they naturally think, hey, man, I got a five million dollar contract, I can drive Lamborghinis, I can go clubbing on the on the week nights, the weekends, I got all these girls to hang out with. I'm gonna be putting this stuff on social. I can drink my alcohol, I can do my stuff, and and there's a rude awakening that happens for every one of them. And what happens is they get into the league and the league says Okay, we have two workouts a day, and tomorrow, you know, starting in the morning at 6, 15 am, and you must perform at 90% capacity in Both workouts in the day.
Speaker 1:Now, for a human being to do that, the illusion of choice starts to disappear, right, and and the college kid realizes oh my gosh, if I am going to perform at that level, I Must be in bed by 9 am. Yeah, I cannot drink alcohol, I cannot drink drugs. Do you use drugs? I'm not gonna be out clubbing, I have to be. I Can only eat these certain things I might. Meal plan is. It's chicken and rice, bro, right, like you know what I'm saying. So, oh yeah, it's water, only it's no soda pop, yeah, like Down to the details, right, and? And so now? Now, discipline equals freedom, right? It's a big cycle, but the illusion of choice like with all that money and all that quote-unquote freedom Right gets it's like a vacuum gets sucked away. When you recognize if I'm truly committed to the result, then my choices are finite. There are only one or two or three choices.
Speaker 2:Yes, in this equation, for me to hit that target.
Speaker 1:Yes, get clear about that, guys. That's what I'm trying to convey With with setting targets. Okay, so so we're at time. Let's wrap it. I think we've had a. I've enjoyed it. Have you enjoyed it today? Yeah, hopefully the listeners have enjoyed it, guys. Thanks for being with us today. Aston incorporated. We hope you'll tune in next time.