From @Evan Thomas : This is an area to share and discuss ideas that help you move forward in life. We'll discuss how to add to your skill set and hone the one you already have. Success is your duty, obligation and responsibility! It will be a place to discuss mindset, removing bad habits and creating better ones, entrepreneurship, sales, understanding that it's our duty to become the best version of ourselves. Success is your duty, obligation and responsibility!

This is a great new interview with business leader Ed Mylett. He talks about how to maintain high standards and staying motivated to achieve your goals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na7RfQ5NBC8

Looking forward to this channel 👍🏼

Indeed.

1. Wake Up Early ☀️

Actually, I’d like to contribute to this if it’s okay. Since I’m a wee bit older, I may have some good advice if you guys are interested in hearing it. It’s taken me *years* to develop the foundations of what I believe are necessary for personal development. Those foundations I think are stability and routine.

I feel like stability - that is, the mitigation of daily chaos - is trickier for younger people since younger people’s live tend to be in constant transition. High school to college or military, job changes, constant moving around, and the emotional turmoil that goes along with dating and changing mates and friends.

Having life stability is what allows you to establish the second foundation, which is routine. Routine is what allows you to practice and perfect what you want to be good at. I feel like athletes have the best grasp of routine - they know that they have to constantly focus and refocus in mitigating life chaos, and routine is what allows them to do that.

So, stability and routine ftw.

Would stability roughly equate to 'knowing what is going to occur in your day before it starts'?

Yes, though that may be more the routine part. Stability is more big picture., e.g. knowing that you’re going to be in one place, one job, one emotional state for a predictable period of time. That allows you to generally know what likely to occur in your day to day life which is what let’s you establish routine I feel like.

So stability is more of a macro-level concept and routine more micro-level.

Yeah I think that’s a great way of putting it.

One recommendation for success is using a to-do list/reminders app. I use the iOS built-in Reminders app; there may be a better one. Absolutely any time I conceive of some task I need to perform in the future -- whether later that night, later that week, in the distant future, or in the indefinite future -- I make a reminder, including any notes for specific practical advice I want to give to my future self, according to how far in the future it might be. Then that bane of productivity, where tasks 'fall through the cracks', becomes impossible.

This doesn't explain the best way to go about one's to-do list (e.g. distinguishing between high- and low-priority tasks, or separating a particular time of day to perform certain tasks in isolation from communication channels), but it ensures that one's to-do list is complete.

Sometimes it's tempting not to make a reminder, because hey, I can easily remember to do X in a few hours, right? But oftentimes Y, Z, and other tasks-to-do also arise, putting a strain on your memory and possibly leading to some anxiety as you try to keep them all in your mind by not focusing on other activities on which you should be wholly focused. But if you make a reminder, then the worst-case scenario is you wasted 30 seconds up front by creating a reminder for something you already remembered to do.

Lastly, sometimes I'll make a reminder for a task that I recall sans reminder -- but the only reason I even remember the task is because I went through the effort of making the reminder in the first place. So the actual act of creating the reminders aids our memory in this limited respect as well.

I do this too. I keep a general calendar which not only includes work tasks and family tasks, but also hobbies and academic pursuits. @Brandon Ironside- ND and I have talked quite a bit about this. We call it having goaltism.

@Evan Thomas I really liked the part in the video where he says to think about or write down everything you are thankful for. I need to do that

There's a youtuber I follow named Grahm Stephan, I may be spelling that wrong. Anyhow, he does finance videos about buying houses and if that's somthing anyone is interested in I'll post a link below

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV6KDgJskWaEckne5aPA0aQ

@Zyzz Writing down anything that's important to you is vital. Especially goals. What gets measured gets done. If a goal isn't written down with a deadline attached, it's not a goal; it's just a wish or an idea that you will likely never achieve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOBcDr39rIA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdiApKj3QPg

@celticflame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6zxA9qyU7w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYWtY0ejM7k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW6oSyhmbqc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2A1TCA-HjY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZjxaw9TH48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqJJ98cTLzc

Out of all of the factors necessary for success, continued focus and action on clear goals is the most critical of all.

More on goals...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJR9FPJ4exY

Let me get uhhh, one order of direction in life, and a side of uhhh, possible outlets and resources to achieve a sense of what I want to do.

Hahaha

I graduated high school in June and then I went to Germany to see my girlfriend for a couple months (No, I met her IRL and have been with her IRL, not E-dating) and I've come back to my parents telling me I need a plan by November or else I am getting kicked out of the house.

So yea

Ever consider the military?

Don’t say anything about muh zog either lol

I haven't

I just don't think that would be for me

My dad went into the Air Force before I was born so he could get his college paid for.

I mean

I've thought about it

And given the time frame I have of being able to like start a family and live with my gf, it would make sense.

A military - like option, that teaches you skills, keeps you in shape, makes you a badass AND helps your community is Wildland firefighting.

And there's never been a large scale Forest Service deployment to Israel, as far as I know. lol

I am submitting an application to a welding school right now, but I am not entirely sure that is what I want tbh. I'm good at it, but it costs money that I don't have and I am not sure I'd be alright with doing that for the rest of my life.

That sounds pretty rad actually

It is the most brutal work, but you'll make an extraordinary amount of money and come out the other end jacked and grizzled.

I've never done it myself (too tall to cut line), but I took fire classes and supported on perscribed burns. I've done trail crew, which is the diet version.

If I was under 25 and under 6'6" I'd do at least one season of wildland fire.

That sounds awesome actually.

I hate having to work making food for ham planet NPCs

It sounds like it would actually be having a positive benefit on society, like something important was actually being done. And, I'd be out in the woods doing something cool.

I feel like I'd have to relocate for that though, Michigan doesn't really have very many wildfires.

Here's some propaganda: https://youtu.be/QxJFIfkOQLY

There is "Diversity," but since the job is hard, affirmative action hires don't stick around long.

Michigan does have a lot of National Forest land, though, and therefore, probably crews. In the spring/fall they probably do some perscribed burns or trail work and then get deployed out west during the summer. Yes, you'd have to be away from home for a while. Do you have children / dependent elders?

No sir

Wife/fiance?

The only thing I've got is free time

Yes

Honestly it sounds great.

I wonder why I've never heard of this before

Give it a look. Be aware that USA jobs website is an absolute nightmare and takes forever.

Yeah

I am looking at mufrti.org rn

Sometimes jobs will train you, but having your red card does make you more competitive. Veterans and Injuns get preference, so the more you can do to compete with them the better

or should I be on fs.fed.us

https://www.nwcg.gov/how-to-become-a-wildland-firefighter

This is a good tutorial.

Well, the plan was to get into trade school after the winter and do that and get my cert. and then maybe move over to Germany until my gf gets on her own two feet and out of her sort of highschool/college hybrid.

That was the like

1 year kinda plan

1-2 plan

Ah. Well, if you don't drink it away, a season can net you 20k easily. Which could help you into trade school and Euro-GF help

But I don't think I will have the money for trade school and I am not a fan of being in debt and I would've liked to make sure that I could spend time with her every other season.

I don't know/think trade school has summer breaks, but lots of people just do summers.

I mean, she is coming here for Christmas and ideally summer, but idk this deal with this one that I am applying to rn.

Trying to figure out their course times and all that jazz.

Ah. Well a good GF is worth quite a bit. And with welding you can earn a good living, relatively dox resistant (not proof) too.

(nothing is dox proof)

If we lived within the same country, she probably would be more than a gf tbh.

But things work differently over there.

Schule uber alles

All that shit

Women usually go to college and have a family at like 30

Which is not happening

So I have to make the job fit around that for sure.

This NWFT thing says I need to be affiliated with other sorts of forestry organizations

Like department of homeland

Hmmm... well I'm in school and affiliated that way.

You can apply to jobs as a novice though.

I know that for sure.

To what jobs?

wildland fire
https://www.usajobs.gov/ - you make a profile there first (lol it's down, how typical)

Nice

And then after you've made a detailed and throrough (But truthful) resume, you can just select and apply

Filter by agency (forest service and bureau of land, although don't sleep on indian bureau or fish and wildlife), and look for "forestry / range technician/aide"

That's the actual job

You can spam and apply for them all, but so can everyone else. It's a brutal slog. The good news is once you've worked for a season you have an in and, if you survive / enjoy the experience, returning is much less painful bureaucratically.

ALSO there are private trail / fire crews. Nature Conservancy for one.

Yeah but why are they gonna want an 18 year old who hasn't been to college though?
If they do at all?

You strong and don't complain? It's mostly digging and paying attention when you need to.

The west is more on fire every year.

Fire is the only environmental government sector that's growing.

Because there's no choice.

It's war-scale operations and spending. (well, maybe not modern war)

There's an aviation side to it?
That sounds even cooler.

Yes, but no one starts there unless they're a veteran with air experience

🤔

But yes, theoretically if you're elite you can eventually become a smokejumper.

How do you know so much about this?

I did four years in AmeriCorps, which exists laterally and peripherally on the fire world.

And my minor is in fire. Again, I'm too old and big to be a hotshot, but I know this stuff so I can safely do prescribed burns on deer lots and state parks, etc.

I WOULD suggest you do AmeriCorps... but it's very diverse. Even the mostly-white states's programs (maine, vermont) are not-metaphorically gay.

I don't know if you could hide your power level. Also you don't make much money in AmeriCorps.

That's gonna be a yikes from me chief.

Don't blame you. I did my AmeriCorps years before being redpilled.

I couldn't handle it now.

I've got to wake up in the morning and be able to send the "Good morning kings, lets get this bread" tweet.

I can't do that unless I am getting that bread

How much does it make?

You said 20k a season but how long is a season?

20k for 3.5 months if there's a burdensome amount of over time and hazard pay.

With less experience you'll make less per hour. I can't tell you if the physical pain and "hurry up and wait" chaos/monotony is worth it.

And, of course, small, but non-zero chance of injury or death.

It's probably less deadly than driving a semi truck though.

Honestly 20k a month doesn't sound that bad

Oh no, I meant per summer

Yeah my bad

Do I need to go to school for it?

Like a college or something where I have to listen to why I should let black transvestites breastfeed my son and pay them an arm and a leg for it?

No, I know people who have gotten on engine and hand crews without college degrees.

You might need to attend a fire school, which is a skills focused thing (with physical test), depending on what org you're applying to.

Sometimes the agency provides it, sometimes it outsources it.

Would I have to pay for that, and if so how much?

I hate to say "it depends."

Look for "wildland fire red card certifications"

I am getting a ton of like private companies on google too

It's directing me to the usajobs.com website so I think I will check that tomorrow and see if that sheds anymore light on the situation.

Yeah, don't fork over much money.

https://www.reddit.com/r/wildlandfire/

Oh cool

It is reddit-tier, but it might have some info

Minimal soy

Yeah it's got a really good thread

Dude is a year younger than me but the same story.

I'll look into the air force too.

It'll make my parents happy but not my gf, it really do be like that sometimes.

Only you can know what is best for you. Good luck!

Yeah thanks man!

Hey everyone. I just want to start by sharing something that has done more for my mental health than anything else I've done. It's called vipassana meditation, and it's the technique Buddha taught. Everyone is a bundle of knots, and this technique eventually unties all those knots. www.dhamma.org is the website for finding courses, which are offered at a dozen centers in the US. The organization is financed completely by the donations of previous students. If you have the time, and you don't have severe unresolved trauma, I can't recommend it highly enough.

No rituals or blind acceptance involved. It's very rational, and you will be able to see for yourself how your mind and body influence each other and how you create your own suffering.

@Wood-Ape - OK/MN Just got a meeting set up with my recruiter

@Trashboat air force?

Yeah

go army reeeee

jk, what are you looking to do in the air force?

I took their little career quiz thing and in order of best fit
1.Special Forces Operations
2.Facilities Construction and Maintenance
3.Safety Management and Response
4.Flight Operations and Control
5.Munitions

I am thinking either doing structural manufacturing/construction or fire prevention

I think they tell everyone they’ll be a good fit for SOF 😉

I wouldn't doubt it

I don't know how well I'd be under that much pressure though.

I think I could do it, it's just not for me.

if you have any general military questions feel free to dm me

especially if you’re thinking of going reserves

t. army reservist in a career field that LARPs as SOF sometimes

I thought about it, but the thing about the air force is that where the big base is located in is like 1 hour away from my gf so. . .

I'm a civvy, but hey. First in, Last out 👀

That was kind of a big draw.

Idek what that is referring to

civil affairs

I have no idea what that is

working with the civilian population in whatever country we democratize next lol

wait are you talking about what I said?

Yes

I meant I'm just a civilian, and first in, last to leave is the marines

am bantzing

I didn't know that was the marines

I would not do that at all.

I was thinking of doing structural/HVAC/Electrical/Plumbing

Maybe fire prevention

that’s useful 👍 we’ll always need those trades

wish I had a skill like that tbh

Yeah me too, I was gonna go to trade school but this sounds better tbh

For the longest time I wanted to be a Foreign Service Officer. I pretty much aced the test but between then and when I took my interview I realized how cucked the state department was.

I followed the advice in this video and got a great job. I walked in cold with no interview set up too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PFYZde5SPk&t=0s

This is a fantastic discussion about sales, persistence and success. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzaNrEThHDM

@Wood-Ape - OK/MN Just took my ASVAB and I scored in the 78th percentile and qualify for basically any job

@Trashboat what branch were you thinking of?

Air force

What civilian world job is your dream job?

Also, with an ASVAB score like that, please tell me you're not going security forces.

Fuck dude idk

Honestly no idea

I like manual jobs

I also like solving problems and having to think

And being outdoors

A combat weatherman perhaps, lol! By manual do you mean just picking things up and putting them down or like a trade?

like a trade

I am pretty good at welding

Honestly, have you considered being a Hull Technician in the Navy?

The Navy is the more "blue-collar tradesman" part of the military. Air Force is the more "I like computers and do calculus for fun" part of the military.

My dad was in the navy and that sounded basically the same

Air force I mean

I've never thought about the navy

Just something to think about...

@Trashboat Excellent work!

@Trashboat if u like picking things up and putting them down, go Marine Corps

Hard no

@Trashboat Something like aviation tech, admin, comm or intel

@Jason - CT Is that a question?

Suggestions

@Trashboat I was in the Navy. Nuclear Electronics Technician. 6 years.

Y’all got any advice on how to pick new hobbies?

I’ve had an enlightening conversation on how dangerous video games are in so much as they are a false sense of accomplishment.

Do you play an instrument? Play an instrument.

I don’t live alone tho

I play guitar with headphones 🤷

Chad

You don't need to turn an amp very loud either

Just do lots of different stuff until you find something you like. I pick up a new hobby every couple years, but I'm always picking stuff up and putting it back down

I have way too many hobbies I have to decide what to focus on

Yeah my only hobby is playing video games and that’s really the only thing I do aside from work eat sleep

@Trashboat What are your current hobbies? Be honest, even it it's currently just videogames lol.

Yeah that’s it

@Trashboat Hmm. Well I'll tell you upfront, growing up with the vidya, it becomes a part of you. Practically a substitute for the mythos and adventure lacking in the white man's modern life. So don't expect to quit 100% for at least another couple of years, if that's your goal.

Sec I got more to say gotta get chicken outta the oven

Do it up brother

Anyways, that was the impression I got since you mentioned your iron pilling on them being a perpetual cycle of short term gratification that goes no where etc etc

(That you want to quit)

So currently, for the past couple years, I'll probably play three-four top notch games a year, typically binging by spending all my free time on them for a week or so until I finish them. E.g. Witcher 3, Cuphead, right now Im looking for to remake of RE2 and Cyberpunk 2077

But, for about two years before that, (I'm 23 and halfway through with college, fyi,) I stopped playing all MMOs, league, etc. and only did FPS's or more casual things like Rocket League just to interact with some old friends and my male relatives

a social activity

then, for a year before that tapering began, I began taking care of my daughters. So naturally, as I graduated high school, began college, work, etc. I simply stayed busy enough to where I didnt have the time to play, sucked sometimes but I got used to it

So my suggestion is on the video games alongside whatever you figure out for the hobbies, (getting to that in a bit,)

try to do something similar. I know a few guys on IE play some more low-investment titles like FortNite, so reach out on the national fireside. (unless you're a shit player that brings the team down, would hate to force that on them haha but I doubt you're bad,) with the rule being you'll only play with other IE guys, and perhaps one single player title every month or two

Definitely the first step is to stop playing MMO's, DOTA, or even for a game like Overwatch don't play ranked anymore, or if you do adhere to that rule of only doing it to socialize with IRL or IE friends etc.

Anything that's a time sink

cut that shit out

As for picking a hobby, do you currently workout? Are you in decent shape?

If you're not lifting... what are you doing? (rhetorical provocative question)

No, I’m in the process of getting more weight for my bar and a squat rack/bench

Playing WoW

Eating apples

Going to work

I know I was being a tool

First step to improving anything is admitting/recognizing the problem, that's good haha.

It doesn't take much to put you above the average person these days either, sadly. But take pride in that fact you aren't NPC'ing through life.

Woohoo?