Success Advice
How Video Games Made Me A Multi-Millionaire
How I made $3M in 15 weeks with a brand new business.
And how video game theory made me a multi-millionaire…
First, let me clarify – this isn’t my first company, but that shouldn’t distract you from the true and honest reality that you can replicate what I am about to teach you.
Yet before I lay out a strategy, let me warn you, if you have never played an RPG video game, like Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo II™, then the following will likely fly right over your head and you should download any RPG game that has a SKILL TREE and here is why…
In life everything you do, unlocks new opportunities, yet every single business strategy, project management system, and business framework I have seen, fail to incorporate this fundamental reality into their daily business operations.
And this is where game theory and specifically the importance of understanding how skill trees in popular RPG video games play a critical role in my past success and soon to be yours.
Every game ever, shows you the ENTIRE skill tree, and allows for you to see the end destination and the beginning of the decision you are about to make.
You put a skill point into “Firebolt” and then level it up to say level 5, and you unlock “Firewall”, repeat, and you unlock “Meteor” and so on and so forth, but because you can see the entire skill tree, you know where to put your skill points in order to unlock the most powerful skills as early as possible.
Now for those of you that are lost in all this video game jargon, essentially in video games, as you level up through quests or fighting monsters you gain experience, similar to how you do in real life reading books and reading or watching “How To” videos and articles on the internet to learn about a new skill, industry, or craft like marketing or copywriting for instance.
The more time you invest, the greater your experience and hopefully your skill, and just like how in real life your resume builds up, you unlock higher and higher paying jobs based on your skill level and accolades; In video games, specifically RPG games, it is the exact same.
This entire methodology however is simplified for children of all ages to play, and that is where the genius of game theory applies to building easy to execute business plans that anyone can follow to achieve wealth and rapid growth, while at the same time avoiding many of the pit falls and traps that kill motivation and businesses before they have a chance to truly thrive in the world.
So what is so genius about this “game theory” I keep referring to?
It is the very categorization by gaming companies and how they layout objectives in such a simple and intuitive way that a child as young as 6 years old, can recognize and make not only the correct decision, but also achieve taking the shortest path to success if they know only the starting point and the desired end result – that is so absolutely genius.
“The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” – Albert Einstein
As Albert Einstein says, genius is in the simplest of practices, but the irony is that many are mislead by gurus pushing complex solutions to create the illusion of authority and prestige, and as a consequence (even those of you reading this) will overlook simple executable systems that all age ranges and backgrounds can follow, because their simplicity makes you so wary and cautious of their efficacy because of your prior conditioning to look for complex solutions over those that simply and directly solve your problems.
This symptom of being conditioned to only give attention to complex solutions, is a corrosive dogmatic ideology that has created a disease I like to call “analysis paralysis” amongst every day people and especially entrepreneurs and business executives of whom I coach with great frequency, to help recover from this metaphorical paralysis that can cost millions or worse – their business.
So in order to help you now, to help you understand the value of the solution I am about to outline below, you have to consciously make a single commitment to me while reading this, you have to take a deep breath and blink three times.
Right now!
And while I could go into the psychology as to why this will help you remember what I am about to say, I will keep it short – you have been reading this long article of text, straining your eyes, while constantly both consciously and subconsciously connecting different phrases and key points made above against your wealth of personal life experiences to determine how well they either do or do not relate to you. You do this in order to determine if you can exact true actionable value in this post that will help you get ahead or solve a problem – all actions which naturally stress you out and lessen your attention span.
We, humans are natural problem solvers with an innate desire to win.
So by a simple micro-commitment to your future, such as blinking three times to give your eyes a short break and taking a deep breath (which you may or may not have noticed you have decreased the frequency and depth of your breathing when you started focusing on this article,) will all help combat the stress chemical (cortisol) in the brain, and increase overall retention. After all, the classes you were likely best at in high school and perhaps college (if you attended), were the classes you had the most fun in. Where you smiled and laughed the most, both two textbook reactions that release serotonin and dopamine (the happy chemicals) that kill cortisol (the stress chemical) and help you not only narrow in your focus, but also greatly retain more information.
Fascinating, right? Now STOP!
Pay attention or everything you have read to this point will vanish and be forgotten in the void a thousand new experiences, you are bound to experience today. HOWEVER, if you are committed to making a positive change in your life, if you are committed towards your future success, get closer to the screen, stop skimming the text and read WORD by WORD, for I fear if you do anything else, you may miss the simplicity of the solution I am about to provide by your haste to get to the end.
Each word I use from here on out is carefully crafted and I implore you to re-read not only the following section but the entirety of this article again, and then in the company of friends, to thoroughly retain and then talk over the strategy covered until YOU fully understand – this is for YOU – not THEM.

Step 1 – Start with the end in mind, but leap with clear conscious where others misguidedly step
In game theory and in this article, I gave you a glimpse about the depth of the topic we would dive into at the start in order to prepare you for the next set of information and the next and so on. In game theory, this is no different than you having a basic skill such as typing on a keyboard, which aids you in being able to complete more complex tasks such as navigating the internet, blogging, copywriting, and more. Every bit of prior information and experience, unlocks the next opportunity.
For those of you feeling numbed by the common sense above, thinking “of course you need to know how to type before you can navigate the internet” you have already failed this lesson. For you could never type and instead use speech or any variety of inputs such as a simple computer mouse to complete the task… and this is where you need to kill past prejudice about the simplicity of things, to allow for the genius of game theory come to life.
Having a firm and CLEAR understanding of where your starting point is (where you currently are now in your life at the time of reading this), and the resources that are available to you like money, time, and assets in the form of experience or relationships that you can withdraw from ( know that every relationship is like a bank account that can go bankrupt ) for any of the prior mentioned resources, and MAPPING all of these resources out before you, is the single most IMPORTANT action you can EVER do because…
It allows you to identify your ORIGIN, ground zero, your base, the lowest point at which you will ever be if you are truly investing in yourself and have already started taking notes with a pen and paper by this point of the article.
You need to write down, all of the resources I mentioned above, how you spend your time, your income, the valuable assets you have from the device you are reading this on, to your car and any other miscellaneous valuable things in your possession including junk which could be repurposed ( this list will be LONG ) and any valuable connections, etc.
STOP! Remember how I said genius is in simplicity?
Why are you falling into the SAME TRAP of pursuing complex solutions?
Consider for a moment, how can you know what is valuable or what you should write down when you DO NOT EVEN KNOW YOUR GOAL?!
I gave you a NEW PROBLEM disguised as a solution that you believed would advance you closer to your GOALS, without giving any context as to what is considered valuable. Subconsciously in your innate desire to win and solve the problem, you already started thinking of things – or worse, already committed to writing them down without knowing the END GOAL of why you are writing anything down to begin with.
Again, and this is the last time I will test you, as any room for future confusion will only hurt your ability to learn what you need to from this experience, you need to LISTEN and become a student. Kill any and all form of ego, pride, and status you believe you have – only through abandoning those distractions will you reveal your ORIGIN and with complete and total CLARITY, understand that you are truly at the STARTING point and no closer nor farther away.
It is incredibly important that for the purpose of the remainder of this article you think about nothing else but YOURSELF and reflect on everything I will say in the context of where YOU want to go with YOUR LIFE in the context of the two following questions :
What fulfills YOU, makes you HAPPY?
Who do YOU want to be in the FUTURE?
Take your time to answer both of these before continuing to read the remaining steps to understanding the genius of game theory and how to apply it in the context of YOUR LIFE, because any LACK OF CLARITY will cause you to misstep, instead of take the actions that will progress you by LEAPS and bounds closer towards your goal.
Once you have a CLEAR idea of what the answer to both of these questions is, write them down. It doesn’t have to be organized in any way, it doesn’t need to be even in complete sentences or even words at all, it can be in any form that makes sense to YOU. Remember, this is not for others, this is for YOU and how YOU hit your life goals.
Once you have your answers written down, a FUTURE is created. Now we can get to work – as you now have both pieces that are NECESSARY to successfully utilize game theory to it’s fullest extent as I have to achieve success.
You have an ORIGIN and a DESTINATION, the two points that even a 6 year old can connect the dots between to find the shortest path.
Remember how I said ego, pride, and the status you believe you have would only serve to distract you?
Do any of those things truly matter if a 6 year old is on the same playing field as you at being able to connect the dots between two points?
That is why I told you, to be a student, a BLANK SLATE, as are children who are still eager to learn how the world works.
Now get ready for the GAME part of the theory.

Final Step – Work Backwards From Failure
This is how NASA put a man on the moon, they used game theory, defining the two points above, to discover their ORIGIN and their END POINT, and then proceeded to work backwards from failure.
Luckily, achieving your goals is likely easier than putting a man on the moon. If what you are about to read is properly followed, you will learn the system by which even NASA and the billionaire elite operate, as well as 6 year old children who all realize that FAILURE is only the temporary status of a MISUNDERSTOOD dependency of SUCCESS.
Consider for a moment, you have both the INPUT and OUTPUT of a PROBLEM, does it matter what you put in-between as long as the ORIGIN equals the DESTINATION in the end?
If I have a desire to make 382.18 equal 3,000,000 does it matter whether I use multiplication, division, addition, subtraction or any other process in-between to make the numbers equal one another in the end?
NO!
And when you realize how powerful that concept is, you will have fully grasped the power of game theory and how anything becomes possible for anyone with the willingness to UNDERSTAND that FAILURE is only a TEMPORARY status of a MISUNDERSTOOD dependency of SUCCESS.
To put it plainly, the secret to success is not wealth, money, status, or power – it is through finding fulfillment through understanding failure.
It may take you a few years to fully grasp that last statement, but if you know the ORIGIN and the desired DESTINATION of any given problem, then all that’s left is to work backwards from failure.
Pay special attention to what I am about to say next.
Most people when they start a project, they just dive in and try to build as they go versus looking at the entire landscape to see where the points of resistance, obstacles, and death traps are.
DO NOT BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE!
Furthermore, most business owners and consultants tend to create roadmaps for businesses from the ORIGIN, however this is an incredibly TOXIC and limiting approach to scaling any company.
Why?
Consider this, if I asked you how to build a $100M million dollar company right now, would you know which questions to ask yourself and which actions you should do first in order to have the GREATEST IMPACT for the LEAST amount of capital or resources?
No, because you are thinking from the BOTTOM UP, you essentially are forced to think small because you are likely looking at your available resources and going “what can I initially build with X tiny budget to make more money so I can afford the next step”.
And just that question alone, can create “analysis paralysis” where you are so caught up in trying to make the right decision with what little funds or resources you may have, that you unintentionally stress yourself out as a result, and make rash emotionally clouded decisions.
However, if you follow game theory and instead worked BACKWARDS from your DESTINATION/GOAL, and repeatedly asked yourself the question of, “What ways can I achieve this?”, then instead of having to constantly try and figure out what the next step is or even beat yourself up whether you are asking the right question, all you have to do is continuously list actions that are necessary to achieve the last step.
You solve for failure.
To achieve this GOAL, I can do A, B, or C action to get there, and to A,B, or C action, these are the things I need to do in order to make sure those happen, and so on and so forth. You KEEP DOING THIS until you can not break down the dependencies (requirements) of any one action any further.
And without you even knowing it, you will have discovered that the actions that are all listed at the very bottom of what will look like an upside down tree, have become so granular and simple, that any one of them have become STARTING points, that all lead to your DESTINATION.
Do not be afraid to spend a week or more doing this, it is by far a lot more efficient and smarter to spend a day to sharpen your axe to cut down a tree in a few short swings, than spend an entire day hacking away at a tree with a blunt axe.
By the time you get done, it should look like a really large triangle of sorts, with rows that have the least amount of steps at the top and dozens if not hundreds of steps or actions on the very bottom row.
Now, you might consider you are done and that you have the most thought out business plan in the world and there is no possible way you could fail, and while you will certainly out perform others who do not plan, still have skipped an incredibly important step.
You haven’t written down what any of these actions will COST you in terms of time and money.
You likely don’t want to retire and start living your dream life at 65, when you’re so old that you can break a hip riding a jet ski. So now the question becomes, which path will get you to your DESTINATION the fastest for the least amount of time, money, and effort?
Right now, just by looking at the web of possible futures you have created for yourself there is no context or way of telling which path is the easiest and which one will cost you the most or stress you out the most.
What you will read next, is the MOST IMPORTANT step of game theory, and if followed incorrectly will render everything you have done up until this point useless.
In order to add context to this massive web of possible actions and steps before you and to make the entire thing so easy to understand that even a 6 year old can answer the question of “Where do we start?”, we need to add two values.
The first, the time it will take to find and have SOMEONE ELSE do that task.
The second, the amount of money it will cost to have SOMEONE ELSE do that task.
Consider for a moment, what is the #1 trap you hear most entrepreneurs and business owners falling into?
That they get so caught up IN their business instead of ON it, right?
So why would I have you write down the amount of time or money it would cost YOU to do any of the tasks that you have written out?
If you don’t know the time or cost it would take to do a task on your decision tree, ask someone who would know, utilize your network. If you do not have someone in your network, jump on LinkedIn and look up people who are in positions at companies who can.
Make educated estimates, but do not GUESS.
The goal of game theory is to give you the shortest executable path to achieve your end DESTINATION/GOAL and to answer the question that has probably been nagging in the back of your mind of “Where do I start?”.
Once you have filled out the answers to these two questions above for every action you have in your decision tree, have likely made all of your friends feel like you’ve fallen off the deep end and become some mad genius – the real fun starts.
It is time to find the shortest path to success.
You have thousands of ways you can succeed, thousands of ways you can solve the problem of how to get from where you are now to where you want to be, and there is NO WRONG ANSWER, just a series of shorter and longer paths that will get you there.
It’s time to get out a blank notepad and a calculator and get to work. Start adding up which path will take the LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME AND MONEY to get you to your desired end DESTINATION.
Sound like a lot of work? Work smarter, not harder.
Do not calculate paths from the bottom up, start from your DESTINATION and then work backwards yet again. Only follow the path that has the SMALLEST time and monetary commitments, and repeat until you get to the end.
I suggest that you highlight this path as you go in green, as this is the SHORTEST possible path. When you reach the very last action at the bottom, which should be the easiest action you can do today to start on the path of SUCCESS, you have officially found your point of ORIGIN.
In doing everything above, you have literally created a roadmap and system so simple, that if you were to show a 6 year old, they would be able to follow it, and in doing so you have freed yourself from every possible entrepreneurial trap and mental block that would ever get in-between you and the future you are trying to create.
As a consultant, public speaker, and as a serial entrepreneur myself, the greatest barrier I have found that prohibits people from achieving any form of success, is that they (especially business owners and executives) mistake action for progress.
By following game theory and the exercise above, you’ve fundamentally done what 99.9% of people in this world have failed to do. You have predicted the future.
It sounds wild, but in life nearly every person you meet, never considers the consequences of their actions beyond any immediate sense.
That is why 99.9% of people happily exchange time for money, they wake up and go to work because the immediate result is money.
They are too distracted or stressed by relationships, money, how they look and what people think of them, that they never take a moment to step back and consider if the actions they are doing each and every day lead to any true progress. That is the cause of every major world problem.
There isn’t a single school in the nation that teaches you to THINK like this article does. They all teach you to REACT, instead of carefully predict each move you make with calculated precision.
Following the traditional way of thinking will make your life progress no differently than if you were to have a single bow and arrow and fire it with all your might, only to then spend time chasing down the arrow (the direction of your life) to fire it again, only to end up wherever it is that you end up.
Whereas game theory and methodology that I have explained above will allow for you to accomplish each and every desire you ever have in this life.
It is like having that same bow and arrow, but having a clear and defined target to aim for. Instead of exerting all of your effort and strength into aimless progress, your life becomes a series of precise and calculated accomplishments, that all line up to the culmination of the ultimate goal in life – fulfillment.
Whatever you seek in life, whether you seek to create multiple multi-million dollar businesses as I have, to travel the world, to be present with friends and family, or to press the boundaries of human ability or imagination, the drive you have to achieve that goal, the thing you are seeking is called fulfillment.
No book, nor article, nor advice by any “guru” has ever come as close to answering how to achieve the true success or fulfillment as well as game theory does.
This is not just a theory, it is act, the dedicated craft of predictive thinking that is not taught in universities or schools, nor by the internet’s most followed influencers nor business gurus, but the one trend you will find amongst all billionaires and top performers of any industry or craft, is that they all do it.
None of their actions are by chance. Each decision is carefully crafted to set themselves up in the best possible position to achieve the next goal.
If I can give any more of my parting wisdom in this post than I have already, it is that anything easily earned is never truly valued. Our goals are our goals in life because they are hard, because they are worth earning. If they were easily obtained, we wouldn’t task ourselves with trying to accomplish them for they would have no value to us.
The true secret of success, is that success isn’t about having a lot of money, it is about finding fulfillment, a sense of purpose and meaning and pride, in every action you do.
How could you not be happy with a life like that?
A life where you never regret any decision?
That is the true meaning of success, the pursuit of happiness.
Utilizing this way of predictive thinking as I have outlined in the article above, will help you diagnose any problem you have in your life, allow for you to achieve anything you can imagine, and the only limitation of what you can achieve or become in this life, is the belief that you can.
This is the very process I go through with all of my clients, business partners, managers within my companies, and entrepreneurs and executives I coach at private masterminds that I frequently host.
Now that you have the keys to success, and the very blueprint for what has helped me become a multi-millionaire and hit $3M in 15 weeks with my latest company (as was the original title and reason why you clicked on this article), what will you do with it?
Will you study this article and use it to achieve your dreams?
Or will you let life’s distractions distract you from this little gem and will everything you read fade away in time with life’s every day events?
You decide.
Nobody in this world will ever care about your dreams coming true, so if you don’t make them real, who will?
Thanks for reading!
I can’t wait to see how you apply game theory and this model of predictive thinking in your own life, and if you understand the importance of immersing yourself in the right environment and people, and want to immerse yourself deeper in a culture of select people who think this way, then you can use this very theory to figure out how to get ahold of me and become part of the community of people I surround myself with.
Don’t worry it’s not that many steps to achieve success there 😉 I’m pretty easy to get ahold of…

Success Advice
Microlearning: The Journey from Brief Knowledge to Enormous Learning Results
In contemporary society, traditional learning formats are being complemented by microlearning. Many people struggle to maintain their attention during long lectures, courses, or webinars. As a result, many individuals are moving towards microlearning formats. This new, modern approach is based on short, concise chunks of knowledge. These chunks can be absorbed in just a few minutes and effectively applied in practice.
This new learning model is applicable in all areas, from corporate training to self-improvement. The main goals of microlearning are quick, relevant learning at a convenient time.
The Concept of Microlearning
Microlearning is a recent approach that consists of breaking material into small and self-contained units of knowledge (modules). Each unit is no longer than 10 minutes, solves a specific problem, or teaches a single skill.
Examples include:
- Short video instructions
- Flashcards with quizzes or tests
- Mini-guides in chat format
- Interactive simulators
- An AI assistant that explains a single concept
In many cases, students and learners do not need to read everything or reread a whole book or document, but rather can use a book summarizer, or an AI tool to extract important information in that chapter, and receive everything they need to know within 5 minutes.
Microlearning is not meant to replace education. Its primary goal is to facilitate integrating education into our everyday lives.
Why Microlearning Is Popular
This format’s popularity is growing rapidly. New micro learning apps are appearing, AI assistants and tools for quickly summarizing large volumes of information are being developed, and so on.
This rapid popularization of microlearning is due to several factors:
- Information overload
- Decreased attention span
- The need to learn on the go
- The digitalization of work
- Mobile learning
- AI development
- Modernization of learning automation
Modern people value not just knowing a lot, but knowing exactly what’s useful right now. Microlearning fits this philosophy perfectly. You can learn accurately, quickly, and with practical application thanks to a modern microlearning solution accessible to everyone.
The Scientific Basis of Microlearning Principles
Microlearning isn’t just a passing fad. It’s the result of rigorous research in cognitive psychology and learning theory. Scientists claim that the human brain processes and remembers information better and more effectively if it is:
- Broken down into small, logical chunks
- Repeated at regular intervals
- Accompanied by practice
- Reinforced with feedback
A modern approach to learning not only improves the retention of material but also increases a person’s motivation to learn. Seeing how learning produces quick results creates the effect of small victories. And so, you want to move forward, master new material, and reach new heights.
The Combination of Microlearning and Modern Technologies
When studying microlearning examples, it’s important to emphasize that this method is perfectly combined with modern technologies. Thanks to AI platforms, this format has become not just trendy but extremely effective.
First, artificial intelligence allows for adapting learning material to a person’s current level of knowledge. Second, AI assistants analyze current progress and generate personalized recommendations. Third, AI can transform large texts into short learning units to create microlearning content and utilize it most effectively.
The example of the AI book chapter summarizer confirms that this tool creates concise and structured summaries from book chapters. This is the ideal and most optimal data format for microlearning. AI is gradually becoming an increasingly effective learning partner. These platforms don’t simply provide necessary information; they help transform it into action and improve understanding.
Microlearning Use Cases
In practice, microlearning already touches many areas of human activity. We can highlight the most popular ones.
- Corporate training. Microlearning is in high demand in companies due to accelerated onboarding, upskilling, and training of employees in new technologies. Using short and interactive lessons, staff can complete courses without interrupting their workflow or current tasks.
- Online courses and EdTech. Specialized platforms allow microlearning as a primary format. This allows users to learn sequentially, gradually, and without being overwhelmed.
- Co-learning. Microlearning is an ideal tool for personal development. It can be used to learn new languages, develop writing skills, do data analysis, and much more. Even watching 5-minute tutorials every day can quickly create a learning habit.
Therefore, micro learning is rapidly gaining popularity and can serve as an effective alternative to traditional teaching methods.
Key Benefits of Microlearning
There are several key advantages of this new learning format:
- Rapid information acquisition. Our brains absorb new information better in short blocks than in longer lectures.
- Higher motivation. Each mini-lesson represents a small goal or task to be accomplished. Quickly hitting a goal spikes motivation.
- Easier access and flexibility. Each learner gets to choose when and how to experience their training — in the morning with a cup of coffee, on the way to work, before bed, etc.
- Customization. AI tools can help make content personalized in a way that accounts for a person’s rate, interests, and current level of knowledge.
- Better productivity. The knowledge gained from mini-lessons can be put into practice faster and with minimal effort.
Clearly, the modern microlearning format offers significant advantages and opens up excellent prospects for self-development and the rapid acquisition of new skills.
Common Mistakes in Implementing Microlearning
Although this teaching method appears simple, a carefully thought-out structure is crucial. People often make the same mistakes.
First, topics are too superficial without context. Second, there are no connections between lessons. This results in lost learning. A third common mistake is overloading content without systematic repetition. And a fourth problem is undervaluing feedback. It’s important for people to see results.
Final Thoughts
Microlearning provides us with a chance to completely restructure our concept of conventional learning. This is because learning is much more natural, flexible, and tailored than ever. However, most importantly, we have an opportunity to learn new facts and information in the fast-paced world of modernity. The level of AI and analytics has resulted in microlearning being more personalized and accessible to everyone.
Success Advice
What to do when you have already made it and feel stuck
Life often feels finished. That is usually when it starts costing you.
Last week I spoke with a man who seems to have it figured out. A nice business, a team that does not need him in every meeting, the house sorted, a wife who still likes him, which is more than a lot of the men I talk to can say. Halfway through he went quiet and admitted he feels like he is managing a life he signed up for ten years ago. Not miserable. Done growing. A little embarrassed to say it, because what is he supposed to complain about.
The scoreboard does not notice
I knew the feeling before he finished the sentence. Addicted2Success started as a blog in Perth when I was young enough to think the answer to everything was more output. It worked. The site grew, the audience grew, the coaching grew, and for a long time the scoreboard was kind enough to tell me I was on the right track. What it never does is send a note when you have started hiding. You can be posting, closing, travelling, and saying true things on the internet while becoming a slightly smaller man than you were two years ago. Nobody around you is going to flag it. They are responding to the results, and results only show what you already pulled off, not what the last year has been doing to you.
The men in these conversations are not stuck at the starting line. They have the income, the title, the reputation. Under it, a low-grade sense that they have been repeating themselves. The advice they grew up on does not touch that. Wake up earlier. Want it more. Outwork the room. I gave a version of that advice for years, and some of it was fair when someone had not started. It is useless once the room already knows your name. Past a certain point, more effort just maintains the life you have already outgrown.
It looks like leadership
When they are honest, it is ordinary. They are carrying the whole thing alone, not because nobody would help, but because letting someone close enough to challenge them would mean admitting a few decisions have gone soft. So they stay the smartest person in their own week. That feels like leadership. It functions like a closed loop. I did a long stretch of this. If someone disagreed with me I could usually out-talk them, and I mistook that for being right. The business did not collapse, which is what makes it hard to catch. Things can be working while you remain basically unaccountable. A lot of the signs people read as failure are the early version of this.
Home gets what is left
Work got the sharp hours. My wife got the man who had already spent the best of himself on a laptop. You can narrate that as provision for a long time. Tell yourself you are building something for them. Some days that is even true. It still does not change what they receive, which is a tired person who needs the room to be quiet. It holds until you have a kid who does not care what you shipped, or until you lose someone and realise the hours were never coming back. After Harper I stopped being able to treat time like something I could earn more of. Fatherhood finished whatever argument I had left. My son does not experience my ambition. He experiences whether I was in the room. He cannot tell the difference between a father who is building a legacy and a father who is on his phone. Neither can yours.
Reasonable is how it gets boring
Then there is the comfort, which everyone dresses up as wisdom. You postpone the move. You keep the offer that is fine. You say you are being strategic when you are mostly avoiding the feeling of being a beginner again. The edge does not vanish in a week. It goes over a year of reasonable decisions, and reasonable is how a lot of good lives get boring. I have watched men research a change for a year and a half. A new model, a new city, a new standard at home. The research becomes the thing they do instead of the change. It feels responsible. It has notes.
I used to have a clean system for this. It looked good in a carousel. What actually changed things was smaller and more annoying, and it only worked when I got specific.
Write the sentence you would not post
Not “I need better balance.” That is a sentence you can hide in. One line, the way you would say it if nobody was going to screenshot it. I am building in public and going missing at home. I have known this offer is done and I keep running it because the cash is easy. I have not let anyone challenge me since the last person who did, and I pushed them out. Put it where you will see it. The point is to stop negotiating with a foggy version of the problem. You cannot fix a foggy version. You will just buy another course about it.
Look at that sentence when you are not already fried. I wasted years making big calls late, after a full day of other people’s needs, then wondering why I always chose the option that protected the current setup. You are not wise when you are depleted. You are conservative. Pick a pocket of time this week when you still have a brain, phone in another room, and ask what you are protecting by leaving it as it is, and what it costs the people who do not get a vote in your calendar. If you catch yourself performing the answer, like you are drafting a caption, delete it and start again.
Take back one hour that has a name
Not a new morning routine. Men at this stage love a routine, because a routine feels like progress and does not threaten the life. Pick a repeatable hour that is already losing and give it a job. Dinner with the phone in a drawer. A walk with your wife where you do not steer it back to the business. Time with your kid before the laptop opens. The tactic is the boundary, not the activity. Tell one person what the hour is. If you miss it, you tell them the same day, without a story. The story is how it dies. A client emergency three weeks in a row is the old life collecting its rent. Being the person who agrees is how that hour gets given away before you notice.
Have the conversation, then date the move
There is almost always a conversation you have been drafting. A spouse you have been managing instead of talking to. A partner you have been working around. A number you have not said out loud, because saying it makes the next move real. Do not workshop it into a speech. Two sentences of what you have been avoiding, then stop talking long enough for them to answer. The men who stay stuck are usually eloquent about the problem and silent in the room where it could change. Eloquence is a delay tactic I have used plenty.
Then date the move that makes the current income nervous, and put it sooner than feels comfortable. One move. Kill the offer, raise the price, hire the person, have the hard no, book the conversation you have been waiting on the right week for. If it needs more than a couple of weeks of preparation, you are probably preparing past the point of usefulness. Let it be clumsy. The old identity will have a very reasonable case for why this stretch is not the one. It always does. It has been getting paid to keep things as they are.
You need one person who is not impressed
None of that works alone, which is inconvenient, since alone is the setup that got you here. You need one person who is not impressed by you. Not a mastermind. Not an audience. Not a coach you are performing progress for. Someone who can ask whether the phone actually stayed in the drawer, and who will not clap if the answer is no. Most of the men I know have plenty of people who benefit from them staying impressive. Employees, followers, friends who like the version that has it together. Almost nobody who is allowed to interrupt it. Ask someone specific if you can send them one sentence about whether you did the thing. If you do not send it, they chase you. That is the whole agreement. If you cannot think of a person, that is not a small detail. That is the closed loop, and finding the person is the first move.
I am not interested in telling you to burn the life down. A lot of what you built is worth keeping. The business can stay. The standard has to change, or you will spend the next ten years maintaining a life you already know you are done growing inside. What I care about is whether the man who benefits from it can still sit at the table with the people who paid for it. Your wife. Your kids. Whatever you say you believe when the content needs a spine. If those do not survive the win, the win was just a very well-paid way of leaving.
You already know which of these you have been talking yourself out of. Start with the sentence. The rest gets easier to see once you stop describing the problem in a way that lets you keep it.
In this video I speak about how you may be keeping yourself stuck in high achiever patterns and what you can do to change it:
Success Advice
Icarus Syndrome: How to Catch Yourself When Success Comes Crashing Down
You know the story. A guy gets wings made of feathers and wax, dad tells him not to fly too close to the sun, guy ignores dad, wings melt, guy falls into the sea. Classic.
But here’s the thing about Icarus. He didn’t crash because he failed. He crashed because he was doing so well.
That’s the part we don’t talk about enough.
What Icarus Syndrome Actually Looks Like
Icarus Syndrome isn’t some official diagnosis you’ll find in a medical textbook. It’s more of a pattern. And once you spot it, you start seeing it everywhere.
Picture this: someone lands the promotion they’ve been chasing for years. Suddenly they’re saying yes to everything. More projects, more travel, more risk. The confidence that got them there starts to tip over into something else. Overreach, maybe. A bit of arrogance. That quiet voice that used to say “hang on, is this a good idea?” goes strangely silent.
And then it all comes tumbling down.
The tricky bit is that success and self-destruction can look almost identical from the outside. Both involve ambition. Both involve pushing hard. The difference is usually invisible until it’s too late.
Why Winning Can Set You Up to Lose
Ever noticed how a winning streak makes people a little reckless? There’s actually a reason for that.
When things go well, our brains get a hit of confidence that doesn’t always match reality. We start believing our own hype. The wins feel like proof that we can’t lose, which is exactly the moment we’re most likely to.
Turns out, success shrinks your awareness. You stop questioning yourself. You stop listening to feedback because, well, look at all this evidence that you’re right. The people who used to challenge your thinking? You might start tuning them out.
The other day someone told me they’d made their worst decisions not when they were struggling, but when everything was going great. That stuck with me. Because it makes a weird kind of sense.
Struggle keeps you humble. Success can make you forget.
The Warning Signs Worth Watching For
So how do you catch yourself before the wax starts dripping?
It usually starts small. You notice you’re brushing off advice you’d normally take seriously. You’re taking on more than you can realistically handle, but telling yourself you’ve got it. You feel a bit untouchable, like the normal rules don’t apply to you anymore.
Sleep goes out the window. You’re running on adrenaline and calling it drive.
And maybe the biggest one: you stop asking for help because asking for help feels like admitting you’re not as on top of things as everyone thinks.
This part’s a bit uncomfortable, but the very traits that fuel success, the ambition, the drive, the refusal to quit, are the same ones that can quietly steer you off a cliff. Same wings, different outcome.
Pulling Yourself Back From the Sun
Okay, so what do you actually do about it?
First, get honest about the story you’re telling yourself. Are you flying high because things are genuinely solid, or because you’ve stopped checking? There’s a difference, and only you can tell which one it is.
Keep people around who’ll tell you the truth. Not the yes-people who clap at everything, but the ones who’ll gently say “mate, are you sure about this?” Those people are worth their weight in gold, and they get rarer the more successful you become.
Slow down enough to notice how you’re actually feeling. Success can mask burnout for a surprisingly long time. You feel great right up until you don’t.
And look, sometimes catching yourself isn’t something you can do alone. If you’re feeling stretched thin, if the pressure of keeping it all up is starting to weigh on you, talking to someone helps more than people expect. Getting proper psychological support in Western Sydney or wherever you are isn’t a sign you’re falling apart. It’s usually a sign you’re paying attention.
Flying Smart Instead of Flying High
Here’s the thing Icarus never got told. The problem was never the flying. It was the ignoring.
His dad gave him a middle path. Not too high, not too low. He just got carried away.
You can enjoy your success without letting it make you stupid. You can keep climbing without pretending you’re invincible. The trick is staying awake to yourself, especially when everything looks like it’s going right.
Because that’s exactly when the sun feels closest.
Success Advice
Quick and Meaningful Ways to Do Charity
Finding time to give back can feel overwhelming. Many people want to help others but think it takes a lot of time and planning. The truth is, simple, effective ways to support charity fit into busy lives. Whether you have a few minutes or a couple of hours, you can make a positive impact in your community. Helping others benefits those in need and gives you a sense of fulfilment and connection.
First, understand that charitable efforts can be quick and meaningful. You don’t need to organize a big event or donate a lot of money to make a difference. Small actions can make significant changes in others’ lives. Here are some ways to show generosity today.
Food Bank Donations
One of the simplest ways to help is by donating to a food bank. A food bank donation helps people facing food insecurity by redistributing surplus food and providing healthy meals. When you donate, you nourish someone’s day and ease their burden.
Local food banks often rely on donations from individuals and businesses. You can donate non-perishable items or fresh produce from your garden. If that’s not possible, consider making a monetary donation, which food banks can use to buy the needed food items. Every contribution counts and helps ensure families receive meals.
Volunteering your time at a local food bank is another great way to get involved. Many food donation organizations need help sorting donations, packing food boxes, or distributing meals. This hands-on work lets you see the positive impact of your efforts. You can also build friendships with staff and other volunteers as you work toward shared goals.
No-Cost Options
Charity doesn’t always have to cost money. You can donate your skills or time. If you’re good at graphic design or enjoy writing, your expertise can support local nonprofits’ outreach efforts. You might create promotional materials, manage social media, or offer training sessions.
Another no-cost option is to share charitable organizations on your social media. Inform friends and family about the causes you care about. Increased visibility can lead to more donations and volunteers. Sometimes, raising awareness matters as much as giving money.
Used Goods Donations
Decluttering your home is a great way to support charity. Look around. What items do you no longer use? Clothing, household goods, and toys can help someone in need. Local shelters, thrift stores, and nonprofits often welcome gently used items. By clearing out what you don’t need, you can provide useful items to those who can’t afford them.
You can enhance this experience by organizing a donation drive in your community. Involve friends and neighbours to gather more items together. This can become a fun community event that promotes giving.
Random Acts of Kindness
Doing random acts of kindness each day is an easy way to help others. Simple actions, like buying someone a coffee, leaving a nice note, or helping a neighbour carry groceries, can spread goodwill. These acts not only brighten someone’s day but also promote kindness in your community.
Try setting a goal to do a certain number of kind acts each week. This can become a good habit that changes how you interact with others. It doesn’t matter how big or small the act is. What matters is the intention behind it.
Skill-Based Volunteering
Using your professional skills to help a charity can foster personal growth while supporting those in need. Whether you are a teacher, marketer, lawyer, or accountant, your skills can greatly benefit nonprofits. Many nonprofits need help in areas where they can’t afford to hire professionals.
Some food donation organizations specifically seek volunteers with certain skills, so look for a nonprofit that matches your background. You can create change by using your expertise and meet others who share your interests.
Getting involved in charitable activities allows you to help create a better world. The good news is you don’t need much time or money to make a difference. Whether you volunteer at a local food bank, donate items, or do random acts of kindness, your efforts can lead to real change. These small actions can bring great fulfillment, improving not just the lives of those you help but your own, too.
-
Life2 years agoThe 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do
-
Did You Know1 year ago7 Surprising Life Lessons Video Games Taught Me That School Never Did
-
Success Advice1 year agoStephen Covey’s 8 Leadership Habits That Will Change How You Lead Forever
-
Life1 year agoHow to Stop the War in Your Head and Find Peace
-
Featured2 years agoThe Psychology of Motivation: How to Keep Moving Forward Every Day
-
Personal Development1 year agoThe Three-Second Pause That Changes How People Perceive You
-
Explode Your Social Media1 year agoWant More Views? Master These 6 YouTube Growth Tactics
-
Change Your Mindset1 year agoYou Become What You Absorb: How Input Shapes Your Life
