10 Actions I Took to Change My Life in 2017
As of writing this, we’ve got a few months left in 2017. This year has been one crazy ride for me. From working with Victor Pride to starting several side-hustles. Here are the 10 actions I took to change my life in 2017.
1) Got Out of My Head
Table of Contents
For most of my life, I lived in my head. Most of my ideas and dreams never so the light of day. Instead, they stayed locked away in my head.
Starting in the middle of January I began the slow process of flipping that switch. I realized a truth that most people overlook.
If you don’t tell people what’s going on in your head then they won’t know. Shocking revelation right?
When I want to say something I say it. No more holding it back.
If I have an idea I test it.
Simple actions to take but boy have they changed my life. Staying in your head does nothing for you except cause you to overthink.
Whatever ideas you’ve got going on in your head just get them out of there. You may end up having something that others need or want.
As a former heavyweight champion of overthinking I can honestly say just drop it man. You aren’t going to get anywhere if you stay in your head.
My book Think and Go Hustle was an idea in my head a few years ago. Now I’ve got it sitting next to me.
I don’t know how to create a book but yet here it is. All I did was put my thoughts onto a screen, hire 3 people, and publish it for the world.
Now I’ve got Think and Go Hustle in 3 formats:
2) Started a Side-Hustle
When I came back from Los Angeles I only had $142 to my name. I wasn’t going back to a job so I only had one option, start husting.
It took me a good 3-4 months before I got back to a place where I felt good. During that time I was put to the test.
I used my article 4 Ways to Make Money For the Young Hustler to make it out. Unlike most money articles this article actually works.
For those who are new to this blog take a peek at that time. It will give you a glimpse of the real birth of what this blog is and let you see behind the curtains.
3) Intentional Daily Action
Before 2017 I was almost always random. Yes, I had goals and achieved them. But I never fully understood how to be intentional.
An article that really shoved reality in my face was by Ed Latimore. He’s one of the few people online that I look at as a mentor and friend.
You hear every day about how your life starts and begins with you. You spend most of your time trying to control random stuff that doesn’t matter.
My reality check happened in February. I was just starting to have enough money to pay my bills.
Things were getting better and I started to get complacent. Complacency is the death of creativity and action.
Sure enough after a week of complacency things went down again. I got back to work and focused on taking control.
Then one night I read the following sentences on Ed’s blog:
No matter what your problem is, the solution is the same. This is because all of your problems have the same thing in common: YOU.
It was then that I ripped up any idea of ever being random again. The pattern of being intentional and life being good happened too many times for me to ignore.
Whatever is happening in your life right now it’s on you. Most “problems” that you have are due to you not thinking.
If you’re going to achieve anything in your life you are going to have to be intentional. There are too many other things that can go wrong.
Pay attention to your moves. You aren’t some kid anymore. It’s up to you to make your own money, travel, and build something we call a life.
4) Went Pro
This point has a lot to do with being intentional. You see I had wanted to make a living from my blog since November of 2014.
But guess what?
You can’t make money from your words until you offer something for sale. Furthermore, nobody is going to pay you if you’re average.
There are lots of people online trying to sell you their products. As we both know they aren’t in it for the long-game.
They’d rather get your money now and then move onto the next person. A pro however, gives value first and builds a relationship with his readers.
From there he offers something for sale. Not just some random “Get Ripped” eBook for $9.99, but something that actually helps you.
Making the decision to go pro changed my life. Not only am I now making money from my blog but I’m able to help people on a wider scale.
5) Told My Story
Before 2017 I would only share certain aspects of my life. To be honest I didn’t think people would care.
I thought people just wanted to feel good and have “how to” content. In 2016 I shared me quitting my job, but outside of that, I didn’t share much.
BIG MISTAKE!
Once I started talking about things I’ve dealt with, people starting showing up. Why? Because I showed that I was a real person.
As you begin showing who you are people relate to you. From there they start reading you more and look at you as a trusted friend.
Over the last 11 months, my blog has gained more readers than ever before. It isn’t by accident either.
It all started when I opened up about how I overcame suicidal thoughts. From there I started discussing other things I had conquered.
People began reaching out and resonating with my story.
They applied what I talked about and then started seeing changes in their own life. The simple act of me sharing my story kept one reader from killing himself.
As we speak he is making money with Craigslist while working a job.
Your story needs to be told. There could be someone out there right now that needs to hear what you have to say.
See point one and then tell your story.
6) Studied and Executed
From 2011 to May of 2016 I studied relentlessly. The only issue was that I didn’t execute on 90% of the stuff that I learned.
My mindset changed but my bank account stayed the same. It wasn’t until I quit my job in April of 2016 that I was forced to execute.
Bills were due and I was on my own. After surviving the month of April I started executing on all of the knowledge that I had.
Once May came around I started making more in a week than I did at my old job in two weeks. Not only that but my life in all areas improved.
That’s why I tell readers of Calm and Collected to execute on what they learn here. If you read what I publish and then execute, your life will change.
There aren’t any maybe’s in what I just said. My own life changed when I started executing and embodied the Young Hustler Mentality.
The same will be true for you.
7) Took My Health Seriously
In 2017 I took my health seriously. In the previous year I began dropping weight and by February of 2017, I had lost 70 pounds.
What I didn’t do was take care of myself. We all feel invincible and take most areas of our lives for granted.
When you’re busy hustling and growing it’s easy to push things such as food to the bottom of your to-do list.
It wasn’t until I started feeling unnaturally fatigued that I started paying attention. Simple decisions became hard.
By 9 AM all I wanted to do was sleep. If it weren’t for coffee, nothing would’ve been accomplished.
I realized I had been starving myself for months. Instead of getting 1,200 calories for maintenance, I was running hard on 500-800 calories a day.
Within 3 days of getting the calories that I needed my energy level skyrocketed. I had never experienced energy levels this high before.
My mind became clear and things started improving drastically. So your takeaway here is to pay attention to your health.
Don’t make this game harder than it needs to be. Take care of your mind and body and they will serve you well.
Here are the basics:
Drink 1 Gallon of Water Per Day- If you drink 1 gallon of water a day your mind is going to be clear and your body will run better than you’ve ever felt before.
For me, I bought a gallon jug that I carry with me everywhere that I go.
It’s easy to fill up and take with you wherever you go.
You can pick it up on Amazon here.
Feed Your Ferrari- For your body to perform at peak levels you HAVE TO FEED IT WHAT IT NEEDS.
Whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle you still have to hit your minimum caloric intake.
Workout/Supplements- Once you have the first two under control it’s time to begin working out.
I workout 6 times a week for 20-30 minutes a day. This keeps my mind primed and my body feeling great.
As of writing this, I am working with Alexander Cortés. He is available daily and monitors my progress weekly.
When it comes to supplements I keep it simple. I love enhancing myself but I don’t want to pop 8 different pills a day.
Here is what I am taking:
- RED-PCT
- Fish Oil
- ZMA
- Whey Protein
8) Stopped Watching Porn
Up until 2016, I was a slave to the pussy. Worse yet I also watched porn once or twice a week. This hurt me more than I realized.
I didn’t understand how to properly masturbate and transmute my sexual energy. Once I stopped watching porn a few things happened.
- My mental clarity improved.
- My confidence increased by 150%.
You don’t understand the power of your sexual energy. If you give up porn for one month you’ll tap into something you likely have never felt before.
9) Became My Own Man
Before 2017 I hadn’t fully taken responsibility for my life. As we discussed earlier, I wasn’t very intentional.
For some, it comes naturally. But for me, it took me getting tired of being shit on. Out of frustration I created my own code and followed it like the Bible.
This is what later became known as the 10 Maxims of the Young Hustler.
Whether you’re in high school or out I want you to realize one thing. You are your own savior and your own devil.
10) Created My Script
Finally, the last thing that I did was create my own script. Creating my own script made getting what I want almost effortless.
I decided on what I wanted and then simply followed my script.
That’s it. No thinking or hoping was required.
From the moment my eyes open until they close again at night I know exactly what needs to be done.
My script guides my every action and all I do follow it.
That is what makes Think and Go Hustle work so well for people. It takes you from being a random player to being the main character.
Don’t take my word for it. See what other people are saying about it.
Read the intro and first level. I almost cried.. the level of authenticity and the lessons you share in an easy to understand way are incredibly relatable. Can’t wait to get through the rest of the book this week. Continue to walk on water my friend. Really have something with this book. I mean it.
-K.P
Think and Go Hustle has the most actionable advice in a book I’ve ever read. Dylan was extremely original and authentic throughout the book. I was extremely impressed. Give the book to someone you care about and watch them Think and Go Hustle.
-MansBestRead.com
I was impressed. “Think and Go Hustle” was much better than I was expecting. The book is a must read for any young man looking to build his own path and start a business. I especially enjoyed the parts where Dylan dove into his personal journey. Highly recommended.
-Jake Darby NomadicHustle.com
To create your own script Think and Go Hustle will guide you through the process. I took 3 1/2 years of figuring out what worked and condensed into a book.
2017 has been a phenomenal year and I can’t wait for what 2018 will bring. Thank you for joining me today.
Use this article as a stepping stone for yourself. Don’t wait until next year to change your life. Take action now and you’ll get where you want to sooner.
You can join the other people following their script below. Select your format and then get to work on creating your script.
Your friend,
Thanks for your comment Austin! Pick the Maxims that resonate with you the most. I’ll see you in the game!
Heck yeah, brother! “If you’re going to do something, do it right!” Most people continue half-assing things as adults. If you want to make yourself into something then you MUST go pro.
Yet another great article my man, this one reminded me of your “10 Maxim’s” article.
In all honesty I couldn’t decide which rule was my favorite, these are words purely to live by. Thank you for doing what you do man.
As always, this article is fire. My favorite action? Going pro. The world is too competitive these days. If you’re not going pro, you’re going to get left behind.
I realized this in June, as well. Since then, my blog traffic has tripled and my passive income has quadrupled.
If you’re going to do something, do it right!