I

You aren't the person who would be there

When it comes to setting big goals, people focus on changing their actions to make progress. But that's second order.

First order: Changing who you are so that your behavior naturally follows.

Think of somebody successful. A bodybuilder with a great physique. A founder worth hundreds of millions. Do you think the bodybuilder has to "grind" to eat healthy? Does the CEO discipline themselves to show up?

The truth is they can't see themselves living any other way. The bodybuilder has to grind to eat unhealthily. The CEO has to force themselves to lie in bed past their alarm, and they hate every second of it.

When you truly change yourself, all of your habits that don't move the needle become disgusting, because you have a deep awareness of what kind of life those actions compound into.

You are okay with your current standards because you are not fully aware of what they are or what they lead to.

II

You don't actually want to be there

"Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words." — Alfred Adler

All behavior is goal-oriented. It's teleological. When you think about it, this is obvious—but most of the time, your goals are unconscious.

If you can't stop procrastinating, you may justify it with "I lack discipline." But in reality, you are achieving a goal: protecting yourself from the judgment that comes from finishing and sharing your work.

If you stay in a dead-end job, you may think you lack courage. But you're pursuing the goal of safety, predictability, and an excuse to not look like a failure.

A goal is a projection into the future that acts as a lens of perception, allowing you to notice information, ideas, and resources that aid in achieving it.

III

You're afraid to be there

Here's how you've become who you are today—the anatomy of identity:

1. You want to achieve a goal
2. You perceive reality through the lens of that goal
3. You notice "important" information that helps you achieve it (learning)
4. You act toward that goal and receive feedback
5. You repeat until it becomes automatic (conditioning)
6. That behavior becomes identity ("I am the type of person who...")
7. You defend your identity to maintain psychological consistency
8. Your identity shapes new goals, restarting the cycle

This process started when you were a child. You conformed to survive. Through reward and punishment, you adopted beliefs and values to stay safe.

If you are heavily identified with an ideology, you will feel threatened when someone challenges your beliefs. You literally feel the stress—like you were slapped in the face.

The same happens when you unconsciously see yourself as someone who would not take the actions to achieve a better life.

IV

Your life exists at a specific level of mind

The mind evolves through predictable stages. When you're born, you absorb whatever beliefs you can so you feel safe. If you're not careful, your mind crystallizes.

Most readers hover between stages 4-8. Moving through them follows a pattern you can navigate consciously.

V

Intelligence is getting what you want

"The only real test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life." — Naval Ravikant

There is a formula for success:

• Agency — Your likelihood to act toward goals
• Opportunity — Goals that bear fruit
• Intelligence — Your ability to iterate and learn

Cybernetics (from Greek "to steer") illustrates the properties of intelligent systems:

1. Have a goal
2. Act toward that goal
3. Sense where you are
4. Compare it to the goal
5. Act again based on feedback

The reality is you can achieve any goal you set your mind to. There is a series of choices that lead to any outcome. You may not have the resources yet, but intelligence means knowing they can be acquired.

VI

The three phases of transformation

When people successfully flip their identity, it happens fast after a buildup of tension. Three phases:

VII

Turn your life into a video game

"The optimal state of inner experience is one in which there is order in consciousness." — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Games are the poster child for obsession, enjoyment, and flow states. They have all the components that lead to focus and clarity.

These act as concentric circles—a forcefield—that guard your mind from distractions. The more you play, the stronger this force becomes, until it becomes who you are.