it's time to stop

hey friend,

success isn’t just about adding new habits.
it’s often about cutting out what’s holding you back.

I learned the hard way that if I want more progress, I have to…

stop complaining.
stop making excuses.
and stop listening to the wrong people.

I decided to quit complaining a long time ago (I’m not perfect).
but I challenged myself to go seven full days without it - years ago.

I quickly realized how often I’d grumble about tiny annoyances.

the weather…
being cold…
or someone driving too slow…

it’s such a useless habit.
if there’s a fix, go fix it.
if not, move on.

my wife and I also have a rule:
if we’re complaining to each other…
it means we want the other person to fix it.

if there’s no solution, then let’s not waste energy moaning about it.

I also had to stop making excuses and own every situation, good or bad.

yes, sometimes life throws hard punches.
and it’s really just some misfortune outside your control…
you CAN own your response.

once I took that mindset, I realized I could prepare better, anticipate problems, and guide my own future instead of blaming “bad luck.”

and the last one is tricky because you might love these people…

but you can’t listen to people who haven’t been where you’re going.
especially when it comes to big goals.

I used to ask friends or family about my business ideas, and they’d give me well-intentioned advice, but they had zero experience in that world.

all I got was confusion and negativity.
when I started finding mentors or peers who’d actually done what I was trying to do, my progress shot forward.

sometimes you need to pay to get into the right rooms.
and that’s okay if it saves you years of floundering.

so that’s what I’d tell anyone who wants to move faster.

stop complaining.
stop making excuses.
and stop asking the wrong people for advice.

it’s a huge weight off your shoulders once you drop those habits.
and you’ll be surprised how much clearer the path becomes.

try harder,

JM