The Reality of Chasing Dreams
It's 4:30 am, on a Sunday morning.
The world is quiet.
You're awake, not tired anymore, but don't want to get up.
But you realize, you stop work before others, so you must start earlier.
So you hop out of the warm and cosy bed.
You hop out of the house and take in some sunlight, get your water & electrolytes to wake up better, and hop to a computer...
That's my life at times.
Today, my friend, I wanted to write about the reality of chasing dreams.
There are fun moments, but it's also freaking difficult.
Some days I can't stop brainstorming my dreams.
Some days, I feel down and don't want to do stuff.
I find there to be 3 main things that make chasing dreams difficult.
I'll explain each one, to help make it a bit easier for you.
I'll use being self-employed or a business owner as an example.
But you can find these helpful for other areas too.
Let's start, my friend.
1) Uncertainty on finances
Often when you're going for a dream, there are challenges with finances.
There might be uncertainty about it.
Let's say you start a business.
The main question you might have as an entrepreneur, especially in the early stages is:
Where will the money come from? From whom? And when?
In a traditional 9-5, you know when you'll get paid.
With a business, you might not.
When speaking personally, right now, I have no idea when will I get a good chunk of money next time.
Do I need it?
Well... not desperately.
But I want it.
(I need to make money at times to live, lol.)
Do I know when I have the potential to make some money - or possibly great money?
Yes. (With my upcoming HK Editing Masterclass & Preset Pack.)
But there's no certainty.
I've made 2 product launches that totally flopped financially. (Making a total of €850-ish.)
1 product launch did OK, but still not well enough for the amount of work.
My 1-1 Social Media Coaching has done 4-figure months, but there's a limit on how many people I can take on.
And it's not as scalable.
I can't take new students until I finish with some of the current students.
(But you can join the waitlist by applying here.)
That's the struggle of being an entrepreneur in the early stages.
You might not know when you will get good money.
But, why would one start a business anyway due to this financial uncertainty?
Well, you have the possibility to:
1) Make more money than you imagine - and that leads to
2) Getting freedom.
I don't want someone to tell me what to do, where to do so, and when.
I want to contribute to my own future and be in control of it.
And, I want to have the freedom to do what I want before I'm 70.
I want to live life to the fullest.
If I do my best, I have a chance to succeed.
If I do not try, I've given up my chance.
2) The lonely journey
Most likely, there will be people around you who don't understand your dreams.
Maybe they laugh and don't believe in you.
Well, I've experienced that too.
There's some important people who are double-checking on me:
Hugo... are you still sure of this path?
Honestly, them asking that makes me feel pissed off.
Lol.
I mean... I know some people would rather have me go another path.
But fuck that.
It's my life - and I take the path I want.
But it's tough.
Luckily, I have friends who are full-on supporters of mine.
That helps a ton.
But many, don't have those.
If you want to go for your dreams, you'll need someone's support.
Ideally, in person.
If not in-person, then online. You can find anyone there.
If you have a difficult time with that, just surround yourself with new ideas. I listen to a lot of Audiobooks.
It makes me feel like the author is my friend teaching stuff.
There's a saying: "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."
(This is due to something called mirror neurons. Our cells literally imitate those around us.)
But, I'd say it's even more about what Tom Bileyu, the CEO of Impact Theory, has said:
"You are the average of the 5 ideas you surround yourself with."
Of course, the people you hang out with provide you with ideas.
But, you can get those ideas elsewhere.
Books, courses, YouTube... you name it.
The path to your dream life can be lonely.
But it's part of the journey.
But try to find good friends to take along. It'll make everything easier.
What's a good friend?
I see a good friend being someone who supports you with what you want.
If they make you feel bad for your dreams... are they really a good friend?
Do an environment review
People who are toxic, or very unsupportive, are dangerous.
Their toxicity infects your mindset, leading you to behave like them and become more like them.
"If you hang out with dogs, you get fleas".
The worst thing is when you're excited about something, you share that, and all you get is:
"Do you really need to do that?
"Why'd you do that? It won't work."
Or other negative responses, like rolling their eyes.
Some people, just don't get it.
And - if they don't - perhaps they didn't achieve their dreams and THEY gave up.
These are the factors I use to determine how much I'll spend with a person:
1) Are they family?
2) Do I feel more energized after being with them?
If they're family, I don't want to completely remove them from my life.
(But, you could.)
If they're family, and make me feel bad, I limit my time with them.
It's tough, but why would you spend a lot of time with someone making you feel bad?
Toxicity spreads.
But, if they're not family, they're gone from my life.
The clock is ticking.
The time is not infinite.
I won't allow people to make me feel bad.
I want to maximize my time with those who make me feel better.
Those people fuel your life.
It does wonders for your happiness, and mindset when you're with them.
Spend more time with people making you feel good.
Stop spending time with those who make you feel bad.
3) Constant failures
I hope I've shown through my Letters that failure is part of the journey.
(Read this to see I'm a human too.)
But I want to emphasize this even more.
Everyone fails.
The best footballers miss penalties.
The best creators make a product that fails financially.
The best photographers miss a once-in-a-lifetime shot.
Failure is a stepping stone, though.
What do you learn from winning?
Well... something, because you'll have data on what works.
But, failure gives you even more data.
The more painful a failure is, the clearer the data is.
But, failure still sucks.
It hurts. A LOT.
And at some point, that will lead to more self-doubt.
I have a lot of it.
I can't tell you how many things I've failed with this year.
But I've learned a lot. And I've had some successes.
But certainly, there's been more failures.
I'm proud I've been able to endure them, but it's not been easy.
It's really difficult to go from one failure to another, to another.
When you succeed at something, then it'll feel incredible.
But, failure, is something you need to get used to.
Failure is a crucial step to success.
When you fail, you have the opportunity to learn.
When you learn... is it really a failure anymore?
A failure is if you repeat the same mistake again.
A failure is if you quit a dream you want to achieve.
Never lose belief you can do something.
I want to put this quote here from a Fastlane Forum member:
Go into kindergarten class and ask the kids how many of them can sing. EVERY hand will go up. Fast-forward 13 years and ask the same class of seniors the same question. Only a few hands will go up. What changed? The kindergarten kids believed they could sing as no one had told them otherwise.
Keep believing and learn from failures.
If you avoid failure at all costs, you'll avoid success at all costs.
Why go for dreams
There are a million different reasons why you'd chase dreams.
(Figure out your "why" with this Letter.)
But, often, it's about freedom.
As a reward for achieving your dream, you could get the freedom for yourself to:
1) Spend more time with those you love
2) Have more incredible experiences
3) Travel & photograph anywhere
4) Do what you want, where you want, and when you want.
And - you'll probably make a bigger positive impact in the world as a result too.
This is what can be achieved.
But only if you go for it.
It won't just arrive.
Don't hope to win the lottery.
It won't happen, sorry to break it to you.
You must go and work for it.
I'm rooting for you - and I hope through these Letters I can contribute to your success. :)
Want to get extraordinary results?
Before we wrap up, I want you to understand this.
If you want extraordinary results, you must do extraordinary things.
Now, read that again.
This could be, you:
1) Go to the gym daily (to achieve your fitness goals)
2) Wake up 1 hour earlier every day (to work on your dreams)
3) Keep chasing a dream for 10-20+ years without quitting.
Or something else.
If you want something not everyone has, you must do stuff not everyone does.
Often, this means doing the opposite of what most people do.
"Do the opposite of the average people".
Do what the fit people do.
Do what the wealthy people do.
Do what the best photographers do.
Do what those you're looking up to are doing, or what they've done in the past.
This has helped me a lot.
And I hope, that helps you too. :)
Summary
1) Embrace uncertainty. If you value certainty too much, it'll stop you from growing and achieving your dreams.
2) Accept the path to your dreams can be lonely. That's part of the journey.
But do your best to find your tribe fast, whether in person, online, or surround yourself with the wisdom of successful people.
3) Embrace failure.
If you avoid failure at all costs, you avoid success at all costs.
Failures are stepping stones to success.
4) Pursue growth.
Chasing dreams fuels your life.
We need to progress to feel our best.
Without growth, it's harder to feel amazing about yourself in the future.
5) Be extraordinary.
If you want extraordinary things, you must do extraordinary things.
Aim high, have high standards, and never settle for average.
Remember: The journey to your dreams is challenging.
But that's what makes the destination worthwhile.
Embrace the uncertainty, cherish growth, and celebrate each step forward.
Your dreams are within reach - go out and make them a reality.
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I hope you found this interesting, my friend.
If you did, feel free to share this with a friend.
If you were forwarded, you can subscribe here for more Letters like this.
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Lastly, if you're looking to enhance your photos with a polished and professional touch and save time editing...
You could find The HK Editing Masterclass & Preset Pack helpful.
Learn more about it here.
Until next time,
Hugo
P.S. When you're ready, these are 3 ways I can help you.
#1: Ready to crush it on social media in 2024? Click here to apply to my 1-1 Social Media Coaching Program.
#2: Have you seen my YouTube channel? I've put stuff out there too. I bet you'd find it valuable. Check out my latest videos and come give me a like and subscribe. :)
#3: I have a lot of free resources out there. Read the past Letters here.
