The Path to Excellence

Want to excel at something? Here’s the reality check.

“I aspire to master trading,” they confided.

Trading, as in purchasing a stock or cryptocurrency for $10…

Then unloading it for $15.

Or betting against it to drop to $5.

“Alright,” I responded, “so how have you been educating yourself?”

They hesitated for a moment.

“Well,” they sighed, “I invested about $10,000 — nearly all my savings — and I’ve been trading daily.”

I just stared.

I don’t play poker for a reason…

I struggle to conceal my emotions.

And this time, my eyes widened in disbelief.

“It grew to 12k,” they continued, “but now it’s down to 5k. I just don’t understand…” their frustration mounting, “I spend, like, I don’t know…a few hours examining the charts each day?”

I’m convinced more people should pursue politics.

We excel at responding without truly addressing the question.

“You still haven’t explained to me, though — how have you been learning?”

They seemed agitated…

As if I had struck a nerve.

“What — like…books and stuff?”

“Absolutely.”

He chuckled — a blend of nervousness and genuine amusement.

“I don’t think there are any books on crypto trading, man…”

The remainder of our discussion didn’t unfold well.

I pointed him to some excellent resources that every novice trader should explore…

But he became upset.

The prices ranged from $30 each to upwards of $300.

Some were technical textbooks meant for certification.

Others were over 600 pages long.

With irritation, he began to gather his things.

“Listen, Lucas — I can’t afford $300, 400, or 500 dollars for some books. That’s absurd.”

As he slung his backpack over his shoulder and grabbed his protein shaker, he stood up, declaring, “And I definitely don’t have the time to read thousands of pages. I’ll just have to figure it out myself. Thanks.”

I was left stunned.

It baffled me completely.

You have $10,000 — your life savings — to wager…

But you can’t spare $300 for the knowledge that could enhance your skills?

And ultimately, your profits?

— — —

This encapsulates the human experience.

You can spend $10 a month on Netflix.

You can dedicate 2, 3, or even 5 hours a night to binge-watch The Office.

But you can’t invest time in the countless hours of free content available on YouTube.

Nor can you find the energy for the multitude of free books at the library.

You crave a quick and easy solution.

You want to master a skill overnight that will lead to riches.

But that’s not how it operates.

You know it.

I know it.

Your entrepreneurial uncle with the flashy new Corvette certainly knows it.

If you aspire to become “truly exceptional” at any valuable skill, it boils down to two things (and brace yourself):

Years of dedicated effort

Consistent daily practice

This isn’t what you (or I) want to hear.

Am I mistaken?

I aim to become one of the finest copywriters in the industry.

“Well, I’ve been writing since I was 10,” I might try to convince myself.

But that’s misleading. That’s self-deception.

I’ve accepted the reality…

It’s going to require years. Decades.

I need to write every single day. Just like we do here.

Like I’ve committed to all year long.

The bottom line:

If you aspire to be someone…

If you desire to acquire a skill…

Put in the hard work. Do the necessary actions.

It’s that straightforward.

Hasta luego, amigos.

These are daily copywriting exercises. Follow along, whether it’s once or fifty times, and let me know your thoughts!