Weekly Snapshot: Embracing Progress, Conquering Anxiety, and Achieving More

Hi friends!

When in doubt, zoom out

I read this quote by Sahil Bloom on Twitter and felt an instant connection as if it were speaking directly to me. I feel anxious when I think that things in my life are not moving fast enough. I quickly discount my efforts and the results I've generated, and end up depressed in a negative-talk rabbit hole.

But when I slow down and zoom out, I see a different picture. I see a beautiful transition from a broke guy struggling to make a living and living off of $500 per month to earning six figures, managing his parent's expenses, and paying over $30,000 for his sister's master's tuition.

I've had to make tough decisions along the way, let go of bad habits and many personal passions, and walk on paths I didn't want to, but in the end, it worked out just fine.

I know the reader must feel getting stuck and anxious every now and then. We all do. So whenever you feel that way, I'd urge you to stop and reflect back on a couple of years ago. Remember how far you've come - your attitude, thinking, and perspective on life. Feel proud of your progress and gear yourself for more.

It's only the beginning. Keep moving forward and making progress - one day at a time.

💪 Wins of the week

1. I made good connections with entrepreneurs and real estate guys. It was an initial interaction, but I hope to follow up on our conversations and yield some mutually-beneficial outcomes.
2. My head is in the game - I was asked to take care of a thing at the very last minute, and I took it heads on and delivered.
3. I completed the development and testing of a very important feature on our app - just need the final touches to release it.
4. I published my article and YouTube video (watch the video at the end of this newsletter)

🧐 Challenges & Learnings

1. I still don't know where the next $3,000 in additional monthly income will come from. Will it come from consulting or trading? No idea. However, I will experiment with multiple options before doubling-down on one or two.
2. I didn't do gym five days this week (went for four days only). This entire week, I felt disoriented and unprepared.
3. I felt the pressure of dependency this week. Sometimes, it's not you slowing you down. I still don't know how to navigate it, but it gets frustrating. I feel this a lot in my current work, where unexpected blockers are causing delays, making me very unhappy.

🎯 Goals for Next Week

Next week is all about increasing income and networking:

1. Connect with 5 entrepreneurs in the real estate investing industry for advice and a constructive conversation.
2. Accelerate the release of critical enhancements on the app.
3. Figure out an extra income stream that can bring in an extra $3,000 every month.
4. Publish 1 article and 1 YouTube video.
5. Eat healthy: fruits, veggies, and grilled chicken.
6. Gym: 5 days.

📖 My Readings

I'm currently reading Influence by Robert B Cialdini. Here is an interesting takeaways from the book.

"When people are free to do as they please, thet usually imitate one another" - Eric Hoffer. If you want to influence behavior, social proof is a powerful weapon. People make snap decisions all the time, and usually they come from analogies: my friend got it, it's the most popular item on the dish, they're in line, so it must be good. Leverage it.

Here are a few other articles that I'd recommend reading:

1. How to do great work (Paul Graham)
2. Emerging-Market Funding Gets Creative as Dollar Bonds Dry Up (Bloomberg)
3. Nvidia’s Soaring Value and Enthusiastic Investors Top the Week’s AI News (Bloomberg)

🎬 My Latest Video

How I got 2 job offers from Canada & UAE in a single month: Are you a job seeker? In this video, I share the strategy I used to land two job offers. The strategy is extremely effective, helps you build personal networks and gives you a competitive edge from other job seekers.

✍️ Quote of the Week

Paul Graham on how to make yourself a big target for luck:

“When you read biographies of people who've done great work, it's remarkable how much luck is involved.

They discover what to work on as a result of a chance meeting, or by reading a book they happen to pick up. So you need to make yourself a big target for luck, and the way to do that is to be curious.

Try lots of things, meet lots of people, read lots of books, ask lots of questions.”

Till next time.

Raheel Ahmad