My 4 Highest ROI Habits Ep 116

In a candid discussion, Alex shares his four high-ROI habits that have significantly propelled his success. He emphasizes the importance of waking up at 4:00 a.m. and maintaining consistent bedtimes, even on weekends, to ensure productivity and time for self-improvement. Alex also highlights the value of giving to others in your network without expecting anything in return, a practice that has earned him respect and reciprocity in his professional relationships. Additionally, he advocates for absolute ownership over one's life, rejecting a victim mentality to take control of personal and business outcomes. Lastly, he encourages embracing new skills with the understanding that initial efforts may not yield immediate returns but are crucial for long-term growth and mastery. Alex's approach to these transformative habits underscores the need for discipline, generosity, and accountability in achieving entrepreneurial success.

• Waking up early allows for undisturbed self-work and progress on significant projects.
• Early waking hours are used to work on the business, not in it, leading to greater impact and growth.
• This habit is part of a structured routine that includes consistent bedtimes.

"The first one is waking up at 04:00 a.m. And it kind of goes hand in hand with the second habits." "Waking up at 04:00 a.m. Allows me to get all of my self work done in the morning and still have 2,3,4,5 sometimes dedicated hours to moving the big dominoes forward."

The quote emphasizes the importance of waking up at 04:00 AM as a habit that has significantly propelled personal and business growth. It allows the speaker to focus on important tasks without interruptions.

• Consistency in sleep patterns is crucial, even on weekends.
• The body operates better with regular sleep and wake times.
• Consistent bedtimes support the ability to wake up early and be productive.

"So basically consistent time going to bed and consistent time waking up." "I know this sounds really minor, but especially that 04:00 a.m. Wake up time."

The quote highlights the speaker's belief in the importance of having a consistent bedtime routine to support the early wake-up habit.

• Entrepreneurs are naturally reactive and scattered, which can be mitigated by controlling one's environment and focus.
• By managing space and attention, entrepreneurs can be less reactive and more proactive in problem-solving.

"And so that's why control, I talk so much about controlling your space, controlling your attention, is that we're so much more prone to reactivity."

This quote discusses the tendency of entrepreneurs to be reactive and the necessity of controlling one's space and attention to reduce this reactivity and enhance productivity.

• Allocating specific hours for CEO-level work is ideal, but real-world demands can interrupt.
• Despite interruptions, having a set period for high-level work is critical for business growth.
• Time invested in the business is different from time spent on routine tasks; the former accelerates growth.

"Basically, once I hit 09:00 a.m. 09:30 a.m.. I would love to tell you that I have 4 hours of CEO time in the middle of the day that everyone knows that I can't be reached." "From like 04:00 to 09:00 is like my time. And that's where I really move all of these big projects forward."

The quote conveys the speaker's strategy of carving out early morning hours for uninterrupted CEO-level work, which is crucial for moving big projects forward and accelerating business growth.

• Emphasizes the importance of making deliberate lifestyle choices to maintain productivity.
• Highlights the trade-offs involved in choosing a productive life over social activities.
• Discusses the personal choice of prioritizing work and routine over socializing at typical hours.
• Mentions the acceptance of friends to the speaker's early dinner schedule as a sign of valuing the relationship.

"So I would implore you to just like. And people were like, well, what about concerts and things that are like going out with people? There's a reason entrepreneurs live the way they do."

This quote emphasizes the speaker's encouragement for others to understand and potentially adopt the lifestyle choices that high-level entrepreneurs make, which often involve sacrifices in social activities.

"And for me, going out to dinner at 730 on Friday is not important to me. I'd rather go. Like, all of my friends who are here in Austin know that if they're going to go out with Alex and Leila, we're going to dinner at 545..."

This quote provides a personal example of how the speaker prioritizes their time and productivity over traditional social dining hours, and how their friends have adapted to this schedule.

• Discusses the speaker's history of being elected to leadership positions due to a focus on service.
• Contrasts the common misconception of leadership with the reality of being a servant leader.
• Explains how servant leadership extends to personal networks and client relationships.

"I've always been voted into president and leadership positions and every organization... It's funny, people always think like, the president of the fraternity is the one that's like the biggest rager, but the person that they want to vote into president is the one who's going to take the punch bowl away..."

This quote highlights the speaker's history of being elected to leadership positions and suggests that true leadership is about serving others responsibly, not about being the most dominant or outgoing person.

"And so it's literally just giving without expectation. And that comes to clients. And a lot of times, I would say some of the highest RoI givings that I've done have been to people in my network..."

This quote discusses the concept of giving without the expectation of immediate return, and how this approach can lead to high returns on investment in terms of building strong, reciprocal relationships.

• Stresses the importance of helping others in your network without expecting anything in return.
• Describes the long-term benefits of such an approach, including building a reputation and forming stronger relationships.
• Mentions the personal experience of having a network willing to reciprocate help when needed.

"And then what happens is you actually form a much better relationship because they're like, wow, this person really cared, right?"

This quote explains the positive impact of selflessly helping others on relationship-building and how it can lead to others caring in return.

"And then also in the future, if I say, like, hey, man, do you know anything about this? Then they return the favor, right?"

This quote illustrates the principle of reciprocity in networking, where helping others leads to them helping you in the future, creating a cycle of mutual assistance.

• The podcast host emphasizes the importance of word-of-mouth promotion.
• They do not use traditional advertising methods like ads or sponsorships.
• The host asks listeners to share the podcast in the same way they discovered it.

"The only way this grows is through word of mouth. And so I don't run ads. I don't do sponsorships. I don't sell anything."

The quote explains the host's reliance on organic growth through listeners sharing the podcast, highlighting their choice not to use paid advertising or sponsorships.

"My only ask is that you continue to pay it forward to whoever showed you or however you found out about this podcast, that you do the exact same thing."

The host is requesting listeners to share the podcast with others, continuing the cycle of discovery through personal recommendations.

• Speaker B believes in the positive impact of sharing and helping others.
• The concept of karma is mentioned as a beneficial return for good actions.

"Me, and you'll throw some good karma out there."

Speaker B is suggesting that by sharing the podcast, listeners will not only help the podcast grow but also benefit from the goodwill they spread.

• The host discusses the idea that the first 20 hours spent learning a new skill are crucial.
• There is a common fear of not being good at a new skill which can prevent people from starting.
• The expectation of no return on investment (ROI) in the initial learning phase can be beneficial.
• The host encourages embracing discomfort and removing emotional blockages to learn new skills.

"But I think if there were to be a habit, that would be associated with that. It's jumping into a skill that you are not good at with the expectation that my first 20 hours, I expect zero return on."

The host is suggesting that one should approach new skills with the mindset of not expecting immediate results, which can help in overcoming the fear of failure.

"Ironically, the first 20 hours is where you get, like, 70% of your gains in any new skill, and then everything after hour number 20 is like massive diminishing returns that happens after that, right?"

This quote highlights the disproportionate amount of progress made in the initial hours of learning a new skill, suggesting a rapid learning curve at the beginning.

• The fourth habit discussed is taking complete responsibility for all situations in life.
• The host believes in extreme ownership and self-accountability.
• Blaming others is seen as giving away power and does not contribute to personal growth.
• The host applies this principle in both personal and professional relationships.

"So it's absolute ownership of your life. If anything happens at any time, in my relationship with Layla, with my relationship with an employee, with my relationship with the marketplace, whatever it, like, you have to school yourself and literally beat the victim out of."

The host is advocating for taking full responsibility for one's life, rejecting a victim mentality, and maintaining control over personal progress.

"But if you want to grow as an entrepreneur, you should take extreme ownership and put nothing on our business."

This quote advises entrepreneurs to practice extreme ownership and not to blame external factors for their challenges or failures.

• The host shares their personal high ROI habits that contribute to their success.
• Waking up early is a habit that allows for dedicated time to tackle significant tasks.
• Consistency is key, with no distinction between weekdays and weekends.

"But the point is, if we're talking about my four highest ROI habits, first one is waking up super early so that I can have time to dedicate to big dominoes."

The host identifies waking up early as a high ROI habit, which sets the tone for productivity and focus on impactful tasks.

"The second one is so that I can have consistency in my life. And weekdays and weekends are the same to me."

Consistency is highlighted as another high ROI habit, with an approach to life that doesn't differentiate between weekdays and weekends, indicating a disciplined routine.

• Establishing a consistent bedtime is crucial for maintaining a regular biological clock.
• A regular bio clock leads to better leadership, increased energy, and improved focus.
• Consistency in simple daily routines can significantly impact productivity and effectiveness.

"Get your bio clock regular, you show up as a leader better, you have more energy, you have more focus."

This quote emphasizes the importance of a consistent sleep schedule for overall performance and leadership qualities.

• The practice of giving first without expecting anything in return can lead to long-term benefits.
• Initially, this habit may stem from a desire to be liked and reduce anxiety in social situations.
• Over time, giving first can establish a network of individuals who may reciprocate in valuable ways.

"I spend a lot of time typically asking people what they're struggling with and what skills I have that match up with their deficits and then doing everything I can to over deliver to them and treat them as though they paid me to help them."

This quote describes the speaker's approach to networking by offering help without expecting immediate returns, which can later result in monetary value.

• Taking absolute ownership means never blaming others for one's situation.
• This mindset is associated with self-made individuals who acknowledge their role in their success or failure.
• Recognizing one's responsibility in life outcomes is a powerful habit for achieving personal goals.

"And the fourth is literally never giving anyone power over your situation by saying it's anyone's fault but your own."

The quote underlines the concept of absolute ownership, where personal accountability is key to controlling one's circumstances.

• The term "self-made" is often associated with financial success, but it applies to all aspects of life.
• Individuals who claim they are self-made are more likely to have habits and perspectives that lead to success.
• Recognizing oneself as self-made in all life situations, not just positive ones, is a powerful motivator.

"We are all self made. Only millionaires and billionaires own it."

This quote challenges the common perception of the "self-made" label, suggesting that everyone is responsible for their life outcomes, but not everyone acknowledges it.

• Managers, trainers, and partners are encouraged to adopt the first two habits discussed: consistency in basic routines and the habit of giving first.
• These habits are easy to implement and can lead to significant improvements in energy levels and productivity.

"If you have a manager or trainer or a partner or whatever, I would highly, highly recommend, especially the first two."

The speaker recommends the first two habits for those in leadership or training roles, highlighting their ease of adoption and potential benefits.

• Dr. Cashy, a nutrition expert, believes that most advice he gives is common sense, such as getting enough sleep and not eating poorly.
• Consistency in habits, even without specific dietary instructions, can lead to improved health.
• The speaker endorses Dr. Cashy's straightforward approach to better health and energy through simple, consistent actions.

"Dr. Cashy jokes that... He's like, I tell them to not eat like an asshole. And I tell them to act like an adult and go to bed on time."

This quote relays Dr. Cashy's humorous take on his role as a nutrition expert, emphasizing the importance of basic, sensible habits for overall well-being.

• The speaker hopes the discussed habits provide value and improve listeners' lives.
• A parting message encourages listeners to have a strong desire that outweighs their obstacles.
• The speaker believes that the habits mentioned are high ROI and encourages listeners to try them out.

"May your desire be greater than your obstacles."

This motivational quote from the speaker's Instagram post is meant to inspire listeners to overcome challenges in pursuit of their goals.