How can I change my life completely in the next year or two?
Say Goodbye to Some of the People You Love - Progress is sometimes met with resistance. If you begin to grow the people you love might, unintentionally, try and impede your progress. Distance yourself from some of the people you are closest to so you can have time to grow without distractions.
Get Out of Town - I recommend moving in a lot of my answers, it can be the catalyst to a metamorphosis. You can pick new friends that will inspire you . You will also be able to cultivate new habits easier since you’re in a new city and will have completely different habit triggers. (For more information read the Power of Habit)
Throw Out the TV, Install Porn Blocker, Use Internet Controls - Get rid of your TV, set a porn blocker on your computer and give your friend the password, and set internet controls, like the app Self Control, every morning. No one has died wishing they watched more TV and Porn.
Start Building Your Cathedral - I imagine my standup career as a cathedral. Every time I perform I’m laying down another brick. My career decisions are the blueprint, my jokes are the interior design. Pick a skill you want to cultivate and put all your effort into building your own cathedral.
Welcome the Loneliness - Reinventing yourself is a lonely process. When I quit doing drugs I lost all my friends. When I quit drinking I felt out of place at my law school. When I put on 25 pounds of muscle in six months my only close friends were those I went to the gym with. Getting better is a lonely pursuit, that’s why the internet calls it “Monk Mode.”
Be a Social Connector - I have a friend Juvian Julian Hernandez who invites cool people he’s met over the week to Saturday brunch. He’s a law student, so he has lawyers, entrepreneurs, models, etc. show up to these brunch events. This has allowed him to connect with people who are worth millions of dollars in a casual setting that he manages. Running events like this is part of the reason he gets job offers all the time.
Sweat Every Day - Your physiology controls your emotion and your emotions control your thoughts. When you sweat you feel more alive, which puts you in a better mood, which give you more positive thoughts and better ideas, which will have you making better decisions. The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people just make better decisions more often.
Appreciate How Lucky You Are - My friend Joshua Otusanya always writes post about being thankful and he’s right. Stop complaining for a second and take a moment to appreciate the fact that you exist. That you have access to a computer, that you can read, that you can eat for fun, that you have access to clean water. Just take a moment to be thankful for the fact that you can breathe, remember that there will be a day where even breathing won’t be an option.
Don’t be a Hipster - When I was first trying to reinvent myself I tried studying French, took tango lessons, drove to different states to power lift, was working on a novel and a screenplay, and had dreams of moving to Norway. I was obsessed with novelty, it was just me trying to play out a narcissistic fantasy of making myself look cool to others. Focus on building your cathedral and if you do it right, you will live an interesting life that also fulfills you.
Commit and Don’t Look Back - There are a million reasons for me not to pursue a career in comedy, but that’s ok because there are millions of reasons not to do any career. Look at your goal, realize what sacrifices you will have to make, mitigate damages where you can, but once you commit, don’t waste time looking back - look forward and strategize.