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As a Special Forces officer, every mission followed the same format. Now, I apply these same principles to succeed in life… 👇
– Intell– Planning– Execution– After Action Review Yet I watch high performers do the exact opposite in life:• Racing from deal to deal, charging toward burnout• Sprinting through relationships• No plan. No pause. No situational awareness. In Special Forces, this approach gets people killed.In business and life, it slowly kills everything that truly matters to…
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I’m 100% replaceable at work, but 100% irreplaceable at home.I came across a hard-hitting quote:
“20 years from now, the only people who will remember that you worked late are your kids.” Ouch. That stings because it’s true. My ego loves to whisper how crucial I am to my businesses. Reality tells a different story. Through 15 years of extended family travel, I’ve watched my companies not just survive, but…
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3 Years ago I made a hugely expensive mistake.
I invested a fortune without collateral in a niche I knew nothing about. My friends warned me. I didn’t listen. Because I live by the philosophy: “I just want to do cool stuff with cool people.” When a trusted, good friend offered me to co-invest in several businesses in his field of expertise, I jumped…
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“Psssst, you’re on watch” Those dreaded words.I wake up and think: “Can´t be…….no way.” 😃
My sleeping bag is nice and warm.Outside, the desert is freezing cold.Pitch-black. No moon tonight. No light pollution. Nothing but a gazillion stars and vague contours of our vehicles. I sleep with my clothes and boots on. Always Ready for Action. All my gear is cold.I put it on by touch and feel the cold…
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10 Years ago today, I woke up in a prison cell with a hangover.Not my proudest moment.
December 28, 2014 started perfectly:• Epic enduro riding with fast friends• Sunny lunch, quick change at home• ‘Sundowner’ with a friend that turned into heavy drinking and many, many laughs Then I made that one stupid decision to drive home. Blue lights. Police stop. Car impounded. And there I was – in a Spanish jail…
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There is one book I keep re-reading.It helped me become a Special Forces Operator.
It’s “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz, and it reveals how our brain works like a target-seeking missile. Maltz called it our “servo-mechanism” – an automatic goal-striving device in our brain that:• Works 24/7• Finds paths you never consciously considered• Operates below our conscious awareness However: It doesn’t know the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ targets. So…
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In combat, Special Forces move with ruthless efficiency:
– Water: Calculated to mission length– Medical: Compact lifesaving gear– Communications: Mission-critical only – And as much ammo as possible 😉 Everything else? Left behind. Because when contact hits, speed equals survival. Yet here you are, going into 2025, carrying:• Toxic relationships draining your energy• Meetings that add no value• Projects that don’t serve your…
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I skipped leg day at the gym. For 50 years.Now? I train my legs 4 times a week. I have to.
“Squats” might as well have been a dirty word.And lunges? Let’s just say I preferred lunches. In every fitness program I’ve ever followed, leg exercises mysteriously disappeared from my routine.Entire chapters of workout books remained unopened. Why?Simple: I didn’t like the movements, wasn’t good at them, and my knees complained. Besides, I never thought I…
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Christmas in the Iraqi Desert – 20 Years AgoWith the best crew in the world, I gave a small speech.
5,000 kilometers from home. From family. From comfort. The desert stretched endlessly around us. Sand found its way everywhere – every cavity. Carrying plastic bags to shxt in. Leave no trace. No showering for weeks. Nights were bitter cold as we kept watch. But we had a mission. I gathered my elite SF team around…