----

3 0 d a ys T O E SC AP E T HE SYST E M
(A Step by Step Guide to Making a Living from
your Passion and being Free to
Live Life as you Choose)

Introduction 2

The 30 Day ChaIIenge 4

Unit1: Making a Living from your Passion 6

Unit 2: How to be Successful at Making a

10
Living from your Passion

Part1: Mind-Set 10

Part2: PracticaI Tips 15

Unit3: Overcoming Adversity 19

Unit 4: Overcoming your Fears and Realising

23
your Potential

The Next Step 30

30 Days to Escape The System Page 1

 I NTROD UC T ION

Do you have any idea what you’re truly capable of?

Can you grasp the awesomeness of the life you could be

living right now?

YOU were born with the potential to be great and have the resources needed
to be happy, loved and wealthy.

What, then, causes you to lose sight of the bigger picture? What causes you to
lose belief in yourself, suppress your calling and make your decisions based on
a fear of what could go wrong, rather than the possibility of what you stand to
gain?

The System.

This invisible prison; comprising all the things you’re told by your parents,
teachers, bosses, friends, colleagues, the media, government and religious
leaders about how the world works, what can and can’t be done and what’s
acceptable and what’s not; sets boundaries in your mind regarding life and your
possibilities within it.

Most people stick to these boundaries. They accept life as it is presented to

them and do their best to ‘fit in’.

For some, though, it’s impossible. They know there’s got to be more to life but,
sadly, can’t define what it is or lack a belief they can achieve it. In short, they feel
trapped.

You may be one of these people. A feeling that your life could be so much greater
than it presently is may have lead you to this course. If this is the case, then I
want you to know that your dreams and ambitions are not unrealistic. There
is a way out of The System. There is a path where you don’t have to play small,
accept that life will never be the way you want and compromise your integrity,
passions and conscience.

Walking it requires courage, determination and, above all, a curious mind

unwilling to accept everything it’s told. You may have tried various other
personal development courses, books and seminars, but been disappointed to
find the results were not what you expected. The fault is not in the knowledge.
The problem is that these guru’s or lifestyle designers fail to address the
greatest obstacle to your success – The System.

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 All the valuable spiritual, personal development and scientific wisdom will
only have a minor impact on your life unless you challenge the false reality
you’ve been raised to believe in. When your thinking is no longer influenced by
conventional wisdom and is, instead, guided by the promptings of your heart
and soul, then you’ll be free to live a life that brings true happiness and success.

I’ll be your guide throughout this journey. I’ve been in your shoes, shared
your concerns and glanced beyond The System’s veil to discover life on the
other side. Many times, I’ve been told that what I want isn’t possible. Apparently,
a 22-year-old Politics graduate can’t course divert, become a tennis coach, then
a hypnotherapist and finally write and publish a personal development book.

I did, though, and through the lessons I’ve learned, I’m now perfectly positioned
to help you on your journey. I can also help with your fears and hang ups. My
professional experience says nothing of the personal battles I’ve fought
and won. Transforming my life from having no friends or girlfriend, crippling
self-doubts, insomnia, IBS, various psychosomatic conditions and extreme
loneliness, to one of health (both in body and mind), love and self-confidence
has given me an incredibly useful insight into the workings of the mind.
Yours can either set you free, or hold you captive. My job is to make sure it does
the former and the lessons in this course, and my wider work, will ensure you
maximise your most valuable tool.

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 T H E 3 0 - DAY C HALLE N G E

This course covers four key units that, once mastered, will give you the
blueprint for creating a new life.

Furthermore, the challenges listed at the end of each unit will give you a
concrete action that, once complete, will guarantee progress.

You should complete these challenges over a 30-day period. First, read the
course and digest the material. Then, when you feel ready, set a start and finish
date for the 30 days.

You’ll discover that the challenges build on each other and are not too
demanding. This was deliberate. It was a decision made to ensure you complete
them. However, they will require commitment.

For 30 days, you must make this course and its challenges your number one
priority. This is how you succeed at anything. Your day must be planned around
the challenges. It’s not a case of going to work, seeing friends and finding a little
time for the challenges in the evening. Instead, the primary thought each day
is, ‘how am I going to complete my challenges?’ If your job must be sacrificed in
some way then so be it. If your children must take a backseat (it’s only for 30
days) then it’s a sacrifice you must make. If you must cut down on going to the
gym, or some other hobby you enjoy, then do it. This may sound extreme, but
ordinary measures don’t create an extraordinary life.

If, after 30 days, you feel little has changed or that escaping The System is not
for you, then you can go back to your old life. No disaster will have occurred
and you can pick up where you left off. However, for those 30 days, while you’re
completing the challenges, give it everything you’ve got.

Only this level of commitment will ensure you complete every challenge and
experience the life, and perspective, changing impact this will bring. It’s no
exaggeration to say that these 30 days could be the turning point in your life.
You’ll realise that creating the life of your dreams is a process with recognisable
steps. Furthermore, you’ll see that YOU are the driving force and determining
factor regarding your success. If you complete the challenges, and stick to the
plan, you can’t help but achieve positive results.

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 Of course, you’ll feel uncomfortable at times. The challenges would have little
value if you didn’t. This is not a reason to give up. Instead, it’s a reason to rejoice.
You’re growing and your life is changing. My aim is to show you that, with both
knowledge and daily action, there’s nothing to stop you living the life of your
dreams.

Regarding the content of the course, it’s important to know that we’ll
befocusing on two key areas. The System has a stranglehold over both your
professional and personal life. The first four units of the course will explain how
to release yourself from its grip over your work life. The final unit will reveal
how to transcend your fears and realise your potential. Combined, you’ll have
the complete picture for a happy, rewarding and financially free life.

Let’s begin!

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 U N I T 1 : M A K I NG A LIVIN G F ROM YOUR PASSION

A 2013 Gallup Poll revealed that 70% of the American workforce were either
disengaged or hated their jobs. That’s a hell of a lot of people, spending a hell
of a lot of time, being somewhere they don’t want to be and doing things they
don’t want to do.

This is how The System constrains your life. You need money to survive and
most of the options for making it are not enjoyable. As a result, it’s likely you’ll
spend a large part of your adult life in a state of boredom, frustration or stress.
You’re not free to do the things you want or grow and express yourself in a way
that would realise your potential. Instead, you have a cloud hanging over you
because, come 9 am on a Monday morning, you’re obliged to surrender your
time for money.

Fortunately for you, though, this doesn’t have to be your reality. There are
options for escaping the constraints The System has over your professional life
and we’ll explore them now.

When planning your escape, it’s important to keep your main objective in
mind. You want to earn a living (or create a fortune) doing something that
stimulates your mind and makes you feel alive. This way, not only do you get
to make money, but more importantly, you get to express your creativity, have
fun and fulfil your life’s purpose.

How do you do this?

The first step is figuring out what you are passionate about.

Before you can do that, though, it’s important to understand what a passion is.

A passion is a feeling. It’s something that’s triggered when you’re involved in

an activity that excites and stimulates your mind. Of course, this activity must
continue to have this impact (for many months and years), otherwise it falls
into the category of a craze. However, if you find your mind stimulated by a job,
interest, cause or hobby then you’ve found a passion you can potentially make
a living from.

Bearing this in mind, it’s time to ask yourself some important questions.

• What excites you?

• What fascinates you?
• What gives you a sense of reward?

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 Use your feelings to identify the interests, hobbies, jobs or causes that fire off
the greatest positive emotional response.

The next step is to put these passions to the test. Try to gain as authentic a feel
as possible for what it would be like to work at your passion day in, day out (and
the likelihood of being able to make money doing it). This might mean working
as an intern, gleaning information from internet forums or talking to people
who have direct experience in the field you are curious about. It will also mean
researching ways to monetize a passion when there’s no obvious career path or
job (click here to discover how a man was able to make a living taking pictures
of waves!).

Before we go further, though, there’s something you must understand. It’s

rare that a person has no interests or clues about what they want to pursue.
Lack of ideas isn’t what stops people. Instead, it’s a lack of courage that usually
prevents a person from pursuing their passions.

The reason for this is The System’s conditioning. We’ve been influenced to
place considerations of finance above all else when making major life decisions.
The fear of not having enough money, losing it or, conversely, the importance
of having lots of money, has been drilled into us from an early age by parents,
teachers, friends, colleagues, bosses and the media. As a result, we think mainly
in financial terms when making important career, and even romantic, decisions.

You must ignore this conditioning and, instead, make your major life decisions
based on what inspires you the most. For example, if you’re choosing courses
for University and are having to decide between the interesting one that has
no obvious applicability, and the boring one that leads to a well-paid job, then
choose the course you’re interested in. You never know where an inspired
mind, full of knowledge and an enthusiasm for working hard will take you.

Take Star Wars director George Lucas for example. An intelligent man with
impressive High-school grades, he decided to major in film studies at University.
At the time, late 6os/early 7os, no one studying this course ended up working
in the film industry. Instead, as Lukas says in this fascinating speech about
following your inspiration, the course was a first-class ticket to working as a
guide in Disney Land.

This was the first occasion Lukas allowed his inspiration to act as a guide when
making a major life decision. The second occurred after graduation when he
eschewed moving to Hollywood and, instead, headed back to San Francisco
to make his movies. His friends thought he was crazy. All the jobs in the film
industry were based in Hollywood. However, Lukas didn’t allow considerations
of finance to rule his decision making and, instead, started his own production
company.

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 Another example of Lukas favouring inspiration over remuneration was when
he rejected his father’s offer to work with him in the family business. Lukas
senior ran an office supplies company and was keen for George to join. Fresh
out of College, this would have provided him with a decent income and a secure
future. A lot of graduates would have jumped at this, avoiding the post university
angst of figuring out what they’re going to do with their life. Not Lukas. The
lure of comfort and security couldn’t steer him away from his dreams and he
persisted with his passion for making movies.

Ultimately, it paid off and perhaps the greatest irony is that Lukas became the
richest Hollywood director of all time. His story acts as proof that basing your
major life decisions on what inspires you is neither foolhardy nor naïve. In fact,
there are a couple of reasons why it can be such a sound approach to making a
living, or even creating a fortune.

When inspired by your work, your mind is alive. Creative solutions come quickly
and you’re always looking for innovative ways to improve. This produces high
quality products or individuals with highly sought-after skills.

Furthermore, you are prepared to put everything you’ve got into your work.
The extra hours are completed with grace and lack of motivation is rarely an
issue. This enables you to work harder than people motivated solely by financial
gain and, combined with a stimulated mind, produces a winning formula that
delivers financial results.

George Lukas proved this, as have countless other people who have become
millionaires or billionaires through projects they find inspiring. In fact, unless
your wealth is inherited, making your life decisions based on financial gain
seems to be a barrier to becoming super-rich and an entry point to the middle
classes.

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 CH A L L ENG E 1 : G ET C LEAR ON YOUR PASSION S
Write down 5 ideas for a job, interest, hobby or cause that you are passionate
about and would like to make a living from. Score them out of 10 for enjoyment
or fulfilment (with 10 being the most enjoyable and fulfilling).

Enjoyment is the ‘in the moment’ fun and stimulation. Fulfilment is the lasting
reward you’ll receive from your work. Once you’ve scored them, pick one that
you’ll commit to pursuing for the next 30 days.

Passion Enjoyment Rating Fulfilment Rating Total

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

30 Days to Escape The System Page 9

 U N I T 2 : H O W T O B E SUCC E SSF UL AT MAKIN G A
L I V I NG F ROM YOUR PASSION
PA RT 1 : MIN D - SE T
Being successful at making a living from your passion requires important
outcomes to go your way. People must buy from you, or pay you, you might
have to win competitions and you must get a significant amount of ‘yes’s’ in and
amongst the inevitable rejections and failures you’ll experience.

How do you ensure this happens?

In answering that question, you must take a deeper look at the factors
determining your success.

The System teaches us that the main factor in determining success is luck. We’re
led to believe that random events, and the talent and skills we are born with,
determine whether we get to do what we want with our lives or are forced to
accept The System’s path. However, have you ever questioned this assumption
and realised that things are far less random than The System would have us
believe?

For example, you don’t make a thousand sales one month, only to be followed
by zero the next. You’re not riding high in your life with your business exploding,
your social life bubbling and your health glowing, only to find that the next week
you’re out on the streets with nothing. Life rarely unfolds like this. Instead,
although you’ll experience ups and downs, they tend to occur gradually, with
you either on an upwards trajectory or slowly declining.

A life determined by random events or luck would be far less predictable than
yours is. Can you accurately predict where you’ll be this time next week? What
about next month? How about six months from now?

It’s most likely that you can and this indicates that luck doesn’t play as big a
role as The System would have us believe. If it did, we’d have no clue what
was around the corner. Ironically, our lives might be a bit more exciting, yet
dangerous, but there would be no point in trying to work towards, or create,
anything. A chance event would occur and sabotage our plans.

So, if luck or random events doesn’t play the key role in determining the
outcomes in our lives, then what does? For many, still under the grip of their
respective religions, God might be the determining factor. Do you obey the

30 Days to Escape The System Page 10

 tenets of your religion? What life does your God want for you?

If you hold a belief in God, then you’ll believe the answers to these questions
will determine how your life plays out. But do you live in a world where God
takes sides or justice determines the outcomes of people’s lives? Plenty of
innocent people are locked up in jail and we all know of an illness or tragedy
that has befallen a good person. It seems there is a little evidence to support
the idea that justice or an arbitrating God plays much of a role.

So, what does?

You. Through tracking the results of a change in habits, increasing the amount
of time you spend working on a project and recording the outcomes of facing
up to your fears, you can measure the impact that your decisions and actions
have over the outcomes you experience. Over a medium to long term period,
you can prove to yourself that you play the decisive role in your life.

This is a fantastic and reassuring discovery. However, this realisation alone

won’t be enough to ensure success at making a living from your passion.

For that, you must know how to get the most out of your potential. What will
determine whether you are able to do this?

The belief you have in yourself, your skills, product or idea.

The placebo effect, testaments of countless sports stars and the mind body
connection, all provide evidence of the importance of belief. There is a
connection between your thoughts, feelings and the environment you inhabit.
What you believe about yourself, and your chances for success at making a
living from your passion, set the boundaries for your experience. Be completely
convinced by the idea that you can earn a living (or create a fortune) by selling
a product, service or skill and you will convince other people, access your vast
well of creativity and find answers to seemingly unanswerable problems. Doubt
yourself and your work, and you will lack the conviction to convince anyone of
your value and give up when faced with the inevitable adversity you’ll face.

With belief being such an important factor in determining your success, the
question of how to develop it must be addressed. Research indicates (see
Distortion 4 on the link) that the traditional self-help method of repeating
affirmations might not be the most effective. Instead, there is a new faster two-
part method for creating beliefs that stick.

Step 1. Build a bank of results.

Take a journal and record every single positive result you achieve on your

30 Days to Escape The System Page 11

 quest to earning a living from your passion. For me, this meant recording every
purchase of my book, every positive comment I received about my work and
every 5* review posted on Amazon. I’d note it all down and describe how it
made me feel.

The outcome of partaking in this practice (and looking back over my results)
was my mind had clear proof I was what I hoped I would be - a successful writer.
I achieved a level of acceptance in my subconscious, making me certain of my
writing and that there was an audience for my work.

You must do something similar. It must be specific to the field you’re operating
in and be a record of the meaningful results you achieve. Notice that I didn’t
record every Facebook ‘Iike’ I gained or each time someone retweeted one
of my blogposts. Even though these outcomes were a boost for me at the
beginning of my journey, they didn’t reflect a meaningful step forward in my
quest to make a living as a personal development author, coach and speaker.
You must be equally honest in your own record keeping.

If you are, you’ll gather a bank of evidence that proves you have what it takes
to be successful at your passion. Setbacks will undoubtedly occur but you can
always delve into your records and digest the facts. It’s hard to argue when the
evidence is written (or typed) down in front of you. You have made noteworthy
progress. You have achieved what you, at one time, thought was impossible.
You have the records to prove that people like your product enough to pay for
it. Reading these results works wonders for your self-esteem and belief. You
continue your work with renewed vigour and certainty in what you’re doing.

Step 2. Surround yourself with people who believe in you.

You must have a team of mentors, friends, colleagues or associates, who believe
in you and your work. Research indicates (see link above) that people find it very
difficult to convince themselves of their own value. You can tell yourself that
you’re amazing or successful until you’re blue in the face but, when it’s coming
from you, your subconscious finds it difficult to accept. However, if somebody
you respect informs you that you’re highly skilled in the passion you wish to
make a living from, it bypasses the critical faculty of your conscious mind and
becomes a belief.

This happened to me back in 2007. Being a fan of bestselling personal

development author, Tom Butler-Bowdon, I emailed him and asked for his
feedback on the book I was writing. Fortunately, he agreed, but as I made my
journey from London to Oxford, I was full of apprehension.

‘What if I’m crazy?’ I asked myself. Up to that point, nobody had read my work.
Occasionally, I’d considered the possibility that what I was writing was nonsense

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 and other people wouldn’t find it interesting.

These doubts vanished, though, when I met Tom and he described one of my
chapters as ‘excellent’. I can still remember the surge of elation that went
through my body when I heard these words. I can also remember leaving the
meeting certain I could write a best-selling personal development book. One
five second sentence, spoken by a mentor I respected, had done more for my
self-belief that the 5 previous years of repeating affirmations.

It’s more than likely that you’ll have to pay for a mentor’s time, but feedback
from a group of people who believe in your work can be found for free through
social media or friends. Both are worthwhile investments. The boost you’ll gain
from their belief will give you the confidence to take more risks and express
yourself without restraint. This is when the real magic happens. Reaching a
level of certainty accesses all your potential and ensures you give the best of
yourself.

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 C H A L L ENG E 2 : RE CORD ALL RE SULTS
For the next 30 days, record all the meaningful results you achieve related to
making a living from your passion. Because you are just starting, these results
might not include receiving your first client or securing a deal for your work
or product. It’s more likely they’ll relate to the knowledge you’re learning or
receiving your first comment on a blog post you’ve written. This is fine. At this
stage, this is a meaningful result.

List them in the space below and continue in your own journal if you need extra
room. After the 30 days is up, review your progress. The results are proof you
have the power to move your life in the direction you desire.

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 U N I T 2 : H O W T O B E SUCC E SSF UL AT MAKIN G A
L I V I NG F ROM YOUR PASSION
PA RT 2 : P RAC T IC AL T IP S

 If you don’t build your own dream, someone else will

hire you to help build theirs.
 - Tony Gaskins JR

You need to develop two of three things to make a living from your passion
(either 1 or 2, combined with 3).

1. A product of service
2. Askill
3. Contacts or audience

All of these require one, all-important, resource - T.I.M.E

How much exactly?

My calculation, based on the 10,000-hour rule, is that you will need to

dedicate a minimum of 20 hours a week to making a living from your passion.
Anything less, and it becomes difficult to build the momentum needed to make
a dent in your project.

What are the implications of dedicating this amount of time to your passion?

First off, you must consider whether it’s possible while working full-time. After
all, a 40- hour working week is rarely 40 hours. Typically, you’re expected to
stay later than your contracted finish time, whether you’re paid or not.

Then there’s your commute. Journeys of an hour each way are not uncommon.
When added up, that 40 hours a week can easily turn into 60. Now, factor in
the very likely possibility that you’ll return from work drained, either wanting
to switch off by watching TV, heading to the gym or socialising with friends, and
it becomes difficult to find any time during your week to work on your passion.

This leaves the weekend. However, if you have a family, girlfriend or boyfriend,
or even just friends, it can be difficult to ignore them to work virtually non-stop
on your passion. So, what’s the solution?

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 You must consider, very seriously, whether you can continue to work full-
time at your present job. However, this doesn’t have to mean quitting.

Could you work part-time? This might mean only 3 or 4 days a week, or asking
your boss to reduce your working hours to 30.

Do you ever get the opportunity to work from home? If so, perhaps you could
use this time more productively and spend some of it working on your passion.

If neither of these options work, then, at a minimum, you must only work your
contracted hours. Gone are the days of seeking to impress your boss or gain
promotion. Come 5.30, or whatever time you’re scheduled to finish, you’re out
the door. When faced with hostile looks from colleagues or the disapproval
of your boss, you must ask this perspective giving question, ‘What’s more
important, my dream or myjob?‘ and do the right thing!

If none of the above suggestions are going to work then you might need to
consider freelancing or consulting. Do you already possess skills you could hire
out for an hourly rate? Or, could you change working practices so that you work
on a project, rather than permanent, basis?

If the answer is ‘yes’, then you could have found a more enjoyable method of
freeing up 20 hours a week. With the greater rate per hour that freelancing and
consultancy work commands, you may only have to work 20 hours a week to
cover all your expenses. With this minimum achieved, you’ll have plenty of time
to commit to your passion.

Whichever option, of the four outlined above, you chose, it’s likely that
freeing up time to work on your passion will result in a short, to medium, term
loss of income. While you won’t become destitute, there are psychological
implications of living on less.

To start with, you will no longer be able to consume with impunity. Will you be
distressed by cutting back on your food budget, no longer eating out or buying
takeaways on a regular basis? How would you feel about downgrading your
car? Can you cope with only buying the clothes you need and cutting down on
the amount of beauty products you purchase? Would you be happy working
out at home to save money on an expensive gym membership?

These are the losses, or adjustments, that you may have to make. They may
seem inconsequential when presented in this manner, but for many, purchasing
power is important. How could it not be? We’re raised in a society which
conditions us to see the accumulation of goods as a route to happiness and a
yardstick by which we measure our value.

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 Will you be able to see through this and understand that you’re richer than
your peers and friends who, although boasting larger bank balances (for the
moment), lack the meaning and motivation you have now gained by working on
your passion?

When working on your passion, there is a strong temptation to look at the

high flyers in your industry and think, ‘What’s the one thing that they know or
do, that if I also knew or did, would guarantee me the success they experience?’

So-called experts make a fortune out of this question. They set up websites,
write books and sell courses, all promising the latest ‘industry secret’ that will
bring immediate results.

While I don’t denigrate all their knowledge, something needs to be mentioned.

There’s no single tactic or strategy you need to use, or path you need to follow,
to be successful. Instead, you must learn on the move. Experiment. Find out
what resonates with your audience.

This is the way to becoming a master in your field. Spending thousands of

dollars on different courses and expensive mentoring can lead to information
overload and the overlooking of one fundamental principle to success - energy
is more important than tactics.

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 CH A L L ENG E 3 : SET ASID E 1 0 HOURS A WE E K
T O W O R K ON YOUR PASSION
This time includes research, networking, attending events, using social media
(if it’s productive) and creating content or a product. To free up this time, you
must plan what you’re going to change or leave out of your weekly schedule.
Can you cut back on your TV watching or internet browsing? Will you have to
cut down on the number of hours you spend at your day job? Are there any ways
you can be more efficient with your time? Can you do an hour before work? Can
you work on your commute?

It’s important you record, and time, the amount of work you do on your passion
each week. Use your phone and, either, track through the stop watch till you
get to 10 hours, or set the timer on countdown from 10 hours. Then, tick off
below when your work for that week is complete.

Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:

You’ll notice that in the explanation I recommended a minimum of 20 hours a

week yet, here, I’m asking you to do 10. The reason is that you’ll need to make a
substantial change just to free up this amount of time. A lot will have to alter in
your schedule and life. However, if you can complete a few months at 10 hours
a week, then it’s a lot easier to aim at 20.

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 UNI T 3 : H O W T O OVE RCOME ADVE RSIT Y
The adversity that a new business owner, adventurer or potential world
changer faces typically presents itself in five forms.

1. Other people. This could be your parents, friends, colleagues, boss, agents,
the king makers in your industry, careers advisor etc. being negative about
your plans.
2. Lack of money. See Unit 2, Part 2.
3. Lack of contacts. Breaking into an industry is often about knowing
influential people. If you’re unknown, it can be hard to make these contacts.
4. Lack of skills. This refers to the difficult learning curve when mastering a
new skill or business.
5. The experience of failure. Possibly the greatest adversity of them all. How
will you react when presented with the apparent evidence that you, or your
product, is not good enough or won’t sell?

When experiencing any of these adversities, you’ll have to understand them as

an opportunity to grow. At first, adopting this new perspective may be difficult.
An authority figure expressing doubts about your chances for success can be
demoralising. Not being able to deliver a presentation, when it’s fundamental to
selling your product, can be frustrating. In the moment, these setbacks appear
to be obstacles that prevent your advance. However, in overcoming them all,
you will only be required to do two things.

1. Break free from your comfort zone. Your comfort zone is the place you
feel safe. Within it, you can operate on autopilot, using the skills you have
previously developed to perform the work required. Outside it, you struggle.
You can’t rely on your existing skills and experience to provide a solution
and, therefore, you are forced to adapt, learn and develop.

Two areas where breaking free from your comfort zone will be useful are
coping with negativity from other people and building new contacts. Both
have the potential to make you feel uncomfortable. It takes courage to tell
your parents or friends about your dream and intention to pursue it. Their
scorn might kill your inspiration and prevent you from taking the first step.
Likewise, pitching to a new client or attending a networking event might
seem daunting. You don’t want to appear too pushy or desperate. On top
of that, you don’t really know what to say. This triggers a feeling of anxiety
which warns you to stay away. Your subconscious is trying to protect you
from the potential loss of face and ridicule. However, in both situations, you
must force yourself out of your comfort zone because something magical
happens when you leave its bubble.

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 Outside the comfort zone, you enter the growth zone. Although you will
initially feel a rush of anxiety, a process is occurring where your body and
mind are searching for ways to adapt. To do this, you need to develop a
new skill or acquire new knowledge so you can handle the situation in a
relaxed and comfortable way. It may take many attempts to reach this level
but you will get there, so long as you keep putting yourself in that initially
uncomfortable position.

2. Pushing through your pain barrier. By pushing beyond your perceived limits,
your body and mind are exposed to a level of stress that makes them grow
stronger. You’re most likely to encounter your pain barrier when returning
home from work. At this point, feeling tired, you want to relax in front of the
TV. However, you know that to stay on track with your challenges, you must
complete an hour’s work on your passion.

Even then, your mind still tells you ‘no’. It wants to switch off. It’s tired.
However, you must override these messages and force yourself to work.

An amazing thing happens when you do this repeatedly. Contrary to the

messages your mind and body is sending, you don’t break. Instead, after the
lethargy subsides, you discover hidden resources you didn’t know existed.
Repeat this process again and again, and you realise that it’s making you
stronger, increasing your capacity to work more hours and function under
a greater workload.

Pushing through your pain barrier is particularly useful when facing the
adversity of developing new skills. No matter the endeavour, everybody
must go through the sometimes-painful process of perfecting their product
or craft. Improvement demands energy. You might have to rehearse again
and again, write a blog post over and over, or work on a part of your invention
thousands of times until it finally works. A resolute bravery when facing
your pain barrier will ensure you grow as quickly as possible.

Of course, your pain barrier might not present itself in the form mentioned
above. Your passion may involve something physical, such as running or
martial arts. Whatever the case, the principle is sound. Below, Arnold
Schwarzenegger discusses how it helped his muscles grow and, in the
process, realise his first of many dreams,

The body isn’t used to the 9th, 1oth, 11th, 12th rep with a
certain weight. So that makes the body grow, going through
the pain barrier, experiencing pain in your muscles, aching, and
then just going on and on and on. These last 2 or 3 repetitions
makes the muscles grow.

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 Managing a lack of money and coping with the experience of failure are forms
of psychological adversity. To overcome them, you must change the meaning
of what you’re experiencing. While a suggestion has already been made
regarding finances (in the previous unit), you can change the meaning of failure
into anything you want.

Typically, The System influences you to understand failure as an endpoint. You

haven’t got what it takes to succeed and, therefore, you should give up. What
more proof do you need? You gave yourself a chance and it didn’t work.

Fortunately for you, though, you don’t have to understand failure this way.
Instead, it could be understood as an experience fundamental to your growth.
Or, it could be a sign, alerting you to an area of your character or skill base
that once improved, will enable you to advance. You could even tell yourself
the greater the potential for failure, the greater the glory when you succeed.
Whatever way you choose to understand it, attach a meaning to your failure
that permits the continuation of your journey.

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 CH A L LENG E 4 : B R EAK F RE E AN D P USH T HROUG H
Over the next 30 days, note down two occasions when you’ve broken free from
your comfort zone and two occasions when you’ve pushed through your pain
barrier. This is a minimum. Feel free to do more, but if you only do two on each
then that’s enough. You need to get equated with the experience.

You need to test yourself, feel the discomfort and pain and get to the other side.
Record your experiences below.

Breaking free from your comfort zone (i.e. doing something that makes you
feel uncomfortable yet will result in progress towards you making a living from
your passion).

1:

2:

Pushing through your pain barrier (i.e. when your body or mind is telling you
to stop but you know continuing will be beneficial to making a living from your
passion).

1:

2:

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 UNI T 4 : OV ER COMIN G YOUR F EARS AN D
R EA L I SI NG YOUR P OT E N T IAL
Making a living from your passion is not enough! Without personal freedom,
your professional freedom will only bring you a moderate level of happiness
(and will, most likely, be difficult to sustain). True success is the feel-good energy
you live with on a day to day basis. To experience this, you need to remove the
stranglehold The System has over your mind and how you use it.

The System pollutes your mind in 5 key areas. You’ve been subject to its influence
since your formative years and, if unchecked, it can ensure your life unfolds in a
manner against your choosing. To prevent this, you must first identify and then
remove its influence. The proceeding 5 points will show you how.

1. Remove the fear of what might go wrong in the future.

We worry about getting old; we worry about illness or developing a life-

threatening disease. We worry about losing our jobs and not having enough
money to pay the bills. We worry about failing at work, in our hobbies and with
our dreams. We are constantly looking into the future and imagining events
going wrong.

Where does all this worry come from? Is it a natural human condition?

Absolutely not!

It exists because we exist in an environment of fear. Newspapers, and the wider

media, are always telling us about what’s going wrong in the world. Our parents
and teachers inform us of the consequences of not studying hard at school.
Employers and colleagues play on the fear of being out of work.

What happens when you are conditioned into accepting these outlooks?

You stop taking risks. You stop taking advantage of opportunities because all
you imagine, when contemplating action, is failure.

The solution to this problem is letting go. Using awareness and discipline, you
must monitor your thoughts and remind yourself to let go whenever a fearful
projection of what might happen in the future arises.

Do this and you’ll learn that 85% of your fears about what might happen never
occur. And even if you do make a mistake, the chances are that you’ll be able to
use it to your advantage or, at the very least, learn from it and improve.

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 2. Break free from The System’s Trance.

The System’s Trance is a state of consciousness where you’re constantly

distracted by the multiple information streams that exist in our society. When
under its spell, it’s possible to spend an entire day without any form of deeper
thought. You get ready for work while listening to the radio. While commuting,
you’re reading the newspaper. While at work, you’re focusing on the job at hand
but also browsing the internet and scoping out social media. The journey home
might involve plugging into your song catalogue. When you get back, it could be
an evening of TV or box sets.

What happens when you live this way?

You exist in a permanent state of distraction. You jump from one information
stream to the next, getting a brief buzz from being momentarily entertained,
yet never experiencing any peace and, more importantly, struggling to harness
the power of your mind.

You need to monitor your thoughts to realise your potential. Your ability to
get clear on what you want, and then focus obsessively on achieving it, is the
number 1 factor in determining whether you will be successful.

So, what can you do to break The System’s Trance?

First, you need to keep your engagement in the information streams listed
above to a minimum. Beyond that, you must take time to harness the power of
your mind. Meditation to clear your thoughts is great, but you’ll also have to set
aside time to focus on what you want to achieve.

3. Stop worrying about what other people think.

Most people spend their lives unable to be who they want to be, or take the
action they want to take, or say the thing they really feel because they’re
worried about what other people will think. Playing on this fear is one of The
System’s most effective strategies for keeping us trapped. From our teenage
years, we’re taught that ‘fitting in’ is the path to being popular and happy and, as
a result, a pathological fear of standing out develops. The safest policy appears
to be filtering our actions and words in such a way that we’ll never offend and
be acceptable to all.

30 Days to Escape The System Page 24

 If we don’t follow this approach, we’re told, risk being branded a troublemaker,
weird or an outsider. All kinds of problems occur when we get stuck with one
of these labels. Our options for socialising diminish, our circle of friends shrinks
and we end up spending more and more time on our own.

As unappealing as these outcomes may seem, though, there are consequences

to allowing a fear of what other people think dictate your decisions and
behaviour. A lack of spontaneity, an inability to express genuine concerns and
an unwillingness to be seen to fail, will all stop you from advancing your life.

The best way to overcome this worry is to break free from your comfort
zone. Do the thing you fear being ridiculed for. You’ll discover your fear was
disproportionate to the reaction you receive. After-all, most people are far
too preoccupied with their own lives, and themselves, to spare you a second
thought. Use this to your advantage!

4. Stop Chasing

As children, we’re told to get good grades so we can go to University. At

University, we’re told to get a degree so that we can land a so-called ‘good job’.
However, when we get the job (assuming we do), the chase isn’t over. We must
now seek promotion after promotion, so that we can earn enough money to
retire as early as possible. When we retire, though, we’re so burnt out from a
lifetime of chasing that we’re a shell of what we used to be.

The System teaches you to want things. Accumulating more is the route to
happiness. The problem with things, though, is that you’re always working
towards thm. As a result, it’s very hard not to spend a lot of your life focused on
the future.

This saps your energy. Chasing after something you don’t have involves struggle.
It also dulls your happiness and damages your ability to enjoy the present.
Worst of all, it places you in the wrong mind-set to be successful. After-all, how
can you achieve your goals when you approach them from a position of lack?

To stop chasing, you must practice living in the now! Enjoy each moment
as much as you possibly can. Let go of all your worries and stop seeing your
happiness and success as being dependent on you achieving something in
the future. Do this, and not only will you have more fun, you’ll also have more
energy for the goals you want to achieve.

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 5. Remove the fear of ‘being yourself’.

One of the greatest resources for authentic success is non-conformity.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

However, have you ever noticed how the people celebrated by society are the
ones who are not afraid of being themselves? They don’t play by the rules or
keep their heads down. Instead, they embrace who they are and allow their
personalities to shine.

Perhaps the best example of this is Muhammad Ali. At first, the 2oth centuries
greatest non-conformist was reviled by many sections of American society.
However, as time passed, and he insisted on staying true to himself and his
beliefs, this attitude softened and people respected and loved him for having
the courage to be himself.

The System will do everything in its power to make you afraid, and ashamed, of
being yourself. It plays on one of your greatest fears - being rejected - to cow
you into conformity. You’re taught that uniqueness is something to be mocked
and that expressing opinions, or following interests, that run counter to what’s
considered popular, is uncool.

The consequences of bowing to this pressure are spending your days living
someone else’s life. Whether it’s the life your parents want for you or the life
your friends say you should have, the success you achieve will feel hollow
because it’s not determined by you.

You escape this trap through courage. Over the course of the next week, I
challenge you to tell someone you know, something about you, that would
surprise them. Whether it’s a big dream you want to achieve or exhibiting a
behaviour you would normally keep to yourself (for example, singing while
in their presence), taking this action gets you out of your head and moving
towards the freedom to be yourself.

30 Days to Escape The System Page 26

 Remember, most of the concerns you have about doing this will never
materialise. As always, your greatest enemy is the fear The System puts in
your mind.

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 CHA L L ENG E 5: RE MOVIN G T HE SYST E M’S
I NF L U ENC E OVE R YOUR MIN D
Pick one of the five points listed below (the one with the greatest negative
impact) and commit 30 days to following through with the solution presented.

For removing a fear of what might go wrong in the future, spend 5 minutes at
the end of each day writing down all your fearful thoughts. Then, screw up the
list and either burn or throw away. The number of worries on your list will be
greatly reduced by the 30th day.

For breaking free from The System’s Trance, spend 5 minutes every day
contemplating success at making a living from your passion. Find somewhere
you can relax (and won’t be disturbed), and then channel your thoughts on a
specific image, or feeling. This might be receiving a certain amount of money
for your work, achieving a certain number of sales or uplifting or entertaining
people through your skill or product.

To stop worrying about what other people think, do one thing you fear being
ridiculed for each week. This might mean telling somebody you know that
you’re taking this course and changing your life, or it could be speaking up in
a meeting when you usually keep quiet. Note what you did in the space below.

To stop chasing, spend 5 minutes every day, for the next 30, focusing on feeling
ecstatic. You may do this by closing your eyes and focusing on feeling good.
Or, you may prefer to jump around and get your energy flowing. Do whatever
works for you, just make sure you feel more positive than when you started. To
calibrate this, score your mood out of 10 before you start, and then once again
when you’re finished (10 is ecstatic and 1 is severely depressed). Do this for
every five-minute session throughout the 30-day period and notice how much
you improve your ability to feel good.

To remove the fear of ‘being yourself’, see the action for stop worrying about
what other people think. The two are closely linked. It might also involve
approaching a man or woman you find attractive and initiating conversation.
Or, it could be something simple, yet scary, like dancing at a party when you
usually hang around at the side. The action doesn’t have to be linked to making
a living from your passion. Remember, this is about your personal as well as
professional freedom.

30 Days to Escape The System Page 28

 Stop worrying about what other people think/Removing the fear of ‘being
yourself’

Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:

Read on for the next step

30 Days to Escape The System Page 29

 T H E N EXT ST E P . . .
So, you’ve digested the course and completed the 30-day challenge?

What you do now will have important implications for your chances of breaking
free from The System and creating the life you want.

You can continue to work with the course, adding to the difficulty and frequency
of the challenges and filling in the missing pieces yourself. This, I’m certain, will
see you make great progress.

But how long will it take?

If you want to accelerate your growth then, at an absolute minimum, you should now
buy my book, Escape The System. With over forty 5* reviews on Amazon (Amazon UK
and .com combined), you’ll get the complete picture on how to break free from the nine
to five, find your passion and overcome your fears.

The book provides a far deeper explanation of the numerous factors holding you back
and what you need to do to realise your potential. It’s also packed with entertaining and
inspiring examples that bring the journey to life. You’ll learn more about The System’s
conditioning, the people who have broken free, how they did it and what you need to do
to replicate their success. Just click the link here to purchase through Amazon in either
paperback or kindle format.

If you’re not a big reader, then you might be interested in one to one coaching. I can
mentor you through the process of making a living from your passion and overcoming
your fears. Through a series of Skype sessions (or in person if you live in or around
London, UK) l’ll guide you through the various steps of the course and introduce you to
new challenges and strategies.

This is how to fast track your success. If you’re serious about escaping, then one to one
coaching will ensure you are held accountable to your plans, provide you with the support
needed for what can be a mentally, physically and emotionally demanding journey and
give you all the insider knowledge from someone who’s been successfully living this life
for 15 years.

I’ll even throw in a discount if you quote ‘Break free from the 9 to 5’ when contacting
me. I’m happy to offer you 50% off the first coaching session which usually costs $100,
or 20% off the complete 5 session package which usually costs $449. Email me at joe@
screwthesystemnow.com to find out more and book your session today. I look forward
to meeting and helping you through this exciting journey.

Best wishes,

Joe Barnes

30 Days to Escape The System Page 30

 PS - If you just want to contact me and let me know how the 30-
day challenge went, then I’m more than happy to hear from you.
Use the email address above and give me your thoughts on the
course and your experiences with the challenges.

30 Days to Escape The System Page 31