by TheThinkingGuy | Mar 25, 2025 | Uncategorized
Lately, every morning feels like I’m waking up directly into an epic RPG game. I don’t even need video games anymore because my life has become the most exciting adventure. Each day greets me with endless quests, opportunities to explore, and adventures waiting to be embarked upon. The best part? I’m fully equipped—no lack of discipline, resources, or skills. Even my emotional mastery is hitting superhero levels.
This epic RPG that my life has become has clear quests I’m eager to tackle:
- Building and enhancing my company.
- Creating stable and robust cash flow for my ventures.
- Cultivating an inspiring community, connecting deeply, and openly sharing my journey.
All the technology, tools, and resources are at my fingertips—I simply need to leverage them intelligently, experiment strategically, and continuously tweak the process to optimize outcomes. That’s where the real thrill lies: tweaking and fine-tuning the strategies, whether it’s communication skills, financial growth, effective networking, or delegating tasks.
Here’s the fascinating insight I discovered: playing a game should never be stressful. Games exist to excite, inspire, and entertain. Most people seek video games as an escape from reality, but I realized that life itself is the ultimate game. Stress isn’t required—just passion, courage, and commitment. Sometimes, challenges are necessary to keep things interesting, to make victories sweeter. But once an action is taken, the outcome is out of my hands, predetermined by countless unseen factors. What matters is launching each “arrow” with precision and purpose, knowing I did my absolute best.
This life-as-a-game mindset isn’t just liberating—it transforms everyday living into an adventure filled with purpose, growth, and joy.
So let the game begin, and may your quests today be as thrilling and fulfilling as mine!
by TheThinkingGuy | Mar 25, 2025 | Uncategorized
What’s Really Stopping You? (Hint: It’s Not Laziness!)
Have you ever felt stuck staring at your to-do list, knowing you could knock out most tasks quickly, but instead, you find yourself procrastinating day after day? If so, you’re definitely not alone. Today, I want to dive into a realization I recently had about what actually holds us back from taking action—and spoiler alert: it’s not laziness or procrastination. It’s fear.
Yesterday, I experimented with what I call a “Relaxed Focus Stage.” Throughout the day, I consciously avoided checking the time or getting sidetracked by notifications. Even when I did indulge in distractions, like watching a YouTube video, I committed fully to that one activity. Surprisingly, this simple shift dramatically boosted my productivity and significantly reduced my stress. My dinner with friends was notably more enjoyable because I wasn’t constantly glancing at my phone, and a business conversation with client was clearer and more impactful.
But despite yesterday’s success, I woke up this morning reflecting on why, even when tasks seem straightforward, I sometimes feel paralyzed by inaction. It turns out, my hesitation isn’t really about the difficulty of the task itself. Instead, it’s about the fear of making decisions—especially when those decisions involve uncertainty. Fear arises because uncertainty carries risk, and risk scares us because we fear making mistakes or facing unwanted outcomes.
Think about it: If we knew exactly how everything would unfold, would we still be hesitant to act? Probably not. Fear comes from our lack of understanding about how reality will actually play out. For example, during a recent trip to Shenzhen, I felt anxious about reaching out to client, worried I might annoy him. However, after a quick pep talk with my AI assistant, I realized that proactively reaching out demonstrates genuine care and interest. This interaction showed me how easily fear can distort reality when we lack experience.
Here’s the key takeaway: Fear diminishes as understanding of reality increases. Understanding reality, in turn, comes from knowledge and, crucially, experience. The more action we take, the clearer our grasp of reality becomes. This clarity comes from real-time feedback—when we act, reality responds, teaching us directly and effectively.
So, what should you do the next time you’re overwhelmed by tasks you’re tempted to procrastinate on?
1. Shift your mindset: Remind yourself that reality is already predetermined—you just need to take action to discover what’s behind the next door.
2. Minimize stress: Remember that stress and fear only drain your energy. Relax and conserve your energy for swift and effective reactions.
3. Quick planning: Spend just 5-15 minutes outlining a basic plan for your task. Don’t get stuck in overthinking.
4. Take action immediately: Step into reality, interact, and then adjust your approach based on feedback.
Think of it like riding a bicycle. You can’t learn purely through theory—you must get on, start pedaling, feel your balance, and adjust as you go. Trust that even if you wobble, you’ll instinctively know how to steady yourself or safely step off. That instinct is built from experience—yours and others’.
Let’s embrace action today, knowing that each step we take brings us closer to truly understanding and mastering the reality around us. Ready? Let’s smash those tasks!
by TheThinkingGuy | Mar 24, 2025 | Uncategorized
Relaxed Focus: The Magic of Having More Time
Happy Monday, folks! Today feels like one of those days where you wake up and life just seems effortlessly beautiful. Strangely enough, I’m not swamped by that typical Monday stress—instead, I find myself buzzing with excitement about life.
This feeling probably stems from a spontaneous trip I just took with friends to nearby city. Now, I’ll admit, I’m not one to take many random trips anymore. Even though I could go out more, most of my days are spent bouncing between meetings, office tasks, and interactions—things that, in theory, shouldn’t be that different from traveling. Yet, why does traveling feel distinctly more relaxing?
Here’s the interesting catch—I realized it might just boil down to perception. When traveling, I’m completely at ease. I’m walking more, which should theoretically energize me. Yet yesterday, despite getting more sleep than usual, I found myself exhausted. Perhaps my body saw this as a rare chance to fully relax and simply crashed. It made me wonder, what if every day could feel like this—a continuous state of relaxed, joyful engagement?
Imagine waking up each day treating life as an adventure, staying calmly focused without that nagging urgency of time. When I’m deeply relaxed yet fully focused, time ceases to matter—entering what’s commonly known as the “flow state.” This state feels amazing because tasks become engaging adventures rather than chores, dramatically boosting productivity in shorter bursts.
When productivity rises, there’s a rewarding sense of achievement, giving me “permission” to enjoy leisure guilt-free. Suddenly, there’s abundant time to savor life’s simple joys—chatting with friends, reading, or savoring a cup of coffee. These moments refresh and energize my mind, creating a positive feedback loop. By slowing down intentionally (rather than frantically rushing), I paradoxically accomplish more.
In our hyper-paced world, what I label as “normal speed” feels slow, even lazy. But think about a workout—maintaining controlled pacing builds strength and stamina far better than frantically rushing through sets. Similarly, adopting a controlled, steady pace in daily tasks helps me achieve more without the toxic stress of constantly feeling behind.
And speaking of wasting time—that infamous fear—I recently chatted about this with my friend James. We concluded that no time is truly wasted. Every moment serves a purpose, guiding us toward our priorities and needs. There’s no loss, just choice.
Yet, distractions still lurk. Whether it’s feeling anxious about missing critical information on YouTube or worrying that delayed replies might harm relationships, this fear of loss often drives compulsive checking of phones or social media. Truthfully, these fears rarely materialize.
Just typing this reflection relaxed me profoundly. Accepting life as it comes, without the anxiety of time constraints, brings incredible peace. It’s like becoming a calm warrior, confident and ready to catch whatever life throws at me—even arrows, barehanded!
Today’s takeaway? Let go of the pressure of time. Embrace relaxed focus. Create that virtuous cycle of joy and energy. Remember, you have all the time in the universe, and today is already wonderful.
by TheThinkingGuy | Mar 23, 2025 | Uncategorized
The Mindset of Traveling: Why It’s Simpler Than You Think
— And How Freedom, Money, and Perspective Shift Everything
For the longest time, I thought traveling was a big hustle.
Packing, planning, booking tickets, wondering what if someone needs me, or what if people don’t know where I am—it all felt like this giant task that needed too much energy. So I’d put it off. I’d stay put. I told myself I was being “responsible,” when really, I was just tangled in imaginary threads in my own mind.
But something clicked recently.
It hit me that I’ve already been “traveling” all the time—just not in the way I defined it. Even in my home city, Shanghai, I bounce around constantly: staying at friends’ places, crashing at my girl’s spot, or pulling late nights at the office and just sleeping there. I’m not always at “home”—yet no one ever calls asking where I am. People assume I’m just working, or chilling. Life goes on.
That’s when I realized: traveling is just a change in space, not time.
There are still 24 hours in a day whether you’re in Shanghai, Hangzhou, or Paris. What changes is where you spend them, not how you spend them.
Today I took a spontaneous day trip to a nearby city. Woke up early, hopped on a train, and didn’t tell anyone. Guess what? No one noticed. No one needed to. I wasn’t “gone.” I was just… living life in a different space.
And that’s the secret:
Once you shift your mindset, traveling becomes as casual as trying a new coffee shop down the street.
It stops being a “big event” and starts being a natural extension of your freedom.
Now, of course, I recognize there’s privilege in this. I run my own business, so I control my time. And these days, I’ve got a bit more money than I used to—which means I don’t stress about the cost of a train ticket or worry about whether a cab ride will mess up my budget. (Back in the day, even a subway ride felt like a splurge I had to overthink.)
So yes—money does buy freedom, but maybe not in the way you think.
It buys experiments.
It buys the permission to try.
And through trying, your mind expands.
That’s how I got here: from thinking travel is a hassle, to realizing it’s just a small shift in space. Same time, different vibe.
And I like that.
Try This:
Next time you feel stuck or hesitant to travel, don’t plan a grand escape. Just go somewhere else for a few hours. A park. A nearby town. A new café. Watch how your energy shifts—and maybe, your mindset too.
Because in the end, it’s not the miles you move.
It’s the mind.
by TheThinkingGuy | Mar 22, 2025 | Uncategorized
The 5-Minute Magic: Why Output Beats Input Every Time
Have you ever stared at the clock and thought, “Ugh, I only have five minutes—it’s not enough to do anything!”? I’ve definitely been there. But here’s the secret I discovered: Five minutes with extreme focus is actually a goldmine!
Let’s break it down. In just five minutes, if you’re really dialed in, you can:
- Organize your dreams into clear goals.
- Draft an entire blog post (hello, quick fingers!).
- Transform your rough ideas into polished gems using AI like GPT-4.5.
- Record a podcast episode.
- Strategize an important business response or even make a swift, impactful call.
- Refine prompts for your next groundbreaking idea.
Pretty powerful stuff for just 300 seconds, right?
But here’s the kicker: five minutes of output feels incredibly productive and substantial. On the flip side, five minutes spent consuming content (input)—like scrolling social media, watching TV, or even reading—seems to vanish in the blink of an eye, often without much impact. Ever wonder why?
The Paradox of Input vs. Output
We tend to think learning (input) is easier than creating something (output). However, I recently discovered that the opposite might actually be true. Learning can feel deceptively fast, but genuine comprehension requires careful digestion and reflection—making it inherently slow.
Output, on the other hand, is about pulling existing knowledge from your brain and clearly articulating it. If you can quickly and clearly explain something, congratulations—you truly understand it!
The Magic Ratio: 1 to 5
This brings me to the popular learning philosophy: for every hour of learning, produce five hours of output. At first, it sounds daunting, right? But output itself is learning—accelerated learning, in fact. Every time you share your thoughts, write an article, or create content, you’re consolidating knowledge and cementing understanding.
Here’s how you can easily turn your thoughts into valuable output:
- Chat with friends – casual yet effective.
- Write a blog – get clarity through writing, then let AI polish it.
- Create a podcast – just read your blog aloud!
- Film a quick video – content that can reach thousands.
- Visualize concepts – tools like Obsidian turn ideas into teachable moments.
- Animate your ideas – platforms like VideoScribe make your concepts YouTube-ready.
Keep Outputting, Keep Growing
The bottom line? Output isn’t just sharing—it’s accelerated learning. The moment you clearly articulate something to others, you know you’ve genuinely learned it. So go ahead, start your own 5-minute magic routine. You’ll contribute more to the world—and you’ll surprise yourself with how quickly you learn and grow.
by TheThinkingGuy | Mar 21, 2025 | Uncategorized
The Power of Extreme Confidence
Have you ever noticed how some people seem unstoppable, achieving extraordinary feats almost effortlessly, while others seem stuck, despite similar capabilities? The magic ingredient separating these two groups isn’t just skills, luck, or even resources—it’s confidence. Extreme confidence.
A Personal Revelation
Let me illustrate this with a real-life example. Recently, I attended a dinner with a group of esteemed professors from University. During the conversation, I confidently mentioned that I could generate 100 million this year. What surprised even myself was not the ambition behind the number but the unwavering certainty in my voice and heart. At that moment, I truly believed in my ability to achieve this milestone.
Breaking Mental Barriers
But here’s the kicker: this wasn’t always my mindset. In the past, I’d put invisible ceilings over my head—self-imposed limitations that dramatically slowed my progress. Tasks and goals that should have taken mere weeks ended up stretching into months, or even years. Why? Because deep inside, I doubted my own capability.
Unlocking Your True Potential
This isn’t just about self-confidence or positive thinking. It’s deeper than that. It’s about understanding that your limitations are mostly mental barriers you’ve placed on yourself, often subconsciously. When you genuinely believe you can achieve something, your actions naturally align to make it happen. You move faster, think clearer, and find solutions to obstacles rather than excuses to stop.
How to Cultivate Extreme Confidence
So, what’s the secret to unlocking this powerful mindset?
First, recognize and challenge your mental limitations. Ask yourself, “Am I holding myself back? Could I achieve this faster?” Often, you’ll realize that you’ve been overly cautious, playing small because you’re afraid of aiming too high.
Second, practice extreme belief. Visualize your goal clearly, and talk about it with confidence—not arrogance, but genuine, rooted belief. I call this “radiating extreme confidence.” When your inner self believes in your abilities without a shadow of doubt, you’ll notice an incredible acceleration in your results.
Real-life Application
Here’s a simple example. Suppose you’re capable of launching a new app or business idea within weeks, but you’ve convinced yourself it will take months or even years. You’ve set an artificial limitation on your potential. By removing these mental hurdles, something magical happens: you unleash your full potential, bringing results faster and better than ever imagined.
Embrace Your Unlimited Potential
Remember, the capability to achieve greatness often already resides within us. What sets high-achievers apart isn’t always superior skill but their refusal to be limited by self-doubt. So, tonight, ask yourself this: What limits have I been imposing on myself, and how different could life be if I fully embraced my inner potential?
Believe deeply, act confidently, and watch your potential unfold without limits.
