The Game with Alex Hormozi - My 4 Highest ROI Habits | Ep 116

Episode Date: March 26, 2019

"May your desire be greater than your obstacles." Today, Alex (@AlexHormozi) shares his four highest ROI habits, which include waking up early, consistent bedtimes, giving without expectation, and taking absolute ownership of all situations. He emphasizes the importance of these habits in achieving success as an entrepreneur and encourages listeners to implement them in their own lives.Welcome to The Game w/Alex Hormozi, hosted by entrepreneur, founder, investor, author, public speaker, and content creator Alex Hormozi. On this podcast you’ll hear how to get more customers, make more profit per customer, how to keep them longer, and the many failures and lessons Alex has learned on his path from $100M to $1B in net worth.Timestamps:(0:26) - #1: Wake up at 4 a.m. for benefits.(0:48) - #2: Consistent bedtimes, including weekends.(5:02) - #3: Give to others without expectation.(10:24) - #4: Take ownership and responsibility for situations.Follow Alex Hormozi’s Socials:LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Acquisition

Now, I wanted to make a quick video for you. I actually woke up with this on my mind, and I thought I would share it. And so I'm calling this my four highest ROI habits. And I know I probably should say three, because three is probably a better number. Before was what I was really thinking about. So these are the things that were learned behaviors that I think, if I look back on behaviors that have been able, that have propelled us forward faster. These are the four things that have done that.

So the first one, what's up, Krista? The first one is waking up at 4 a.m. And it kind of goes hand in hand with the second habits. I'll kind of put these together, which is consistent bedtimes. And that includes weekends. So basically consistent time going to bed and consistent time waking up. And I know that sounds minor, but a lot of times, and for a long period of my life, I would wake up early five days a week.

And then on weekends I would sleep in and I go to bed late because I was like, I'm living on the weekends and during the week I'm working. And I did that for a long period of time. The thing is your body doesn't work that way. And so I think there's the consistency in the most basic way is literally going to bed at the same time weekend and weekday and waking up at the same time week and week day. I know this sounds really minor, but like especially that 4 a.m. wake-up time, like us as entrepreneurs, like I think we're a little bit more reactive than most people are from an emotional

standpoint, like I think we're also a little bit more scattered by nature. I don't like to speak that over myself, but I think that that's like our intrinsic programming and that we can work away from that. And so that's why I talk so much about controlling your space, controlling your attention, is that like we're so much more prone to reactivity, which is also why we want to solve problems faster because we're more uncomfortable than anyone else is, which is why we naturally move towards problem solving, right? And so waking up at 4 a.m., a while, allows me to get all of my self work done in the morning and still have two, three, four, five sometimes dedicated hours to moving the big dominoes forward, the big projects that are

going to make massive impact in the business and are working on the business, not in it. Basically, once I hit, you know, 9 a.m., 9.30 a.m., I would love to tell you that, like, oh, I have four hours of CEO time in the middle of the day that everyone knows that I can't be reach. The problem is that like, you know, if you have a lawyer call come in because we have some, you know, thing or whatever, like, I'm going to take the call. If we have a personnel issue where someone's like going nuts, you know what I mean? Like, I'm going to take the call. And so, like, it's, it sure would sound nice to say like, yeah, I mean, we're so disciplined at Jim lunch that Alex never gets, you know, brought in anything. And to be fair, the team is awesome. And, like,

I really don't get brought into a lot of stuff. But the thing is, it's like my attention still gets pooled during the day once everyone else is kind of up. But from like four o'clock to nine o'clock is like my time. And that's where I really move like all of these big projects forward. And that's why like we're like how you get so much done so fast. It's like I just think most people don't get very much done during their days at all because they're working in their business on it. And so we just move. We just are able to do a lot of things on the business, which then accelerates the entire growth of the business. Because these are like, like the the bricks that you lay on the business are the ones that accelerate growth.

The things you do in the business is kind of like, one is investment, one is, what is spending cash. You know what I mean? Like an expense of time is how you're running your business and investment of time is what's going to move the entire business forward. And so it's like, are you putting investment time in? And so for me, 4 a.m. to like nine is like that time period. So like the two first success, like, I don't say success habits because that sounds lame,

but like basically the habits that have made me the most funny. waking up at 4 a.m. And that is enabled by going to bed consistently at the same time on weekdays and weekends. It's just like you can't wake up at nine, two days a week, and then wake up five hours earlier and expect to be like a productive individual. It's just not going to happen. So like I would implore you to just like, I mean, and we're like, what about like concerts and like things that are like going out with people? like there's a reason entrepreneurs live the way they do like really hell of entrepreneurs live a certain way and it is a sacrifice I mean if you see it that way it is a choice

and so like I choose that life and that's the life that I choose you don't have to choose that just understand like you're going to like that's your trade off like 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 like if they're going to go out with Alex and Layla, we're going to dinner at 545, right, so that we like get there, we're seated, we get certain, like we're eating by 615 and we can leave by 7, drive home by 730 and then we can wind down. Right, like, they know that going into it. And so like, it's just like if you don't want to play that, then like, that's cool.

And it means that like our relationship is invaluable enough for you to eat dinner earlier. And that's fine. You know what I mean? but most people are game to do that and they're like, you know, it's so nice being able to get back at 8 and not ruin your routine. I'm like, yeah, it's awesome. Like, that's why we do it.

So first two, waking up early and then consistent bed times on the weekends especially. The next one is this is a little bit different, but this is something that Layla has told me has been like one of the things that she observed early on in our relationship before she like knew me as her husband, but like just a guy that she thought. thought was doing things, is that I, and this man, it sounds kind of weird saying it, but like,

this was her observation that she thought I should bring up in this, was that like genuinely trying to give to other people in your network without expectation. And so, like, I was, I've always been voted like into like president and leadership positions and like every organization, like when I was in high school, I was president of the literary magazine when I went to college. I was president of the power of the team and president of the fraternity I was in. It's like, you don't mean to continue it is on. The thing is just like most people think about leadership is that like, I have to be the big boss man.

It doesn't work that way. For those who you've ever studied it, it's like the people who get voted into power, the people that, like, 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 punchball away to make sure that like when the party is getting going to make sure that like we don't get arrested and like things happen the way they're supposed to. And it comes from a place of serving, like serving.

And so it's literally just giving without expectation. And that comes to clients. And a lot of times like I would say some of the highest ROI givings that I've done have been to people in my network where they're like, hey man, do you know anything about this? and then I will go the extra mile to connect them with not one person, but like four people, do some initial screening myself and say, hey, man, like, this is what I saw, this is what it looks like. Here's two people that I think might be able to help you.

And then this is my experience with it. And they're like, holy shit, like, thank you. That's, like, awesome. And then what happens is, like, you actually form a much better relationship because they're like, wow, this person like really cared, right? And then also in the future, if I say, like, hey, man, do you know anything? about this, then they return the favor, right? And so, um, Layla jokes about she's like, you have so many favors that you like have uncalled upon, like so many IOUs. She's like,

I feel like whenever we need something like you, like you have three people you can call who immediately jump to help you. And the only reason that happens is because I jump to help them with nothing like expecting nothing back, but just because I know that like long term they may have something or know someone who, and it's not because of them. And that's why it's like sort of a nature, you know, whatever. But I can tell you, like, if you can help people, you will get more back. And your reputation will also follow from that. Real quick, guys, if you can think about how you found this podcast, somebody probably tweeted it, told you about it,

shared it on Instagram or something like that. 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. 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. So if it was a review, if it was a post, if you do that, it would mean the world to me and you'll throw some good karma out there for another entrepreneur. And so those are,

those are probably the three biggest ROI habits. The fourth one is what Layla said that I should, I should mention. She's like, you should say something about sales. And I, I, I, I joked back with her. I was like, I think that's more of a skill set and not, not a habit, not a behavior. 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. And so, like, if you can look at new skills that you are not good at, or do not, like, we always have this discomfort with acquiring new skills. Like, let's say, I don't know how to run Facebook ads. I don't know how to make a landing page. I don't know how to

manage a team, whatever it is, right? Like, you know, you're going to suck for a while. And I think if you can remove the emotional blockage that stops you from taking action, because most of us don't start that new thing because we're afraid of sucking, like just being real. Like, we're emotionally afraid of sucking at it. And so if you think to yourself, I'm going to get zero ROI from my first 20 hours. Ironically, the first 20 hours is where you get like 70% of your gains in any new skill.

and then like everything after like hour number 20 is like massive diminishing returns that happens after that. Right. And so like if you just jump into it with zero explanation for the first 20 hours, you'd be amazed at like, like how many people here if they actually tried, like those are you who are on here, we're like, man, I really need to learn how to market. If you Google how to run a Facebook ad and you spend 20 hours watching videos on how to do it, you will be better than 99% of people who try and market.

because no one does anything. Like, seriously. Like, no one does anything. And like most people suck at most things, including the things they think they're good at. Right? And those ones, they ultimately usually aren't that good at either. It's because their pride,

because they associate the fact that they're good at it. And then they stop learning because they think they are good because of their ego. And so that's actually what the fourth one was going to be. I was like, I know she said sales. So I think that the fourth, The fourth habit is absolute responsibility for all situations. 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 is, like you have to school yourself and literally beat the victim out of yourself. Like you have to drag it and beat the crap out of it until it has no strength in your life, saying like, I'm going to blame my circumstances. I'm going to blame my past. I'm going to blame my upbringing.

I'm going to blame my spouse. I'm going to blame my employees. Whatever it is, it does not move you forward if you point the finger anywhere but yourself. Because then it literally gives the power away to where you're pointing your finger. You're saying, I want the power to be away from me. Like, I want the power to be away from me. And I'm talking to my clients too. Like, if you ever blame Jim lunch and like, I'm talking to, I'm talking to my clients too.

I will take complete an extreme ownership over all of your situations because that is my job. But if you want to grow as an entrepreneur, you should take extreme ownership and put nothing on our business. I'm talking to you like person to person, right? Like I will always try and over deliver always. But the point is, if we're talking about like my four highest ROI habits, first one is waking up super early so that I can have time to dedicate to big dominoes. The second one is so that I can have consistency in my life.

And weekdays and weekends are the same to me. So waking up and going to bed at the same time so that I have consistent. in the most basic way. The third, I totally forgot what it was, but I think it was good. And then the fourth is absolute, oh yeah, giving first without any feelings of reciprocity. And then the fourth is absolute ownership. And I think that of all the habits that I've had to learn in my life, because each one of those was learned, like I was not an early riser.

I did for a very long time, like having different weekend schedules than weekday schedules from like a sleeping standpoint, et cetera. And to be fair, of all of these, I think the one that came most nationally to me was the third one just giving first. And I think that come honestly from a place of insecurity is like I wanted everyone to like me. And so like if I get into a new group, a new networking group, like I spend a lot of time typically asking people what they're struggling with and like, what? what skills I have that match up with their deficits and then doing everything I can to over deliver to them and like, like, treat them as though they paid me to help them.

And then they're like, dude, this guy's amazing. And then I feel like my anxiety goes down inside of an network group. So that might just be a me thing. But it has been something that has, I've been able to drive a lot of value from a monetary standpoint later on in my life by being able to call on people who I had done favors to paths. And then the fourth is literally never giving anyone power over your situation by saying it's anyone's fault by your own. And I will leave with, I've said this before, but one of my favorite quotes is that we are all self-made, only millionaires and billionaires own it.

And so, like, everyone's like, he's a self-made millionaire. It's a self-made millionaire. It's like, that person's a self-made homeless person. That person's a self-made average person. but they don't own that. And there's a reason for it. No one says it because the type of person who's going to say that they're self-made is going to have the habits and the outlooks that is going to achieve the things that they want.

And so I will leave you with that as my four highest ROI habits. If you have a manager or trainer or a partner or whatever, I would highly, highly recommend, especially the first two. They're the easiest things in the world to do. Like get your bio-class. lock like regular like you show up as a leader better you have more energy you have more focus people like you get so much stuff done it's like because I'm not fucking exhausted all the time but like excuse me like I'm just not tired you know what I mean and so I can like work

and get things done that are productive and effective uses of time because I'm just not exhausted and so like imagine if you like felt good all the time like you can do that it just comes from consistently going to bed at the same time Dr. Cashie I will say one more thing Dr. Cashie jokes So he's my PhD buddy who made all of prestige labs and is a nutrition genius PhD by 21 in biochemistry, blah, blah, blah. Anyways, he's like, people just, people just pay me to tell them to do things that they should already know how to do. 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. They're like, man, like, how do I have more energy?

I've got all, like, I'm taking all these stimulants and they're not working. He's like, why don't you try sleepy? And then people sleep and then they get like, they're like, oh my God, this changed my life. It's like, yeah, like, amazing. And so it's like, so I tell them to like eat consistently every day. The same thing. Just eat consistently. I don't even tell them what to eat.

And then all of a sudden they start getting healthy because they're just consistent with something. It doesn't matter what you're consistent with. Half the time being consistent is in and of itself something that most humans can do. So, anyhow, I hope this provided value to you this morning, and I hope that I said this on my Instagram posted in, I kind of like it. May your desire be greater than your obstacles. So lots of love, everyone. Hope you guys have an amazing day, and you crush your goals, try out some of those habits.

Try out some of those habits. I think that they are very high R-O-I habits, and I think that if you do them, your life for it. So have an amazing day. Get you soon.