3 Ways to Build Your in Your 20's

My self-improvement journey started in 2020.

Just like you, I was stuck at home because of the lockdown.

A 16-year-old skinny kid that shuffled between binge-watching anime, playing PS4, and scrolled on Instagram.

Every. Damn. Day.

One day, my dad told me to practice the guitar.

I didn’t really want to.

But I did it anyway because I was forced to.

So I grabbed my guitar and practiced the same songs for 1 hour every day.

One afternoon, I had this strange idea,

“Since I like anime songs, what if I learned to play them on the guitar?”

I searched for tutorials on YouTube, followed the steps, and tried my best but had a hard time.

After 1 week, I learned my first song - an anime ending of a romantic comedy.

It felt amazing.

Just hearing myself playing it made me feel satisfied.

I was proud of myself for the hard work I put in, and became obsessed with improving.

I continued to learn new songs, learned music theory, and make my own covers.

I even made a YouTube channel uploading my covers (good times).

But as the days went on, I realized something…

“If I can learn to play guitar following my curiosity and using the internet, what else could I learn?”

It became clear: I could learn what school failed to teach me.

For the next 6 months, I became obsessed:

• home workouts

• books

• meditation

• journaling

• blog writing

• productivity

• Japanese

I was the most fun I’ve ever had.

The best part? I was growing as a person.

It was around that time when I heard complaints about the lockdown.

“Oh I’m so bored.”

“I’m losing my mind.”

“I’m so unproductive”

I’d hear them and be confused.

How is there nothing to do? You have a lot of time at home to work on yourself.

The internet has given you access to learn anything!

Use it!

But of course… you can’t change people’s minds that easily.

If you’re reading this, it means you have a genuine desire to improve.

You don’t want to be like 99% of people.

You’re ready to take responsibility and be the best version of yourself.

If I were there with you, I’d give you a pat on the back my friend.

You’ve earned my respect.

Modern Society

Modern society tells you to waste your life.

You’ve been influenced to think the only way to enjoy life is through pleasure.

I’m talking about partying, drinking, drugs, porn, social media, casual sex.

It’s all a ploy.

You’re being controlled by multi-billion dollar companies to hook you for money. Why do you think 99% of the population feel lost in life?

It’s so that more people keep consuming.

That makes people

It’s a dark reality we must accept.

This is our generation’s war - and we’re losing.

You need to take back control. No one’s here to save you. Even your family and relatives are victims of the ‘matrix’.

It’s up to you to save them.

You need a way to level up your discipline - to be strong enough to fight this war.

The solution is self-improvement.

The most foundational part of self improvement is habits.

Fix Your Habits

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your system”
- James Clear

Your habits make or break you.

Build in Your 20’s

As a young man, there are 3 main things you should build: your body, your mind, your business

This might seem overwhelming but even if you intentionally build one thing, it will transfer to the other things.

When you improve your physique, you feel more alive and focused. When you improve your physique, you can coach others on the internet as a personal trainer.

When you improve your mindset, you can lift better at the gym, make better friends, and are more likely to eat clean, be productive and sleep well.

When you sleep well, you’ll have more energy to exercise, be more productive at work, and have a better mood.

They’re all interconnected in some way. The excuse that you can’t build your body, mind, and business together is invalid.

When I started my self-improvement journey, I read books.

Reading led to watching self-improvement videos.

Watching self-improvement videos led to good habits like journaling and meditating.

Journaling and meditating made me more productive, which gave me more time to read books.

This self-sustaining cycle is what self-improvement really is - a holistic pursuit.

You’ve probably thought that self-improvement is like another realm with a high barrier of entry. It’s not. You can start now.

Lower your standards first. Get consistent. Then gradually improve.

Build Your Body

"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”- Socrates

I finally met my girlfriend at the time in person.

I had fun… but I realized I was smaller than her.

This fueled my desire to work out.

So I bought some dumbells for $20 and started working out every day.

I became obsessed. I saw the results. She saw the results.

And I still workout to this day!

Your body was not designed to sit all day. Our ancestors walked miles every single day, fought against bears, and hunted deers.

According to evolutionary biology, our bodies are wired similarly to them.

We can’t keep up with the massive and sudden shift to a sedentary lifestyle.

“But Arlo I can’t live like a hunter-gatherer”

Then don’t.

Start small.

Exercise every single day. Eat a balanced diet. Avoid sugars and processed food.

Use a habit tracker. (I have one you could use here).

Tick the box when you do 1 push up.

But Arlo! 1 Pushup?

Yes. To stay consistent you must lower the standard at first.

If you’re unhappy, go work out. You will feel better.

Understand the concept of interception — being able to sense your internal body.

Realize that your body is a complex combination of tissue, hormones and neurons.

You’re not a machine.

You’re a human.

Build your mind

Since you’re human, you need to take care of your mind.

Unlike other animals, we have the gift of “consciousness”

i.e. we can think critically, make conscious decisions and look far into the future.

Animals can’t do that.

A cat is in the moment.

It doesn’t think about what career to pursue or how they can b

Or how their past has affected them mentally.

They just perceive the present.

This is why humans have been successful in the past century.

The mind is a tool which we can use to better society.

While this superpower should help us, it can also be harmful if we don’t take care of our mind well.

• overthinking

• anxiety

• entitlement

• arrogance

• self-hatred

These are typical problems that a person experiences - solely because of our minds.

So here’s the solution:

Identify your thoughts - both the positive and negative ones.

Zoom out and observe them.

Are you happy? Are you hurting yourself? Are you tired?

Learn to detach yourself from your thoughts.

They are not you.

You can use them.

And learn to be more self-aware.

Meditation helps this. Journaling helps this. Introspection helps this.

Take back control over your mind from mental conditioning

The Matrix has conditioned you to think in a specific way. Your opinions and excuses are influenced by society.

Some are good.

Some are bad.

But they’re not your original thoughts.

Be more conscious.

Be aware of your own thoughts, energy and mental environment.

Respond, don’t react.

Be fully grounded in the present moment.

Build your personal brand

Now that you’ve made progress in developing your body and mind, it’s time to do something meaningful.

Build your business.

Right now, there’s a major opportunity to build a personal brand.

People have gone tired of superficial corporations and product brands.

So instead of trying to overtake Amazon or Coca-Cola….

Build a personal brand.

It’s an online representation of your authentic self.

By sharing your story, teaching people how to solve problems and building relationships…

You’re building a personal brand.

“But Arlo! I’m not an expert”

You don’t have to be.

Share what you know now.

Continue learning and improving.

Be honest about your struggles.

Connect and empathize with your audience.

I’ve seen YouTubers rise and fail because they became gurus - not guides.

And I’ve also seen YouTubers rise to the top because they prioritized one thing - authenticity.

You’re a human. People around you are human.

We all crave each other.

Understand that you don’t need to be the most competent person in the world - you just need to be the most empathic one.

Successful creators are the ones who understand their audience 100% not the ones who sell 100% of their audience.

People need to relate to you.

They need to trust you.

Then they will buy from you.

So start going on Twitter or YouTube and share your journey.

Talk about:

1. Where you’re at now

2. Where you want to be

3. What you did in the past

4. And how you can give value

It’s that simple.

So to sum it up,

• build your body with fitness and nutrition

• build your mind with meditation and journaling

• build your business with the internet and self improvement

Until next time bro.

Have a great week!

-Arlo

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