Jesse Itzler is the FIRST person I think of when I hear the word “success.”
The clip below highlights part of his journey. From cleaning meat trucks, working side jobs, running marathons…
“I emptied the tank. man. I poured my SOUL into everything I did. Not everything will work out. But when you empty the tank you have no regrets.”
While I love his story and the concept of emptying the tank…
It’s missing something.
See everyone wants to empty the tank into their engine. That gets them far and accomplished.
But in reality, most people have leaky tanks.
So they don’t empty their tanks. Instead, their tanks are EMPTIED from small leaks of indecision and overthinking.
This is exhausting — and the exact reason people STOP trying new things.
Instead, ask this simple question next time you’re stuck:
“Is this USING my fuel or LOSING my fuel?”
- Using = trying new projects and learning regardless of outcome. Impatience with actions, patience with results.
- Losing = NOT trying new things because of uncertainty or waiting for “the right opportunity”. Patience with actions and patience results. (spoiler: results don’t magically appear)
Chances are if you’re not using your fuel, you’re losing it.
Take racecar drivers for example. An F1 racecar gets just 7 miles to the gallon. So the best drivers don’t win simply by going fast. They win by USING their fuel efficiently.
Apply this to your own life through inversion. Not sure where you’re USING your fuel? Start by identifying where you’re LOSING fuel. Then figure out how to plug the leaks. (I feel exhausted/stuck when____. So instead I will___.)
We only get so many laps during this race called life. So may as well make them great.
Enjoy the ride.