Welcome to the Growth Guide, a weekly newsletter where I share actionable ideas to help you Live Better, Achieve More and Be Financially Free.

Your Next Breakthrough

This newsletter is brought to you by Mark Manson’s newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough.

Mark Manson is the author of the wildly successful book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK and Everything is F*CKED.

Every Monday, In Your Next Breakthrough, Mark sends out an idea, a question, and an exercise to help you start the week.

Then, he asks readers to send back their breakthroughs, so we can all learn from them getting their shit together.

Join me on this fabulous journey of self-improvement with Mark.

Burn the Boats

We’ve all seen the posts.

They tell you to quit your job and be an entrepreneur.

The problem is, most of these posts are bullsh!t.

Seriously, for the average person, it’s a horrible idea. They have:

Rent
Mortgages
Living expenses
Family obligations

If they quit their job to focus on being an entrepreneur, they’re more likely than not going to set themselves up for failure.

But, where does this idea come from?

Why do people tell you to burn the boats on the beach?

Well, that involves a history lesson I’d love to share with you because I do love stories.

The Spanish Conquistador

In the early 16th century, Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, embarked on a journey to the New World to conquer the vast and wealthy Aztec Empire in what is now Mexico.

This was a time of great explorers and great conquests, and Cortés, with dreams of glory and riches, wanted to etch his name in the annals of history.

Cortés’ expedition was not the first to reach the shores of the New World, but he intended to be the most successful. With a fleet of 11 ships, 500 men, 13 horses, and a few cannons, he landed on the Yucatan Peninsula in 1519. The Aztec Empire was a formidable force, rich in culture, military might, and resources. Cortés knew that the task ahead was daunting and that success required not just military strategy but also psychological tactics.

Here’s where the legend takes a fascinating turn. Cortés, understanding the psychological barrier of retreat, made a decision that would forever be remembered. He ordered his men to burn their ships. As the flames consumed the fleet, a clear message was sent to every soldier: There was no turning back. They had to either conquer or perish.

This radical move was not just about preventing physical retreat. It was about instilling a mindset of resilience and unyielding commitment. The men, now stranded, knew that their survival depended on their success. They had to adapt, learn from the natives, form alliances, and, above all, believe in their mission.

Cortés’ strategy was risky yet effective. Without the safety net of their ships, his men were more motivated and united in their cause. This psychological edge, coupled with Cortés’ leadership and military tactics, eventually led to the fall of the Aztec Empire.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

This is where I love to talk to people about the Spiderman Approach.

The Spiderman Approach

The Spiderman Approach is what I advocate for most people who need a steady income to pay the rent, cover their mortgage and provide for their family and lifestyles.

In fact, the Spiderman Approach is what I’ve been doing for the last three years, let me explain.

Have you ever noticed Spiderman will often stay attached to one building until he’s attached to the next building?

In that way, he’s able to be safe and secure as he travels from building to building.

This is where side hustling comes into play.

You’re able to start a new venture while still being attached to your current 9 to 5.

You’re not giving up your income and going all-in on the new venture, you’re building it on the side until it can become full-time.

Let me walk you through an example.

Imagine you’re a young woman who’s an accountant, but you’re passionate about some of these areas, or all of them:

Mindfulness
Financial Independence
Hobby Farms and Homesteading
Motherhood and the Trad Wife Lifestyle

You could decide you’re going to quit your 9 to 5 and pursue those areas all-in, but how will you make money? What’s your path?

For most of us who pursue a lifestyle as a creator, we’ll generally see a timeline that takes three to four years before we’re able to make a sustainable profit.

Instead, this young woman could start to:

Write on Twitter
Share images on Instagram
Record videos for her YouTube Channel

Based on the uptake of her audience on each channel, she could decide on where to focus her time and efforts, remembering the important maxim of focusing on the intersection of:

What your audience wants
What you love to do

If people love your images on Instagram, but you hate the process, don’t do it.

As a colleague said to me today, to succeed in life, you need to be willing to do what others aren’t for long periods.

If you don’t love what you’re doing, you won’t.

This young woman may decide she will pursue these paths as a side hustle until she’s able to generate 50% of her income on a part-time basis, recognizing she ought to be able to earn more if she moves from part-time to full-time.

That, my friends, is the Spiderman Approach.

I’ve got to warn you though, it’s also got its downsides.

When you’re doing the Spiderman Approach, you’re working a lot.

Think about it.

You’ve got your 9 to 5 AND you’re trying to build your own side hustle business.

It isn’t easy. It’s exhausting and can only be done for so long. Trust me.

This is why, at some point, you’ll decide it’s time to move from the Spiderman Approach to Burning Your Boats and that’s what I’ll be sharing more about with you in the New Year, my friends.

TGG Podcast

This week on the Growth Guide Podcast, we talked to Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor Emerita of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. Gloria studies the impact of digital media on people’s work and personal lives, examining multitasking, attention and stress.

Gloria joined us today to talk about her book, Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity, which presents the science of how our attention spans have diminished in the digital age, along with solutions for regaining focus and well-being.

You spend an average of just 47 seconds on any screen before shifting your attention.

It takes 25 minutes to bring your attention back to a task after an interruption,

And, you are the person who interrupts yourself the most. In this episode, we talk about Attention Span: