The Hidden Secret About Creating No One Tells You

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How to Think in Decades:

I was recently listening to a podcast with Andrew Wilkinson, local Canadian founder of Tiny Capital (enterprise value of $1B+), when he shared a line that hit me.

It was Bill Ackman, a well respected investor, that told him over lunch a piece of advice that's always stuck with him. The line?

For business, avoid thinking in years and start thinking in decades.

I felt convicted right when I heard it. Short term gratification plays the leading role in almost every billboard and product ad we come across. But the truth is, most greatness is never seen in the first year or two of a new pursuit. More often, it's after we've passed our "10,000 hours" or first decade of process refinement.

I wanted to elaborate on this topic as this has been the approach I've tried to emulate in my relationships and project building. 

By having a life lens on thinking in decades, it cuts through the noise of our human tendency to be so short-term gratification focused.

For example, when thinking about this newsletter or posting ideas on LinkedIn, I try to think,

how will this impact my career 10 years from now vs 10 days?

Our habits and our hard work should be aligned with our lifetime ahead, not just for the next week we're approaching.

This week’s set up:

🆘 Problem: You’ve tried every trick in the book to scale your thought leadership and you’re tired of wasting time and money

💡 Solution: Stop looking for short term wins and plan for a decade of consistency

🗺 Next play: Find what habit or project you can start doing for one year straight and see what impact follows

This week I want to dive into the power of compounding results, and how it relates to a personal brand over a career.

While it seems counterproductive or out-of-reach, the habits and hard work you’re putting in now might not turn into anything fruitful for a while.

In fact, you might not see the results until 10 or 12 or 15 years from now.⏳

So why bother?

Because growth is a game of compound interest. Recognition doesn’t come until a groundswell of momentum has developed. 

Process over Press Features

This week I was pleasantly surprised to be featured in an article by LinkedIn’s Editor-In-Chief, highlighting how I’ve used the platform to build relationships: 

But what most people don't know, is that I’ve been writing on LinkedIn for years. I did random sets of selfie-style interviews as a business student. Only now (years later), do I get a nice shoutout from the platform's head editor of the journey I’ve been on.

I believe your focus shouldn’t be striving for press attention, although it’s a bonus when it comes. Instead, I think you should double down on striving for consistency, a love for your craft, community, and what you’re learning in the process. 

That’s ultimately the cornerstone of growth I think no one talks about. 

Or to put it another way: the unsexy truth about growth is that 90% of it is hard work and consistent action behind the scenes that no one will see. But no ad will tell you that. ❌

That’s the trick to content creation and thought leadership. Most of it is just consistency and hard work behind the scenes that no conference or speaker or course can light in you. 

Those short sparks are good to ignite, but to keep a fire burning you need:

• dedication for the craft,
• alignment with your problem, and
• an excitement about the solution you’re giving. 

It's not about the best course, conference, or mentor, it’s about investing for the long term and being willing to learn everything about that topic in and out until you know you’re the best in your industry. 

And this takes time. So think in decades, not weeks. And don’t be afraid of putting in the work.

Running the Race

To run a race well, you’ll get better and quicker by putting in the laps at the track, not chatting with a coach about hydration or buying a book on stretching. It’s about getting your reps in even when no one is inspiring you and focusing on the goal you have.🏅

Like running, content take the same pattern of dedication.

To get good at running, you have to run more. To get good at content, you have to post more.

What if a famous runner like Usain Bolt just hoped for the best and took on resources but never actually perfected with reps?

Obviously, he wouldn't be where he is today.

I want the same thinking for you… hard work behind the scenes is really 90% of the equation to growth and success.💡

📲 ACTION BYTES 

To stay accountable to yourself in your growth...

• Keep an eye on (or even create an expense budget) for the courses, newsletters, and conferences you’re going to. Check and see if there’s any result or action that’s different that comes out of it. If not, nix it.
• Audit your week. What kind of input is matching up with your output for trying something new or testing a new habit. Make sure you're directing your energy into the right things.

To Close:

John Maxwell said, “I believe that the secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda… You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.”

First check your input (what you’re learning or testing), then check your daily habits, then align your speedometer with the decades to come, not the minutes, weeks, or days. 

Keep yourself accountable: Don’t fall short to instant results, align yourself with a goal, a craft, a community you want to show up for every week, for the next decade.

Growth comes after iterations and trying, not just grabbing onto someone’s advice to keep your head above water. 

This is a long term pursuit.

💼 JOB BOARD | Featured Roles

The latest PBB addition is the job board! Check back each week for new roles in marketing, communications, or tech. 

• Massive Media, one of Canada’s Top Boutique Brand Agencies, is looking for a Brand Strategist. Contact Lindsay Smith for details.
• Launchtrip, the first app in the world that lets travellers search by city or event, is trying to find a Content Manager. Send Kirsten Toth a message if you’re interested.
• Digital Technology Supercluster needs a Marketing Manager. Get in touch with Luzia Wokan for more info.
• Cincopa is looking for an entry-level Digital Marketing Manager who wants to work and develop their skills in the SaaS industry. Contact Kiefer Hazaz to learn more.

Have a job you want to feature? Email hello@joelhansen.com for details.

💡RIFF OF THE DAY

For all of you that are busy (which is likely quite literally all of you…), here’s a tweet thread synopsis of Sahil Bloom’s article on learning habits, to help you, you know, learn.

Thanks for sticking with me until the end. If you have any ideas that sparked, drop me a note here! I try hard to make it an email you look forward to each week, so if you have any suggestions about content you’d like to see, let me know.

Stay outta’ trouble and catch you next week.

✌🏻 Joel

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