How To Improve Your Life Circumstances

Dear Friend,

It’s been about a week since I landed here in the Philippines.

There is SO much life here.

Did you know that Manila is the MOST densely populated city on earth? There are roughly 110,000 per square mile.

My mind can't fully grasp how many people I'm surrounded by. 🤯

It’s a lot to take in for a kid from Oak City (population: 500)

Over the past week I've seen A LOT of things but one thing stands out:

The people here are incredibly friendly and hospitable.

Even though it is the city and life is intense here, it is still very easy to exchange a friendly smile or a "good morninnnng". But - I’ve already known that Filipinos are awesome people (that is why I came back here for a second time!)

While exploring the city over the past few days, I've seen quite a few people living in poverty.

It reminded me of a few POIGNANT periods of my life when I was feeling completely stuck. Trapped by bad luck and my own poor decisions.

So, for today's letter, I'll share a few things that I did to improve my life circumstances.

Obviously, everyone's situation is different, but I do think that the advice below can give anyone a starting point to begin with.

6 Ways To Improve Your Life Circumstances

1. Commit to Leveling Up

Once I had accepted that my life was NOT going the way that I wanted, I committed that I wasn't going to settle for my circumstances anymore. I started viewing them as temporary. I'd deal with them in the meantime.

And a note on commitments - once you make them, you don't give up on them. You may falter, but you can't quit.

2. Make a Plan

It is easy to get lost in planning, and succumb to "analysis paralysis", but you need a target, goals, and some initial steps that you can take. Planning can (and should) be simple.

Open up your journal and answer these basic questions:

• Where are you now?

• Where do you want to go?

• Why do you want to be there?

• What is the first step you can take?

• When will you begin?

• Who can you ask for help?

3. Change Your Environment

If there aren't good opportunities around you, then you need to either CREATE new opportunities (entrepreneurship), or PURSUE new opportunities (remote work, move somewhere new).

For me, I was living in the middle of the desert, and work options were limited. So I moved somewhere with more options.

You aren't a tree - you can always move.

4. Increase Your Value

This is critical and goes right along with the original purpose of this newsletter (the pursuit of personal growth). You can never go wrong by becoming the best version of yourself. You can always learn new skills. You can always improve.

Increasing your own value gives you options, leverage, and power. You will need as much of that as you can get.

I decided to go back and finish my degree online, taking 80 credits in 6 months, while working full time. It sucked, it was brutal.

But it got me the job, that helped me get the other job, that led me to starting my own business.

5. Clean Up Your Life

Most of the time, removing negative habits is more important than adding positive ones. You need to take a hard look at your habits and your addictions. Start asking yourself whether your behaviors are making you into the type of person you want to become.

6. Be Patient

This is probably the most difficult of all. When life isn't going well, you want it to change, like yesterday. But sadly, it will take time. Remember, it took time to get into your current situation and it will likely take more time to get out of it.

For me, it took about 2 years to go from being depressed and completely upside down financially to being happy and stable. At the time, it felt like forever, but I kept showing up and things improved.

If you are willing to be patient and persistent, then I have no doubt that your life can improve too.

Okay, that is it for today! Have an amazing weekend and keep growing!

Now that we’ve hit the 20th letter, I’ve got some big changes planned for this newsletter, so stay tuned.

All the best,

-Cliff