As far as I can remember I've been obsessed with learning.

Humans are learning machines with a twist of emotions. This is a good thing.

Don't confuse emotions with weakness. They’re proven, powerful drivers of learning and you'd be a fool to discount their amplification ability.

Let’s talk about the problems with learning today, the benefits of learning practice, how learning saved my life, applications to AI, and its relation to God.

So why is today the best AND worst time in history to learn?

Information overload.

We got unlimited options to explore with the internet, but the mind wasn't built for the endless scroll. We’re hypnotized monkeys with alien tablets.

You may argue access is better than combing through a library. But it’s not unless we control dopamine urges magnetized by The Algorithm.

Only once you've cultivated true focus, is learning easier.

You NEED it to climb new levels.

Knowledge ISN'T power but applied knowledge is.

Learning the right skills can triple your income in under a year as it did for me. Hobbies like drawing, playing piano, and carpentry inspire flow in life where time feels non-existent.

But the skills themselves aren't even the best part.

The leveling process of your REAL character feels like playing your favorite role-playing game (RPG). But The Game of Life is set to MAX difficulty.

And it parallels your ability to learn and adapt.

For a guy partly raised by video games, it was key to pulling me away from degeneracy.

If it weren't for my ambition to learn, I might still be stuck at my mom's gaming till 4 am every day or worse, imprisoned like a relative with 7 kids from 4 different moms.

Fortunately, A's and B's came easy in school. But I was lazy. I did the minimum to pass classes and spent my free time fooling around.

But the irony? I didn't learn much about life at all.

“Book smarts vs. street smarts," they said. It’s true. 80% of schooling was useless information for passing tests.

Life ain’t a sheet of paper you can grade.

I learned this the hard way.

In 2019, life hit me with a wake-up call when my apartment was shot up. My wife, 1-year-old son, and I feared for our lives.

This woke me up—Get your shit together Brand.

So I did what I do best:

Learned.

I learned how to code after joining a data science boot camp (during the pandemic). What field?

Machine Learning.

How did I learn something that took real effort to understand?

Learning how to learn.

Fucking meta ain't it? My life was built upon learning.

A decade later, I'm writing about my interests. I have a family of four, a one-acre property, time flexibility, and a healthy income job as an AI/ML Engineer.

Now, I'm teaching my kids the things I should've learned back then:

• Discipline

• Self-management

• And compassion.

These are skills you learn. So clearly, learning is everything and it'll change your life if you do it right.

I won't cover learning techniques or the science behind them. Ask ChatGPT to explain it or check out my secret technique here.

Do you know what's crazy though?

Humans and AI have the same learning mechanisms.

Prove it?

Trust me, bro. I'm an AI/ML Engineer. Nah, let me explain, Feynman style.

Think of your brain as a sponge that soaks up information. When you see, hear, or do something new, your brain remembers it and connects it to things you already know.

The more you practice, the stronger your connections get, just like building muscle.

AI and machine learning work in a similar way. Instead of a brain, they have a network of tiny “thinking parts” called neurons, like your brain’s neurons.

They look at tons of examples, learn patterns, and use those patterns to make decisions—just like our experiences. The more they practice (data), the better they get.

This is how the famous ChatGPT and similar generative AI giants are built (simplified).

Most people think AI will take over humanity.

The big, bad AI companies are trying to play God. If we look back to the Bible, this is a big mistake (i.e. Babel, Herod, and Pharaoh in Exodus).

Learning and advancing technology aren't inherently evil, but we will never reach His level.

Let me explain.

God is the Ultimate game designer—the role of the Creator

There are three schools of belief for AI's role in spirituality.

1) AI will augment human potential, we'll be like gods eventually.

2) AI will control us and destroy everything.

3) AI and all technology/learning are Original Sin, we just need to pray and fast till we return to heaven.

Human's fall from Eden may be seen by hardcore Christians as learning = evil. The forbidden fruit was knowledge after all. But this is far from true. God created us and ALLOWED us to freely make choices.

Why?

To develop a personal relationship with Him. This is the start of The Game of Life. You're dropped into a rabbit hole as an empty slate, only given base stats (genetics) as a baseline to start.

Our individuality and the return to God in the end. All roads lead to Rome. All paths lead back to God. But how you meet God doesn’t mean you’ve won the game. There’s judgment day. And Salvation has a single path.

All learning leads to this. You understand Salvation or you don’t. And what really matters in life but learning the Truth and living it to our fullest?

I choose to follow the narrow path of Jesus. But we can get into that another time.

So I’m curious. I have a list of things I’m planning to explore. Which one interests you most? Here’s a list of things top of mind:

• God is Real — Why Atheism is wrong and contradictory

• The Deadly Problem with the New Age Spirituality and Self-Help (i.e. Law of Attraction, Divination, Hermetica, Enlightenment)

• The multi-passionate myth — How many interests can you effectively study at ONCE?

• Don’t Lose to Lust — Why Sexual Immorality will drag you to Hell.

• Will AI replace your job? (An AI Engineer’s Perspective)

And what are you learning right now? Reply and let me know.

Stay clear, calm, and creative,

Brand Marz.

A few days ago, I caught a case of the winter blues, so I asked God why.

Why do I get randomly depressed and don’t wanna do anything (yet, I want something to happen?)

I didn’t understand. Like Job of the Bible, I was blessed but felt forsaken by God with the plague that is my OWN mind. I self-imposed anxiety.

You’re sitting on so much potential but you’re ruminating in your own filth, like self-limiting thoughts about not being good enough (thanks social media!)

But you can skip the pity party. How?

You need a goal that you’re nearly obsessive about. Because it leaves no room for demon-possessing thoughts to invade your mind.

What do they say? “Idleness is the devil’s playground,” and your mind is the local park.

This goal of yours should be difficult, yet rewarding.

And no, your normal obligations don’t count because they don’t light up your spirit. For you, your job may or may not be the thing that gets you out of bed with a spring in your step.

For me it’s not unfortunately. I love my job but it doesn’t excite me anymore. But I always praise God every morning for my blessings because, without them, I’d be worse off. 

We’ll consider the goal, your “passion project” or super hobby, that revitalizes your zest for life. It’s not something that can be given to you or taught, no. It’s something that burns from within, like a fire in your belly that you cannot contain.

This is your quirky interest or combination that you enjoyed as a kid or late art form that you discovered during the pandemic when you had nothing else going for you.

It gives you this spark of joy.

Not for some grand result like financial freedom or overnight success, but a visceral feeling of joy. Like you were MEANT for it.

Could be writing a newsletter, creating YouTube videos, coaching people, cooking organic home meals, or guiding families to find their dream home. Doesn’t matter. But it’s gotta be super personal. And it doesn’t have to fit into a box that society has deemed as “proper”.

Fuck all that. So what is your quirky interest?

Mine is creating something meaningful. This newsletter, the YouTube videos I post. Not for what it looks like that the end but the process of learning and researching the truth.

That is my invigorating interest.

It’s selfish, but I’ve tried to turn it into some business venture that unfortunately has watered down its creative edge. 

But if your interest has turned into a job, there’s hope. How? You don’t need to monetize it, yet (or ever honestly).

Bring back that curiosity to simply explore and get lost in the process. Let it take 2 weeks or 2 months. Fuck a “consistent” schedule, this is YOUR craft. That’s the whole beauty of it. The fact that you can make it UNIQUELY your own.

You don’t need ANYONE’s permission to do it.

Just God’s blessing, but He’s already given it to you. Through the pure excitement, you get from within. From simply partaking in the art, the craft, the muse of building the thing, or facilitating the thing that you were MEANT for.

So when you’re feeling low, depressed, or repressed from the world, set some time aside to PLAY, like when you were a kid or that season when you lost track of time because of your immersion in the thing.

This is a reminder for myself to just write. Just film. Just create a visual from the muse of the Holy Spirit that’s untapped within us.

Because we are creators.

We are created in His image, so we can imagine a new art form in a way that only WE can do as individuals.

And collectively, we can share each experience and honor Him and each other with these gifts.

So don’t wait (or ruminate) or you might let the goons in. Shut them out with your light and creative spirit.

Stay clear, calm, and creative,

Brand Marz

What I’ve been up to:

Spiritual development

Reading the bible daily

• Chronological Bible - 365-day plan

• The New Testament - 90-day plan

Why?

To get to know the Word and Jesus. I never gave the Bible a chance because of the perceived effort but there’s no excuse now. I’m going straight to scripture to learn the Truth instead of relying on influencers.

I’m super-setting that with ACIM (A course in miracles)

Not scripture-related but I like contrast while keeping the source (Bible) in mind. It’s a bit more new-agey but without that self-absorbed fake spirituality feel. I’ll keep you posted on this.

Muscle and movement training

I love HIT training but it’s gotten a bit dull for the multi-passionate, ADHD mind.

So I’m doing a more hybrid program where I incorporate HIT for exercises that were improving well and using 2-3 sets for body parts that need more work and repetition for the neurological effects (i.e. upper back and scapula exercise to improve my posture).

As a desk junkie, I’d like to look better because I’ve always been on screens since childhood.

So I’ve made a point to get more movement into my day since I work from home.

Homeschooling my son

I don’t know how to label myself anymore but as a non-conventional family, we decided not to fuck with vaccines and the typical school system. 

So we’re doing things our way with home school and let me tell you, it’s hard.

It’s not easy getting a kid to sit down and learn. But we don’t always need to sit and listen. We’ve been doing things outside and getting interactive with his projects and extracurriculars.

My wife and I alternate days where we teach him different subjects for a minimum of 20 minutes. I don’t believe kids should be sitting at desks for 6-8 hours a day. I don’t know how I did it.

So again, we’re experimenting but will update on progress.

That’s it.

Thanks for your patience with my infrequent posts and hope you’re thriving personally.

January is almost over.

Reply and let me know what you’ve been up to this year.

See ya!

Contrary to popular opinion, you can miss a day and still be consistent.

I'd prefer you not to miss one but things happen out of our control. Things outside our trained level of awareness (i.e. habits we aren't fully tuned into).

What do I mean?

Let's say you're starting a fitness plan this year. You got a cool workout you found online, and a meal plan too. Great! You're like 80% of the way there but...now you just need to be CONSISTENT with it, right?.

“Well duh, that's the HARD PART, Brand,” reading your mind. Let me explain.

Problems with typical consistency models

It's easy to find a strategy (how to) on YouTube or social media.

Influencers hype you up about The SECRET that's going to change the way you look, feel, and act forever, but somehow you always seem to fall short.

You overcommit and end up quitting because you cannot maintain that level of effort, motivation, and action. It was simply too much to do on top of your normal obligations and distractions.

Yeah, I know.

Watching other people work out for 2 hours on social media is MUCH EASIER than doing it yourself.

You might even overtstimulate your brain from watching those videos and now you're too tired to even try. Well that wasn't very productive, was it?

Or you probably even made a bit of progress on your fitness journey. You lasted 75 days, using the notorious 75 Hard Program! Congratulations, you did it! You completed something for once. Now you’re done, right?

Wrong.

You guessed it. After the fad diet or popular program, you still need to maintain it, don't you? Otherwise, all that effort goes down the drain.

So if we know this, why do we still cycle through diets and workout plans that we need to repeat year after year STARTING OVER from scratch?

Because we're sold to believe a fantasy, a fairy tale, we need to be CONSISTENT tied to perfection. Then we’re guilted to adopt 10 more goals fast.

• "7 Side Hustles to Get Rich FAST (Don’t Get Left Behind)"

• "How to OUTWORK your competition in 3-6 months"

• "Why you need to try this 5-minute Workout — Build 5 lbs of muscle in 5 days!"

This mentality fucks you up. I've fallen for it too, thinking I need to be PERFECT from the start for any of my efforts to be worth it. Thinking I need fast results because I’ll be left behind (whatever that means).

Because the alternative would be that I suck. I'm not good enough. I'm not worthy.

It’s not truth but FEAR — False Evidence Appearing Real.

THIS IS MARKETING PSYCHOLOGY TRYING TO FUCK YOU OVER SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND MENTALLY.

In other words, complete bologna.

Yes, it makes me angry. Because exploitation destroys sensitive people's spirits.

My friend, it’s not your fault. You were conditioned from the beginning.

So I'm permitting you to flip off your guru. Tell Hormozi, Dan Koe, V-Shred, or whoever’s been giving you advice to fuck right off (in your mind of course).

Not because they're bad people. No. These guys are great in their mission. They're helping a lot of people who just need a little push. But people like us who are introverted, a bit sensitive mentally or emotionally, and impressionable.

We're built different.

Hustle harder advice is victimization venom.

• Posting 30 times a day or never missing a tweet isn't going to net you 100K followers.

• Working 14-hour days just to get clients for a coaching business you hate won't net you financial freedom by default (welcome to a new 9-5!)

• Counting macros, training 4-5 times a week with 90-minute workouts, and taking 13 different supplements isn't lifelong fitness.

It's deception marketing sold to us with open-mind centers (ala Human Design) like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The alternative medicine of consistent progress

So what's the solution?

A short example:

Throughout my fitness journey, I used to think I needed to train 5 times a week for an hour and never miss a day or I'd lose all my gains. “The program needs to be followed exactly how it’s described or else you’ll waste your time.”

How convenient! THEIR program MUST be what you NEED to be successful.

See what I mean?

The truth is you don't need to operate on a specific, fixed schedule or program to see results.

Most influencers will tell you to work out on the same days every week like Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

And social media gurus say you need a specific day to post content every week. Or you need to post at a specific time to get the most engagement. More bologna.

Because with all these little rules the gurus are shoving down your throat, you start cycling through the same patterns.

• Overthinking

• Perfectionism

• Burnout

• Doubt

• Insecurity

Your life begins to look like a predictable science experiment but you're the lab rat who has no idea why or what's going on.

But fear not my focus-driven friend, because you can break free. You have a conscious mind to pull you out of your animal body and into your fully aware spirit.

And with this realization, I was able to break away from convention and become consistent. How? I designed a better way for multi-dimensional people like us. It's called a rotation schedule.

Real results for fitness goals

My last fitness client wanted to train 4 days per week. On paper, it wasn't a bad goal but it wasn't realistic for her lifestyle as a mom, trainer, and content creator.

But for packed or unorganized schedules you need a system that works around your life. Not some cookie cutter system, from V-shred that he doesn't even do himself.

So what actually worked to allow her to lose the 10 lbs she's struggled to trim after a year of trying her own systems?

We tried a rotation schedule.

She only trained 2-3 days a week with sprinkled in jogs or walks between training days. Workouts only took 30-45 minutes and the walks were 10-20 minutes. The training days were every 2-4 days depending on her availability.

This takes commitment, accountability, and an effective program to work well.

We didn't need to NEVER MISS A DAY (MWF schedule). She was able to bake in fitness around her lifestyle and create a new habit that wasn't possible before with the common advice.

See the difference? Much more flexible, and sustainable.

You can do this for any goal. I use fitness because everyone gets it.

So I invite you to try a schedule like this.

I use it with HIT training. I train every 3 days so I can recover from my most intense workouts and only spend up to 40 minutes training. But you don't need that much time. 20-30 minute intense workouts 2 times per week is plenty to see results.

In between, I walk or do a movement practice for up to 20 minutes for joint mobility while taking a break from my technical and creative work.

The easy-mode content rotation system

My content gets treated the same. I have a long-form workflow that looks something like this:

• Find an energizing idea

• Outline a newsletter

• Write a first draft fast

• Edit and add extras

• Schedule

• Promote

• Film it

• Edit the video

• Publish it

• Repurpose the content

• Repeat

Each step isn’t done on a specific day but as I complete it. There’s far less pressure to put out a blog or video every week. You make it as good as you can in the time you have and post it when it’s ready.

Fuck that old consistency model, am I right? 😄 

If you'd like some help setting this up for your life, reply "consistency" and I'll get back to you.

Otherwise, see you next time!

Stay clear, calm, and creative,

Brand Marz

P.S.

The rotation schedule allows you to be consistent, even when you miss a day.

But I still use fixed schedules daily or weekly (i.e. my meditation and movement practice I do every morning and I do weekly reviews for my goals every Sunday).

My workouts and meals are flexible though because I don't wanna stress about my fitness progress.

If you want to get in your best shape without long and complicated routines, check out my coaching. I'll share my best systems with you after 12 years of trial and error. No pressure.

Check it out if it's interesting to you.

Happy New Year!

Let’s cut straight to the chase, shall we?

Today, I’m going to talk about how to make 2025 your best year yet and how to actually get results without losing your mind over the details of typical success models.

These are the cliff notes from a recent video so apologize if it sounds basic, but the basics done right just work. The deep dives will come later this year!

To be real with you, this is advice to myself and moreso my past self.

I hope that this serves as a solid reminder for you.

Let’s go!

Overview

Let me give you a quick overview of today’s letter. We’ll cover:

• Your expectations and how you’re going to change them to reach your goals, even when you feel like quitting.

• Your reason why, how to plan, and how to stay consistent—the right way, not the way other people tell you (i.e. “never miss a day”).

• How to create a goal stack so you don’t get bored with long-term goals because multi-passionate people don’t do ONE thing, right?

• Intention—the most important skill you can cultivate—resilience, avoiding distractions, and achieving a few specific goals with tips to stay on track.

Expectations

When you set a goal, social media bombards you with messages like “big goals!”, “hustle hard!”, and other hype that rarely pans out in the real world. Because it’s a highlight reel—you see others moving fast, making money quickly, and getting fit effortlessly.

But the truth is, none of this happens fast.

Our culture, driven by instant gratification and quick technology hits, conditioned us to expect results immediately. But real results aren’t linear. So you must adjust your timeline.

If you’re planning to hit a goal in six months, give yourself the entire year. If you’ve been struggling with goals for years, set realistic expectations.

Lower your goal targets just enough to build momentum so you can stick with them longer than two weeks like in days past.

Conviction

Maybe you want to lose 20 pounds and feel motivated after watching videos or talking to friends. But then a month later, something happens—a birthday party, a holiday—and suddenly you’re back to the 2024 version of you.

This happens because of one simple thing—the reason you started wasn’t compelling enough. So ask yourself why. And don’t stop on the surface. Dig DEEPER.

When I used to work at LA Fitness, I’d ask new members at least 3 layers of WHYs:

• “Why do you want to get in shape?”

• “Why do you want to lose 20 pounds?”

• “Why does being overweight bother you?”

Almost annoyingly right? But change is uncomfortable. Maybe it’s because you felt rejected, embarrassed, or insecure. You need to find that core reason—the one that keeps you up at night—and write it down.

And when distractions arise, use your “why” as your decision filter. Is the whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s worth feeling insecure in the bedroom again?

If you fail, then you have two options:

1) Simply try again (we’ll cover this later)

2) Go back to your WHY and dig deeper (it’s STILL not compelling enough).

If you’re struggling with finding the time to work out, I got you covered here.

Plan

If you’re an overthinker, planning becomes a trap. Because overplanning can keep you stuck in “preparation mode” without ever starting.

Simple Planning Framework

1. Use a Calendar: Whether it’s Google Calendar or a physical planner, block out time for your non-negotiable tasks—work, workouts, family time, etc.

2. Time-Block Goals: If your goal is writing, block out 30 minutes each morning. If it’s fitness, set aside an hour or so to give yourself extra buffer time even if you only need 30 minutes.

3. Review Weekly: At the end of each week, review your progress and adjust your calendar as needed.

If you’re stuck, try the Focus Fix to execute quickly on your plans.

Consistency is overrated

“Consistency is the key to success,” they say 🙄. But consistency isn’t about never missing a day—it’s about showing up over time.

Think Longer-Term

• If you miss one day, don’t let it derail your week.

• If you miss a week of workouts, try again and lower your expectations.

What matters is picking yourself back up and continuing. Look at your consistency over months or years, not just days.

Which leads to my next point.

Resilience

Resilience is the will to keep going despite hardship.

Even if it takes seven years, it’s better than never starting. Reflect on how far you’ve come.

Twitter tweet

Goal Stacking

If you’re multi-passionate or ADHD, focusing on one goal for six months ain’t happening. So use the goal stacking method:

1. Main Focus: Choose one primary goal (i.e. fitness).

2. Secondary Goals: Have 2-3 smaller goals on the side (e.g., content creation, learning piano).

3. Energy Distribution: Put 80% of your energy into the main goal, and split the remaining 20% across the secondary goals.

I created a full guide for how I manage multiple interests if this is something top of mind for you.

Intention

Intention directs your attention. You turn into what you tune into. Without intention, you’re warped from distractions. How to train your intention:

• Meditate daily (5-10 minutes).

• Journal your goals and plans.

• Stay mindful of your focus.

What you focus on grows.

a simple morning routine you can try

Distractions

Distractions are like demons—they tempt you with comfort and pleasure. One of these vices possesses you because even when you KNOW it’s bad, you keep doing it.

• Social Media: Limit scrolling.

• Junk Food: Replace it with healthy snacks.

• Environment: Take 3-4 months away from people like family or social scenes.

Take a hard look at your actions.

Are you binge-watching Netflix instead of learning a skill? Are you watching porn instead of talking to real women? Does your family’s judgment keep you in the same identity loops that don’t allow you to change?

Take radical action to break the habit loops—it’s the only way. The alternative is staying the same. Your choice.

The Focus Fix was the basis for destroying all these addictions for myself. It’s only $9 and people love the results after using it intentionally.

Build Power Skills

Skills pay the bills. I learned 80% of my fitness knowledge from YouTube and it worked well for me. Self-education is essential, especially with AI being so accessible.

• Learn online: YouTube, Bootcamps, or free courses.

• Experiments: Start small projects and iterate.

Learning never stops. Your biggest asset isn’t your bank account but your brain.

Fix Your Finances

Financial stress is most people’s biggest obstacle. The first step is paying down debt and increasing your income.

• Pay off debt: Prioritize clearing high-interest debt.

• Simplify expenses: Avoid spending to impress others.

• Minimalism: Focus on the essentials ONLY.

Financial freedom isn’t making $10k per month or becoming a millionaire. Lavish lifestyle’s aren’t necessary and I’d argue they lead to more suffering. More money, more problems.

But not owing money to greedy banks is a solid start. This is my biggest priority this year. So if you don’t have a New Year Resolution (cringe!) yet, start with this one.

TL;DR

2025 can be your best year yet, but it starts with adjusting expectations so you can stay consistent over the entire year. Because even if you fail, your reason why, will keep you resilient.

Don’t quit too soon. Reflect on your mission, and work on your goal stack if you need a break.

Be mindful of your biggest distractions, because they’re quick and easy. Happiness is hard but you’ve built the strength to endure these obstacles. If things get messy (as they will), build the power skills that future you will have and work on them fearlessly.

And finally, set yourself free from financial constraints by eliminating debt completely (my personal focus this year).

source: post from Alex Hormozi

Stay clear, calm, and creative my friends,

Brand Marz

P.S.

If you’re looking to build your best physique in 2025, I got you.

I’m no marketing bro, but I drew up a quick landing page on the results I’ve gotten for myself and my clients.

Check it out and apply here if you’re interested!

I’m in the waiting room of Walmart Auto while my tires are getting changed, it’s lunch hour and the TV beside me is buzzing, “Trump wins!”

My reaction?

“Oh cool, I totally forgot about the election.” 

I’m not kidding. 

This was the day after the results came in. Most people will find me weird for this but I don’t care. So many of the same people with crooked looks are riddled with anxiety that’s living rent-free in their minds. Why? For the sake of “being informed.”

It’s not worth losing your mind over. If the world is falling apart, someone will tell you about it. You’re good.

Politics are reality TV, nothing to do with positive change. Turn on the news and all you see is sensationalized stories–death, scandal, murder, crashes, FEAR! It’s staged to distract people from actually doing something about their lives. All of it is completely out of your control. 

The bad things that happen in the world cannot be changed by you and me. Oh, but that’s why we band together to destroy poverty and end war, right? What?!?!

War and poverty have existed for centuries. Do you believe going to a poll with a little card is going to change that? NO! Human nature will not change with a new president. The only way we will improve is by starting with ourselves. 

You must improve your default state of mind. That means eliminating all distractions that you come across. Including the biggest form of fear-mongering and propaganda – politics.

I don’t pay a lick of attention to the TV. All it does is draw anxiety and that shit is contagious. It drains the energy you could be using to get in shape, make more money with better skills, or stop to analyze your emotions when your significant other pisses you off.

Trump sounds like a powerful guy who wants to make a positive change. But he isn’t going to fix your marriage, eat better food to fix your brain fog, or lower taxes enough for you to achieve financial freedom.

But I’ll tell you the only person who can–YOU.

So why are you still listening to other people tell you how to feel and what to think? Why do you wait for approval from “authority figures” to permit you to work on yourself? It’s silly. 

Here’s something to consider.

• Turn off the TV (or trash it)

• Block your social media newsfeed

• And cut off people who continue to ramble on about their indoctrinated views.

Instead, go train at the gym, meditate, read a book about a subject that excites you, or find a community online to cultivate that hobby you’ve always wanted to try. It’ll pay back tenfold. Trust me.

Your mind is a sponge, so if you consume bad news, that means your reality will be bad news.

Stay clear, calm, and creative,

Brand Marz.

P.S.

99% of the time, your limited willpower should go to things you can control.

No shame to anyone who gets involved in politics but it’s more harmful than helpful to your subconscious mind.

Why not use that lost energy to go to the gym, do a little bit of meal prep, or take a walk in nature without screens? If you need some guidance, check out my coaching.

“Finally,” I thought, “I can train the way I used to, this dad bod sucks.”

4 years ago, during the pandemic, I landed a dream job as a machine learning engineer. A year of hustle paid off. My income doubled and my family life became stable after a deep depression.

But after it was over, I was 20 lbs overweight. Never have I felt so heavy (and ashamed).

2021 — 205 lbs of dadbod fluff, my heaviest

I wanted to go back to my college body prime.

2017 — Over 35 lbs of muscle built in under 3 years (at 185 lbs).

“How the hell can I train for over an hour 4-5 times per week like before?” It felt impossible with a second kid on the way and a new job.

So after a bit of digging, I found the method I was looking for.

Enter HIT or High Intensity Training. No, not HIIT that’s high-intensity INTERVAL training. I don’t use that one. Why? Because this method is superior.

What is HIT?

High-intensity training is a mindful movement method where you perform single set for each muscle group to momentary muscular failure.

This doesn’t mean throwing weights around or using bad form. Instead, you lift the weight in a controlled manner, spending 40 to 90 seconds on the entire lift until you reach failure. You choose a weight that allows you to do that and repeat for each muscle group.

That’s it.

Repeat every 4-5 days or twice a week and you don’t have to spend another second in the gym.

My results

I built my physique through traditional or high-volume training during college when I had plenty of time and few responsibilities. But now, as a father, my priorities have shifted.

I don’t know about you, but I value spending time with my family, and I use a home gym to save time. So I tried HIT because it promised sustainability.

Lo and behold, I lost those 20 lbs in 4 months. Not bad, but here’s the amazing part.

2022 — at 180 lbs. Oh yes, we’re back in business!

I’ve kept the weight off ever since. I’m now at a solid 174 lbs at 5’11”. But I won’t lie, I don’t have as much muscle but I like this happy medium. Since then I’ve adapted HIT within my routine to form a hybrid approach that’s worked for me and my clients. You can see it here for yourself.

So yes, it works. But how? Let me explain shortly and efficiently (HIT style), so you judge for yourself whether it’s worth it.

How HIT works

HIT efficiently builds muscle, strength, and cardiovascular capacity (and burns fat). If you do it correctly, it recruits muscle fibers in sequential order—from slow-twitch to fast-twitch. By the time you reach failure, you’re stimulating the high-threshold motor units (the same ones used in heavy lifting). This is important for building lean muscle.

And trust me, even if you don’t want to look like a bodybuilder, you want more muscle. Why? Muscles increase your metabolism, so you can eat more without getting fat.

Plus, your body has genetic limits and shape. Unfortunately, you can’t fully control your body’s appearance but you WILL look 10x better with a more muscular frame and a low body fat percentage.

Evidence for HIT’s effectiveness

If you’re curious I recommend these two books on why HIT is effective for full-stack functional fitness.

• The New High-Intensity Training by Ell Darden

• Body by Science by Doug McGuff

The New High-Intensity Training and Body by Science

Compared to “normal” training

After 12 years of training and research, I can tell you with 100% confidence. The way most people train uses the fluff of the fitness industry.

It typically involves three sets of 10 reps or similar protocols with multiple sets. The advantage is that it ensures you’re stimulating the muscle.

However, the downside is that it’s not time-efficient. Most people spend over an hour in the gym, four to five days a week. For someone who doesn’t want to live in the gym, this won’t work.

You’ll stop going to the gym because there’s too much time commitment. Friction is the enemy of focus. You’ll lose willpower because of wasted effort trying to get fit with little to no results.

On top, the influencers promoting this philosophy are most likely on steroids or selling ineffective supplements.

So if you hate wasting time but still want to look like a Greek statue, I have a program for you. I invite you to try it out for yourself. You can download the program here for free as a subscriber.

What’s the catch? To be transparent, I want to help a few people get in shape.

In the past, I’ve had much success both personally and with my clients using both methods. So depending on your goal, you can build maximal muscle, lose fat, or simply feel like the boss of your life.

Your choice.

Stay clear, calm, and creative,

Brand Marz.

P.S.

You can get great results in less time using my hybrid minimalist approach.

Traditional exercise leads to overuse injuries, energy drains, and wasted time that could be spent on your family, hobbies, or business.

Try this free program I developed after decades of study.

And let me know what questions you have.

Disclaimer: This letter is a bit different and a lot longer than usual. It’s less about you and more about me. It’s very personal. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find useful insights. Take a read if it looks interesting. Otherwise, we’ll chat another time.

Background

Like many of us in the West, I was raised Catholic but never really understood God. I went through the motions in Sunday school, communion, and other silly rituals I did to not get yelled at.

However, I’ve always been spiritually inclined. I questioned things not many dared to ask in public. My parents had no answers to, “Why do I exist?” and, "I don’t know why but I feel like I can never die.” Weird, I know.

I took an interest in physics and philosophy in high school. Then later in college I went through my first spiritual journey as I explored Christianity, New Age, and meditation for the first time.

It never amounted to anything more than a few weird experiences during meditation and a few Christian retreats where I saw some girl speaking in tongues. I couldn’t explain it but it looked like an exorcism I saw in movies and was too distracted at the time to look into it further.

Around the same time, the Christian girl I was dating left me and I ended up in another rabbit hole, trading a spiritual for a fitness journey in 2013.

Let’s roll back the clock to October 2024. As I read my journal entries then, I see a lot of themes:

• I’m decluttering again

• I’m overstimulated, here‘s my new plan

• What’s my niche again?

• Here’s the order I’m going to take these courses on creating

• I should slow down.

• I should change my newsletter.

• I should do X on YouTube

• Reflection about everything wrong with me

• Reflections on mistakes and what I’ll do next time (but the cycle repeats)

Now that I read them, I’m thinking damn. I’m an ungrateful bastard. There’s a lot more gratitude now but I needed this reflection sooner. I show you this personal side because it’s the entire reason I started this letter, public accountability for building focused habits and teaching you while I learn in real time.

But for some reason, I haven’t been confident enough to execute and stick to my word.

Not until this recent event.

The strange power within — November 3rd 

At the time, I’d been going to virtual Church with my wife every Sunday. If you haven’t read my reentrance to exploring Christianity. It’s a short read here. So I’m still skeptical because things don’t add up in my logical mind but I know something is missing.

But as I read the Bible, refer to my past experiences with spirituality, and allow life to unfold before me,  I start paying close attention to the signs, and I start to connect the dots. The dots that are leading me to a strange place that I’m still trying to understand as I write this.

Now when I say strange, I don’t mean that side look you give to someone who just let a wet fart slip, no. I mean the type of eerie strange that you get when something interesting happens and you don’t know whether to dig deeper or run for the hills. For example, you find that shirt you’ve been looking for but you swore you checked that spot about a thousand times.

What’s even more strange was what happened after my morning meditation session. After a 10-minute sit comes a 10-minute journal. But what came out was nothing less than the strange I’ve been going on about.

I wrote what writers call, a stream of thought, or free-writing, but Christians might call it channeling from the Holy Spirit. Here’s exactly what I typed out:

Then after I wrote a more “grounded snippet” analysis of what the eff just happened:

Bruh. 

The biggest, strangest signal here is the welling of my emotions (and the foreshadowing, other side of the spectrum). Look. I’m not an emotional guy by default. Ask my wife, she called me a robot once upon a time. But here I am, reflecting on something I wrote like if I just asked ChatGPT to give me some answers and make it mystical.

The text poured in just like the UI. Only this time, it was from my own hand.

But wait, there’s more.

Wrath of God, fear ye fear ye — November 4th

The next day there was a random thunderstorm that had my family and I shook. Literally. Our whole property shook. It felt like our last day on Earth. I don’t really know how else to describe how intimidating it was. Lightning was whipping the Earth around us like a horse at the Kentucky Derby what felt like 500 feet outside our window.

Like some real Old Testament shit.

But what the heck could I do? My wife lay with the kids on their bed while I disconnected the outlets. Then we just lay there trembling on the inside as our kids slept soundly. We barely spoke any words to each other. In those few moments, there was only one emotion I could feel: Complete fear. My thoughts were cloudy and all I could do was hold my family. I thought to myself, “If you’re going to take us out, make it painless but if possible please just spare my family. They don’t deserve this.”

After that, my mind went blank and all I could do was continue praying.

Thankfully, the storm calmed down about 10 minutes later. I was grateful, but I shut my mind off and went to bed.

Death just means rebirth — November 5th

The next day was the election. If you’ve been reading my posts, you know I don’t give a damn about politics. So I can honestly say, I didn’t even remember it was happening. The results were an afterthought. But I mention it because the timing is wild coincidence (or so my logical mind would say). Anyway, my wife and I discussed what happened last night. She was grateful and explained how she felt God revealing himself as that storm. I, on the other hand, couldn’t comprehend, but I was curious. 

So that morning I turned to the Bible. I read Matthew. Now let me give you some context to what’s about to happen next.

I don’t know why I read Matthew but I did. My wife and I had spent a lot of time in the Old Testament but I figure I’d peek into the New Testament now. I skipped around looking for headings that looked interesting. And if you know Matthew, you might guess where a lost soul might wander while reading.

Matthew 27:45-50 NIV

The death of Jesus shook me to my core. Remember, I’m not an emotional guy at all. But I wept like a child. “What’s going on with me?” I asked with curious confusion. Was this it? Is this for real? Is this Him?

I started looking to ChatGPT (of all entities) for confirmation,

Okay, I kinda see why she called me a robot.

Still confused, I decided to continue my day. I didn’t tell my wife because I was unsure of what happened and why. A lot of it is kind of a blur now but I remember listening to this track from the response to see that perspective from a right-brained angle if you will: Saint Matthew Passion by Bach.

I wept again.

Eternal life is a MINDSET and it’s only the start — November 6th

The next day wife and I were discussing the Bible in my office. I was a bit hesitant to mention my reading of Matthew but somehow it came out. I described what I read and she seemed to glean at me with a light and open heart. I explained to her a realization I made at that moment.

Many issues of my past, my lack of follow-through, and my lack of true self-understanding were clear now. I had continually shut out my emotional side in the past–the creative right brain that makes us truly human. Then I told her about my reflections of Matthew and how Jesus’s example as a man was nothing other than remarkable.

Our reflections led to my past experiences relating to my dad who I’ve never seen cry or show emotions. My perception of a man was shaped by him. Men shouldn’t cry, right? A macho man or as we’d joke in my family, muy chingon. We’re supposed to be bold and non-emotional. You can read a foreshadowed letter I wrote here about this very event.

As our discussion deepened, my demeanor changed and I couldn’t hold back the waterworks. We both knew in that moment. I accepted Christ, my shadow, and felt the full spectrum of emotions that came from a deep, formerly locked place within my soul.

A new life emerged for me.

The Big Why — point of no return

He’s given me the power to overcome my demons where I fell short. I’ve always tried to do it alone. I was foolishly self-obsessed with my own shortcomings. I asked the other day, why are smart people more miserable than dumb people? The narcissist in me believed I was smart and the fool in me believed I was miserable. But now? I am neither. I serve God because I am powerless without His grace and Spirit.

• You might find your motivation in money, but I find mine in Him.

• You might find your energy in caffeine but I find mine in Him.

• You might find your love in a bar, but I learned to love through Him.

Alright, I got a bit passionate but let me come back down to Earth. I say this not to prosthetise you because trust me, I used to hate getting shoved scripture down my throat as a skeptic and I don’t think He’d want me to force-feed others when it’s not aligned. So I can only speak from my unique perspective.

The biggest problem I had was that I wasn’t listening. I wasn’t listening for his word. Why? Because I was overstimulated with stuff. The stuff of the world. Lust, money, validation, connection, more stuff, you name it. Because none of this stuff will ever fulfill you wholly. None of this stuff will be taken with you when you die (and we all gotta go sometime). I had gravitated toward easier things (lower self, or the flesh) for difficult things that resonated with my soul (higher self, or the spirit) such as:

• Minimalism

• Long-insightful letters

• Well-crafted YouTube videos

• Getting good at developing software

• Being a good man— father, husband, and mentor

F*ck man, I avoided these things for quick hit stimulation like engagement on my posts. But now? I have no excuse to let it drag me down. The devil, or sin, or whatever you want to call it will always be the easy route but it’ll never last.

God’s grace, your best self, you choosing the hard but true route— eternal. This is what He means by granting eternal life. Your ability to deny the world and accept your alignment with Him is the ultimate prize.

Far more fulfilling than any amount of cash a business can provide.

What’s next?

Now let me wrap this up by saying, these 2400 words do not do justice to my experience. There were hundreds of nuances that solidified the experiences told here. But I will reveal a lot of those concepts in upcoming letters. Consider it like the Bible or passages from your favorite books where some you read and reread and gain some new insights that correlate to timeless wisdom when you deconstruct it to its essence.

Also, I’m not saying that by accepting my emotional side, I turned into a softie who sobs over romance movies. I still think they’re cheesy as f*ck. My wife would give me a (playful) death stare at that comment. But I am saying that I’m not afraid to be compassionate like Christ was but still discern with focus like the Father energy.

I wanted to write more about how there are a lot of false or should I say half-truths that I’ve discovered in the Bible since. I’d like to break those apart with grace in the upcoming letters. Of course, I’ll tie it back to focus because that’s the name of the game.

On that note, it feels like my focus has 10x’d. How? Because I’m fully aware of my flaws and I’m actively working on them. I committed to doing a lot less and uninstalled a ton of distracting apps. If I haven’t gotten back to you on Telegram or WhatsApp, this is why. 

I’m taking my own advice and doing the inner work I’ve been neglecting.

So let me ask you now. What deeper, shadow work are you avoiding? And how could facing it with grace unlock a new level of focus toward your mental, physical, or spiritual goals?

That’s what we’ll be exploring in future letters.

But for now, let’s cut it here.

Stay clear, calm, and creative,

Brand Marz.

Every season, the leaves fall, the rain pours, the wind whips, or the sun blazes. So for Focus Friday, the time has come for a new tide.

Recently, I’ve been through some profound changes. To put it as concisely as possible, it boils down to two things:

1. I became a follower of Christ – this was unexpected at first but it feels more complete than any ideology I’ve experienced thus far. Including Catholicism, modern science, institutionalized Christianity, Stoicism, New Age, Buddhism, Minimalism, and Slow Productivity, among others.

2. I’ve taken my own advice from these letters and radically simplified my life.

Let me attempt to clarify the second part without rambling about my spiritual journey and how it has everything to do with building focus in this era of overstimulation, climax culture, and hedonism. 

I’ll cover the spiritual aspect in another letter but you’ll see parts baked in.

Context

When I started my personal brand online I thought way too much about how “correct” looked like and in the process watered down my message. You may like that watered-down version if you really enjoyed my letters so far. 

But the truth is, I didn’t enjoy 95% of the letters I was writing. They’re too engineered for me. They lack authentic expression. They have too much of this passive marketing smell that I’ve grown to despise. 

So there will be some changes. But first, let me explain what caused my longing for letting go of

• my social media

• holiday celebrations

• starting a business

• family gatherings

• old mindsets

• outdated philosophies

Radical simplification

As a creator with multiple interests and susceptibility to opinions of authority (habits to unlearn), I’ve worked on not getting magnetized by hype posts on social media. A good example is Tim Denning and his curiosity spiking hooks and storytelling just to get me into his marketing funnel. 

It’s so lifeless. 

But I’ve been falling for the same tricks for two years. Starting with Dan Koe. I had become a carbon copy of him, like many who swear by his teachings. He became our God. Because everyone worships something. It could be your job title, your income level, your two-story house in the suburbs, your political ideology, etc.

Whether you like it or not, you’ve chosen (perhaps unconsciously) to serve a MINDSET at a higher vibration than yours. This simply means the intent of the individual or ideology you give most of your attention to is pulling you to serve it.

This could mean your business. What would you do if your business was shut down right now? How would you feel? Maybe lost, hopeless, S.O.L. because you have a family to feed, a mortgage to pay, and debt you’re not proud of.

I’m not trying to provoke you. I’m inviting you to look at your life from a different angle today. 

But this is what I realized when I became a creator. I subconsciously gave my power of focus away to the creators who HAVE more than I do. But from what lens? Money, followers, email subscribers? Who decided that was more important than my family, my peace of mind, or the simple life I wanted to live deep down? Not me. 

I didn’t consciously decide I wanted to start a business. I did it because it was like a carrot waving in front of a starving rabbit at the time. I was influenced by the power of higher suggestion to buy Dan Koe’s products, post on Twitter, and create a bunch of things I didn’t know I needed to be a success.

Break free from mind control

Whether you like it or not, many choices like this are being made for you.

So this act of deconstructing my life and destimulating my brain is my intention to fight back against the NPC mindset within me.

It feels like my spirit wasn’t in my control. It was like an unseen puppeteer was pulling a lot of the strings of my mind through this hypnotic suggestion.

Social media is a big one. We open our phones by default when bored and the hypnotism starts. How? Because you’re mindlessly choosing to be given information you didn’t ask for. How often is a tap on X or IG an intentional choice to find a specific source of information? A YouTube search? 

It’s spiritual suicide. 

Because slowly and unknowingly, you’re given your biggest weapon, your focus, away to someone else. Someone with a stronger will than you.

And I don’t know about you but I care deeply for my spirit. I don’t ever want to sell out for a few hundred or thousand bucks on the internet. It’s just not my style.

Your most powerful spiritual weapon

So what am I doing instead?

I’m following my intuition and letting God give me the insights I need. But don’t get me wrong, there is effort and time to put in but I’m doing it on my own terms.

How? By training my mind, body, and spirit to increase my most powerful spiritual weapon: 

my focus of attention.

At a lower level, I’m reading older books and listening to creators who’re simply compelled to share what they’re excited about with some small incentives like their Patreon or Ko-fi subscription. I can live with that. Small incentives help everyone win in my opinion.

I never wanted content to become a new 9-5. As enticing as a multi-six figure one-person business is, it’s not for everyone. It still takes work. 

Look at Kieran Drew, he’s the high-performing underdog of writer businesses and he is still working 12-hour days “by choice”. Given his ‘lean’ business methods from his courses, it’s still a lot of fucking work. Especially if you have a family and a job you’re not dead set on leaving. 

If you’re historically uncertain of your path, doubling down on a niche just to pivot in six months for two years is demoralizing. But the big dawgs will just feed you more, “keep going”, and “consistency wins”, but not when you’re climbing a mountain sold to you by their stellar marketing. 

I’m no fool, and you aren’t either but some of us have wide-open mind centers (ala Human Design), meaning that you easily get conditioned by people who have a strong sense of mental clarity. It’s not a trait everyone is gifted with because I’m definitely not. 

This leads to my next point about keeping things simple and my focus for the foreseeable future (meditation practice, stimulating my brain, and allowing my life to unfold with a stronger level of discernment). What does this mean? No more, getting hyped about a new Dan Koe video telling me to post on Twitter and use Kortex to write viral content that brings in XXXX followers. No thanks, brother. 

I’m out.

Newsletter changes

So here’s what you can expect from me.

Focus Friday will now be The Focus Letter. What does this mean? It means that the letter won’t necessarily come on Friday. It might be every other Friday or a different day. You might get two letters or more in one week when I have profound experiences to share. 

Why?

I’m not consistent, in the typical sense, so I’ve made peace with that. I work best in bursts with pressure at times, and when I’m inspired. To be honest, I don’t like the strict schedules that productivity bros swear by. They don’t allow room for creativity. And my creativity will strike when it arises. It can’t be predicted. So I’ll be in your inbox when I have something to say.

Not sooner, not later.

I’ll still share helpful insights but they might come off a bit different – a bit more raw and sometimes nonsensical. I’ve also migrated to Substack. It feels more at home there. And I’ve dedicated my time now, not to building a business or anything fancy but to working on myself in silence (mostly). 

Next time, you’ll receive this letter from Substack instead of Beehiiv. If for any reason you don’t like these changes, you can unsubscribe.

Now for the call to action, because I like homework when it’s growth-related.

Take a moment to meditate and journal today on what areas of your life you’re being told what to do.

• Do you feel energized by it?

• Is your spirit hungry for it or does it feel like it was assigned by someone else?

• Can you pull away from one thing this week that’s dragging you down?

And as always,

Stay clear, calm, and creative.

Brand Marz.

P.S.

I missed many points I wanted to make but they’ll come up in future letters.

If you couldn’t tell, I didn’t edit this much but that was by design.

Reply and let me know what was the most interesting part of this and I can start on that first.

Thanks for sticking around!

A lot of productivity advice sucks. 

Second brains are too complicated to maintain. AI tools convince you to be lazy creatively. And note linking is mental masturbation. 

Whatever happened to one goal, breaking it down, and getting to fucking work? 

Don’t feel bad. I fell down the productivity rabbit hole. Because pinheads like Ali Blobdaal and the optimization bros depend on you downloading another app subscription you’ll only use for 2 weeks.

Not all productivity advice is created equal. 

They can work if you have a very structured way of thinking. Any robot can execute commands without procrastination. Screw us, irrational humans, right? 

But most of us developed some type of ADHD along the way—an upbringing of screens and overstimulation. 

As a late millennial, I grew up with the up spike of smart technology and attention engineering. 

I was introduced to video games at 8 years old and Myspace as a teen — where social media made its debut in my life. Back then blogging was cool, YouTube was an infant, and the internet was for local business websites.

But now?

It’s grown cancerous with the intro of Generative AI, mindnumbing algorithms, and big-money corporations selling your data as you scroll.

Remember how carefree things were back then? When we had far fewer options? Pen and paper (or at most a Word document and a calendar).

Sounds ancient as shit right? But it worked! It fucking worked and people still got shit done.

So why do I say this?

Because the real productivity secret is simplicity.

Truth is, you don’t need many tools to start a business, a personal brand, a content system, or take notes on what you’re learning. You don't need to watch any more productivity videos.

Use one system that allows you to get work done faster so you can learn from mistakes – your best mentor.

Hope this gave you some closure.

Stay clear, calm, and creative,

Brand Marz

P.S.

After trying second brain apps, Pomodoro, Eisenhower Matrix, GTD, and more, I grew frustrated with the lack of results.

They took a ton of time to set up. The time you could be using to DO something useful. So I developed my signature method for people like us.

If you're ADHD-prone you should try The Focus Fix — a minimal setup system that got me to focus on my biggest goals: YouTube and this newsletter.

No pressure. Read the landing page and see if it's for you.

Your mind is f*cked

(to some degree).

You’ve opened this to unf*ck it.

Give yourself credit. Your life doesn’t completely suck but there are 2-3 areas where you’d love to improve.

Those improvements might just change everything to give you the ability to do what you want. How do I know? Because I experienced it myself.

For me right now, it’s these areas:

• My ability to concentrate on one thing at a time (productivity)

• My spiritual journey with God (faith)

• And my self-talk that affects everything I do (mindset)

Yours can be anything. Fitness improvement, looking for love or friendship, making money in your career, spiritual maturity, it doesn’t matter. This guide will help. The upcoming Friday letters will help. They hold the advice I needed over a decade ago.

A confused, socially anxious momma’s boy (left) vs. the focused man I am today (right).

The promise

This guide is a roadmap to point you to your desired destination–the goals of each letter you’ll receive will help you improve in your current stage in life. 

But listen, I’m no guru and right now, I have nothing extraordinary to sell you (except a Notion guidebook that actually helped my “ADHD”). If and when I do sell, it will be revolutionary to your growth but that’s a work in progress. I will only share lessons that have helped me spark significant change. You won’t find “expert” advice here. You won’t find “hype” marketing tricks to make you buy a bloated course on impulse. I know how that feels. And I hate it as much as you do.

There are way too many influencers trying to make a quick buck off of your pain and emotional spikes under the guise of “social media traffic.” If I ever had a nickname, “traffic” would not be anything close to what I want to be called. Because traffic sucks. That’s why I built (manifested) a life where I work at home.

Twitter tweet

Either way, I’m here to show you what I’ve learned through the lessons from my most notable accomplishments. So you can achieve similar or better results.

The lens

Why would I do all this if I’m not trying to sell you my services? Because recently, I’ve reconnected with God and became a follower of Jesus.

And this may come off as confusing but I don’t identify as a “Christian.” At least not in the typical sense. We can unpack this later.

But my point is this: I was born to serve the growth of outcasts who don’t fit in. It’s my purpose. I don’t want anything else in life but to grow for God and help as many people as are ready to receive this deeper message.

Now you have two choices.

The exit

If you’re turned off by any of this, you’re not ready. You can simply unsubscribe below. No hard feelings. This space is reserved only for those who resonate with their deepest calling. Come back when the urge strikes.

The entrance

But if any of my words excite you, spark curiosity, or give you a glimmer of hope, then welcome my friend, you’re in the right place.

Below you’ll find some of my best resources. So start where you feel called and explore to your heart’s content. If you find anything confusing, just send me a message and I’ll do my best to clear anything up.

Note: this is an incomplete guide (as are we all), so I’ll send updates on major changes as they roll out.

Last few notes before we part:

1. Make sure to reply FOCUS to my first welcome email (if you’re new) or reply to this letter (if you’re an OG 🫡 )so I don’t end up as spam.

2. Follow me on Substack and YouTube so you’re first to know about the latest lesson.

3. Share my newsletter with someone you know will find it valuable (or share with a hater to piss them off 😅) 

Let’s build a focused life together.

Stay clear, calm, and creative,

Brand Marz

P.S.

I put together a 5-Step Focus Fix that’s helped me eliminate distractions even with multiple interests and neurodivergence.

You already get the free version in your welcome email.

But I invite you to get the full guide for cheap ($27).

Why pay? It’s a signal to your subconscious mind that you’ll take your growth seriously and it won’t just sit in your computer’s graveyard of free resources.

Check it out here if it sounds helpful to you.

Roadmap of Resources

How to meditate when you can’t meditate

How to manage multiple interests

How to increase your energy the right way

• Sleep - 321 Sleep Strategy

• Diet - Non-Diet Nutrition

• Exercise - Minimalist training

• Focus 1 - Simple energy hack

• Focus 2 - Second brain notes

How to pay off debt the right way

How to figure out what to do with your life

Debt is the worst.

You become a slave to the banks that lent you money.

Honestly, I wish I learned personal finance sooner.

When I started college in 2013, I thought it was free money (oops)!

So I did what any college bro would…

I balled out on organic groceries…

Wait what???

Alright, I gave myself too much credit but I also used it on extras.

• A new DSLR camera

• A luxury apartment near campus

• A degree I won’t use much

Do I regret it?

Somewhat.

But sometimes the hard way is your best teacher. Especially if you were brought up on gifts and big purchases on credit.

So today, I’m sharing the plan I’ve been working on to pay off $50K in debt in under 2 years.

Why pay down debt?

My wife and I discussed our futures.

And I’ve convinced her to look at the horizon.

Because after all, we’re in this for life right? I may have left Money X, but I learned a thing or two about marketing psychology 🤫

So why is this a priority now?

We want to improve our home but the loans are taking a chunk out of our pockets.

Here’s one of the trees we planted last weekend.

Two years ago, we paid down $47K from the student loan I used for the coding boot camp, a car loan, and a credit card.

Now, we have two more targets—a land mortgage and a personal loan we used to move the house.

Some people think:

“Why not just live life? You’re never going to pay off debt anyways.”

Sad, but real words I don’t agree with.

Because paying off debt gives me a sense of inner peace.

You feel in control when you don’t owe anyone money—whether it’s the slimy government or a greedy loan company.

Fueled by the many mistakes of my 20s, I’m making up for it by sacrificing superficial now for freedom later.

A big win in my eyes.

If you’re looking to pay off debt quickly, these are the two best ways:

The Snowball Method

Start with the smallest debt first.

Make the minimum payments on all your debts, but focus any extra money from side jobs, bonus income, etc. on that smallest debt. Once paid, roll over the combined payment into the next smallest debt, and so on.

It’s like a snowball that builds momentum and confidence as you see your debt getting smaller.

I recommend this for quick wins to boost confidence sooner.

Next is the one I’m using.

The Avalanche Method

Here you focus on the debt with the highest interest rate first.

The biggest benefit is saving money from interest in the long run. It may take longer to pay off the initial debts but when interest rates are high, this one makes more sense.

But there’s one more thing you should consider for each method:

A backup plan.

Even if you’re going hard on debt, you need savings for emergencies.

In Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps, he recommends $1,000, but this isn’t sufficient these days (inflation).

I’m aiming for 2-3 months of expenses as a bigger safety net. You never know when things will hit the fan like losing a job, clients, or a sudden shift in the economy (like this upcoming election).

Better prepared than scared.

Either system makes you intentional with your money. Once set up, it’s low-maintenance and easy to execute.

However, tracking your income and expenses is key.

You need to know where your money is going if you’re going to pay debt fast. I use Monarch Money to track my budget automatically.

I like it because it’s easy to manage all your accounts and set budgets quickly. The algorithm can help categorize transactions and I spend very little time reviewing them for accuracy.

Try it free for 30 days if you’re interested.

My plan for crushing $50K in debt

So, here’s my plan you can follow or modify to your needs.

I’m starting with the personal loan. It’s $27K at about 12% interest with a monthly payment of around $615.

We’re focusing all our extra money on that one first.

Once that’s knocked out, we’ll roll that combined payment into the next one—the land loan.

By the time both are paid off, we’ll have an extra $889 a month in our pockets. That’s a huge relief, and it’s only going to get better as we build our income over time.

Next, we’ll decide on how we’re going to improve our land or pay down our mortgage.

Either way, we’ve hit a huge milestone (act as if your goals are already true)!

Pro Tips

If you’re serious about getting rid of debt, make it your top priority.

Health goals need to be put on maintenance and hobbies with high overhead should be eliminated for now. The more focused you are, the faster you’ll see results.

How to pay off your debt faster:

Increasing income

Whether it’s from your job, a side gig, or selling stuff you don’t need (enter minimalism), an extra $100 here and there makes a huge difference when it all adds up.

Decreasing my expenses 

And let’s be real, you don’t need a lot of fancy stuff to be happy.

My wife and I cut back on so many things, like eating out and random Amazon stuff. We aren’t bitter. We focus more on time as a family instead of material junk.

Bonus points for the health benefits of cutting off alcohol and junk food!

Hope this helps!

What’s your most annoying debt right now?

Let me know!

Stay calm, clear, and creative,

Brand Marz

P.S.

Tracking budgets is annoying and time-consuming.

That’s why I got Monarch to help my wife and I automate it.

We see transactions from all our accounts and see our debt going down every month.

I picked it up because it’s low-maintenance and easy to use.

We can both see the same accounts (so no more sneaky Amazon purchases 😏)

Check out Monarch free for 30 days if you want to save money and time.

You’re sitting on a chair…deep breath…a dirty thought pops up.

So you let it pull you into a fantasy you’d never share in public.

*gasp

Shame on you! Just kidding.

Happens to me all the time. We’re only human, right?

So get over it 🙂 

But what you can’t get over, is how dreadful meditation feels some days, especially when you’re overstimulated.

Let me help.

If you don't like traditional meditation, but you still want focus and peace of mind – check this out.

I discovered a new way to meditate that helps you make sense of arising thoughts.

However, this won’t replace it completely.

Think of meditation as mental training. This new technique is like a new machine at the gym to make your practice more enjoyable.

So add this to your focus toolbelt so you can STICK to the practice even on your worst days.

It's a combination of two techniques.

Super simple but vital to help you with overwhelming anxiety.

The creativity and learning benefits are bonuses.

It’s called: meditative journaling.

Technique Explained

Mindfulness meditation has you sit for a set period like 10 minutes.

You attempt to concentrate on your breath, and when your attention drifts, you begin again.

Sounds boring right?

That’s because it’s supposed to be.

Maybe you’ve developed a bad habit along the way like forgetting to focus in the first place

You let your mind drift off into whatever thought that you might find enticing.

Like your former high school glory days (past) or your car that’s been needing repair for a while (future).

This takes you out of the present moment and robs you of calm and clear focus.

This is the real trick to meditative journaling:

Instead of trying to redirect your attention within your mind, you write down your thoughts as they appear.

So let's say for example you:

1. Close your eyes

2. Headphones on

3. Ambient sounds

4. Deep breath

And a thought comes up,

“Oh, I just remembered this weekend. That grass needs cuttin”.

When the idea comes up, write it down.

Once written, that’s your signal to come back to your breath. Repeat the process for whatever time you’ve chosen.

Here’s how you make it easier on yourself.

I carry a little pocket notebook daily where I write ideas, notes, or todos as they come.

mini-commonplace notebook (left), soon-to-use Field Notes (middle), current everyday carry - mini sketchbook from Walmart (right)

Now I don't have to use a distracting phone to capture ideas.

You're getting the benefits of both meditation and journaling (for us efficiency snobs).

After your meditation, you'll have a glimpse into your subconscious mind. You’ll get a better picture of what's going on outside of autopilot mode.

Thoughts after a 10-minute meditative journaling session (sorry for my crappy handwriting).

These are signals and potential solutions to problems you're having.

They allow you to decompress the anxiety-ridden thoughts by getting them out of your head and onto paper.

Now, you can process or let them go with confidence.

Just don’t let anyone read about your funny fantasies hehe.

Try this and let me know how it feels!

Stay calm, clear, and creative,

Brand Marz.

P.S.

Having a simple pocketbook on hand has worked wonders for my focus.

Why?

Because I can’t use the excuse of checking my phone when I jot down my ideas.

Now I can leave my phone at home when I go for a walk with my family or a gym session without getting dragged in by IG or YouTube.

Grab a small pack on Amazon if it’s not too much clutter (affiliate link at no extra cost to you).

It’s made a huge difference!

I have a confession.

I used to be obsessed with Notion templates.

• Notion giveaways on X? Sign me up.

• Only 24 hours to get it free? Click, duplicate, dopamine explosion.

• A template to increase my arm size by 1 inch in 30 days? Inject me now!

(Just kidding, I hate needles!)

I don’t know about you but when I get a curiosity itch, I scratch like a mangey dog in the summer heat.

It could be a multi-passionate problem (or maybe it’s ADHD).

I wasted way too much time with Notion template aesthetics and the potentially “perfect” life organization system.

• Content ecosystem

• Habit tracking

• Daily tasks

• Projects

You name it.

I was excited about being lazy and letting technology work for me.

But when you tinker with features that don't make you money or bring you joy, you're procrastinating.

And when you work on new opportunities instead of what's in front of you, you're procrastinating.

Shiny object syndrome is kryptonite for creators with multiple interests

But damn, I really wanted to build the Second Brain like these guys were showing off on YouTube and X.

Here's the truth:

If you get overwhelmed easily, you shouldn't build a second brain.

Why?

It's a nice to have but not necessary. So here's what I recommend instead.

Use the simplest tool you're familiar with to get started.

Don't tell the productivity bros but you can totally get away with apple notes or a journal.

The “Just use Apple Notes” meme: second-brain junkies (middle) vs. everyone else who’s never heard of it (left) or got tired of it and simplified (right).

You don't need Obsidian to remember everything for you or Kortex to write viral content.

A complicated system takes more willpower than it’s worth to maintain.

That same energy could be used on your main thing!

I like to keep my second brain super simple.

1. I use a template to write my newsletters.

2. I capture my ideas in a Notion database or pocket journal.

3. And I use a journal or whiteboard to braindump and make sense of those captured ideas.

That's it.

I have Google Calendar and Amplenote to organize my todos but they're very basic and easy to follow.

You can see the exact system I use if you decide to get the Focus Fix.

The benefits of a simplified system follow the next 2 Laws of Productivity:

1. Outsource - What recurring tasks can software do for me? (like reminders and procedures)

2. Automate - How can I use AI to do non-creative tasks?

Outsourcing doesn’t just mean paying a VA to do your work.

It’s as easy as writing all the steps involved in creating your weekly YouTube videos so you get don’t bogged down with decision fatigue.

Automation can be as simple as using ChatGPT for research or having it calculate data 1000x faster than you can.

Some last words of advice:

Don’t use a new app unless you need a specific function (like Notion databases for idea ranking).

Test one app for at least a month before adding a new one (to reduce overwhelm).

Because a second brain is another thing to manage on your cancerous to-doom list.

So use what you have immediately available to you – like pen, paper, and a calendar.

And don’t buy the hype.

Because friction is the enemy of focus.

Hell, if you’re into chalkboards or an Etch A Sketch, I won’t judge if that brings more money, energy, or joy in your life.

Stay calm, clear, and creative,

Brand Marz.

P.S.

Using a simple second brain helps you manage all of your interests.

This is a real struggle for many (myself included).

This is the most engagement I’ve gotten on a random Substack Note.

So I created a full guide on how I handle all my interests without burning out.

It’s practical, simple, and takes only 5 minutes to read.

Check it out here if you haven’t already!

Picture this:

You wake up and go through your 7-step morning routine:

• Restroom

• Water

• Coffee

• Stretching

• Meditation

• Journaling

• Cold shower?

Uh, no. I hate cold showers!

They’re all hype. So don’t feel bad for loving those long warm ones. You’re not alone.

Back to the scene….

By now, you feel energized (hopefully) and ready to tackle the day.

Time for deep work.

But as the day progresses, you start to feel tired and overwhelmed.

Forgotten commitments reappear….

And by noon, you’ve gotten derailed by your phone, environment, or overthinking mind.

You force yourself to work more but hit a mental wall.

Frustration.

By 6 pm, your energy’s back, but you’re too mentally fatigued to be productive.

Trust me.

I've been through that rollercoaster too.

So today, I want to give you a simple but powerful tip to regain energy without bloated morning routines.

If you're reading, you have one of two goals:

1. Create content as a side hustle because you’re multi-passionate.

2. Get ahead in your 9-5 job or business because you’re ambitious.

The problem with these traits is taking on more than you can truly handle.

Because after the initial excitement wears off, your motivation drops.

The culprits?

Too many open loops and decision fatigue.

It's even worse if you work from home.

Because your mind has no transition to switch gears and relax.

So how do we deal with it?

Quit social media?

In theory, this makes sense.

Destroy the thing that messes up your mental health in the first place, right?

But if you’re building an online business or personal brand, social media is a necessary evil.

How else will people see your stuff?

Sure, authors like Cal Newport have built their brands off of social media.

But they are the exception, not the rule.

One thing I’ve learned from Newport and Essentialism is this:

Do less but better

What do I mean?

Productivity isn't about doing more.

It's about doing less but better (with enough energy left over to be kind to your kids).

How?

1. Like choosing the one platform you like most to create on.

2. Only allow social media a 4-hour evening block.

3. Stop buying another course to feel “ready” to launch your YouTube channel.

Honestly, it’s hard not to get shiny object syndrome as a creator.

So I'll show you the two simplest ways to do less but better allowing you to:

• 2x your daily energy output

• Regain 2-3 hours per day

• And build habits that stick

Use these two Laws of Productivity when planning your day or week.

1. Simplify - How can I make my current task simpler?

2. Eliminate - What can I remove from this list that isn’t serving my #1 priority?

Simplifying is as easy as doing fewer things because you only have 24 hours daily, so make them count.

Elimination is as simple as saying NO more often and by default to protect your time and energy.

You COULD be doing a million things to “make it” as a creator but that doesn’t mean you should.

Why not channel all that lost energy to ONE thing daily, done within your best ability?

Then you can improve that skill over time to compound the results.

A meditation habit makes learning new skills so much easier, so make it your goal to increase your mindfulness for the next 3 months.

If not meditation, choose whichever skill makes the most sense for your situation.

The key takeaway?

Reduce excess to produce excellent.

Stay focused,

Brand Marz.

P.S.

Doing less is easier said than done with endless opportunities at your fingertips.

So if you need help managing multiple interests, check out last week's deep dive.

You'll love how actionable it is.

It should be a paid product but I enjoyed writing it so much I made it free to read.

Reply with one thing you’re eliminating right now.

Here’s mine:

Looking for a truck (it’s a low priority I can wait on).

Let’s use that mental energy for something meaningful.

Most people believe a jack of all trades is a master of none.

But this is wrong.

Here’s the plot twist:

A jack of all trades isn’t a master of none. He’s a master of many – starting with one.

Let me explain.

The problem with multiple passions

A buddy of mine asked:

The short answer is yes.

You can achieve as many goals as you want—using the right approach.

How many times have you tried to learn code, design, fitness, AND improve speaking at the same time?

I’ve lost count.

But the result is always the same – frustration with slow progress and burnout.

Do you relate?

The myth of multitasking

Some of the most brilliant minds in history, Leonardo Da Vinci and Ben Franklin had one thing in common:

They were master generalists.

Building multiple skills in art, science, engineering, and more.

But when you try to do it all at once, you get nowhere.

Focus is doing less but better.

Don’t get me wrong.

I’m not saying multiple passions are a flaw.

They’re a gift.

Because the real issue isn’t having many interests.

It’s a lack of focus.

Take it from me.

I’ve always had a journal full of interests and struggled to turn them into anything meaningful.

But once I learned how to focus, I was able to accomplish some of my biggest goals by age 30:

• Strength training: I went from a low-confidence weakling to building a lean, athletic physique.

• Communication: I overcame social anxiety to meet my wife and become a confident father.

• Coding: I went from broke personal trainer to landing a tech job with 3x the income and more free time.

• Nutrition: I was a stressed, overweight dad after my job hunt. But then, I lost 20 pounds of fat and put an end to the “dad bod.”

• Finance: I went from living with debt in the hood to owning a 1-acre property in the countryside with both vehicles and a student loan paid off.

• Marketing: I replaced addiction to social media and video games with gamified self-discipline, allowing me to build a side hustle I enjoy.

I’m not saying this to brag, but to remind you that there’s hope for you.

It’s never too late to start.

The new path to multi-mastery

So how do you master multiple things without losing your mind?

It’s simple (but not easy).

Focus on one thing at a time.

Each new skill or habit you learn compounds into the next like a confidence snowball.

Confidence compounds with consistency.

You don’t need to choose between your passions—you need to approach them in the right order.

Before you begin, I recommend CAT Conditions to be successful:

• Curiosity - an obsession for something you’ve always gone back to as a kid.

• Ability - the thing you do easily when others find it difficult.

• Tolerance - interests you’re willing to stick with even when you hit The Dip of Death.

What is the Dip of Death?

In Seth Godin’s book, The Dip, he describes it as:

The hard part where progress feels non-existent and it’s easier to quit, but high long-term rewards come from pushing through it.

Process for pursuing one interest at a time without burning out.

Now let’s get into the approach:

1) Choose your best weapon

Start by choosing the interest that makes the next ones easier.

Think of it as leverage.

For me, meditation was a game changer—it helped me make clear decisions without stressing over little things.

Instead of burning out, I learned to recognize when I was slipping into old habits.

My goals felt more effortless to achieve.

For you, pick what’s most relevant right now.

(Keep CAT conditions in mind)

2) Pick a Skill-Stack timeline

Earlier, I explained the benefit of one thing, but I’m sure you’re still gonna pick at least 3 to work on.

I get it.

Use this timeline for whichever makes sense based on one skill, habit, or interest.

• One skill that makes you money: Focus for 6-12 months to get good, whether it’s coding, copywriting, or any skill that has real-world value.

• One habit that makes you better at everything else: Commit for 3-6 months till it becomes second nature. This could be meditation, exercise, or a better diet.

• One interest that keeps you energized: Explore for 1-3 months to see if it’s worth long-term effort or just a fleeting curiosity (like music, art, or a new hobby).

Remember, you’re better off choosing one and picking a timeline before you focus on another.

Results of one dedicated goal vs. many

3) Set your difficulty level

Don’t expect to hit every goal daily.

We don’t want perfection, we want progress.

So when you set your goal, include these thresholds to help you stay consistent and motivated:

1. Minimal effort

2. Ideal target

3. Stretch goal

Here’s why these work.

A minimal effort makes it too easy NOT to do it. I don’t care how busy you are. Anyone can meditate for 2 minutes, there are no excuses.

Your ideal target, for example, could be 10 minutes. Your perception of that when your car breaks down or your kid gets sick makes it feel like 10 hours.

The result? You skip it.

The minimal effort is an insurance policy to help you avoid the chaos of life and the Dip of Death.

And on days you’re feeling fired up, go for the stretch goal like a 20-minute+ meditation session.

Just don’t overdo it and burn out. Use stretch goals lightly.

4) Dabbling - play without pressure

What about your other interests?

Do you have to ignore them completely?

Not at all.

This is where Dabbling comes in.

Set aside 1-2 hours each week (or daily) to play with your other passions, without structure.

This is your creative sandbox.

Don’t expect mastery here—just have fun and explore.

This keeps your energy high and prevents burnout while you dedicate most of your energy to your main goal.

Example:

Twitter tweet

After about 3 pm on weekdays and most afternoons on weekends, I can play.

So choose a routine that works around your life.

5) The Focus Fix Toolkit

I used to be addicted to social media.

But after nearly 2 decades, I’ve overcome it.

Along the way, I’ve developed a toolkit from years of experimentation.

If you’re interested you can grab your copy of The Focus Fix here.

It’s a proven guide to help you:

• Eliminate distractions

• Reclaim 5-10 hours of your time each week

• And finally, start making real progress toward your interests

Many creators and parents have seen results within days.

Check it out here if you want to rewire your brain and take control of your life from screens.

Everything starts with focus

Achieving multiple goals is completely possible.

But only when you master the art of focus.

When you learn to manage your energy and approach your passions with the right mindset, you feel limitless.

TL;DR

The 5-step simplified and gamified system for mastering multiple interests in 6-12 months

1. Choose your best weapon

2. Pick a Skill-Stack timeline

3. Set your daily difficulty level

4. Dabbling - play without pressure

5. The Focus Fix - Anti-Distraction Toolkit

Let me know if you found value in this guide. I reply to every message!

Stay focused,

Brand Marz.

P.S.

Free guides like this are quickly forgotten, especially if you’re in a dopamine hole.

That’s why I developed The Focus Fix specifically for creators and parents like us, who get stuck and distracted easily.

Right now, you have three options:

1. Continue looking for free information online.

2. Bookmark or print this guide to reference at all times.

3. Download the Focus Fix and commit to using it for 10 days.

I recommend #3 (big surprise lol), so you can focus on one thing and break the cycle of digital dopamine.

Here are some results so far:

See you on the inside!

Damn!

6 months into building my one-person business and I’ve burnt the EFF out!

I’ve made $0 with Twitter — a platform I never intended to use.

Let’s rewind.

2 years ago, I found a whole new world online.

The creator economy.

Business gurus hand out advice like candy on Halloween:

• Quit your 9-5

• Post on every platform

• Engage with big accounts

• Build a business in 2 hours a day by yourself in 6-12 months

Lies.

Why did I have a second job all of a sudden?

I spent 4 hours on Twitter, posting 5 tweets a day and then some.

So what went wrong?

I wasn’t clear on MY priorities. 

Building a one-person business on social media sounded like a dream.

But then I realized: Social media sucks.

It sucks the life from your soul.

As a non-creator, you scroll for hits of dopamine unconsciously.

"ENTERTAIN ME, I DON’T WANT TO WORK HARD RIGHT NOW," says your subconscious mind.

But as a creator, the risks are much worse.

Those tiny hits of dopamine are like crack to an addict.

You chase more than entertainment.

You chase engagement – views, likes, and followers in pursuit of something ambiguous.

• Money?

• Validation?

• Status?

Surface-level stuff.

Posting viral content feels good in the moment but it’s short-term thinking.

And the new shiny rabbit hole gets you sidetracked.

We know this.

But it’s why you need focus.

Because social media is a slippery slide.

• You’ll fall for the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) trap.

• You’ll find a way to distract yourself from meaningful work.

“Get off of social media and go back to posting on YouTube,” I hear from a discussion between like-minded creators.

“Then how will I grow and get clients?! YouTube takes too long to get traction,” he pleaded.

First of all, do you even WANT clients?

10 years from now, do you see yourself stuck on Zoom calls with people you don’t even like much?

All while you spend less time with your family.

If that suits your lifestyle, go for it.

But that’s why I’m not a full-time coach anymore.

If you’re tired of putting effort into goals that don’t energize you, listen closely.

You MUST figure out your lifestyle goal first.

For me, it was building a self-improvement YouTube channel around my developer job and family of 4 in the countryside.

A client or two wouldn’t take away from that but I needed to write that down in plain sight.

So here’s what I recommend:

Once your goal is clear and your energy is high, then ask:

• How can I make this goal work AROUND my life?

• Which actions are money-making or energizing?

• How much of my day is wasted on figuring things out?

• When does my energy seem to be highest? Lowest?

If you don’t know, you should. Because it’s simpler than you think.

Let me tell you the secret:

The answer isn’t in some guru’s high-ticket course, it’s within.

That’s why I developed The Focus Tracker Tool (step 3 of the Focus Fix).

The tool that helped me reflect and stop the cycle of digital distractions.

Reduced my screentime by 50% from 2 months ago.

It’s not perfect but it’s progress.

Because I’m no longer spending 5 hours a day on IG and X.

I don’t remember feeling so accomplished getting high-quality work done in my job and side hustle with time to spare!

Now my afternoons are spent with family or guilt-free creative time.

You might be tired of the same old productivity tricks like I was.

• GTD

• Eat the Frog

• Time blocking

• Second brain apps

• Pomodoro technique

But have you honestly tried focusing on one long enough for it to work?

If not, you’re chasing quick dopamine again and the cycle continues.

Before using the tool, I would change my strategy too often and wondered why I never got respectable results.

So pause.

And take back control over your time, attention, and energy.

Because no additional information is gonna fix your distraction problem.

It’s your belief and choice to make it happen.

Here’s your chance:

Spend the same 6 minutes you’d check socials between meetings on this quick start video I made for the Focus Tool.

In my first 10 days of using it, my screen time went down 20%.

I’ve got the whole afternoon open for a walk with my family.

• Content? Done.

• 9-5 work? Done.

• Learning block? Done.

I don’t know about you but I love an open calendar after 3 pm.

It’s only because I became fully aware of where my attention drifts throughout the day.

Download it now and win back yours.

Next week, I'll show you how I manage multiple interests and how to choose between them.

Stay focused,

Brand Marz

P.S.

If you’re not convinced it’s worth your time, you might be inspired by Lyndsey.

As a mom with ADHD, she made The Focus Fix work around her life despite many responsibilities.

Lyndsey went from chronically overwhelmed to calm and collected.

You can too.

Just duplicate the file to your workspace.

Then send me your results (or questions). I’d love to hear about it!

Plop...I sit at my desk to write...nothing.

Brain fog.

Just had Mexican-American breakfast: tortillas, eggs, bacon, and potatoes.

But no tengo energy.

What do I do?

Crack open Instagram by default. It's too easy not to.

RIGHT?

Last night, you were motivated to work on your side hustle, but the next morning felt like a drag.

Something doesn’t add up.

Annoying, isn’t it?

The desire to do deep, meaningful work but you're just there at your desk like a slumped blob flicking a shiny screen.

The fix is simple but not easy.

Here are the culprits of low energy:

Bad habits – sleep, diet, and movement.

They play a huge role in your brain’s ability to focus.

How?

Quality rest boosts learning and memory helping your brain recharge.

Without it, you function at 40-60% (if you’re lucky).

Movement improves blood flow (brain energy) and good food brings nutrients to fuel focus.

As an ex-personal trainer, I still used to struggle with good eating habits and going to bed on time.

But once I discovered a few simple health hacks, my performance shot through the roof.

I felt like my college days were back.

Endless energy and motivation.

No more slogging through code or writing sessions.

No more telling my kids I’ll play with them later.

No more easy dopamine on social media.

Motivation comes after clarity

Last week we confidently defined your 3 layers of clarity.

• What your #1 priority is

• Why you’re motivated to stick to it

• How your personality aligns with that goal

You can be the Energizer Bunny but without a clear path, you end up chasing your own cotton tail.

I used to struggle with burnout because I chased other people’s goals. I had no clear plan. And even if I found one, it wasn’t right for me.

That’s why I built The Energy Checklist (Step 2 of The Focus Fix) where I show you how I keep my performance high daily.

Anyone can do it.

I don’t care if you have 10 jobs and 20 hobbies.

Nail 80% of the checklist and you'll be on par with the 20-year-olds on 400mg of caffeine and student loan money.

Only you'll keep your organs intact and reach financial freedom faster.

After 11+ years of testing and science-backed research, I'm confident these will work for you.

My clients had success so I'm sharing the wealth (and health)!

Give it a look and see which ones you're missing right now.

Next week, I’ll show you The Holy Grail of Focus and how it eliminated my frustrating habit of checking social media instead of building my life’s work.

Stay focused,

Brand Marz

P.S.

Brain fog isn't fun.

Neither is another template in your Notion dash collecting digital dust.

I use at least 80% of the Energy Checklist daily to help me manage my:

• Family of 4

• Side hustle

• Fitness routine

• Full-time engineering job

• Country living responsibilities

• Content system on multiple platforms

All without getting pulled by the magnet of social media.

If any item looks overwhelming, skip it or start with a smaller commitment.

And if you already have the energy to outplay a 6-year-old, no worries (I envy you)!

Pick it up here before 30 downloads (21 as of now). I’m adding a price after.

Starting a personal brand business on X is a death sentence for beginners.

Here’s what your competition looks like:

• 16-year-old copycatGPT-writers.

• Business gurus who rode the wave of pre-Elon Twitter.

• An algorithm of hype media like memes, politics, and posts about money.

It’s an uphill battle for people building with purpose.

2 years ago, I started creating YouTube videos – a long-time passion project.

But then I found Dan Koe.

He serves creators like you and I, Kool-aid in the form of business advice.

1. Create a personal brand

2. Post on Twitter

3. Engage to grow

4. Profit

Don’t take my word for it.

Here are takes from other creators:

Evan, a Christian YouTube Marketer, shared his “Money Twitter” experience.

Chris, a multidisciplinary creator, hilariously describes “guru advice” for beginners.

Matt, a father, who didn’t achieve the Welsh’s Promise but instead, Koe Money Koe Problems.

Don’t get me wrong, 85% of Justin and Dan’s advice is golden (wrapped in excellent marketing).

But if you’re not careful, it’s poison for parents and the purpose-driven.

For a few, it worked.

For some, it took off but they regretted selling their soul.

For most, it failed because it didn’t make sense for their true goals.

This begs the question:

Do you really need an entire business to feel happy or is it something completely different?

For example:

• Connection with self-improvement friends.

• Side income to support your life’s work.

• A creative outlet to share your ideas.

• 1-3 hours to explore your curiosity.

Before you trust a big name on the internet with favorable incentives, get clear on your true priorities.

Clarity comes from three things:

1. What do you want concerning your ideal lifestyle? (goal or project)

2. Why do you want it? A compelling reason that keeps you going when it’s easier to quit (your motivation).

3. Does this align with how you operate? (your personality)

Without these, you end up climbing the wrong mountain.

If you don’t understand your core operating system, you won’t commit long-term for ANY strategy to work.

Sure, social media might help your idea go viral.

But if you’re overwhelmed by excess attention, then why chase it?

You’ll be left empty and burnt out.

Don't copy others without clarity.

Focus on that big project that excites you. Understand your tolerances. And find a compelling reason to make it work.

Luckily, I’ve got your back.

The Confidence in Clarity Workbook (step 1) of The Focus Fix helps you nail this.

Inside, we get clear on a “successful day” so you can progress on YOUR goals and not someone else’s.

So far, it’s gotten 20 downloads.

Pick it up free if you haven’t already.

Next week, we’ll dive into energy, motivation, and triggers to improve performance on your big project.

Cheers to a clear mind and learning from our mistakes.

Stay focused,

Brand Marz

P.S.

Using the workbook prompts, I’ve made the newsletter and YouTube my main focus.

Plus, I’ve worked closely with 5 people to ensure they’re getting the clarity they need using The Focus Fix.

It’s gone so well that I’ve considered closing the toolkit after 30 downloads to make it a paid course.

So pick it up soon if interested!

Check it out and duplicate it to your workspace to edit your copy.

Sunday morning.

Typical warm day in Texas – it’s 9 am and 85 degrees F.

I jump on the old lawn mower handed down from my father-in-law.

No go.

I try again.

…woah what’s that…

My heart dropped like a new iPhone 15 Pro into a park porta-potty…

No AppleCare.

Pure panic and a sinking realization that this day just took a wild turn.

Greeted by a fork-shaped tongue. Coiled body. Diamond-pattern – the devil serpent himself stared me in the face just 5 feet away.

I knew it.

Never should’ve saved that excess lumber just in case, to save some money.

Long story short, my dad’s a carpenter and saved a bunch of leftover wood from a job he worked a few months back.

He’s always saved stuff like that. He calls it smart but I call it hoarding.

It’s how people in the lower-middle class think but it promotes a scarcity mindset.

Saving any little thing that might be useful but costs you energy and time when your house is a mess full of junk.

Let me get to the point.

Last week we talked about young Brand’s lack of focus.

He started with the wrong mindset.

The mindset that some of us got brought up with – to save every little thing that might be useful.

How many free PDFs or eBooks do you have sitting in your files collecting digital dust?

No shame, I’ve lost track of mine – my Finder folder tells me: 50+ GB

That’s why mindset is important.

• Your beliefs

• Experiences

• Values

If you don’t establish good ones early, they’ll be set for you.

By society, your peers, and your parents.

You don’t want their chaotic life, so why follow their example?

People will believe what everyone else says because society has taught them to value status, prestige, and social validation.

A mindset block will stop you from getting the result you want, no matter how good your systems, tactics, or hacks are.

To achieve a good life you want, you MUST embody the traits of the person who lives that life.

Make sense?

A millionaire can stay a millionaire because of their mindset.

Give a poor man a million dollars and he'll lose it within a year.

In the case of the rattlesnake, I should’ve politely turned down the extra lumber for space around my shed, so they aren’t likely to hide there.

What clutter can you let go of that will bring about more clarity in your mind and life?

Focus is about doing better with less.

Don’t let the cost of free clutter cost you casualties in your casa (house).

P.S.

I ended up saving 4 kittens under my shed. The momma and babies are alive and well.

The rattler on the other hand…well…

Let’s just say he’s seen better days.

All is clear.

And speaking of clarity, next week I’ll show you how the 3 layers of clear thinking help you stop sabotaging yourself and burning out from starting a real business.

See you there!

If you enjoyed this email, I’d love to know. Reply, “snake”, or let me know what your thoughts are.

I reply to every response.

Let’s rewind time 11 years back…

Boom…

It’s 2013, and a young man named Brand gets dumped.

Feels bad but I don’t blame the girl.

• She’s a Christian and looking for long-term family life.

• He’s a momma’s boy who doesn’t know what the hell he wants.

I’ll save you the details but Brand decides,

“F*** it. She don’t know what she’s missing. I’m gonna get jacked…”

Dude didn’t realize he was about to change his life…for the better.

This change was far sweeter than revenge.

I first wanted to become an Internet Entrepreneur 6 months after starting my fitness journey.

Watching my role model fitness YouTubers like Elliot Hulse, Omar Isuf, and Kinobody.

I wanted their lifestyle.

• Recording fitness videos for a living.

• Teaching others how to get in shape.

• Walking around looking like a Greek statue.

• Getting paid over 6-figures of internet money.

What 20-year-old wouldn't?

At 30, my perspective has shifted (drastically).

Thank God for that spark, I built the body, confidence, career, and family I wanted.

But starting an online business…took far too long!

My biggest problem?

The wrong mindset.

Because a mindset block makes you inefficient, adding two shackles to your legs.

Low confidence and doubt.

They stop you from becoming the person who lives your dream life.

If I could rewind time, here's what I'd tell that punk:

Fail more.

You don’t learn by thinking, you learn by doing ma boy.

No more YouTube learning procrastination buddy. You want just-in-time information, not just-in-case.

Holy crap!

And if you fail enough, you just might discover you didn't want that thing after all.

But wait a decade to act, and you're gonna have to do it over again only to find out what you would've known sooner.

Like many of us, Brand lacked one important thing:

Focus.

Do you ever wish you could go back in time and tell yourself a thing or two?

I’m no Dr. Strange but let me show you the system I’d give him if I could (just don’t get caught by the TVA — Marvel reference).

It’s called the 5 Pillars of Performance and Purpose:

I created this for clarity on my business and I think you’ll get a lot of insights from it too.

Stay focused,

Brand M.

P.S.

You can skip the timeline and learn what young Brand wishes he knew by grabbing the Focus Fix here.

I made it for internet creatives like you to get high-quality work done in less time (without the shackles of distraction like social media).

Next week I’ll share the overview and first stage of the process in more detail.