Welcome to the growth stacking podcast. This is Dan Martel. This is how I brainwashed myself into success. When I was 17 years old, I was angry, depressed, and I honestly thought something was wrong with me. Now fast forward to today, my life looks completely different. I have the privilege of speaking on stages around the

world like Tony Robbins, run a hundred million dollar company. I fly around on my jet. I even have a

best selling book, but it didn't happen overnight. It took me from the age of 17, up until 26 years old,

almost nine years until I ever made my first million dollars. But it was implementing these habits

and rituals

into my life that essentially allowed me to brainwash myself into thinking differently,

acting differently, and pulling success into my life.

Step one is changing your environment.

When I was 16, I ended up spending 11 months in a rehab center called Portage.

And at the end of the program, they ask us to do an integration plan.

It's designed to help build a plan for your life. Who are your friends, your peer groups, where are you going to live? How are you going to do in school? What job are you going to get? How are you going to stay busy so you don't slide yourself back into old patterns and old behaviors? That process was invaluable. It allowed me to stay sober, build a new peer group, and really transform my life.

I did the same thing at 22 when I decided to move out west and move away from the town I grew up in to go see if there was any other opportunities out there. There's probably a fear that if you decide to change your environment and make new friends, that you're going to alienate them, They're going to be upset with you. And I get that.

And it's a hard place to go to. But here's what I learned is that the people that I thought were supporting me were really taking me down. Family members that I was born into this family were holding me back. Sometimes we have to create space, go out of our way to create opportunities to maybe find new friends that can support your dreams and goals. My rule is, if you're the smartest person on your street, find a new street. You're the smartest person in

the room, go find some new friends. Changing environment is step one in brainwashing yourself to success

because you need to make sure that you have the space to build from a foundation of positivity.

Which brings us to step two, which is remove all vices.

You know, often when I'm driving around in my McLaren, I have kids that run up and they're always screaming like, hey, what do you do? And how did you afford this car? Often answer, it's what I don't do. I don't drink. I don't do drugs. I take care of my body. I don't gamble. I don't spend time with people that don't support me.

It's what I don't do versus what I do

that actually creates the space for me to be successful. And that's why I think vices will mess with your mind. I often ask my private coaching clients this simple question, how do you self-medicate your pain? And for a lot of people, you got to look at your vices. You got to look at the things that you use to alter your state so that you don't have to feel because it's in that space that you're going to avoid doing the work to brainwash yourself to be successful. You can't have the vices because the vices turn off the part of the brain that's actually going to receive habits of success. But honestly, as you go up the pyramid of success, you realize that if we don't address what I call the bugaboos, the things that are holding them back, that those are the things they're going to show up to self-sabotage all the success they've had up to that point and give it all back. And you see these people that are financially successful only to watch them live a life that looks like they're trying to escape from something.

They're in pain.

They don't want to feel.

And those are usually the things that cause them to fail.

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