The BE YOU Economy: Standing Out in a World of Mediocrity
Have you ever felt like life is one big competition, where winning is the only option?
It's no secret I am a competitive person. Everything I do is about beating someone or beating my previous benchmarks. I also know a lot of competitive people. Their relationship to competition is very similar. It's a win-at-all-costs mindset.
It has its place in many areas, especially in sports and traditional business. Many people refer to it as the 'athlete mindset,' determined to win at all costs and push through pain. To be honest, I pride myself on having an athlete's mindset. But what if we could win in a competition of one?
For much of my 33 years on Earth, I have put everything into the things I commit to: rugby, athletics, CrossFit, skateboarding, marathons, business, relationships. I obsess over being the best. I constantly compare myself to others… what are their strengths and weaknesses, what are mine, and how can I one-up them.
It gets tiring, and the truth about competition is, for someone to win, someone has to lose. For people who don't have the athlete mindset, losing can lead to a life of mediocrity. Why? Because no one likes losing… especially if you associate losing with being a loser.
What I want to dive into in this newsletter is how to establish a competition of one by BEING YOU. Being you removes all competition. Let's explore how embracing a competition of one can lead to a more fulfilling and authentic life.
The Journey of Self-Actualisation
Self-actualisation, as defined by Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of needs, is the realisation of one's potential and the development of abilities and appreciation for life. It's a universal goal where individuals strive to become the most they can be.
Deep down, this is what drives me the most. Competition has been the way I track it. When I set the goal to be the first person to row 30 marathons (42.2 km) in 30 consecutive days, it challenged me mentally and physically. Upon completing it, my mind expanded to what could be truly possible.
As I’ve gotten older and my open age group competitions are wrapping up, I’ve been reflecting on the next chapter. Life will always include competition for me; I thrive on it. I look forward to moving into age group competition. But in terms of self-actualisation, it has me asking the question: "How will I strive to become the most I can be?"
Self-actualisation isn't just about external accomplishments. I believe it's more important for internal growth and fulfilment. Part of my journey has been learning to love myself, making peace with my past, and allowing myself to experience happiness.
As much as I would love to continue saying it’s about being a world champion or earning a million dollars, that mindset limits my potential to expand my mind and explore what I truly want from life. It is also a great way to burn myself out. I have internal needs that I want to explore as well. There are a lot of things I don't understand that I'd love to spend time exploring. It can't be done while I am always chasing something outside of myself. I have to balance life from external fulfilments to internal fulfilments.
A great quote I read was:
"The definition of hell - Your last day on Earth, the person you became meets the person you could have become."
Thinking about this has made me sit with myself more. I am the only person who truly has any idea about who I can become.
The world likes to tell me who I should become. There are a few problems I see with that. Firstly, everyone else is being told the same thing, which means we will be pushed into competition (for jobs, etc.).
Following societal expectations doesn't guarantee anything. You used to be guaranteed a good salary and life if you completed university 20+ years ago. Now that's not even guaranteed. I have seen people spend more getting their degree than they make upon completion. This is why BE YOU businesses will take over (I’ll chat about this shortly) - It's the journey of getting paid to explore self-actualisation.
Secondly, I’m not interested in half the crap they tell me to do. I don’t like the idea of working for someone 40 hours a week, being told when I can take time off to live my life. That sucks. I love the idea of being able to decide what my time is worth and do meaningful work. It's essentially getting paid to do work you love. To be honest, it's building a life you don't need a holiday from.
So, what does my journey look like?
Firstly, I started a business to take control of my life. I had never studied business, but I learnt on the go. I desired to create wealth so I could explore my interests without needing permission. I find problems in my life and seek to find answers.
When I was broke, I explored ways to make money.
When I was single, I dated and reflected on what a great relationship would look like.
When I was depressed, I sought out how to be happy.
You don't need to have all the answers to start. I believe it's faster to start and address the problems as they arise. There is no specific answer I can give you to achieve the same outcomes because you are unique. The outcome of self-actualisation creates the journey.
Many people say to focus on the journey, not the outcome… My understanding is you need both. You don’t want to be on a journey taking you to an undesirable outcome. … and you don’t want to be so focused on the outcome that you don’t learn and experience the journey. You need to be present for both. It’s your journey. It’s what you experience and use as feedback to see your potential and continue expanding your mind and life.
The biggest thing I have learned in this process is that I am enough. I can choose to compete if I want (which I love doing)… but I am also not in competition. I am unique. Not many people I know have run an online business, podcasted, rowed 30 marathons, and married a musician. I have skills, knowledge, and experiences that are unique to me.
This leads me to the next key point I want to discuss. It’s something I’ll lean more into and be doing a module on this in the Focus Success System (join the waitlist).
Competing Against Mediocrity
Have you ever felt like you're just going through the motions, living a life dictated by others' expectations?
There is a universal law for this and a personal law.
On the journey of self-actualisation, you will start expanding and building a life that is different from the status quo. The status quo isn't for everyone, and that’s okay.Neither is building a great life. To build a great life, you must be yourself. This is the essence of the "BE YOU" economy, which means you must compete against mediocrity. Society often makes you feel like an outsider if you go against the grain. The truth is, most people aren't happy doing what everyone else is doing.
Think about many of the most successful people in the world. They broke away from the status quo. They pursued a personal path. They chased what they were interested in and, as a result, have been rewarded for doing so. It would have been lonely, and people would have doubted them, but they continued until they succeeded.
Every day, the competition starts. Some days you win, some days you lose. That’s the journey. Just like in rugby league, a team can have multiple losses in a season and still be crowned the champion at the end.
You can experience losses and still be the champion of your life. The key is showing up after defeat and learning from it. You get to define the rules. Failure isn't final. It's the feedback you require. The more you win, the closer you get to self-actualisation.
I said it earlier, but you don't need to have all the answers to start. The key is starting. One thing I am excited about now within the BE YOU economy, or becoming a 'SOLOpreneur,' is helping more people build a great life on their terms. Learning how to stand out in a competition of one, to monetise their experiences, and create freedom and fulfilment. I live that life, and it’s easier now than it ever has been for people to do the same.
Without spending a lot of time on it, if I were to start again, here are a few things I would focus on:
Find one thing you enjoy doing (e.g., running)
Build and monetise a community (Start a run group or online run group; offer a product or service)
Continue to expand (Your interest in running allows you to continue adding value to the community)
I will be helping people in the Focus Success System. The waitlist is open. In this, I will help you step by step to build a great life, identify your BE YOU business, and much more.
No Two Years are the Same
Have you ever felt like your life is stuck on repeat, each year blending into the next without any real progress or excitement?
If you don't grow or seek self-actualisation, life can feel like a never-ending hamster wheel, or worse, become increasingly difficult. You watch the years tick by, and each year reinforces the belief that you can't change or improve. It's daunting to fall into the mindset that you can't change, especially considering change is unavoidable. At some point in life, you will experience change. If you don't believe you can handle it, it can overwhelm you and lead to a dark place.
I feared change until recently. I had built a comfortable life in Brisbane with great friends, a good career, and stability. However, something was missing—I value adventure. This is one of the reasons we decided to move. We wanted change to force us to grow, regardless of whether we achieved the goal or not.
The idea of making no two years the same means constantly challenging yourself by embracing new experiences and building:
A better vision of yourself
Better relationships
More wealth
Better health
To achieve and maintain these goals, you must seek a deeper understanding and simplify the complex. Stability and predictability can lead to stagnation, while a dynamic life full of new challenges fosters growth and fulfilment.
Reflecting on the last 10 years, a lot has changed. However, it hasn't all changed at once. My focus has shifted from creating wealth to relationships, longevity, and now mental resilience. Ten years later, I am proud of the understanding I have in these areas, which produces results in different aspects of my life.
Focusing on different areas at different times allows for gradual, sustainable growth. Mastery takes time and patience. During these times of focus, my lifestyle has looked different. No two years have been the same. It has been an adventure. I have been challenged, faced doubt, made new friends, lost friends, been injured, conquered mountains, and loved the process. Every outcome has led me to the next journey.
This is what life is about—embracing the journey of self-actualisation and building a BE YOU business. This approach allows you to make a living while pursuing your passions and inspiring others. Your life becomes the product.
I hope this gets you thinking about what you have to offer and how your life could improve if you embraced self-actualisation and potentially looked at starting a BE YOU business.
As mentioned, I will be launching my first intake for the Focus Success System soon. To join the waitlist, click here.
Thanks for reading,
Lachie
Personal Progress 4th July - 11th July 🤯
What Happened ✅:
Personal: Enjoyed a cruise in the caribbean & swam with Sharks
Podcast: Episode with George Sheppard
Fitness: Ran a Marathon on the cruise ship
Focus Success System: Made progress on the Program (coming soon)
What's Coming Up 📅:
Podcast: Batching all July's Podcast to have some down time. Epic guests talking (Building a business, Going all in on a goal, Getting your family's support + more)
Travel: Traveling to San Francisco to watch my wife support Niko Moon