21 Crazy, Extreme Actions I Took To Become Successful

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Have you ever done something crazy to achieve a goal?

Success, by its very nature, is extreme. After all, “crazy” is the ultimate breeding ground for creativity, and creativity is the driving force behind fresh and exciting ideas. Only one percent of people become financially successful. It makes sense why ninety-nine percent of people would think that they are crazy.

The reality is that success is a dedicated and obsessive focus on something. That is what separates a mediocre life from an extraordinary one. Success isn't easy. If it was, everyone would be successful. We all know that successful people work harder than the average person.

Not only that, but they don't allow their failures (which is inevitable in life) to stop them. They just keep going. Successful people also make huge sacrifices and embrace a lot of challenges along the way.

In no way, shape, or form are the actions that I took a prescription for what you should do in your life to be successful. My extreme actions may not resonate with you and that's okay. I merely want to show you what successful people are willing to do to achieve their goals and dreams.

The decisions I've made in my life have been based on different stages of my consciousness and development as a human being. There were times when I was operating at a very low level of consciousness.

There was a time in my life when I was depressed and suicidal.

Early on in my entrepreneurial journey, I experienced a lot of frustrating moments. I was extracting knowledge from the people I was learning from, but I kept coming up short. Instead of giving up, I used my pain as motivation to propel me forward.

I took more action and made more drastic sacrifices until I eventually achieved success. If you are not willing to sacrifice your pride, comforts, or security, you will never achieve your highest level of success. In sharing my crazy journey with you, I hope that you will learn from my mistakes so that you don't have to struggle as much as I did.

The knowledge I share with you may make you decide that you aren't willing to do the crazy things that are necessary to achieve success. Or maybe it gives you a massive wake-up call, making you realize that you aren't going for it enough. The truth will always set you free. Whatever the outcome is, what I'm going to tell you will be useful and somewhat entertaining!

Here are 21 crazy, extreme actions I took to become successful.

1. I listened to self-hypnosis audio programs.

At one point in time, I was very inspired by Paul McKenna who is a well-known British hypnotist. I used to listen to his guided self-hypnosis audio programs. I would go into hypnotic trances. When I was younger, I was very shy and insecure.

From Paul's teachings, I learned that right before bedtime, your brain is more suggestible to subliminal programming. This means that certain messages will more easily penetrate your subconscious.

2. I formed a self-development house with my friends called Project Vancouver.

When I was 17 years old I read a book called, The Game by Neil Strauss. This is about a pickup artist community of men who would pick up women. I was interested in learning how to attract women because it was an aspect of my life that I wanted to work on.

Inside his book, Neil lived in a house in Hollywood, CA called Project Hollywood. When I was 21 years old I moved out of my mom's house. My friends and I decided to form a self-development house called Project Vancouver.  Every Sunday we had house meetings. Each of us had to share our top five actions that we were committed to achieving each week.

If we didn't achieve a goal that we set for ourselves, we would have to put $20 towards the house. We would use that money to invest it in some form of self-development that we could all benefit from. Eventually, we moved into a bigger place. At one point, there were nine of us living under one roof. I believe that proximity is power. Living with like-minded people has so many payoffs for your future.

3. I signed a 12-month lease on an apartment that I couldn't afford.

When I was 23 years old I struggled with procrastination a lot. Nothing was a “must” for me. I realized that I needed to put more pressure on myself if I wanted to become successful. My back needed to be up against the wall. I had the desire to move into an apartment in downtown Vancouver, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

At the time, I was only making $1,500 per month. The apartment was renting for $1,100 per month. Even though I couldn't afford the apartment, I went for it anyway and signed a 12-month lease. There was no Plan B. I became resourceful and tapped into my creativity. If it meant staying up all night to work and make money, I was willing to do that. I wouldn't recommend doing something like this, but I grew massively as a result.

4. I hired Tony Robbins' son, Jairek, to coach me.

When I was in my 20's, the vision that I had for my life was to one day live in San Diego, CA. I wanted to experience living there so I moved to San Diego for 3 months and stayed in hostels. While I was there, I met Jairek Robbins, Tony Robbins' son. We were both at an event called, Three Feet From Gold.

He invited me to go to an Internet marketing seminar as his guest. I befriended him and hired him to be my coach. I couldn't afford it but I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. As a result of my decision, I had to move out of my apartment because I got into a lot of debt.

5. I lived on my friend's couch for 6-12 months.

This was am embarrassing time in my life, but I humbled myself the best I could. I was in a lot of credit card debt and living from a place of lack. My goal was to get out of debt and that's what I ended up doing. I was willing to make huge sacrifices to get ahead in life, long-term.

Living on my friend's couch meant that I had zero privacy and it didn't feel good. However, I'm so grateful for this time of my life because rock bottom became the foundation upon which I rebuilt my life. I did the work to change my money habits, paid off $15,000 in credit card, and went on to become a millionaire.

6. I hosted a carwash fundraiser to pay for a seminar I couldn't afford.

There was a seminar in New York City that I wanted to attend but I couldn't afford the flight. So I found a way to make the money. I ended up hosting a by-donation carwash fundraiser in Vancouver. My friends and I made some signs and I got an autobody shop to host the carwash.

People would drive by and I would tell them why I was doing the fundraiser. They gave me $20, $50, even $100. In one day I made $800! Simply by being resourceful and asking for help. I was so committed to doing anything to get to that seminar. There were no limits.

7. I worked 48 hours straight, without sleep.

When I was 25 years old, I was traveling throughout Columbia. During this time, my Internet marketing business crashed. I was desperate to make money and I promised myself that I would return to Vancouver better than I was when I left.

I stayed in my room and worked non-stop for one week straight. One night I worked 28 hours straight. I got so immersed in what I was working on to the point that time stopped. This isn't healthy or necessary but I don't regret it. I built so much willpower and strength from this experience.

8. I worked several months straight without a day off.

Last year was the longest stretch I've ever worked without a day off. I was invited by Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi to support them in the launch of a new product. I was one of the top people who promoted the product and, as a result, I went to Fiji and got to spend quality time with Tony.

I worked relentlessly for three months because I wanted the opportunity so badly. In effect, I was willing to do anything to make it happen. My drive wasn't for money or success. I had already achieved both of those things in my online business.

Rather, it was the passion that I had for the project. Tony Robbins has been my mentor since I was 17 years old and now I can say I've worked with him. I still pinch myself. I ended up getting massively burnt out and took a long vacation to get my health back. It was all worth it in the end.

9. I've invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into my self-development.

Books, seminars, courses, coaches, mentors, consultants, naturopaths, supplements, technology, and body healers. You name it, I've invested in it! I will invest in anything if I will believe that it will make my life better. The reason why I do this is that I want to live an extraordinary life.

If that means taking advantage of every opportunity I can, I'm on board. Through self-development, I've discovered so much about myself, others, and the world. I've gone so far as to spend $10,000 to attend a Tony Robbins seminar. I've been to his Unleash The Power Within event 7 times, Business Mastery twice, and Date with Destiny twice.

I even hired one coach for $15,000 just to help me with one block that I had that was preventing me from growing my business. I'm not going to lie… I had a lot of fear about hiring a Project Manager and giving up control. This is why I needed someone to coach me through the process.

This is why I share the value of information and taking action on what you learn. I approach every experience with newness, excitement, optimism, and belief. More importantly. I take massive action, even when I don't have all of the answers. That is the secret to my success.

10. I studied great speakers and transcribed their speeches, word for word.

I would write down speeches, word for word, of great speakers whom I admired. Once I had the speeches transcribed I would recite them out loud and try to emulate their body language, vocal tone, and their gestures. The goal was to become a better speaker.

By modeling greatness, I strengthened my own voice. Before I had a YouTube channel, I also filmed myself speaking so that I could study my words and become more conscious of my communication style. It all paid off. I now have over 1 million subscribers on my YouTube channel!

11. I went to nightclubs alone and sober to meet women, despite being anxious.

When I was 18 years old I met a group of guys on the Internet as part of a message board. They were going out and meeting women together. I was terrified to be a part of this group but I forced myself to overcome my anxiety. Over time, I became very confident.

My personality totally shifted. However, I always needed to have a friend or a wingman with me to approach a woman. I decided to handicap myself so I would go to the hardest environment that I could possibly find to meet women. For me, this was a nightclub.

I would go by myself, with no alcohol, and approach random women to spark conversations. Oftentimes, I was so in my head that I couldn't approach anyone. I was very self-conscious. However, I didn't give up. Eventually, I started attracting women into my life.

12. I took action on everything I learned.

In many ways, I was a very coachable person. I fully trusted every coach or mentor that I had. Whatever they told me to do, I did it. As an example, one of my mentors suggested that I read the book, The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason. In his book, he talks about the importance of taking a percentage of your income and giving it to a charity.

An action like this teaches you that there is more than enough for everyone. You end up living from a place of abundance rather than a place of scarcity. There was a time when I didn't have extra money to donate, but I still did it and took action. Some things worked and others didn't. That being said, the things that worked always outweighed the things that didn't.

13. I met my mentor, Zan Perrion, at his seminar 10 years ago and we are good friends to this day.

When I was 18 years old, I went to Zan Perrion's first-ever seminar in Vancouver. It cost me $500. I brought my laptop, sat in the front row, and wrote out everything that he said as if it was gospel. For two days straight I studied my notes. I shared my notes with Zan and he was blown away.

Surprisingly, I ended up becoming friends with him and interviewed him on my YouTube channel two years ago.

14. I would stay out until 3 am at nightclubs to practice building my confidence with women.

When I was 21 I started my first business, which was called Lifestyle Transformations. It was a dating coaching business for men. I used to do free events in Vancouver called Dating Mastery Seminars every two weeks. Once people came to the seminars, I would sell them on a 3-day boot camp where I would take men in public and help them approach women.

I did that for many years. Our boot camps would end at 2 am. Because I wanted to push myself, I would stay out one hour later. I knew that if I kept practicing my confidence with women, I would grow and become more. In turn, I would be better able to support the men I was coaching.

15. Over a one-year period, I approached 2,000 random women in public and sparked conversations with them.

When I was 18 years old, I was terrified of approaching women. I didn't really care about meeting a woman or going on dates. If I approached enough women, I knew that I would be able to overcome my anxiety interacting with them. Going back to that group of men I met online, I would go out with them 4 days a week.

At this point in my life, I wasn't old enough to go to nightclubs, so I would stand outside the nightclubs and randomly approach women. My only focus was to add value and give them compliments and then walk away. I wasn't trying to get anything.

Every time I went out, I would approach 10-15 women. When I got home, I would journal about my experiences. I would analyze my body language, eye contact, and vocal tone. Every time a woman would react in a certain way, I took responsibility for it. That self-awareness allowed me to improve my communication skills.

16. I faced my fear of talking to strangers by forcing myself to say “Hi” to 3 people in public places.

When I was 18 years old, I worked for my dad in his construction manufacturing business. We made limestone fireplaces for houses. Part of my job was to go to Home Depot to pick up supplies. At the time, I was reading the book, How To Talk To Anyone by Leil Lowndes which gave me the motivation to stretch myself.

When I would go to the store, I would challenge myself to say “Hi” to 3 people before I left. Sometimes it would take me a while because of my anxiety but eventually, I would achieve my goal.

17. I would recite affirmations at the top of my lungs in my car while commuting to work.

Thirty minutes every day I would drive to and from work. I turned my car into a university on wheels, meaning I would listen to audio programs while driving. During this time, I would recite affirmations at the top of my lungs. I would also listen to Roger Love's, Set Your Voice Free audio programs in the car, and do vocal exercises. Roger is the biggest vocal coach in the world.

Today, he is my vocal coach. I've interviewed him twice on my YouTube channel about how to master the perfect voice and how to master public speaking.

18. I took speech pathology classes to improve my ability to project my voice.

When I was young, I was a really bad speaker. I had a lisp and I used to mumble. Thus, when I would go to nightclubs and try talking to women, I struggled to project my voice. Since the music was very loud, it was a very challenging environment for me to adapt to.

I used to hate that I had to lean in for a woman to hear me. As a man, when this happens, you end up communicating at a lower level. I wanted women to lean into me. Thus, I had to work on my voice. At the time, one of my best friends found a vocal coach. We took speech pathology classes to improve our ability to project our voices without straining them. As a result, I was able to command attention at a higher level and speak louder.

19. I trained and competed in two fitness model competitions.

In 2011-2012, I wanted to change my body. At the time, my life coach inspired me to train for a fitness competition. He told me to forget about the result. Instead, just do it for the process and for the person who I would end up becoming. I committed to training for the WBFF Fitness Model Competition.

I hired a nutritional coach and created a serious workout program. I've never been so motivated. I worked out twice per day and tracked every calorie in a spreadsheet. I transformed my body. However, I went too extreme and overtrained. That being said, it was still a powerful journey towards mastering my mind and body.

I committed to something I was afraid to do and I took on the mentality, “If I can't, I must.” Two years later, I did a second competition and trained in a healthier way. It was a great accomplishment in my life.

20. My friend and I each put $500 on the line as a way of holding each other accountable for achieving our goals.

I would have nights where, before we went out, my friend and I would write down the goals that we wanted to achieve when it came to interacting with women. We agreed to approach two mixed groups comprised of men and women. To put pressure on each other, we would go to an ATM and withdraw $500 each as a way of holding each other accountable. If one or both of us didn't follow through, we lost our money.

21. I would study and memorize one-liners to spark conversations with women.

When I was reading the book, The Game, I was learning routines of how to start a conversation with women. In the book, it was suggested that one way of doing this was to ask a woman her opinion on a topic. I would memorize this one-liner when I was communicating with a woman –“Let me get your opinion. Who lies more? Men or women?” It was a great conversation starter. Over time, I learned that it's not what you say, but how you say it that matters.

These are the 21 crazy, extreme actions I took to become successful.

I am proud to say that I have committed my entire life to self-development. If something was ever difficult or challenging, I was willing to do it, if it meant that I would become a better person. Who I am today is because of these 21 actions that I took.

I have grown tremendously over the years, but I still consider myself to be a learner. Don't stop learning. Don't stop growing, and never forget that everything happens for a reason. Be grateful for your life experiences, as crazy and extreme as they may be.

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