HOW TO BREAK THROUGH

Hey Side Hustler, today we’re going to do something different.

I want to talk about a common frustration I see all the time. Something that affected me for years. Still does occasionally.

It’s stuckness. 

I just got off the phone with a young entrepreneur. Outwardly, he has it all. Real estate, great income, family, amazing house, friends.

Inside, he’s lost. Not sure of this purpose. His mission. What is all this for?

You ever feel that way? Ok, you’re lying if you said no.

But a lot of people I know feel this A LOT. So many opportunities, paths, options, problems, risks. It’s overwhelming.

All of them look enticing. Or none of them do. You need a breakthrough.

Clarity.

Frustrating isn’t it?

Here’s what I do.

First off, we rarely take time to think anymore. Just sit down and think. It’s a shame, but our society has implied that it’s wasted time. Just sitting around not being ‘productive’.

But we need it. Here’s how I do it: I drive. My mind loves an open road, a little music, and a problem. I cannot, no how, no way, figure out the big answers in front of my computer.

I need space, light background noise, music, and a task that commands about half my attention. I do it with hiking and biking too, but driving is where my thoughts coalesce really well. I think for a while, then I open up my voice memo app and then I just… talk. I pretend like I’m presenting this problem to someone I know. The process of forming the words helps me work it out.

One of my partners loves hot showers. When he needs thinking time he might take 3-4 long showers a day. Then he hops out and makes notes.

I love writing to work things out too. I’ll often come back to the office after a driving session and just pound out 2000 words on what I need to do.

Then I’ll generally talk to a friend or partner. Lay it out. By then I’ve eliminated a few options, the truly bad ideas fall away. I usually have things down to two options by then, and laying them out to a trusted friend, answering their questions, usually makes the answer obvious.

But there are big existential questions that require more.

Should I sell my business? Quit my job? Quit my marriage??

For these times I need regular stillness. I used to call it meditation, but that carried this weird expectation that I had to be exploring the cosmos or focusing on my nose or some shit. That ain’t it. I have the attention span of a gerbil on Mountain Dew.

So now, I just lay down in my office, right on the damn floor, and be still. I focus on my breath a little, but that fades after a while. I have some soothing music on my noise-cancelling headphones, something to settle me in. I let thoughts come and go. I dont’ stress about focusing on one thing or achieving some weird mental state. And by letting all that go, I achieve a very peaceful mental state.

One rule: no getting up or messing with my phone for 15 minutes, more if I can. If a ‘to-do’ or SOMETHING THAT MUST BE DONE NOW pops up, too damn bad, spanky, let it go. If its really important, it will come back later.

Believe me, in the beginning it SUCKED. 15 minutes felt like 100. But now, the time slips by. Now I can do 30 minutes. Before long I’ll do 60. And these big existential questions come up. And I think about them. And I think about their second order effects. WHAT IF??

And then I pretend I have a big fat broom in my head and I sweep these thoughts away. I reset. I may do that 20 times in 15 minutes. It’s fine. I sweep away negative thoughts (Why are you laying on the floor when you should be crushing your to-do list, IDIOT??).

And slowly at first, then suddenly in the end, the answers come. The answers always come to the unbothered mind.

This may sound a little foo-foo woo-woo but it works for me. I have very little stress now.

But maybe you need more, maybe you are struggling and no amount of stillness or shower marathons will help.

For you, I have one other option. I have talked openly about my experience with psychedelics, specifically psilocybin.

To be blunt, it has rewired my brain. I am at peace and full of patience and love, and yet have never been more mission-oriented in my life and businesses.

I have clarity. I have purpose. And now one of my missions to bring this option to more people.

So if you’re curious about this, and want to learn more, we have a session coming up July 17-19 in Colorado. You can read about what we do, and what it can do for you, at Breakthrough.so 

Feel free to read through my letter, and ask me questions here.

It could lead you to the breakthrough you need.

Kriss Berg

PS: I know the whole psychedelic thing is probably weird for you. That’s ok, I get it. It was weird for me too.

There is an alternative. It’s more conventional but can be equally effective.

My good friend is a former elite military operator and has a program that can give you the motivation, accountability, and clarity you need to level up this year.

I have a couple friends in his program and they love it. A mutual friend said this week “This program is the only thing keeping me going some days”

You can see if it’s right for you here: http://Try.uncommonelite.com