Throwback: Why Hard Work Beats Happiness Every Time | Ep 918

Stop chasing happiness and focus on being useful to others—this will build real confidence and mastery. Alex Hormozi explains that skills require putting in heavy reps: doing the hard work repeatedly until you no longer suck and become genuinely useful.

He shares how confidence comes from having "a stack of undeniable proof" by practicing the work so much it becomes natural and boring. For example, giving hundreds of presentations or editing intensively until the work is refined perfectly builds intrinsic motivation and satisfaction.

Striving for mastery means embracing discomfort and long-term effort, letting go of instant gratification, and recognizing that the work itself eventually becomes rewarding. Alex says, "I stopped trying to be happy. I'm actually okay with being unhappy," allowing action despite that feeling.

Learn the "input-output equation" of any skill—what you must do repeatedly to get better—and commit fully to that process. This hard work beats fleeting happiness every time and leads to lasting personal growth.

• Stop chasing happiness as your main goal and accept being uncomfortable or unhappy while improving yourself.
• Focus on being useful to others, which drives self-improvement and meaningful action beyond your own feelings.

• Caleb disliked public speaking but significantly improved by tripling prep time and increasing slides.
• He realized laziness, not lack of skill, was the barrier to his improvement.