The 2,000 Year Old Reason You'll Never Succeed.

You’ll never succeed…without understanding this.

I know I know…that sounds harsh.

But countless people & companies have failed to understand this 2,000-year-old concept and ended up destroying themselves in the process.

And if you can grasp this concept, it will fast-track your way to success and self-mastery.

Not to mention it will also prevent you from crashing & burning when you get to the top. (like many do)

Let me explain this concept to you with a company you’ve probably heard of…Blockbuster.

The Seneca Effect & The Story of Blockbuster.

In 1985, David Cook opened a tiny video rental store on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas.

Over the next 15 years, Blockbuster grew, and grew, and grew.

By 1997, it had become a 6,500-location mega-chain that dominated the video rental market.

This wasn’t an overnight success story. It was the result of a decade and a half of growth, adaption, and scaling.

And everything seemed to be on the up and up from there.

At least it seemed…

The One Mistake That Would Bring Down a Giant…

Maybe it was the executives at Blockbuster letting their egos get to their heads…

Or maybe it was simply ignorance…

But in hindsight, this ONE mistake would be the death of Blockbuster…

In 1997, Netflix was born.

An innovative online video-rental service that would ship movie rentals right to your doorstep.

The executives at Blockbuster scoffed at the tiny startup company.

Nobody believed that Netlfix would ever become anything close to the $180 billion mega-giant it is today…

That’s why in 2000 when Netflix offered to sell to Blockbuster for $50 million, the offer was soundingly rejected.

Just 5 years later, Blockbuster had lost 75% of its market share.

Every year after 2005, Blockbuster began losing stores.

By 2010, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy with $1 billion in debt.

What Can We Learn From This?

It takes years of blood, sweat, and tears to become successful. Most of us know that.

But what happens when you “make it”?

What happens when you “reach the peak”?

The problem with success is it provides the motivation to stop growing.

And as the Former President of the Soviet Union famously said…

Even when you start getting attention, making great money, and hitting your goals - you can’t tell yourself “I made it”.

That is the moment you begin to spiral out of control back into the abyss.

Most People STOP Learning After College. (And Why You Should Always Be Learning)

The average Joe graduates from college.

They say to themselves, “I’ve made it, finally I’m done learning”.

This is what keeps most people average.

Learning isn’t a classroom or piece of paper, it’s a lifestyle.

The minute you stop learning is the minute you subscribe yourself to a life of mediocrity.

Final Thoughts

If we want to be exceptional and stay there, we’ll need to consistently strive to be better.

The biggest killer of success is ego.

If you think you know everything when you haven’t achieved anything, you’ll never be successful.

If you think you know everything when you are successful, you won’t stay there for long.

My biggest takeaway from the Seneca Effect is 3 words: Always Be Learning.

I hope this week’s Modern Productivity Letter changed your perspective or gave you just a bit more clarity in this ‘big thing’ we call life.

See you next week,

-Matt “Blockbuster” Harriman

PS:

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

1. Grab my FREE self-reflection guide to break your burnout & make consistent progress in life & business easy.

2. Check out my Consistency System which I’ve used to build amazing habits that have helped me scale my personal brand & add several pounds of muscle in the last 5 months.

3. Book a 1-1 Strategy Session to gain clarity on your routine, habits, and systems.