SPEAKERS

Clint Murphy

Clint Murphy  00:10

Today we’re going to talk about a secret. The secret is how to achieve big dreams with the smallest steps. 

Clint Murphy  00:18

I’ve used this method to achieve triathlons, ultramarathons, be promoted to CFO and to become a multi millionaire. So let’s get right into it. 

Clint Murphy  00:27

I recently had a coffee conversation with a colleague. She asked me a question that really got me thinking, how have I been able to achieve some of the things I have in life? Specifically, she wanted to know how I take those first steps when so many people are afraid to start. 

Clint Murphy  00:46

Think about it, the first step should always be the easiest, but it’s often the hardest. 

Clint Murphy  00:53

She may have been referencing a post where I introduced myself and shared some of the goals I’ve accomplished over the last 12 years. I’ll just name a few of them for you, becoming a CFO, completing an Ironman, running ultra marathons, writing my first novel, launching a podcast, owning ten million worth of real estate, building a multi-millionaire net worth, all while being a husband and father to two sons. 

Clint Murphy  01:15

But here’s the thing, what she forgot is that I’m 46 years old now. When you’re 30, you can’t compare yourself to someone who’s 46 it’s not a fair comparison. You’re comparing your step F to their step Y. And if you’re 20, it’s even worse, you’re still on step B. So why is this relevant? 

Clint Murphy  01:34

Because most of the goals that I’ve achieved in my life were achieved over the last 12 years. That means for the first 34 years, I barely achieved anything, and that’s not entirely fair. 

Clint Murphy  01:46

I’d laid the foundation, I became a CPA, earned a master’s degree, got married and had two kids, was promoted to director of finance, and I owned a townhouse in a nice area. I’d also learned how to build my get shit done muscle by completing an iron knit. But I’d also hit a ceiling I couldn’t crack through to that next level. 

Clint Murphy  02:04

It wasn’t until I was forced to part ways with the company I was at 12 years ago that things started to change. 

Clint Murphy  02:11

In reality, when I looked back, I’d been fired, and it put my family in a rough spot. But you know what? Getting fired was the best thing that could have happened, it put us on the right track and led to what I call deep growth. 

Clint Murphy  02:27

So what is deep growth? Over the last 15 years, I’ve experienced a few major life inflection points, and every time I’ve learned something new that allowed me to take my life to the next level. 

Clint Murphy  02:41

To me, deep growth is about focusing on three key areas, your hardware, software, and operating system. Let’s break that down. 

Clint Murphy  02:50

It all starts with your hardware. Literally, your hardware is determined in your childhood. In your early life, you develop coping mechanisms that serve you then, which don’t often serve you now. 

Clint Murphy  03:04

As Carl Jung said, Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate. Until you fix your hardware, you don’t control your life. You’re controlled by your conditioning. 

Clint Murphy  03:18

To upgrade your hardware, you need to engage in therapy, journaling, shadow work, self reflection, just to name a few. You need to understand your blind spots and what has shaped your life to this point. You can’t change your hardware until you understand it.

Clint Murphy  03:35

Software. Your software is your conscious thought, and seriously, most of us need to upgrade it. There’s a quote by Robin S. Sharma that I love “The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.” Upgrading my software was what allowed me to break through the barriers in my life. In fact, it’s what allowed me to remove the concept of barriers altogether. 

Clint Murphy  03:58

David Foster Wallace once said that the choice of what to think about is essentially our greatest power. The exact same experience can mean two totally different things to two totally different people. The only thing that’s capital T true is that you get to decide how you’re going to try to see it. Think about that for a second. 

Clint Murphy  04:18

You have the power to choose what you think, you have the power to choose how you’ll respond. It’s why one of the books I recommend most often is feeling good, the new mood therapy. It taught me how to upgrade my software. 

Clint Murphy  04:34

Here are some things you can do to upgrade your software: meditate, practice mindfulness, engage in breath exercises, practice, thought, auditing, study, Buddhism and Stoicism. 

Clint Murphy  04:44

The last one I’ll take you through is operating systems. Once you resolve your hardware and software, it’s time to get to work on your operating systems. This is the easiest of the three areas, but it’s also where too many people focus first off into their detriment. 

Clint Murphy  05:00

They’re totally consumed by the hacks and the shortcuts in the ways to get things done without actually doing the deep work. To understand, are they working on the right thing? Are they working on what will serve them best, and are they in control of what they’re working on? 

Clint Murphy  05:18

This is where you find the hustle brothers who are obsessed with productivity, hacks and shortcuts without first focusing on what to focus on. 

Clint Murphy  05:26

As Peter Drucker said, efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing. You need to be effective before you worry about being efficient. If you haven’t resolved your hardware and software and you only focus on operating systems, you’re going to be the most productive person going in the wrong direction. 

Clint Murphy  05:46

Let me repeat that one more time. You’re going to be the most productive person going in the wrong direction. 

Clint Murphy  05:53

My biggest takeaway, whether it was completing an Ironman, climbing the corporate ladder, or growing my family as well, it all came down to a simple formula. I need to know what I want. I need to understand what it takes, and I need to do the work day in day out, to improve my operating systems, or to improve your operating systems. 

Clint Murphy  06:12

Read these books and start today. Ultra Learning by Scott H young, Atomic Habits by James clear and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. 

Clint Murphy  06:22

Remember, it’s never too late to start where you are, whether you’re 20, 30, or 45. The key is to take that first step and keep moving forward. 

Clint Murphy  06:36

If you like the podcast, you’ll love the newsletter, The Growth Guide every Thursday, straight to your inbox with the goal to help you be better, achieve more and become financially free. Check it out at our website, www.thegrowth.guide, subscribe and learn more.