Discretion is the Better Part of Blazing!
This article is not for someone who smokes a doobie after their boring-ass corporate job, yet is content with their career trajectory. This article is also not for a billionaire bong toker who can outsource all the drudgery of entrepreneurship to paid underlings.
This article is for the “Average Joe”, who lights that phat blunt with his buddies, ironically discussing their entrepreneurial dreams - while unaware that his excessive pot use - could insidiously undermine these very same dreams from ever getting off the ground!
What I’m Not Saying I’m not saying you have to give up smoking joints at parties, festivals, concerts, or before your next orgy. What I am saying is, that there is no world where an “Average Joe” can achieve his or her entrepreneurial dreams if one is emulating Snoop Dog’s proclivity to puff ganja.
Entrepreneurial Success is Way Harder Than You Think When you have a so-called “million-dollar idea” for a new business venture, there’s way more involved in fulfilling that dream than many realize. Your entrepreneurial dream is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s take this e-newsletter you are kindly reading.
Every Substacker’s Struggle Writing is the easy part, as it is natural to me. (Don’t conflate “easy” with “fast”, especially when you are writing and proposing counterintuitive and counterculture concepts to start a new Workers’ Rights movement for a diverse readership like this publication, which has subscribers in multiple states and countries.) That said, the best writer on Substack may not be the most successful writer in popularity, critical acclaim, or revenue.
For those of us who want our e-newsletters to be a revenue stream, lurking under the water, is the glacier of undesirable toil I must become somewhat proficient in, to achieve this goal.
Here’s a list of the other essential components I must learn to execute adequately to make this e-newsletter a sustainable income stream. Honestly, many of the below skills are WAY out of my comfort zone of expertise:
Web Development
Email Marketing
Content Marketing
Lead Generation
Sales
Mass Social Media Marketing
Becoming an Influencer
10 other things that I can’t think of now!
Movies Don’t Show The Unglamorous Side of Entrepreneurial HUSTLE
All of this sh*t requires immense time, energy, and assistance. Often, learning these skills is boring and complicated - and takes time away from creating engaging content. I got in this game to be a profitable writer, not some 3rd rate social media salesman.
People dedicate ENTIRE CAREERS to usually ONE of these specialties, often with years of education and on-the-job training, before they become experts in their field. Here I am with temerity and idiocy to think I can self-teach ALL of these necessary things to make this a successful business - on top of all the other demands in my life!
Every time I see that stupid Wix commercial about “Create your own website with AI and have it go live online in minutes”, I want to barf. You know what that ad doesn’t tell you? The website AI creates for you in minutes…is generic, uninspiring, and boilerplate. If one were to use Wix AI to generate an escort website in minutes, even Charlie Sheen would ignore it, and return to the Ho Stroll.
If that weren’t enough, you must manage your bad habits and vices - on top of your innate shortcomings, time constraints, energy depletion, and resource needs.
If you have a day job and want to build a self-sustaining business, you already know your time to invest in your passion project is limited.
For those who are between jobs, your time is not endless either. It’s really easy for days to blend into weeks, while you are semi-isolated with limited accountability. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself in “Procrastination Land” population of 1, no closer to realizing your dream.
Vices - Yes, Undisciplined 420 Usage Qualifies
This brings me to unchecked marijuana usage. Marijuana usage is glorified everywhere. It pervades our social circles. It becomes a crutch for anxiety relief or even insomnia. It becomes an activity when paired with something else.
Here are 5 reasons you should regulate your 420 usage if you want to be an entrepreneur.
Reduced Motivation and Productivity: Marijuana can lead to decreased productivity levels. Excessive usage may result in reduced drive; hindering an entrepreneur's ability to stay motivated, set goals, and accomplish tasks necessary for business success.
Do you think Elon Musk fired up a bowl while creating electric cars and launching rockets to the moon to augment his productivity?
Reduced Energy Levels: Excessive marijuana use can lead to decreased energy levels and feelings of lethargy, making it more challenging for entrepreneurs to maintain the stamina required to tackle demanding tasks and meet deadlines.
Did you know Steve Jobs smoked a spliff on every lunch break while inventing the iPhone to spike his energy levels? Not!
Disrupted Focus and Concentration: Marijuana use can impair focus and concentration, making it difficult for entrepreneurs to stay attentive and engaged in their work. This lack of focus can result in suboptimal productivity, errors, and inefficiencies in completing business-related responsibilities.
Early in Michael Jordan’s career, his 3-point shot was the weakest part of his game. Something tells me MJ would never let unchecked “Mary Jane” usage interfere with his determination to turn his biggest weakness into a strength, a feat he accomplished later in his career.
Procrastination and Time Management Issues: Rampant marijuana use may contribute to procrastination and poor time management. Entrepreneurs can find themselves spending excessive amounts of time engaged in marijuana-related activities, leading to neglect of important business tasks and deadlines.
Any chronic toker knows after the first hour of euphoria and “the giggles” subside, slowed reaction time, muddled thinking, ravenous munchies, increases in libido, and sleepiness - all come home to roost. Are any of these distracting side effects beneficial to dealing with the myriad of challenges you’ll inevitably face in making your dream a reality?
Short-Term Memory Impairment: Marijuana use can cause short-term memory impairment, obstructing an entrepreneur's ability to retain and recall important information, such as client details, market trends, or business strategies. This can even impact decision-making and problem-solving in entrepreneurial endeavors. I doubt Barack Obama inhaled “wacky tobaccy” before meeting with world leaders and lawmakers interspersed in his daily routine. Conclusion Outside of rare outliers, many accomplished people or entrepreneurs simply don’t smoke 3 blunts a day, 7 days a week, all year long. Such high-achievers don’t have the time or energy to waste on the yellow brick road of success.
Unless you are a lucky schmuck who wins the lottery, it will take you operating at your top faculties and most efficiently to have even a chance to reach your career nirvana. Even at your best, you still need God’s Blessing (for believers) and a lot of luck, timing, good fortune, and chance (everybody else) to achieve your innermost business fantasies.
Success is rare and sought after for a reason, because most never come close to attaining. Read that line twice. Therefore, give yourself a fighting chance at getting everything you want and earmark specific and LIMITED times, such as social events or OCCASIONALLY before bed, to mess with the reefer. Who knows? One day you’ll be so successful, you can hire Snoop Dog to become your brand ambassador! At that point, feel free to smoke 80 blunts a day with “The Doggfather”, as purported. I got next in that cipher!
A neon pot leaf in all its radiance.
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