Through these daily blogs, I routinely emphasize the three promises I make to people:
- I’ll always be truthful.
- I’ll never ask anyone to do anything that I’m not doing.
- I’ll never ask anyone to pay me a penny.
People going through any crisis—whether financial, personal, or professional—need examples that help them believe a pathway exists through adversity. They shouldn’t have to pay for that information. Overcoming any challenge requires following a principled path, executing incremental steps, and believing that more opportunities exist in the future than in the past.
But as a great classic rock tune tells us:
“It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.”
And that long way includes ups and downs. If we’re committed to our path, we must constantly assess our decisions, strategies, and adjustments along the way.
Tracking Progress
The accountability logs I publish keep my finger on the pulse of progress. By recording daily activities, I can see whether I’m moving forward toward my short-term and long-term goals.
One area where this is evident is in my financial accountability sheets. The equity in my stock and Bitcoin account fluctuates, sometimes dramatically. Here are some key highlights from my January accountability sheet under the equity-change-on-the-day column:
- January 2, 2025: +$70,278.70
- January 3, 2025: +$82,534.47
- January 6, 2025: +$118,480.82
- January 7, 2025: -$163,392.72
- January 8, 2025: -$55,002.04
- January 15, 2025: +$84,735.93
- January 17, 2025: +$144,235.07
- January 20, 2025: -$86,862.60
- January 22, 2025: -$149,317.17
- January 23, 2025: +$87,588.83
- January 26, 2025: -$85,922.99
- January 27, 2025: -$106,646.58
- January 31, 2025: -$70,937.35
At different points in January, my portfolio experienced significant swings:
- On January 19, 2025, my equity reached a high of $362,326.21.
- By the last day of the month, my account had only grown by $39,119.94.
The volatility might discourage some people. It doesn’t affect me in the same way, whether the swings are up or down. During the decades I served in prison, I learned how to manage adversity. Regardless of how successful we are one day, we can always be sure that more struggles and adversity will come. Those experiences helped me to detach emotions from short-term outcomes and focus on the long-term result I want to achieve.
Staying the Course
One of the most important lessons I learned from Marshall Goldsmith’s What Got You Here Won’t Get You There is that past success doesn’t guarantee future success. We have to keep evolving, adjusting, and staying intentional.
Similarly, Jim Collins taught me the power of momentum through his concept of the flywheel effect. At first, pushing a heavy flywheel feels impossible. But with consistent effort, the wheel picks up speed, power, and inertia—eventually turning with little effort. Investments work the same way. Some days are up, some days are down—but if we stay true to our strategy, we always move forward, even if we choose to book a loss.
These lessons that I learned while in prison keep me focused even when my financial charts aren’t constantly moving up and to the right.
Regardless of market jitters, I remain a big believer in two transformative asset classes:
- Bitcoin – A decentralized, deflationary asset that challenges traditional financial models.
- Artificial Intelligence – A revolutionary technology that will reshape industries for decades.
Because of my belief in these asset classes, I continue to build an equity position in both. But as the numbers show, I am not a financial advisor, and I do not give financial advice. Instead, I stay committed to investing in myself, learning every day, and making decisions that align with my long-term vision of success.
Part of the Journey
Anyone working toward a major goal—whether in business, health, personal growth, or investing—needs to expect ups and downs.
The key is to:
- Stay focused on the long-term vision.
- Refuse to get distracted by short-term noise.
- Keep pushing forward, even when things seem difficult.
“A setback is just a setup for a comeback.”
If you’re working toward your own success, I encourage you to track your progress, make adjustments where needed, and stay committed to your path—no matter the short-term ups and downs. We teach those steps in our course on Preparing for Success after Prison, and in our Straight-A Guide.
Self-Directed Learning Question:
- How do you handle volatility—whether in finances, personal goals, or life challenges?
- What strategies can you implement today to stay focused on your long-term success?