Category: Mindset

Do you have a todo list? In the past I’ve always found my todo list grew faster than the number of things I could ever possibly do.

I imagine that’s much the same for everyone – at least that’s what I hear.

Then one day I realised why – Complete Subservience to the Opportunity God (Og).

Og does us no favours. Og is ready and waiting for the Procrastination God (Pg).

As soon as Pg is around, Og shows up and we’re off to the metaphorical races.

The problem is, the races are not our races, they’re Og’s. And boy does Og know a thing or two about winning races.

So next time you’ve been struck by the Pg, ignore the Og and create your own race. That way it will be a race to the top and not the bottom.

Ray Dalio started and headed the world’s most successful hedge fund. It’s called Bridgewater. Most people have never heard of it.

They manage 160 billion dollars of other people’s money and have moved relentlessly in one direction – upwards. That’s over the last 40 years.

How do you get to be that successful in such a tricky market (hedge funds are notoriously hard to run)?

You use principles. But not the type you and I use. The type that’s honest and scientific to the core (not made up in our heads and full of self-bias and delusion).

Ray uses a lens different from the rest of us. We see things through our own eyes. He sees them through the eyes of an observer.

We come up with questions like “how come they’re doing so well and we aren’t?”. Or “how do I get new clients when I’m just starting out?” (nothing wrong with those questions, it’s how we’re wired).

Ray asks “what’s the cause of the pain we’re currently feeling?”, followed by “what can we do next that will stop that pain?”, followed by “and how can we measure if it worked or not?”, followed by “and how can we make sure it never happens again?”.

That’s a different way of looking at life. Try it next time you’re stuck.

 

Never be afraid to contact people no matter how important or authoritative you think they are. I’ve made amazing contacts using this mindset.

For example, I’m now in direct contact with the CEO of a major £300m publishing business.

And all because I followed up on an invite put out on a podcast. As a result I’ve got a meeting with their international business director.

I didn’t say anything special, I just asked about something he’d mentioned and that I was doing a keynote in London next week.

You might say “Oh, you’re a keynote speaker. Well that’s not surprising then…” – but it is surprising. Keynote speakers are two a penny (never be afraid to contact keynote speakers).

The one thing I realised a decade ago was that under our clothes we’re all human. Strip away the glamour and trinkets and that’s all that’s left.

We’re all fearful of certain things. We all get excited about certain things. We all get sad.

We all get happy.

But above all, we all need others around us (the real recluse is an extremely rare beast).

I had “respect” for authority beaten into me at school (literally) and it took me 35 years to beat it back out again.

This is why compassion and empathy are the most important mental tools I know. You cannot fail in business if you adopt these things.

It’s Just As Hard At The Top As It Is At The Bottom

If you are stuck in your new copywriting career and not sure what to do next, remember this one idea, it is just as hard at the top as it is at the bottom. Olympians still need trainers. Pros need coaches and mentors, not because they are weak, but because they want to grow without guessing.

That is why it is easy to poke holes in other people’s work, and so hard to do it for ourselves. We all need help getting out of their own way. You are not alone.

Why Top And Bottom Feel The Same

Beginners and veterans wrestle with many of the same challenges, only the stakes change. The feelings do not go away, they just get more subtle.

Challenge	At the Bottom	At the Top
Clarity	What should I write, who am I writing for	Which hill to die on, how to focus a complex project
Confidence	Imposter syndrome on first client	Pressure to outperform your last win, fear of plateau
Feedback	No trusted reviewers, random opinions	Too much deference, not enough honest critique
Process	No repeatable system	Systems get bloated, hard to change what once worked
Visibility of blind spots	Unknown unknowns everywhere	Success hides flaws, small leaks become expensive

Why Coaches, Mentors, And Trainers Matter

Even elite performers use guidance to see what they cannot see. In copy, that extra set of eyes saves time, reputation, and money.

Role	Primary Focus	How They Help Copywriters
Trainer	Skills and reps	Daily drills, headline sprints, voice exercises, briefs to sharpen speed
Coach	Process and mindset	Goal setting, debriefs, overcoming blocks, structuring your workflow
Mentor	Direction and judgment	Positioning, pricing, client selection, career moves, pattern recognition

Quick Case Studies

New Copywriter, First Clients

Sam had two small retainers and constant doubt. A mentor reviewed one landing page per week, pointed out muddled value props, and gave a three point checklist. Within six weeks, Sam shipped faster, raised rates by 20 percent, and booked a larger retainer.

Seasoned Pro, Flat Results

Taylor had big wins, then a dry spell. A coach audited Taylor’s research process, found shallow voice-of-customer notes, and added a simple interview script. The next launch used richer language, beat the control by 18 percent, and restored momentum.

Getting Out Of Your Own Way

You do not need to wait for perfect confidence, you need a small plan. Try this simple loop.

1. Define the job, write a one sentence brief that states audience, promise, and outcome.
2. Draft fast, set a 30 minute timer, write without editing.
3. Park it, take a ten minute break, then return as an editor.
4. Edit with a checklist, clarity, proof, offer, CTA, objections, next step.
5. Get outside eyes, ask for one thing to cut, one thing to clarify, one thing to strengthen.

What To Post When You Ask For Help

Specific requests get specific answers. Use this structure when you post in a group or to a mentor.

• Goal, what success looks like, click, reply, booked call
• Audience, who they are and what they care about
• Draft, paste the copy or link to the doc
• Constraints, word count, tone, brand rules
• Targeted questions, which headline is clearer, where does it drag

Template you can copy, Audience, goal, draft link, two questions. Thank you.

Self Coaching Prompts

When you cannot get live feedback, use these quick prompts.

• What is the one job of this piece, did I do only that
• Where would a skeptical reader stop, did I handle that moment
• What is the most concrete proof here, can I make it more specific
• If I had to cut 25 percent, what goes, what actually gets better
• What is the next click, reply, or step, is it obvious and easy

Simple Weekly Practice Plan

Consistency beats intensity. Keep it light and steady.

• Monday, 10 headline reps from customer language
• Wednesday, one page teardown of a control you admire
• Friday, ship one micro asset, email, hook ideas, bullets
• Weekend, one mentor touchpoint, a question, a review, or a short call

You Are Not Alone

Ask any questions you like in the Facebook Science of Copywriting group. I will help if I can, and many others will too. Keep moving, keep asking, keep practicing.