There Is No Shortcut to Success (You’ll Have to Take the Long Way Around)
Most people spend years trying to find the shortcut, the hack, or the loophole.
People cling to this idea of a “one thing” that will change everything overnight.
But after more than a decade of working, building, failing, restarting, and learning the hard way, I’ve realized something:
The long way around is usually the straight line, because most shortcuts eventually turn into detours.
Why the “Shortcut” Mentality Fails
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a friend about life, work, and where we thought we’d be by now.
We’ve both been working professionally for around 13 years.
And while a lot of good things have happened, neither of us fully arrived at the destination we imagined for ourselves.
Looking back, I can clearly see where I drifted off course:
- Spending money on things that offered no return
- Investing in the wrong people
- Chasing distractions
- Moving away from my actual priorities
- Trying to force outcomes instead of building steadily
Thankfully, most of my mistakes were recoverable and not all mistakes are.
Some decisions permanently alter the course of your life. Such as:
- Addiction to hard drugs.
- Massive financial mistakes.
- Having a child with the wrong person.
- Career-ending choices.
- Life-changing injuries.
THOSE are the kinds of situations where you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.
Regardless, the point I’m trying to make is this: every time I tried to avoid the straight line, I eventually had to backtrack and return to the exact point where I left it.
The Straight Line Philosophy
The straight line is not about getting somewhere instantly.
It’s about doing things:
- The right way
- In the right order
- With consistency over time
That’s it.
People often misunderstand this concept because they confuse “working intelligently” with chasing fantasy shortcuts.
There’s nothing wrong with:
- Learning faster
- Using better tools
- Improving efficiency
- Reducing unnecessary friction
But trying to skip foundational work entirely almost always fails.
You can’t go from New York City to Beijing without getting on a plane.
You can’t graduate from college when you haven’t finished grade school.
Most meaningful outcomes work the same way.
Social Media, Trends, and the Illusion of Fast Success
One of the biggest reasons people abandon the straight line is because of trends.
Social media constantly rewards novelty. Every few months, there’s a new revolution that’s supposedly about to change everything forever.
We saw it and are seeing it with:
- NFTs
- The Metaverse
- Pandemic-era hype cycles
- AI “get rich quick” content
- Viral online business models
Every trend gets framed like this.
That doesn’t mean new technologies are useless. AI absolutely matters and blockchain technology is important.
But hype becomes dangerous when people mistake temporary excitement for timeless principles.
The Universal Principles That Never Change
Around age 23, I started asking myself a different question:
“What things will still be true no matter what decade it is?”
I kept coming back to the same answers:
- Delayed gratification
- Consistency
- Patience
- Focus
- Time
- The long way around
These universal principles governed human behavior long before social media existed, and they’ll still matter long after current trends disappear.
My Biggest Business Mistake: Chasing Social Media Instead of Owned Assets
One of the clearest examples for me abandoning the straight line happened while building Unstoppable Rise, relatively recently actually.
For years, organic search and long-form content worked well for me.
But when traffic declined, I started chasing audience growth on social media instead.
I leaned heavily into Twitter in late 2021 because it was writing-focused and seemed like the logical platform for my brand.
At first, it worked:
- Audience growth ☝️
- Better engagement 📊
- More subscribers🧍♂️
- More creator connections 🤝
Then the algorithm changed in 2023.
Organic visibility collapsed almost overnight.
Posts that once performed well suddenly became invisible.
But instead of pulling back, I doubled down.
As an experiment, I committed to:
- Posting multiple times daily
- Commenting constantly
- Creating endless content
- Spending huge amounts of time maintaining momentum
All for a 6 month time period. Just to see if it was me or if it was “the algorithm”.
Meanwhile, the thing that actually created long-term value, my website, was neglected.
That was the mistake.
I already knew the straight line when it came to building a brand:
- Build owned assets
- Build an email list
- Improve the offer
- Drive qualified traffic
- Create durable value
- Do it over time
But I still got distracted.
And after months of grinding, the direct financial return was tiny.
That experience reinforced something important:
You can’t build your future on rented platforms.
Algorithms change.
Visibility disappears.
The straight line was always creating real value directly.
The Same Principle Applies to Dating, Finances, Fitness, and Self-Development
The long way around shows up everywhere.
Dating
When I was younger, I sabotaged interactions with women because I tried to perform instead of being authentic.
The moment I stopped being myself, the chemistry disappeared.
The straight line was authenticity, not performance.
Fitness and Bodybuilding
In fitness, I constantly searched for the “optimal” routine.
But the formula was always simple:
To gain weight: eat more calories than you burn.
To lose weight: eat fewer calories than you burn.
If you don’t know your basal metabolic rate (BMR) try this TDEE calculator on for size.
Then, add:
- Consistent, proper training
- Progressive overload
- Eat enough
- Sleep enough
- Give it time
No hack bypasses those fundamentals.
Whether someone uses a trainer, meal plan, supplements, or medication, the core principles still apply.
Luckily, I found that lesson out in my early 20s.
People want hacks because consistency feels boring.
But consistency is usually what actually works.
Financial Success
Most financial advice is overly complicated these days.
The core formula is much simpler:
- Develop a skill people will pay for
- Build a product or service people value
- Increase your earning ability over time
- Save and invest the difference
That’s the foundation.
Everything else is optimization.
Conclusion + Wrapping Up
At the end of the day, the things that consistently carried me through difficult periods were:
- Discipline
- Effort
- Consistency
Whenever I consistently took action did what needed to be done, I eventually moved forward.
Maybe not on my timeline, but still on time.
Whether it was:
- Building a business
- Improving socially
- Learning music
- Developing skills
The formula never changed.
Time. Effort. Consistency.
That’s the long and short of it.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Long Way Around
What does “the long way around” mean?
“The long way around” refers to achieving goals through consistent effort, patience, and proper fundamentals instead of chasing shortcuts, hacks, or unrealistic quick wins.
Why do shortcuts usually fail?
Shortcuts often fail because they skip foundational work.
Many “fast” solutions create bigger problems later, forcing people to restart or backtrack.
What is the straight line philosophy?
The straight line philosophy is the idea that long-term success comes from:
- Consistency
- Patience
- Delayed gratification
- Doing things in the right order
- Staying focused on fundamentals
It is the quickest way to achieve your goals.
How do social media trends distract people?
How do social media trends distract people?
Social media platforms reward novelty and hype, which can cause people to chase temporary trends instead of building durable skills, assets, and systems that create long-term value.
Why are owned assets more valuable than social media platforms?
Owned assets like websites, email lists, and products give you control.
Social media platforms can change algorithms at any time, reducing your visibility overnight.
What are examples of universal success principles?
Examples include:
- Consistency
- Delayed gratification
- Patience
- Discipline
- Focus
- Continuous improvement
These principles remain effective regardless of trends or technology changes.
How does the straight line philosophy apply to fitness?
In fitness, the straight line means:
- Training consistently
- Eating appropriately for your goals
- Sleeping enough
- Progressively improving over time
Instead of constantly searching for hacks or perfect routines.
How does authenticity relate to self-development?
Authenticity creates stronger relationships and better long-term confidence.
Performing or pretending to be someone else often creates disconnection and instability.
What is the biggest mistake people make in self-development?
One of the biggest mistakes is abandoning fundamentals in search of faster results.
Many people already know what works but struggle to apply it consistently over time.
What is the real formula for long-term success?
The real formula is usually simple:
- Choose a meaningful goal
- Stay focused
- Improve consistently
- Be patient
- Keep going long enough for results to compound