Last month, I spent $42,997.

Considering it took me 2 and a half years to make my first 6 figures, it’s a wild difference.

Let me run you through what I bought.

First, I got myself a nice BMW.

…Just kidding. I’m still driving the same car I bought at university. Ye ol’ faithful Skoda.

The first investment was publishing my book, Magnetic Writing, with Scribe Media.

Scribe are a top-of-the-range self-publishing company. The initial fee was $5,250, but they offered a more in-depth editing process for an additional $3,872.

At first I hesitated.

I wasn’t sure if it was necessary or just a cheeky upsell.

And after two years of writing the book, I really want to crack on with releasing it.

But I committed to giving the book my all. I didn’t want to end up with a half-arsed product. And in such a busy world, aiming for good enough is simply not good enough (especially in the book business).

As Tim Ferriss said on the How I Write podcast:

"If this cannot be your top priority for the next year at a minimum, don’t do a book. There’s a glut of mediocrity in the world. Please don’t contribute to it.”

(The glut of mediocrity is even more true now that AI is on the scene.)

The second investment was signing up with a YouTube agency for the next 6 months ($30,000).

I have resisted hiring help with anything related to content.

The artist in me hates the idea of losing creative control. But with the book launch coming, I wanted to do something to help build awareness. YouTube seems like a good lever to pull; I am a big fan of longer-form video content and want to get better at it.

Now, I’ve been quietly chipping away at YouTube for the past year (if you haven’t subscribed, I just uploaded a 90-minute video sharing everything I’ve learned from building a 280,000-person audience).

I’ve released 55 videos now. I have 1.8k subscribers.

And while I love a long game, I can also see the benefit of expert advice to speed up the process. An idea I remind myself of often: money is energy. You create momentum when you move it. You stagnate when you let it stagnate.

Ultimately, the book gave me a little shove to roll the dice.

And that is the message I want to discuss with you.

Make bigger bets

Some context:

I have never been a risk taker, especially when it comes to money. I have heavy scarcity wiring that has been a mission to unwind (at university, I would wear my shoes until my toes literally poked out the top!).

I also used to hate the feeling of being outside my comfort zone.

My mind would freak out at what people would think of me if I failed.

But when I quit dentistry to write online, something shifted. That was the biggest, ballsiest decision I've ever made. I’d love to pretend it was driven by bravery, but really, I was terrified that I was going to waste my life in a career I did not enjoy.

And while the journey has been challenging, one thing is for sure:

I have never felt more alive.

Since quitting, I have taken more risks. In my business and personal life (for example, ending a five-year relationship because it wasn’t right for me, or moving to Paraguay with the Spanish skills of a toddler!).

Why?

Because betting on yourself is one of the most addictive feelings in the world.

But not for chasing a result—that’s a trap that will leave you frazzled and unfulfilled.

It is for the fact that you tried.

What is important to me is that I can look in the mirror and know that I gave something my all. That I can look back when I’m old and grey and say that I lived an exciting life, and did not hold back out of fear.

Risk makes you come alive because it forces you to do hard things.

You gotta upskill. You gotta have temperament. You gotta be disciplined and focused.

Betting on yourself is the best vehicle for growth and self-awareness. I mean shit, I have learned more about myself and my insecurities writing a book than any journaling exercise.

I have worried endlessly that I was wasting my time on something no one wants.

My monkey-mind constantly whispers that the book is no way near good enough.

But underneath this noise is a joy and exhilaration.

Why?

Because courage is the reward

Last week, I wrote about an internal scorecard: celebrating the thing within your control.

Well, courage is my North Star. I don’t know where I am heading in life (I used to try to control the journey, but that’s proven a fruitless exercise). But when I make brave decisions, the world opens up. Maybe not in the way I imagine, but something happens. It makes for such an interesting journey.

And when courage is your internal scorecard, you win from day one.

Because the action is the celebration.

And the result is just the icing on the cake.

I mean, the only reason I am writing this email is because 6 years ago, I decided to try stand-up comedy.

Turns out, I wasn’t very funny. But the mornings I wrote jokes would fly by, and so I created a new path that led me to writing. This wouldn't have happened if I'd listened to the smaller part of myself that wants me to be ‘realistic’.

So my request to you, my friend:

I am not suggesting you need to hop on a motorbike and jump the Grand Canyon tomorrow.

Because beating yourself up for not taking big action is just another mechanism of self-protection.

Instead, you just need to give yourself permission to be a little more brave.

I am sure you have something you want to achieve, some goal you would think is awesome, or some activity that keeps calling to you.

Well, what would life look like if you went in with 10% more courage?

What would change if you added a little more risk?

We get one shot on this planet.

Make it count.

Kieran