Many entrepreneurship tips are floating around the web but none are as important as the simple art of going all in, according to Kale Abrahamson. Going all in is the difference between half-finished and completed, failure and success, struggling and thriving.
It changed Abrahamson’s life — in his experience, most people never go all in on anything, because they don’t know how. The same amount of people think they’re going all in but they never get close, again because they don’t know how.
For Abrahamson, this has been obvious in school, business, and basketball.
While playing Division 1 at Northwestern, Drake, and Duquesne, he was met with opponents that could not understand why he was impossible to beat. He would invite them to train and practice with him but few were able to make it past the warm-up.
That was enough for Abrahamson to know that even when people thought they had gone all in — showing up to the gym daily, doing their practice runs, etc. — they hadn’t even scratched the surface. Even he hadn’t gone all the way in.
It’s a difficult concept to grasp because it’s not a concept at all, but an integrated mentality. When Abrahamson felt himself go all in was when he felt it as muscle memory. Every shot and every jump felt different in that state of mind. Those games were the ones he remembered the most.
Getting to that point is hard, but it’s possible with Kale Abrahamson’s entrepreneurship mindset — just master these steps:
Focus All Your Attention Only On One Thing
Focus is a flimsy thing in the modern age. Constant notifications, video games, endless playlists of videos and more assault our focus constantly, shortening our attention span to the length of a few seconds. Being present in a moment is almost impossible, but there is no way to go all in without mastering this intention.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should focus on a single thing for weeks on end. Just focus on what’s happening at that moment, and pour all your attention into what’s in front of you. It makes a sea of difference.
For example, no great basketball player is thinking of what they’re going to do after the game while the game is still happening. They know how to sharpen their mind, and as a result, can center themselves in the game.
Understand That Going All In Applies to Everything
It’s not just basketball games and business you should be going all in on. When you build the kind of focus that functions with intention, even watching a movie becomes a learning experience. Extract a lesson from the plot, understand the cinematography, the symbolism, the appeal to the audience — hyper focus means truly opening your eyes to the world.
If you’re having dinner with your wife, have that dinner with your wife. Don’t think about anything else, enjoy the moment and appreciate it. Doing things with half the effort is a waste of time, and usually leads to nothing getting done.
This type of attention also helps you determine what has value and what doesn’t. If you are struggling to go all in on a project, or if you can’t keep your focus on an event then it’s time to understand why. Are you not applying yourself effectively or do you recognize that it isn’t worth your time?
Once you start to go all in, you start to see the world with newfound clarity. You start to evaluate moments and understand the effort something takes as well as its worth to you.
Take The Focus Further
Kale Abrahamson’s business entrepreneurship tips will always push you further. Just like he thought he was going all in until he took it to the next level, it’s very easy for someone to convince themselves that they are doing all they can without truly challenging themselves.
You should be trying to elevate your focus into a new dimension every time. It should be constant, aggressive, and intentional, especially where business is concerned.
If someone gives you a timeframe, make sure they follow it. If someone guarantees something and doesn’t deliver it as advertised, chase them down until it gets done right. You get nowhere if you just hope for things to go right and sit on your hands. You have to actively chase success to find it.
Don’t be satisfied with just being passive, get on your feet and be active — go all in or don’t go in at all.
This mindset is summed up perfectly with a tweet from Elon Musk that says: If Tesla & SpaceX go bankrupt, so will I. As it should be.
Musk is a prime example of someone who is all in and dedicated in a world where most people avoid the intensity of going all the way in. Those who do accept the calling and dedicate themselves entirely to what they do understand how beneficial it really is, and they are rewarded accordingly.
Learn more of Kale Abrahamson’s entrepreneurship tips on how to go all in and find success from the Kale letter here! Also, don’t forget to check out our other blogs!