I used to think success meant doing more.
More clients. More hours. More content. More effort.
Three years ago, I was training 16 times a week, running two businesses, and burning myself into the fucking ground. I thought that's what it took. That if I just worked harder, pushed longer, sacrificed more—everything would click into place.
I was wrong.
The breakthrough didn't come from adding more to my plate. It came from stopping the things that were keeping me stuck in the first place.
This weekend, I recorded a full vlog breaking down the 6 habits I had to stop in order to architect a life where I wake up at 4:30 AM excited to work, where our business is on pace for $750k this year, and where I actually have time to deadlift for charity events and spend quality time with my wife.
But here's what I want you to understand—this isn't about me bragging about revenue or my morning routine. This is about the systematic mistakes I see coaches making every single day. The same ones that cost me years of burnout and hundreds of thousands of dollars to learn.
Forcing progression
I used to think every day had to be "more." More weight, more reps, more volume, more clients, more everything. That's insecurity masquerading as ambition. Progress is the process. It's about getting better, not just bigger. One of my CCU mentees learned this the hard way after burning out 15 days into a 75-day challenge. We built rest into his schedule. Now he's 4 clients away from his goal and actually sustainable.
Looking at time nonchalantly
Time is either spent or invested. That's it. When I went to Virginia for 5 days away from Olivia, every minute was accounted for—education, networking, content creation. I wasn't going to waste time away from my wife who needed my support. If it's not a fuck yes, it's a no. This one mindset shift changed everything about how I structure my days.
Allowing other people's emotions to affect my mood
You cannot carry other people's bags. I have enough shit in my own bag. As coaches, we want to help everyone—but if you're absorbing your clients' stress, their doubts, their emotional chaos, you're going to burn out. Hold space for them. Don't carry their weight. Believe in their agency the same way you believe in your own.
Sleeping in
I wake up at the same time every day. 4:30-5:00 AM. No exceptions. Why? Because my day starts when my time stops being mine. At 11 AM, I'm on calls serving others until 8:30 PM. That morning block? That's sacred. That's when I train, prep food, do my best work. Consistency isn't sexy, but it's the foundation of everything.
Letting my own emotions dictate my mood
This is different from #3. Your emotions are a physical response to stimulus. They're data, not directives. Liv and I had a tough conversation this morning. I didn't let that ruin my day. I paused. Reflected. We talked it out. Then I moved on. Viktor Frankl said it best: you own the space between stimulus and response. That's your power.
Trying to do things on my own
The first hire I made was a video editor in 2021. Best decision I ever made. Since then: social media manager, personal assistant, CRM specialist. Every hire freed up my time to do what only I can do—serve clients, mentor coaches, create content. Figure out what your superpowers are. Outsource everything else. This is how you scale without sacrificing your soul.
I broke all of this down in detail in this weekend's vlog, including behind-the-scenes footage of a charity deadlift event, my full daily routine, and the exact frameworks I use with CCU coaches to implement these lessons systematically.
Watch the full video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQmGcrxqt0s&t=12s
If you're a coach who's grinding yourself into dust, working more hours but not making more progress, this video is for you. If you're stuck trading time for money and don't know how to break the cycle—this is your roadmap.
The coaches in CCU who implement these principles? They're replacing their income while working fewer hours. They're building systematized businesses instead of exhausting themselves. They're raising the bar for what's possible.
Want in?
Send me an email to [email protected] and tell me where you're stuck. Let's talk about whether CCU is right for you.
But first—go watch the video. See if the way I think about business, systems, and personal development resonates with you. Because if it does, you're exactly who this program was designed for.
Let's raise the bar together.
P.S. - If you found this valuable, forward it to a coach who needs to hear it. The industry is proliferated with people grinding themselves into the ground thinking that's what success looks like. It's not. There's a better way.
Keep Raising the Bar,
Paul Oneid MS, MS, CSCS
Coaches Corner PhD