Welcome to #30 of A-B-C and 👋 to 757 new readers!

James Clear has sold over 10,000,000 copies of Atomic Habits.

Most people think his success happened by default. But in a recent interview with Tim Ferris, it’s clear it happened by design (couldn’t help myself).

Today, you'll learn how to use Clear's technique as a framework for success in your creator business.

This one's a 5 minute read.

Let’s dive in.

A quick note...

One of my favourite newsletters recently is Self Mastery Sunday. Each week you get a deep dive into topics like personal development, philosophy, and lessons from history to help you master yourself and achieve your goals.

Well worth a read for any driven creator. Click here to check it out.

There’s a hard and easy way to build your career online.

My first year, I chose the difficult path.

I knew I wanted to be a creator, but that was all I knew. The rest I planned on figuring out as I went. So I built a website, started writing on multiple platforms, and launched my email list to my girlfriend and mum.

After 12 months of struggle, I got nowhere. No audience and definitely no revenue.

But then I used Clear's idea for success. And trust me, I wouldn’t be writing to you now if I didn’t. The method?

Modelling.

But I’m not talking about my OnlyFans – although if you want a private link just drop me a reply with your card details. Modelling is where you reverse engineer success to find patterns and paths to follow.

Ferris called Clear an expert at modelling, and you can see why.

When he wrote Atomic Habits, he studied hundreds of books that sold over 1,000,000 copies. He analysed the reviews, chapter lengths, titles, writing styles, and more – looking for signal in the noise.

He now sells an average of 1 copy every 15 seconds.

Clear knew the hard way left too much to chance. He didn’t want to waste years of energy only to fail at the final hurdle.

And I’m sure, neither do you.

We’re not here to write bestsellers (yet), but we are here to achieve digital freedom. The problem is this isn’t like ‘normal’ life. There’s no career ladder to climb. You’re fully responsible for your direction and the results. It’s both exciting and terrifying.

Twitter feels like a cornfield full of creators blindly fumbling around, trying to find their way to success.

But the path is already there for those who care to look.

Modelling Your Mentors Framework

Success leaves a shadow. If you deconstruct the wins (and losses) of people 2 steps ahead, you can follow in their footsteps.

Much less friction.

Much less uncertainty.

Much faster progress.

The opportunity to do this online is huge, and often missed. Creators share their story every day. Content is a display of what’s working. Podcasts and interviews are abundant.

To ace it online, it’s not about stealing like an artist.

It’s stealing like an expert.

Here’s how:

Step 1: What do you want?

First, you need a clearly defined goal. You can’t just model ‘someone’ – it’s too vague to be effective. It could be:

• Brand
• Funnels
• Content
• Product ideas
• Distribution strategy

We’ll do branding today. But I’ve used this method for every aspect of my business (including my next move, explained at the end of this email).

And for the love of freedom Reader, don’t be boring.

Think big. Scare yourself. Life's too short to live lukewarm. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? Like Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “We aim above the mark to hit the mark.”

I want to build one of the best writer brands on the internet because nothing excites me more than making an impact at scale.

What about you?

Step 2: Find Your Favourites and Break Them Apart

The secret to success as a creator is to pay attention to what gets your attention. What you enjoy is a perfect signal that your fans will too. So, list your top 5 creators.

Here were mine when I started:

• Dan Koe
• James Clear
• Jack Butcher
• Shane Parrish
• Naval Ravikant

Then go consume everything you can get your hands on. Immerse yourself in information. As you do, write 3 lists:

1. Good: What do you enjoy?
2. Bad: What sucks?
3. Missing: What do you wish they’d do more?

This is a technique I borrowed from Bruce Lee. On creativity, he explains you should, “Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own.”

…which is a much cooler, Kung-fu way of explaining this email.

After this step, you’ll have a clear picture of what resonates (and what doesn’t).

Now it gets exciting.

Step 3: Create Constraints

Your good and bad list is the path through the field. Model the topics, styles, and content of those you enjoy most.

If you write about what you like and ignore what you don’t, it’s only a matter of time before you build a highly engaged audience of like minded folks - a springboard for success.

And don’t worry about stealing.

Greatness has always been built on the back of greatness.

Take Clear for example.

His most famous statement, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems" is just an adaptation of the Greek poet Archilochus, "We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training".

The difference?

Innovation.

Step 4: Carve Your Own Path

Your ‘missing’ list is your secret sauce – why people follow you instead of the crowd. And don’t worry if you don’t know why yet. 2 years ago, I didn’t either. Your unique angle isn’t a one-time decision.

A brand is refined, not defined.

Let me give you an example.

I love Naval Ravikant. I quit my career to write after hearing his ideas. But comparing to Jack Butcher, Naval is missing something.

He rarely shares his story to teach.

Jack does. He’s incredibly inspiring and I can recite his journey word for word. When I was at my lowest, with no followers and no clue, his advice pulled me through. I feel close to him even though we’ve never met (my girlfriend thinks it’s weird, I don’t disagree).

What's missing from Naval is the process behind the person.

And so that’s a constraint I set.

I want to be better at building in public than anyone else. I’ll give away what works freely to help those 2 steps behind. And I’m only a year into the decision, but it’s beginning to pay off.

Kieran Drew @ItsKieranDrew A year ago, I realised I couldn't compete with the big names in my niche. So I stopped trying and swapped my focus: 1. How much value can I provide for free? 2. How can be as inspiring and entertaining as possible? If you can't win the game, change the rules. January 20th 2023 24 Retweets 339 Likes

The point here is that, at first, I didn’t try anything special. I followed the path already carved out – which helped me make much faster progress.

Where will you go?

Modelling gives you momentum.

But at one point, you’ll feel ready to pioneer your own path. The key is to follow your energy. If you can’t stop thinking about an idea, it deserves to be brought to life. It may be only a slight deviation, but even a one-degree difference in direction can lead somewhere entirely new when you think long-term.

So…

For whatever you're trying to achieve online, model before you make moves.

Study those two steps ahead and follow their path, then help those 2 steps behind so they can follow in yours.

You got this.

ANNOUCEMENT

Following from the above, I have some news. I’ll be retiring A-B-C after today. I’ve spent 2 years saying yes to almost every opportunity as a creator. But in 2023 and beyond, my plan is to narrow my focus on one big idea.

I’d like to carve out a pretty cool path for you and I think I know how.

I’ll see you next Friday to explain where we’re heading. Have a nice weekend.

And keep writing your way to freedom,

Kieran.

P.S.

And if you've got a moment, I’d love to hear what you thought of this edition of A-B-C. Send me a quick message - I reply to every email!