Episode 161: Why Most People Confuse Activity for Progress

Grinding harder does not always move you closer to your goals. In this episode, Arash and Mykie unpack why so many people confuse activity with real progress and how staying busy can often become a distraction from the work that actually creates results. They explore the difference between grit and grinding, why hustle culture leads to exhaustion instead of growth, and how many people end up filling their days with comfortable tasks that never truly move the needle. The conversation breaks down how to identify goal-achieving activities, apply the 80/20 principle, and eliminate distractions that drain time and energy. Arash also explains why awareness is the foundation for change, how mentorship can expose blind spots, and why real progress comes from consistent action on a few high-impact activities. If you’ve been working hard without seeing the results you want, this episode offers a practical perspective on creating meaningful progress.Key Points From This Episode:Why most people confuse activity with real progress.The difference between grit, grinding, and busy work.Why progress can come from doing far less.How to identify the activities that actually move the needle.Using the 80/20 principle to focus on top-performing actions.Tracking your time to expose non-productive habits.Why awareness is the first step toward meaningful progress.How comfort-zone activities keep people stuck.Why mentorship helps uncover blind spots and accelerate growth.The power of doing three goal-achieving activities every day.Dopamine hits from completing tasks and how this can trap you.How your future self can guide better daily decisions.Final takeaway: commit to repeating the actions that move the needle.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Grit: The Power of Passion and PerseveranceGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don'tVoss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedIn Voss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookEmail Voss Coaching CoMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

There’s a price to every goal. Are you willing to pay the price to transform yourself? Welcome back to another episode of The Seven-Figure Standard podcast, where today Mykie and Arash unpack the identity cost of wealth, and why most people aren’t willing ot pay it. They cover the real cost of creating your dreams, different ways to create quantum leaps, and debunk the myth about life being easier the wealthier you get. They also unpack what you’ll actually lose, the parts that have to die, and why identity cost becomes easier with each level you conquer. Tune in now to learn more about the identity cost of wealth, and why you have to become okay with paying it!Key Points From This Episode:An introduction to today’s topic.The real cost of creating your dreams.Arash explains the different ways to create quantum leaps.Debunking the myth about wealth making life easier.What you’ll actually lose. The different parts of identity that usually have to die.Arash unpacks the signs that you’re avoiding paying the cost.He describes a person who’s committed to paying the cost.How being coachable can help you change. Why the identity cost becomes easier with each level you conquer. Creating momentum and how speed plays into it. What happens right before a breakthrough.Final thoughts on identity cost. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Episode 159: The Wealth Identity Gap - How Plateaus Are Not Usually What You Think They AreEpisode 116: Embrace the Suck - The Power of Imperfect ActionVoss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedIn Voss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookEmail Voss Coaching CoMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

What if the thing holding you back isn’t the market, your strategy, or your effort, but who you believe you are? In this episode, Mykie and Arash challenge the idea of plateaus and break down the “wealth identity gap,” the hidden force shaping your results. You’ll learn how your standards, behaviors, and expectations drive your income and performance, and why real breakthroughs come from changing your identity, not just working harder. If you’ve been stuck despite your effort, this conversation will change how you approach your next level.Key Points From This Episode:Today’s topic: The wealth identity gap.Arash explains what causes a plateau.Why you can’t buy into assumptions about the economy. He unpacks why we call it an identity gap.How long it takes to match the new identity.Being stuck in the same identity gap. Five things money responds to more than anything.He explains the identity lag (when your identity needs to catch up).Your identity as the differentiator in the results you get. Signs that show a person is in a new wealth identity gap.Why working harder won’t fix the identity gap. How to close wealth identity gaps permanently. Arash shares what an identity-based behavior is and how it fits into closing the identity gap.Why a level of obsession is required to hit your goals.Having a better attitude toward hard. Final thoughts on the identity gap. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Zig Ziglar on InstagramVoss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedIn Voss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookEmail Voss Coaching CoMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

Stop trying to "think" your way into a new life and start behaving your way into one. Most people repeat affirmations until they are blue in the face, but then walk out the door and act like their old selves: a cycle that creates nothing but delusion. Welcome back to another episode of The Seven-Figure Standard Podcast. Today, Mykie and Arash break down how real transformation and real wealth are built through identity, not affirmations alone. They explore why affirmations work for some but fall flat for others, what actually gives them power, and how your daily actions shape who you’re becoming. They also dig into the hidden downsides of affirmations, the role of discomfort and speed in growth, and why action, not intention, is the clearest signal of your future self. Tune in to learn why what you do will always outweigh what you say.Key Points From This Episode:They jump into today’s topic of discussion.Why affirmations work for some people and not others.What identity is mostly built on.When affirmations fail most often.Arash explains what gives affirmations power.How your actions and decisions signal the direction your identity is going in advance.He explains how affirmations can actually have a negative impact. They unpack how one decision has the power to change your life: speed and decision.Speed: a wealth indicator of note.Arash explains why your spiritual side is the highest potential of your personality. How speed is expressed behaviorally.A decision most people are avoiding.He breaks down how identity is what you decide under pressure.Examples of evidence and the standards Arash places on evidence.How you can use affirmations as an intention or a barometer. Arash shares his approach to looking at evidence.The role comfort plays when people lean into affirmations and away from decision-making/taking action.Why what you say matters less than what you do.Final thoughts on today’s topic from Arash.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Voss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedIn Voss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookEmail Voss Coaching CoMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

If you’ve ever wondered why money or success can make you feel unsafe, this episode of the Seven-Figure Standard podcast is for you. Join Mykie and Arash as they unpack the hidden reasons behind this experience and dive into how identity protection shapes your relationship with success. Arash explores what this looks like in real life, why the fears surrounding it aren’t actually real, and how they quietly hold you back. He also breaks down why even high achievers tend to self-sabotage right before a breakthrough, and what to do instead. You’ll walk away with practical insights on how to make money feel safe, shift your identity around wealth, and transfer an identity of wealth into other areas of your life. Thanks for listening!Key Points From This Episode:Today’s topic of conversation: why money, or success, can feel unsafe.Why this is a hot topic right now, and what it means.The seed of this line of thinking: a lack of understanding.A struggle: how the new version of themselves fits into the rest of their world.Arash explains identity protection and the villain and hero voices you hear in your head.Things that fall into the category of identity protection.What it looks like to be in identity protection.Why none of the fears that make people fall into this space are real. He unpacks why anything that falls into the identity protection idea only protects you from growing (and nothing else!)Why even high achievers often sabotage themselves right before a breakthrough.Mykie explains what Laugh Therapy is.The importance of understanding why our words truly matter.What you can do to make money feel safe.How focusing too much on ourselves amplifies the feeling of being unsafe.Arash shares examples of what people might be feeling. Last thoughts on today’s topic: transferring identity of wealth into other areas. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Episode 156: Wealth is Emotional Capacity, Not IncomeVoss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedIn Voss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookEmail Voss Coaching CoMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

Welcome back to another episode of the Seven-Figure Standard Podcast. In today’s conversation, Mykie and Arash unpack a powerful idea: wealth isn’t defined by income, but by emotional capacity. They explore why expanding your emotional capacity is essential for lasting success, and how it shapes the goals you set, the identity you build, and ultimately, the wealth you create. They dive into the role of stretch goals, why wealth always follows identity, and what happens when your capacity doesn’t grow with your ambitions. Arash also breaks down what it actually looks like to train your capacity day-to-day, reveals the two emotions that most influence your success, and shares practical tools to help you strengthen your capacity and elevate your results.Key Points From This Episode:Today’s topic of discussion: Wealth is emotional capacity, not income.Arash unpacks the idea that as capacity grows, so does the potential for wealth.The importance of learning to work on your emotional capacity.Explaining why you need to set stretch goals.Why you need to understand that wealth always follows identity, not strategy.Arash explains what emotional capacity is: normalizing an idea.What happens when you don’t raise your capacity.He explains what big emotional swings say about a person.Why you don’t want to grind your way toward success.Shifting your perspective on pressure. What happens when your wealth exceeds your set points.What training your emotional capacity looks like in our day-to-day life: decisions.The two emotions with the biggest impact on success.Arash sheds light on the first steps toward growing emotional capacity.Tools that can help increase emotional capacity.Final thoughts on today’s topic of discussion. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Voss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedIn Voss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookEmail Voss Coaching CoMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

If you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting more, this episode will change the way you see ambition forever. Today on the Seven-Figure Standard Podcast, hosts Arash Vossoughi and Mykie Stiller delve into the hidden shame surrounding ambition and uncover why the issue isn’t about striving for more, but rather apologizing for it. They explore why so many people downplay their goals, how childhood conditioning fuels self-doubt, and why looking for validation keeps you stuck in a mindset of scarcity. They explain how to transition from justifying your goals to confidently claiming them and how owning your desires builds confidence, self-trust, and unstoppable momentum. Discover the freedom that comes from pursuing your desires unapologetically, raising your standards, and embracing ambition as a spiritual drive for growth. Tune in to learn how to stop apologizing for your ambition and start living the bigger, bolder life you deserve!Key Points From This Episode:Explore why people feel bad about wanting more.Unpack how gratitude and ambition can coexist. Discover how seeking validation leads to justification and scarcity.The influence of childhood trauma on ambition and self-belief. Why contentment and conformity limit your success.Uncover what it means to become more, instead of wanting more.Hear why apologizing for ambition lowers self-worth.Learn the difference between being nice and being kind.Uncover the freedom that comes from unapologetic ambition. Why awareness is key to breaking the habit of apologizing for ambition. Why ambition requires courage and how to turn it into action.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Episode 154: The Invisible Agreements Controlling Your LifeVoss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedIn Voss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookEmail Voss Coaching CoMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

Are you loyal to your future self, or to the patterns keeping you exactly where you are? In this episode, Arash and Mykie unpack the idea of invisible agreements and how inherited beliefs shape your identity, decisions, and results. Tuning in, you’ll discover how these agreements form without awareness and continue to drive repeated outcomes, often showing up as hesitation, overthinking, or procrastination. The conversation breaks down how these patterns connect to identity, revealing how people stay loyal to past versions of themselves or expectations they never consciously chose. It also highlights how everyday justifications reveal underlying agreements at play, and why real change requires both recognizing and replacing them with intentional beliefs that support growth. If you’re ready to challenge the beliefs shaping your results and step into a more intentional version of yourself, be sure to tune in!Key Points From This Episode:What invisible agreements are and how they shape results.Why many beliefs are inherited, not consciously chosen.Identifying patterns that keep repeating in your life.The link between agreements and identity.Loyalty to past vs. future versions of yourself.How hesitation, overthinking, and justification signal old agreements.Ways that others’ expectations can shape your identity.The process of revoking and replacing old agreements.Reframing “I don’t have time” through activity management.Creating new agreements that align with your future goals.Why growth requires continually upgrading your agreements.Today’s action step: audit your agreements and set new ones.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Email Voss Coaching CoVoss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedInVoss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on InstagramArash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

Fast decisions create momentum, eliminate delay and procrastination, and lead to exponential success. In this episode of the Seven-Figure Standard Podcast, we are discussing why indecision is a very expensive habit and how you can make decisions like an elite operator. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about why people are so indecisive, why being a good decision-maker is essential to success, why speed of decision-making collapses time, and so much more! We delve into how decisions are delayed when you don’t trust yourself and how self-respect can combat a lack of trust before discussing how speed of decision changes identity. Arash even talks about what he asks himself before making a decision, why he encourages his clients to disconnect from the money, and the power of abandoning ‘the old you’. Finally, Arash shares the first steps you need to take in order to become a good, confident, and efficient decision-maker and touches on the power of the subconscious mind in shifting identity. Thanks for listening! Key Points From This Episode:Why people are so indecisive and why it’s dangerous.The importance of being a good decision-maker.Why speed of decision-making collapses time.How building self-respect makes you trust yourself.Speed of decision as a tool to change your identity.The filter Arash uses to make decision-making easier.Why disconnecting from the money is important.Arash explains the power of ‘killing off’ the old you.The first steps to becoming a good decision-maker.Creating a wealth consciousness in everything you do.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Think and Grow RichVoss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedInVoss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube

Change can feel painful, but staying the same is often far more costly—most people just never take the time to calculate the price. Dissatisfaction, however, can be powerful creative fuel. In this episode of The Seven Figure Standard podcast, Arash and Mykie explore how to harness dissatisfaction as a catalyst for growth and transformation. They unpack the real source of fear, why comfort keeps people stuck, and why the discomfort of change is often the very thing that makes progress possible. Arash also explains what happens when you avoid the pain of change, why delayed gratification is essential for long-term success, and how to channel dissatisfaction into meaningful action. If you want to reignite your creative drive, understand how comfort may be holding you back from your potential, and learn practical ways to break through inertia, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.Key Points From This Episode:Today’s topic of discussion: the pain of staying the same.Why dissatisfaction is a gift.The importance of actively creating exactly what we want.Arash explains the underlying reasons why we tend to fear the unknown.Overcoming comfort: what do you really want?Why the pain of change is worth it.Arash shares details of his process of change. What happens when we try to avoid the pain of change.How delayed gratification is essential to success.What fuels Arash to keep going and keep changing.He explains what he means by dissatisfaction.How to turn dissatisfaction into fuel. The biggest lie people tell themselves. Finding the creative juice to spur on your change. How to get your power back. Why lying to yourself can sometimes be a good thing.How comfort can delay your destiny. Arash shares advice on how to break through inertia and start the change process. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Voss Coaching CoVoss Coaching Co on LinkedIn Voss Coaching Co on InstagramVoss Coaching Co on FacebookMykie Stiller on LinkedInMykie Stiller on Instagram Arash Vossoughi on LinkedInArash Vossoughi on YouTube