JUSTIN ROGERS

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Achieve your dreams

The one true metric of success is…

January 11, 2026

Well, it’s up to you isn’t it? The meta marker of success is the ability to reach desired outcomes.
So if you set an outcome to write a short story over the Christmas holidays and you write a short story over the Christmas holidays- you’re a success


1)Two mistakes I’ve made in the past are:
I don’t choose an outcome.
If you don’t know where you’re going you’ll never get there. Sometimes I’ve felt success was alluding me and realised I didn’t even know what I was trying to do or get to. This is an easy fix- figure what you want!

2) I use other people’s metrics of success to judge my own progress even when I don’t value what they value.
Picture this: your friend runs a marathon and you suddenly feel like a failure because you haven’t run a marathon. Sure, they are successful because they set an outcome and achieved it. But you did not set out to do that, so the fact that you didn’t do that is fine!
Set your own outcomes and don’t get sucked into other peoples metrics. Stay in your game

Just do the next thing

January 9, 2026

Most things are just a matter of jumping through the hoops.

You do the first thing you can see in front of you, then the next thing and then the next thing and the next. And after that the next thing will present itself.

I (and you might too) feel the need to have the perfect plan architected out from the outset.

But we can save ourselves the hassle and the time and just do the first thing.

Resourcefulness follows commitment

January 5, 2026

Said another way: If you’re committed you will find a way. What does it mean to truly be committed? Well I think it means there is no other option. If you’re hungry you’ll find a way to get food. So the magic doesn’t actually come from the ‘how’ but from the commitment. Let’s not look for resources before we commit. We don’t need to vet our commitments. We just need to decide this is the way it will be, ensuring it aligns with higher human values of love, generosity and growth and we will simply find a way. With commitment comes resource. Don’t worry about the level of your resource. Concern yourself with the level of your commitment.

All the kings horses

January 2, 2026

Mark Duplass has this great speech he gave a few years back to aspiring film makers.

He warned us about waiting for the cavalry. That as creatives we can fall into the trap of thinking that the cavalry is coming and that any tiny incremental improvement we make in our work might trick us into believing that.

Big breakthroughs make us think the cavalry is coming. Those small wins can be intoxicating too.

Mark says the cavalry is not coming. It might feel like they are and people will tell you they are. But they’re not.

And Mark says this isn’t something to be sad about. The truth is, you don’t want the cavalry to come and save you.

The truth is, you get to a certain point of success of your own creation and the cavalry kinda is coming. Massive career changing opportunities come to you. The cavalry!

But when that happens, you don’t want ‘career changing’

You’ve worked hard for this career, thank you very much.

They came too late and you’re not interested in all the kings horses.

Because you are the king of your own castle now. And you are your own cavalry.

Mark is pretty on to it, I reckon

Happy new year :)

December 31, 2025

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to reflecting on the year that’s past.

You want to do justice to what’s been, gather the lessons and plan ahead to the new year.

It’s a big task- so sometimes simple is best. Here are two simple questions that have helped me when doing a massive review is a bit much.

1)What were my favourite times of this past year?

      List all the times you were having fun, or felt at your best. Write lots down, both broad snapshots in life and specific moments, get it all down.

      2)What are the commonalities?

        What are the few things that these experiences had in common?

        I.e Being in a new location, working fast and hard on a project, being around people you love and trust… etc

        You’ve simultaneously looked at what you loved from the past year and are building an awesome year ahead.

        Happy new year 🙂

        So. Can. You.

        December 30, 2025

        If they can you can.

        We’d do well to remember that if someone else has gotten a result, that means we can do that too.

        There may well be exceptions to this rule, but why focus on the exceptions?

        If there’s a belief that serves you, you might as well believe it.

        “Yeah but that person is really tall”

        Or

        “Yeah but they’ve got years on me.”

        Or

        “Yeah but I live in the wrong place”

        Sure, if you look you’ll find the exceptions to any rule. And the exceptions are also handy to let us off the hook.

        It’s much risker to choose to believe that if they can you can.

        Don’t let yourself off the hook. What do you want? Has someone else done it?

        Great.

        So. Can. You.

        The right form

        December 27, 2025

        To kick a rugby ball you need the right form.

        You approach the ball at the correct angle. You run up on the correct leg. Your breathing is a certain way. Your foot meets the ball at a precise point and follows through as the ball glides up.

        Kicking the ball, holding the golf club or making the high jump requires your body to be in the right form.

        This isn’t magic; it’s form.

        And form isn’t limited to sports.

        Take a second to imagine these…

        What is the ‘form’ of an excellent writer?

        A fast reader?

        Or a highly engaging speaker?

        What does an effective teacher look like?

        What is the form of an efficient artist?

        What does an entertaining host look like?

        You may be able to conjure these pictures in your head. (If you can’t, now’s a great time to find some models.)

        If we can imagine their form, we can adopt it.

        If we can adopt it, we can get similar results.

        Overnight failure

        December 26, 2025

        Success doesn’t happen over night.

        Luckily, neither does failure.

        We’re so encouraged to ‘not miss a day’ or keep the chain unbroken

        The danger with this is if we do miss a day, we may throw the baby out with the bath water.

        One ‘off’ day doesn’t mean it’s all over. Neither does a few in a row.

        In fact, you could have a year of ‘off’ days and then make a new choice at any moment.

        How good.

        Success or failure is just a series of choices. The more you make in one direction the more you get.

        Don’t let a few bad choices spoil the bunch.

        Missed a day? That’s fine, you still have tomorrow.

        (and the next day)

        See it to see it

        December 25, 2025

        Visions work the same as film scripts.

        To see it… you have to SEE it.

        In order to realise the production of a feature film, the screenwriter has to build the script page by page. Each word adding to the tapestry. The script is a written vision.

        “Here, this is what it will look like.”

        Years before the projector shines the the magical lights of a movie on the silver screen, the movie existed only in someones head.

        And it was just as vivid as you’re seeing at the cinema.

        Before anything exists it first has to be a crystal clear vision.

        To see it in real life, you have to see it in your head first.

        Don’t skimp on the script. See it first, so we can too.

        Do and be

        December 23, 2025

        Here’s a frame to set abstract outcomes succesfully.

        An abstract outcome is what I call something that doesn’t necessarily have a finite beginning or ending. Want to enjoy a day with the family? Have a restful day? Feel like a cool uncle?

        These are all abstract and so they require a frame that pulls them from the abstract into something you can action while not necessarily being able to measure or quantify them

        1. What do you want to do?

        Stealing from the actors’ methodology of objective and action, have a think about what it is you want to do.

        -I want to make my mum feel special.

        -I want to make my niece feel heard.

        -I want my friend to feel inspired.

        These could qualify as objectives for an actor to play in a scene. And if they’re good enough for an actor they are good enough for you! They say a good objective for an actor should have it’s test in the other person. Said another way, is your objective set up in such a way that allows you to, at any moment, use your senses to ascertain how successful you are in your pursuit? This is what keeps actors active and it can do the same for you too.

        1. Who do you want to be?

        This one is less useful for actors, but super useful to you. The strongest force in human psychology is to remain consistent with our identity. So choose the identity you will live into. I will be a loving son. I will be a strong partner. I will be a playful prince. What ever is is for you! When we are intentional about who we are being when we show up, we are far more likely to act in congruence with it when we pursue our outcome.

        So using the frame we put the two together.

        “I will make my mum feel heard and be a loving son.”

        Or

        “I will light my students up and be a master of ceremonies”

        -What you want to do?

        -Who you want to be?

        When the outcome isn’t clear cut, see if this fit instead.

        Useful, inspiring and cool things

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