Chapter 40: How To Get Anything You Want

If I taught a college class, this would be the title.

Because most people don’t get what they want.

Not because they’re not capable, but for one of two reasons:

1. They don’t know what they want.

2. OR they know what they want, but they don’t know how to get it.

This is a playbook for solving both.

Part 1: How to Know What You Want

Fun fact: nobody really knows what they want.

We create stories in our head, convince ourselves they’re true, and cling to them.

But they’re just guesses.

The goal isn’t to have absolute certainty out the gate.

It’s to create a hypothesis worth testing.

Because if you don’t pick a path, you’ll be assigned one.

So here’s what to do:

• Make an educated guess.

• Create a plan to test your hypothesis.

• Go run the test and see if it’s right.

Your job isn’t to know with certainty.

Your job is to choose a direction and begin.

Part 2: How to Get What You Want

Once you’ve picked a path — even a rough one — the game shifts.

Now it’s about execution.

Here’s the framework:

Step 1: Find a Model

Whatever you want — a business, a lifestyle, a career — someone has done it before.

Find them and study them.

Step 2: Go Deep

Don’t settle for highlight reels.

Reverse-engineer what they did.

Dig into books, obscure interviews, or hidden blog posts.

Watch this:

Kobe didn’t just admire Jordan.

He studied him obsessively — the footwork, the fadeaway, the way he carried himself on the court.

He drilled it until it became second nature.

You can do the same.

Step 3: Curate Your Curriculum

Now you’ve got a rough map.

List out:

• The skills you need to learn.

• The communities you need to join.

• The habits and routines you need to build.

This becomes your personal playbook.

Step 4: Do the Work

Start where they started.

Show up every day. Get 1% better.

Build checkpoints for yourself where you evaluate:

• Is this path giving me energy?

• Am I making progress?

If yes, keep going.

If no, adjust your plan.

Step 5: Repeat for Life

The only constant in life is change.

What you want at 25 won’t be what you want at 35.

You’ll recalibrate, design new playbooks, and build new versions of yourself.

That’s the game.

Examples

Mark Twain once said:

• Kobe studied Jordan.

• Steve Jobs studied Edwin Land.

• Bob Dylan studied Woody Guthrie.

They all started as imitators.

Then became originals.

That’s the cycle.

Wrapping Up

This is how you get anything you want:

1. Make a guess.

2. Study people ahead of you.

3. Design a playbook.

4. Put in the reps.

5. Recalibrate as needed.

It’s simple, but not easy.

But the alternative is drifting through life and one day waking up to a life you never chose.

This way is more fun.

PS: An Invitation

If your path involves building a brand, business, or audience online, this is where I can help.

I’m curating a small group of founders and creators I’ll work with 1:1 to design their story and content strategy — to help them play (and win) the great online game.

Think of it as your own remix: a playbook adapted to your goals, built to help you get what you want.

The doors aren’t open yet, but if you want to be the first to know — you can join the waitlist here.

Rooting for ya,

Dodds