Smart Passive Income by Pat Flynn 3 Takeaways | Productive and Free

Just about anyone who is serious in the online blogging and business industry knows about Pat Flynn. His genuine concern for his readers and listeners and his honest take on how to be successful in an ever-growing complex and saturated market sets him apart from the rest.

He has very helpful tutorials about how to start, grow, and monetize your blog, and he manages the Smart Passive Income blog and podcast, just to name a few of his ventures. Honestly, there are so many lessons you can learn from this guy but I'm only sharing three as an introduction.

Here are my 3 Takeaways.

1. "There's a Huge Difference Between Working on Something, and Working Towards Something.”

Pat mentions this in episode 12 of the SPI podcast where he talks about productivity. When we're caught up in the day-to-day, we become too busy to notice if what we're doing actually drives results and brings us one step closer to our goals. It's always a good reminder to pause and check to determine if our actions move the needle or are simply time-wasters.

2. Make Obstacles Part of Your Success Story.

If you've read about Pat before, you probably know that he got started on his success journey not when he released his first ebook or launched the SPI blog, but it began when he got laid off. He had just gotten engaged and was set to build a career in architecture when this huge obstacle suddenly appeared in his life. But instead of making excuses or being defeated by it, he chose to turn it into a plot twist instead of an ending.

He said, "I'm very fortunate I got laid off because that gives me a great success story one that could really connect with people."

3. How Might You Change the World? By Helping Others.

Episode 225 was a special one because Pat invited his two kids and his wife to be interviewed for the podcast. Turns out, this question, "How might you change the world?" is something he asks his son before he drops him off at school, to which the 6-year old answers, "helping others." I found it cool to teach kids the value of community at such a young age, and show them that helping others is a way to be successful and make a difference in the world at the same time.

3 Takeaways

Since one of the best ways to improve ourselves is to commit to continuous learning, this post is part of the blog mini-series called 3 Takeaways where I discuss three insights from thought-provoking leaders, books, and podcasts.

My purpose initially was to simply read more books, but the learnings were too valuable to keep to myself. My goal has since been to share the vital lessons that will help you be productive and free.