Episode # 34: Jake Kelfer - Pursuing Your Own Greatness

✍️ Episode Overview

In this enlightening conversation, Will Moore and Jake Kelfer dive deep into what true success means and how to achieve it on your own terms. Jake, an accomplished author and founder of the Professional Basketball Combine, shares his perspective on success as the freedom to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want. Through compelling stories and practical insights, they explore how society's traditional metrics of success often lead people astray from their authentic path to fulfillment.

The episode challenges conventional wisdom about success, using Jake's personal experience and his childhood friend's journey (who sold MVMT watches for $100 million) to illustrate how breaking free from societal expectations can lead to extraordinary achievements. They discuss the importance of self-awareness, gratitude, and taking immediate action in building momentum toward your goals.

The conversation weaves through critical themes of time management, habit formation, and the power of positive reinforcement in creating lasting change. Both hosts emphasize the importance of balancing different areas of life while pursuing success, touching on the Moore Momentum System's approach to maintaining equilibrium across the 5 Core Areas of Life.

📖 Chapter Summaries

1. Defining Success On Your Terms (0:00 - 7:55) The episode opens with Jake defining success as having the freedom to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want. He shares his journey from aspiring NBA player to successful entrepreneur, highlighting how his definition of success evolved from purely financial metrics to a more holistic approach involving impact and personal fulfillment.

2. Breaking Free from Societal Standards (7:56 - 15:40) Jake tells the compelling story of his childhood friend who dropped out of college to valet cars, eventually founding MVMT watches and selling it for $100 million. This section powerfully illustrates how traditional societal measures of success can be misleading and limiting.

3. The Value of Time and Action (15:41 - 25:30) The discussion shifts to the critical importance of time as a non-renewable resource. Jake shares his father's wisdom that "the only shortcut to success is starting now," emphasizing how small daily actions can compound into significant achievements over time. He highlights that procrastination often leads to lost opportunities, while taking consistent, deliberate steps—no matter how small—can create a powerful momentum toward one's goals. This perspective encourages listeners to prioritize their time effectively.

4. Building Positive Habits Through Gamification (25:31 - 35:15) Will and Jake explore how gamification can transform habit formation, drawing on examples from parenting to business. They discuss the power of positive reinforcement and emphasize that making changes fun and rewarding significantly contributes to sustainable transformation. By incorporating game-like elements such as points, badges, and challenges, individuals can engage more fully in the habit formation process. This approach not only boosts motivation but also fosters a sense of community and shared achievement, making the journey toward new habits enjoyable and effective. The conversation highlights how creativity and playfulness can be powerful tools in achieving lasting change. Read More: Why Gamification Works

5. The Power of Gratitude (35:16 - 48:49) The episode concludes with Jake revealing that gratitude is his game-changing habit. He explains how it helped him shift from a mindset of comparison and scarcity to one of abundance and presence, ultimately leading to greater success and fulfillment. By consistently practicing gratitude, he learned to appreciate the journey rather than just the destination, fostering resilience and a more positive outlook on life. This transformative practice not only enriched his personal and professional experiences but also strengthened his relationships and overall well-being.

🔑 Key Takeaways - Defining success

1. Success Redefined: Success isn't about societal standards or specific dollar amounts—it's about having the freedom to live life on your terms. This revelation helps eliminate the pressure of comparing yourself to others and allows you to focus on what truly matters to you.

2. The Power of Immediate Action: As Jake's father wisely shared, "The only shortcut to success is starting now." Waiting for the perfect moment often results in missed opportunities and regrets, while taking imperfect action today is far better than striving for perfect action tomorrow. Embracing the idea that progress is more important than perfection can empower you to make meaningful strides toward your goals, allowing for learning and growth along the way. Each step taken, no matter how small, builds momentum and creates a foundation for future success.

3. Balanced Achievement: You don't have to choose between money and health, career and relationships. The key is finding ways to achieve success while maintaining balance across all life areas. This might mean making strategic trade-offs in the short term but never completely sacrificing any core area.

4. Time as Ultimate Currency: Time is the only resource you can't get back. Making conscious choices about how you spend your time and regularly evaluating your time allocation can lead to more purposeful living and accelerated progress toward your goals.

5. The Compound Effect: Small, consistent actions—achieving just 1% improvement daily—can lead to exponential growth over time. This principle applies to both positive and negative habits, underscoring the importance of mindful habit formation. By focusing on incremental changes, you can cultivate positive behaviors that compound over time, while also being vigilant about avoiding small negative habits that can similarly escalate. This awareness encourages a proactive approach to personal development, allowing for sustainable progress and transformation in various aspects of life.

6. Gratitude as a Game-Changer: Practicing daily gratitude shifts your focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant, effectively reducing comparison and enhancing present-moment awareness. This mindset shift not only fosters a greater appreciation for life’s blessings but can also transform how you approach challenges and seize opportunities, enabling you to navigate obstacles with a more positive outlook and resilience. By regularly acknowledging and celebrating small victories, you cultivate a mindset that embraces growth and possibility.

7. Value-Based Decision Making: Using a simple 1-10 scale to evaluate decisions based on both immediate and long-term impacts can greatly enhance your decision-making process. This approach encourages you to weigh short-term pleasures against long-term consequences, fostering a balanced perspective. You might also consider integrating visual aids, such as charts or graphs, to track your choices over time. Another idea is to engage in a regular reflection practice—perhaps a weekly review—where you assess past decisions based on your scale, allowing you to adjust your criteria as you learn more about yourself. This can lead to greater self-awareness and more informed choices in the future.

8. The Importance of Early Habit Formation: Starting positive habits early—whether in life or in a new endeavor—is significantly easier than breaking established negative habits later. This principle applies across various domains, including personal development, parenting, and business building, emphasizing the importance of proactive growth and intentional choices. Listen to our Podcast on Habit Formation Model

9. Reframing Failure: Success comes not from avoiding failure but from embracing it as a valuable learning opportunity. It’s less about whether you encounter failure and more about how you respond, adapt, and grow from it—ultimately shaping your trajectory and resilience. Learn More: Why Am I Such a Failure

10. The Power of Environment: Surrounding yourself with supportive people and crafting an environment aligned with your goals greatly influences your success. This includes both the physical spaces that inspire focus and the social circles that provide encouragement, accountability, and positivity.

🥇 Golden Habit

Definition of Golden Habit:

"A 'Golden Habit' is the optimal habit to relieve a pain point/replace a bad habit because it's personalized to your DNA, goals, and lifestyle in order to maximally reduce the friction to form it.

The Golden Habit should be: - DESIRABLE: Should be enjoyable and rewarding - PRACTICAL: Must easily integrate into one's existing routines - IMPACTFUL: Expected to significantly enhance well-being"

This Episode's Golden Habit: Jake identifies gratitude as his golden habit (Timestamp: 45:34). For him, practicing daily gratitude transformed his mindset from comparison and scarcity to abundance and presence. It naturally aligned with his personality and goals, making it both sustainable and impactful. Learn More: Importance of Gratitude

Related Core Area:

Mindset Core - This habit addresses the pain point of constant comparison and feeling inadequate by shifting focus to appreciation and abundance.

🚀 READY PLAYER ONE?

Are you ready to transform your life and achieve big through disciplined habits? It's time to take the valuable insights from today’s episode and put put them into action. Discipline isn't just about adhering to a schedule—it's about building a foundation that will catapult you toward success in all areas of your life.

OUR MISSION: Accelerate your growth in the 5 Key areas of life by making your habit transformation journey so simple, fun, and rewarding that your happiness becomes inevitable.

PRESS START NOW: Click HERE to dive deeper into the Moore Momentum System. Begin by taking our short quiz to quickly identify which of the pillars of life you're struggling in most and discover the success habit to improve it. Don’t just dream about success—make it a reality.

Whether you're dealing with procrastination, lack of focus, or simply seeking a positive way to enhance your productivity, our system is designed to give you the tools you need to succeed. Start your journey today and see how small changes can lead to major transformations.

Are you ready to level up? The time is now—let’s build momentum together!

🫅 Bio - Jake Kelfer

Jake Kelfer is a lifestyle entrepreneur, life elevator, and coach to rising entrepreneurs and freedom seekers. As the founder of the Professional Basketball Combine, he has helped over 70 NBA draft prospects achieve their dreams of playing professional basketball. His work has impacted thousands globally through his books "Elevate Beyond" and "Elevate Your Network."

A graduate from USC's Marshall School of Business, Jake has established himself as a leading voice in personal development and entrepreneurship. His mission is to elevate others to achieve their true definition of success, speaking internationally and working with ambitious individuals to unlock their potential.

Jake's approach combines practical business acumen with deep personal development insights, helping people find freedom and fulfillment on their own terms. His work has been featured in various media outlets, and he continues to inspire others through his speaking, writing, and coaching programs.