Let’s imagine something uncomfortable for a second.

You’re being watched.

Not in a creepy, government surveillance kind of way. But in a focused, honest way. Imagine someone followed you for an entire week, Monday through Sunday, no breaks, no blind spots.

They watched everything:

• What time you woke up.

• How much time you spent on YouTube vs. researching actual projects.

• How many trades you take or didn’t take.

• How often you checked charts without making decisions.

• Whether you journaled your trades, reviewed your watchlist, followed through on your plans.

• Whether you talked about your goals more than you worked on them.

Now ask yourself this:

If someone watched you for a full week, would they walk away believing you’re serious about making money in crypto?

Would they say, “That person is locked in. They’re doing the work. They’re going to win.”

Or would they say, “They like the idea of winning, but they’re not really doing what it takes.”

That’s a hard question. But it’s the one that matters.

Everyone Wants the Win, But Are You Matching the Input?

In crypto, everyone wants results. Everyone wants to turn $5,000 into $500,000. Everyone wants the big gains, the freedom, the escape velocity.

But what most people don’t realize is: results are just the trailing indicator.

Effort comes first. Obsession comes first. Precision comes first.
Results come last. We must be learning week over week through trial and deeper understanding in order to reach our goals.

As Drake says, “and the money is hard to make”.

And if your daily behavior doesn’t match the outcome you’re chasing, then your goal is just a fantasy.

Let’s be blunt:
You don’t get to say you want to make serious money in crypto and spend most of your time passively consuming, barely learning, and never executing.

You don’t get to say you want financial freedom and then only work when it’s convenient.

Because the market doesn’t care about what you want.
It rewards what you do.

All of us are going to have amazing opportunities to capitalize on wealth generation. Here’s how to get serious and take advantage of these opportunities along with the things that have helped me the most to grow.

What “Being Serious” Actually Looks Like

Let’s define what “being serious” means, not in a grind-24/7 sense, but in a clear, focused way. I don’t think dedicating all of your time to this game is realistic, but there is a way you can be serious in a couple of focused hours a week.

Being serious in crypto means:

• You track what you’re doing. Watchlists. Trade journals. Thesis builders. Not just vibes.

• You research before you ape. You read project docs, study tokenomics, and understand catalysts.

• You review your mistakes. You learn why something didn’t work. You iterate.

• You show up daily, even when the market is boring or down. Especially then.

• You limit distractions. You’re not trying to master ten things at once.

• You invest in yourself whether that’s time, education, or systems.

Being serious means you’re not just playing on the default level anymore. You’re actively going out of your way to grow yourself when others are not. For me this looks like:

• Reading a lot of books on investing

• Taking trades and practicing with small amounts

• Learning to be comfortable with risk, loss, gain, and adjusting my risk in certain market conditions

• Realizing that a lot of social media information doesn’t matter

• Understanding my past mistakes and how I could have handled those scenarios with much better outcomes

This won’t happen immediately, like all good things. Learning, iteration, and a change of direction take time and patience. But one core thing is true. You can control your effort, your understanding, your risk, and your inputs. The outputs of a trade, not so much.

You Don’t Need to Be Serious 24/7, But You Do Need to Be Honest

This isn’t about guilt. It’s about alignment.

Not everyone wants to go all in and that’s okay. You can play the crypto game at different levels:

• Maybe you’re running at 40% effort and just want to outperform a savings account.

• Maybe you’re pushing 80% and trying to build a retirement-level portfolio.

• Or maybe you’re at 100%, and you want life-changing, system-breaking wealth.

No matter what level you’re at it’s fine. But your expectations need to match your effort.

You can’t expect to turn $1,000 into $100,000 unless you have an understanding in the market that a lot of people lack.

Try this little test. For the next 7 days, imagine someone was taking notes on everything you did related to crypto.

• What would they write?

• Would they say you’re actually studying the market?

• Would they say you’re executing with clarity?

• Would they say you’re operating with intention?

• Or would they say you scroll a lot, think a lot, but don’t really move?

It’s uncomfortable. But it’s also incredibly clarifying.

Because at the end of the week, you’ll either be proud of how you showed up or you’ll realize it’s time to raise the standard.

Being serious doesn’t mean you need to grind 16 hours a day, abandon your life, or go monk-mode forever. I definitely don’t do that. It’s not sustainable. I want to enjoy crypto as a hobby and just leave an hour a two a day open to trade a bit, research some charts, and read some books.

• Choose your targets with precision.

• Protect your time like it matters.

• Commit to the work even when no one is watching.

The winners in crypto? They’re not always smarter. But they’re locked in. They’re consistent. They’re intentional. And they don’t lie to themselves about the effort they’re putting in.

They don’t just want it, they act like they want it.

So let’s bring it home:

If someone watched you for a week would they think you’re serious?

If the answer is yes, keep going. Stay sharp. You’re on the path.

If the answer is no, good. Now you know. Change it. Build your system. Raise your standard.
You don’t have to be perfect. But you do have to be honest.

The market isn’t your enemy. It’s your mirror.

And it’s only ever going to give you what your habits deserve.

Here’s a scorecard I made so that you can actually understand the input you are giving to your investments compared to the outcome you desire. You can score yourself over a weekly basis and see a bird’s eye view of your effort compared to your goals. This can be a great exercise in understanding yourself. Download it and give it a try.

Thanks again,

Dawson

P.S. - I just spent a week down in Florida at my grandparents working my 9-5, trading crypto, and making content. Here’s a beautiful picture of the Florida sunset to remind you what we’re working towards.