Build Your Life Like Elon Builds Rockets [Using First Principles]

First Principles Playbook: https://joe.optins.com/first-principles

In this episode of Modern Alchemy, Joe and Christina explore the concept of first principles thinking, inspired by Elon Musk's approach to problem-solving. They discuss how breaking down complex problems into their fundamental components can lead to innovative solutions in both personal and professional contexts. The conversation also touches on the challenges of perfectionism and the importance of taking action with the resources available, rather than getting bogged down by the need for perfection. Through anecdotes and practical examples, they illustrate how this mindset can be applied to various aspects of life, from starting a business to personal development.

Takeaways

First principles thinking involves breaking down problems to their core components.

You don't need expensive gear to start a project; use what you have.

Perfectionism can lead to inaction; it's better to start with 'good enough.'

Identifying the bare necessities can streamline your approach to goals.

Self-awareness is crucial in recognizing when you're overcomplicating things.

You can achieve your goals with minimal resources if you focus on essentials.

The mindset of 'what do I really need?' can lead to innovative solutions.

First principles thinking can be applied to any area of life, including business.

Avoiding the preparation phase can help you take action sooner.

Learning from failures is part of the growth process.

🎤 Follow Us for More → @ModernAlchemyPodcast

💎 Joe → @joethecreator

💕 Christina → @ChristinaNikols

#mindset #podcast #entrepreneurship #growthmindset #mindsetmatters #selfimprovement #personaldevelopment #personalgrowth #elonmusk

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Setup

00:50 Playful Intros and Authority Statements

06:30 First Principles Thinking Explained

11:53 Application of First Principles in Life

14:17 Perfectionism vs. Action

16:10 The Comparison Trap: Perfectionism in Golf and Life

18:53 Diving into Perfectionism: The Fear of Indecision

20:13 The Cost of Over-Preparation: When Perfectionism Holds You Back

25:48 Fads and Failures: The Paintball Experience

29:32 First Principles Thinking: Simplifying Complex Problems

38:19 Back to Basics: The Key to Success

Feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or burnt out—even when life looks “good on paper”? In this episode, we unpack how your emotional frequency is either attracting or repelling success, love, and abundance.

We explore:
💥 Why chasing external validation never leads to fulfillment
🧬 The science behind emotional vibration (David R. Hawkins' Map of Consciousness)
⚖️ Masculine vs. feminine energy and the role of ego
🌈 How to shift from “need” → “neutrality” → “gratitude”
🔥 What hustle culture gets wrong—and how to manifest without burnout
🤣 Plus: Dairy Queen therapy, fast food identity quizzes, and Joe’s surprisingly deep love for Taco Bell

This episode blends spiritual insight, scientific grounding, and real-world experience for entrepreneurs, creators, and seekers of personal freedom.

✨ Whether you're healing from corporate burnout or stepping into your next level, this convo will shift your mindset and raise your frequency.

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• Map of Consciousness by Dr. David R. Hawkins

• A Happy Pocket Full of Money (Quantum Physics x Abundance)

What if some of your fears, struggles, or blocks aren’t even yours?

In this episode of Modern Alchemy, we dive into the groundbreaking science of epigenetics and how trauma, including emotional responses, can be inherited across generations. Christina breaks down a National Geographic article, 'Can Trauma Be Inherited Through Genes?' and introduces powerful studies (like a cherry blossom rat experiment) that show just how deep generational trauma runs.

From hoarding tendencies to money mindset blocks, we share real-life examples of how this shows up in everyday life, and most importantly, how to heal it.This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, confused, or curious about the patterns in their life and how to finally move forward.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

- Trauma can be inherited biologically, not just emotionally

- Your genes are the hardware, but epigenetics is the software influencing how they’re expressed

- Healing isn’t just about you, it’s also about breaking generational patterns

- Your environment plays a massive role in gene expression

- Releasing inherited blocks can unlock new levels of success, confidence, and worthiness📖

Recommended Reading:

- Mice can inherit learned sensitivity to a smell https://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/12/smell_epigenetics_ressler/index.html

- Can Trauma Be Inherited Through Genes https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/trauma-genes-inherit-epigenetics-methylation

Follow for weekly episode drops every Thursday!

💬 Got a fun or deep question for us? Drop it in the comments and we might feature it in a future episode!

👍 Like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs to hear this!⁨

#epigenetics #generationaltrauma #inheritedtrauma #emotionalhealing #mentalhealth #energyhealing #modernalchemy #christinanikols #joejennings #traumarecovery #selfgrowth #ancestralhealing #mindsetshift

What if the secret to success was simply acting as if you were already there? In this episode of Modern Alchemy, Joe and Christina dive into the power of identity shifting, visualization, and stepping into the mindset of your future self—before you feel ready.

From hilarious funeral song choices to deep discussions about confidence, wealth, and rewiring the subconscious mind, this episode is packed with insights (and laughs).

Whether you’re navigating entrepreneurship, shifting your money mindset, or just trying to feel more confident, this conversation will challenge the way you see yourself and your potential.

🎯 Topics Covered:✅ Act As If: Why embodying your future self accelerates success✅ Money Mindset: Breaking income ceilings & avoiding scarcity traps✅ Confidence Hacks: Small shifts that change everything✅ Rewiring Your Brain: How your Reticular Activating System filters reality✅ Lessons from the Greats: Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger & Conor McGregor’s mindset secrets

💡 Key Takeaways:✔ The way you speak, move, and make decisions shapes your future✔ You don’t actually want money, success, or love—you want the feeling they bring✔ Your brain finds proof for whatever you believe—so start believing in yourself!
✔ Stop waiting. You will NEVER feel "ready." Start before you think you are.

📚 Book Recommendations:📖 Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl (on mindset & choosing your attitude)📖 Atomic Habits – James Clear (on identity shifting through small daily actions)📖 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck* – Mark Manson (on taking radical responsibility)📖 The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz (on shifting your thoughts & beliefs)

👍 Subscribe/Follow for more deep conversations on business, mindset, and energy.

#actasif #mindsetshift #successmindset #entrepreneurlife #growthmindset

How Focus & Momentum Create Massive Results

🔑 Key Takeaways:

✅ Momentum is greater than motivation – Small, consistent actions over time create unstoppable momentum.

📊 Track Your Progress – Winners always know the score. Set KPIs, track habits, and gamify success.

🚧 Remove Roadblocks, Don’t Push Through – Instead of forcing action, identify and eliminate limiting beliefs.

⏳ The 90-Day Rule – Any habit or goal can make major progress in just three months with intentional focus.

🔗 Habit Stacking for Maximum Growth – Build one habit at a time and compound your efforts over time.

💬 Memorable Quotes:

🧠 "Your mind is the architect of your future—design wisely."

🚀 "Momentum makes motivation irrelevant—just get started."

🛤 "You don’t need to see the whole staircase—just take the first step."

📈 "Winners always know the score—track your actions, not just results."

🔥 Enjoyed this episode?

📩 SUBSCRIBE for more success hacks

📌 Follow Us for More:

🔹 @ModernAlchemyPodcast

🔹  @joethecreator 

🔹  @ChristinaNikols 

#Mindset #SuccessHacks #Momentum #90DayChallenge #ModernAlchemy #PersonalDevelopment #EntrepreneurMindset

If you only knew the magnificence of 3, 6, and 9, then you would have the key to the universe.” – Nikola Tesla

In this episode, Joe and Christina dive deep into Tesla’s 3-6-9 theory, exploring why these numbers are so powerful in manifestation, energy work, and reality creation.

🔢 Key Topics We Cover:

✔️ Why Tesla believed 3, 6, and 9 are the key to the universe

✔️ How sacred geometry, energy flow, and vortex mathematics relate to 3-6-9

✔️ The 3-6-9 Manifestation Method – how to use it to call in your desires

✔️ The connection between quantum physics, numerology, and the frequency of success

✔️ Why these numbers appear in ancient knowledge, nature, and the human mind

🔥 How to Use Tesla’s 3-6-9 Manifestation Method:

1️⃣ Write your desire 3 times in the morning → Sets the intention

2️⃣ Write it 6 times in the afternoon → Strengthens the vibration

3️⃣ Write it 9 times at night → Locks it into reality

✨ EXAMPLE: If you’re manifesting money:

Morning: "I am financially abundant." (x3)

Afternoon: "Money flows to me easily and effortlessly." (x6)

Night: "I attract wealth in all forms, and I am fully supported." (x9)

This method aligns with the laws of energy and frequency to help you shift into a higher vibration and attract what you truly desire.

TRY IT OUT & LET US KNOW! Drop a comment: Have you used 3-6-9 before? What results did you get?

👉 Like & Subscribe for more deep dives into hidden knowledge, energy work, and manifestation!

📌 Follow Us for More:

🔹@ModernAlchemy

🔹 @joethecreatorx

🔹 @christinanikols-

#nikolatesla #manifestation #sacredgeometry #energywork #quantumphysics #frequency

CHAPTERS

00:00 Greetings and welcome to the podcast

05:00 Corporate world

10:00 Colors of red, blue, and yellow explained

15:00 I just thought I'd call a couple of...

20:00 The loop is such a game changer

25:00 So it kind of makes me want to overdo it

30:00 Drop your affirmations below

Find What You Love & Let It Kill You – Or At Least Pay Your Bills

🔍 Are you stuck in a job you hate? Wondering how to turn your passion into a career?

In this episode, Joe and Christina break down how to identify what truly excites you, the difference between a hobby and a purpose, and why following that little voice inside you (instead of your ego) leads to the most fulfilling life.

💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

✔️ The difference between hobbies and passions—and why some hobbies should stay hobbies

✔️ How to figure out what you actually love doing (even if you feel lost)

✔️ The hidden fear keeping you from pursuing what excites you (and how to overcome it)

✔️ The importance of purpose over money—how fulfillment trumps corporate success

✔️ How your success is inevitable when you choose something you can talk about for 100 hours

✔️ Why most older people regret NOT taking risks—and how to avoid that regret yourself

✨ MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE:

🔥 “If you’re willing to trade your life for a paycheck, make sure it’s worth it.”

🔥 “The loudest voice in your head is fear. Your purpose is the quiet one that excites you.”

🔥 “You don’t have to be the world’s best. You just need to be one step ahead of the people you’re helping.”

💬 WHAT’S YOUR PURPOSE? Drop a comment below: What’s something you could talk about for 100 hours? Have you ever turned a passion into a career? Let’s talk about it!

👉 Like & Subscribe for more insights on personal growth, entrepreneurship, and energy work!

#findyourpurpose #followyourdreams #entrepreneurship #mindsetshift #successmindset

The Frequency of Success: How to Align with Your Goals & Manifest with Energy"Are you really attracting what you want—or are you attracting what you are?

🤯In this episode, Joe and Christina dive into the frequency of success and why personal energy plays a huge role in manifestation, business, and everyday life. We break down the Law of Resonance vs. Law of Attraction, discuss how your thoughts and emotions shape your reality, and explore ways to raise your vibration so you can become a magnet for success.

🌟 Key Topics:

✔️ Why success is more about resonance than attraction

✔️ How to shift from lack and scarcity to abundance and confidence

✔️ The role of 432 Hz & 528 Hz frequencies in focus, healing, and manifestation

✔️ Practical ways to change your energy and call in what you want

✔️ Why your environment, relationships, and subconscious beliefs matter

✨ Plus, we share insights from the Gateway Process, quantum physics, and energy work to help you unlock your full potential.

🔮 TRY THIS: Pay attention to how your thoughts, words, and energy influence your day—are you operating at the frequency of what you truly desire?

👉 Like & Subscribe for more deep dives into energy, success, and the hidden forces shaping your reality!

Drop a comment and let us know: What are you working on manifesting right now?

#Frequency #Manifestation #Energywork #Quantumphysics #successmindset

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates

08:12 Exploring the Frequency of Success

17:59 Manifestation and the Law of Resonance

19:35 Expanding Understanding of Goals and Manifestation

20:59 The Power of Sound Frequencies

22:20 Plants, Energy, and Communication

25:59 Living from a Place of Love

27:20 Movement and Energy Flow

31:19 Feng Shui and Energy Dynamics

34:32 The Impact of Social Circles on Energy

38:42 Awareness and Positive Reinforcement