Confronting Dream Killers Through Relentless "One More" Effort

THE ED MYLETT SHOW · December 27, 2025 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title:

TL;DR

Discouragement, doubt, and delusion are internal "dream killers" that diminish courage, erode belief, and distort reality, preventing individuals from achieving their potential by lowering their vibrational frequency.
Delaying action based on the pursuit of perfection is a significant dream killer, as successful individuals embrace imperfection and urgency, understanding that opportunities have an expiration date.
Hiding in past successes or failures, sports fandom, reality TV, politics, or even children's achievements prevents personal growth and leads to a life of regret due to acts of omission.
The "one more" principle, applied consistently across all endeavors, is the ultimate separator for winners, fostering self-belief, improving skills through repetition, and stacking the odds in one's favor.
Compound pounding, the sustained application of effort over time, is essential for breaking down obstacles and achieving dreams, as most people abandon their goals before the cumulative effect yields results.
Fear of judgment, often masked as fear of failure, stems from an underlying belief of not being enough, which must be addressed through self-love and acceptance to unlock true potential.

Deep Dive

The core argument is that achieving one's dreams is often hindered by deeply ingrained psychological "dream killers" and the failure to consistently apply effort. These internal obstacles, including discouragement, doubt, delusion, and delay, are presented as insidious weapons that erode confidence and prevent action. The podcast emphasizes that overcoming these internal battles, coupled with a relentless commitment to "one more" effort, is the true separator between those who succeed and those who do not.

The implications of these dream killers are profound and systemic. Discouragement, often appearing near breakthroughs, removes courage and lowers one's vibrational frequency, making them susceptible to self-doubt and a distorted perception of reality. Doubt, fueled by lies about one's worth, paralyzes action, while delusion distorts problems, making them seem insurmountable or success impossibly distant, leading to a self-defeating pace. The most dangerous, delay, is the insidious weapon that guarantees regret by waiting for perfect conditions, thereby killing dreams with inaction.

The second-order implications extend to how individuals perceive their own potential and progress. If discouragement signals proximity to greatness, then embracing it as a sign of being on the right track reframes setbacks. Similarly, recognizing doubt as a lie and its antidote as belief, particularly in one's inherent giftedness, can dismantle its power. Confronting delusion by understanding that breakthroughs are often one decision away, rather than years away, can recalibrate expectations and urgency. Finally, understanding delay as a weapon of failure shifts the default to immediate action, recognizing that dreams have an expiration date and that perfect conditions rarely, if ever, arrive.

The relentless pursuit of "one more" effort, termed "compound pounding," is presented as the countermeasure. This isn't just about working harder, but about consistently exceeding perceived limits. The implication is that this repeated, incremental effort builds self-belief, increases skill through practice, and dramatically stacks the odds in one's favor over time. This sustained action, like water eroding rock, inevitably breaks down obstacles and leads to success. The core takeaway is that while external circumstances are unpredictable, the commitment to "one more" and the consistent application of effort are controllable forces that guarantee eventual triumph, turning potential into reality by simply refusing to stop.

Action Items

Audit personal habits: Identify 3-5 activities (e.g., excessive social media, dwelling on past wins) that serve as hiding places, preventing progress toward goals.
Track "one more" actions: For 2-3 key personal or professional goals, log daily instances of completing one additional rep, call, or task beyond the minimum.
Analyze self-doubt triggers: For 1-2 recurring self-doubts, identify the underlying fear (e.g., judgment, failure) and reframe it as an indicator of proximity to breakthrough.
Schedule proactive decision-making: For 3-5 recurring tasks or opportunities, establish a default "now" action to counteract the tendency to delay and ensure timely execution.

Key Quotes

"What about the obstacles to success in other words if we knew what the objections are or the obstacles are to making our dreams come true or making progress if we knew what they were in advance we could probably reduce them maybe eliminate them but at least reduce the impact that they have on us yet no one really talks about these things like what's going to get in my way"

Ed Mylett explains that while many focus on achieving dreams, the obstacles and objections are often overlooked. He suggests that foreknowledge of these challenges could significantly mitigate their impact, yet this aspect of success is rarely discussed.

"The adversary wants you to believe that right by the way failure wants you to believe that forget the spiritual part of it for a second failure wants you to be discouraged success wants you to be encouraged so from now on when you see the first d which is discouragement know that that's a weapon of the week know that that's a lie know that that's there as an obstacle to get you off your game"

Ed Mylett identifies discouragement as a primary weapon used by an adversary or failure to derail progress. He asserts that discouragement is a lie and a tool of the weak, designed to prevent individuals from achieving their goals, whereas success encourages and builds confidence.

"Delusion is seeing things for what they aren't usually delusion is making you believe two things number one making you believe a problem is bigger and worse than it is and what we do is we do something called thought stacking when we get a problem we repeat the problem over and over and over and over"

Ed Mylett describes delusion as a distortion of reality, often manifesting as an exaggeration of problems through a process called "thought stacking." He explains that this repetitive dwelling on issues makes them seem larger and more insurmountable than they actually are.

"Delay is a massive insidious weapon of the weak I have so many people on my team that are always trying to get things perfect right and I'll tell them all the time I don't need this perfect I need it now right perfection is the enemy of success perfection is actually the lowest possible standard because it's never going to be reached"

Ed Mylett criticizes delay as a significant obstacle, particularly when driven by a pursuit of perfection. He argues that perfection is unattainable and that the desire for it often leads to inaction, hindering progress and preventing success.

"Winning is not easy winning is a grind winning is a fight winning's a battle winning's about growing winning's about mental toughness and I don't think most people have an appreciation of really how much work and really how mentally tough you have to be to make your biggest dreams come true"

Ed Mylett emphasizes that achieving significant dreams is a difficult and demanding process requiring mental toughness. He suggests that many people underestimate the sheer amount of work and resilience needed to overcome challenges and attain their aspirations.

"The separator is for the winners they do one more at least than you think you're capable of so when you're done whatever you're doing whether it's at the gym or phone calls or meetings or in sports one more shot one more throw one more swing of the golf club or the baseball bat the separator is for the winners they do one more"

Ed Mylett posits that the key differentiator for winners is their commitment to doing "one more" than they believe they are capable of. This principle applies across all endeavors, from physical training to professional tasks, setting them apart from others.

Resources

External Resources

Books

"The Power of One More" by Ed Mylett - Mentioned as a source for concepts on growth and overcoming limitations.
"The Greatness Mindset: Unlock the Power of Your Mind and Live Your Best Life Today" by Lewis Howes - Mentioned in relation to overcoming fears and achieving one's mission.

Videos & Documentaries

"The Weight of Gold" - Mentioned as a documentary about Olympic gold medalists experiencing depression and other issues after success.

Articles & Papers

"The Greatness Mindset" (Book) - Mentioned in relation to overcoming fears and achieving one's mission.

People

Ed Mylett - Host of "The Ed Mylett Show," author, and speaker discussing principles for success and personal growth.
Lewis Howes - Guest on "The Ed Mylett Show," author, and speaker discussing overcoming fears, self-doubt, and achieving one's mission.
John Gordon - Mentioned as a speaker who discusses "Ds" related to obstacles.
John Maxwell - Mentioned as a speaker who discusses "Ds" related to obstacles.
Leanne Rhymes - Mentioned as a mutual friend who discussed issues of feeling unloved and not enough.
Dr. Joe Dispenza - Quoted for the concept that "your personality becomes your personal reality."
Mike Trout - Mentioned as an example of a gifted baseball player who does extra work.
Larry Bird - Mentioned as a legendary basketball player known for doing "one more."
Kobe Bryant - Mentioned as an example of a gifted NBA player who did "one more."
Michael Jordan - Mentioned as an example of a gifted NBA player who did "one more."
Kevin Durant - Mentioned as a gifted NBA player.
Steph Curry - Mentioned as a gifted NBA player.
Henry Ford - Mentioned as an example of someone who started a business without all conditions being perfect.
Steve Jobs - Mentioned as an example of someone who started a business without all conditions being perfect.
Jeff Bezos - Mentioned as an example of someone whose timing was crucial for starting Amazon.
Mike Tyson - Quoted for the saying, "Everybody's got a plan until they get punched in the face."

Organizations & Institutions

NFL (National Football League) - Mentioned in the context of professional athletes and performance.
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) - Mentioned in the context of professional athletes.
MLB (Major League Baseball) - Mentioned in the context of professional athletes.
PFF (Pro Football Focus) - Mentioned as a data source for player grading.
New England Patriots - Mentioned as an example team for performance analysis.
Red Sox - Mentioned as a sports team the host supports.
Mets - Mentioned in relation to the 1986 World Series.
Apple - Mentioned in the context of Steve Jobs and business.
Ford Motor Company - Mentioned in the context of Henry Ford and business.
Amazon - Mentioned in the context of Jeff Bezos and business.
USA Handball Team - Mentioned in relation to Lewis Howes' past athletic achievements.

Websites & Online Resources

Blinds.com - Mentioned in a promotional segment.
Liberty Mutual - Mentioned in a promotional segment.
Instagram - Mentioned as a platform for the "Max Out Two Minute Drill."
Facebook - Mentioned as a social media platform.
LinkedIn - Mentioned as a professional networking platform.
X (formerly Twitter) - Mentioned as a social media platform.
Website - Mentioned as a general online resource.

Other Resources

The Ed Mylett Show - The podcast where the discussion took place.
Max Out - A concept and mindset promoted by Ed Mylett, emphasizing doing "one more."
Compound Pounding - A concept referring to sustained effort over time to break down obstacles.
Blissful Dissatisfaction - A concept about living in bliss while still desiring growth.
Max Out Two Minute Drill - A daily contest on Instagram for listeners to engage and win prizes.