Why Character is Your Greatest Asset (And How to Build It)
The common goal of most people is to live the best life possible.
Terms like time management, self-improvement, and mindset are everywhere—and it’s no wonder.
Social media is overflowing with faceless gurus and self-proclaimed coaches, each promising to guide you to success in every aspect of life.
Endless courses on mindset chant clichés like "fake it until you make it," while time management workshops teach you how to dissect every single hour of your day.
Persuasion courses promise to unlock the secrets of influence.
It’s a constant flood of “tips and tricks,” all claiming to hold the key to success.
And yet, I have the feeling that most people feel trapped.
Many people feel lost and unclear about their next steps.
Raised by parents with the ultimate "you can do whatever you put your mind to" mentality, I have attended several live events held by big names in the "life-coaching" industry. I’ve read multiple books on self-improvement, popular psychology, and self-help.
Reflecting on that period, I’ve realized that most of the knowledge and techniques I encountered were merely quick fixes, addressing acute problems temporarily. While they sometimes provided short-term solutions, the underlying issues remained untouched, only to resurface repeatedly.
It wasn’t until I read Stephen Covey's classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that I began to understand that effective living is based on a few basic principles. At its core, it’s all about having good character.
Don't get me wrong.
All the skills and techniques I mentioned above aren’t bad in themselves. I believe you need many of these skills to succeed in certain areas of life. But these are secondary traits, not primary traits.
If I try to use human influence strategies, which I learned in my persuasion course, to get people to do what I want while my character is fundamentally flawed, then, in the long run, I won’t be successful.
Everything I do will be perceived as manipulative.
It makes no difference how good the rhetoric is or how good the intentions are—if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation for lasting success. "Only basic goodness gives life to technique." – Stephen R. Covey
In fact, character is the most valuable asset a person can have.
Ironically, we all know this.
There are people we trust completely because we know their character. Whether they are skilled at dealing with people or not, whether they are persuasive or not, we trust them and work well with them.
And it's true for the opposite as well. Someone with bad character, someone swayed by ego, someone dishonest—it’s not going to end well for them. And it’s not going to end well for you either if you try to associate with them.
While we can agree that character is one of the most valuable assets a person can have, the real challenge lies in shaping and strengthening it.
This realization led me to explore Stoicism—a philosophy rooted in practical wisdom. It teaches that strong character is not only the foundation of success but also the key to a meaningful, fulfilled life.
The goal of this newsletter is twofold:
To emphasize that good character traits are the foundation of everything, while all else is secondary (what you've read already).
To introduce Stoic principles that can inspire you to dig deeper into the values and habits that form a strong character (the next section).
Aware of the fact that this newsletter can’t cover all Stoic virtues in-depth, I’ll share the four cardinal virtues and two simple yet important principles that can help you cultivate good character:
Practice Virtue Above All
The Stoics focused on four key virtues that guide how we think, act, and treat others:
Wisdom: Knowledge, education, truth, self-reflection, peace…
Wisdom is about making thoughtful decisions and understanding what truly matters. It helps us avoid impulsive actions and see the bigger picture. When we’re faced with criticism, wisdom allows us to reflect on whether it’s constructive instead of reacting defensively. It’s the ability to ask, “What’s the right thing to do here?” and act accordingly.
Courage: Bravery, endurance, honor, sacrifice…
Courage isn’t about being fearless; it’s about doing the right thing even when it’s hard. It could be standing up for someone being treated unfairly or trying something completely new, like writing a newsletter, even if you might fail. Courage reminds us that growth often comes from facing discomfort rather than avoiding it.
Temperance: Self-control, moderation, balance…
Temperance is about controlling impulses and staying focused on what matters. It could be as simple as sticking to your workout routine when you don’t feel like it or resisting the urge to overspend on things you don’t need.
Justice: Fairness, service, goodness, kindness…Justice is about doing the right thing—not only in big moments of responsibility but also in the little things. It’s about how we treat strangers, how we do business, how seriously we take our obligations and the impact we have on the world around us.
Virtues can be compared to a craft—something to pursue just like any profession or skill. Virtue is something we do.
Focus on What You Can Control
Your quality of life increases when you focus your mental and physical energy only on things you can personally influence.
Everything else is a distraction that pulls you away from managing your life properly.
A lot of people are concerned with things entirely outside their control, which makes them reactive. Life happens, and they just react. Bad weather? They get grumpy. Traffic jam? They honk and complain. Although this is the default response for most, there is another way to live.
You must limit the irrelevant things you do and think about. By doing so, you become better at the relevant things on which you spend your time.
If you want to learn more, I’ve written an entire newsletter on this topic: How big is your Circle of Control?
Keep Your Word
Commonly, people try to wiggle out of things they’ve agreed to.
They try to come up with an exemption so they don’t have to keep their promises. Perhaps because something better came up.
Because something more profitable is on the table.
Because it became clear how exhausting it would be.
Because they don’t think it really says anything about them.
Yes, it’s true—keeping your word can cost you. You might get stuck doing something you’d rather not do. But not keeping your word doesn’t come without a cost either. Not only is your reputation and trust at stake, but each time we break faith, we make it harder for people to trust us.
Luckily, the opposite is also true: Every time we keep our word, we not only build self-confidence but also strengthen trust in the eyes of those we live and work with.
So, if you say it, they are counting on you—do it! Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Even if it’s going to be difficult or painful.
That’s it for today.
These newsletters are a reflection of what I am learning at this very moment, and I hope this information sparks your interest to also embark on the journey to develop good character traits or strengthen the ones we already have.
Start small: reflect on one Stoic virtue—wisdom, courage, temperance, or justice—and how you can practice it today. Over time, these small actions will shape a stronger, more resilient character.
Ultimately, I believe that a changeless character based on fundamental values and principles is a great way to get to know yourself on a deeper level. You will define yourself from within, rather than by others' opinions. "Right" and "wrong" will have little to do with being found out.
Dustin.
How big is your Circle of Control?
Welcome back to another edition of WeWill read! Today's topic is something I've been observing for years now, and once I understood its impact, it changed how I approach everything I do. Let's kick this off with a question to get your brain power up to speed so you can blaze through this article in no time.
What do the people in the following four scenarios have in common?
People stuck in traffic furiously honking at the driver in front of them, knowing that person can't do anything about it. (For those who know me personally—yep, I came up with this topic here it is! And those who feel addressed, you'd better keep on reading. 😉)
People complaining about the dress code of a wedding they weren't invited to.
People in a bad mood due to rainy weather.
Those who spend hours debating stock and Bitcoin prices without owning any shares.
If you guessed that they're all concerned with things entirely outside their control, you're absolutely right!
This pattern shows up in many parts of our lives, and we often don't even notice it. This habit of obsessing over things we can't control isn't just a human flaw — it's a real problem that can mess with our happiness, how much we get done, and how satisfied we feel with life. And that's why WeWill dig into why we do this, how it affects us, and most importantly, how we can start focusing on stuff we can actually change.
The Circle of Concern vs the Circle of Control
As I already mentioned, most people spend time on things outside of their control without even noticing. But to change this behavior, it's crucial to be aware of where your focus goes.
We have to understand the idea of the Circle of Concern and the Circle of Control.
These ideas come from Stephen Covey's powerful book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". The book is over 30 years old, and honestly, I've only read the first two chapters, but what I've learned so far was so insightful that I had to put the book aside, write down my thoughts, and share it with you.
So here it is in a nutshell:
Your quality of life increases, if you focus your mental and physical energy ONLY on the things you can personally influence. Everything else is considered as a distraction, that pulls you away from managing your life properly. BUT here's the surprising part: narrowing your focus doesn't limit your influence or your ability to make a positive impact. Instead, it actually enhances these things.
Okay, let's break this down into something we can all understand. Covey talks about two circles:
the Circle of Concern and the Circle of Control.
Think of it like this:
• The Circle of Concern is like your worry bubble. It's ALL the stuff you think about or spend mental energy on.
• The Circle of Control, on the other hand, is your action zone. It's the stuff you can actually do something about.
For a typical person in my generation, those two circles look like this.
Beginners Circle of Control and Concern
Damn, now look at that. The Circle of the typical social media doom scroller. Confronted with so many worries but yet there are many things that he or she cannot control. Most news articles, reels, and posts usually target the red boxes.
Even as a newbie, you can take control over many things, which are the blue boxes gathered in the middle. But every second you waste on the red boxes is a second you’re not investing in the blue ones.
If you live like this, as most people do, you become a reactive person. Life happens, and the only thing you do is react. Bad weather? You get grumpy. Traffic jam? You honk and complain. Creators sharing insights about how much they earn with what they do? You rant online and among your friends that “content creation” is not a real job.
Although this is the default response for most, there is another way to live.
It is to shrink your circle of concern, (ditch the daily news, stop watching others working on their circle of influence) and use that extra brain power to work on YOUR items within YOUR circle of control.
This is called being proactive. To do so it helps to start from the beginning and work outwards. At the very beginning are the goals in your life.
For me, this exercise could be like this:
Goal:
To lead the happiest life possible:
how to reach Goal:
life a long and healthy life
maintain good relationships with my partner, family, and friends
pursue financial freedom by doing what I like
helping others to the best of my ability
With these guidelines, it becomes much easier to decide what stays in your circle of Concern.
You start by identifying each concern within your circle, analyze it, and decide if it is something you can affect, then either ditch it or start working on it. For example:
Concern:
The weather sucks, and my partner took our shared car to visit her family but I really want to get my workout in. The gym is 4 kilometers away from home.
Analysis:
How does this relate to my goal? Is it part of the "how to reach Goal" list? Yes - working out is key to living a long and healthy life
So am I correct in seeking a way to get to the gym today? Yes
Is the local weather in my control? No
Does complaining about the weather help me get to the gym? No
So will I choose to waste anyone’s time by issuing complaints? No
Is it possible to ride the bike even though it's raining? Yes
What is required to do this? Get out that raincoat, and take the waterproof backpack (I usually bring a camera to my workouts).
So will I go to the closet and get that coat and the pack back? Yes
In other cases, the outcome can be deeper
Concern:
I try to keep up with social media trends to improve my content creation skills but the overload of information and the fast-paced social media world worries me quite a bit.
Analysis:
Why do I feel that watching tons of social media posts and reels makes me a better content creator? Because I want to stay informed about the latest trends and viral content.
How does this contribute to the goal of becoming financially free? By copying the latest trends I will attract new followers. More followers means a bigger reach. Bigger reach eventually creates a bigger income.
Will copying every viral trend make me a unique content creator, somebody who is original and not so easy to replace? I don't think so.
What's the underlying framework of viral content? It has to be a new and unique perspective on things showcased in a way that hasn't been done before.
Does scrolling through your Instagram challenge you to go deep and create your very own thing? No, it tends to distract me resulting in doing nothing
So what is the best way to create something unique, something that is 100% you? Hmm... I guess I should ditch scrolling through my social media feed and explore the topics that I am passionate about, dissect them as far as I can, and then explain and showcase them with the skills I have developed so far in the way that I find the most valuable and entertaining. If I do it this way, I am pretty sure that the outcome is unique and original.
Note: Even though the outcome seems obvious—"Do your own thing"—this exercise gives it more depth. It helps you feel more confident in your decisions because you've carefully thought through the process by yourself. While it's not easy, it's definitely worthwhile.
This brings us to the most exciting aspect of this concept!
By limiting the irrelevant things you do and think about, you automatically become better at the relevant things on which you spend your time.
The increase in your health, wealth, network of friends, and knowledge of relevant things from reading books, creating content, and talking with other highly effective people will transform your circle of control into something like this:
Advanced Circle of Control and Concern
now we talking!
The circle of control is now on steroids - but in a healthy way. That means it has increased tremendously. And if we take a look at this new advanced circle we see that there are new and fancy additions in green.
By avoiding stuff that doesn't matter, this person now has way more control over his or her life. Things they used to just worry about? Now they can actually do something about them.
And isn't that what we all want in the end?
There you have it guys! With this new knowledge, I challenge you to monitor both your worries and your words. If you find yourself wasting energy on things outside of your control go back to the very beginning and ask yourself if it helps your goal in life, if not ditch it and get back to work on the things that really matter to you!
WeWill control
A wannabe blog article
I always admire people who know exactly what they're doing and what they want to be in life. Their lives always seem like a video game where they're landing high scores at every level. How do they do that? I think they start by defining who they want to be, so let's begin at the very start…
Things I want to be
Healthy & fit
Successful in maintaining good relationships (partner, family, friends)
Relevant for people I care about
Recognized/appreciated in society
Financially free
Charismatic
Simple
But why do I want to be that? I guess because I think these things are important to me and that they are good. But…
When do things become good? When do things positively impact me and the people around me?
Things are good when:
it feels natural
it's fun
it helps me achieve my goals
Thats it. Things are usually good when it feels natural to do or be something. And mostly that's when it starts to become fun.
But there is one issue! Things are never, NEVER, easy when starting, and of course, I am talking about things that have a positive impact on your life. Binchwatching Netflix comes easy from the very first second you turn on the TV, you know it! So even if you're good at something "new," it's always a product of past experiences that allows you to excel at a certain skill. In other words, we all suck at the beginning until we don't. And this is the struggle I am facing.
Over the last decade, I invested quite some time in personal development in various forms Live events, Online coaching, and many books. I have learned that to achieve something good, that positively impacts my life, the reason behind it must be far greater than myself. It needs to be so huge that It's hard to fully grasp it. The vision should be so clear and simple that even at my lowest point, I don't need to question why I'm pursuing it. Its clarity should be a constant guiding force.
So far, I've only applied this principle to one thing: CrossFit! At the moment, I can imagine myself doing CrossFit for the rest of my life. Why? A few years ago, I realized that health is one of the most valuable assets in life. To enjoy life, create, support, and help others, you need to be both physically and mentally healthy. You must take care of yourself to serve others effectively. Of course, I enjoy the perks that come with it—getting in shape and being able to tackle almost any physical activity—but the real reason is that I want to maintain this lifestyle for as long as possible.
So even though there's a ton more room to grow, I'd say I've kinda figured out the sports thing. I know my why, I know my how, I know my where and when. It's all crystal clear. But what about the other areas of my life? When looking at all my desired characteristics there is one particular characteristic that I struggle with the most, but at the same time, I think it's the one where I crave clarity the most. I want to be financially free.
Yo Financial Freedom, where you at?!
And what does financial freedom mean to me? Well, my definition is simple: if I decide I don't want to work anymore, I could—period. Does this mean my goal is to stop working altogether? Not at all. I believe that once you stop working, you kind of stop living. So I guess the goal is set and pretty clear but what is the actual status and what is my game plan to reach this goal?
Well, the good thing is I'm already doing what I love—editing sick videos for a well-known energy drink company based in Salzburg. The funny thing about it, it’s both a good and a bad thing. I'm doing what I love, but I'm working for someone else's dream. When I started in 2019, I was thrilled with this arrangement because of the incredible people I met and the knowledge and skills I gained in those first years. However, I'm exchanging time for money—a decent salary, but not enough to make me financially free. Something has to change.
Two years ago, I decided to reduce my 9-to-5 working hours by 25% to work on my very own projects.
Long story short: it took me 2 years to officially register my own business, and I didn't earn any extra money in these two years. You could argue that this decision was a step back from my goal of becoming financially free. But that's not the case. This "free" time gave me a glimpse of what it could be like to use my time freely. It allowed me to think about how I want to achieve financial freedom in the future and where to future work is heading in general but more importantly where it's heading for me.
The Work Game Plan
I quickly realized that working as an employee for someone else wouldn't achieve my goals. Freelancing or starting my own business is the way forward. But what about my current job, which I enjoy? Well, for now, I'm sticking with 75% of my nine-to-five. There's an insane project coming up that I really don't want to miss—I'll dive into that later in a full article of its own.
With the rest of my time, I'm focusing on two projects. If executed well, these will gradually consume more of my nine-to-five and catapult me toward financial freedom.
Freelance work
This is something I've been putting off for a while, but it's finally happening as I write this. In some ways, I'm still working for others—I'm transitioning from having one boss to having several at the same time. However, I now get to choose whom I work with. And let me tell you, my biggest client is one of my best friends, and being able to work with him on his dreams is pretty awesome! Last but not least, I get to decide what my time and skillset are worth. “Here comes the moneeyyyy” knowing that I still trade time against money. But still “here comes the money - haha”
Dustin the Creator
I am a strong believer in the creator economy, not to be confused with the influencer economy. It's characterized by individuals who pursue their interests and document their knowledge.
I want to create things and share them with the world. By doing so, I aim to attract people to my vision, story, and goals. The content can take various forms—written pieces like this, videos in short or long format, or pretty much anything that comes to mind. I want to be my very own brand that people can connect and identify with. It's time for WeWill+, which stands for endless opportunities, endless creativity, and a community that wants to move forward. WeWill create, WeWill fail, WeWill win. WeWill dive into the brand concept in more detail soon enough, but I believe there are millions of people with similar interests, problems, and desires. If I can connect with just a fraction of them, it would form an amazing community. Eventually, my brand will evolve into a product—something I can proudly share with this community. It will hopefully provide value to everyone who chooses to purchase it.
That's the game plan:
Maintain 75% employment while creating cool things and exploring different places
Pursue freelance work
Create content that aligns with my interests and develop a personal brand
I've been creating and sharing a lot lately. I've enjoyed it, and my friends' feedback has been great so far. However, even though I told myself to do this only for me, I caught myself getting stressed about posting for the sake of posting and meeting others' expectations. Combined with the fact that I'm still working a 9-to-5 job, I reached a point where I couldn't create. Sharing my situation with a good friend, we came up with a plan to write down what I want and what my current status is. That's how this article came to life—so thanks, Luci! And thanks to my friends and family who believe I can do whatever I put my mind to. I believe it too. Let's get it!
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