Success starts with what you stop tolerating 🧭 | Will Polston

This week’s Millennial Master is Will Polston, high-performance strategist and author of North Star Thinking.

Will once believed money was the key to happiness. That belief made him rich early, but left him unfulfilled.

After a life-altering “lightning moment” at a Tony Robbins event, he uncovered what was really driving him: the desire to help others unlock their potential.

Since then, Will’s coached thousands of entrepreneurs, built multiple businesses, and developed a framework to help people find their North Star and finally stop tolerating the wrong life.

🔗 Find Will on LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube

Takeaways from Will’s episode

1️⃣ Money was never the problem

Will thought financial success would fix everything. It didn’t. His obsession with wealth was rooted in childhood, watching his dad’s potential go unrealised. That moment shaped his drive far more than the money itself ever could.

2️⃣ Distractions ruin performance

Your results depend on what you’re willing to remove. Will defines peak performance as your full potential, minus whatever gets in the way. Focus is built through subtraction, not just more effort.

3️⃣ You get what you tolerate

Unhappiness often comes from staying in the wrong place for too long. Will challenges clients with one simple question: “Are you willing to keep tolerating this?” The longer the wait, the harder the recovery.

4️⃣ Purpose isn’t found, it’s made

Waiting for clarity doesn’t work. Will created his purpose by identifying what energised him, what problems he could solve, and what future felt meaningful. That became his North Star, and the filter for every decision since.

5️⃣ Small actions shift your direction

After a major career setback, Will didn’t launch a business overnight. He just posted one quote each day. Then he built on that. Every result since started with that tiny move and a choice to keep going.

📖 Will’s book recommendations

The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale — A short but powerful audio-book that shaped Will’s view of success. It reframed success as the pursuit of a meaningful goal, not a fixed destination.

Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr Maxwell Maltz — Will credits this book for introducing him to the concept of visualisation and self-image. It helped him understand how mental rehearsal creates real-world results.

The Hero by Rhonda Byrne — Less well known than The Secret, this book triggered a second lightning moment. It reminded Will that making an impact doesn’t require perfection — it starts with sharing what you know, where you are.

North Star Thinking by Will Polston — His own book captures the full framework he uses with clients to build clarity, direction, and momentum. If you’re stuck, drifting, or just ambitious but unsure, this lays out the system.

➕ Also see Will’s full curated list of 300+ books by category

In this episode we cover:

00:00 Intro to Will Polston

02:29 The pursuit of happiness: money vs fulfilment

08:20 Early entrepreneurial spirit

12:53 The turning point: discovering personal development

22:15 From income to impact: finding purpose

24:11 Common founder challenges: clarity, action, accountability

27:24 Knowing when it’s time to change

29:29 Myths of success

30:31 Designing a life of fulfilment

34:00 Habits of peak performers

35:51 Who you surround yourself with

41:24 Long-term vision and passion

42:38 Ikigai and the power of your North Star

44:52 Manifestation and taking action

49:30 Focus and productivity

53:29 Advice to Will’s younger self

55:54 Books that shaped Will’s thinking

57:39 How to create your North Star