I've always been obsessed with escaping the system of the 9-5.

When I graduated from film school I became acutely aware of the reality that then faced me: what the f*ck am I supposed to do now?

I became aware of the fact that there was no:

• Safety net

• Hand to hold

• Clear path to follow

The only next stop in the sequence - as far as I could tell - was:

• Get a job

• Get married

• Have kids

• Retire

• Die

It was like waking up from a nightmare in the middle of the night. Sweat on my forehead...Sheets drenched...Alarmed and confused at what had just happened...I woke up and became aware of the fact that:

I had been living my life in the dull malaise of conformity.

I had been processed down a conveyor belt of expectations, events, and circumstances that I had no control over. I was living a life devoid of choice and for the first time in my life, I now had to choose.

The Matrix

The film The Matrix (1999) depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality that machines have created to distract humans while using their bodies as an energy source. When Neo, a hacker, discovers the truth, he joins a rebellion against the machines alongside others who have been freed from the Matrix.

Art imitates life.

Here are two definitions to give us context:

• Matrix - an environment or material in which something develops; a surrounding medium or structure.

• Simulation - the action of pretending; deception.

The Matrix is the system that keeps you distracted and unaware of the possibilities that exist outside of it.

Meanwhile, your energy is being harvested for someone else's gain.

Here are some popular systems that exist in each of our lives:

• School

• Work

• Religion

Each system has a visible and specific goal.

When you go to school your micro goal is to get good grades so that you can progress to the next level (or grade). The macro goal is to graduate and enter the next system: the workplace.

At work, your micro goal is to excel in your specific role and accomplish tasks as instructed by your superiors. The macro goal is to provide value - in the form of capital - for your company. In the same way as schooling, you can level up and progress up the systemic hierarchy.

In the case of religion, the micro goal is to accept the dogma, follow the teachings, and apply them in your day-to-day life. The macro goal - by adhering to the principles - is to ascend to a greater plane of existence (another system).

The Labyrinth of Control

Along our journey through these systems, we are rewarded for our efforts through incentives. These often come in the form of money and material possessions.

They provide us with a means of survival and fulfill Maslow's basic hierarchy of needs:

• Water

• Food

• Shelter

However, they are often used to signal status - and conformity - to others within the system.

In lab rat experiments, rats are placed within a maze, and, upon hitting the right buttons, in the right sequences, they are rewarded with a scrap of cheese. The task of 'hitting the button' and receiving a reward keeps them distracted from ever escaping the prison that they're in in the first place.

They become focused on the micro, instead of the macro.

The problem with these systems - which I will collectively refer to as "The Matrix" - is that the people in them (like lab rats in a maze) are often unaware that there is a system. This ignorance leaves us vulnerable to the control of those at the top of The Matrix.

Back to the question: what the f*ck am I supposed to do now?

When I graduated - and now aware of The Matrix and my place within it - I was determined to stray clear of what I saw it as:

• The 40-Hour work week

• The 9-5

• The Grind

Instead, I opted for freelance film jobs, part-time cashier positions, and entrepreneurial pursuits that I expected would be my quick ticket out. I was determined to find the one-way ticket out of The Matrix...

Next stop: Freedom

But I fell on my a** over and over again. I would get really excited learning about a particular business venture - having seen someone else online succeed - and go full tilt. I'd sprint in the right direction, but like Icarus, I would often fly too close to the sun of my ego...crash...and burn.

One of my lowest points was working in an Amazon warehouse.It was here that I saw The Matrix at its most visceral. We would be herded to our stations by means of loud mechanical beeps and whistles, shuffled down windowless corridors by brightly colored tape, outlining the path we were meant to take.

Everything was labeled: chair…table…stool…LIFE.

We didn't have to think.

In fact, it was best if we didn't.

The hierarchy was signaled through the color of the vest you wore.

It was here, being part of the machine at its most essential, sweating alongside other workers (often 2-3x my age), that I decided something had to change.

It was also here that I met someone who felt the same.

The Great Escape

Over 2,500 years ago the myth of Theseus became prominent in Greek culture.

In the story, Theseus goes to the labyrinth in Knossos to slay the murderous minotaur within its walls. He is determined to end the human sacrifices to the beast, but he’s also aware of how treacherous the labyrinth is. It was such a complicated construction that no one had ever made it out alive…

Theseus is aided in his quest by Princess Ariadne, who falls madly in love with him and gives him a ball of thread. She tells him to unravel the thread as he goes deeper inside the maze so that he can find his way out upon killing the beast.

Ariadne’s thread is the solution.

It is a way of solving problems by tracing them to their logical conclusion…

Step by step.

Similar to Theseus’ labyrinth, The Matrix is also a complicated maze, requiring one to think carefully as they navigate out of its walls.

So how do we escape The Matrix?

In order to escape the matrix we need to achieve: escape velocity.

Escape Velocity - My 4 Steps for Breaking Free

Escape velocity is the speed that an object needs to be traveling to break free of a planet or moon's gravity well and leave it without further propulsion.

You are the rocket, the vessel, propelled forward by purpose and financial capacity, aimed at the solar system.

The solar system is the place of infinite possibility.

In order to reach it you need to develop enough energy to break through earth's orbits: the levels that come before the great escape.

Along the way, you must combat gravity in the form of own self-doubt, limited beliefs, and the negativity of those around you.

With the steps below, you can begin strategizing and planning out your escape.

1) Vision & Coordinates

In order to know where we're going we need to look back at where we've been. How have your life experiences up until this point prepared you for this next voyage?

Take an inventory of the resources you have currently available at your disposal.

You know where you are now, but where do you want to go? What is your vision?

It's important to think long-term here. Zoom out and look at the macro. What does your 10-year vision look like?

Write this out in detail.

Here's a helpful exercise:

Write out a perfect day 10 years from now. Start the day by waking up and end it by falling asleep. Write out every detail: who you're with; what you're doing; how you feel.

You'll know your coordinates are complete when you're welled up with emotion & excitement about your potential future.

 2) Strategy

Once you've decided where you're going, it's time to figure out how to get there.

We are the rocket, but money is our fuel. Take a look back at your vision for a moment and calculate how much money it will take to achieve your vision. Don't hold back. If this part creates resistance (or fear) good - it means you give a f*ck.

Get as close to what you believe the # is as possible. Once you have that number, calculate your living expenses.

You'll need:

• Living Expenses

• Dream Calculation

Tim Ferriss has a great resource for this if you need help. Click here.

I won't go into detail on methods for achieving the funds necessary to act as your fuel (yet), as I too am still working out this part of the equation.

3) Assemble Your Crew

Assemble your team - or join one. Right now what matters is putting yourself in a position to win and being aligned with others who want to do the same.

Remember how I said I found someone at Amazon who felt the same as I did?

We were both wheeling dollies around the warehouse - a role that gave us more autonomy than standing in one place behind a conveyor belt - when we eventually made conversation. At the time, we were also both listening to audiobooks as we worked.

We began sharing tips and tricks, book recommendations, and strategizing our next move within the warehouse.

Before long we both moved into our next position: XL processing.

This role surrounded us with better people, more flexibility, and more freedom. Not long after that, we both left the warehouse for other opportunities...we broke through the orbit of that system and made our way into the solar system.

We connected via common interests and pooled together our resources for a common goal.

If you don't have any like-minded friends currently I'd recommend:

• Starting conversations with new people

• Sharing your goals & intentions

• Asking for help

Twitter is a great place for this. We can be friends on Twitter here.

4) Take massive action

You are armed with:

• A vision

• A strategy

• A crew

The next step is to take massive action. Combine the above steps to arm yourself with the resources necessary to blast through resistance, transcend orbit, and break free.

The Final Frontier

There are two orbits surrounding Earth:

1. Circular Orbit

2. Elliptical Orbit

I'm no Aerospace Engineer like my brother, Nick, but I see these two orbits as two levels beyond where we currently are.

 Circular orbit = financial independence.

Elliptical Orbit = financial freedom.

As we move through the first orbit and free ourselves from the 9-5, we can then move into the second orbit, eliminating any need to work at all, and it is only then that we truly break free into the solar system.

Important note: this is a framework and a macro plan. It's imperative to play the long game and have patience as you pursue and work towards achieving escape velocity.

Each orbit is a level-up.

The goal: level up until you level out.

However, it's important to be aware that once you escape The Matrix you enter into another system...

The solar system, the embodiment of infinite space, requires its own set of responsibilities and navigational system.

You see this in figures like Mr. Beast and Steve Jobs: people who transcend the system and then create galaxies [and systems] of their own.

I wish you luck on your journey. I hope that one day we cross paths and that we may look out the windows of our rocket ships and smile at one another, as we explore new territory...together.

Tendentum Manue Ripae Ulterioris Amore,

Mike Miller

If you want to stay connected with me on our great escapes, connect with me on Twitter here.