What Is Your Purpose? — Issue #1: Orel Zilberman
When purpose is clear, discipline becomes effortless.
Hi everyone,
Today’s post is a special one for a few reasons:
It marks the first-ever guest post in the history of Self-Disciplined.
It kicks off a series I’ve been thinking about — and slowly preparing — for quite some time. More on that in a second.
It’s the result of engaging conversations with fellow writers, which reminded me why the Substack community stands out: people here want to collaborate and connect.
So, here we go — this is the official launch of What is your Purpose?, a new biweekly series where I invite writers from different platforms to share the deeper "why" behind their work. Naturally, we’re starting with some of the amazing authors here on Substack — the platform that’s helped Self-Disciplined come to life.
I’d been sitting on this idea for a while… until I took my own advice, bit the bullet, and started reaching out to others. Thankfully, the response has been overwhelmingly positive — and we already have an exciting lineup of authors scheduled for future issues.
The premise is simple: each guest contributes a short reflection on the purpose that drives them. This series is meant to surface stories rooted in meaning — stories that inspire connection, spark new ideas, and help us find common ground.
💡 If you want to be featured in our next issues, please reach out to me at camilo@self-disciplined.com.
Today’s piece — the very first in the series — features Orel Zilberman, the brilliant mind behind The IndiePreneur and TechBooks, newsletters that have grown to over 4,500 subscribers in total in just a year. Every week, Orel shares hard-won lessons about entrepreneurship and the realities of building something on your own terms.
Without further ado, here’s Orel’s purpose — in his own words.
Where did it all start
I am sitting on a crowded bus, outside the sun is shining and I am reading a book.
On my way home, going through the last pages of the first book I read in over 10 years. A milestone that would forever change the trajectory of my life.
It's about productivity and entrepreneurship.
As I read the last words of the book, many thoughts ran through my mind. The loudest ones, the ones that echo with crystal clarity, are:
"I am going to start my own business"
And so I did.
My 'Why'
My biggest why is being helpful enough to others that they say:
"I am willing to pay for this"
If someone is willing to pull out their credit card and pay for something online, it means it has a lot of value.
It's a validation that goes beyond words. It's an expression of trust and worth.
That's what I crave.
This type of approval from others isn't just about the money. It's about creating something so valuable that people willingly invest in it.
It's about solving real problems and making a meaningful impact.
Did I always have the same purpose?
Honestly, this has been my purpose ever since I started, though its expression has evolved significantly.
It was shaped differently in the beginning, when I was chasing the ambitious dream of $1M in 1 year.
But underneath everything, the purpose was always the same:
Build something valuable. Create solutions that matter. Make a difference in people's lives.
Times when I lost sight of my purpose
This one has happened to me way too many times.
My burnouts were never easy. Every single one of the cycles I went through were horrible. Dark periods of questioning everything I'd built and believed in.
I felt like I don't know why I keep doing what I am doing.
That I should perhaps get a job and just drop everything. The journey can be incredibly lonely and challenging during these moments.
Those episodes came because I just didn't give myself time off.
I tried to push through every burnout, work my ass off until I was completely depleted of all energy.
In order to find my purpose back I just had to stop.
Accept the feelings and allow my drained energy to be recharged. No guilt, no conscience, just pure, restorative rest.
How I stay disciplined and aligned
I do what I love. And I am obsessed about it.
Not in a harmful way, but with a passionate intensity that pushes me harder each day.
You know, many people say that you have to be obsessed with whatever you do to succeed.
And I couldn't agree more.
I love writing code and I am obsessed with building products that help other people. Sometimes too much haha.
Being able to wake up every morning to do something that I love requires no discipline.
I just do it, showing up consistently because I genuinely want to, not because I have to.
Final words
Whenever you are tasked with something you need to do, stop and ask:
"Do I want to do it?"
It's more than a cliché. The answer to this question will make or break you when times get hard.
It's about understanding your true motivations and aligning your actions with your deeper purpose.
Don't get me wrong. Many times I do things that I definitely do not want to do. That's what life and business often require us to do.
But it serves the bigger goal of the thing I do want to do.
Every small task, even the unpleasant ones, contributes to the larger vision of creating value and making an impact.
Thank you, Orel, for giving us a glimpse of the world through your eyes.
There’s a lot in his reflection that resonates — but this line, in particular, stuck with me:
Being able to wake up every morning to do something that I love requires no discipline.
That, in many ways, captures the essence of purpose. When we’re aligned with what truly matters to us, the work becomes lighter. Every step feels like it’s feeding something bigger — not a chore, not a checkbox, but a natural expression of who we are.
Of course, that feeling won’t be constant. Life gets messy. Discipline still matters. But having purpose makes it easier to return when we stray. It gives us something worth coming back to.
So next time you’re struggling, ask yourself: Does this move me closer to the life I want to build?
Have a wonderful day!
Orel is a full-time solopreneur who quit his 6 figures job to chase freedom. He writes about the journey from $0 to financial freedom and lessons from it.
If you’ve made it this far — thank you for your interest!
I always appreciate feedback, thoughts, questions, or collaboration ideas. Feel free to reach out anytime at camilo@self-disciplined.com.
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Fantastic stuff Camilo!
It was awesome to collaborate on that one :)