I was watching a speech that AFC Adam gave at the 21 Convention last year, and he said that (and I'm paraphrasing) to improve your game, you must become a different person. You cannot just "be yourself" and expect to get anything other than what you've gotten before.

So let's take a look at my current situation. I'm a 23-year-old recent college graduate. I moved away from home about a month and a half ago to start my first real job. A lot of my friends have gone their separate ways, and I'm left with a very limited social life. Ever since I got here, I've been spending most of my time at home playing video games or watching reruns of Top Gear. Ahh, the glamorous life of a pickup artist.

But of course you're thinking, 'that's not what a pickup artist would do, you must be an AFC!' Which is understandable. But I've actually known about the community since 2008, when curiosity caused me to click on a David DeAngelo Facebook ad. Since then, I have been struggling to summon the willpower and perseverance to actually do something about my pitiful love life. It has often been stressful, living with the constant knowledge of exactly what steps could be taken to begin filling this gaping hole in my life, but somehow I've just never been able to rise to the challenge.

This community is full of successful veterans who will tell you about their humble beginnings, a collection of awkward personal histories that give newcomers something to relate to, and are inspiring in their example. If I ever become a success, I don't think many people will be inspired by my story. It just wouldn't fit into the popular pattern. It isn't motivational to hear about someone who learned all this miraculous material, had all the tools to succeed, and then just couldn't be bothered to use them.

So I must do what AFC Adam said to do. I must put aside my old comfortable life, painful thought it may be, and keep trying to learn game until it kills me. And maybe in some bizarre way that could turn out to be inspiring to some people. Better late than never, right?

Nice to meet you, I'm Backlash.