I have a confession to make…
I’m not naturally motivated.
Let me explain… I’ve been self-employed for most of my working life, which essentially started when I was 12 years old and started going around the block cutting lawns.
Of course, along the way I did dabble in several odd jobs and I have worked for others, but for the majority of my life, I’ve had no one to report to but myself.
And let me tell you something… I can be the worst boss ever.
You see, I suffer from a lack of motivation, lack of drive, lack of “get up and go!”
I know… that might sound surprising to some.
Take last night, a beautiful Sunday evening. I put the kids to bed around 8pm, then immediately cracked open my laptop and worked until quarter after 12 before, thanks to a recommendation from my beautiful wife, heading to bed.
But not for long.
At 2:05am, my alarm went off and I was up and at it. I cleaned up, headed to the gym, then went to the office.
And yet, I suffer from a lack of motivation. I always have. And I always will.
Crazy, right?
I remember one time, when I was in my early twenties, being introduced by a friend to someone else as their “achiever friend.” Sure, I was doing alright, but that’s all relative. Compared to my goals, I was barely getting started.
You might think today’s early morning was an exception, a one time thing, and you’d be right. The truth is I get up at 3am every day 😉 Today was an especially early day.
Here’s another confession: I’d much rather be sleeping.
In fact, there are many things throughout the day that I’d rather be doing—but I learned a long time ago that there are two kinds of pain in this world—the pain of regret, or the pain of discipline.
And I’ve had regret, and I never want to go back to that.
Every morning, I choose the pain of discipline because it’s the pain that allows me to come out on top, that allows me to live life on my terms and on my watch. It’s the pain that allows me to do what I want to do, with who I want to do it with, and for as long as I want.
I want you to understand something… We all lack motivation. Why? Because there’s DEMOTIVATION happening all around us all day long.
I love the way the late (and great!) Zig Ziglar put it…
So if I’m so “unmotivated” how come I manage to get so much done, or to use my friend’s term “achieve” so much?
Because I understand that the goal, the purpose, the reason why is what DRIVES us.
You see, drive is relative. You don’t simply have “no drive.”
Imagine you’re sitting in a classroom and the fire alarm goes off. Would you just sit back down and say, “Well, I’m just not driven enough to go”?
Absolutely not! The reason WHY (the building’s on fire!) creates that drive.
Until you had that goal (to leave the building) and the reason why (the building is burning down) you had zero motivation to get up and GO!
So many people have no goals, so it’s no wonder they can’t get motivated. And those who do have goals often have weak ones, or haven’t taken the time to find out WHY those goals are important.
If you walk into my office today, you’ll see a few things…
1 – Pictures of my family.
2 – A picture of myself with Grant Cardone during his NASDAQ talk.
3 – A real estate listing poster for a home.
4 – Dirt bike paraphernalia such as trophies, plaques, medals, magazines, etc.
Aside from my library behind my desk, you won’t see any business awards, accolades, or certifications displayed on my walls.
Why? Because those things don’t drive me. I don’t need the ego boost, I don’t need to show off or try and impress anyone, nor do I strive for those things. Hey, I’m not saying I turn down awards, but those are “cherries on top,” not my driving force.
On the other hand, the pictures of my family remind me that I need to be successful so I can spend more time with them, provide the lifestyle they deserve, travel with them, find new experiences for my kids to learn from, take my wife out for a nice dinner and dance, etc.
The photo with Grant Cardone keeps my mind focused on the fact that success is my duty, my mission, and my responsibility, which is one of his main sayings.
The real estate listing serves as a reminder of what my success can provide for me—it’s my dream home, where I want to retire (haha! retire, that’s a good one! I love what I do!) and spend the rest of my life with my family.
The dirt bike stuff, well, I absolutely love riding. During the summer months I ride every single day, it’s my total addiction, but it costs money, it means time away from work, the family, etc. It reminds me that regardless of how hard I work, even if I get up at 2 in the morning and bust my ass, I have the freedom to take 2 hours away from the office and go rip around.
It doesn’t matter what your goals are, no matter how big or how small, it’s essential that you find a strong reason WHY.
Now here’s where a lot of people trip up… If you do have goals, if you do have reasons why and you STILL aren’t able to get off the couch, then odds are you haven’t found the real, deep, hidden reasons why.
You may have found the surface stuff, the “easy and obvious whys,” but odds are there are some deep truths you’re not facing. And often those truths are fears.
Here’s a little tip… keep asking yourself, “And why does that matter?“.
So you want to make a million dollars. Why does that matter? To provide for your family. Why does that matter? Because they deserve it. Why does that matter? … and keep right on going.
The answers will get harder and harder, and then suddenly you’ll have a moment, an “aha!”, and you’ll have hit the real, deep reason WHY you must reach your goal.
Now remember earlier I said the reason you need motivation is because there’s demotivation going on every day? Well, if you sit down, write out all your goals, get all pumped up, then put them aside and never look at them again, you are going to FAIL.
I’m in the same boat as you; I’m not naturally driven, motivated and inspired. BUT I make it a point to keep my mind focused on what I want.
Here’s a few ways I keep my mind focused on what I want…
- I keep my Facebook newsfeed full of the things I want and unfollow what I don’t want.
- I keep my office full of visual reminders of the reasons why.
- I keep my screensavers on any device focused on my goals.
- I listen to inspirational/motivational/educational audio books throughout the day. And sometimes, when I’m feeling real down I throw on some motivation mixtapes and let that pump me up.
- I review my goals each and every day. And I’ll do it again anytime I’m feeling stuck, unmotivated, or I feel like giving up.
- I take short breaks throughout the day to refocus my mind. If I’m feeling stuck at my desk, I might go drive to the motorcycle dealership and browse the bikes. Or I might look at house renovation ideas online. Or I might call up the kids and chat for a minute.
- I keep reminders in my vehicle of what I want. If you’re like me, you spend a fair amount of time in your vehicle—don’t let it go to waste.
I could go on, but you get the point!
Whatever your goals are, keep them at the top of your mind at all times, and never forget the WHY.
It’s the WHY behind the goal that provides you with the DRIVE to succeed.
Today is Monday, it’s a fresh start, make this the best week of your life. Reach for the stars. Make waves. Get shit done. And take MASSIVE ACTION towards your goals.
You deserve it.
To your success,
Al
P.S.: If you’re having a hard time setting goals, or figuring out your WHY, let’s chat. We’re in this together. alain@rysmarketing.com
Alain Blais
CEO RYS Group
alain@rys.group
The Blais family enjoying the views at Lake Tahoe.
RYS Group Inc.
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