The Catch? There's No Catch-Up Here
I'm finding that entrepreneurship doesn't play "catch-up" well. I'm sure my mentors are relieved, or maybe amused, by that statement. They'd never say 'I told you so,' so I'll say it for them.
"You told me so."
Any serious endeavor that I've heard of requires daily disciplines. Tasks that must be completed every single day if you expect to achieve success.
First of all, let's recognize there are times that I am so motivated to get everything done that nothing can stop me. It's a high, it's exciting, and I feel like my soul is on fire.
....And then there are days where I just don't feel like doing any of it. I don't want to read, I don't want to listen, I don't want to do. I'm not motivated. I'm not excited. Oh...and I definitely don't feel like my soul is on fire.
There are times that I have been less than eager to partake in the daily grind, even though I know it's what is required to become successful. Darren Hardy is quoted for saying that 98% of what is required to be successful sucks. But the other 2% makes it all worth it. I won't sit here and tell you I have successfully resolved to push through the lack of motivation and to persevere every single time. But I will tell you that I've never given up and I've always gotten up. I will also tell you that some of my greatest moments have come in the quiet times where I really didn't feel like doing what was required, and I did it anyway. I will tell you that I also somehow seem to stumble across that missing motivation and drive in the process of choosing of to do the very thing that I'm unmotivated to do: the "daily grind".
I want to focus on this concept of playing catch up for a minute though. I have personally found that when I have the mentality of, "it's fine, I'm having an off day, I'll just do twice as much tomorrow," or, "I'll do x twice as hard next week to catch up," it never goes in my favor. It's odd, even when I go to do the 'double time' work the results always seem to be lacking. Maybe that's just me, but I don't think so.
Conversely, when I've been pushing myself really hard but I screw up, something slightly different happens. I still have a choice. One: I beat myself up over it, sulk, and have to play catch up later (which is usually accompanied by more mental reprimands and regrets over sulking). Or Two: I resolve to not dwell on it, forgive myself, and do it twice as much or twice as hard the next day. It's interesting because in these instances, the results seem plentiful.
In both situations, something was missed or not done and is being done twice as hard later on. On the surface, they're identical situations. But the thought process and motivation behind each of them is completely different. One comes from a position of apathy and, if I'm being real, self-pity is mixed in there too. The other comes from a quiet resolve to be better. And quite honestly, it's becoming my personal opinion that it's not necessarily about the work exactly - I mean it is, but it isn't. It really seems to be more about the person that's created through the process of being consistent and disciplined. It's about becoming the kind of person who gets results. Over and over I hear that success is all about the journey. It's about who we become in the process of continually striving towards our personal definition of success. I don't think that you can just play catch up on that.
On that note, I have about 5 things left today that I need to get done. Today my soul is on fire and it's a easy thing to do, but I'm not a fool. I know that motivation is a fickle thing as long as I'm looking for it externally. Which despite knowing better, I have in the past. One of my most valuable lessons I have learned is that action creates motivation. I'm quite sure that not too far down the road, I'm going to lose that soul fire. It will in the moment that I have to decide who I want to be. If I want to be different and do what most are not willing to do, or if I want to take the easy road. It's a decision, and it's a decision that I make every single day.
"You told me so."
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| See: Top 10 Success Quotes & Thoughts by J.J. Watt |
First of all, let's recognize there are times that I am so motivated to get everything done that nothing can stop me. It's a high, it's exciting, and I feel like my soul is on fire.
....And then there are days where I just don't feel like doing any of it. I don't want to read, I don't want to listen, I don't want to do. I'm not motivated. I'm not excited. Oh...and I definitely don't feel like my soul is on fire.
There are times that I have been less than eager to partake in the daily grind, even though I know it's what is required to become successful. Darren Hardy is quoted for saying that 98% of what is required to be successful sucks. But the other 2% makes it all worth it. I won't sit here and tell you I have successfully resolved to push through the lack of motivation and to persevere every single time. But I will tell you that I've never given up and I've always gotten up. I will also tell you that some of my greatest moments have come in the quiet times where I really didn't feel like doing what was required, and I did it anyway. I will tell you that I also somehow seem to stumble across that missing motivation and drive in the process of choosing of to do the very thing that I'm unmotivated to do: the "daily grind".
I want to focus on this concept of playing catch up for a minute though. I have personally found that when I have the mentality of, "it's fine, I'm having an off day, I'll just do twice as much tomorrow," or, "I'll do x twice as hard next week to catch up," it never goes in my favor. It's odd, even when I go to do the 'double time' work the results always seem to be lacking. Maybe that's just me, but I don't think so.
Conversely, when I've been pushing myself really hard but I screw up, something slightly different happens. I still have a choice. One: I beat myself up over it, sulk, and have to play catch up later (which is usually accompanied by more mental reprimands and regrets over sulking). Or Two: I resolve to not dwell on it, forgive myself, and do it twice as much or twice as hard the next day. It's interesting because in these instances, the results seem plentiful.
In both situations, something was missed or not done and is being done twice as hard later on. On the surface, they're identical situations. But the thought process and motivation behind each of them is completely different. One comes from a position of apathy and, if I'm being real, self-pity is mixed in there too. The other comes from a quiet resolve to be better. And quite honestly, it's becoming my personal opinion that it's not necessarily about the work exactly - I mean it is, but it isn't. It really seems to be more about the person that's created through the process of being consistent and disciplined. It's about becoming the kind of person who gets results. Over and over I hear that success is all about the journey. It's about who we become in the process of continually striving towards our personal definition of success. I don't think that you can just play catch up on that.
On that note, I have about 5 things left today that I need to get done. Today my soul is on fire and it's a easy thing to do, but I'm not a fool. I know that motivation is a fickle thing as long as I'm looking for it externally. Which despite knowing better, I have in the past. One of my most valuable lessons I have learned is that action creates motivation. I'm quite sure that not too far down the road, I'm going to lose that soul fire. It will in the moment that I have to decide who I want to be. If I want to be different and do what most are not willing to do, or if I want to take the easy road. It's a decision, and it's a decision that I make every single day.
The Catch? There's No Catch-Up Here
Reviewed by Unknown
on
11:09:00 AM
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Reviewed by Unknown
on
11:09:00 AM
Rating:
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