How Being Unsexy Helps
The thing about this post is that it’s just one post.It’s a small piece of a whole commitment to posting everyday.It won’t save the world.It won’t make you (or me) rich.It won’t change anyone’s life.Well, probably not.What’s more likely is that by chipping away slowly, over time, a more clear and overarching message becomes visible.
Big monumental paradigm shifts are sexy.
You know what’s not sexy?Waking up before everyone else so you can read up on your field.
Industry disruptions and rocket-ship startups are sexy.
You know what’s not sexy?Firing a close co-worker who turned out to be the wrong fit in your quickly changing company.
Lots of funding and office massage chairs are sexy.
You know what’s not sexy?Investing 20% of your income every time you get paid.
Don’t be sexy.
Be good.Be good and just a little bit more good every day.Make the commitment to small, daily actions and the momentum will catch up with you laterFor a long time, exponential growth just looks like linear growth on the same chart.Then, suddenly, it’s not even close
2 Minute Action
What’s something unsexy you have to do today?Do it first.Make that a habit and the rest will come.
How To Fuel Your Motivation
There’s something special that happens when things go right.It happens when you see the magic happen in front of you and you realize that this couldn’t have happened the same way without your effort.And the tricky thing is that it’s super easy to just move straight through it without taking the time to realize the impact.Big no-no.Realizing the goodness you’ve created can provide you with long-lasting memories that fuel your motivation to do more and be more.
Consider it “stopping to smell the roses.”
In the end, it’s these memories that you’ll be left with.It’s your choice what they will be.The choice isn’t a big monumental one that you’ve got lots of time to think about, though.The choice is something that happens every day in small moments.The choice is something that you develop over time.The choice is a pattern of thinking.The choice is a habit you build with practice.Drip. Drip. Drip.
2 Minute Action:
What’s something you did really well recently?Score it in your mind as a win.Feels kinda good, right?Now what else can you do, today?Make it happen.The planet is counting on you.
3 Small Reminders That Will Make You Relentless
It’s easy to be incapacitated by the hugeness of your dreams.Its just as easy to be incapacitated by the lack of huge dreams.If you’re serious about achieving your goal, you have to take a step back and clarify a few things:
1. Define the fantasy
Are you really sure that starting a non-profit is the way to your happiness? Did you know that you’ll have to put together a board and then THEY will be in control of your company?It might take some challenging to figure out if your fantasy of the perfect future is actually what you want.
2. Do the work
There is no substitute for hustle. Commit to something and see it through. When you’re done, assess what you should keep doing and what you should improve. Don’t start working again until you have a new hypothesis to test.
3. Make the work smaller
Most people bite off more than they can chew. It’s pretty normal, especially in American work culture. Make the steps smaller and more fun to accomplish and you will have a positive feedback loop that will lock you into a behavior pattern that will increase the chances of success.That’s it.You will read about tricks and tips and tactics and strategy and how to make your website better and how to get cheaper leads and how to write better . . .. . . and it’s up to you to stay focused.Its simple, not easy.You already know what to do.Just start.
2 Minute Action:
I firmly believe that everyone has 2 minutes to do something in a day. There is no excuse for not having 2 minutes.If your next step is too big, I challenge you to break it down into smaller pieces.”Start a non-profit” sounds like it would take more than 2 minutes—but “set up a call with my friend who works at a non-profit” is much smaller.“How to file for a non-profit” is a quick Google search.Looking up “pros and cons of a non-profit” takes 2 minute sor less to get a quick idea.Today, I’m asking you:What is your 2 minute action?What could you do today that only takes 2 minutes and can move your forward.It can be as small as you want—you just have to do it.If you still don’t want to take action and you know it only takes 2 minutes, it’s your job to figure out what other excuse you might have.More on that, later.This post took you about 2 minutes to read, so remember that when your brain starts feeding you excuses.