Finally: The Source of Motivation Explained
It's like a shower.It's like brushing your teeth.It's like your morning coffee.
You've gotta do it every day for it to work.
If you wait for motivation to strike, you're going to be out of luck for a long time.The real-world lesson here is that it's up to you to understand what motivates and activates you.
My motivation comes from 3 main sources:
- An incredible sense of urgency to act now.
- Daily reminders like posters, automatic iOS reminders, and emails to keep the shortness of my life front of mind.
- An incredible sense of care for this planet and all the people on it.
Sure, we can talk about the personal differences that make my list different from yours, but that's not the point.The point is to take ownership of you motivation."I'm just not motivated" is an excuse that is totally within your control.
2 Minute Action
Maybe you already know what motivates or sustains you.If you don't, think of the last time you felt alive. What were you doing?When was the last time you felt the most dead inside?What's something that has bothered you about the world since you were a kid?Let's take these questions and turn them into action, today.You have more control than you think.You've got everything you need at your fingertips.
1 Game Changing Rule Before You Take Advice
I think we can agree that most people like to talk.Then there’s a smaller group of people who like to take their experiences and pay them forward to novices in the field so they may advance further and faster.The 1 game changing rule we each have to remember about advice is that it’s almost always going to be well intentioned but slightly wrong.Not right, not wrong—just slightly wrong.Regardless of whether this advisor wants to adequately inform you or just sound impressive, their entire worldview, shaped over a lifetime is the lens through which their advice comes.
Consider the context before you absorb the content.
And be wary: so much of advice is just “here are the 8 numbers I used to win the lottery.”Unless you are identical in DNA and in worldview, you’re going to hear and see things slightly differently.You have no choice but to follow your gut.
2 Minute Action:
When receiving advice, ask yourself: does the person giving me advice have the kind of lifestyle, moral compass, and skill set I would like to have?Also, if your advisor does most of the talking, they aren’t getting enough time to really understand your problem and provide a solution.Kinda strange to write this post advising on how to receive advice.Feedback and criticisms welcome.What’s some really good or bad advice you’ve gotten?
The Simple Cash Flow Principle No One Is Exploiting
Walmart says to Proctor & Gamble: “We’d like a hundred million boxes of Tide.”The invoice goes out with the product but it’s due in 30 days, not upon receipt.If Walmart sells all of the product in 7 days, then they’ve got 23 days to spend all of that new cash on new ads, more product, or new people.
They get the money first and THEN they spend it.
They get the money first, which turns into more and more money, and then finally, 23 days later, they pay only the price tag.This is the basic principle of cash flow, and almost no one outside of business thinks of it.
And at nearly any stage of business, especially early on, cash is oxygen.
Whether you’re using the debt on your house to buy a new asset or bootstrapping a new project by yourself, it’s important to always play the game with this advantage.If you’re going to build something strong, sustainable or fulfilling, you’re going to need to shift the odds in your favor early on.
2 Minute Action:
Next time you have to pay ANYthing, ask for payment terms—even if it’s not on the menu.You might be surprised at how this little trick can change the cash position of your project.