Tag: determination

On competition and motivation

I hear people say all the time that you only should focus on “running your own race” and not worry about what anyone else is doing. I agree that you need to turn your attention inward to be happiest with your effort (and, if applied correctly, with your results).

BUT we’re human and most people thrive on competition among other similarly-skilled individuals. If you’re working out with someone or next to someone, you’re much more likely to push yourself a little more to keep up with or to beat that person.

Having intrinsic motivation will lead to better consistency (like getting out of bed and going to the gym when you don’t feel like it). External motivation will lead to better results (once you’ve gotten to the gym). So while you shouldn’t rely on always needing to have external motivation, it’s a nice way to enhance your results.

The answer isn’t having more information, it’s acting on the information we “know to be true”

It doesn’t matter how much information you acquire if you don’t use it. “We would all be rockstar millionaires with six-pack abs” if information was the answer to all of our problems (paraphrased from Derek Sievers).

We all kind of know what we should be doing financially, physically, mentally, etc, but what are we doing with that information? How are we putting it into practice? Many of us know we should save and invest, but instead we indulge. We know we should eat clean, drink plenty of water, and exercise daily, but instead we eat too much fried food, drink too much alcohol, and skip our workouts. We know we should continue to read and expand our mind, but instead we waste time on social media or binge watching tv.

We all have an idea of what we should be doing. More information isn’t the answer – acting on the information we know to be true is.

The overlooked predictor of success

What makes someone successful?

If you ask most people, they’ll usually say some combination of having natural ability, good work ethic, knowing the “right people,” having integrity, charm, and maybe even some good luck.

But there’s one thing that gets overlooked sometimes, yet I feel is just as important as the more popular answers…resilience.

Resilience is one of the best predictors of our future success, because at some point we will always encounter something difficult. Things won’t always go our way. Are we willing to keep going even when it’s tough? When the shiny object has disappeared and our initial interest has faded, do we stop chasing after that goal we were once excited about or do we have the determination to keep after it?

Are we strategic when we quit something? The saying “winners never quit,” isn’t true. Sometimes you have to know when to re-prioritize your goals or to tweak them, but you have to give it an honest effort. And when you do “quit,” are you just giving up or are you making adjustments before setting new goals?

Be tough. Be resilient. Bounce back after a loss. It’s the ones who keep coming back for more that will be successful. You can’t keep them down. Adapt and overcome and you will eventually be successful.

Common reasons why goals aren’t achieved

Why goals aren’t achieved?

1. Not enough focused time spent in action.

2. Give up after it doesn’t work once (instead of staying consistent and persistent).

3. Lacking discipline to do what is necessary.

4. Being easily discouraged after setbacks or slower progress than expected.

Do you want to be an amateur or a professional?

Amateurs do what they want. They do what feels good or right at that particular moment in time. Amateurs don’t get paid. Professionals have a plan and follow it. They practice daily and they get compensated as a result.

Professionals are experts. They know what works and they put the majority of their efforts in the tried and true. Once they’ve mastered that, they’re willing to take calculated risks by branching out to try other ideas. But they don’t do this as it comes to them. Even when they are thinking outside the box, they plan and calculate before taking action. And all the while, they are still repeating the process that helped them become experts in the first place.

So next time you get bored or tired of doing what you know produces results, do it anyways. Follow a plan (or formulate one based on facts if you must) and stick to it. You’ll never gain traction if you keep switching from one idea to the next without rhyme or reason. Don’t be an amateur. Be a professional. Be an expert.