I saw a car on fire during the AM commute. I hoped that the driver was OK.But I wasn’t OK with the reaction of other drivers.
–No one got out to help.
–No one helped him flag down help.
Instead they stopped, stared, and caused a massive pile up.
And it made me wonder. Why do people stare intently on events that don’t matter but are cautious about what they can control?
Be clear. I am not pointing fingers. I have my own vices. Talk to me while I surfing Pinterest for new recipes or natural hair care videos on Youtube. You might hear some choice words.
But, if we are going to be successful entrepreneurs, we need to have a way to refocus our attention. Especially when something occurs that sidetracks our focus.
Interested?
Start with your BIG WHY.
Not the infamous “I need to make money to pay these bills”. Or the infamous “I SHOULD”. Because those are surface level motivations. You will go right back to vegging out with Netflix or favorite social media channel if you are only focused on money.
I want you to examine your deepest thoughts about WHY you are genuinely motivated.
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That gut level response that keeps you moving when things get tough.
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The words that a parent, grandparent or friend shared years ago that keep you moving forward.
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The motivation that you use when you are dealt a tough life choice – ie. a rough transition in a new job, trying to finish college without a full deck of resources.
Get honest about that WHY is and write it down.
And here is the key:
Place a physical reminder about your WHY in several places in your life.
A few years ago, I went through a series of tough events in my life. Finances. Family. Health. You name it – I was dodging bullets.
But many many many years ago, a young person in one of my workshops gave me a life mantra. He shared something in one of our classes. And I wrote it down so that I could keep this ounce of genius in my life.
Over time, it went from my notebook with my training outline to other places. I added it to
- My day planner
- Sticky notes I put in my bag
- My glove compartment
- A digital note on my phone.
Yes, this student was wise beyond his years. He told me that “Miss, I’m starting a business so my GRANDKIDS can eat”.
That stuck with me.
Because I was thinking about how I could pay the bills for that week and mayyyyybe have some spending money over the weekend.
But, the power of his idea wasn’t hearing it one time.
It was repeating it OVER and OVER and OVER in my mind. So that when I would hit brick walls in life:
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Health challenges
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Financial challenges
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Relationship challenges
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Family challenges
I always could re-focus and get my eye back on the prize.
There are so many steps that exist on goal setting, remaining focused, and forging on when times get tough. So I don’t want to diminish the need to keep reading and applying information on this topic.
But, I do want to encourage you to burn your WHY into your mind. Get clear on what your deep motivation is. And write it down and look at it multiple times.
This way, when you see something that wants to take you off your game, you’ll have something grounding you. And you’ll find yourself moving to the next lane. Rather than staring.
