Busy

I understand you are busy. More so than ever before, it probably seems. In fact, we are wearing this busyness like a badge of honor. Need proof? Pay attention next time you’re making small talk with someone – at work, in a social setting, or wherever else. Chances are the conversation will go something like this:

You: Hi Joe, long time no see. How have you been?

Joe: Oh I’m as busy as ever. I’ve been traveling a lot for work.  When I’m not traveling my wife and I have been remodeling our kitchen before we host the family reunion this summer. And of course, the kids and all of their sports stuff take up most of the weekends.

You: Sounds like you’ve got your hands full.

Joe: Yep, busy as ever. Anyways, how are you?

Joe is just like anyone else, juggling work, family, his personal life, etc. Between all this, it can be hard to find the time or energy to work on anything else. How are you supposed to build a real estate empire, when you barely have the time or energy to do the things already on your plate?

Recently a couple of people have reached out to me with issues they’re having staying motivated to accomplish their goals. This is a common feeling and one that no one is immune to. If you are feeling like you lack the motivation and energy to accomplish your goals, then you are not alone.

Motivation

First and foremost it’s important to understand that anything worth having or doing doesn’t come easy. It will take time, work, and energy. Sometimes you’ll need some motivation to get you past the finish line. Motivation can be in many forms. Sure, an inspirational rah-rah video can do the trick. But the problem with some motivational speech or video is that the motivation is short lived. It doesn’t mean much to you. For real true motivation, you have to look internally.

Ask yourself why. Why do you want that thing? Why are you doing what you are? Why should you be doing things differently?

When you understand the why behind your goals and actions, you feel much more attached and motivated by those reasons. Rather than being pumped up by that awesome video with some dramatic melody playing in the background, you are motivated by your own reasons why. These are much more powerful.

Once you are clear on your reasons why, you can use that motivation to take action. Remember, anything worth doing or having takes time, work, and energy. Time is one of those areas we use as a crutch to not do the things we want and need. I’m sure at some point you have said to yourself, “I would like to do that, but I just don’t have the time”.

Time – Time is the one true equalizer among us. Everyone has the same 24 hours in the day. It’s just a matter of spending those 24 hours how you want. When I think that I’m busy and can’t accomplish anything more, I look for people who are doing big things. A good example of someone like this is Elon Musk. He is an absolute mad man when it comes to business. He runs Tesla, SpaceX, and Solar City. He’s building tunnels, rockets, electric cars, and solar powered roofs. If he can manage all of that, surely you can find the time in your week to do what you want and need, right?

When you find yourself lacking motivation, don’t let it stick around. Remind yourself of your reasons why, then take action. Take one step, no matter how small, towards your goals. This action will remove any self-doubt you might have. Eventually, those small acts build up and over time amount to something much bigger than you ever thought you might accomplish.

Don’t sit around and wait for the motivation to get started. Understand your reasons why.  Visualize your success. Take action. You are capable of accomplishing anything you can imagine.