I’m often asked about the motivation behind my work, and my busy commitment to running 2 businesses.
I can summarise it in one word.
VISION.
I have a vision for where I want myself and my companies to be in the future. And I have a healthy obsession with making sure I get there.
The vision, which could also be referred to as my ‘purpose', is my driver. It’s rocket fuel for my motivation.
This vision is so compelling that it makes the hard work easy.
Malcolm Gladwell famously shared;
‘Hard work is a prison sentence only if it has no meaning.’
Because working hard is hard work right?
As Gladwell shares, that’s not always the case.
I don’t want an 'easy life.’ I like a productive, progressive one. I like ‘building’ my future, working towards my compelling vision and achieving milestones on the way. Of course the vision is forever evolving and there is never really a final destination in mind, just a journey of growth and impact.
The hard work doesn’t seem so hard when there is passion behind the work you do. It’s no prison sentence.
The 5am starts.
The late nights.
The tedious tasks.
The stress.
The risk.
The ups and downs of business.
The trials and tribulations of high level coaching and all that comes with it.
It’s all part of the journey that leads towards the vision.
Vision, I feel ‘pulls’ us towards it like a magnet. Motivation however is more of a ‘push' from behind. It doesn’t quite have the same long lasting effect. There’s resistance and reluctance.
The ‘pull' of vision blurs the lines between the much discussed work/life balance as our life work is all about our vision, and that’s OK, as it’s what brings joy and fulfilment.
People who are labelled ‘lazy’ just lack any sense of purpose or vision. If they had a sense of purpose then they wouldn’t be so ‘lazy.’ Without a sense of vision or purpose, anything feels better than ‘work.'
We’re often told to ‘do what makes us happy’ and what a great starting point that is.
So I offer the following questions as a moment of reflection …
Are you living with a sense of purpose?
Are you living with intention?
Are you doing what makes you happy?
Do you have a clear vision about what you’re trying to achieve?
Thanks for reading.
Nick
