The right answers to the wrong questions plagues nearly every industry with inadequate solutions
Accurately defining a problem it itself makes the solution apparent
Most market ‘solutions’ sell a remedy for a symptom not a root
A root solution solves all symptoms linked to the root simultaneously
One of the biggest culprits of a misdiagnosed solution is the prescription of “motivation” and “discipline”
Here’s the secret
Motivation and Discipline are effects not causes
Organically manifesting in response to larger forces at play
Motivation & Discipline issues are often clarity and necessity issues
Without necessity and clarity there is little to no hope the required attributes will manifest
You don’t produce surplus oxygen and blood flow until there is a NECESSITY for it – when you start moving and exercising you make a demand
Then you receive supply
You’ve already experienced this
When you were in school. No matter how much you dreaded it. You would ALWAYS wake up, get dressed, and make it to class.
It never crossed your mind to remain in bed and not go. It wasn’t an option you thought was available.
Even the rebellious types would skip class here and there, 90% of the time they made it to class
Was this powered by motivation and discipline? Is that how you got it done everyday?
No. It was clarity and necessity
You knew exactly where you needed to be, when you needed to be there, and what you needed to do.
You also needed to be there – if not your parents would come into your room and wonder “wtf are you still doing here?”
This is what i’m talking about when I say larger forces at play.
If you’ve worked a job you experienced this as well
I NEEDED to be at the gym at 6AM because my client was going to be there at 6AM
He NEEDED to be there at 6AM because I was going to be there
…and he was paying for it so there was financial incentive on both ends.
I remember working with a web design client who said he was struggling with “motivation” and “discipline”
In reality it was a clarity and necessity issue
His goal was to “get more web design clients”
…wtf does that mean
This is why there was a massive need for motivation & discipline – it was to plow through the chaotic ambiguity of deciding what he needed to do each day on the fly, requiring massive cognitive bandwidth
We lasered in on what type of clients, what the offer was, and how to contact them
Then everything became crystal clear – he would pull up a list on Google of home builders, find 30 of them per day, send them an email which was already made and templated, and his website redesign was an already made template which helped increase the number of phone calls for his clients.
Now he was getting responses from people interested
Now there was necessity to reply to these people
Then payment was exchanged – now there is necessity to deliver on the promise
There is another element in this equation I have not yet mentioned…
Cost/Benefit analysis
Our mind is constantly scanning cost/benefit as well as risk/reward
When there is no clarity, when you power through ambiguity daily – the cost is very high, the perceived probability of reward/success is very low, and the perceived probability of failure is high.
When you hear motivational speakers say “you need to have a strong why”
What’s really happening is inflating the perception of how valuable the reward/benefit is in the internal equation in attempt to summon more motivation & discipline
Not saying having a strong why is a bad, just pointing out the mechanism it’s playing to
Motivation and discipline are effects not causes
Spawning from the cause of necessity, clarity, and cost/benefit (which is essentially just clarity & necessity)
As a final note I want to point out positioning
Manufacturing necessity is not always a macro existential deed
Meaning, you don’t need financially put your back against a wall or screw your life to manufacture a catalyst of necessity
There are higher more expansive paradigms of manufacturing necessity
For example, taking on a big client that you need to perform for. Having team members who rely on you. Having a family to care for.
I remember on days I had soccer games, it was effortless to eat a perfect diet.
It didn’t even cross my mind to eat unhealthy. Because my team needed me, the cost of eating unhealthy those days and letting my team down and embarrassing myself with a bad performance far outweighed the momentary benefit of a tasty meal.
Isn’t it fascinating how fathers almost always start earning more after having a child
Now that’s one of the biggest catalysts – other people we care about.
Your biggest catalysts will come from others, not yourself.
Being in a position where your clients, customers, friends, lovers, family, team and community need you in some way.
They say with great power comes great responsibility
But the inverse is also true
With great responsibility comes great power
You’ll be amazed at how powerful you are, when you need to be powerful
Just as the surplus oxygen and blood flow does not manifest until a demand is made for supply
Neither will mans potential emerge until he is put in positions where his potential MUST be summoned.
