High performers have one big thing in common…
They are all self-motivated.
Whether this motivation comes from childhood trauma, a solid work ethic instilled by their parents, a love for competition, societal pressure, or anything else…
It can TAKE OVER your life…
I know that most of the time I’ve inadvertently put my work first above the needs of my spouse or family.
There are times when work has nearly taken 100% of my mental focus, leaving nothing for anyone else.
But that simply can’t be healthy. It isn’t healthy.
You might be crushing it at work, or on the field, or whatever it is you are putting your heart and soul into, but where does that leave everything else in your life?
The Source of Motivation: A Self-Interrogation
So it helps to step back and look at where your motivation is coming from and WHY?
- Why am I constantly putting my work first?
- Why am I so motivated to make money?
- Who am I trying to impress?
Once you figure that out, you can decide whether you want to continue down the same path or take a detour.
I realized that my motivation came from subconsious pressure to succeed from my parents, grandparents, and childhood obstacles that led me to take on an underdog mentatility.
I always felt like I was an underdog.
I was usually the smallest kid in my class, on a sports team, and really anywhere. Other kids will let you know this…constantly.
I was never the fastest, strongest, or even the smartest (though I certainly was high-achieving in school and in music).
On top of that, my parents pushed me to do my best (as any parent should do).
But sometimes parents can inadvertently go too far. And I think mine did a little. They were consistently talking about status, careers, and even money.
My grandparents especially…ALL that my Grandpa talked about was money. In fact, he would put rolled-up 100-dollar bills in his hand and see if any of his grandkids could pry it from him…
We never could.
These aren’t huge deals. This is normal for our society.
It was probably no different than your childhood in many ways.
And yet, I never stopped to think about why I was pursuing success in the first place.
Craft Your Perfect Life: Don’t Hide Behind Success
Retiring early has given me the time to see everything that I couldn’t see before.
I started journaling almost on day one of my retirement.
Journaling has helped tremendously:
- It’s helped me to dive deeper than I ever have before.
- It’s helped me to ask important questions.
- It’s helped me to question my thoughts.
- It’s helped me to learn more about my wants and needs.
I’m not saying being a high performer is bad. IT’S NOT.
But I do think that if you strive to be the best, make the most money, and perform at a high level 24/7, you probably haven’t fully understood yourself.
And nothing is worse than blowing through the prime of your life…
In the pursuit of money.
In the pursuit of success.
In the pursuit of high performance.
If you don’t understand YOUR why, and if you don’t understand YOURSELF.
The Challenge: Dive Deep and Discover Your Real Self
So my challenge to you is to dive deep:
- start journaling
- meditating
- taking thinking walks
- whatever it is YOU need.
Get to know the REAL you.
Figure out what REALLY motivates you.
And then BUILD THE LIFE that you really want to be living.
I want to help people craft the life that they truly desire.
Don’t hide behind success.
Don’t hide behind money.
Become the truest version of yourself.
Craft Your Perfect Life
That is what I am now working on every day.
To become the truest version of myself, whatever that may be.
I don’t have it all figured out.
I’ll probably never have it all figured out, but I know that I’ll never stop trying to figure out how to craft my perfect life.
It started with my Accidental Retirement and it will continue on this journey until I get there!
