No one likes to hear it, but it is the truth

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.”

— Dr. Eric Thomas

Most people have enough intelligence to succeed.

If you put opportunities directly in front of them, they can, for the most part, figure them out.

But most people are missing one ingredient that is essential to move forward and solve nearly any problem.

In fact, many times people recognize this missing ingredient — but they dismiss it. They hate recognizing that the solution is so simple. So straightforward. So basic.

Why do we look for complex solutions when the answer is simple?

Any time that I struggle with a problem, I eventually ask if I am complicating the solution because I do not want to confront the reality of a situation.

The reality is usually this: nearly every problem is a motivation problem.

. . .

This Type of Motivation Will Always Win

“You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”

— Babe Ruth

One of my favorite stories involves a young couple who just purchased a home. In an attempt to attract birds to their backyard, they installed a birdhouse right outside their back window. The couple went to sleep looking forward to seeing birds enjoying food provided by their handiwork the next morning.

Excitedly, the couple woke up in the morning to enjoy the birds.

But there were no birds.

The birdhouse was empty. The food was gone.

What happened?

The couple looked outside and saw squirrels finishing the last remnants of any bird food in the birdhouse.

The couple was furious. They responded by hanging the birdhouse from a tree.

The following morning the birdhouse was empty—again. All of the bird food was gone. The squirrels found a way.

Next, the couple elevated the birdhouse. The squirrels still broke in.

Finally, the couple put spikes around the entire birdhouse — even along the supporting beam that held it up.

The next morning, the couple hurriedly looked at the birdhouse.

It was full! The couple had finally thwarted the squirrels.

Days, and then weeks, went by. The couple enjoyed watching and listening to the birds that eventually came to feed.

Then, one day the couple woke up, and the birdhouse had again been ransacked. The squirrels — thwarted for a time — had found a way.

What does this story even mean?

For me, the story is about motivation.

The couple was motivated by a desire to enjoy their backyard view and experience.

The squirrels were motivated by the will to live.

When the couple had to make a change, they did it and then moved on to different parts of their lives.

When the squirrels faced adversity, the only thing that they could do is think about how to solve the new problem. They only thought of breaking into the birdhouse. They only thought of survival.

• The couple wanted comfort.

• The squirrels wanted to live.

There was a difference in motivation.

No matter what the couple tried, they could never match the motivation of the squirrels.

If you ever want to shift a problem, shift the motivation.

• Are you more like the couple, who just want the enjoyment of the birds? Do you devote a discrete time to making something work, and then forget about it?

• Or are you more like the squirrels, who absolutely have to eat to survive? Does your life (or goal) depend on solving a problem so much that all you think about is solving the problem — all day, all night, forever, until it is solved.

. . .

How Much Are You Willing To Pay for an Inch?

“I’ll tell you this: in any fight, it is the guy who is willing to die, who is going to win that inch. And I know if I am going to have any life anymore it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch because that is what living is. The six inches in front of your face.”

— Any Given Sunday (Al Pacino’s character)

I have previously heard the “speech” from Al Pacino’s character in the movie, Any Given Sunday, but I never understood the concept of being willing to die for the “inches.” I mean, that is pretty extreme, right?

Right?

But now I look at it differently. If there are two people fighting, then the end result usually will come down to who is willing to give up — or sacrifice — more in order to win. Motivation can be measured by how much you are willing to give up to get something.

If you are willing to put everything on the line to move forward, that is a different level of motivation than someone who just has some desire to win.

Just like the speech, you can measure your own motivation by how much you are willing to give up to get what you want.

• How much are you willing to pay?

• How much sleep are you willing to lose?

• How much pain are you willing to endure?

• How tired are you willing to be?

• What possessions are you willing to give up?

• How much pleasure are you willing to avoid?

Motivation is directly related to what you are willing to sacrifice.

. . .

The Will to Succeed

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”

— Og Mandino

A few years ago I was struggling with a problem. I had a few ideas about how to move forward but I still needed some help. I asked a handful of people for advice, but none of the advice seemed to work.

I finally reached out to a mentor of mine, who is a successful entrepreneur and investor. I really needed help, as I had nearly exhausted my network.

I told him all about the problem. He listened the entire time. When I was done talking, he paused for a moment, as if waiting for me to say more. And then he spoke.

“Your problem is not complicated. It is simple, with an easy fix.”

What?

“You just don’t hate the situation enough.”

Simple.

I just don’t hate the situation enough? As I started to think about the advice, I interpreted it to mean this:

John, you are just not motivated enough to find a solution. If you hated this situation, you would find a way to solve it quickly.

Or, in other words.

John, you have a motivation problem — nothing else.

I love that my mentor did not tell me exactly how to solve the problem. I think he knew that I had some ideas. And I love that he did not give a long answer after I told him about my issue.

He figured out the real problem.

I could solve my own problems, with enough motivation.

Nearly every problem is a motivation problem.

Why do I say that? Almost every problem has been solved, or overcome, by someone else at some point.

If we change our motivation, we change the problem.

• If you want to get something done, a time limit or deadline quickly changes things.

• Often, when someone loses a job and needs to support their family, new opportunities suddenly appear.

• When we absolutely need an idea, the right one pops into our mind.

Sometimes we do not need techniques, tactics, or strategies. We do not necessarily need great advice, either.

Sometimes we just need the right motivation.

. . .

The Solution

“Light yourself on fire so that people will come to watch you burn.”

If motivation can solve nearly any problem, then how do we get more of it?

You might need the Seabiscuit approach, where the horse had to look in the eye of its opponent in order to elevate its performance.

Other times you might need to lose. You might need to experience the pain of loss — and then promise yourself: never again. Ever.

• Losing forces you to face reality more than anything else.

• Losing puts everything on the table and makes you re-evaluate.

• Losing forces you to give up things that were not even considered previously.

You might need to see someone else succeed to show you that it is possible for you. You might need an example or an inspiration. If that is the case, you better find someone soon.

For me, I like the idea of being so enthusiastic and on fire that people will come to watch me burn. That’s motivation.

No matter how you get there, never underestimate the power of motivation.

. . .

Learn the one lesson that has changed my life more than any other.