Forget Motivation, Be Persistent
In love as in business, he had a longer time frame, a more settled will, than other people. ~ John Chernow
Quiet persistence isn’t sexy. It’s not what gains one acclaim nor fame. We want to hear about the inspired, the motivated, the moments of daring that change a man’s life and the world in the process. (Read This: Quietly Become Great)
That’s not how it works.
Winning at life and in business is less about motivation and more about what you do every day.
The quote above is, of course, an observation about the constitution of John D. Rockefeller, once the richest man in the world and in comparing wealth to spending, also one of its most frugal.
He saw life not as a romantic novel with him as its protagonist, but as a culmination of each individual day.
Each day is a life. What you do every day determines what you’ll create by your end. It determines your legacy and your value.
Today we aim to be busy, to be engaged in something with energy. Rockefeller had the wonderful insight in this pursuit that…
People who are perpetually busy are rarely proportionately successful.
It’s not about taking chunks out of your pursuit. Life isn’t about the grand days, though there must be some. Life is a daily grind. The key word is daily. Not wanting to break routine, Rockefeller worked on his wedding day. He kept detailed accounts of his expenses and earning and worked hard, but never aimed to merely be busy. (Read This: 12 Business Lessons from John D. Rockefeller)
He took long breaks during the day. He got out of the office, but every day he accomplished valuable work. He chipped away at his work daily, not aiming to do it all at once, not aspiring to show that he was doing it all at once.
His work was habitual. His life was habitual.
My Content Strategy
My business is essentially writing. I do other things, like filming or editing or some work on the sites, but the vast majority of my time is spent at the computer writing.
Writing is seen as something that’s beholden to motivation.
The inspired are writers.
That’s just not the case. I’ve seen it in guys like Stephen King who write every single day. And I’ve experienced it in my own work and in my own life that good things don’t happen unless you work at them every day. No days off. No attempts to knock off 10,000 words in a day. Just routine.
I’ve had routines that relied on motivation. They’re routines that looked more at the work done in a week rather than putting specific tasks into certain days of the week. They don’t work. The work never gets done.
Now, I work on one thing a day, with other days left for bigger projects. Every Tuesday, for example, I work on newsletters. They get done and they fit better together because they’re tackled in the same mind-frame.
Podcasts and other videos are on Wednesday.
The other days have their purposes be they articles or bigger projects, even books, even things we’re not releasing until next year.
The pursuit has to be daily and routine in order to be productive.
When you get your work done every day, you free up far more time to live as well, and writing in my mind is dependent on living a life worth writing about.
Your Work. Your Life.
It isn’t about what you appear to be doing, but about what you actually get done. Not all of us have bosses that understand this. Most bosses want you to show up at a certain time, on their clock, and work as they want you to work. (Read This: How to Get More Done in Less Time)
Do that. And do more.
With your training, aim to add small but effective habits into your routine to get you closer to your goal.
It’s not just the workout, but the 200 push ups you do everyday, or the breakfast that you have or the run or walk you go for after work.
Create the habits. Do the work. Don’t look for acclaim or eyes focused on what you’re doing or how you’re doing it. Don’t tweet or Facebook the epic work you’re doing. Just go at your business methodically. Track it. See the progress you’re making. Measure everything. And continue this boring ass march that will one day give you an unmatched source of pride.
About The Author
Chad Howse: Chad’s mission is to get you in the arena, ‘marred by the dust and sweat and blood’, to help you set and achieve audacious goals in the face of fear, and not only build your ideal body, but the life you were meant to live.
You can contact him at –
http://www.
https://www.Facebook.com/
https://www.YouTube.com/
