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-   -   Motivation and the entrepreneur (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2992)

David Stoddard September 27, 2002 01:44 PM

Motivation and the entrepreneur
 
Hi all...

I have been online for about a year or so and continue to see so many business newsletters and sites and the like that say so much is possible if you put your mind and heart into it.


I guess my question is how much of a role does motivation play in becomming successful? What motivates you to doing what you do? And does this so-called feel good stuff about you can be anything you want to be actually have an affect on you and your business?

Thanks for your time.

Da

Boyd Stone September 27, 2002 02:38 PM

Most people can't be what they want to be...
 
Hi,

Most people can't be what they want to be because they don't *know* what they want to be.

What a strange design: a creature born not knowing what it was born to be. So it drifts through life reactively rather than proactively.

I know what I want to be, but it took a freakin' *tremendous* amount of time and introspection and hard thinking to figure it out. I guess most people who know what they want to be found out through luck: they were doing something and they suddenly realized "This is what I want to do with my life." Jodie Foster is a great example of that kind of person.

Hope this helped!

- Boyd

Michael Ross September 27, 2002 05:27 PM

No Connection
 
> Hi all...

Hi, David, and welcome.

> I have been online for about a year or so
> and continue to see so many business
> newsletters and sites and the like that say
> so much is possible if you put your mind and
> heart into it.

And I notice that your site is one of those and also links to others of a similar type.

> As a motivational writer (very very low
> budget Tony Robbins type) I have been
> interested in helping people change their
> lives for the better. But so many places I
> look around, there are so many more online
> businesses. A few of which seem successful,
> but many just don't quite get to the level
> of superstar.

Okay, this is beginning to sound like a "I've got a friend who has this problem..." type of question. In other words... your site isn't at the superstar level as you had hoped. (That's the impression I get from your posting.)

> I guess my question is how much of a role
> does motivation play in becomming
> successful? What motivates you to doing what
> you do? And does this so-called feel good
> stuff about you can be anything you want to
> be actually have an affect on you and your
> business?

Now this is sounding even more strange... you are the Anthony Robbins "clone" so you should know whether this "motivation" plays a part in becoming successful, and whether this "feel good stuff" about being anything you want to be actually has an affect on you and your business. After all, it's what you teach, right? (You're not beginning to doubt the validity of your own teachings are you?)

Anyway. Here's the short answer...

"No."

In other words... the "feel good stuff" and the "you can do it because you can be anything you want to be" motivational stuff, has negligible affect on your success.

And if it appears to have an affect, it is your misinterpretation - you are thinking it's the "feel good stuff" and the "you can do it because you can be anything you want to be" motivational stuff, when it is really something else. And because you don't know what this other something is, you attribute it to the "feel good stuff" - if for no other reason than that is what has been touted for so long.

Fact is, if the "feel good stuff" and the "you can do it because you can be anything you want to be" motivational stuff, worked as promised, a lot more people would go on to greater success than do.

What's the answer?

The answer... the missing element that none of the "gurus" have written about explicitly, which is THE power source which can actually drive you to do things - even things you didn't believe you could do - is revealed in The Success Report (and as such, I am not going to reveal it here).

So if you want to know, put down the few bucks being asked and order it. You'll be able to download it immedately (even though the page says it is sent to you via email).

Michael Ross


Get "The Success Report" Here

Bilal Babic September 27, 2002 08:41 PM

Re: Motivation and the entrepreneur
 
Motivation and following is vitally important to me.

Long ago I heard these very wise words: "find someone
in life where you want to be, do what they did to get
there, don't do what they didn't do, and you will have
what they have".

Bilal


FREE YourName.com .net .org! Yes FREE!

Robert M. Campbell September 27, 2002 09:18 PM

Wasn't it Jim Rohn who said ...
 
Motivation is over-rated and that skills are what is required to be successful.

To make his point, Mr. Rohn said: "If you motivate an idiot, all you have is a motivated idiot."

Robert M. Campbell

Dien Rice September 27, 2002 09:38 PM

Re: Motivation and the entrepreneur
 
Hi David,

I think good solid hunger to achieve something can certainly help drive you to success. It has to be strong enough to push you through the obstacles you will undoubtedly encounter, and to stop you from giving up....

Does "Tony Robbins"-style motivation do that? I can't say for sure, but my feeling is that often people go to a seminar, get all pumped up, go home - and it wears off in a few days or so.

The motivation I'm referring to is much deeper and more of a solid driving force....

Another important thing about motivation, I think, is to have belief in yourself.... I know it's a kind of cliche, but if you don't believe you can do something, you won't bother trying... And if you never even try, then of course, you can't accomplish.

It's not the whole answer, but I think things like this can be an important FIRST step.... It will help drive you to try more things, learn more, and make more contacts - until you do succeed....

Well, that's my opinion anyhow.... ;)

- Dien Rice


Dave Barry's impressions of a Tony Robbins seminar... (pretty funny) :)

Dennis Bevers September 27, 2002 09:59 PM

Re: Motivation and the entrepreneur
 
I think another way to look at it is:

Are you passionate about what you do. If you believe in your product (or service) and enjoy your work, it is much easier to remain motivated.

And for those opting for self-employment, they better have more motivation than earning income to keep the lights on.

Dennis Bevers

Michael S. Winicki September 27, 2002 10:52 PM

Success & Motivation
 
Good question...

And some good insight by Boyd, Michael and the others.

Many use "Motivation" as a way to boost "Self-Confidence". Think of motivation and self-confidence as two different guages. One goes to a Mr. Robbins seminar or hears an audio program by Dennis Waitley or some other motivational pro and wha-la they leave motivated and this gives them an instant self-confidence boost. Suddenly both guages are on "high". The problem being motivation wears off quickly. The guage drops and with it the self-confidence drops also. This is a problem. Most people don't have the capacity to quickly turn their newly found self-confidence into at least some minor victories, which adds even more self confidence.

Business is a marathon and not a sprint. Rah-rah motivation burns out long before the 'tipping point' of the business is reached. This is the point where a business is earning a profit for its owner.

As I've gotten older I've agreed more and more with the view point of author Mr. Robert Fritz, who says motivation is not necessary for one to reach their goals. He cites artists of all shapes and sizes that create works of art no matter what their motivational state. Mr. Fritz believes that if a person's structure is not of the correct type then a rah-rah motivational speach will indeed motivate short-term. But as the person tries to maintain the motivation level and use if for success, the person's structure stretches just like a rubber band. In a bad structure (to read more about 'structures' you should visit Fritz's web site at www.robertfritz.com) eventually the 'rubber band' effect takes place and the person is whipped back to the previous unmotivated, no self-confidence state. I don't think this oscillating pattern of extreme motivation and extreme lack of motivation is good or healthy. Plus it destroys the person's ability to build a level of self-confidence that lasts for any length of time.

I work with a lot of entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs. The difference between the two is not motivation but self-confidence. The successful know and expect to make mistakes and they give themselves a chance to do that without beating themselves up over it. The unsuccessful worry about things that could happen (but probably not) like they could end up in 'debtor's prison' or someone could take away their birthday.

Anyway good question,

Mike Winicki

sandy September 28, 2002 12:50 PM

Question about 1 of your points
 
The successful know and
> expect to make mistakes and they give
> themselves a chance to do that without
> beating themselves up over it. The
> unsuccessful worry about things that could
> happen (but probably not) like they could
> end up in 'debtor's prison' or someone could
> take away their birthday.

Michael you mentioned you work with people
who fall into these 2 categories. From what
you've heard from these people what things
happened in their life to cause them to
have more confidence?

Thanks Sandy

Michael S. Winicki September 28, 2002 01:23 PM

Good Question!
 
Sandy,

There isn't usually a single event or occurance that causes someone's self-confidence to bloom to the point of someone getting a business launched (that I've noticed).

But this is what most folks are constantly on the look out for. That "last" missing piece of information or whatever that suddenly fills their self-confidence guage to the point of actually going forward with their business plan.

Now that is not to say that single events can't cause someone to take the leap and become a real entrepreneur. I've come across a lot of people that have started businesses because of a job loss or layoff. Now I wouldn't call that a self-confidence boosting occurance would you? But I would bet job loss creates more entrepreneurs in business than any other single event.

Personally I think self-confidence is way over-rated when it comes to the tools one needs to start a business. I believe just plain old-fashioned courage is far more important.

What is business 'courage'? To me it's the ability to act when you are financially and professionally scared to pull out that credit card or take out a loan to start that business you've been dreaming of...but you go forward and do it anyway.

Take care,

Mike Winicki


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