If you’ve ever tried to do anything difficult, you’ve probably had moments when you were you lost your motivation.

You might have even started looking for other people who were also unmotivated to see if it was “normal.”

It doesn’t matter if it’s normal or not. What matters is if you can get through it and start taking productive action again. 

Your “Why”

More than likely, the reason you’re unable to get into action is you have a weak reason for doing what you’re doing. People often call this their “Why.”

Whenever your “why” is all about you, it’s easy to let yourself off the hook. After all, nobody knows you’re letting yourself off the hook… except you.

But things change when it’s about somebody else…

•         your kid
•         your wife
•         your grandchildren
•         your parents
•         a charity
•         a cause
•         a group of people you believe in

All of a sudden, you get the strength you need to push through.

Let the people you are serving become your “why.”

I remember when I made the commitment to build my online business after getting fired from my job. I was scared. I was unsure if I could do it or not (despite all the public claims I made about how this was my time to shine).

In a fit of inspiration, I took a picture of my wife and put it on the wall above my desk. I also put a picture of the boss who fired me right next to her. These two side by side images became my driving “why” for the next year. 

Every day when I felt like giving up or not getting started, I looked at the picture of my wife and knew I had to give it my all. I also looked at the picture of my old boss and said “There’s no way I’ll let that son of a bitch win!” At a glance I got back in touch with my why instantly and so intensely that I could get into action in an instant. 

Application

If you want to motivate yourself to get stuff done, here’s what you need to do:

1.   Sit down and make a list of all the reasons WHY you want to do something.
2.   Make a list of all the PEOPLE you’re going to impact when you get this done.
3.   (Key step) List how all of those people will be affected if you don’t do what you say you’re going to do.
4.   Feel the pain of them being disappointed.
5.   Feel the pain of them being let down. 
6.   Feel the pain of them looking at you like you let them down.

For me, THAT is more than enough motivation to get me off the mark and to get me to do what I need to do.

Manipulation?

Now you might say,

“Wow, Jim, that sounds like manipulation.”

Yes, it is manipulation! Do whatever you have to do!

•         Pull your own strings;
•         Push your own buttons;
•         Get yourself to take the actions you know you need to take so you can find the success you say you want to find.

If that means using external motivation, like the people you love, or people you care about, or causes that are bigger than yourself… 

DO IT!

Conclusion

When you get outside of yourself, that’s how you get things done. That’s how you take the action you need to take. 

When it’s just you and your own little pity pot, it’s about the most pathetic thing you’re ever going to see or feel in your life. You’ll never get anything done!

But as soon as it’s something more than you, you will be shocked at the great things you can do, the focus you can have, and the actions you can take toward achieving your dreams.

By the way, if you want to take your life and business to the next level, I’d like to invite you to check out my blog at TheJimEdwardsMethod.com/blog/ for all sorts of free goodies to do everything from improve your life to make create amazing sales copy that gets people to try, buy, and subscribe no matter what you sell! 

Check out TheJimEdwardsMethod.com/blog/ for more!

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