Post: #1

How do you motivate yourself for success in business?

I'm starting a business now and a parallels between business and game come up all the time. Normally I'm applying game principles to marketing tactics. Strategy too.

So here's a game principle that I am trying to figure out how to find the equivalent to in business.

With game I basically suck unless the girl is over a certain threshold. Let's say a 7. So what I'm saying is that I can't pick up a <7 to save my life. But when I'm confronted with one of God's gifts to man I immediately go into a different gear - and my game is solid. Success ensues.

So with my business I'm kind of in a similar situation. I know the business will work (10) but I'm not taking as much action as I need to be to be successful with it (<7).

I've already burned my boats (resume is no longer 'corporate' acceptable). I've already put myself in a financial bind (don't want to go into details but you can imagine). I've already painted myself in a corner. There is no more stress I can apply other than to be homeless.

But I no longer feel stress. I've learned how to transcend it. So stress no longer works for me either.

"Proving" myself to someone else no longer works either - I am completely self-referential. I see the matrix.

So why the f*** am I having problems switching gears and treating my business like its a 10?

I would be interested to hear opinions from guys that have started business / have taken risks with their careers. Feel free to post or PM.

If you're young and haven't done sh*t, no need to reply. Keep hustling, until you know how to make your own reality.

Post: #2

First, establish goals that you want/need to achieve.
Second, create a deadline to where you need to hit those goals.
Third, establish a budget so you know how much money you can place into the business and still maintain your way of life (if you can live without some of the accommodations you have in your life, then do it).
Fourth, take a look in the mirror. The only person that will keep you from being successful, is you.


Work on those things, you will have much more motivation to get shit done quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

Post: #3

I have the same problem. I'm a better employee than a business builder but I hate being an employee.

Nevertheless, being an employee gives me a context to get my shit together outside of the job. I guess because it provides time and life stress I often can't bring myself to develop on my own. Even when the obstacles facing me are small, sometimes I just don't give a shit.

I get more done for myself and my own success while working during my free time during a month of working for someone else than I do in six months "off the leash."

So I'd say get a job doing something that isn't your career but that will take your mind off your business and provide value to someone else. Something that won't take all of your time and that doesn't have to be long term. I've been a dishwasher now and then to get out of my head and I like the kitchen atmosphere.

tl;dr: use a job to regain traction and context

Post: #4

(01-31-2014 05:57 PM)jtbabycarrots Wrote:  If you're young and haven't done sh*t, no need to reply. Keep hustling, until you know how to make your own reality.

You know, I was reading the post and was going to engage your question, but this part turned me off. Why is it the internet makes it ok for you to dismiss people without a thought? Do you do that in real life?

If someone takes the time to answer your question, you should at least appreciate they took the time to answer your question considering there are so many threads/posts on this forum that people can spend their limited time on.

This may be one of your problems, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, but if your ego is so big that you can only see yourself learning from certain people and not all people that come across your path, maybe that ego is what has created the situation you are in. It may cause you to miss opportunities to meet people who can aid you in whatever you want to achieve.

Best of luck in your efforts.

Post: #5

(01-31-2014 07:29 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  

(01-31-2014 05:57 PM)jtbabycarrots Wrote:  If you're young and haven't done sh*t, no need to reply. Keep hustling, until you know how to make your own reality.

You know, I was reading the post and was going to engage your question, but this part turned me off. Why is it the internet makes it ok for you to dismiss people without a thought? Do you do that in real life?

If someone takes the time to answer your question, you should at least appreciate they took the time to answer your question considering there are so many threads/posts on this forum that people can spend their limited time on.

This may be one of your problems, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, but if your ego is so big that you can only see yourself learning from certain people and not all people that come across your path, maybe that ego is what has created the situation you are in. It may cause you to miss opportunities to meet people who can aid you in whatever you want to achieve.

Best of luck in your efforts.

samsamsam I agree with you. If the guy was a smart business owner, he would listen to different perspectives from people with different experiences and backgrounds. Hell, I kind of shrugged it off because I'm 24...so I guess I don't know shit. But, I am always willing to help my fellow man in his endeavors to make himself great.

Post: #6

(01-31-2014 07:29 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  

(01-31-2014 05:57 PM)jtbabycarrots Wrote:  If you're young and haven't done sh*t, no need to reply. Keep hustling, until you know how to make your own reality.

You know, I was reading the post and was going to engage your question, but this part turned me off. Why is it the internet makes it ok for you to dismiss people without a thought? Do you do that in real life?

If someone takes the time to answer your question, you should at least appreciate they took the time to answer your question considering there are so many threads/posts on this forum that people can spend their limited time on.

This may be one of your problems, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, but if your ego is so big that you can only see yourself learning from certain people and not all people that come across your path, maybe that ego is what has created the situation you are in. It may cause you to miss opportunities to meet people who can aid you in whatever you want to achieve.

Best of luck in your efforts.

That's a good point. I just lost my business partner, who was a young guy with limited experience.

He was also worried I was going to f his girlfriend. Which I would never do.

I guess I was just trying to make the point that I was looking for someone's opinion that had been in my shoes.

I wasn't meaning to be disrespectful.

It wasn't coming from ego. Just recent experience. I shouldn't let that affect how I view everyone younger than me.

My bad. I'm sorry.

Post: #7

(01-31-2014 07:15 PM)Sawyer Wrote:  I have the same problem. I'm a better employee than a business builder but I hate being an employee.

Nevertheless, being an employee gives me a context to get my shit together outside of the job. I guess because it provides time and life stress I often can't bring myself to develop on my own. Even when the obstacles facing me are small, sometimes I just don't give a shit.

I get more done for myself and my own success while working during my free time during a month of working for someone else than I do in six months "off the leash."

So I'd say get a job doing something that isn't your career but that will take your mind off your business and provide value to someone else. Something that won't take all of your time and that doesn't have to be long term. I've been a dishwasher now and then to get out of my head and I like the kitchen atmosphere.

tl;dr: use a job to regain traction and context

Thanks for your response Sawyer. I actually tried working a retail job to do just this - step out of myself a bit. But I found the retail environment brutal. I was on my feet all day dealing with unhappy customers, a boss that treated her employees like dog sh*t and fellow employees who were living in a state of total depression. I also got caught up in the plight of the hourly worker... and finally quit before I organized them into a union. Needless to say it was more intense then what I had thought it would be.

We'll see. I'm putting together a 3 month revenue projection. If I hit my numbers I'm good. If not, I'll get a job that has a bit more consistency then retail. I work better on a schedule.

But I am not going back to corporate. There is no bigger lie than golden hand cuffs.

Post: #8

jtbabycarrots,

It sounds like you have been through a lot. Maybe it is the wrong time to feel like this, but maybe you are just burned out. In my life experience, when I have been unmotivated to act when it is totally obvious I should be acting it was dure to one of a few things:

1) I was exhausted and just couldn't muster forward, unless it was truly life and death. I realized I needed a break
2) I was afraid of failing, something wasn't clicking and the fear of failing was bigger in my mind than the possible success
3) My heart wasn't in it - on paper it made all the fucking sense in the world but my heart wasn't in it. First job out of college I got offers from a few firms, but went with the one that offered the fewest offers that year, they were paying more and it felt great to be one of the few with an offer. But my heart wasn't in it, it didn't feel right for some reason, so I went back to the firm that my heart/gut was telling me to go to. I got paid a little less but it felt right in my bones. Met my best friend there, so there is something to be said about what your gut is telling you.

It might be the greatest idea but if you can't get behind it and your not passionate about it, it might be hard to make work out. I am not saying you shouldn't pursue it, not at all. But maybe just a deep gut check and an honest conversation with yourself will get you clearer around the matter.

There is an expression I have heard, "what are you pretending not to know." To me it means, we know stuff about ourselves that we don't want to admit or own. We all have something. Is there something about this that doesn't feel right but you don't want to acknowledge?

Once you get clear, don't stress yourself (I know you have handled your stress), but break your challenge down into something manageable. In other words, don't think of the 3 months of sales you need to hit. Try to break it down into daily goals so the number doesn't seem so large.

Much of life is mental, if not all. So if you can get a handle on how you see your task at hand you might find a way to meet the challenge.

Good luck!

Post: #9

(01-31-2014 10:06 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  jtbabycarrots,

It sounds like you have been through a lot. Maybe it is the wrong time to feel like this, but maybe you are just burned out. In my life experience, when I have been unmotivated to act when it is totally obvious I should be acting it was dure to one of a few things:

1) I was exhausted and just couldn't muster forward, unless it was truly life and death. I realized I needed a break
2) I was afraid of failing, something wasn't clicking and the fear of failing was bigger in my mind than the possible success
3) My heart wasn't in it - on paper it made all the fucking sense in the world but my heart wasn't in it. First job out of college I got offers from a few firms, but went with the one that offered the fewest offers that year, they were paying more and it felt great to be one of the few with an offer. But my heart wasn't in it, it didn't feel right for some reason, so I went back to the firm that my heart/gut was telling me to go to. I got paid a little less but it felt right in my bones. Met my best friend there, so there is something to be said about what your gut is telling you.

It might be the greatest idea but if you can't get behind it and your not passionate about it, it might be hard to make work out. I am not saying you shouldn't pursue it, not at all. But maybe just a deep gut check and an honest conversation with yourself will get you clearer around the matter.

There is an expression I have heard, "what are you pretending not to know." To me it means, we know stuff about ourselves that we don't want to admit or own. We all have something. Is there something about this that doesn't feel right but you don't want to acknowledge?

Once you get clear, don't stress yourself (I know you have handled your stress), but break your challenge down into something manageable. In other words, don't think of the 3 months of sales you need to hit. Try to break it down into daily goals so the number doesn't seem so large.

Much of life is mental, if not all. So if you can get a handle on how you see your task at hand you might find a way to meet the challenge.

Good luck!

Thank you Sam3x. Thank you for reframing my question in a way that I better understand it + for adding your perspective on it + for that quote.

I had the same experience coming out of college. I took the higher paying job in spite of my knowing that I wanted the other one. Unfortunately, I couldn't go back as the bridge was burned. And therein started a decade of whoring myself out, wearing a suit and hating my day to day existence.

All of that was over the second I left that world. The entrepreneurial path is tough though. I had a thriving business in 2008. Then everything crashed and burned. Everything. I've been working myself back since.

I interpret that quote to mean that I am relying on influences outside of myself too much - outside of what I can actually control/bring meaning to. I'm waiting for my developer/designer to get back to me with my site concept, constantly reassessing my content, and constantly adjusting my long-term revenue plans....

I think its just time to switch gears; from planning/ scheming/ thinking... to acting.

I watched a clip that someone on this forum put up showing that scene from the Dark Knight Rises - where he climbs out of the pit. What was conveyed in that scene is that a "fear of death" is needed to get out of the pit.

Maybe that's what I need. A fear of starvation. A fear of failure.

Maybe not having that is what is holding me back.

Or maybe your first point about being burned out is what really nailed it.

Probably a combination of all of the above.

Mission 1: Go feel the fear of failure (in a safe way as I know what real failure feels like and I don't see that as a possibility anymore).

Mission 2: Put work down and dedicate more time on pussy (even though I'm no longer in EE).

Thanks for helping me get through this mental block. Hopefully it helps some other guys as well.

I owe you one.

Post: #10

(01-31-2014 07:44 PM)Remington Wrote:  

(01-31-2014 07:29 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  

(01-31-2014 05:57 PM)jtbabycarrots Wrote:  If you're young and haven't done sh*t, no need to reply. Keep hustling, until you know how to make your own reality.

You know, I was reading the post and was going to engage your question, but this part turned me off. Why is it the internet makes it ok for you to dismiss people without a thought? Do you do that in real life?

If someone takes the time to answer your question, you should at least appreciate they took the time to answer your question considering there are so many threads/posts on this forum that people can spend their limited time on.

This may be one of your problems, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, but if your ego is so big that you can only see yourself learning from certain people and not all people that come across your path, maybe that ego is what has created the situation you are in. It may cause you to miss opportunities to meet people who can aid you in whatever you want to achieve.

Best of luck in your efforts.

samsamsam I agree with you. If the guy was a smart business owner, he would listen to different perspectives from people with different experiences and backgrounds. Hell, I kind of shrugged it off because I'm 24...so I guess I don't know shit. But, I am always willing to help my fellow man in his endeavors to make himself great.

Sorry about coming off as a smart ass. You gave me some great advice regardless of your age. When I was 24 I didn't know shit. But at the same time I knew everything because my mind was less diluted by the b.s. of the working world.

Now I meditate to clear my mind of it all. When I was 24 I didn't need to do that.

Thanks again for your response. It was elegant, simple and straight forward. I will use it. And I'm sure guys reading this in the future will as well.

Post: #11

No worries man. I know my age doesn't render as much experience as other members on this forum. I do consultant work and operate like I own my own business. Received this advice from a gentleman who runs start up companies and then sells them off after a couple years. I listen to him because he has built businesses upon those principles.

Post: #12

A couple of possibilites:

You do not truly believe the business is a 10. Maybe you didn't set high enough goals. I've always delivered the most when I've set 'crazy' high expectations. You need that 'dream'. Roosh had a good post once about moving goalposts. If your goalpost is not set far enough, you might subconsciously think you can half-ass it there.

Burn out is a real possibility. I've had it recently. My response to take time off, despite losing money, think hard about what I see for myself as my mission. I've come to the conclusion I need to have something I can truly believe in to give 110% and I don't just mean that in the cliche sense, I mean it in the 'can I sell this company for 1 billion dollars later'. Well maybe not one billion, 10 million would do too, but you get the idea. I've cut back, focused strictly on the current activites that make money to live off, while working otherwise to shift towards the new business strategy. I've begun to cut out parts where I didn't really believe in them, even if they make a bit of money.

You also could probably benefit from a partner if you don't have one. I am very single minded, but with a good partner - which is someone who complements what you can't do and brings equal value and work ethic, then you get 1+1=3.

Good luck.

Post: #13

(02-01-2014 02:48 PM)eastwest Wrote:  A couple of possibilites:

You do not truly believe the business is a 10. Maybe you didn't set high enough goals. I've always delivered the most when I've set 'crazy' high expectations. You need that 'dream'. Roosh had a good post once about moving goalposts. If your goalpost is not set far enough, you might subconsciously think you can half-ass it there.

Burn out is a real possibility. I've had it recently. My response to take time off, despite losing money, think hard about what I see for myself as my mission. I've come to the conclusion I need to have something I can truly believe in to give 110% and I don't just mean that in the cliche sense, I mean it in the 'can I sell this company for 1 billion dollars later'. Well maybe not one billion, 10 million would do too, but you get the idea. I've cut back, focused strictly on the current activites that make money to live off, while working otherwise to shift towards the new business strategy. I've begun to cut out parts where I didn't really believe in them, even if they make a bit of money.

You also could probably benefit from a partner if you don't have one. I am very single minded, but with a good partner - which is someone who complements what you can't do and brings equal value and work ethic, then you get 1+1=3.

Good luck.

Damn EastWest. Your business advice was $$$ and you go get yourself banned...

If you come back under a different name feel free to talk more business.

There are very few people out there that "get it".

Now on to business;

I've tried the business partner route and it was great, until it wasn't. A business partner really helped me get organized because I had to write out things so they would understand what I was doing. Without a business partner my brain moves too fast to write anything down and then once I'm tired I don't have much to show for it. I'm working on that. It's a discipline I'm sure.

The downside of a business partner is that once they are no longer your business partner they leave with your IP and become your mortal enemy.

My business plan isn't of the billions or millions variety. It's more about setting up streams of passive income. So a PV valuation of said income stream would have to be applied to figure out how much it was worth. But that's not really the point.

The point is to make enough money to to live where ever I want to live (i.e., where they are teeming with beautiful, feminine women).

Alas, burnout is a real possibility. But my solution is to get my product/service out there asap because the ROI of helping people will get me through this temporary down spell.

Thanks. Hope you come back from Siberia.