The difference between driven and motivated is sublte but important. Right around this time, the middle to the end of January – people already begin waivering on their New Years goals. This is actually normal, so if you are in this group, you are not alone. The reason is that motivation in itself is a short term emotion. In order to find something that is long lasting, one has to discover within themselves what it takes to become drive.  #BecomingDriven????

I love the feeling of being inspired or motivated, but honestly… it lasts about 3 days, then something punches you in the gut. No more feel-good inspiration…. Drive is much less fashionable. It’s a quiet, simmering, slow burning flame inside you that can’t be extinguished.

It’s the only thing that propels you through the muck, the drudgery, the pain, failure, doubt and countless setbacks. It’s means not negotiating the price you’re willing to pay. Drive can’t be bought or sold. .

It means that even after you’ve ‘arrived’ at your goal, you still won’t stop. People who are driven have a ‘WHY’ that far exceeds their own personal gain. .

Being driven is bittersweet. If you want to get motivated, think about what it will take you to become driven. I’ll do the same and consider what it will take to bring my drive to the next level.

Reality check to entrepreneurs, mainly wantrepreneurs. People posting pics of Leonardo Dicaprio with the heading “PROVE THEM WRONG”. You need to keep it real, people are worried about themselves, not your hustle. That’s for you to worry about.

Being misunderstood is a part of being an entrepreneur. No one is taking time out of their life to root for you to fail.

It’s an unnatural human reaction for people to instinctively be happy for another’s success… it makes us feel slighted and sometimes insecure about what we’re doing if we see someone else on top of the world. This is not people rooting against you – it’s human nature.

But it’s even more innate for people to worry about their own lives… and not worry about you and your dreams & aspirations. This is reality and where many people will struggle in the long-term if their motives are shallow.

What entrepreneurs will find, especially when starting out, like myself – is that if they’re open & honest about where they are in their process, many people are actually going to root for you. It’s when you try and put on a false facade that people begin to root against.

There’s no doubt that if you study people who have done amazing things with their life, a lot of their dreams were initially spurred on by hard times. That’s OK to begin with, but there has to be a point where your desire is not rooted in negative circumstance, but to do good, achieve more and live for yourself, employees and family.

But to be blunt… either way – what type of delicate flower are you that you have automatically earned the approval and support of everyone around you? That sh*t is earned, not given.

And when you get to the point when you actually have a ton of haters… you should be congratulated for reaching a level that most never come near.

Don’t get it twisted… I AGREE, but there is an important caveat… and there is a huge difference between calculated action and blind action. The former is where you want to live.

From someone who lost their first business because I hopped into massive action with youthful exuberance & confidence, I know from experience that this type of aggressiveness can be an amazing learning tool, but also a cause for a brutal roller coaster that can even cause you to lose your business entirely.

So, for my next business – I locked myself in a room with books and youtube, 7 days/week for a month and STUDIED GREATNESS. The best of the best and how they think, act and live. I did not listen to family members or acquaintances – I went to the source.

I believe this permanently changed my mindset and while this is no doubt continuing education, this is often your most important investment of time and can save you from many, many of your own mistakes.

The hardest part is definitely not finding the content, it’s listening really, really closely and then having the courage to put it all into play. Because if you’re really paying attention, the Cuban’s, Vaynerchuk’s, Andreesen’s of the world almost always preach about the difficulties and challenges.

Study the game, play the game … and if you’re good enough, maybe one day – change it.

I haven’t done it. But I’m in my process. The jury is still out. But I have and as an ongoing obligation continue to study the core belief-systems that make great influencers and entrepreneurs so special. And then… I copy them, with my own twist.

Out of respect to the game of entrepreneurship, the marketplace and the grind you have study the great ones. Your success is not guaranteed. No one cares if you get it or not and if you haven’t gone above and beyond to make sure you do… you might just fall short.

But we’re lucky enough to live in a time where the best of the best put out content for YOU and me to follow their playbook.

We’d be idiots if we didn’t take advantage of this. So listen and APPLY. Do your #best and let the chips fall. But if you want to give yourself a chance, you best find the masters and do what they’ve done, think how they think

After you have done this – THEN you can take that massive action, but this time… you’re equipped with the tools & endurance of mind that you’ll need.