Reason Why
Every once in a while I get comments from people being amazed by the level I reached and wishing they were "at my level" someday. There is always someone "at a higher level" than any of us in some way. But if such examples are inspirations to us at some point in our lives (and not a reason to think how lucky they were or what a bad life you have by comparison - which, by the way, may have been the other way around in reality), we first need to find out the reasons why we want to be "at that level". Having more money is not a good reason. Becoming financially independent could be a reason why. Improving the life quality of your family could be another. Making sure you won't be forced to work till you drop dead is another. For the ambitious ones, finding a niche where to change the status quo in the world could be another.
Of course, these are reasons why or dreams of regular people. Want to hear an audacious one? Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars within his lifetime (he is 52) and wants to die on Mars.
After you find your reason why, or maybe your dream or vision, if your reason why is big enough (for you) to name it like that, you need a plan to get there. Don't be afraid to plan for dozens of years, even if the big-picture plan may not be accurate or it's missing details. Then dive deeper and plan more accurately on shorter periods (years, months, weeks, days), that are easier to estimate starting from the current situation and the known future events. Always keep in mind the reasons why and plans should be made to get to where you want with as few detours as possible.
Speaking of Elon Musk and his Mars dream, he founded SpaceX 21 years ago (at 31), spoke about his dream publicly (from what I could find) for the first time in 2016, has the plan to launch a crewed Starship to Mars this year, land on Mars in 2026, and believes a million people could be living on Mars by mid-2060.
You could say Elon Musk is one and that you don't have such audacious dreams. And that is true, in most cases. Or in other cases, they remain some distant, never-followed dreams. Like an accountant who dreamt of being a pilot when he was a teenager. Funnily, with enough determination, this one can still be achieved by some even as they grow older.
But regardless of your reason why, you can learn something from the level of planning he put into realizing his dream, and that for me, is inspiring. Yes, let's not forget about his 100-hour workweek... I admit I rarely came close to that, but I did in my 20s, and it's a strange feeling to know nothing else but work, even when you enjoy it. I don't think I'd be able to sustain the same level of work as then... Not even close.
At my age, I started to become more careful about every step I take, more mindful about the future and how it will look like, and generally less inclined to experiment than my younger self (as much as being in crypto can be called "not experimenting", but at least I don't buy all the meme coins).
So, the secret formula is pretty simple:
- find the reason why
- make a big-picture plan
- elaborate on the plan, create achievable goals
- work toward achieving your goals
- never forget the reason why
Applying it is the hard part for many.
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The reason why is the most thing we always need to look out for
We should not just dream to be like some particular people or even above them without having a good reason
Exactly. Following a certain path - yours or trying to emulate what someone else achieved - is meaningless if you don't have a good reason why of your own, something to motivate you and to look forward to.
Thank you for sharing this. I like what you write.
Thanks.
Great motivational post, Adrian! I like it!
It's interesting that our reason WHY changes as we are getting old, or better said, getting more experienced... 😃
I feel sorry for people who come to posts and comment "Lucky you"... Yes, maybe part of success is LUCK, but it's definitely not the biggest part... Like you said, YOU can do it, but you have to have a REASON, a plan, a goal, and you are ready to Mars! :)
Thanks, man! Appreciate it!
It often does. At the same time, I admire people who find their reason why early in life and it's so powerful for them that it drives their entire lives, whether they reach their dreams or not. With one condition: that following their dream doesn't mess up their entire life and the lives of the people around them. Although for big enough dreams, that's what it usually takes...
I understand they have the wrong mindset and probably had it their entire lives. They need to change to evolve... And that for many seems very difficult.
This is a very good overview on how to achieve one's dreams. I do agree that actually working on it is the hard part, and staying the course once it gets difficult is the next hard thing to do.
I think this is the hardest part. More difficult than working on it at the beginning. When you start working on your dreams, you are driven by enthusiasm, but once it gets harder, once you see things don't go as planned, enthusiasm goes away, and your reason why has to be powerful enough to find other inner resources to fuel your resolve.
I think that is a pretty good guideline and I agree that applying is hard. There are always going to be things that are out of your control and at that point, a lot of people just give up.
For someone who likes to plan ahead and work to take that plan to fruition, external factors are the ones that are the hardest to overcome, especially if that person is not flexible enough to make changes.
For someone who hates planning and rather lives one day at a time, their mindset is their worst enemy in the long term.
Great motivational ones you have here
Thanks. I hope they help.
They say whoever has a reason why can endure any how. I think when we have a good enough reason why, then finding out a way(s) to achieve what we want becomes a lot easier. Proper planning and execution is where many people get stuck, but going back to the reason why can always be a good solution for that.
I like that.
Sometimes people just think they found their reason why and that is not powerful enough to motivate them. But I agree. It's the planning or execution where most people fail.
Indeed! Consistent and discipline are needed in execution to bring the vision into reality. I think when the going gets hard, we can take a rest and re-evaluate rather than quitting altogether as some often do.
In the same way, if we want to achieve success, then we all have to work hard day and night, and if we continue to work hard, then one day will surely come when a person will be successful in the way you have done it. You tells us the story and after success one gets a lot of happiness.
That's true. Becoming successful (even though I wouldn't call myself successful) often involves a lot of work. Maybe a little luck, but generally, a lot of productive work, more than luck.
Yeah I totally agree with you.
Thank you for the refresher course @gadrian! I forgot about the reasons why. Life has been super hard and sometimes when a person gets really down and stuck they forget they should think of the reasons why they need and want money! I remember how it use to help me much more with my attitude to think of the reasons why. It really does help a persons attitude to think this way. It is a positive way to think. Sometimes life can get super tough and make one super down in spirit. So, Thank you for the great positive refresher @gadrian! Have a nice weekend. Barb #ctp
I'm glad I was able to help a little bit with a positive, motivational kind of post. Sometimes they are needed. As you said, life gets hard, and people need encouragement. I hope you'll get your spirits up soon. Maybe the bull market will help...
Yes, and thanks again @gadrian! It sure can get bad when you least expect it. It is getting a little better all the time with the ups and downs. Thank you and the bull market will help too! 😊👍🌟
I also need to work on my attitude to improve things as well 😊