What to Do When Struggling with Your "Why"

The other night I was talking to a good friend of mine back in New York. "Have you ever felt your motivation start to fade?" he asked. "Sure," I told him. "It happens."

What I've discovered is your "why" for doing what you do will be tested, especially the longer you do something. It can happen for any number of reasons. For my friend, it was clear he'd evolved a great deal as a person and the things he valued in life had changed. He was still working hard towards a dream that didn't completely line-up with his new self. 

Sometimes we also need to take the focus off our hustle and look outside ourselves. I found that being of service to others whether as a teacher, or volunteer re-awakened the things I love to do most in life. As much as I enjoyed teaching I realized there were other ways I could best be of service. And I only came to that realization by tinkering with different platforms and trying new things. New experiences may bring to light another path worth taking or restore the one you're already on.  

The Importance of Overlooking Information

Today there is a prevalent theme of "hustle" being promoted on just about every social media platform out there. Good luck avoiding a hashtag accompanied by the word, "grind." A culture of "no days off," has undoubtedly been popularized the last few years. And with the endless amount of free content available it's difficult to decide what may or may not be of value.

I certainly struggled over the years trying to figure out what podcast to listen to, seminar to sign up for, or the latest entrepreneurial book to pickup. I devoured information convinced I was a sentence, or quote away from forever having my life.

But what I discovered is your success actually hinges on your ability to overlook information not just consume it. Because if everything becomes important than nothing is important.

As counterintuitive as it sounds you have to cultivate the ability to focus in on content you think can help you, apply it, measure it, and then proceed based on those results. 

Don't Waste Time Complaining

Everyone knows making a living as an artist is hard...very hard. I've discovered there are a few ways of approaching this realization:

A. You can complain.

B. You can move forward undaunted and create your own opportunities. 

I worked very hard as an actor, but also quietly, (and sometimes not so quietly) grumbled about the "injustice" of the industry and how unfair it was. Looking back, I wasted so much energy and time not turning my frustration into initiative.

We all know the arts is not a meritocracy - the best man or woman seldom wins on their merits alone. 

So what? Now What? 

Refuse to accept the status quo. Be bold. Be a mover. Be a shaker. Create your own content and thus opportunities. People will take notice.

And whatever you do, DON'T WASTE ANY MORE TIME.

Focus

We live in a time of seemingly limitless opportunity. We have more "friends" than we can manage. Communication has never been easier. You can even choose your favorite platform. And businesses, large and small, can be run from a coffee shop.

Yet, with these freedoms also comes more noise, thus more distraction. And with more distraction comes a greater necessity to zero in on how exactly we hope to make our dent in the world. It's wonderful to be multi-passionate, to have a boundless sense of curiosity, worldliness, and a desire to seek, experience, and know more.

But I've discovered when it comes to attaining any type of success both professionally and personally (however you define it) it's simply a matter of choosing to focus rather than dabble.