New to Fastlane and Indecision on where to start

[ZF Lee]

@MJ DeMarco never said you can't follow your passion. As a matter of fact he makes a point to consistently tell people he can't make their decisions for them. If your goal is to come up with a business that fits the CENTS rules, but your passion doesn't fit those rules then you have to decide whether your passion means more to you than the fast lane.

The passion should come from the SATISFACTION of a customer as the results of your VALUE GIVING.
I went to help out at an artist's charity event last month. They said to me, 'If you weren't here to help, we wouldn't know what to do.'
The work was tiring, but as long as they could do their work better as a result of my help, it was worth it.
Not Fastlane, but the mechanics apply.

 

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[All_In52]

The passion should come from the SATISFACTION of a customer as the results of your VALUE GIVING.
I went to help out at an artist's charity event last month. They said to me, 'If you weren't here to help, we wouldn't know what to do.'
The work was tiring, but as long as they could do their work better as a result of my help, it was worth it.
Not Fastlane, but the mechanics apply.

This idea has been repeated throughout the thread and I agree. There has been many times in my life where I felt great that I could lend a helping hand. I'm also very grateful of MJ's contributions and insights. I've begun digging into the articles throughout this forum. I'm sort've stuck in a phase of not wanting to go down the wrong path but I have already set into motion quitting my job, moving apartments, etc.. My question is this:

How do you guys stay motivated to work when it's something that isn't that interesting to you? For example, say I don't really like coding, website building or whatever, how do I stay motivated to work the required 18 hour work days to achieve fastlane success? Is it the value you provide? I mean I can provide value in many different ways.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

how do I stay motivated to work the required 18 hour work days

Someone told you life woud be easy. They told you that you should "love what you do". They said work should be fun and passion should drive you.

Well it's all bull-shit.

When I was younger, I did a lot of things I hated ... and it's why I succeeded.

Even today, I still do a lot of work I hate --- and that's why I continue to succeed.

At the end of the day, the value you provide is very gratifying as it closes the circuit in the feedback loop. That's how you get through the stages of life/work that aren't very interesting or fun. I suggest you try it by smiling to a complete stranger and getting a smile back -- that feeling is the feedback loop of providing value, albeit on a tiny scale.

 

[All_In52]

Someone told you life woud be easy. They told you that you should "love what you do". They said work should be fun and passion should drive you.

Well it's all bull-shit.

When I was younger, I did a lot of things I hated ... and it's why I succeeded.

Even today, I still do a lot of work I hate --- and that's why I continue to succeed.

At the end of the day, the value you provide is very gratifying as it closes the circuit in the feedback loop. That's how you get through the stages of life/work that aren't very interesting or fun. I suggest you try it by smiling to a complete stranger and getting a smile back -- that feeling is the feedback loop of providing value, albeit on a tiny scale.

I think I understand what you're saying MJ, providing value and the satisfaction from it precedes following your passion, do work you love and all that mainstream bullshit. I'll try your task out today. How can so many people proclaim that they do what they love everyday and it's the best thing to do? How can so many people be saying bullshit?

 

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[Schwartz]

I think I understand what you're saying MJ, providing value and the satisfaction from it precedes following your passion, do work you love and all that mainstream bullshit. I'll try your task out today. How can so many people proclaim that they do what they love everyday and it's the best thing to do? How can so many people be saying bullshit?

I spent 6 years doing what I love everyday. It was all I ever wanted to do growing up and at first it was all roses and sunshine and then reality hit. I was working 80-90 hour weeks a big portion of the year missing holidays and family events, no time for myself or anything but my job and guess what? I grew to hate doing what I love because I was giving my life to someone else. I love freedom more than the parts of that job I loved.

 

[Schwartz]

I don't want to sound like an old man to you either because I'm not. I'm only 21 soon to be 22 I dropped out of school when I was 15 to "follow my dream" got a GED and went to work full time and lived on my own. And it was up until this year that I decided to take my life into my own hands I'm not fully independent from a lot of things yet but I'm on my way. Life doesn't wait for me so I have to take action on my part.

 

[lewj24]

How do you guys stay motivated to work when it's something that isn't that interesting to you?

I don't think it's the job itself that keeps you motivated. I think it's the mindset you have and the help you give that keeps you going.

For example, if I recall the book correctly, MJ said he didn't care about limos, he cared about the happy customer feedback he received and that helped him keep going. Correct me if I'm wrong @MJ DeMarco.

Mike Rowe said he met people who cleaned up road kill for a living that would whistle on their way to the job. They were so happy with their lives and their careers in a "shitty" job. It was just their mindset.

Two men survived after being stranded on a deserted island with no food and water for 4 days. This was a hot place in Mexico during Cinco de Mayo. Experts say they should have died during the third day with no water but their up-beat, positive, funny personalities helped them survive.

Mindset is everything.

 

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[lewj24]

In regards to your passion.

I love sports. I was on the bowling team for 6 years during junior high and high school. I tried out for the team because I loved bowling.

I learned so much about the sport. I almost had my form perfect. I went from a 94 average in 7th grade to a 210 in my senior year and I helped my team win 2nd in the state of Illinois.

The only thing was... During high school I started hating bowling because it got serious. It was literally my job to bowl 6 days a week and improve my game. I started dreading practice but I went anyway because I had come so far and was so close to achieving something big. In the end it was worth it. But now I don't like bowling.

This happens to a lot more pro athletes than you would think. They start out loving it and then it becomes their job..

 

[All_In52]

I'm so grateful for all of your guy's responses and it shows what a great community the TMF forum has. To be honest, I'm slightly overwhelmed by all this advice, and I'm going to try and implement each and everyone of them. One thing I realized is I've always been competitive and in a way a selfish individual.. I'm definitely trying to change that because the only way to help myself is to help others.. this is preached throughout MJ's book.

I've always been so self focused on self-improvement of myself that I hardly help others.. have any of you been this way before and changed, and if so was it hard? I'm trying to do small acts of kindness every day. If I don't become a personal trainer, I really don't know what to do with my life so I'll still pursue this route and just learn on the way (like MJ said action is better than no action) and if a new fastlane thought or idea comes to mind I'll try my best to take advantage of the opportunity.

 

[AndreHimself]

I'm slightly overwhelmed by all this advice, and I'm going to try and implement each and everyone of them.

Don't try to implement all the great advice you got in this thread all at once. Take it one step at a time. If you get stuck on something, just ask and we'll do the best to help you out!

 

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[ZF Lee]

I'm so grateful for all of your guy's responses and it shows what a great community the TMF forum has. To be honest, I'm slightly overwhelmed by all this advice, and I'm going to try and implement each and everyone of them. One thing I realized is I've always been competitive and in a way a selfish individual.. I'm definitely trying to change that because the only way to help myself is to help others.. this is preached throughout MJ's book.

I've always been so self focused on self-improvement of myself that I hardly help others.. have any of you been this way before and changed, and if so was it hard? I'm trying to do small acts of kindness every day. If I don't become a personal trainer, I really don't know what to do with my life so I'll still pursue this route and just learn on the way (like MJ said action is better than no action) and if a new fastlane thought or idea comes to mind I'll try my best to take advantage of the opportunity.

Hope to hear from you soon again!

Yes, I hate competition when it makes selfish individuals. In a rat race, you always just look for your own interests and not others. There's no way to be living like that in a human society!

Still, the sad thing is that the main perspective of wealth in mainstream society is that it's ME, ME, ME CENTERED. I have relatives who buy all sorts of lucky charms (law of attraction bogus) and lottery tickets instead of forming a Fastlane machine that encompasses the strength and leverage of MANY.

That's why I hang out here rather than with them