Motivation will fail you and kill your creative spirit!  It may come as a surprise to some people that motivation is often misunderstood as the reason creative people are successful.  Motivation is good but motivation is not enough to propel you to the level of success we often envision for ourselves.  Motivation is only a small part of the success for most creative types and does not adequately account for the wide gap between the most successful among us and everyone else.

Lebron James, Jordan, Jack Ma, Mark Zukerburg, J.K. Rowling, Steve Jobs, Jay-Z, etc are all very successful creative types or the among best of their craft.  How did they get there, were they more motivated than everyone else around them?  Do they know a secret that none of us are privy to?  What is it that separates them from everyone else?

Like most people following their passion and chasing their dreams I used to think motivation was enough to keep me going through the highs and lows of creating the next best thing.  I was wrong, very wrong.  I have now discovered that motivation and especially false motivation will fail you every time.  Motivation will allow you to get distracted by life.  Motivation will allow your body and mind to allow weariness to keep you from maximizing every minute of the day.  Motivation will allow people to talk you out of your dream.  Motivation will only suffice in the short-term but will never get you through when things are going to hell…

In order to “Shake up the world”, create the next best thing, and be greater than you ever imagined you need to have something far beyond motivation….you must be driven!  People that are driven are obsessed with pursuing their passion at all costs.  They have moved beyond mere motivation to do something they like; they have transitioned to a decisive and unreasonable dedication to the pursuit of a passion that will change the world.  Their need to succeed eclipses their need to hang with friends, binge watch anything, or waste a single second to anything other than their life calling aka their passion.

Motivation will make you quit when things get hard or you fail; being driven will inspire you to write one of the best-selling books of all times, despite being fired, getting divorced, or being on welfare like J.K.Rowling.  People that are driven find ways to pursue their passions regardless of obstacles placed in their paths.  People that are driven refuse to budge on the time they dedicate to their craft, they refuse to allow people to talk them out of their passion, they see themselves achieving greatness and separate themselves from the non-essential.

How do I make the transition? Knowing yourself, walking alone, and finding your energy.

People driven to change the world, have a determined attitude to succeed at all cost,  nothing else matters. They intend to shake the foundation of society and make the world take notice of them.  They have made a mental shift from a casual observer of their lives to becoming the masters of their own destiny.  Without that kind of mental shift…you will never be driven.

If you are dedicated to seeing your passion come to fruition, you must, dedicate yourself to making a mental shift in order to master your craft.  You will need to study yourself…seriously you need to know who you are…you need to have an honest assessment of your inner most thoughts.  To be driven, you must first understand what drives you.  In order to understand what drives you, you must know yourself.  Knowing yourself is the most important aspect of being driven.

It took me years of self-reflection to understand who I really was and discover my calling in life.  My journey of self-reflection helped me understand that my passion was directly linked to my calling in life.  I spent years reading various topics, dreaming of a better life, failing over and over again…all of which led to me to discover my true passion and develop the vision for my life in the future.

Making the transition also means that, unfortunately,  you will lose people in your life.  You will lose them because they want you to stay the same, their perception of you makes their lives comfortable, but when you are going for greatness your aura changes those around you.  Most of the time it will be people who are the closest to you (husbands, wives, mothers, best friends) that will try to take you off the path.  They are usually well-intentioned but if they lack the drive themselves it is virtually impossible for them to understand the change you are going through.  You will lose people in the chase for your dream, you must be okay with that.  I’m not suggesting abandoning your family, in fact they will be your rock most of the time, but you need to have the resolve to be unmoved by their doubts.

Energy.  This one is simple…get in shape, eat well, and find time to meditate (i.e. get some alone time to clear your head).  Chasing your passion is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.  Positive energy attracts positive results (Law of Attraction)!!!

When you are driven to chase your passion, your life will take on a new meaning.  The transition will be clear to you and those around you; however, if you are afraid of losing friends you should not attempt to be driven.  If fear or doubt rules your life then being motivated is better for you but if you are fearless and ready to “shake up the world”, be driven.  By staying motivated your life will remain the same but if you want to be the greatest version of your self…become driven.

C.J. Guy @3amcreatives #3amcreatives