Successentials

„Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.“ - Soren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher

This quote is as beautiful as it is true! Unfortunately it is also irrevocable and therefore insightful yet useless at the same time...

All we can do is to accept this fact while carrying on - knowing that we cannot truly understand nor foresee ANYTHING in life.

[This is nothing but a reminder - to my weak, lazy, and sad self.]

Any ambitious employee, any entrepreneur, any working mom, any 9-5 warrior with a side hustle and/or additional responsibilities, any self-employed freelancer, any top class student, any ... applies this ONE simple but effective trick: 

THEY STOP PLAYING AROUND & PUT IN THE WORK. As this is THEIR ONLY option. 

 If it roughly looks like this you are doing it right:

Why? What about working smarter etc.?!

My answer - in refernce to YouTube-Icon Casey Neistat:

“In short: I’m here, And all of of my dreams and aspirartions are here. And the only thing in between these two is a bunch of work!”

Source: https://youtu.be/t-wS4zqRpwY

Conclusion:

No further motivation needed. Just keep the cat (and all those grinders listed at the beginning) in mind and follow its/their example!

This one might sound harsh but a company in its essence is nothing but an imaginative umbrella. It is an illusion, backed by law and society.  

But what makes a company a company?  Labels, ideas, and the innovation happening under its name - executed by the people contributing to it. 

Everything else - brand, values, policies, products, and processes are shaped by them and their actions. That is why THEY matter most (- even more than your clients!)

No matter if your business happens inside a factory, a kitchen, a board room or a store or online... If you TRULY CARE about your employees (and treat them accordingly) they’ll take care of everything else.

Let me close with this one: 

If you look up the definition of the term “company”, you’ll find the following two:

a commercial business

the fact or condition of being with another or others, especially in a way that provides friendship and enjoyment.

Do you know why the word has both these meanings?  Simple answer: because they actually mean the same! Building #1 automatically means building and maintaining #2. 

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer, poet, aristocrat, journalist, and pioneering aviator

This famous quote is everything you will ever need to understand about the topic of motivation! 

A great leader knows how to inspire his/her crew by creating that long. Some do that with their enormous vision, others individually on a personal level. 

If you seek to become a leader in any field, learn to instill that long! And accept the fact that is all you need to do.

And if yourself is all you need to lead at the moment, start by speziying your dream by setting up a vision board, and a Why-list. That burning (for the goal of salty air in your lungs) will then literally pull you onto “the building site”.

PS: maybe it is only by accident that we speak of leadership and entrepreneurship - maybe not. But is a great crib for sure!

Years ago I came across the following lines:

Success - Social Life - Enough Sleep; You can only have 2 out of 3. Choose. 

For years I believed in this theory. I lived by it. I was absolutely sure that for me there is no other way to live life. 

But I am literally tired of it. Feeling horrible after 3 hours of sleep, drinking coffee and coke/xyz just to stay on track, spending entire weekend days sleeping...

So I started questioning. 

Imagine you mastered this trilemma: The “holy grail”: success (in your professional life or whatever you care about), still seeing your friends and family + not feeling like crap all the time. 

Sounds fantastic?

Here is my idea to get this done: 

start sleeping more. 

make your family, a few friends and what brings the most joy to you your ultimate top priorities. 

rigorously downgrade everything else.

intensively supplement your life with exercise/sports of your choice.

A closing thought:

Every living creature on earth has to sleep. Maybe this also applies to blogging entrepreneurs - like me.

Mike Posner, American musician

… my suggested solution to Mr. Posner‘s (definitely true) conclusion: 

keep in mind that YOU’RE GONNA DIE (as every single living creature since the beginning of time) + follow his advice: live, live, live!

This is not an invitation to any sort of “YOLO” way of life... but the most important reminder you’ll ever receive. 

Explore the wonders of the world, experience life’s highest highs, and lowest lows, freeze, bleed, cry, laugh and love, do anything that seems exciting and rewarding... 

... and whatever you do, go all-in on it. Live life to fullest - because that is what life actually is all about.

(According to this insanely wise blackboard the master himself summed life up in a bit less than 5 lines.)

Every single day you can decide to either move towards your goals/dreams/aspirations or towards safety/comfort.

Unfortunately: as your dreams/... cannot be something you are able to reach easily or routinely (if it was you would never consider it a dream. You’d rather call it normality...), the movement towards those desirable achievements ALWAYS comes with risk and uncertainty.

Fact: Your growth cannot happen inside your comfort zone! That’s simply against its nature!

Both directions can appear to be right/superior/appealing at times. But whatever you decide, keep one thing in mind:

you can just go in one way or the other - as Abraham said:

Intro: 

When it comes to new, big life projects (a new job, starting a business or a family, moving to a different county, etc.) many of us tend to... wait, doubt, rethink and reevaluate - in one word: we HESITATE. Sometimes for years.

We believe that just because we’re not able to see the entire picture we’re not ready yet. Just because we can’t tell what the future holds we’re not “worthy” to seeking it.

Instead, we keep asking/hoping/wishing/waiting for a plan, a playbook, a blueprint or a hack that assures eventual success.

The Phenomenon: 

Imagine entering a dark room (= the endeavor you would like to pursue in the future) in your cellar for example. Before you set the first step into that room you are reaching for that tiny switch in order to flood the entire space with light.  That is what we all are reaching for - that switch that brings light and safety + the ability to see all upcoming obstacles. 

Life though works differently! 

You will never find that switch.  BUT: you can use a flashlight (= your skills, know-how and common sense). 

Actually, you don’t need to see the entire room. Lighting that first part, making sure not to stumble right away, is by far enough. 

And as you enter the room step by step the light travels with you further and further into the darkness. 

Why hoping for a switch such a problem? 

While waiting for the perfect moment when all stars magically align, life passes by.

You know what they say:  “Doubt has destroyed more dreams than failure ever will.”  They are right. What if the blueprint never roles around the corner?! Ignoring all opportunities just because risk and uncertainty are still not extinct completely? 

There is a great chance, that opportunity vanishes before you finished your fight with doubt and darkness... Which will leave you with nothing but regret. 

But if all of this is not convincing you yet, (I see you’re that doubter type obviously) - you might wanna listen to J.P.:

Many of us... including me. Now finally making use of that flashlight!

German proverb

At some point, we have to go for something, someplace, and someone.

“The only way to inspire others: by example.”

found on the web, author unknown

Life reminded me on this one today. An inevitable yet widely forgotten truth.

You can read a million books, finish countless courses and collect a thousand certificates...

NOTHING trumps actual personal experience when it comes to inspiring or even igniting others.

Nothing is more authentic. Nothing more powerful.

Conclusions:

1. Share your story instead of some good advice.

2. If all you want is to change the world, become an example and lighthouse instead of an expert or critic!

Your m