Powerful unlocks to serve your work and life
These are a few big shifts that can help each of us become more motivated and focused. By writing this to you, I’m reminding myself as much as anyone else. The daily slog has a way of pushing these realizations into the background. Every so often, it’s helpful to drag them out into broad daylight and plant them front-and-center in your life.
Here are some “before/after unlocks”…
1. Realizing you’re going to die someday.
I can think of no greater motivator — to pursue your passion, to leave a boss you can’t stand, to ship your work, to drop “friends” who are bad for your mental well-being, to commit to your partner, to be kind and generous and strengthen your legacy, not your wealth, to take risks, speak up, show up, and bring your full self to everything you do.
You don’t have much time. What are you waiting for? This is a one-way trip. The moment you realize that you’re not long for this world is a big — arguably the biggest — unlock of all.
2. Fighting for something better.
Anyone can fight against something. Anyone can poke and prod and critique and snark. (Heck, we have more digital platforms than ever which seem designed solely for this purpose!) The harder part is figuring out the better way forward. Sure, start with frustration, but eventually, turn frustration into inspiration — for yourself and for others.
It’s easy to declare what you’re fighting AGAINST. What will you fight FOR? Can you describe it in terms that do not sound like just a reaction to something bad? If you can’t, if your lone purpose is battling instead of building, the negative things win. They always have power over you. Fighting FOR something rallies others to your cause in a deeper way than merely fighting AGAINST things.
Yes, that usually takes longer. It requires you to communicate your ideas more consistently and thoughtfully. The anger which sparked your cause must give way to a steadier, clearer view of things so you can build something better. But fighting FOR something is how real change happens — and sticks.
3. Nothing is black or white. Nothing.
Life unfolds on a spectrum, and nothing stays static on that spectrum. Turns out human beings are messy, reality is littered with exceptions and hidden motivations and truths, and no hero you admire is pure good, nor villain you revile pure evil.
No matter how difficult this one is to swallow, if you manage to choke it down and digest it, you start to see the world’s extremism and sensationalism for what it is. In the words of writer Tim Urban of Wait But Why (my favorite blog), “Everything we call civilization was invented in the last 500 generations—way too short a time for our bodies and brains to re-optimize. We're a bunch of forest primates in a totally unnatural environment, trying our little best. Someone needs to give our species a hug.”
These three unlocks have greatly helped me, but I often forget about them. Here’s to always remembering them, so we can do work we love, make stuff that makes a difference, and lead our lives with greater intention.
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