I have been in the note business since 1991 and I often get asked how I stay motivated. This might be hard to hear and the truth is you can’t rely on motivation and you can forget about inspiration as well. What a note professional and entrepreneur really needs is to build self-discipline. Self-Discipline will sustain you as a note professional, business owner and entrepreneur whether you’re feeling motivated or not.
The note business, and really any business, is not always a constant success after success and making more money incrementally. In the beginning especially, there are going to be a lot of ups, downs, and everything in between. And for all the really great days – and all the bad days – there’s going to be periods where you plateau or remain consistent.
That’s okay – it’s part of the adventure. One of the most important skills an entrepreneur and note professional needs is self-discipline. After all, being your own boss means there’s no one telling you to do your job. Without self-discipline, you’ll never get anything done.
Many people think of self-discipline as being strong enough to resist all temptations and just do all the work we need to do. But I’ve discovered that the best way to be disciplined is to help yourself, by removing all temptations from the situations where you need to get work done.
“Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do, what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” ~ Kop Kopmeyer
The number one reason we procrastinate, or put things off, or skip them altogether can be summed up in five little words — “I don’t feel like it.” Well, guess what? I don’t either. I didn’t feel like getting up when I woke at 5:51 a.m. I didn’t feel like doing work I put off from last night. I didn’t feel like figuring out a way around a transaction issue. I didn’t feel like getting dressed for the cold and heading out for my daily walk.
But I did all those things. Not because I wanted too. Not because they had to get done. Not because I would disappoint someone. Nope. I did those things because I promised myself last night before falling asleep that I would do those things. Then I woke, wrestled and made myself do them.
If waiting until we “feel like it” becomes the prerequisite to action, we’re doomed. As note professionals we are entrepreneurs. We are the risk takers. We are the momentum makers.
Most of us face situations, issues and hurdles like these every day. We think that we should just be strong enough to get our work done without any extra incentives. But you’re a human being. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Temptations exist. You can either make it really hard for yourself or you can manipulate the situation you’re in so things are easier for you.
This is how I manipulated some situations in my life to make things easier for myself:
I used to check my email constantly and that was killing me. There’s no way to focus on something and be productive if you check your email every five minutes. I decided to discipline myself to check my emails three times a day at specific times and if I checked my email at any other time, I would tear up a $1 bill if I checked my email that was not at my predetermined times. Six months later, I’m out $3 and I’m much more productive. Interesting, huh?
I wanted to eat more fruits and vegetables and less junk food. So, instead of buying everything at the grocery store, I only got fruits and vegetables and no junk food. Now, every time I want junk food, I need to drive to the closest store. I’ve probably reduced my intake of junk food while at home by 75%.
When I get really stressed out, the “I don’t feel like it” attitude is very strong. This gives me headaches and makes my stomach turn. I used to think that it’s part of me and I couldn’t change it. Several years ago I did an experiment: every time I got stressed, I’d drop down on the floor and do 25 pushups. The first week of my experiment I must have done over 500 pushups! Little by little I started associating stress with the punishment of doing pushups and the stress lessened on its own. Now it probably happens once or twice a day, but I don’t have the headaches or stomach cramps anymore.
When you run your own business being disciplined is incredibly important. But if you manipulate your situation, challenge yourself and deploy steadfast self-discipline you can make it a lot easier to avoid temptation, lessen the I don’t feel like its and get your work done. Be kind, keep safe and stay healthy. Remember success demands action, keep on marketing, it’s going to work! TWITA! (That’s What I’m Talkin’ About!)
Jeff Armstrong of Armstrong Capital has been a note investor and broker specializing in the performing seller financed note industry since 1991. For more updated and current information on how he can help you with your note business, note investments, note appraisals or to request pricing options on a note visit www.armstrongcapital.com to email him and subscribe to Jeff’s Weekly Training & Tips Newsletter.