5 Jan 2017 · 6 min
Brent Kelly argues you don't need to feel motivated to start. Do the task first, and motivation follows. He uses his early days selling insurance and quotes from Jerome Bruner, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and John Maxwell to show that action produces the energy you're waiting for.
January 5, 2017.
Brenmkelly.com (as spoken in the transcript).
Do you ever have a work related task like, I don't know, picking up the phone and making a call you know you need to make or having that difficult conversation but you just don't feel like it at the moment? Yeah, I have too. And I'm going to discuss that in today's biz growl. Hey there. This is Brent Kelly of Biz Griz with another five minute daily biz growl. Psychologist Jerome Bruner says this. He says you are more likely to act yourself into a feeling than feel yourself into action. So here we are almost, believe it or not, one week into 2017 and hey, you know what that means? It means that 2018 is right around the corner. Alright, now, maybe I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself, but haven't you ever caught yourself saying things like, man, this week just flew by? I know, I sure have. And it's a reality. It's like week by week just goes by and next thing you know it'll be February and then it'll be spring and then it'll be 4th of July and before you know it, it'll feel like you're getting the Christmas decorations out once again. Now, I don't say this to depress you or to wish your life away. I say it because I want to create a sense of urgency in your life. Nike has coined the phrase just do it. And although it's catchy and it's helped the company sell an insane amount of shoes and other athletic products, the phrase itself speaks truth. I can remember very well being a very young insurance agent at my first agency and one of the top producers in the agency walked by my, my desk and he said, hey, how are you doing today? And I said the typical fine. And then he said, hey, what are you, what account you working on right now? And I mentioned a few businesses that I had on my prospect list and how I was going to look through it and then give them follow up calls tomorrow. And he kind of looked at me with a puzzled look on his face and he said, well, what's wrong with today? And then he continued, he said, what are you waiting for? Just pick up the phone and call him. And he was 100% right. Motivation. Motivation to do the things you need to do. It's not going to suddenly arrive like a lightning strike, right? Waiting for the motivation to do something important. It's kind of like waiting for the Cubs to win the. Now that's a really, that's a, that's a bad example. All joking aside. All joking aside, here's the point. No outside influences can make you do anything. Right. I speak and train and coach, but I could give the most passionate motivational training or speech or workshop to an insurance agency or insurance producer. But guess what? It's up to each person to take action. You have to, as Nike says, just do it. One of my business mentors shared a famous quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Love this quote. He said, do the thing and then you will have the energy to do the thing. Let me say it again, because when I, when I first heard that quote, I was like, okay, catchy. But what does it mean exactly? I want to say it again. Do the thing. And then you will have energy to do the thing. So that day several years ago, when the top agency producer came over to me and told me just to pick up the phone and call, it was a really great example of doing the thing. And then you'll have energy to do the thing. Because, see, I didn't feel like picking up the phone that day. However, when I went ahead and took action and I made the call, I suddenly gained more energy to make more calls and do other productive activities that day. Here's the point. My action led my motivation, not the other way around. So in your world, let your actions lead your motivations, not the other way around. So what does all this mean to you? Well, it means that if you allow, if you allow your feelings, how you feel that day to drive your actions, what you're going to, you will often never take action on those things that seems challenging. Those things that seem challenging. That's where procrastination comes from. You're not always going to feel like doing something, even though you know you probably should. So when you don't feel like doing something, like give you a great example, I don't feel like working out today. Well, then go do it right. Go do the thing. And then you will have the energy to do the thing. Leadership expert John Maxwell says this. He says motivation is a lot like love and happiness. It's a byproduct. When you're actively engaged in doing something, it sneaks up on you and zaps you when you least expect it. So let me leave you with one important question. What will you take action on today? Thanks for listening to today's Daily Biz growl again. This is Brent Kelly of bizgris, and if you're really ready to take action, go to my website, Brenmkelly.com I've got several programs designed for insurance leaders and producers for you to take massive action to improve the results in your business and in your life. And until my next daily Biz Growl podcast, I challenge and encourage you to go face your grizzly.
