You will not be safe once you hit the goal.
I know it feels that way, but it is just a feeling.
Fear does not fully go away just because you get good at something. The iconic actor Henry Fonda is well documented for throwing up before each stage performance. His career spanned 5 decades — plenty long enough to get “used” to it.
But that’s now how it works.
Self-doubt shows up where we’re called to go the most. If it’s too easy you should be skeptical. The dream isn’t worthy of you if it does not, at times, threaten you.
I’ve built all sorts of things. Small things, big things, small teams and big teams. What I valued the most had nothing to do with size… because worth and size are not correlated.
Quality and worth — that is the correlation.
And quality work is hard to produce.
If you are nervous about it, you have a pretty good indication that your goals are correct: quality. I’ve never been nervous to build something big. “Big” is just mathematics & economics. But when I really care about something, even when it’s small, my nerves kick in.
The question we must answer is what are we chasing? Money? Status? Awards?
Fifth century mercenary, Telamon of Arcadia famously said: “It is one thing to study war and another to live the warrior’s life.” The warrior’s life is not about the money.
To manage oneself well and accomplish things that matter. That is the way. To put it bluntly, it means to stop being a loser waiting on the sidelines. Nothing is going to feel safe. In life and investing, if it’s “too safe” it’s probably not even real.
We love to tell ourselves we’re just “waiting” for the right opportunities but we both know that’s not how this works. Opportunities are created more than they are found — and you can’t create them from the stands of the arena.
What are we chasing?
I met with a colleague this week who’s planning a self-development event. It will be hosted in space and he’s going to raise $10 billion in 3 days. A different friend of mine in Scottsdale has a simple mission: to upgrade the human species. He’s developing mental programming & trauma recovery techniques using the metaverse.
There’s nothing wrong with starting out to make a little money.
Make your money, but don’t stop there.
Chasing money is like chasing a car. You’ll probably catch it, eventually. It’s entirely unrewarding once you catch it cause there’s nothing to do with it unless you can be beyond it.
Trust me.
It’s time to get to work.
Make the goal better. Then working harder becomes second nature. The will to win comes from playing the right games. If you’re unmotivated — the game is wrong.