There are cries of delight coming from Austin, Texas, about how inspirational and noteworthy Gary Vaynerchuk’s talk was.
Quotes about delegating things you don’t love and living life with passion are flying around Twitter like dark-eyed Junco’s hustling for sunflower seeds.
Six months from now, 90% of you will have settled back into your dead end jobs and mundane lives. You will have almost entirely forgotten the thrill you got from hearing the fast-talking Belarusian swear on stage.
Gary Vaynerchuk cannot help you bring about real changes in your life. Not even if he slept on your couch and pushed you in an epic “Biggest Loser/The Apprentice” countdown. Why? Because real change starts with a recognition of deficiency and a no-holds-barred desire to improve.
When you think of inspiration as a seed instead of a solution, it becomes easier to avoid unrealistic expectations and subsequent disappointment. Grab what you can from Gary’s talk and bring it home. Plant it with enthusiasm, water it with determination, and prune it with an eye for the final product.
If you feel inspired by something Gary or anybody else says, make a point to act upon it immediately. Seeds of inspiration left out in the hot sun of time rarely develop into vibrant concepts. I’m not telling you to make wildly rash decisions…just mildly rash ones. =)
Three quick steps to help you plant inspiration:
- Immediately write down the things you’d like to change and what the biggest obstacles to those changes are.
- Call your craziest friend and talk to them about your ideas. Write down all the additional ideas you come up with.
- Email the list of ideas to your most logical friend who knows you well and ask your friend to go over your list and make suggestions the following day.
When you wake up the next day, the rush will be over. You’ll be able to take a clear look at your list of ideas and move forward with the ones that still make sense. If nothing on your list still seems like a good idea, don’t worry. Sometimes it takes a few tries for seeds to take root. In the meantime, you’ll have connected with two friends and made real progress by recognizing a need for change in your life.
Happy planting!
photo by dotdean
What an energetic post, Seth! :~)
Gary sure got me going with his effervescence and I have not met him yet!
It’s all true what you say and thank you for the guidelines!
Having a teenager right now has taught me that one cannot motivate another person into action. Motivation is internal not external. Inspiration however is quite another matter where I believe one can inspire another…and most of all, one must have passion to propel ones soul to undertake those lists! :~)
Another great post, Seth…thank you!
“Hug your passion into action!” ~Henie~
Thanks! It was time to do something with a quick turn-around.
Yes, we can inspire one another but the passion for completion comes from within.
My, my, ms. tequila, you must have an unlimited supply of quotes. =)
“When you wake up the next day, the rush will be over. You’ll be able to take a clear look at your list of ideas and move forward with the ones that still make sense.”
Seth, very practical advice. We all get pumped when we hear, see, or read something (like the ideas in your blog), but we rarely follow through.
But it’s so much fun to get pumped up, Stephen!
I think it’s great to seek inspiration and to take joy in being inspired…but like you say, we rarely follow through.
1% more follow-through could change the lives of millions. We could at least try for that much, yes?
Very true Seth. I know that in the past I will have read a book or listened to a speech that got me all riled up- ready to take on the world. Then 2 weeks later I sit in the cubicle wondering what happened to that excitement. Motivation only takes us so far- we need deep seated desire to keep us moving.
Hi Jay!
I think it can be helpful to use that initial excitement to come up with the ideas…then write them down and share them with friends so you’re not alone in the process. You’re the only one who can provide the dedication and desire to make the changes take hold. Friends can be a great help and remind you when you start to go off course.
Isn’t that deep seated desire a part of motivation though?
Oh, yes! the conference or workshop high, which evaporates like fog in the hot sun after we’ve left.
It’s why I call self-help books “shelf-help” books: they end up gathering dust on the shelf instead of actually motivating us to create lasting change.
Habits of thought and behavior are hard to overcome, even when we truly want to. Those underlying patterns and beliefs tend to keep us anchored where we are, unless we look at them, question them, recognize the cost we pay for hanging onto them.
Great post, Seth!
But if we looked at “self-help” books and conferences as places to find inspiration instead of motivation, wouldn’t we have a better shot at making real changes?
“Those underlying patterns and beliefs tend to keep us anchored where we are, unless we look at them, question them, recognize the cost we pay for hanging onto them.” <—well, said! =)
Now to actually make the changes!
My favorite part of this post is the distinction you’ve drawn between inspiration and motivation. I can’t think of a time in my life where I was “motivated” to take action except in cases where I *had* to. Perhaps I’m more contrary than most…but motivational speeches, books, and articles always feel a bit preachy.
“_______ is the key to your problem! Just take a moment, do _________ and ANYTHING is possible! You will definitely have ________ if you only will just _________ !”
Maybe I’m a little cynical =)
Or it could be I’ve been to a lot of church revivals in my day…
However- inspiration…that’s a concept I can relate to. When an idea resonates with me, I’m likely to internalize those thoughts, and step back for a bit. I can be inspired to take stock of a situation, to reflect, and see need for change…but it comes with time, not in a flash.
Yes, I think you’ve become jaded after too many revivals and multi-level marketing campaign meetings.
Yes, the actual changes come over time as you make one and discover more. A bit like repainting only one kitchen cabinet door only to realize that the trim around the dining room door needs a re-do as well.
It’s a LOT of work but the final product is well worth the effort! =)
I resent the implication that I’ve attended multi-level marketing campaign meetings…gawd- it was one tupperware get-together, and there was a “free” gift!
That being said, I am a work in progress, no doubt. There is a chance that I may be in the minority on this topic as I don’t respond to hyper-excitement.
Still, sometimes making the small changes can be frustrating…this past weekend I went with a friend to get a pedicure- looks great. Now all I can think about is how urgently I need a manicure.
Are we ever content with ourselves? =)
I do think motivation is part of it. If you think about a lighter- motivation is the need to flip the switch but the flame that results is the desire. Motivation gets you there, but it is quickly distilled over time. Desire that is fed constantly can last a lifetime….so I hear.
I had to come back to say that this post was so powerful, I had a dream about going to Gary’s home for dinner with he and his wife! It was a lovely time but I can’t remember any of the conversation! Plus no wine at all? WTH? :~)
Seriously…a dream about Gary! :~)
Henie…that’s very strange. I’m sorry you didn’t get any wine at dream Gary’s…you didn’t bring a flask along? You’re slacking off on the drinking!
I’ll try to be more careful with my posts. =)
Great distinctions to make, fella. Sadly there are too many people that believe just hearing something is all they need. They forget that actions always speak louder than words, no matter how great the speaker is.
Inaction is the biggest barrier to self-improvement. If you don’t make changes in your own life don’t blame a Youtube video.
Even if it’s a really impressive Youtube video? =)
Hearing something is great but does it really count as listening if you immediately drop back into your old habits. I’m not sure it does.
[...] We thrive on niche industries and buzzwords. We’re so used to what’s always been that we’re slow to get to what’s yet to come. We want change and we say we’re keen to embrace it, but where’s the impetus? [...]
Ah, 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration. The challenge lies in the 95%, but realistically the smaller percentage is probably the amount of folks who take any real action. So true, you can’t be someone else, no matter how motivating they are. First step is self-awareness that action needs to be taken to progress. You can let that pressure motivate you…or not. Thought-provoking posts…you have (Yoda).
You have a quiet pressure that continues to motivate me, Anna! I think it’s more like 5% inspiration, 50% perspiration, and 45% timing. Timing seems to have a lot to do with success. Personal change, on the other hand, seems like a lot more sweat than the percentages allow for! =)
Yes, it’s hard to feel that conference workshop high once you get home and real life starts to settle back in, and without it, the good intentions tend to go the way of all those free vendor brochures you simply had to have at the time.
Someone once told me that we continue to do the same things until it becomes too painful not to.
Not exactly a hopeful quote, but it speaks to the fact that it will take more than a fifteen minute talk from garyvee to change your life. YOU have to actively change it. We all do.
Again, a truly awesome post, Seth. You always keep it real.
Hi Diane!
You’re right, that quote doesn’t exude hope in buckets…but it also makes the truth quite plain. A solid dose of inspiration can be enough to reveal our complacency and turn something tolerable into something painful.
Just like touching a hot pan causes pain and inspires an immediate reaction, I think inspiration is necessary to heat things up. It’s what we do with that realization that makes all the difference long-term.
I’m glad you stopped by. =)
[...] THIS ONE? No doubt [...]
Seth – I hate ‘great post’ comments but this one…GrEAT post! Enough said.
[...] Gary Vaynerchuck Can’t Help You. Great post from Seth Simonds about why change will only happen if we make the change for ourselves. Inspirational. [...]
[...] my blogging friend Seth Simonds says, “real change starts with a recognition of deficiency [which we all have by the way] and a no-holds-barred desire to improve.“ In other words, you [...]