Finding That Next Gear

Whenever I go on a hike or a long walk, I have a saying: “The further I walk out, the further I have to walk back.”

This is especially useful on days I’m not feeling motivated. You see, if you walk a mile away from your car, you have to walk a mile back no matter what. It’s a simple principle I use to force myself to do more work when I don’t feel like it.

When making the first MCU film, Iron Man, Marvel assembled the perfect cast and had a release date set.

But there was one big problem: they had no clue how to build the Iron Man suit! That may seem like an oversight, but in reality, it was a strategy.

Pre-production is useful for brainstorming, but once there is a release date, you gain a distinct focus. You become resourceful since procrastination is no longer an option.

In other words, they forced themselves into a position where failure was not an option. They had one chance to get the suit’s design right.

If you want to do great work, sometimes you need deadlines looming over you, your reputation hinging on a single project, or immense capital at risk.

Being great demands a focus and intensity that can’t be found in work you’re doing at your leisure. Recognize what incentives motivate you the most and leverage them to push yourself further than usual.

Over the past month, I’ve tried to find small instances where I can apply this philosophy. Here are a few examples:

• Shaving my facial hair for a few seconds, leaving a strange pattern that forces me to complete the shave.

• Tweeting about big books I’m going to read, knowing at least a handful of people will ask me about the book and the lessons I’ve learned.

• Immediately accepting work I’m not sure I’m qualified or prepared for, forcing me into a state of focus and intense preparation.

Fear, laziness, or distraction are forces that you need to circumvent any way you can. You are never above a trick or two if it helps you do what needs to be done. The young Warren Buffet certainly wasn’t.

Early in his life, Buffet was terrified of public speaking. He had to attend a public speaking class, but always pulled out at the last second.

One day, he summoned up just enough courage to go to where the class was being held, telling himself he was just “checking it out”.

When he arrived, he acted quickly: “I took a hundred bucks and gave it to Wally Keenan, the instructor, and said, ‘Take it before I change my mind.’”

Similarly, you need to put yourself in positions where it is difficult for you to not finish. Sometimes it means walking out a mile, other times it means intentionally putting your time, money, or reputation at risk.

You don’t need to know exactly how you are going to get something done before you embark, just whether or not it is possible.

So if something scares you, ask yourself “Is this difficult or is it impossible?”.

If it is impossible, don’t waste your time doing it. No matter how hard you try, you can’t have a 100-inch vertical or run a mile in a minute.

But if it is possible and it’s aligned with your goals, find a way to commit before you give yourself time to chicken out.