What Motivates You?

As an entrepreneur, small business person and professional entertainer, one of the hardest things to do for me is to not let complacency and mediocrity creep in to my life and my business. There are so many different things to juggle every day, from marketing to creating to performing; it is easy to get lost in it all. Sound familiar?


So how do I keep up with everything? Well…I work hard to stay motivated. Sounds easy enough, I guess. But it’s not, really. It takes conscious effort to stay on top of the game. I thought I would share some of the techniques that I use on a day to day basis that motivate me.

There are numerous authors and subjects that get my creative juices going. Personally, I’m a big reader. I’ve found that when I find an author who challenges me, I read everything that person has written. And if they haven’t written much, I read the authors that that author recommends. By programming my mind with authors who I respect and who energize me, I am able to push myself to new levels.

Lately, I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on by Seth Godin. Somehow Seth is able to write in a style that truly challenges me as a business person, but also as an artist and entertainer. He speaks directly to me and I want to take up his challenges. I’ve not only purchased all of Seth’s books, but I’ve made gifts of several of his works. If you’re interested in his style, check out his blog. And if you like what you see, pick up a copy of his latest book, Lynchpin. It’s excellent.

I also try to immerse myself in communities that can further my education. I’m very involved in the magic community. I attend local meetings of magicians. I attend conventions where I can challenge myself. And I read the latest news, journals and magic magazines. As far as business goes, I am currently a member of an online marketing community specifically for entertainers. By being involved with this community, I am able to share business ideas and learn from others who have already accomplished what I am aiming for.

One of the most useful things I do is the mastermind group. The mastermind group is a technique that I learned by reading Napolean Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. In it, Hill champions creating local groups of like minded individuals to brainstorm ideas together and to hold each other accountable. By being involved with others who have high goals and are high achievers, I am motivated to hold myself to a higher standard. I’m sure my competitive streak plays a role in wanting to be my very best in front of these other people. When I see the others being successful in their businesses, I am driven to push myself harder and to accomplish more.

When I am not feeling particularly motivated, I’ve found that by having others who will hold me accountable for my actions, I can push through the funk and continue moving forward toward my goals. That’s another big one…accountability. By sharing the things that I want to accomplish with others, it forces me to stay focused because I know that these people are going to hold me accountable. Years ago, I used to date a professional dancer who worked in a production show that was in a casino. The company she worked for had weekly weigh-ins of the girls to make sure they were staying in shape. Talk about accountability and motivation!

Speaking of goals…I almost didn’t list that one. I thought it was too obvious and basic. I hear about setting goals all the time. I hear about it so often, it gets annoying. But it’s probably the most important one. How else can you be held accountable? How else can you strive to achieve anything? You have to know what you are aiming for. I have been setting goals for years now and it’s one of the things that I can attribute a huge amount of my personal success to. By knowing what I want to accomplish and then programming that in my mind by reading those goals daily, I have been able to make things happen that I never would have accomplished otherwise.

So, if using these techniques helps me stay motivated and push me to be the best I can be, could they help you? I think they can. In fact, I would say that by applying these techniques, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. So, pick out the ideas that sound new and interesting to you, give them a shot and see what happens. Perhaps you will achieve even more and stay better motivated, too!

Are You a Linchpin?

I’ve been traveling a lot over the last month. When I travel, I invariably find myself reading a lot more (which is a good thing). Lately, the books that have been catching my eye have been (mostly) about marketing. I’ve caught up on some of Seth Godin’s most recent books and I must say that they have been provocative and challenging.


In Godin’s latest book Linchpin, he says the following:

“One day, people are going to remember what you did. They might remember that you did what you were told, and that you were good at being responsive to instructions. Perhaps, though, we’ll remember that you made an impact, a connection and a difference.”

This quote is from the introduction to that book. He makes the argument in the book that each and every one of us has an inner artist who has certain skills and talents that we can bring to the workplace. He argues that we must embrace our inner artist and become leaders in our peer groups, our workplace and our communities. Part of the reason that the US economy is in such dire straits is because we have been brainwashed, repeatedly, to follow along with the crowd, to be happy stamping out “widgets” on an assembly line and to smother our God given talents and abilities so as to not challenge the status quo.

This book, Seth Godin’s Linchpin, is an important book. You need to read it. You need to hear what Godin has to say. Then you need to decide if you are happy just being one more person on the assembly line of life, or if, you want to embrace what makes you special and begin to lead those around you.

This book challenged me. It made me think about what I can do, both in my show and in my business, to share something special with those around me.

Imagine what would happen, in your life, your community and your workplace, if you fearlessly stopped worrying about the status quo, forced yourself out of your comfort zone, and challenged yourself to be excellent every day. It’s quite a challenge, but I believe that it’s worth it.