At first you were 110% committed. Nothing was going to stop you.

You had some doubts, but you decided it was worth doing.

You made plans, got excited about the potential and started taking action.

But then something happened. You encountered some early resistance.

It wasn’t as easy to make progress as you thought, and you couldn’t figure out some of the key components of your plan.

Then a bunch of questions popped in your head. “There are so many unknowns. What about X? And what about Y?” you started thinking.

And then the self doubt crept in.

Once the self doubt kicks in, you’re hanging by a thread.

Now you have a decision to make.

Are you going to talk yourself out of it again this time?

Or, are you going to buck up, believe in yourself and move forward?

How many times will you go through this cycle?

What are you working toward, and what’s holding you back?

OK, I guess that’s really two questions.

We all have goals, and we all encounter roadblocks along the way. If you’ve been following the posts here lately, you know that I’m all about motivating you to do something important. I want you to be as awesome as you want to be, and build a business or career doing something you love. And I want to help.

Your answers will help me help you.

These two questions are important for three reasons.

First, admitting in public what you’re working toward and admitting the roadblocks you’re facing is an important step. It shows that this is more than just a thought rattling around your head. It’s a real, live goal worthy of admitting to the world and pursuing.

Second, what you share might help inspire someone else reading this.

Third, I like to check in from time-to-time to find out what you’re up to so I can offer advice and share my experience to better help you reach your goals.

So let’s hear it.

If you have a minute right now, I’d love to know what you’re working toward at the moment.

What are you trying to change about your life? What’s your biggest and most pressing goal? What’s keeping you from achieving that? What are you frustrated by? What makes you think about throwing in the towel sometimes?

Please share in the comments. There is no right answer. Just tell me what you could use the most help with right now.

Prepare yourself.

WARNING: I’m going to swear and yell a little in this post.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

You said you needed motivation. I’m going to do what needs to be done to get your ass in gear. NO EXCUSES.

If this isn’t the kind of motivation you need, leave now. You’ve been warned.

Alright.

Here goes.

Do you want some motherfucking motivation right now?

I SAID, do you want some MOTHERFUCKING MOTIVATION RIGHT NOW?

Do you want to get some seriously useful shit done today?

Do you want to get off your ass and start producing instead of wallowing in despair, depression, self pity, fear, doubt or whatever is holding you back?

Are you sick of not getting anything done?

Let’s DO THIS.

The point of this exercise is to give you motivation to do something right now. Don’t just absorb this and continue sitting around procrastinating.

TAKE ACTION.

Follow the steps below carefully.

Quit bitching about how tired you are.

The world doesn’t care.

And if you’re feeling depressed or down, stop feeling sorry for yourself while you’re at it. It doesn’t matter.

We all face obstacles. How you deal with those obstacles defines who you are and determines how successful you are in life.

Did you catch that? It was the secret to life. Seriously.

Let me say it again.

We all face obstacles. How you deal with those obstacles defines who you are and determines how successful you are in life.

Period. End of story.

Read the quotes below. If you have a favorite quote or two you always refer to, read that too.

Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75. – Benjamin Franklin

Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you’re alive, it isn’t. – Richard Bach

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. – Steve Jobs

If the motivation you need is to work on building your own business, watch this video:

I don’t care if you’ve seen it before. Watch it again.

Be warned, if you’re not working towards being self employed, this video might push you in that direction.

Put a pot of coffee on or get some tea brewing.

Try a bulletproof coffee if you need an extra kick.

If you haven’t eaten something, eat a little snack now.

For god’s sake don’t eat a fucking twinkie or some other junk food.

Eat something healthy. Eat some nuts or fruit. Take your vitamins.

Do one of the following three things:

A) Take a shower, OR

B) Go for a brisk walk, OR

C) Call the friend who most lifts you up and makes you feel great after every conversation. Tell him or her that you need a little pep talk. Put a 10 minute limit on the conversation.

If you’re around people right now, go tell one of them how much you appreciate him or her.

Just say, “hey, I wanted to tell you that I appreciate you because…”

If you’re not around people, think about something or someone you’re grateful for. Go over the reasons you’re grateful in your mind.

Gratitude is happiness. Happiness is motivating. Be grateful more often by thinking about who and what you’re happy for, or by telling someone.

If you normally sit down to work, stand up.

Standing up to work is motivating. It gets the blood flowing.

Turn off email, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and whatever other social procrastination network you’re part of.

Turn off the TV if it’s on.

Seriously, TURN THEM OFF.

Now, put on your favorite music playlist.

Play something that gets you jacked.

Hint: try the playlist you use at the gym.

(If you don’t regularly go to the gym or workout otherwise, start doing that tomorrow. You have to be healthy to stay motivated.)

List the top 3 positive outcomes of achieving your task.

Think about what you’re planning to accomplish today.

Don’t worry about everything that’s holding you back from accomplishing it. Instead, focus on the positive things that will happen once you get it done.

For example, if you have homework to do, your list might look like this:

1) I’ll learn something useful.
2) I’ll make myself and my teacher proud of what I accomplished.
3) I’ll get closer to achieving a good grade in the class so I can graduate and move on to doing what I’m really meant to do in life.

Write down the three things. Don’t skip this part. Make sure you focus on the 3 most important outcomes.

Think about the part of doing this task that you enjoy.

Most tasks have some enjoyable component to them.

Focus on what you like about what you have to do, no matter how simple or how small. Enjoy the very act of doing your task for what it’s worth.

Now here’s the most important part.

Lock yourself in a room with the thing you need to be doing.

Don’t leave until you make some progress.

Put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, or axe to the grindstone.

Stop looking for external motivation. Stop letting yourself procrastinate.

Start going through the motions of making progress. At first it might feel forced, but eventually you’ll get in the groove.

What to do if this doesn’t work.

We all have things to do that we really just don’t want to do, but have to for some reason. These are the toughest to find motivation for.

For these especially difficult situations, I recommend two things.

First, question whether or not this thing really needs to be done.

What are the consequences of not doing it? Can you live with the consequences? Is there any way to not do this thing?

Then, if you still conclude that this thing absolutely has to get done, focus on simply getting past it.

Imagine the relief of not having this thing on your plate anymore.

How will that make you feel?

Dig deep. See how quickly you can possibly do this thing.

Do it now and move on to stuff you really want to do.

—

Thanks for reading. Now go out and get something important done.

Please share this with someone else who needs motivation.

In the comments below, share your other favorite motivation hacks and tell me what this post helped you achieve.

Here’s the deal: while I know blogging is an incredible opportunity for some, the fact is blogging isn’t for everybody. If blogging isn’t a good fit for you, you’d probably be better off spending time pursuing something else.

If you’re thinking about starting a blog, read the post below. If you still think it’s for you, head over and check out How to Start a Blog that Matters.

Also, just announced: we’re offering a special launch week discount and bonuses. See our special launch week discount here.

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Blogging can change your life.

For people with the desire and ability, I strongly recommend starting a blog for all kinds of reasons.

I started blogging in 2009 to explore my creativity and share stories about wanting more than money and status out of life.

Ever since I started this blog, amazing things have happened. I’ve made countless awesome new friends, built a business, discovered creativity I didn’t know I had, and have supported myself in a way that lets me travel the world.

I’ve even received job offers (and politely said no thanks to them ), business offers, strange and wonderful gifts in the mail and countless emails from readers that lift me up, make me think, and make me thankful every day for being able to share my voice and help people through blogging.

When I think back over the amazing changes I’ve gone through over the past three years, blogging is at the center of what has enabled those changes.

I’ve been a fortunate blogger, and many of my friends have as well.

I have watched friends and peers do amazing things with blogging, and I’ve helped hundreds of other people start blogs through my courses and one-on-one consulting.

When I started blogging, I knew no popular bloggers, and I didn’t know anyone who supported themselves through blogging. I now know dozens of people who earn a living through blogging and dozens more who’s lives have changed because of blogging. I count many bloggers among my closest friends.

The benefits of blogging are easy to recognize and praise, but not every blogger will reap these rewards. There are hundreds of millions of blogs in existence, and only a small percentage achieve the goals the blogger starts with.

Why do some blogs become wildly successful while most go unnoticed?

Could you create a successful blog?

The course we’re launching today provides the formula and action plan for starting a blog that matters. For the course to help you, first you have to understand, accept and prepare for the realities of blogging.

Here are 5 truths about blogging you should know before you start.

1. Building a successful blog takes an incredible amount of work, patience and stamina.

   I’ve discovered a common trait among top bloggers I’ve gotten to know like Chris Guillebeau, Leo Babauta, Danielle LaPorte and Ramit Sethi. They deserve all the success they’ve had in blogging because they have worked incredibly hard at it for a long time.

   Luck barely played a role for these and all of the other big name bloggers I know. Each of them simply works their ass off every week. They all happen to be brilliant as well, but brilliance takes a back seat to hard work when it comes to blogging.

   And here’s the thing: the bar is high for new bloggers. You have to be willing to work as hard as some of these top bloggers if you want a seat at the table.

   Smart bloggers realize that hard work is their secret weapon.

2. Blogging isn’t a quick path to riches.

   If you earn any revenue from your blog within the first 6-12 months, you’ll be doing well. If you can support yourself completely within two years of starting your blog, you’ll be doing extremely well.

   Forget about making a living within just a few months. I’ve never seen it happen for a new blogger. Building a business around blogging is fun and rewarding and some amazing things are possible, but don’t expect it to happen overnight.

   Give yourself a solid 18-36 months to earn a full-time living from blogging. See point #1 above to remind yourself that it will take a lot of work to make it happen. If money is purely your goal, there are quicker paths to it than blogging.

   The most successful bloggers are in it for much more than money.

3. To be a successful blogger, you have to like creating content.

   Blogging requires creating a LOT of content.

   For most bloggers, this means writing a ton. For some, it might mean creating lots of videos or podcasts or illustrations. In any case, you’ll be producing a lot.

   From creating blog posts to responding to comments and emails to posting on social media to creating guest posts for other sites, you’ll be producing 1000s of words every week.

   If you don’t like writing or otherwise recording ideas to share with other people, blogging will be nearly impossible for you to do well.

   This is a skill you can learn to like, but you have to start with the right mindset. If you’re on the fence about whether you like producing copious amounts of content, make it your goal to figure out a way to make it fun. Find the topics, tone and format that work for you. Don’t feel like you have to do exactly what other bloggers do.

   Successful bloggers find a way to fall in love with creating content. The sooner you do this, the sooner you’ll build a blog that matters.

4. To be a successful blogger, you have to like helping or entertaining other people, not just about talking yourself.

   It’s one thing to like writing because you spend all the time writing about yourself. Blogging requires something more. You have to write for other people.

   That’s not to say you can’t write about yourself, but you have to relate those stories about yourself into something other people can learn from or be entertained by.

   I’ve known new bloggers who thought they were great writers until they started blogging for an audience. Writing for an audience is much different from journaling or keeping a diary for yourself. The audience (or lack of) will let you know if your writing is as good as you thought. Most of the time, if your writing isn’t well received it means you’re not relating to your audience and providing them with unmistakable value.

   To be a great blogger, you have to get good at writing in a relatable way. You have to write for other people.

5. Building a successful blog requires getting to know other bloggers. You have to make friends and create relationships.

   Every successful blogger I know has strong relationships and friendships with other bloggers. You’ll need help (mentoring, support, links, mentions, referrals) from other bloggers if you want to build a blog that matters.

   I’ve seen plenty of potentially great bloggers struggle simply because they’re terrified to get out of their shell and meet new people.

   Successful bloggers look forward to connecting with other bloggers and know that some of their most rewarding relationships and friendships come from these connections.

How to Start a Blog that Matters

If I didn’t scare you off with the points above, the new course I’m launching today might be a great way for you to get started blogging.

How to Start a Blog that Matters is a 90-day action plan for starting a new blog from the ground up. It includes 13 weekly lessons and step-by-step action plans.

Starting a blog is actually easy. Thousands of new blogs are started every day. Anyone can create a blog in 5 minutes, but very few people will create blogs that matter.

This course goes much deeper than just starting a blog. My goal is to help you create a blog that will change your life and the lives of your readers.

–> Head over to see if my new blogging course is a good fit for you.

Questions about whether blogging is for you? Feel free to ask below and I’ll be happy to answer.

And for those of you who have started blogs, what unexpected things did you learn about blogging? What surprised you the most about how difficult or easy blogging is for you?

You used to feel like you were pretty awesome. You liked yourself, people were drawn to you, you had a bright future ahead. You had fresh ideas and a zeal for life. You felt like you could accomplish anything you wanted to.

Then somehow it slipped away. You lost it, and you don’t exactly know how.

Maybe it was a slow drain of awesomeness that you didn’t notice.

Maybe the demands of your career or your family extinguished your awesomeness. Maybe you lost your confidence as you got older, put on a few pounds and stopped making new friends. Maybe there was a traumatic incident that changed your life’s trajectory dramatically.

However it happened, it doesn’t matter.

The fact is that you know you could be living a bigger, better, bolder life than you are now.

That’s a critical first step to regaining your awesomeness. You have to admit that something is missing, and that you’re not living up to your potential.

Things can change. People change. YOU can change.

You can regain your awesomeness and then some. You can become a ridiculously awesome version of yourself.

It could all start right now.

But here’s the thing. You have to choose to be awesome. It doesn’t just happen. Once you’ve lost your spark, you have to work to get it back. You have to fight for it. Becoming awesome again isn’t just a decision; it’s a lifelong quest. It takes practice and dedication and awareness.

Every decision you make has to come under the scrutiny of your new awesomeness filter. Choose to work on your side hustle instead of watching TV. Choose to learn something instead of vegging out. Choose to encourage people instead of tearing them down.

You always have a choice, and you have to choose wisely if you want to be awesome again.

This isn’t a blog post, it’s a plea. The world needs more awesome people.

Please, join us. If you choose to be awesome, leave a comment below. Tell us how you plan to be more awesome.

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Next week I’m launching a new course called How to Start a Blog that Matters. If you’ve been thinking about starting (or re-starting) a blog, this course might be just what you need. Stay tuned for full details next Tuesday, 1/17, or sign up at the link above to be notified.