Sometimes blunt, crude words are the only things that can shock a person out of a rut and motivate him to improve to the next level. This four-part blog series is for the church worker who needs such forthright words.
When achieving a goal seems impossible and you are not making any progress, imagine that:
You will die unless you achieve it.
In other words, ask yourself,
If my life depended on it, what would I do?
Circumstances are a powerful thing. It is amazing what people can accomplish under the right motivating circumstances. So when you feel like giving up on pursuing your goal, ask yourself, “What would I do if my life depended on it?”
Odds are you can give more effort. Odds are you can be more creative. And often the most brilliant creativity happens in times of desperation. So if you want to innovate, if you want to enhance your performance, figure out what you would do if your life depended on it.
This is a psychological mind hack. It gets you thinking past the limitations you put on yourself because you do not want to leave your comfort zone. And if you truthfully answer the question, then you must choose whether or not you are willing to invest that type of life-at-stake effort, passion, and willpower.
Stay tuned for more crude words.
Read Part 1 - You Deserve to Go to Hell
So true Kent. I am always reminded of this when I watch a sporting event. The type where the quarterback becomes Superman at the end of the game, when the rest of the game he deserved to be back in the peewee leagues with the kids. Definitely a psychological decision!
How do we activate 3400 men who attend the king of Kings church from sat 5pm to sunday
at 1pm, do we have a heart for Jesus work?
How do we begin service in your 1 mile area.
Can we link with ELCA near millard Ave.
How all of us can reach out with warm shirts,
foods, canned goods?
[...] Helpful Crude Words February 19, 2009 By Kent Shaffer [...]
I wonder if this could actually be quite a dangerous way of thinking:
If we apply “My life depends on it” as our motivation we’re in danger of trying to earn our salvation through works. I appreciate this isn’t inevitable but still a danger, or at the least would be to me.
@Jon
Interesting point. I think that danger probably depends on how secure and mature someone is in their theology and relationship with Christ.