OCIM - Motivation

Monday... I don't like Monday. Monday is a tough day to get started.

During spring, summer and fall, I have no problem. Monday is OK. But winter...

I don't want to be out in the snow and cold. I don't want a winter wind blasting at me and making me shiver. I don't want to be slipping on snow and ice. I like being able to just stop and talk to people when I'm out, but not during the winter. Then it just feels like torture...

As a younger guy I enjoyed winter. It was fun. Sliding down icy hills, sledding, snow ball fights, building snow caves and forts. Heck if you would grab a shovel and help out people by shoveling the snow, you could earn your movie, pool, bowling, and fun money. Cold didn't even feel all that bad. But now... With worn out joints. A back destroyed by years of hard work, a few bad falls, and some really dumb decisions. Winter is just plain painful. All I want to do is be like a bear and hibernate!

All of this has me motivated and considering buying a place or building one, near an old and dear friend who left PA and moved to Florida. I did visit him during the winter and what he felt was cold... To me felt like summer!

But that, for me, brings a whole lot of it's own problems.

I would never give up this farm on top of the mountains. It's in my blood since birth and has given me so much happiness. Completely leaving it behind would be like living without a heart. So, I'd be keeping and worrying about two places. My son is here and says he definitely wants this place, but would he take care of the place or know what to do when something did go wrong... Another place in Florida? Who would watch over that during spring, summer and fall...

Starting my own contracting business was motivated by the people I had worked for. I was tired of them making the big money and paying me as little as possible. I was tired of running their business while some of them sat in bars. I was real fed up with getting all the blame when something outta my limited control went wrong, but never getting credit when things went great. Then while talking about it... I was told I could never do it and succeed...

Even through my years working as a contractor I made sure I saved all I could during the spring, summer and fall. Then would not sign any contracts or even plan any work for January, February and early March.

My motivation was not wanting to deal with ice and snow to do my work. Not dealing with idiot drivers on the roads.

If the weather was not to bad I'd take on the occasional small inside job. But for the most, I was on vacation. Heck, I worked doing construction and farmed the rest of the year so I could do it, and it worked. I'd put in sixteen or more hours a day between the two but I loved every second of it and knew that I would not have to face the agony of winter and its heavy storms. It was the motivation and planning that made it possible. Then the drive towards the success of those plans that made it work.

Like that thing with Florida. First the idea. Then the planning. Then the preparation and on to the getting. In this case, the motivation is me getting outta this cold, snowy, icy weather...

Heard a guy say it takes courage to go after what you want. You have to have courage to get past all the doubt and the people that tell you it's impossible and you can't do it.

Once again, my big mouth just opened and my thoughts poured out. I mumbled, not for me. I'm just to dumb to realize the definition of impossible... That got a few smiles and laughs.

But for me it's just the mindset that works. Even as a boy, when told I couldn't do or have something, my extraordinary bull headedness would kick in and that would be the motivation for me to succeed. Even when it got me in trouble with the parents...

No, can't and impossible... They can be motivation if you like proving people wrong. They sure are to me. I like making doubters eat their words...

Right at this minute that idea of having a winter place in Florida and still having this place seem impossible. But... Plans are being formed. If a few things I have in the fire work out, and it sure looks like they will, (If not plans can be altered... ) this to will be achieved.

One really great line has helped me considerably.

“Anything the mind can conceive and believe in can be achieved.”

Not sure where or when I first heard that but it has kept me going for a long, long time.

So what do you have as motivation, how do you get things done?

Or are you just stuck getting the motivation to get motivated...