Do You Want It Bad Enough?
May 28, 2010 by fladlien
Filed under Uncategorized
Roughly 3 years ago I lived with my dad. I had lived with him since
I dropped out of college (the first time) which was in April of
2002.
It was a VERY small apartment.
I didn’t pay rent, my dad took care of it. But that also meant he
took care of the utilities. In the summer on the second floor
in Iowa, with the temperature at 98 degrees, and the humidity
at 120% (how does that even happen?), it gets really, really
hot.
My dad refused to ever let the air-conditioner run. EVER.
I think about that now as I sit here in my home office.
My home office has a walk in closet. It has a bathroom
attached that is pretty impressively tiled. It has
TWO sinks in it. It has a remote control for the lights
and the fan. My desk is huge and wouldn’t even fit into
my room in the apartment I lived in with my dad.
And the central air is on. I’m loving every second of it.
When I had my home built, we made it 5 star energy efficient
and even though it’s a big house (4 bedrooms, 3 baths)
it costs almost nothing to cool it. And it’s so quiet
you can’t hear it.
I tell you this for one reason – it’s amazing how far you
can come in three short years.
I spoke at Dennis Becker’s seminar last week. The hotel room
I stayed in was bigger than the first apartment I moved into
after I moved out of my dad’s apartment.
At that seminar, Tim Castleman – who I did a promotion with…
PAID me in front of everyone… my commission.
$4800 – in one dollar bills. Nice touch. If Tim sends me the photo I’ll
add it to this post.
It was incredible to see that many one dollar bills. All for
less than 2 hours of work. It amazes even me how quickly
someone can attract wealth with a little bit of sweat
equity, a little bit of building, and a whole lot of focus.
It’s amazing how far you can come in three short years.
I write this to you now as I expect my daughter, Laney
Elizabeth Fladlien, to be born at the end of June… the 29th
is what the hospital told us. We’ll see.
Three years from now I’ll have a daughter who’s just turning
three. I wonder where I’ll be at… where she’ll be at…
where our family will be at… in three short years.
Where will you be at?
It’s something to think about. It’s something to have a clear
vision on. I have mine. We’ll see if it comes to be.
But what about you? We do high end coaching programs, and the
first thing we do is make our students do is write out their goal
of what they want to get out of the training.
The sad thing is, most students FORGET their goal as soon
as they write it down.
They don’t think about it every day first thing when they
wake up in the morning. Or LAST thing before they go to
bed.
Or several times over and over again throughout the day.
If they did, their behavior would change to automatically
attract them toward that goal. Really.
I remember when I first moved out of my dad’s apartment and
into this little 350 square foot apartment where my office,
bedroom AND living room was all ONE room.
It WAS a step up. I had just started writing articles for
marketers and was making some good money at the time, for
the first time ever in my life.
But I knew that was just a transition that would help me
get closer to my vision.
Everyday between 2, 4 or even 6 hour non-stop marathon writing
sessions, I’d need a break. I’d often grab my running shoes
and go out for a jog.
Each time I would run by this new house for sale. It was
brand new, a very nice home and pretty “expensive”. I’d say
to myself every time I ran past it “I’m going to own a home
just like this in less than 2 years”.
Now, I had no business saying that. It was not rational.
It was not reasonable. But one of the ways to get dramatic
growth in your business is to have UNREASONABLE expectations.
I write world class sales letters in 1 hour or less because
I am UNREASONABLE about how long it should take.
I create membership sites in 6 minutes or less because I
am UNREASONABLE about how long it should take.
And because of that vision, I find a way to MAKE IT WORK.
I didn’t buy that house I ran by every day within two years.
I bought a BETTER one. 
So very few people in this game want it bad enough. It’s there.
You can have it. But you have to want it bad enough. Bad
enough to learn how to discipline yourself to WRITE for hours
on end… if that’s a skill required.
Bad enough to write a sales letter EVERY SINGLE DAY… if
that’s a skill required.
Bad enough to contact complete strangers who are experts, and
ask them for an interview… and then contact them again later
and ask them for a promotion… if you want to succeed.
That takes guts. It’s scary. But it’s less scary than letting 3 years go
by… and being in the same position you are in today. Or being
in a worse position.
I want to know something from you – do you want it bad enough?
I bet most of you reading this don’t. If you did, you’d wake
up in the middle of the night compelled to take action. If you
did, you’d sacrifice your favorite television program to work
an extra half hour.
If you did you’d do the things you know you need to do that
currently you are AFRAID to do to get what you want.
3 years from now can we sit down at a table and exchange stories?
And wow each other with the wonderful journeys we’ve been on,
experiences we’ve had, growth we’ve achieved, goals we’ve
reached?
I sure hope so. I’ll be sitting at that table. I hope you will
pull up a chair and join me.
Jason — very well put. I escaped the rat race when I was 34 years old … I am 51 now. Time has flown! I’ve lived off of residual income from businesses I built years ago but things change and sometimes we have to embrace some new ways of doing things.
I just read an excellent little book again. “Who moved my Cheese?” Change is constant and inevitable. I just posted a blog on change because that’s what I am going through too.
For some it’s uncomfortable stepping out of a comfortable place and and creating new goals and adjusting your vision. Most never do it.
I am in a position where I have to do it again. it’s exciting but uncomfortable but I am up for the challenge.
I attended the practical profits seminar in Vegas last weekend — got some great ideas. Everyone was very helpful.
I really like what you’ve put together and your business philosophy and will be following you.
Thanks for some great words of wisdom and being genuine. Mark Petticord
I always like to have a read about such things, my blog is related if you want to have a look round it please feel free. I have added yours to my bookmarks.
OK sorry I am reading this late, but still it stirred me. Have been squashing very new info into this greyhaired head for three and a half months now and need to hear some uplifting words. Thanks Jason. Churchill said success was moving from one failure to another. Well learning is like that.
Well, all I can say this post hit me hard. Although I have a nice suburban home, my own business, a car which is finally paid off, and all the nice stuff we acquire in our lives, the reality is I’m a loser.
I’m a loser because where I am is NOT what I want. I want out of the business I’m in a big way. (It’s a declining industry that is draining my soul.) I’m a loser because I’ve been driving into my office for MORE than 3 years and everyday I think about something else I’d rather be going to. I see the landscape guys during summer and think: ‘They have it made.’
So, it’s not what you have, but what you REALLY want. And the reality is, I’ve flailed about and made little true sustained effort to get where I want to be which is working a successful home based business.
I am the functional definition of a loser. While perhaps it seems unnecessary to beat myself up, better face the facts, and resolve that realizing the truth, facing reality, will motivate me to change it. Truth hurts and will set you free.
I adore your blog – super job!
Will you be a FATHER for the first time before you post again? Talk to you tomorrow on the webinar.
Jason,
sorry I’m a little late in reading this post- just opened your email
That story is truly remarkable. an inspiration for those climbing the mountain, that success is possible and not that far away.
Very cool and very motivational post. Like (and nod my head) at the thing you said about goals. We spend the time to write them down but never go over them throughout the day.
They’re forgotten and then when you look back at an old diary and see that you’re still working on something you dreamt of in 2007 … well you have to get your ass in gear.
Thanks
THANX for your Provocative post Mr.Jason.When u said that we should
sacrifice our favorite television program to work
an extra half hour, i realized my drawback.I am quite ambitious ..but I always lost track when it comes to TV shows. Your article is an eye-opener for all of us who get distracted from our goals.
Feedback SHOULD always be positive – been working britches off for two years – learning it – doing it! Nada!
Still to make first penny. Not been lack of effort.
There’s more to it than mere effort and focus – what?
Any constructive pointers?
Recall how elephants are trained from birth to stand quietly by a small stake in the ground. They quit trying after a while. I still haven’t quit.
Admire Jason’s success and attitude – well deserved and trying not to be envious!
amazing,,,
really, I hope that I can do what you have done.
Great story. I keep keeping on and I keep making strides in what I can accomplish online. I just try to keep failing forward and find enough successes a long the way to be a successful marketer. Thanks again for sharing.
Inspiring, now excuse me while I go back to writing a sales letter.
Your tale of the apartment rang a bell. In the late 80’s I rented a room, smaller than a one car garage, so I could build experience in the computer field. After making it to Network Op. Manager, and trying to start a software business, I lost it all to a car-pedestrian accident in ‘92. After I started another business, and lost that, after I was rear ended 12/2000.
Now, while I’m rehabbing, in a Nursing Home, due to that accident, and working to leave in two months, I’m building another one.
I’m now ~85% paraplegic, and take heavy pain medications that I could use as an excuse to give up. I don’t because I’m determined to have a house, and transportation, within 3 years, even though I have to scrape up the money for a website.
Hey Jason, very good motivation. I have been infected by your enthusiasm and principles of simplicity from everything I’ve seen you doing in the last year or so… I now often check my actions against my own Jason-Fladlien-Simplicity-and-Efficiency-Score-Level and see if I am on the right track
After I began focusing on one major profitable activity at a time, things started working for me at a whole new level. Your presentation in Vegas was great too and I am very glad I went. Now looking for ways to add some of your FTM business models into my current business.
Wish you and your family all the best!
Metodi
At 5 star energy efficient, 4 bedrooms and 3 baths,
(and central air conditioning throughout) the loudest sound in the whole Fladlien house is the chime of new notification of payment received alerts set on Jason’s email every second.
Hey Jason… Mr Motivator… Excellent inspiration for everyone here. I’ve read through all the comments and you certainly struck a resounding chord with everyone who has read this.
I’m going through my many subscriptions to other marketers lists and I’m erasing most of them because too much info and too many offers take away focus. I remember you telling me that you didn’t practice many different marketing methods but simply concentrate on the one thing that comes naturally to you. I think this is a big lesson to all not to get sidetracked.
Thanks also for your very inspiring interview that you did for us on my website http://interviewcom.com/jasonintro.html.
Yours is certainly one subscription that I will be keeping as you are an amazing motivator, and your enthusiasm for IM is infectious.
Take care and best wishes,
Norman Austin
It was very heart touching to read your article.
I too have a dream in my life and by co-incidence, three years from now are required to materialise it.
Your post has further motivated me to work harder for my goal.
Will see you at the table.
Thanks Jason,
You are spot-on! The desire to succeed is all relative to the individual. I used to say to myself: “successful people do what unsuccessful people don’t want to do”.
Thanks and we’ll be talking soon. It’s my birthday today and this was a great shot in the mental arm!
Great post Jason – and boy so true – it defines perhaps the real reason why so few take massive action and commitment to making it work…because what we do is not rocket science!
Love the visualization of the house you used to run by!
And congrats on Laney Elizabeth Fladlien – beautiful name!
So 3 years from now the table we chat at will be in my French Chateau with our spouses watching your Laney playfully running through the vibrant purple fields Lavender!
Jason, that’s an awesome post and very inspiring. I can ‘feel’ the sweat running down the walls in your dad’s old apartment (oven) that you shared. Lots of people are in pain. Lots of people really ‘want’ change… But what is it that creates the action though, and the clarity to know what thing to focus on? Most people seem to grab out at every stray branch and twig that bends their way in a quicksand sort of panic. They let go of one to grab for another not knowing which is the strongest to hold on to. How’d do you get sane, get clear, and get down to business so you can take the step-by-step from down there to up here in the rareified, ‘coolified’ air?
Wishing new arrival Laney a joyous welcome to the world and a rich, wonderful, love-filled, and totally blessed Life… with you as her dad-to-be, she’s be off to a great start.
It’s really inspiring story Jason! I have vision too, but I didn’t work as hard as you do. As you suggest, I will try it harder. Much harder. Thanks Jason!
My question is like some of the others above. With all the stuff out there, we don’t really know the best way to go to get the best results. For newbies in the market, what is the best of your recommendations to get up and going fast making money?
Jason Great post. I recently downloaded an audio version of Napolian Hills think and grow rich. Much of what you are doing is presented in his book. I now know what it is that I have been doing wrong and am finding that my persistence is paying off. I have enjoyed your work and will continue to follow. You are one of my new mentors.
Jason,
That was a wonderful story and a great way to start my day. During this weekend where a lot of people will be partying, I will be working knowing that it will all pay off in the end.
If you have a day job, don’t give up, it may take you longer, but you can get there; just keep pushing forward.
B