Brendon Burchard is one of the world’s top authors and motivational speakers. He’s the author of the bestseller The Motivation Manifesto, and is a leading expert in online business.
I had the luck of watching him in the interview series Impact Theory, where he revealed the inner workings of his mindset and worldview, and how it propelled him from being broke and depressed to becoming one of the world’s foremost authorities in motivation and success.
In this article, I’ll share with you five lessons from that interview, and how they will impact your life the same way they impacted Brendon’s.
Lesson #1: Live With Intention
Most guys wait for the right inspiration or mood before doing anything big. Eventually, they realize they’re waiting for nothing, and so they try to will themselves to take the first step… only to realize willpower doesn’t work in the long-term, either.
Brendon urges people to break away from that “waiting game,” and to instead live with intention. You got to:
1. Be intentional in everything you do, and
2. Identify your source of fear and anxiety, and actively work to get them out of your way.
Lesson #2: Know How to Get Into Your Zone
Like your mood, the “Zone” isn’t something you stumble into. It’s something you intentionally get into. And with a little practice, you can actually get in the zone anytime you need to.
Brendon says there are two parts of getting into the zone:
1. Your passion and identity (who you are and what you do), and
2. A necessity or urgency (a deadline, a sick loved one, a family who’s counting on you, etc..)
When you combine these two parts, you can easily get into the zone anytime you want.
Lesson #3: Don’t Fear Feedback
Impact Theory host Tom Bilyeu asked Brendon why most people never reach their full potential, and Brendon answered: “It’s the fear of feedback.” In particular, it’s the fear of getting rejected.
Brendon explained that passion and obsession are two different things. When you’re passionate about something, you tend to get positive feedback from the people around you – but you rarely get things done.
When you’re obsessed about something, you tend to get negative feedback – they’ll think you’re crazy. That’s what most people are afraid of, and that’s why most people are more passionate about their TV shows than their lives.
Brendon’s message: Don’t fear feedback. Find a bigger fear (like the fear of being broke or unsuccessful) or a desire (like being wealthy and successful) to fuel your drive.
Lesson #4: Don’t Follow Your Strengths
Brendon also revealed that whenever he asked a successful person whether they were always good at what they were doing, the answer was almost always an emphatic “No.” He says the vast majority of successful people painstakingly learned the skills they needed to have.
Don’t get held back by your strengths!
And lastly:
Lesson #5: Remember That Life is Short
Brendon says most people have never had their lives “flash before their eyes.” He did at 19, when he was bleeding on the crumpled hood of his car after an accident. He asked himself: “Did I matter?” and the answer then was “no.”
Long story short, Brendon since then made sure the answer would be “yes” the next time he lay at death’s door.
Brendon’s advice: Don’t wait until your death. Ask yourself now. Do you matter?
If the answer is “no,” then you know what to do. Follow Brendon’s 5 lessons – you’ll never know how far you’ll go.
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Video: YouTube / Video Advice