Get obsessed and stay obsessed

How the heck do you keep working, day after day, consistently, with purpose and focus?

The best answer I know comes from the grandpa in John Irving’s Hotel New Hampshire:

“You’ve got to get obsessed and stay obsessed.”

In other words, you gotta find your enthusiasm and then follow it, hard. You’ve got to track it down and then stay on its trail, wherever it leads.

Building a sustainable small business from your creativity requires years of consistently showing up, serving your right people (even once your biz is good and profitable, you’ve got to keep showing up!). This could easily get old, tiring, blah.

But if it’s what you want, what you really, truly want, then your job is to do everything to keep it from getting boring, so that you can keep doing the work, so that you can have a business (and life) you actually enjoy.

And the easiest way to do this is grab onto your enthusiasm and just keep following it.

You see, often your enthusiasm will lead you in some crazy directions. Often it won’t seem at all in line with where you thought you were going. Sometimes it’ll seem like it’s trying to distract you.

But following your enthusiasm is far less risky than squashing it.

When you squash it, you risk getting burned out, drained, and exhausted. You risk giving up on everything because it’s just too hard or tiring.

So even if your enthusiasm distracts you a bit, at the very least it will refill you. You’ll come back to what you “should” be doing, refreshed and revitalized.

But maybe, just maybe, your enthusiasm will rearrange what you “should” be doing and show you something totally new and exciting. Maybe it’ll lead you in a new direction, teach you a new skill, inspire you to push yourself or your biz even farther.

(For stories of other makers following their enthusiasm, check out this week’s podcast).

No matter! Your job is not to figure it out, only to follow it and let it instruct you.

Let’s apply this to your specific questions:

What if I can’t seem to get started?

Then you’re not yet ready. Keep digging until you find the thing you are SO excited to start. The thing you can’t stop thinking about, the thing you stay awake dreaming of.

Check yourself: are you excited about the RESULTS (fame, money, admiration) or the WORK? The results are entirely uncertain. Instead, pick the WORK that lights you up and you’ll be fulfilled no matter the results.

What if I want to give it up, because it’s not working out?

Then quit this and start something else. It’s not a failure, it’s a learning experience. You’re a scientist and you’ve gathered data. Use this data to inform (not squash) your next idea.

What if I doubt it’ll ever work out?

Get clear on what “work out” means for you. Make a list of everything you’re willing to do to get there. If you’re not willing to do what it would take (maybe you have other priorities right now! That’s ok!), accept that.

List everything you ARE enthusiastic about and shift your work (or life) so you can do more of that.

(Again, check yourself before you wreck yourself: are you enthusiastic about what this will bring you, or about the project/business itself? Building a business is a lot of work with small moments of success (followed immediately by a new definition of success), so you’ve got to love the actual work of it, not just the rewards.)

You see, this enthusiasm stuff isn’t just “doing what you want,” it’s not flippant, it’s not all easy-going. It’s paying attention, making decisions, and working hard towards something you really want…because that’s the way you build something you love: you keep working, and you keep loving it.

So what are you enthusiastic about RIGHT NOW?
What are you obsessed with?

If you’re not feeling any enthusiasm, spend a few minutes locating some enthusiasm anywhere in your life.

How could you spend more time doing that today or this week?

This article originally appeared in my Weekly Explorer Notes. Get yours here.