(This blog post is mostly inspired by a forum post at thefastlaneforum.com, all credit goes to MJ Demarco I just wanted to post it here because it resonates with me)
Imagine you're chained to a railroad track.
In the distance, you hear the ominous clatter of an approaching train.
Brrrrr... Chugga, Chugga, Chugga...
Your heart pounds like a jackhammer, and every beat is a desperate reminder that time is slipping away.
Uh oh. The lock mechanism trapping you on the tracks can only be solved if you decipher the Latin passcode etched on its surface.
Death is around the corner if you don't take action and translate the code from Latin to English.
As a bonus, a ten-million-dollar suitcase sits next to the tracks if you solve the code and set yourself free. Nice.
Unfortunately, you don't know Latin, and your smartphone isn't in your pocket. However, behind you is a stack of books piled 6 feet high and 3 feet wide.
Now let me ask you something...
What would you do as the moments count down to your tragic, grisly ending?
Would you...
- take a nap?
- examine the books and decide to read $100M Offers?
- examine the books and decide to read The History of 19th Century Trains?
- comb your hair?
- whistle Dixie?
- pick up the large rock next to you and do bicep curls?
or would you...
- scream at the top of your lungs for help?
- pull vigorously at the chain and its lock, looking for a weakness?
- examine the books and read the one titled Latin to English Made Simple?
You see, when you're faced with a problem as clear as the sound of the train's whistle and the death it represents, everything becomes clear.
Your problem. Your purpose. Your motivation.
Suddenly, none of these things are ambiguous, and your next actions become crystal clear.
- The waffling ends.
- The action-faking ends.
- The lackluster of motivation ends.
- The purposeless reading of books with no application of them ends.
Let me give you an example:
Problem: Set myself free and avoid a tragic death.
Purpose: To live, and live well.
Motivation: Permanently on fire until you die, regret-free.
This powerful combination of problem and purpose is the key to drawing unlimited motivation and focus and creating your best life.
Become laser-focused with a problem.
Now, let's switch tracks to what we call, in MJ Demarco's terminology, the Fastlane. Motivation is like a patient on Prozac, up, down, and everything in between. However, the same principles that drive you to survive on the railroad tracks can be translated into a Fastlane with remarkable usefulness.
Ironically, the most common problem that today's soon-to-be-entrepreneurs have starting out is that they don't have any problems to solve.
Where do I start? What do I do? What's actually out there to solve?
With no problem to solve, the entrepreneurial dreamer wanders aimlessly, reading books after book, watching podcast after podcast, doing nothing with their precious time.
Find a problem, put yourself on the tracks, and make everything clear.
Every successful business starts with a problem. It's the itch that needs scratching, the fly in the ointment, the burr under the saddle.
Consider the story of Airbnb. The founders, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, faced the problem of being unable to pay their rent. Train anyone? Then, during popular conferences, they saw another problem/train in travelers' difficulty finding affordable lodging. Their solution? They rented out air mattresses in their apartment. What started as a minor fix for a personal problem spiraled into a global business, solving a universal issue for millions.
Identifying a problem isn't just about finding something broken; it's about spotting an opportunity to improve something.
This could be anything from a gap in the market to a pain point that no one has adequately fixed.
Doing one thing better than the competition—is the key to starting a business with gravitas.
The Purpose
While a problem refines focus with that of a laser, a purpose keeps it in motion. The purpose is the compass that guides your efforts, the North Star that keeps you on course. It's the reason you jump out of bed in the morning (or crawl out, if you're not a morning person) and the driving force behind every decision you make. When you're chained to the railroad tracks, the purpose is clear: To live. To avoid tragedy.
Yet, how is life any different?
Millions of people poison themselves daily with the food they shove into their mouths, eroding their health and vitality.
They don't see the train.
According to the latest research, the average teenager spends nearly 5 hours on social media daily.
They don't see the train.
For me, I found my purpose early. After watching people closely in my environment, struggling to deal with stress caused by health problems and financial burdens, even the lack of capital for proper and effective recreation, I knew I wanted financial freedom.
When I tuned my awareness to spot people doing well financially through ownership of real estate and cars, I somehow believed I could do it too, not just slowly but really fast as well.
This was my purpose. A purpose to live, and live well in this short life.
A life where NOTHING is guaranteed. Not even retirement, despite many claims.
Armed with this type of purpose, you'll do anything for it.
Cold call. Ring doorbells. Learn code. Speak in front of an audience. Read a book on how to translate Latin to English.
Suddenly, "I don't like that" or "I'm not good at that" becomes completely irrelevant.
Unlike the ill-advised "passion", **purpose gets things done and has no prerequisites.
If you "followed your passion", you'll never read the book From Latin to English because it's boring and not blanketed by your comfort zone.
The Synergy of Problem and Purpose
This death train metaphor can be applied to real life with astonishing effectiveness.
Death's train is indeed approaching. And one day, it will arrive.
Question is, have you lasered your focus and found your problem? Have you given your life clear, actionable direction?
Have you defined a purpose that will make you **crawl through a sewer pipe for freedom, like Andy in The Shawshank Redemption?
When a compelling problem meets a powerful purpose, motivation isn't just an occasional visitor. It takes up permanent residence
The problem keeps you grounded in reality, ensuring your efforts are practical and neccessary.
The purpose, however, fuels the right passion and keeps the fire burning, evne when the going gets tough.