How to Stay Hungry in a World Chained to Comfort

Wanna know the quickest way to fail at anything?

Only work when you feel like it. That right there is how you fail every…single…time.

But it’s what most people do every day.

You’re probably guilty of it yourself. Out of the 40 hours you work each week, how long do you actually spend doing don’t-bother-me-right-now type of work?

Not much right?

For most of that time you’re just busy. Busy meeting with coworkers. Busy checking emails. Busy peeking at Facebook.

It’s not until you feel like getting stuff done that you get into a flow. So then the question becomes, how do you find the motivation to work?

But before I answer that, let’s get a few things out of the way first:

1) Find your need

I’ve talked about this before, but if you only work to get ahead of everyone else, you’re gonna have a tough time doing anything.

So if you don’t have a personal reason why you do what you do, or you haven’t related that need to helping someone other than yourself, do that as soon as possible.

2) Forget “bonuses”

Any external reward is a bonus.

The words of praise you hear from friends are a bonus. And all those pats on the back you get are just bonuses.

Sure those rewards are great, but you can’t rely on them to get you going. They’ll make you too dependent on others to get the job done.

Spark The Fire

Now since this motivation can’t be external, it obviously has to come from your end. You have to form a will of your own to get to work. But it can’t just be a one-time thing, right?

It needs to be a continuous mindset. You need to be hungry.

If you don’t form a hunger to get after your work, you’ll have to endure countless hours of distracting yourself in the future.

But if you’re someone like me, a person who has to give your all to whatever you do, then you’re at the right place. There’s one easy way I’ve found to develop this hunger and keep it flowing as long as you want.

And that key to staying hungry in a world chained to comfort is this: Live like you ain’t got it.

If you’re serious about your craft, change the way you live.

It doesn’t matter how much money you make, or how much your parents make if you’re not on your own yet. You need to change your environment. You need to become poor in almost every way possible.

Don’t let your standard of living rise along with your paycheck. Stop eating till you’re full. Live in a cheap—yet still habitable—apartment.

Or to simplify things, live like a broke college student as long as possible.

That is the key to staying hungry.

Your stuff doesn’t have to be garbage but don’t allow yourself to enjoy a lifestyle anything close to what you’re capable of achieving. The goal is to run from comfort as fast as you can. You want to deny that comfort with a passion.

Comfort is a sneaky fellow. He looks harmless at first glance, but don’t let him fool you. Give in to him a little bit, and soon you’ll be overweight, bored out of your mind, and paying bills on a car you can’t afford.

Fight the urge to be like everyone who wants to look successful. In fact, don’t even bother with the word “success” at all. Most people today chase a concept that has nothing to do with true success.

Those people don’t understand that they’re slaves to things. They’re chained to other people’s opinion of them. They can’t see that it’s better to live low while actually having the means to live it up.

A Different World

Speaking of living low, this all makes me think of my old apartment from a few years back.

Couldn’t stand the place.

There were stains all over the carpet. It had a queasy smell to it. And I’ve never had to kill that many roaches in my life.

But the funny thing was, I’ve never worked like I did while I was there.

I was so energetic in the mornings. I took more calculated risks. And I couldn’t wait to leave my place behind for the day.

I visited my parents’ place a few times while I was living there, and the difference in environments was unreal—their place was another planet to me. And I couldn’t believe I used to live there.

The bed was bigger. Their food was better. It was awesome.

But the problem was, I didn’t feel like doing anything.

My old place still gives me nightmares, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like how it made me feel. That was where I learned how to make the best out of any situation instead of always searching for the best one.

That environment developed a hunger within me, and I haven’t let it go since.

Live Like You Ain’t Got It

There’s something special about living low.

It changes your mentality. And it makes you want to perform.

I dare you to try it.

You don’t have to go the extreme route and downsize your home. But you can turn off the TV. You can stop eating till you’re full. You can lock yourself in a room to simulate a smaller living space.

There’s all kinds of changes you can make. All you have to do is let go of your ego. Stop keeping up with the Joneses, or Kardashians, or whoever else you’re trying to impress.

Live low, and stay hungry.

The only exception to this is your wardrobe. All the other stuff I’ve mentioned presents your lifestyle to others, but your clothes present you.

They’re not just your possessions, they’re an extension of yourself. And it’s important to respect yourself by dressing in a respectful manner.

Your clothes don’t have to be expensive, they just need to fit well and present yourself in a good light. Everyone can do better than a t-shirt and jeans each day.

If you look clean and presentable, people will be more open to what you bring to the table. No that doesn’t sound fair and that’s because it isn’t. But that’s reality for you—people will always judge you by your appearance.

Don’t give them a reason to deny you before you’ve even opened your mouth.