So over the past few weeks to be honest I have found myself struggling with keeping motivation. This is impacting both work and home life, I have found I peak with a massive burst of positivity and drive, then the next day struggle to get out of bed and face the day. We have all been there right!
I did the things that have helped in the past, like listing the positives and negatives of work, home and personal situations. It gave me a small bump but it didn't last. I re-listened and re-read some of the motivational and personal improvement books, again small bump of positivity.
Then boom from the most unlikely source things have dropped into place, I have re-ignited the fire inside me for personal and professional development, and my positivity if fully charged.
So what was this source, I hear you ask? Well the source I suppose is my eldest son at it's root. For the past few months he has been asking to watch the Rocky films, my wife and I deliberated for a while and put it off. The a few weeks ago we relented and over the past few weekends we have watch Rocky I to IV, and yes this was my inspiration. Who would have thought it Rocky Balboa, The Italian Stallion fired my belief in myself and gave me the spark I was searching to find.
Why I hear you ask well hear me out, during these films I found myself realising Rocky is the perfect story of change and transformation.
There he was plodding along doing a job he didn't want to do just to live and sporadically doing the thing he loved but not with the commitment he needed to be a success. Then a chance came along one that he was not ready for but it gave him the focus and time to dedicate to improve his passion. It meant a hell of a lot of hard-work and setbacks and even though he didn't get the reward straight away he made other believe in him and more importantly in himself that he could make it.
Throughout the next three films he shows everything that people and companies go through he gets the success by working hard and changing his training and ways of working. He then coasts and loses his drive and hunger. To be then overtaken by a competitor that wants its more does he give up? No he changes how he trains and fights, learns new ways and approaches and wins again. He keeps his stays true to what he is good at, getting hit hard and getting up and going again, but learns new ways to adapt and complement his core skills.
Yes the films are cheesy but the message is clear.
To succeed yes you have a talent, but you also
need to put in the hard yards
need stay true to your core skills and values
adapt to your challenges
don't rest on your laurels or what got you where you are
keep learning
keep hungry
Harness the eye of the tiger and remember " If I can change and you can change everybody can change"
p.s Rocky V is not included in this as I think franchise lost it's way a little with that, but maybe I will re-watch the weekend.