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How To Find Out What Really Drives You and What To Do With The Superpower When You Know (…it’s not always pretty)
Dan Pope
June 28, 2024
How To Find Out What Really Drives You and What To Do With The Superpower When You Know (…it’s not always pretty)
The Win is a Mirror to Your Drive.
We’ve had some absolutely HUGE wins recently.
HUNGRY can really kick on.
Podcasting is now my full time gig.
I’m incredibly excited.
After a huge win, it’s like runners high.
Everything is lucid and crystal clear.
If you sit with it for a moment.
Be present.
Like really, really present.
You’ll notice what ACTUALLY drives you.
It’s exciting.
And scary.
And weird.
And strange.
And wonderful.
The Win is a Mirror revealing in the cold light of day what really drives you.
But, the wins, also reveal some ghastly truths.
“Drive” is a multitude of different ingredients.
I vehemently disagree with Stephen Bartlett that all drive comes from pain or childhood trauma.
It’s click bait reductionism.
“Yeah mate, I think Annie Mac became a DJ because she loved the joy and play and fun of creating music”
“Not because her Dad didn’t give her white pudding for breakie and was bonking the Dinner Lady”
Petrol is made up of 150 different hydrocarbons.
Our drive, like petrol, is similar. It’s not made up of one ingredient
After a win, you’ll notice what REALLY drives you.
I chundered out this list, as I was walking
Fun
Joy
Pain
Neurosis
Messiah
Imposter
Anger
Helping others
Creativity
Play
Fear
Pride
Aggression
Happiness
Competitive
Winning
Fear of Losing
Doing amazing things
Legacy
Some thoughts rushing through my head:
“Wow, I’m so proud of myself…look what I’ve achieved… that’s fucking insane mate”
“This is FUCKING SICK… lets go baby… lets goooooooooo”
“Told you stupid fuckers that doubted me… you should never have fucking doubted me”
“Oh god… what if I lose everything” “What if everything goes Pete Tong??!!”
“This is fucking sick, I get to do a podcast for living… what the actual F”
“This is literally the best job in the world”
“Oh my god, that was a slog…am I going to burnout ”
“This is so much fun”
“Don’t you dare get complacent… keep pushing, keep pushing”
“Keep grafting, keep grafting
“I need a beer”
The Win Reveals The Drive
The Win Reveals The Drive
The Win Reveals The Drive
I’m totally neurotic
The Win Reveals The Drive
If you boil it down.
You can kinda split drive into two branches.
Your drive operates from two places.
1. Fear and Neurotic Drive
Anxious about competition
Imposter syndrome
Worried everything is going to go wrong
comparing yourself to others who are ahead
Anxiety about the future
highly competitive
“I have to do this”
this is hard.
I want to quit
2. Joy and Play DriveFocusing on yourself
backing yourself
Finding the play and joy in work
taking things slowly
“I get to do this”
I can’t believe this is actually my job
I am so lucky I get to do this
Most of the time I “try” to operate from Joy and Play Drive
Knowing what drives you is liberating.
The truth hides in the shade.
You can see your blind spots.
The Fear and Neurotic Drive Abyss
Knowing when I’m falling into the abyss of fear and neurotic drive is helpful.
I am usually burning out.
Overcooking it.
Last month, I recorded 16 podcasts, wrote 8 newsletters, did one live supper club, onboarded a new sponsor.
That took me from Joy and Play Drive to Fear and Neurotic Drive
I know. I hope.
I hope, I know that I need to slow down.
Work less.
Read more.
Chill.
See friends.
Take a holiday.
Eat a fucking sandwich.
Staying in Joy and Fun Play Drive requires Stoic Self Discipline
avoid these
Checking LinkedIn too often
Comparing yourself to other food and drink founders
Comparing yourself to others
Worrying about competition and the future
Checking sales figures more than 1 x per week (or downloads)
do this
Talk to friends outside of work - most of my mates have never listened to one of my podcast. I love that.
Do 3 hours of deep work a day. The rest is do absolutely fuck all.
Buttt…….Fear and Neurotic drive is USEFUL
there are many times a week, when I don’t want to write a newsletter or record a podcast.
there are many times when I feel nervous before podcasts, I think, I LITERALLY can’t do this.
I face thrashing, howling winds of “Resistance”.
fear and neurotic drive is great to push through resistance.
A force you can call upon to literally smash through obstacles.
When I push on the fear and neurotic drive accelerator it pulls me through.
But, I am trying to spend 80% of my time operating from Play and Joy drive.
What drives you?
Harry Clarke and Lili Wiranatha are doing EPIC work with EPIC brands -Holy Moly Dips, The Gut Stuff, Savyll Drinks, REMEO Gelato
Struggling to unlock distribution?
Sales pitch not landing?
Don’t want to hire a full time sales director - but need the advice and guidance?
Need a helping handing with account management to keep your beloved listing?
Please do yourself a favour.
Reach out to my boi, Harry Clarke, Harry may be able to help!
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