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What's the motivation behind the business?

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ItaloAmerican

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Hello everyone!

I'm an 18 year-old kid from Germany and over the past years I believe that I have proven to myself that I have what it takes to be successful in life. I've found that myself and others as well that I think differently and I can achieve more than others would, because I love to analyze people, thoughts, education systems, politics, environmental issues philosophical questions and everything that comes into my way. Not only at school, but also in sports and when I communicate with others I am constantly analyzing what they say, how they act and speak, why they think that way, what their background is and many other factors.

I want to achieve greatness and I'm warning you now: I'm young, I'm hungry and I'm foolish and I believe that I can change the world.

Anyway, deep inside I have this drive to create my own destiny and live freely. That's why I want to create my own business and be my own boss. I believe that only when you are holding the reins in your hands, you are able decide what to do, how to do it and when to do it without having to check if you are allowed to do what you are doing. That is the freedom I want.

The book has helped me a lot to gain insights on how to create a successful business. These insights are similar messages I have sought to find through other sources. Basically it's "find a gap that needs to be filled and fill it". In my opinion that is the most rational and in fact most obvious way to truly be successful.

But when I come to think of it, I'm a little torn when it comes to what my drive, my motivation to pursue my ideas should be. What should be the purpose of the business? Should I want to make a profit from it or should I try to help society? Should I want to make money or should I try to make difference for people? Should I change the size of my wallet or should I change villages, cities and countries for the better with my business.

I remember that in one passage of the book MJ DeMarco says something like: If you want to make money, you have to focus on the money. This is not a book to find your calling or anything, but it's about getting onto the Fastlane and making money. (Sorry for misquoting. I couldn't remember where the passage was written. I know it sounds a little evil, but that's the tone that I had in my head while I was reading it). Also, I know that the book is called "The Millionaire Fastlane ", so it is essentially all about becoming a Millionaire.

Nevertheless my question is, why can't you combine both? Shouldn't the purpose of life be to do something meaningful for others? By helping others, you help yourself, don't you? Don't focus on the money, focus on the people. As I was reading the book I had these thoughts coming up and was wondering what my motivation is or should be. After all there are great people in this world who made a difference and became wealthy. Steve Jobs for example. He didn't look at how to make money fast. He wanted to change the world and he did. His goal was not to retire at an early age. He loved what he did and made a lot of money next to it.
Now don't get me wrong, I'd love to have me some financial freedom, but at what cost?
I know this is kind of a philosophical matter and has little to do with making money and creating a profit, but I think it's an important question and I wanted to know if anyone else in this forum thought about this too or if I am the only one? Can somebody maybe relate? I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this subject!
 
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Formless

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You've dumped hope as a financial plan, good.

Now dump dogmatic, binary absolutism as a decision making process. These answers are a lot harder than that, and for good reason.

You're 18, you don't know what you don't know, and it's okay. You must have misinterpreted the context in which MJ has mentioned the quote (if he has actually said it, I'm re-reading the book right now and I haven't seen it so far). If you also remember what MJ calls the Wealth Trinity (3Fs) Family, Fitness, Freedom. That was his motivation.

You don't have to be MJ, it's okay not to be, but the key is to know that NOBODY WILL FIND THE ANSWER FOR YOU.

Expose yourself to the world, run, fall, get up, run again, and the answer will appear. To (butcher) ICK's quote, 'action precedes clarity.'
 

ilrein

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I've personally been inspired by The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand as the philosophical motivation for creative work -- the why to MJ's how.
 

Winning

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You will truly find your motivation after starting businesses. This focus might change over time but only you will know the motivation that gets you going everyday. @ItaloAmerican It's good to have financial motivation like cars,homes,etc but at the same time you might have a burning passion to fix a certain issue and create a business of it.
 
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Rick2010

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You articulate well for an 18 year old; good for you! I'm not sure where I read this, but (paraphrasing) "Quit chasing money. Money will come when you focus on creating value."
 

Ninjakid

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Don't ask us what your motivation should be. If you're as motivated and ambitious as you sound, you shouldn't give two f***s about what your motivation should be.

I think you kind of got the wrong message from the book. Yes, the fastlane is basically about creating wealth for yourself, but it's not to say that it's all about chasing money, and just retiring early. There are people on this forum who all they care about is chasing money, and they never get anywhere. Even if they attain a great amount of money, they're empty inside. Fastlane is ultimately about having freedom and abundance. Abundance can be bought with money. You have a lot more freedom when you don't have to worry about bills or going to work for a slave-master. Money can improve your health, as poverty is usually linked to stress which in turn brings its own myriad of diseases. Relationships I think have more to do with yourself as a person, but with wealth you can give the people close to you a better life.

Be your own person. Have your own values.
 

Journey2Million$

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I don't have any great noble purpose to help the world and I don't feel like I need one. I just want to make a lot of money and achieve it by doing things that are reasonably enjoyable or agreeable to me and not by doing things that I hate.

Would anybody go to the great lengths that they do to build a business if it wasn't for the money? No way. If it doesn't involve money, it's called a hobby.
 
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Polarbeans

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You are asking all the wrong questions, son!

Change all those 'whats', 'whens' and 'hows' to Why. If you can answer the why, the rest will follow and you will find a way. It's the why that keeps you thinking and gets you going.

I want to achieve greatness and I'm warning you now: I'm young, I'm hungry and I'm foolish and I believe that I can change the world.

Don't get me wrong here, I really love your enthusiasm. But being young, in most cases except that you have more time is not automatically a positive thing. Quite paradoxical, I admit. But young people (including myself) always think we have an edge over elderly people just because we are young and ambitious. I know a man, close to our family, who is about 55. He runs a chain of grocery stores, a real estate company and is a VC of several other startups around the region. 80 % of all his creations are done by after the age of 50 (might also be correlated to the accumulation of compounding wealth). Fact of the matter is that young people are in most cases very naive about their surrounding world, which is fine, it's how life is.

James Altucher did "nothing the first 27 years of his life." If you would ask him he would probably say that over 80 % of his creations are made after he turned 30.

Your words about being young, hungry and foolish is something that I recall from MJ's profile picture. Those 20 words you've written in bold, those answers your what, and in a way who. "What are you?", "Who are you?". But not the why... Obviously we all know why you are young, but why are you hungry? Why are you foolish?

And don't answer these questions with a combination of the explanation of those words applied to your personal characteristics, answer them with the REAL why. It's almost, sorry, it is a philosophical research venture into your own mind.

Take tons of action, start a business or whatever you want to do, grind it, and eventually you will find your why and when you do - that's when you realize it's a lifestyle and a process, not an event.
 
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D11FYY

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Rep transfer for that @rwiman
Great post!
 

Ninjakid

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adding to the great points that @rwiman made, young people are more easily impressionable, and quicker to waiver and their path.

You might be pumped up right now and think you can take on the world, but business isn't always as glamorous as it seems. If you ever create something of tremendous value, you will probably be brought to your wits end at least a few times. You resolve will be tested. You will have to decide for yourself how bad you want it, because there will be times when it's easier to just give up.

It may sound fun to be "young and foolish", but as an entrepreneur you need to have a mind as sharp as a katana, and a resolve as hard as stone. I'm not saying this to discourage you, but so you can take the advice from some of the more experienced members here and be a success story rather than one of the many who quickly give up.
 
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