I Don't Try to Motivate Myself

Every now and again, I like to bring you interviews to give you a new perspective on work happiness. During my study of work happiness I have found that there are many paths to the same goal. Some people believe that loving what you do is a must, while other people believe that relationships are vital to enjoying the work that we do. Interviews are a great way to get out of your own perspective and see what other people are doing to develop their superpowers and live their passions.

The art of nonconformity has been taken to a new level by by Chris Guillebeau. He has built small empire, maximized his airline miles to get free flights all over the world, and has traveled to over half of the countries on our planet. An amazing man that's hard to track down, but he was kind enough to give me an interview. Oh, I almost forgot as he does all this awesome stuff so he can help you do it too. Check out unconventional guides on his website. (Affiliate link) He is also relaunching the Empire Building Kit today, so join in and learn how to create your own online empire.

Karl: Do you believe that you must love what you do to be successful? Why?

Chris: I don't think you must, but I think it's much easier. And certainly much more fun.

What was the most difficult part about building your business?

Sustaining interest over a long period of time. I'm much better at starting things and moving on.

How do you cultivate work happiness in your career?

I like to ask why questions. Why am I doing this? What do I really want? What really matters? Thinking about those things helps with focus.

What do you do to help yourself stay motivated and productive?

I don't try to motivate myself -- or at least, I should say when I do try to motivate myself, it doesn't work very well. I think it's better to find a way to do what you are already motivated to do. (Jim Collins wrote about this in Good to Great.)

How do you maintain harmony between your working and non-working life?

I don't really separate the two. I'm fortunate to do what I love, so life/work balance isn't something I think about.

If you are feeling down, what do you do to lift your spirits?

I look for the cause. If there's not an easily-identifiable one, then I know it's just a thing that will pass sooner or later. I often get lonely when I travel by myself, but I don't think loneliness is always a bad thing.

What is your biggest detriment to work happiness? How do you deal with this issue?

When I find myself spending too much time on things I shouldn't -- I can make myself miserable pretty quickly. To improve it, I try to stop. 🙂

If you could give work happiness advice to someone just starting their own business in 140 characters or less (Twitter style) what would it be?

Whether work or life, I like this one: You don't have to live your life the way other people expect you to.

Don't forget to check out Chris' blog where he writes articles about traveling and building a sustainable online business.

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* Lance of the Jungle of Life and Katie of the Levity Project are doing another happiness video. You should join in. It will make you happy. I promise. Check out the details right here and here.

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