How do you guys get psyched?
Hi, monkeys!
The title is pretty self-explanatory: how do you get pumped for stuff (presentation, studying, working out, a regular day of work)?
Thank you!
Hi, monkeys!
The title is pretty self-explanatory: how do you get pumped for stuff (presentation, studying, working out, a regular day of work)?
Thank you!
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I look at my biceps
Listen to Gucci Mane
music
I find that doing A TON OF COCAINE always makes me feel like a boss, 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND! #MeatIsMurder #PeaceLuvVeganism
As someone said, Gucci Mane
Basically, I just internalize being a cocky piece of shit. I just convince myself that I'm better than anyone else, and that I'm untouchable. Might be a tad bit sociopathic, but it works for me.
Also, I bump that new T. Swift.
Pump yourself up to do something you don't want to? (Originally Posted: 10/15/2013)
For those of you who work at a HF (and presumably love your job) who have gone the IB->HF route, how did you pump yourself up to first get that IB role and keep with it?
I've wanted to invest/trade since HS and nothing has changed. However, my current role blows balls and I'm not getting any useful skills out of it. Thus, I'm trying to jump into an IB role to get that experience. However, I'm finding it real difficult to even consider slaving through that shit for 2 years just so I can get that chance at a decent HF. I hate lying through my teeth to people I network with when I say "Yea, I totes want to do M&A forever". It's just a damned stepping stone that kills me a little inside when I think about it.
So how did you deal with it? Or were you actually interested in the IB work even though you knew the HF world was where you wanted to be?
Have you considered going to sell-side equity research to get to a HF? Although not as beaten a path as IB--->HF, you can definitely get to a HF through sell-side research and the work is much more similar to HF work than IB is. ER also places well into mutual funds/asset management, if that interests you also.
lol this is a big part of why i'm dreading the next two years.
I read in another thread you are going to an elite boutique. I am going into IB because I am genuinely interested in it. I don't think I could if I wasn't. If you don't mind me asking, why are you going into it if you're not interested? Money and exit ops? How did you feel during your internship/what will you do to get through the 2 years? Genuinely curious.
"totes" ---> fag
Is anger the best motivator? (Originally Posted: 10/12/2012)
Just a brief thought:
Have you ever hit the gym when angry and done so much more? Have you seen the bitterness exhibited in some of the most successful entrepreneurs that they had from the start of their life.
Aside from the physical side (that would be down to hormones), anger does make you see red, and discard lots of self preservation and risk evasion that you would otherwise do (back down in a fight, submit to an armed opponent).
However this also has a positive, if harnessed correctly.
Yes I just took a real hit today (personal life) and I've done everything I've been meaning to get done but didnt get round to doing and its not even 4pm here.
Get mad, get even.
Not a bad observation. Think the way that people deal with anger is very different. I definitely thrive when angry, sounds like you do as well. But others tend to shut down and it actually makes them far less productive than otherwise - IMO this is most women. Maybe there is some difference between the way that men and women react to anger?
Not even going to lie, most of the super successful (self-made) entrepreneurs I know worked harder than anyone else to make it - basically to throw it in someones face, whether it be unsupportive parents, peers or otherwise. Point is, anger can definitely be one of the most powerful motivators out there.
Agree 100% with this. But in the long run you must try to let the anger go otherwise it will break you.
Rage is more useful than despair. However, it's not sustainable and the emotion eventually wears off leading to bitterness and fatigue. Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Decision making beyond that point is insanity.
Use anger in a crisis, but know when to fold it up and put it away.
In the long term, being realistic and consistently putting effort into something worthwhile is where I'm choosing think.
Anger is a fairly good motivator.
Fear is better.
Doing what you love? That's the best motivator, though.
I enjoy stress as a motivator, because when you accomplish something that was gives you sleepless nights, there's no better high.
Anger drove me for a good five or six years in my early 20's. There were days all I thought about was how I was going to fuck over the people who stood in my way when I finally made it. I was the master of disproportionate response back then. If you did something that cost me a grand, I'd try to set you up to lose your house. My thinking was that if I developed that reputation people would be too scared to come at me. In a lot of ways it worked.
I'm not advocating rage, but it sure worked for me.
I think my best motivator is guilt. When I am hungover I am the most productive person I will ever be. Saturday morning extremely hung? Sure I'll do the dishes, clean up, vacuum, do my laundry, go buy groceries and cook. If I had stayed in the night before? None of that will get done. So either guilt or being hungover, not sure which, probably both.
This is absolutely insane, I am beyond impressed... you must have some magical power or something.
Great for the gym or for certain types of concerts. Not for anything else in work or life, in my opinion.
True. My ex is a typical type-A, once he had a heated argument with another guy, and that guy literally threw a laptop out of the window of the office on the 21/F. Then my ex realized that losing temperament at work would only make one look like a bipolar psycho. He went to gym since then.
It's beyond frustrating to get anything done in the morning here smoothly, so i go to the gym at lunch and come back refreshed and stuff.
I have a pretty hot temper to begin with, but definitely agree going to the gym when you're pissed off is a great release
My old boss was a strong believer in fear. Every cycle he would hire 3 new employees (even though we were the best group in our market. He would tell you those 3 new employees were going to replace 3 of you so don’t be the ones replaced. Then he would remind you of that fact at least twice a day. I remember being so worried for the first couple of times and watching great analyst being fired just to keep the fear level up. I finally became angry at the guy and worked my ass off to get my stats up for my MBA. So anger and fear are great motivators but I would argue they only work temporarily and the turnover is very high. The group eventually collapsed and merged with a bigger group and the manager was laid-off (karma).
it worked on the football field, i can say that much
It depends imo. For pretty much all athletic endeavors I'd say yes. As far as professionally, I'd say only if you're an athlete or entrepreneur (again imo). Besides those, I see no reason why anger would make you better, but several why it would make you worse. I'm sure if you had an interview/ meeting and the first thing you said was "can we make this fast, I'm having an awful day and am pissed off" it'd go splendid. Yet that same attitude would make you power through any type of work, a gym sesh, a study sesh, etc. You just wouldn't come off very pleasantly in the process, which at the end of the day is all that matters (unless you're an athlete or entrepreneur.... full circle).
Also, "But in the long run you must try to let the anger go otherwise it will break you"- this. In MOST cases anger is productive, in ALL cases it is unsustainable.
I don't think anger leads to great productivity, generally, I think the opposite is true. I do think that just about every successful person I know has a chip on their shoulder/something to prove about something. That is a very long-term motivation for a lot of people.
So true dude, so true.
anger is a good motivator in the sense that it forces change, as such its a good motivator
Hot chicks motivate me. If I can show that hottie at the bar the flawless pitchbook and 30-tab model I stayed up all night to build, then my chances of scoring will at least double.
@"Ron Paul" definitely has a good point; that is probably the best long term motivator. In the short run, I think anger helps more, but many people are prone to burn out quickly.
Anger can be a destructive emotion. It can make you do stupid things, disregard risks, give away advantage and alienate/hurt your support groups, relationships and people who care about you and who can be useful to you.
That said, it probably makes sense to acknowledge the fact that you are angry and to try to understand why you are feeling so and think about how you can better position yourself/deal with your situation. Think more than one step ahead. Don't just react, be proactive and deliberate instead.
I know this is general, but we don't know if you're angry because of bullying at work, being mugged or because the girl you like decided to go for the sleazy guy instead of you.
I largely concur--let off steam if you have to, but then wise up.
I think it works in short spurts for relatively insignificant things but constant anger will give you tunnel vision and that can work against you in the long run.
In my opinion, there's a big difference between being angry because someone offended your pride, which can be HIGHLY constructive, and being angry because something stupid happened to you like you dented your car or broke your new iPad, etc. The latter would probably just put you in a bad mood.
We are prideful animals. The harder someone knocks your ego, the harder it'll knock back.
Well I mean, it can be the best motivator, if you wanna be, I dunno, a serial killer. Or batman. But for most things, I think enjoying what youre doing/having passion for it, or wanting to better yourself might be more straightforward if nothing else.
I agree with OP that anger is a big motivator in the gym. However, in our daily lives we burn out quickly when we are always angry. I like this study below which shows that "aggressive," i.e. angry, films increase 3RM squats MORE than all other types*. The problem with the aggressive/angry films is that they increase the stress hormone cortisol which can cause burnouts. I would venture to guess that the watching the erotic films, who also showed a big increase in the 3RM, would preform better in a long workout. This is why when I'm at the gym I close my eyes and think about what I did the night before. Life is like a distance race be the tortoise and not the hare.
Aggression can often be helpful, if you can control it. Just make sure its not irascibility, because that will be detrimental to whatever you do.
How do you motivate yourself to go to the gym? (Originally Posted: 01/07/2017)
Recently, I read a Business Insider article that listed 17 ways to trick yourself into going to the gym. Some of my favorites are leaving your gym bag at your office, thinking about the money you're pouring into a gym membership, mixing up your workout, entering any and all gym challenges, and already expecting not to enjoy every moment of working out.
We all know how important it is to stay fit. What are some ways you motivate yourself to go to the gym, especially during a rough week?
I just go to relieve stress, chill out, and listen to music. These are things I don't typically do throughout the day so...
That's pretty much it...after while you'll realize how much better you'll feel and then it just becomes a habit.
What motivates me most is the results that I see. After a while, though, you realize that only other dudes admire them :(
If you can get yourself to start hitting the gym regularly, you will hit a point where you will feel like crap unless you go to the gym.
I personally get moody now if I don't hit the gym at least once over a 2-3 day period.
It helps to have a gym buddy though. I used to work out with a friend all the time in college and we could motivate each other to go. On the days I didn't feel like going or didn't feel like doing an extra set, having someone else to rely on is great. The competition is great too, few things are more humiliating than having to pull weights off the bench that your friend was just on when it is your turn to do a set.
First of all, stop reading that BI garbage. Trick yourself? Are you kidding me?
If you don't want to go then don't go.
I just run everyday. Usually around 10 miles, it gives me a couple of hours just to myself, otherwise the entire day is filled with emails from idiots.
Discipline and caffeine.
I go to a gym with a bunch of really, really hot girls. I found it was much more motivating than when I went to another gym with very few girls at all.
Equinox!
If you have to trick your self to do something you got bigger problems than going to the gym
It's a guilt free excuse to listen to Migos and Young Thug for a couple hours.
Recruiting Motivation (Originally Posted: 09/20/2012)
Good evening monkeys. I'm on this new Thursday at 9pm time slot, and I know you all can't get enough of my writing in the mornings, so now you get more of me throughout the week! You're all welcome!
You know what guys? Staying motivated during recruitment can be tough. People around you are getting offers, maybe you're not getting as many interviews as you were hoping for, or maybe you're really tired of the entire process -- but in any case, for some folks it's easy to think about throwing in the towel.
Well fear not, tonight I'm going to share some things that have been successful in giving me a motivational boost in the past, and maybe they'll help you out as well. 1. Good Will Hunting I feel like this is a movie that a lot of monkeys like, and maybe our very own "Will Hunting" can comment on why that is. It is, I think, one of my favorite movies ever, and trust me: I've seen a lot of movies.
Look - you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fin' kill you. That's not a threat; now, that's a fact. I'll fin' kill you.
Why does this movie motivate me? I'm not really sure I can point to a clear reason, but for whatever reason, every time I see this movie (and trust me, I watch it pretty frequently), I feel like I can take on the world and am ready to face any and all odds. It's really a brilliant movie about overcoming adversity and finding one's self, and the history of the movie -- Damon and Affleck's attempts to pitch it to various studios -- is quite an inspirational one to boot.
2.
This one has been posted on WSO a million times (and I think at least once in the past couple of weeks), but you can't expect me to come up with new content every single week right? Right?
No, but seriously, this video is incredibly inspiring. Everything about it makes me stand up and express "wtf am I doing with my life?" when I watch it, which gets my candy ass into gear immediately.
Some backstory about this video: based on my research, the young man in the video did not make it to the NFL, but he damn sure did everything he possibly could to make it, and still continues to try to grind in even though he has finished up at ECU. You think you're going to be crushed when you don't get your FT IBD offer? How about if you've dedicated your entire life to something and just barely miss the cut-off? Yeah, real talk.
As Coach Gaines says at the end of Friday Night Lights (movie, not show, but the show is the greatest ever): Now most of you have been playing this game for ten years. You got two more quarters and after that most of you will never play this game again as long as you live. Never again as long as you live. Real talk.
This one is also great
3. Politics Doesn't matter if you're Red of Blue or any color in between, most people will admit that politicians have worked a great deal to reach their positions and have maneuvered tactfully (at least in most cases) for years upon years. Whether or not you have political aspirations, one thing that really gets me motivated is watching a political speech (hopefully I agree with whoever is speaking, but it's actually not necessary). Obviously politicians are generally good at both speaking and inspiring others (or maybe I'm just a sucker), but whenever I feel like I'm ready to throw in the towel, a good political speech usually gets me right back up.
That's all I've got for you tonight. What do you guys use to stay motivated when the times get tough? Real answers please...no Adderral or whatever else you college kids use to study these days.
Grow a pair? Dude if you can't stay motivated enough to get through recruiting season how do you ever plan to work the long hours and motivate to excel in your job. Recruiting is the most exciting part of the whole process.
How about graduating with no job, moving back to your parents' basement and working a McJob?
People need motivation help to find a job these days? No wonder our country is going down the crapper.
I don't think this post was meant to give people motivation to find a job, I'd say most people on here are ambitious and hustle hard. Today's job market is miserable and ones outlook can become pretty dismal after going through dozens of interviews to no avail. Interviewing is an ego-bruising process, it's good to have some motivation to sack up and push forward after interview #25.
just my .02
Well I can really relate. It's tempting to just settle for that gov analyst job. Especially with all the talk about how hard the job market on wall street is.
I think its a problem some people have in spades. Just naturally. When dealing with a stressful problem- some people either "fight" or "flight". Flight, of course, is easy- and some people are just prone to do the easy thing. They can rationalize that 2nd tier gov job- maybe procrastinate and say I'll try to break into Finance again later.
The other problem is people who have a certain mindset of win or lose with no middle ground. The poster above paints a stark picture: success or living with parents and working at McD. It's incorrect- but it helps. It's incorrect to stress out about that B that will lower your GPA from a 3.5 to a 3.45- but it helps.
In conclusion, its intrinsic. And if you aren't this way naturally- then you're pretty much at a major disadvantage in life. Adderall ain't gonna help with motivation- neither will Prozac if you're not legitimately depressed. You just have to want it bad enough and consistently enough.
Guys, if I'm not mistaken, by motivation he means fighting through the disappointment/impatience/uncertainty etc. of watching others interview. I don't think he meant it as some mopey emo pondering life, etc.
3 makes me think of Robert Caro's LBJ books such as Master of the Senate. Damn thing must be 90,000 pages but talk about a networker.
"Luck plays a part in success, but you'll find that the harder you work, the luckier you get" - @MikeBloomberg
Solid post. Just got put on hold after an interview I thought I nailed. Rejection isn't fun but you have to bounce back. I'm admittedly a huge Giants fan and watching Andre Brown light it up tonight after being cut by 7 teams sure gave me a boost.
i loved the look on #35's face throughout the whole game today. We might have found our future back for years to come
What to do when you are demotivated? (Originally Posted: 09/01/2011)
Hi all,
Its been demotivating so far for me after receiving quite a few refusals recently. Do you know good therapy to stay positive? Share with me.
What I like to is to stay positive. Believe it or not your attitude does determine your altitude. Throughout the years I have gotten knocked down but I have always got up. One of my mentors told me this:
"I have a $100, Do you want it? " Well of course I said yes. Then he took it and he crumbled it and he asked me again if still wanted it. Of course I still said yes. He threw the bill on the floor and step on it and asked me again if I still wanted it. Of course I said yes.
Then he told me no matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $100. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are Special-Don't EVER forget it.
I never forgot that. I always think back to what he said.
Also take a look at the secret documentary.
What I like to is to stay positive. Believe it or not your attitude does determine your altitude. Throughout the years I have gotten knocked down but I have always got up. One of my mentors told me this:
"I have a $100, Do you want it? " Well of course I said yes. Then he took it and he crumbled it and he asked me again if still wanted it. Of course I still said yes. He threw the bill on the floor and step on it and asked me again if I still wanted it. Of course I said yes.
Then he told me no matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $100. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are Special-Don't EVER forget it.
I never forgot that. I always think back to what he said.
Also take a look at the secret documentary.
General motivational issues (Originally Posted: 01/12/2013)
Good afternoon fellow monkeys,
I'm working at a MM restructuring boutique. I started in 2011 and although I'm not quite unhappy I want to fly at higher game. To be honest I want to be one of those of the WSO success story editors. My boutique does have a very high dealflow right now due to the economic environment, but I don't want to stay here forever. I do not have a specified ultimate goal (aka GS special situations) but I wan't to get as high/prestigious as possible. I've passed CFA Level in December and I'm studying for Level II in June. In addition I want to go to B-school in 2015 (also no particular goal like H/W/S, which would be tremendous thing, just focusing on getting as prestigious as possible. I'm planning to apply to 8-9 B-Schools)
So, what bothers me is that from time to time I do have motivational issues, because the future is unpredictable. How do you keep yourself motivated although you never know that your plans will work out? I hve dedicated my life to achieve my professional goals and all the things that come with it.
I know there are a lot of WSO members that want to "break in". How do you keep yourself motivated? What are you going to to if your plans don't work out? What is it that keeps you motivated?
tl;dr
I want to do the most prestigious things possible. I don't have any specific goals, just the more prestige the better.
Find something to motivate you that isn't prestige- if that is all you have going for you you'll be constantly miserable.
Yeh, honestly: work out what you really want to do with your life and pursue it.
Very hard to get motivation to study for finals with FT set (Originally Posted: 04/27/2014)
Only thing that keeps me going is the possibility of needing the highest GPA for an MBA in the future.
Go study or regret later.
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