Urgency is Motivational Rocket Fuel

The following is adapted from Thank You, Cancer.

I don’t know where I would be right now if I hadn’t been diagnosed with cancer. I don’t know what would have motivated me to grow up so much, so quickly—and I still have a long way to go. But I do know that the urgency that came with that diagnosis changed everything.

That urgency put everything into perspective. There was no rescue coming. To this day, the odds are not in my favor. If I don’t push forward, every single day, I could lose time. I could die.

While I wouldn’t wish my journey on anyone else, I do hope you can find some of the same urgency I use to fuel my daily life. Cancer is a continual gun to my head, and the trigger could be pulled at any moment. What if you knew you had thirty days to make that habit? Six months to get your business off the ground? What if you had to change your eating habits or you would die?

If you live with the knowledge that time is valuable and we only have so much of it, it’s harder to justify wallowing in self-pity. It’s harder to give some of that time over to doubt and loneliness. You still can…but why would you?

Urgency Beats Prioritizing, Any Day

If you break a bone, what do you do? You don’t finish watching a TV show before you go to the ER. You naturally put all your attention into solving the problem.

When I was a kid, all of the influences and motivational icons in my life talked about time. I was able to catch enough of their meaning to develop a work ethic, but I never really understood how limited time can be. For most of us, it isn’t until something tragic happens that we find that urgency and the value of time.

So why is it that we don’t have time to go to the gym, or we don’t have time to work on the business we’ve dreamed about? Why don’t we have time for ourselves, time in our mornings, time to sleep well? Do we have time for our kids, time for our friends, time for our family?

None of us knows when we’re going to die. Not even the most skilled doctor with a clear diagnosis knows who will beat the odds. Life is precious and can be taken away in an instant. Since knowing that I have to act quickly or my time might be up, I’ve been able to take risks. I’ve been able to experiment. I’ve been able to get uncomfortable and ultimately achieve my goals.

Now I act like cancer’s coming for every aspect of my life. With the way I eat and take care of myself, I’m constantly reminded that consistency will save my life. Now I think about my business in the same way: what if not making $2,000 on that new venture this month would bring the cancer back? In that case, I’d better find a way to get it done.

Not because it’s on a to-do list. Not because someone else said it’s an important goal. Because the stakes are so high that I can’t not do it. What would it take to instill a sense of urgency in your life? You may not have a cancer diagnosis to contend with, but you still have limited time on this planet and big dreams you want to accomplish. What’s so important that you can muster a sense of urgency to get it done? Channel that urgency. Let it fuel you.

Find a Way to Access a Sense of Urgency

I love talking to my customers, followers, and listeners about the things they’re up against. I love it because I know what’s possible. Whatever they’re facing that seems fully impossible now will look completely different once they’ve conquered it.

Usually, it’s a goal they’ve been working on for a long time, or a sudden obstacle that they aren’t sure how to conquer. Most of the time, they know what they need to do. The problem is, it’s way too easy for them to talk themselves out of taking action in the first place.

Finding urgency isn’t about losing yourself in your work. Really, I just want to unlock your true capabilities. What is possible for you if you let go of your doubts, invest your precious time, and focus all of your energy and efforts on your goals?

What are you unhappy with? What do you want to create? What do you dream of? The clock is ticking.

If You Take Action, You Can’t Lose

Remember this: there is no failure if you try. If you don’t take the risk, you’ll stay stuck in that job, at that weight, with that illness, with those unfulfilled dreams…but if you do try, if you do take action, you can’t lose. No matter what, you’ll learn something, and that’s a huge win. Make the most of your time. Pick a course of action and get consistent with it. Get lots of input from different people. Do research. Experiment. Change your mindset.

Do the work now, before it’s too late.

We don’t have time to be passive. We don’t have time to wait for everything to be perfect. Figure out what odds you’re beating—accept the obstacle in front of you—and put that lens of urgency on your own life. What do you need to do to beat those odds? What will it take to achieve your dreams?

The moment you open your eyes to what’s possible, even though there are obstacles in front of you, is the moment your journey begins. That’s when the true beauty of life begins to unfold—when you know just how short it is and just how much you can accomplish in that time.

For more advice on urgency, you can find Thank You, Cancer on Amazon.

Logan Sneed is a brain cancer survivor and entrepreneur whose online business generated a six-figure income before his 21st birthday. A stage-4 cancer diagnosis didn’t derail Logan’s desire to reinvent himself every day and pursue the dreams he wasn’t ready to give up. Today, Logan is an inspirational public speaker, social media influencer, ketogenic diet expert, and a best-self coach with a passion for personal transformation. To learn more or connect with Logan, visit LoganSneed.com.