Are you motivated in life and business?

I have a goal that is either inspiring or completely delusional (depending on who you ask). I want to shoot my age in golf by my 95th birthday. For non-golfers, that means scoring a 95 when I am 95 years old. It is a lofty ambition, but every goal needs a healthy dose of optimism to ignore the opinions of those standing behind the ropes.

Problem is, achieving this goal requires me to do things I don’t particularly enjoy. One of those things is gaining five pounds. Now five pounds doesn’t sound like much. In fact, I can gain five pounds simply by walking past a bakery and inhaling fresh baked apple fritters. But those five pounds have to be muscle. Not fat. Those five pounds represent something much larger. They represent discipline, more workouts, better diet, which leads to extra years of healthspan, the period of life when I can still play golf rather than watch it from my couch.

Knowing all of this should make gaining five pounds easy, right? But it doesn’t. Every morning I awake knowing the benefits. I weigh in, record my numbers, and eat protein. But by evening, I find myself negotiating with a second bowl of rice or M&Ms. The health benefits are clear. The motivation is not.

As I thought about my health goal, I realized that many small business owners face the same challenge when it comes to their business. Most entrepreneurs understand that building a strong brand benefits their business. They know a brand creates trust, attracts customers, differentiates them from competitors, and often allows them to charge more. They know that a well-crafted brand is an investment, not an expense. Yet many hesitate to hire a professional branding agency.

It’s remarkably similar to my relationship with putting on muscle at my age. The benefits are obvious. The action is difficult.

As I tell myself, “I’ll start eating better next week,” many business owners say, “We’ll work on our brand after we get through this busy season.” Unfortunately, “next week” and “after busy season” live in the same dreamland as bogey-free golf or stress-free physicals.

The problem is that both goals involve delayed gratification. If I skip dessert tonight, I don’t wake up tomorrow looking like a PGA Tour athlete. Likewise, a business owner doesn’t hire a branding agency on Monday and become an industry leader by Friday. Positive results take time.

Another challenge is that both require spending resources now for benefits later. I must invest effort, discipline, and perhaps say goodbye to a few M&Ms. Business owners must invest money, trust, and time into a professional branding process.

This is where agencies like AdMaki Creative come in. A good branding agency doesn’t simply create a logo.
It helps businesses define who they are, why customers should care, and how to communicate that message consistently. In other words, it helps turn potential into performance.

So tomorrow, I’ll try once again to put on muscle. And if you’re a small business owner, perhaps tomorrow is also the day to invest in your brand. For me, waiting until I feel inspired is often a recipe for standing still. Whether you’re chasing a golf score or business success, the hardest step is the first one.

Cheers, mark.