Monday Motivation, 11.8.2021

Written by: Ben Rogers

Every Monday, The Rogers-Long Team meets for one of its two weekly meetings. The Monday meeting always ends with “Monday Motivation” in which a few minutes are spent listening to one team member presenting a quote, a quick reading from a book, a scene from a movie, or anything else they find motivating to provide a “spark” to the whole team on a Monday morning.

Like any other sports fanatic and like most driven people, I live by motivational quotes and sayings. A lot of times when I talk to others, it feels like I’m speaking in cliché. Cliché can turn people off but when it comes to accomplishing whatever the current mission is, committing to the cliché never fails.

I was in many leadership positions throughout high school and college, primarily on the football field as a team captain for a majority of my playing days. In the “real world,” I am also in a lot of leadership positions in small business, fundraising campaigns, and at home with my family. These leadership “positions,” however, are just words. Words mean nothing without action. To quote part of a poem I recite to my daughter each evening: “You’re confident, you’re smart, you’re driven, although…those are just words, you’ll reap what you sow.”

Conviction and action behind the words that I speak have led me to where I am today…and wherever I am, I’m not “there” yet. There are a lot of years left to live, experiences left to be had, lessons to learn, relationships to build, and areas to improve. There’s no doubt about that. Over the years that I have experienced as a leader, however, I’ve developed consistency in what I believe and what I act on and these are things that I am certain will prove to be timeless in my life.

One of my clients shared with me an exercise a couple months ago where he was challenged to start writing what he believed. Simple task, but the results were incredible. Like most other “cliché” quotes, I agreed with most if not all of what he wrote. What he does with his convictions, however, is what will make or break him. I’ve been fortunate to see him act on his beliefs, and these have developed a sort of “philosophy” for how he lives his life and how he performs as a leader. I know he’ll only continue to get better as he consistently acts on his convictions.

As I attempt to develop a philosophy or framework for how I live and perform as a leader, and as I continue to look for ways to help others improve while staying rooted in what I believe, I wanted to do the same exercise and share it with you. So, I’m writing this at 31 years old on Sunday, November 7^th, 2021. I’ve accomplished a lot, and I’ve failed a lot too. But win or lose, this is what I BELIEVE…

I believe…that being prepared and on time is the simplest way to show that you care and have respect for the task at hand and the people involved. “Lombardi Time” should be the standard.

I believe…in the power of a consistent morning routine that starts early enough to raise eyebrows. If you can’t control your morning, you can’t control the rest of the day. If you find me someone that you’d consider productive without a consistent morning routine, I believe I can help them become more productive with one. 

I believe…that “busy” is the most offensive word in the dictionary. Being “busy” is not a badge of honor; it’s proof that you’re underprepared, overcommitted, or a combination of both.

I believe…that my team will win…every time. Why would you ever compete if you don’t think you can be the best?

I believe…that rags to riches stories are incredible, but it doesn’t matter where you came from if you want to be rich, whatever “rich” means to you. I just believe that if you want to be rich, you better bring a rag and do the dirty work.

I believe…everyone lies. I don’t believe that everyone lies to others; unfortunately, we all lie to ourselves. I believe that when you stop lying to yourself and do what you said you would do, you’ll experience a sense of freedom you never knew existed.

I believe…that being organized is a choice. If you think you’re an unorganized person, you are. I believe the best leaders are organized so if you want to become a better leader, choose to organize your crap.

I believe…the single greatest characteristic of a great leader is integrity. It requires discipline to do what you say you’re going to do and it requires conviction to say “no.”

I believe…the single greatest characteristic of a great teammate is a positive attitude. I believe that if you feel good, everyone else around you feels good. Try smiling next time you answer the phone…I believe it will make you feel good.

I believe…that if you feel good, you probably think you look good, which means you’re probably going to play good. I believe that one of the quickest ways to feel good and look good is to get a haircut, get your car washed, or buy a new pair of shoes.

I believe…that you have complete control over the energy you have each day and I believe the more energy you bring, the greater chance you have to win.

I believe…that any game you play is more fun than the practice is requires, but the practice is always more important.

I believe…that we are all given gifts from God, but they aren’t obvious. I believe that He puts other people in our lives that challenge and/or encourage us, and it’s our responsibility to find these God-given gifts within ourselves through the help of others. When you figure out what your God-given gifts are, I believe you must pursue them and run like someone left the gate open.

I believe…the chicken came before the egg (Genesis 1:21).

I believe…the Bible is true. If you don’t, I don’t hold that against you. I also believe that it’d be hard to argue against it being one of the greatest philosophies we have in which to live. I believe that the Bible has more badass quotes in it than in your favorite pregame speech. 

I believe…in the power of pen and paper. I’ve never started a team or business or pushed them forward without both of these handy items. If you want to get better at something, start writing. It will clarify your thinking. I also believe that blue ink is the best ink.

I believe…that the United States of America is the best country on planet earth. If you don’t, I believe you should move or do something to improve it or change your perspective. I believe Dr. Bob Rotella when he says that if you’re burnt out, you have two options: you can either quit, or you can reignite the passion you had that brought you here in the first place. Neither option is bad, just pick one and execute.

Speaking of change, I believe that change is hard. But to get better, I believe we must do hard things.

I believe…there is a fine line between challenging authority being respectful. If you think you should be in charge, perform so well that others put you in charge.

I believe…in being curious instead of being judgmental. But YOU better believe if you don’t put your grocery cart back, I will judge you.

I believe…that our youth should be required to try organized sports and I believe that as parents, we should volunteer our time to promote and encourage competition.

I believe…that my wife is the best, my children are the best, my parents are the best, my siblings are the best, and my friends are the best. I believe you should think the same about the people you’re closest with too. Thinking highly of your inner circle will take you higher.

I believe…that if you’re in a bad mood, you should go workout. Sweat through all of your clothes, take a shower, and reevaluate how you feel.

I believe…that you should never sit down to rest in the weight room or the gym. A little thing can improve a lot of discipline.

I believe…one of the greatest indicators of effort at work is effort at the gym. The harder you work on and for yourself, the harder you’ll work for others. This I believe is a fact.

I believe…that reading is the most cost-effective way to improve as a human being. I also believe that books on tape are an easy way out.

I believe…money is an echo of value. If you want more money, provide more value. If you get more money, inject more of it into something you believe in.

I believe…that humor is required for people of all races, genders, and ages to get along. Without humor, I’d still be trying to find a wife with the only qualification being love for the game of football.

I believe…in playing offense: on the football field and in life. A reliable running game is like a consistent morning routine: it is timeless and it sets the tone.

I believe…in the fundamentals and I believe in the simplicity of success. I believe this starts at an early age by saying things like “Yes sir,” “Yes mam,” and “Thank you.”

I believe…hosting a party is good for your soul. It requires planning and it requires presence in the moment. This is a great way to work hard and play hard. 

I believe…that I don’t know everything, so I will build an army that helps me find the answers. In any stressful scenario, I believe that I’ll ultimately figure it out…and you will too.

I believe…everyone should have a coach, mentor, or trainer. Accountability is critical to stick to the process, and I believe the process is more important than the results. The only way to sharpen iron…is with more iron.

I believe…that people who say average is a halfway point are wrong. Average sits on the bench; it’s a starting point. Once you stand up and start running, you’ll either fail or succeed. No matter what happens, just don’t sit back down.

I believe…some people get offended too easily and I’m thankful I’m surrounded by people that don’t.

And finally, if you don’t believe what I believe, great. You should write an I BELIEVE of your own. It will make you feel good. And if you feel good, everyone else around you will feel good.

Ben Rogers, The Team Leader of The Rogers-Long Team, has been in the real estate business since 2012. In 2014, he began The Rogers-Long Team with Kevin Long, which produced over $25,000,000 in volume production in 2017. In addition to selling homes and leading the team, Ben hosts a podcast show called the “The Bottom Line”, which can be found by clicking here. The Bottom Line is a Podcast that links lessons learned from sports, business, and life and is targeted at those who are striving for excellence, while ‘Average Sits on the Bench’.