The Power of Hunger

The one thing most successful people have in common is hunger. Whether it be in sports, business, and life being hungry and staying hungry is critical for succeeding at what you do in the short and long term. Hence, the power of hunger will take you out of your comfort zone and have you do what was once perceived to be impossible.

What it is

Many people give up too easily, throw in the towel too quickly and retire to the sideline of life too early. But why? It all comes down to a lack of hunger. For the record: Hunger is an intense desire or craving for something. It is an earnest desire to achieve your goals, dreams, or aspiration. So how bad do you want to be that elite athlete? How bad do you want that sculpted physique? How badly do you want to succeed in your industry? If you genuinely want to achieve the success you have been dreaming about, you must become hungry. It would be best if you had an "I must" attitude. 

As a professional and personal coach, I have noticed that no obstacle is big enough to stand in the way of an individual hungry for a particular goal. They will make the necessary sacrifice. They will work hard, stay focused and develop the skills required to reach their next level. In other words, unless you desire to achieve your dream, like you desire to have oxygen, you won't succeed. This attitude differentiates between those who thrive and those who only exist. 

How it works

What are you passionate about? What gets you excited? Finding your purpose helps to create hunger, which will propel you toward being your best self. We are not just talking about a job here. We are talking about a calling - something that brings you joy and fulfillment no matter how challenging doing it is. It gets you out of bed early in the morning and keeps you up late at night with excitement. As Dr. Dennis Kimbro puts it, "A career is what you pay for; a calling is what you're made for." 

When asked by an attendee at a conference in 2007 for the most valuable piece of advice he would give on becoming successful; Steve Jobs remarked, "You have to have a lot of passion for what you do...because if you don't, any rational person will give up." In other words, if you don't love what you do when you encounter challenges, quitting will be easier than staying the course. Of course, you don't have to start doing something you love, but you must fall in love with what you do to succeed at it with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in the long run. 

Stay hungry 

It is pretty easy to get distracted when your purpose is unclear. However, success is more probable once you get locked into your purpose. This reality is because living with purpose keeps you hungry. So here's the deal! Stay hungry by keeping the "why" for doing what you are doing present every day. As holocaust survivor Fredrick Nietzche puts it, "he who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." 

Those who have a "why" to live for are unstoppable! They have inner motivation and are internal about what they do. They are hungry! They keep believing in themselves and their dreams, even if no one else believes in them. They don't just "kind of want success"; their life depends on it. Success is not an option; it is their only path. So how do you stay hungry? You stay hungry by deciding the "why" behind your goal or dream.

Hunger is, therefore, a powerful characteristic of a successful life. Likewise, if you are going to be successful in your life or line of work, you have got to be hungry and stay hungry. Once you do, no obstacle will be too big to stop you. No sacrifice is too hard to make, and no price too high to pay as you pursue your dream.