Motivation is a flimsy thing. It ebbs and flows, and often abandons us when we need it most. That’s why we need something better than motivation to help us achieve our biggest goals. We need something deeper, stronger and more reliable. Most people would say that something is better habits. They argue that we need certain habits to help us reach success, and I would agree. But there’s something even more important that we need to achieve our goals. It’s something I learned from Tony Robbins.
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Tony. As the nation’s No. 1 life and business strategist, he’s been called upon to coach some of the world’s greatest athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs and even presidents of nations. Tony has also spent the last four decades sharing everything he knows about the science of success with audiences all over the world.
Related: 17 Tony Robbins Quotes About Becoming Who You Were Meant to Be
Well, almost everything.
On a special episode of The School of Greatness, I had the chance to join Tony on his private jet. And during that interview, he shared something with me that he hasn’t shared before. After decades of coaching the world’s greatest individuals, Tony has discovered the one thing they have in common:
“Philosophically, the capacity to strengthen and increase your hunger is the one common denominator among the most successful people.”
His answer surprised me. There is so much buzz in the personal development space about adopting certain strategies to become successful. If you can copy the habits of highly successful people, then you can be successful, too. That’s how the logic generally goes.
Tony would absolutely agree that strategies are important. But the best strategies stem from something greater. According to Tony, there wasn’t one strategy or practice that all successful people shared; it was a certain mindset that they all had in common. They were always hungry.
“Most people are hungry to achieve a certain amount, and then they get comfortable and relax,” Tony says. “But someone like Richard [Branson], he’s more hungry today than he was at 16.”
Related: How to Develop an Insatiable Hunger
As Tony explains, if you can maintain a constant sense of hunger, you will be driven to achieve your most outlandish dreams. And with this dependable drive deep inside you, you will always be able to find the right strategies to bring those dreams to life.
“Hunger is the ultimate driver,” Tony says simply. “If you’re hungry, you can get the strategy, you can get the answer. If you can’t model it, you can find it.”
I love what Tony has to say about hunger, but I wanted him to go further. I wanted to know how he stays hungry.
Tony sat back for a second. Then he looked at me, chuckled, and said: “The best way to keep your hunger is to get around where it’s better and things will hit you. Who you spend time with is who you become.”
If we spend our time with incredible people, we have no choice but to step up our game. Yes, Tony has an incredible amount of wisdom to share with the people he coaches. But he also learns just as much from spending time with them. Coaching people such as Oprah Winfrey and Bill Clinton forces Tony to stay hungry. It forces him to grow.
If we spend our time with incredible people, we have no choice but to step up our game.
That was the biggest takeaway I learned from my time on Tony’s jet. We must continuously monitor whom we spend our time with. If we can surround ourselves with people who have achieved incredible things, not only can we soak up their habits, but we will also inherit their hunger.
If you want to hear more of my conversation with Tony, you can listen in on Episode 311 of The School of Greatness. And until next time, stay hungry my friends.
Related: The One Question Athlete-Turned-Podcaster Lewis Howes Asked That Changed His Life
