How did you find the will power to work so hard?

[18790775]

Some of you were born into immense wealth, and could easily afford an m5 without working too hard
but others, like me, are only middle class and it will take alot of hard work and dedication to be able to afford such an awesome machine in the future.
As I study for a business quiz tomorrow, i was wondering how some of you motivated yourselves to get the grades so that could go to a great university, and have a career that lets you buy such luxury as a BMW M5
I know I can do it but the motivation just isn't there, a lot of the times I just don't feel like doing work, studying etc.
how did you guys do it??
I have the smarts, but I am badly in need motivation
when I was younger, like grade 5, my grades were great and I loved school. When I moved to Canada though, my look on school totally changed, it just isn't as fun as it used to be.
Any advice would be great, I want to be able to own an m5, I want to have my choice of university and career
how did you do it?

Alex

[Bluewater M5]

Just go to your local dealership. That's all the motivation you'll need. Return trips if needed!

[1C00lVC]

I am sure many of us were not born into money. I for one didn't. I came to this country broke, and made it by my self. with hard work, initiative/entrepreneurship, and luck, I made it to a point I can afford some luxuries such as an M5 etc.

Hard work isn't enough, you need some guts and luck too. If you want it bad enough and you find something to do that you really like, try to be the best at what you do, and the rest will happen..


Arie

[lisa]

My first BMW was a 1976 2002 in 1981 that I purchased for $4,200.

Much hard work, school and dedication, and of course, a goal!
Good luck!
Lisa

[AndyMenard]

Motivation you say?? How about this one? I was 25 years old and working my tail off working on the docks (and also driving big rigs) of a freight company. The work was hard!! Hot as hell in the summer, and cold in the winter. Seems you could never actually get comfortable?!! Anyway, I decided to enroll in Engineering school - something I had thought about many times but never had the guts to follow through with until this particular time in my life. And thanks to my wonderful wife (of 4 years at that time) who provided much encouragement and support, and also agreed to become the main bread-winner for us... I enrolled full time in Electrical Engineering and graduated with honors 4-1/2 years later. I then went to work for a large oil company with their Information Technology Department and did that for about 6 years when the opportunity of a lifetime came up for me to take a dream job working for a leader in Internet technology. I took the chance (it was not a slam dunk at that time in 1994) and the rest is history. I've since realized many financial dreams, including paying cash for the BEAST - AND just recently purchased a real toy car - the 2000 Mustang Cobra R!

So, this country boy from South Louisiana decided that there was something better out there than working hard on a freight dock... now I am not saying this is not a good way to make a living! Just that it is extremely hard physical labor - and that was my motivation!!

My advice - next time you need some motivation...go visit a local freight company's dock, or watch a roofing crew install shingles on a roof in Houston's 100+ degree weather in the summer, or any number of very manual labor intensive jobs...and that should change your attitude!

Good luck - and STAY IN SCHOOL!!!!!

[EBMCS03]

Skool is tough! I work hard, dont do ne thing else besides check this board when I have time and stay in the library to study! The material is hard... its not like I dont try, even when I do try I dont end up getting a decent grade! Makes me mad sometimes... but dude I think my motavation is this board... when I come here and read about what everyone says about my Dream car I know I have to go back and try again and not give up... Ya... I need to get my Butt in Gear for finals... Freaken eh , M5 here I come... make it a Le Mans Blue M5, here I come!

[greg]

Lesson learned late: Smart isn't enough.


Smart gives you an ability to learn, absorb, understand and recall better than most. But that doesn't mean success comes automatically to smart people. If you're smart, you probably got good grades in lower school without ever trying very hard. College is different. Some people less smart than you had to learn how to study and perservere in high school. They may have an easier time than you in college. Others "got by" like you did in high school, but they were so smart they can smoke dope and still get good grades in college. But you - you have to really work for the first time and it is scaring the hell out of you.

Am I close? This is my story. But you CAN do it. OK not to get straight A's, OK to have a life while in school - but trust me - you are now writing the first chapter of your resume that counts - and it is important. Making money is a combination of skill and luck. Skill comes from applying your smarts within the context of what you learn.

You have to be WAY more lucky (like win-the-lottery-lucky) to get M5 money on luck alone. Learning is a much safer bet. FIND the motivation. It doesn't matter where. If it is the goal of an M5, great. If it is proving the high school teacher wrong who once said you'd never amount to much, that's OK too. If it is avoiding the potential embarrassment of failing - whatever. Just do it.

[Tim W]

In a lot of ways the guys on this board have given me inspiration to work harder. I got my first M5 on credit while I was making great money as a consultant. Althugh having a note on the Beast is not a BAD thing it would be nice to pay cash

I got laid off from that nice job in August and have been working hard to run my own company. Not having an M5 anymore is buggin the poop out of me and motivating me.

So it is your dreams that will move you on to bigger and better things. Just make sure that when opportunity knocks you are not to busy unbolting all the locks and second guessing yourself that you miss it.



Later

[de Witt]

Hard Work + Peseverence + Common Sense = Success. Remember the maxim "If at first you do not succeed, try try again."

I almost got kicked out of a Catholic middle school for having too many "F's." My dad was a Orthopedic Surgeon that specialized in fractures of the pelvis (ilium, ishium, etc) and was pretty angry at me. He gave me a basic choice: college or labor work. He gave me a rake and told me to rake the leaves in the yard to prepare for my lifes work. This was one of the scariest times in my life. I didn't want to do yard work for my entire life.

Fortunately I was able to make it to Regis Jesuit HS in Colorado. Then things took flight. I was getting "Bs" and a few "As." My dad was pretty happy, but said that I could and should do better. Eventually I had a majority of "As" and my dad was satisfied. Then I was stuck in a rut of working hard and trying my best.

If you don't believe me, I can post my grades from middle school and then HS and College grades. Amazing what a parent can do. My dad taught me how important hard work really is.

de Witt

[Dallas Spikes]

Andy - I hear ya man! Not quite as bad, but I came from a middle class background and had to earn every bit of my college $$. I worked every high school and college summer in a 105-110 degree dirty warehouse (because it paid the most) wearing jeans, just to make enough to get through college debt free. (also had a large academic scholarship) I would finish my final exams one day, drive home and start work the next. At the end of the summer ther reverse was true. Looking at those people there who had been doing that for 20-30 years was plenty enough motivation for me!! I also worked during the college year in a hospital which required me to go in at 4:30 a.m. and return in the afternoon with class in between. So, Alex, I just looked around me at all the people stuck in their very tough jobs with little hope for advancement and that motivated the hell out of me!! As a matter of fact it still does!

Alex, Greg was right on. You are planting the seeds now for EVERYTHING that is to come in your future. That's certainly not to say that all the trivial things you learn in school you will use in your future. What you are learning (hopefully!) is how to learn and succeed for the rest of your life. The problem solving skills, the ability to overcome obstacles, the perseverance and dedication are all characteristics you will use to put yourself in position so that when that lucky opportunity presents itself, you won't be left watching others take advantage of it. It took 12 years of progressively more difficult schooling after high school for me to become an anesthesiologist and I get jealousy comments all the time about how easy my life is now. I simply ask those people what they were doing back in 6th, 9th, or 12th grade or even college. Were they putting in the dedication and hard work to make it to the next little level? Did they have the dedication to work more 36 hour (and occasionally 48) shifts than I can count? (I still have about 35 times a year where I work 24+ hours straight!) My point to them is that in this country the opportunity is open to all, but so many people squander the time in their life that sets them up for everything yet to come. Try taking a semester off and working in something like myself or Andy described. It will give you a whole new perspective!

Best of luck and hang in there!!

Chris

[Chris Foote]

For me, I've always been a perfectionist -- my friends always make fun of me. I strive to do my best in whatever situation arises -- and that motivation has pulled me through the good times and the bad times. I always believe that you should try and put forth your best efforts -- your work represents YOU, and certainly I want others to know I am a hard worker. Even though I might take a longer time to do a task than others, I always strive to do the job right the first time. I always feel the good stuff is in the details.

I wonder if any of that made sense I hope so.

-Chris

[jlintz]

Hey , I've reading the board now for a few weeks and just decided to register now after reading this thread. I was wondering, what type of jobs do most of you work? Id like to some day own a M5 as well. I just recently started getting interested in fast cars and that was after I bought my jeep. I kinda wish now that I would have bought a used sports car, bmw preferably.