FBC – 113 – The Blessing / Curse Of Being Driven

The Blessing / Curse Of Being Driven.

Today we are going to talk about the positive as well as the negative consequences that people who are driven face. Depending on the situation, one could say that, being driven could be a blessing or a curse. What do YOU think?

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So today I wanted to touch base on a very touchy subject and it's something that you know affects me in my personal life and in my interaction with other people and might be the case for you guys as well. So I want to talk about the blessing or the curse of being driven.

So what does it mean to be driven? To me, driven is someone who will do whatever it takes for however long it takes to reach a goal and never lose sight of their goal. It is a blessing because ninety nine percent of the population is not living their dreams. They’re not doing what they set out to do when they were kids you know.

Maybe at one time you were pretty motivated to do it but there were hurdles and difficulties, or sometimes you were tired and you lost the motivation and stuff like that.

And this is when the drive will kick in and come in to play and this is when it becomes a blessing. You know the life is kicking you in the face and everything, these people are so driven that they never lose sight of whatever they set out to do and whatever they wanted to do.

The more driven you are, the better your chances are because it just is going to help you when everything sucks and you're not getting those results you want and you tend to get discouraged and then just stop right. And when you're driven you will push through.

So if you talk to someone whose super driven you can see it. There's some like energy and stuff and sometimes it's pretty scary. You can dig and feel the conviction and the certitude that they have and sometimes it can appear pretty crazy. It's a rare quality. Like a lot of people. I think everybody is passionate about something, but few people are driven. OK.

So me for example I think I'm pretty driven. I spent a lot of hours perfecting my craft, and learning new stuff. My brain is always thinking about something and working something out. And one thing as well when people are driven is that they're willing to make sacrifices for whatever they want to achieve.

So remember that I said I want to put an end to the life of sacrifice right now. Those sacrifices that I'm talking about are the training and learning out of your week for like two days and stuff. So other things have to be sacrificed. When you're driven you understand that.

There are things like this that you basically have to pass on for now to reach that goal. I mean there are a lot of things that I'm able to achieve because there are some things that I decided not to have in my life. So that will allow me to do this. Things that would slow other people down.

You know I mean when I say slowing other people down, I mean taking a large portion of the time that they could dedicate to this. OK. So not necessarily saying that you know it's bad or anything, it's just the time that they can allocate to building their lifestyle and stuff.

Then there is a curse. You know there's a flip side to it. The probability of you finding someone who understands your drive especially in relationships, like a boyfriend or girlfriend, is a massive problem. So if you're with someone who's driven, then you understand what I'm saying.

The Blessing / Curse Of Being Driven

I'm very driven and it's always been a problem. My girlfriend will not understand why I'm spending five hours working on something or even like three months! It's not that important for her. Right.

So it's very hard when you're managing a relationship when you're driven, to co-exist with someone who isn't as driven as you know especially in that particular field. Right. So I think if you're in a relationship with someone who's very driven, then in something else, that person will be able to understand and to relate. Maybe they're as driven as you in something else. Then you can support each other in a different way.

Anyway so it's not just your girlfriend or your boyfriend that will be affected. Friends as well and also the people who you're going to collaborate with. You need to figure out whether to collaborate with people or go it alone.

Don't forget that everybody's different and these people are just not you. Right. So you can't get mad at them. Just take a deep breath and just understand. Just accept the fact that you know people are different and if you're with someone who's driven, it must be it must be really tough.

Like sometimes I think it must be really tough for someone on the other end who has the feeling that they don't matter to you because when you have this drive, it precedes everything.

So yeah, a blessing or a curse?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the dark side of being highly driven?

Driven operators routinely sacrifice sleep, relationships, and health for goals that turn out to be smaller than expected once reached. The same intensity that builds the business burns out the team and the founder by year three if it is not paced and reviewed every quarter.

How do you channel drive without burning out?

Set 90-day sprints with a forced 7-day recovery week at the end. The recovery is non-negotiable and scheduled before the sprint starts. Driven people will skip rest if it is optional, so the system has to remove the choice rather than rely on willpower.

How do you tell if your drive is healthy or destructive?

Check three signals every Sunday: sleep over 7 hours, one relationship maintained this week, and one win that was not work. If two of the three are missing for three weeks straight, your drive is in the destructive zone and needs a corrective intervention this week.

Should you surround yourself with equally driven people?

Mostly yes, with one or two grounded friends who push back when the intensity tips into obsession. A peer group that only celebrates more effort will accelerate burnout. Mixed councils outperform homogeneous ones for long-term decision quality and personal sustainability.

About the Author

Martin Ebongue is the founder of martinebongue.com, an online business and lifestyle design blog focused on helping aspiring entrepreneurs build location-independent businesses. Since 2014, he has been creating and scaling online ventures across multiple niches, from digital products and affiliate marketing to SaaS and content platforms, while traveling the world. He shares the real-world strategies, tools, and systems that work, with a particular focus on AI-powered automation for solopreneurs. Follow him on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

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