#26 - You Know What to Do. So Why Can't You Start? | Ian Mai

<p>The night after Ian Mai closed the biggest deal in his company's history, he couldn't sleep.<br /><br />The deal was about 20 times the average deal size at the time. By every outside measure, it was a massive win.<br /><br />But instead of celebrating, he felt more beat up and more broken than before. One question kept running through his head: how am I going to keep doing this?<br /><br />He had built his entire career on pressure, stress, and anxiety. And he couldn't keep pretending he had it all together.<br /><br />I think a lot of sellers experience some version of this.<br /><br />When it's the end of the quarter and you're behind your number, you lock in. Pressure is the only thing that gets you moving.<br /><br />But on a normal day, it's the opposite. You know exactly what to do. Call the prospect. Write the executive email. Build the proposal deck. And you sit there and can't make yourself start.<br /><br />I deal with this too. Most mornings, I'll find something else to do before I start my workday. For example, right now there's a lead generation project for our business that’s one of the most strategic things we should do for our business, yet I've been putting it off for a month.<br /><br />Most sellers spend two to three hours a day on RGAs (Revenue Generating Activities). If they could get that to four to six hours, it's game over. President's Club this year and every year thereafter. <br /><br />But KNOWING what to do and DOING it are two completely different things. <br /><br />That's why I wanted to host Ian Mai on our monthly Fireside Chat.<br /><br />On paper, he had it all. Valedictorian. President's Club winner. Professional bodybuilder. <br /><br />Behind the scenes, he was battling overwhelm, addiction, and shame. After hitting rock bottom, he cleared $60,000 in debt, lost 60 pounds, and saved his marriage.<br /><br />With a background in electrical engineering and 12 years in technical sales, Ian now helps executives, founders, and sellers understand why they struggle to do the things they know they should be doing. His approach combines neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and faith.<br /><br />What I loved is that he didn't just explain the problem. He gave us practices we could use right there on the call.<br /><br /><b><strong>What's actually happening in your brain</strong></b><br /><br />Ian explained that getting started takes two things: pressing the accelerator and letting go of the brakes.<br /><br />The brakes come