Raising Necessity: The Hidden Driver Behind Consistent High Performance and Recovery

Sometimes you wake up knowing what needs to be done, but you still don’t move. The day drags and, at the end, you’re left with a nagging sense that you’ve let yourself and others down—not because you lacked talent, but because you didn’t feel the urgency to act. People don’t rise to greatness on 'want'—they move when something becomes a must, internally and externally. The difference between mediocre and extraordinary is not always in ability but in necessity. Like the Marine recovering from injury or the burnt-out executive who rediscovers why their role matters, transformation starts when performing at a high level turns into a personal imperative tied to values, obligations, and real stakes.

It’s not only the tough situations that trigger necessity. High performers regularly raise the stakes around their daily work, giving themselves immediate, tangible reasons to step up. They connect their identity with the mission—'I’m the kind of person who…'—and see how their choices affect others. Social psychologists call this the interplay between intrinsic (from within) and extrinsic (from social context) motivation. The research is clear: when people tie their goals to who they aspire to be, who is counting on them, and what consequences exist for shortchanging the effort, they follow through, even when motivation wavers.

Necessity is like a fire inside—but unlike luck, it can be deliberately stoked. It’s not comfortable. But comfort isn’t the point. The big leap happens when performing well turns from optional to essential, from eventually to right now.

Pick a goal you’re not truly 'on fire' about right now and dig deeper—why might it matter, and who needs you to succeed? Decide who you are when things matter most, and find a way to tie your goal to that identity. Spell out who benefits when you win and what the real stakes are. Give your goal a hard, non-negotiable deadline—one with actual consequences, not just wishful thinking. Then say it out loud: 'I must hit this, for me and for them.' Tell someone you trust, and let the renewed pressure guide your actions starting today.