“I have the greatest respect for those who put themselves out there to be judged by the world.”
Being productive for productivity sake isn't enough.
I was thinking this morning how much more productive I felt I was in college. I seem to struggle with my own 'assignments' now because I haven’t been assigned a deadline by a teacher that a grade depends on.
Too I often look at my inbox for the next 'assignment.'
In the age of information, we are hypnotized by the persistent pull to meet the needs of others, too often at the expense of ourselves.
As students, our expectations are crystal clear. We study to take tests that validate we know the material. The grade we get reflects our ability to recall what we think we know. The world accommodates us much better as your family and friends respect your commitment and gives you the space to complete your work.
The real world is much different. Knowledge alone is not enough.
Maybe we spend to many years resisting and hoping it were more like college.
Perhaps the fatal flaw as a college student, as well as a long-term employee is that we have been trained to wait for assignments to be assigned to us by someone else. If we do what we are instructed to do - we'll get a good grade or stay employed.
Maybe we have to setup a way to give ourselves (or find others to give to us) a grade upon a pre-determined deadline. Similar to getting a poor grade in school, seems the motivation to avoid pain is stronger than the motivation for reward - being motivated by a negative outcome for failing to complete the assignment. Seems like money isn't as much of a motivator because we are fairly accustomed to adjusting our lifestyle to fit our earnings (speaking for myself) - and most of us have more than we need.
Maybe I need a system where my work is graded by someone in a position of authority. By someone who is able to push me to the furthest boundaries of my capabilities. But my first order of business is to hone in on the 'assignments' for the upcoming 'school year.'
Maybe this is why I have such respect for those who put themselves out there to be judged by the world.
Ever notice how our mind makes the things we resist seem far worse than they actually are? We breeze through the tasks we enjoy and struggle through the ones we don't. Hump day is a great day to dive into the things you have been resisting (and get over the hump). Hopefully you'll find it easier than you imagined it to be. The longer we've put it off, the bigger the dragon we imagine it'll be, which makes it even harder to step into the cave. But avoiding the cave all together doesn't mean the dragon won't come looking for you later. Better to slay the dragon before it grows too big. Getting whatever it is behind you takes so much weight off your mind.
Life may not wait for those who hesitate, but all too often we get slowed down by those who do.