1 thought, 1 quote, 1 tip
‘Seeking to spark the most potential within you per word of any online newsletter’
1 thought
For all the things people say about how good it will feel when you do something you love, I’ll burst that bubble for you. Working at something, even if its something you love, is a slog.
Passion is practice. You’ll wake up at days (most days) seated at your table, not wanting to do what you love. It can be writing. Or playing your guitar. Or doing your assignment.
What do you do on those days?
Do the work.
I’m sorry. If you were expecting some magical advice that will help you overcome procrastination, there’s no magic.
You just get the work done. And you focus on shipping it. Good or bad, you ship.
A deadline works. That’s why it’s called DEADline. Because either you die to ship your work, or your work dies.
Your choice.
If you find yourself thinking – this is not good enough… let me paraphrase Amy Chua.
Before you get good at anything, you’re going to suck at it.
What helps me is to sit down, and let go of that need for performance. Let go of the need to have inspiration. Don’t wait for inspiration because there’s rarely the lightning of enlightenment in the work world. Don't wait to regain your passion (blog article on how to do that).
There’s sunrise and sunset. Without fail. Learn from that. Make it a routine to produce. 830 – bathe, 845 – gratitude diary, and letter of love to celebrate myself, 9 – write. Find a routine that works for you, but commit to it. And commit to being okay with creating bad work. Get used to bad
work.
Thus, it’s not about doing what you love. It’s doing what you don’t love… even if you love it.
1 quote
Our passion is simply the work we've trusted ourselves to do. This is worth deconstructing, because the strategy of seeking your calling gives you marvellous place to hide.
After all, who wants to do difficult work that doesn't fulfil us? who wants to commit to a journey before we know it's what we were meant to do?
The trap is this: only after we do the difficult work does it become our calling. Only after we trust the process does it become our passion.
Do what you love is for amateurs.
Love what you do is the mantra for professionals.
- Seth Godin, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work
1 tip
Priorities pile up, and you start saying “later later” to whatever you need to do. You may start with great intentions to get work done… but you don’t. Here’s what helps.
Cut out the chaff with fixed schedule productivity. You commit to not working after 6, and not working one day a week. Take yourself out of the home, enjoy your evening, and rest. This way, there’s no ‘later’… because that’s occupied with rest. You stop
procrastinating.
You get it done.
Hope this helps :)
John
liveyoungandwell.com - Love What You
Do
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