Hey hey, I hope you had a great time last week and are looking forward to upping the caffeine intake to deal with the perils of this week too - how’s that for some Monday motivation?
The PERILS! 👻
How will this week bite us in the ass? A question we probably ask ourselves all too often, and sometimes the struggle is very real - it’s just routine.
A headache when we’re trying to concentrate, or a sheer lack of motivation when we’re trying to do the thing; it comes in many forms.
It’s become so routine that I’ve needed to make a self-check to deal with it which is also routine.
Routine within a routine like some Russian nesting doll - and it all starts with a little reminder to myself. A reminder I’m hoping you can add to the repertoire for this week and beyond.
Just because I don’t feel like it, doesn’t mean I can’t do it.
See how I just quoted myself, egotism, a separate topic for a separate day.
Tangents aside, dealing with excuses can be super simple.
Everyone is only one ‘Yes’ away from success - and knowing that truth helps big time.
I’ve found that I make the most progress when, for one reason or another, I don’t want to do the thing, the thing I set out to do, the thing I’m meant to be doing - the work.
Wait, how do I make the most progress when I don’t even want to do the work?
Well, the people who aren’t making progress are the ones that are only doing the work when they “feel like it.”
Doing the work when you don’t feel like it? That’s the perfect time to smash a plateau, the time where steps turn into leaps, and a time when discipline gets stronger.
It’s an opportunity.
And look, sometimes there are very enticing reasons to not do the work.
I have some lower back pain, should I still go to the gym? Surely I shouldn’t! My health is on the line!
We can tell ourselves stories all day long, but when push comes to shove, and we’re wondering if we should get down to business, the answer is always ‘Yes.’
Yes, you should go to the gym anyway, yes you should start that draft, yes you should reply to that email, yes you should organise that thing - even if you’re not feeling it.
Oh, and the excuses will come raining down, I know because I’m a mastermind at the craft!
“I’ll change the 3-hour block to later tonight, and set a schedule because I really don’t feel creative now.”
BS #1 - You’re not feeling it now, and you won’t feel it later, sit down and get started, it’ll come.
“I’ll skip the workout today, and spread the exercises across the other days, my back is in pain so I won’t perform well today anyway”
BS #2 - Even if you spend most of the time stretching, even if you do lower impact or lower weight exercises, you’re still there, you’re still putting in the work.
This applies to reading and writing, to studying and creating - it applies to all forms of work.
There’ll be a million and one reasons to say no, and damn they’re appealing. But consistently saying ‘Yes’ and getting on with it - that’s how you make progress.
Resting is important, but it should be planned. Don’t rest on a workday.
Whatever intention you had for today, do that - do the work.
And I know. It’s a slow and painful climb. That next promotion, that next project, that next level. But it’s worth it, and it’s what we’re built for.
Monkies climb, and we’re just smarter monkies; climbing is what we do, even if the tree looks different today. 🙈
Go get em!
🔗 Link Dump
This week’s link dump is all over the place. I figured, what the hell, it’s a shorter email this week so let’s add in a random array of goodies.
🔥 Hot off the press: How to deal with the little micro frictions that stop you from doing work.
📹 A great breakdown of how YouTube paid a YouTuber for 1 Million views.
💕 A little infographic on happiness chemicals and what behaviours encourage them.
🍔 My favourite food blogger trying some authentic green bamboo curry in a small Thai village.
💻 Found myself using this cool little MVP Logo generator a lot this week, for a few projects.
I’m trying to keep the emails shorter and more content-focused, but I do love sharing things I find throughout the week with you.
Let me know if this is sitting well with you, I’m always open to feedback.
You can find me on all the things @sahkilic.
Until next week,
Sah