Friday, April 15, 2011

Fight the resistance


Often times, we want to get stuff done to accomplish a desired goal but fall short of accomplishing it. A short list of culprits:

“I do not have time”
“I just do not see the point. I may put in a lot of time and get nothing back”
“I am exhausted after work, forget it man. I rather play Xbox or watch tv”
“I have too many commitments, I cannot add another to the list”
“It's futile man... I will quit while I am ahead”

Excuses like these are just a way to protect your ego from your lack of commitment to get things done. When I mention this to friends I often hear, “I only have one life to live, I am not going to waste it”... Watching TV is not a waste of time? How much entertainment do you need in your life to feel satisfied and get on with what needs to be done to progress? I am a firm believer that pleasure should be rewarded only after hard work.

Everyone has interest in succeeding but few make the commitment to see it through. It is easy to talk and bs your way into feeling good with bs-sessions. The hard part, and the only way to get to where you need to go, is through work, not talk, work. Resistance is encountered when things outside of our normal sphere of comfort are challenged; this resistance is usually a deep societal and environmental training towards mediocrity that has a strong gravitational pull towards the easy path. It is time to challenge these assumptions and beliefs and question their roots. Is career thing for me? Do I want to be running with the rest of the rats on the treadmill to the retirement home? Why do I believe what I believe? Is it because I am afraid to be different and challenge status quo? Or is it because this was a thought I came up with after careful consideration?

Ponder this the next time resistance raises its ugly head. You have to choose to do it and see value in it in for it to get done. It may be hard and uncomfortable but you have to accept it and forge ahead. Challenge the voice in your head telling you to postpone action and “just live your life”. This voice is usually a lie or a mediocre cry from the years of indoctrination to “get with the program” and be like everyone else. Fight the resistance even if you are it.

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