Tackling
A Tough Job?
“Sometimes success is due less to
ability than to zeal.
The winner is he who gives himself to his work body and soul.”
—Charles Buxton
Embrace the Work
Early
this year I posed this question to you: What
is it time for? Whatever your answer, I invited you to accept
the challenge and embrace the work before you. I’ve been
thinking more about that phrase I used — embrace
the work — and what it really means. By now it’s
likely that the difficult parts of the work you set out to accomplish
this year have become known. How do you handle it when
you’re tackling a tough job?
One thing that helps me when I’m face to face with a challenge
is to say out loud:
I am willing to do this because __________.
This puts the hard work in context and resets the focus on why
you’re willing and what you’re after. It
reminds you that the work is worthy, and you can then
move from challenged to motivated.
I Am Willing
What you are willing to do on a day to day basis might sound
like this:
I am willing…
to
find a way
to be patient when it takes longer
to be flexible
to be courageous
to take a risk
to take a stand
to stand out
to make a mistake
to learn
to ask for help
to look in the mirror
to listen
to trust
to step up to the plate.
Challenges Are Good For You
Being willing
to take on a challenge will require persistence yet doesn’t
have to involve struggling. Very often, it’s simply sitting
down to do the work that’s before you.. Use the
I-am-willing technique and instead of dwelling on how hard
it is, notice your ability to choose, to make a decision, and
to act within your power.
This Week: Be willing. When you meet an obstacle,
say these words out loud: I am willing.
And if you still need some reasons to embrace the work,
keep these in mind:
7 Reasons Why Challenges Are Good For You
1. When you’re challenged, you rarely get bored.
2. Your level of commitment and sense of purpose may actually
rise.
3. Like necessity, challenges are the mother of invention.
4. They give people the opportunity to help you — a mutual
benefit and blessing.
5. Like they told you in grade school, challenges build character.
6. You’ll have a great story to tell once you’re victorious.
7. You will be amazed and proud to learn what you are made of.
“Put your heart, mind, intellect
and soul even to your smallest acts.
This is the secret of success.”
—Swami Sivananda
Here's to you,
P.S. For more on this topic, check out this article with wisdom
from Chris Gardner entitled, “When The Tough Get Going”
which I wrote about here.
|