How to stay focused when achieving goals gets boring
Miscellaneous / / August 19, 2022
Take a break from the pursuit of the result and focus on the process itself.
James Clear
Each of us has dreams and goals. However, it can be difficult for us to stay focused on them all the time and finish what we started.
Every week, someone says something like, "I'm starting out with the best of intentions, but I can't sustain that energy all the time." Or, “I have stamina issues. I take on something, but I can’t keep my attention for a long time and give up everything halfway. ”
Don't worry, I'm exactly the same. I take on a project, work on it for a bit, lose interest and switch to something else. And then I lose interest in a new business and switch to something else, and so on. I stopped and started so often that I never made much progress. Perhaps you felt the same.
This problem reminds me of an important lesson I learned for myself during one of workouts.
Why motivation is just a myth
That day, a coach came to the gym with an impressive career. He has worked with thousands of famous athletes, including Olympic champions. We got to know each other and started talking about self-improvement. “How are outstanding athletes different from the rest? What do truly successful people do that most don't do?" I asked.
First, my interlocutor listed the expected factors: genetics, luck, talent. But then he said a very unexpected phrase: “At some point, it all comes down to the ability to cope with boredom during training, to do the same exercises over and over again day after day.”
This answer surprised me, because it is a completely different view of the attitude to work. People often share how excited they are when they are working towards their goals. Whether it's business, sports, or the arts, we often hear, "It's all about passion" or "You just have to really want to succeed." As a result, many people become depressed when they lose focus or motivation because they believe that those who have reached the top of Olympus have an inexhaustible supply of passion.
However, the coach confirmed that successful people, like all of us, sometimes lack motivation. The difference is that they find ways to carry on despite being bored.
How to keep working when you get bored
Anyone can work hard when they are motivated.
When I was an athlete, I liked coming to practice after a big win. And who wouldn't like it? Trainer satisfied, the team is charged with new successes, and you feel as if you can defeat absolutely anyone. Now that I am a businessman, I like it when the number of clients is growing and everything is going well. Positive results help to move forward.
But what if you're bored? If the job is not easy? If it seems that no one cares about you and your work? If you are not getting the results you want? Would you be able to work in absolute emptiness for 10 years? But it is the ability to work in difficult periods that changes everything.
Too often we think that the most important thing in goals is the result. We define success as an event that can be organized and completed. Here are some common examples of this kind of thinking:
- Health: "If I lose 5 kg, I will be in shape."
- Business: "If our company gets an article in a well-known magazine, it will solve all our problems."
- Art: "If my work is exhibited in a major gallery, I will become a respected artist."
These are just a few of the many ways to reduce success to a single event. If you look closely at people who consistently achieve their goals, you will notice that this is not due to certain events. It's all about giving back to the process. They fall in love with the daily work, not the individual result. Ironically, it is the focus on the process that allows us to fully enjoy the fruits of our activities.
If you want to be a great writer, having a bestseller is certainly a good thing. But the only way to achieve this result is to love the process of writing a book.
If you want the whole world to know about your company, getting into the Forbes pages would be great. But the only way to achieve this result is to love the marketing process.
If you want to get in shape, losing 5 kg may be necessary. But the only way to achieve this result is to love the process of healthy eating and constant training.
If you want to achieve impressive results in any business, you have to fall in love with the process with all its shortcomings and boring elements. You have to fall in love with the process of personal growth and become a person who does the work, and does not dream of results.
In other words, fall in love with boredom. Fall in love with repetition and constant practice. Fall in love with the process of what you are doing, and the results will appear by themselves.
Read also🧐
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