Struggle Less, BE More

Do hazy August days leave you wishing for more internal motivation?  Get yourself going by refusing to do those “supposed to do’s” on your list.

And instead, get more excited about your life and your work by making sure you do those things that bring you joy, and engage your passions and mission, first. Then, and only then, will you have the energy to tackle your remaining and perhaps less enticing responsibilities that you’re…supposed to do.

This idea is for you who find yourself carrying around several lists of important things you are “supposed to do” in order to get your work going, improve your relationship, get ahead, slow down, build your business, lead your team, etc.

Few things are more pitiful than talented and smart people going around aspiring and whining at the same time.

You can’t begin to run while dragging your feet…which is what you’re doing when you think about, talk about, struggle with and plod along with those things you somehow believe you’re supposed to do. (And haven’t yet done)

The best thing to get yourself going: drop the stuff you’re supposed to do, and start with the stuff you are eager or excited to do.

Don’t want to go for a run? Don’t   Don’t want to empty your email inbox? Don’t

Don’t want to read that report? Don’t

But…find something important and productive you DO want to do, and get at it.

Then do another, and another, and another.

You might find yourself so charged up that suddenly you find yourself skimming through that report after all.

Or you might be on such a roll that at the end of the day, a run is just what you…want to do.

Bottom Line: You will never “should” or “ought to” yourself into happiness or achievement at work. You will experience joy and make great contributions when you find and accomplish enough want to do’s. And with that momentum, you’ll probably be motivated to take care of the rest too.

(This post was previously published in the August 2009 issue of Business Leader http://www.businessleader.bz/ )