Hey,
When I was 14, I watched this TEDx Talk by Mel Gibson. It's completely different from what I remembered it like, I just realized as I rewatched it. Still recommend though.
Ever since that first time I saw it, it has taken up space in my head under the label 'you are never going to feel like it. About twice a day I think of that sentence and it helps me to get shit done.
Gibson explains that there are tasks that you will never feel like doing. Cleaning the kitchen? You will never feel like it. Calling that friend to have a painful conversation about what happened the other day? You are never going to feel like it. Working out? You will never feel like it. Of course, there might be times where you do feel like working out. Or on days you channel your inner Monica Geller, you might feel like cleaning the kitchen. The point is, however, that you should not wait for motivation. Whenever I catch myself procrastinating a task, I stop myself and ask: will you ever feel like doing this task, Emma? If the answer is no, I have to do it immediately. If the answer is yes, I'll define when and schedule to do the task at that exact time.
This trick has worked very well for me when it comes to my private life. In my professional life, however, I'm training myself to become a better finisher. In this newsletter, I've shared some of the ways in which I do this already. I have an accountability buddy and some days, like today I lock myself in an expensive hotel room so I feel guilty if I don't make good use of the time and get work done. A recent addition has been to detach the concept of motivation and finishing mentally.
Motivation, inspiration, and creativity are descriptions of mood states. You feel motivated, inspired, or creative. This has nothing to do with how you act, however. Just as you can be angry and express that in many different ways, you can feel motivated and express that by doing the task you want to do, talking about it, thinking about it, or just do nothing about that.
Finishing things, however, is a skill you can train. I know humans are not machines and it's only natural that our mood states affect our actions. Being compassionate and open to feel anything you feel at any moment, is something different, however, than depending on them to decide which actions you are going to take when.
Let's compare it to a romantic relationship. Some days you are going to feel very in love and other days you won't be feeling that. Hopefully, however, you decide to show the person you love you appreciate them and care for their wellbeing regardless of that. That way, the act of love is always there and on some days you will feel the bliss of feeling in love on top of that.
Same for getting things done. If you decide you will finish stuff regardless of whether you feel motivated, the act of finishing is always there and some days you will feel the exhilarating feeling of motivation, creativity, and inspiration.
Have a great week,
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Tune written to:
Euphoria by Tash Palmer
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