Dear reader,
Even though I am very action-oriented, I often find myself struggling to get things done. I know that the things I am trying to avoid will, in the long run, help me get where I want to be and live the life I want to live. However, it’s “in the long run.”
It’s hard to keep going when you don’t see any significant results. This is why social media is so addictive: There is almost no delay between action (scrolling) and reward (dopamine). Even though social media leaves us drained, it is rewarding when we are actively scrolling.
But it’s not the same for working on our goals or action items.
I have optimized my smartphone and computer to prevent distractions. Most of my notifications are turned off, I don’t use social media apps, and I don’t see the YouTube feed on my browser. The point is that I have set up my environment to avoid distraction. Great! But that doesn’t really solve the problem of not being motivated.
Then I go on to the next thing: I try finding videos to motivate me. After I have spent some time unsuccessfully attempting that, I look around my desk to do something other than actually doing what I’m supposed to be doing.
Then this is what I see:
This note on my desk reads:
“The magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding.”
This was inspired by an amazing writing on “Doing the Thing” by the Strangest Loop. And then I start working. And after some time of actively working, I begin to enjoy it and work/study even more.
It works all the time. For example, even today I was struggling to write this newsletter because I didn’t have a plan for what I wanted to write about. So, I was searching for terms like “Tim Ferriss on getting things done” and much more. None of that helped. What helped, ultimately, was reading this and then reading it again.
The magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding. The spark that I was and will continue to find in days to come is in the work in front of me. Doing the thing is what ultimately moves me and you forward in the things we truly want to achieve. Starting to do the thing is often the hardest part. Once you get going, you feel better, and doing it gets easier.
So if there is something that you’ve been putting off, maybe it’s time to finally do the thing because the magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding.
I’ll see you next week.
Warmly,
Suraj
