Sometimes You Have To Grind It Out.
Life doesn't always go according to plan. 'Stuff' happens and we have to grind it out. There are plenty of idioms out there that describe those little bumps in the road, those life blips.
Expect the unexpected, best laid plans go to waste, so on and so forth.
So the day starts and you have all good intentions of getting stuck into your work. You have a
good work ethic, a routine that you adhere to and plenty to be getting on with. However, today, you're just not 'feeling it'. This isn't procrastination. This is more 'the weight of the world on your shoulders.'
You've had some upsetting news, an unexpected bill has come through the door, someone has said something that has annoyed you. Your washing machine has broken down mid-cycle, the WiFi is down.
Just to clarify, I'm not talking about 'tragedies' here, those situations standalone and will always take priority in your life, regardless of whatever else is going on.
I'm talking about general 'stuff', happenings that chip away at your normal positive demeanour and make you wonder why life wasn't simpler.
They, the faceless wise ones, say that you should only write when you're in a 'happy' frame of mind. Your emotions will come through in your words. I'm not sure that's wholly true. I certainly give credit to the reader for being able to read between the lines and pick up on certain literary nuances but if the subject matter is well-defined, then I'm not sure if my emotional state will come through in my words alone. That is unless I'm trying to convey that.
So, after all the preamble, we're talking about when you're just not in the right mood, the big grey cloud is right above your head and the way things are going it may well rain, even though you're inside.
Right now, the last thing you want to be doing is writing your next article. You're sat in front of your computer staring at a blank screen, knowing that each word will feel like ten. The first paragraph could well be an essay for the amount of effort it's taking.
Walk away ? Not an option. Other factors in play dictate that this is the only opportunity you've got. An appointment looms. You have to be somewhere in an hour. Now is the only time unless you want to put into play an unwanted knock on effect that will just add to your frustration.
No, you have to grind it out. Take a deep breath, look at your notes and start putting words onto the page. One after another. It's hard, I know, but that's just the way it is.
It's in times like this that you dig deep and draw on that inner resilience that you know you have. You do have it, I guarantee it. You have to focus that bit harder. Know in your self that you'll get it done.
Hey, it might not be pretty. The genius of Ernest Hemingway might not be flowing through your
fingertips. When you read back through, it might seem to be disjointed and not have the same verve and snap that you normally have. That's more to do with your frame of mind and it doesn't matter anyway, you can always come back later and finesse it.
Your hour is up, though it felt like four. You did it. You ground it out. Now you can relax knowing that you haven't wasted that time and thus making yourself feel worse. You achieved that, which an hour ago, you thought impossible. The clouds have parted ever so slightly and there is a small shard of light shining down.
You know, life doesn't stop just because you're having a bad day. It doesn't discriminate. You can't just put your hand up and say "Stop please, I'm not up for it today, can we do this tomorrow when I'm more in the mood ?"
Sometimes you just have to grind it out.
Recent Comments
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Well said! I've had to write articles and meet publication deadlines when I've had tons of challenging stuff coming at me. I've written when life was easy peasy and happy go lucky. In both cases, the articles turned out fine and received good responses from the readers and from the editors.
Like you said, "grind it out." Sit down, start somewhere, and get on with it. We can do this. Who knows, if we feel sad or tired when we start writing, by the time we finish we might feel very happy and productive. Thanks for the post! :)
Enjoy your evening!
Colleen
Hello Colleen, you're right. We often times overlook the fact that we are masters of our emotions. The transition during writing can pick us up and take us to a 'better' place.
Hope you don't mind but I'll take this opportunity to follow you. Really appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Hi Twack, as usual a great post. It actually felt suspenseful. Walking away not being an option, almost like being trapped into the things you have to do.
Michael
Hi Michael, I know what you mean. I think it's about making the hard choices sometimes, knowing that the benefits will far outweigh the initial uncomfortableness, in the long run.
Twack,
Well done for this post.
They come in threes most times.
But as you rightly mentioned, you have to sort them out as they come.
Guess what? I consider those knocks as the spices in life else life will be boring.
If everything is just going according to plan then man has become God. Even that will reflect on the dynamic nature of our existence.
What makes us is how we engage with those unplanned events.
Best of luck to you.
Segun
Thank you Segun. If it were all easy we wouldn't grow, I guess. Then complacency would set in and we would do well to avoid that.
I recently watched a TEDtalk by Dr. Angela Duckworth, a noted psychologist, about grit. She said that grit is a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal.
Are we passionate enough about our dreams and goals? And are we determined enough to grind it out when needed to meet our goals? That's something only we can answer for ourselves.
I've only come across the TEDtalks, this year. There are some real 'gems' and the way they are presented adds credence, real people talking about real things.
Dr.Duckworth's analysis seems to be on the money. Going the extra mile or 'digging' that bit deeper, can be a deciding factor in whether we are successful or not.
Thanks all followers it's was my first day. But it was not me .is god who plan this. A thanks the greater god.and my coach kyle and his team. Thanks across the world.
Sometimes the happy-clappy of it all can have the totally opposite effect.
The out of control dog that when told to come here, take's it to mean run out the open garden gate and go for an adventure.
Just come here dog we don't want to go on an adventure today.
In fact, we just don't want to do anything.
Some days that screen can be hard work. I have found that prepping kind of works very well.
Feel the struggle though Twack, and we would be not being honest with ourselves if we didn't put up our hands to be counted.
Another thoughtful offering.
Thanks Alex. Sometimes I like to try and point out those things that we might be feeling and beat ourselves up about. I can never quite find the right words for that but it's along the lines of trying not to add more stress to our lives when we are the ones who do the judging.
You are doing really well, Twack.
When we stop and think we can be our most harshest critics.
Letting go seems to create one of those dam busting moments.
the first part of your blog is exactly what happens to me most days. I have my work schedule sorted, I know what I want to achieve today, and usually thats writing a post. But then something else happens that changes things - my tennis son needs a racket stringing - yes I hear you say he can do his own, but with his senior year in high school and ACT revision to do, Id rather he did that, so I do the racket. Then I get a rush of patients bookings appointments for the doctors website I run, then my boy is back needing food... and so it goes on.
Yesterday it took me all day in and out of other tasks to get Bingads on for the doctor, and by that time, after I had sorted out my sons laptop - it got damaged on our flight back from Macedonia and the screen is shattered, still works but needs repair - and sorted out the plugin in on the doctors site that wasnt working right, it was 11pm. Too late to write a post. So its not so much that I am not in the right frame of mind to write, I totally am... I love writing, researching, the whole kit and Kaboodle, if only I could have some peace and quiet to do it ! Today so far has not started great, again tasks taking up my time, but Im ever optimistic!
I think the term 'Circle of life' has been misinterpreted. We are continuously going round in circles, chasing our tails sometimes. I think you manage to keep on top of things Helen and can 'grind' when necessary. Optimism is always a better choice, for sure.
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Ok, Ok you got me. I have been stuck looking at the screen not writing now for 6 weeks. I have allowed life to hold me in the corner and keep punching me in the face for too long. It is time to dig, deep and grind it out! It is time for my Rocky moment, to punch back and just write something! take that life : )
hahaha
I can hear 'The Eye of the Tiger' in the background as you type, steam coming off the keys. "Cut me Mickey" "It's gonna hurt ya Rock"
Dig deep my friend, the bonus is you'll have six weeks of thoughts and ideas just 'fighting' to get out.
Yes I am in my own winter Russia training session right now, with my coach shouting 'no pain, 'no pain' as I do hanging sit ups lol
I always fancied having a crack at those sit-ups. Still time.