A popular saying in self-help, positivity and inspirational writing is – nothing works unless you do. Another popular concept is – your life and circumstances are a direct result of your thoughts and actions – there may be a bit of paraphrasing. Nonetheless, if you are lucky enough to have been born in the first world, your circumstances are within your control.
As the first saying alludes to, you need to do the work, to get the results. A lot of people mistake working long hours with working hard; doing the work. They also mistake being busy with working hard. Though both have a place in life, they are not the same as doing what it takes to get the life you want. Anyone can do long hours or apply themselves diligently to a job with little scope or prospects. As taxing as both approaches can be, neither can be considered to be outside of one’s comfort zone.
Truth is, working long hours or even being busy is not hard. It’s tiring, it can be stressful, but it is not necessarily hard. Many people are busy working long hours in jobs they barely like or even detest. They say they have no choice, they have bills to pay; a mortgage, student debt, car repayments, choices they have made to reward themselves for working so hard.
This is not to say one should only do that other ever popular saying – do what you love and you will never work again – because a lot of us (me) would just watch television all the time and play FIFA football games! No, we all have to do things we do not enjoy at times. It is rare the person who lives a life where they never have to do that which they do not enjoy.
So if one can accept this fact, would it not be better to pursue that which you want, doing the uncomfortable bits as part of a bigger plan? Or would you rather stay working long, busy days, bereft of enjoyment, waiting for retirement or death? I know which I choose.
