Tackling A Tough Job?

“Sometimes success is due less to ability than to zeal.
The winner is he who gives himself to his work body and soul.”
—Charles Buxton

Embrace the Work

Early this year I posed this question to you: What is it time for? Whatever your answer, I invited you to accept the challenge and embrace the work before you. I’ve been thinking more about that phrase I used — embrace the work — and what it really means. By now it’s likely that the difficult parts of the work you set out to accomplish this year have become known. How do you handle it when you’re tackling a tough job?

One thing that helps me when I’m face to face with a challenge is to say out loud: I am willing to do this because __________.

This puts the hard work in context and resets the focus on why you’re willing and what you’re after. It reminds you that the work is worthy, and you can then move from challenged to motivated.

I Am Willing

What you are willing to do on a day to day basis might sound like this:

I am willing…

to find a way
to be patient when it takes longer
to be flexible
to be courageous
to take a risk
to take a stand
to stand out
to make a mistake
to learn
to ask for help
to look in the mirror
to listen
to trust
to step up to the plate.

Challenges Are Good For You

Being willing to take on a challenge will require persistence yet doesn’t have to involve struggling. Very often, it’s simply sitting down to do the work that’s before you. Use the I-am-willing technique and instead of dwelling on how hard it is, notice your ability to choose, to make a decision, and to act.

This Week: Be willing. When you meet an obstacle, say these words out loud: I am willing.

And if you still need some reasons to embrace the work, keep these in mind:

7 Reasons Why Challenges Are Good For You
1. When you’re challenged, you rarely get bored.
2. Your level of commitment and sense of purpose may actually rise.
3. Like necessity, challenge is the mother of invention.
4. They give people the opportunity to help you — a mutual benefit and blessing.
5. Like they told you in grade school, challenges build character.
6. You’ll have a great story to tell once you’re victorious.
7. You will be amazed and proud to learn what you are made of.

“Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts.
This is the secret of success.”
—Swami Sivananda

Here's to you,

P.S. For more on this topic, check out this article with wisdom from Chris Gardner entitled, “When The Tough Get Going” which I wrote about here.