The Road Less Tedious

After the last issue, Tackling A Tough Job?, several of you emailed me to say that the “I am willing” approach is helping you see your challenges in a better light. Today, I offer you a few more thoughts on approaching “big jobs” including a reminder to use music as part of your motivational routine.

It Feels Like Moving a Mountain

Last week, two clients who are taking a coaching program together described how the changes they want to implement felt to them. One said, “It feels like moving a mountain.” In response to a question about what stops her from progressing, the other said, “It will take too long.”

Understandable, right? How many of us have had the same kind of feeling when approaching something that feels out of reach: acquiring a new credential, starting a fitness program, making a career change. Of course, the irony is that the time passes anyway, whether you work on your goal or not, so… you may as well be working toward it. After all, you’re going to be putting your energy into something. Why not put it into something meaningful?

In fact, that’s where our coaching conversation went. “It will take too long” became: It might take long, but it will be worth it. — Maybe there is no such thing as too long. — Maybe it will even be shorter than I think. “It feels like moving a mountain” became: It’s probably not as mountainous as I fear. — It’s possible I could enjoy the climb.

How Can You Enjoy the Climb?

There will always be goals that appear mountainous and steps that feel tedious. So how do you enjoy the climb? In answer to that question, here’s what comes to my mind:

See the work as worthy and let that inspire you.
Keep good company. Travel with a guide when covering rough terrain.
Wear the right shoes. Pause to look at the views along the way.
Say encouraging things to yourself. And by all means, sing whenever you can!

Let Us Go Singing

What is the music that makes your road less tedious? Here are three from my playlist that keeps me moving up the mountain:

One of my niece Olivia’s favorites:
Miley Cyrus — The Climb

This is a classic that I actually “performed” (off-key and spontaneously) at a recent gathering with friends:
Sarah Vaughan — I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise
[link no longer available on YouTube… Ms. Vaughan’s version of this song is awesome!]

And this one… well what can I say, it’s still one of my favorite movies. Here is Margery McKay, dubbing for Peggy Wood, who played the wise Mother Abbess:
Sound of Music — Climb Every Mountain

“Let us go singing as far as we go: the road will be less tedious.”
—Virgil

Notes:
¹Acknowledgements go to Virgil and Robert Frost for inspiring the title of today’s article.