Nothing is really work…

Nothing is really work unless you’d rather be doing something else. James Barrie. Peter Pan

This is a very unorthodox way of viewing work, but if one ponders long enough, the truth in the statement will liberate us from feeling like a bonded laborer. The reality is that each one of us without exception would have experienced the pangs of having to do something that is unappealing, boring and perhaps unavoidable. No sooner that task is replaced with something that we are keen to do, appealing to us and exciting to our way of thinking, we enjoy the process. With rare exceptions, there is no task that is so engaging that one can happily embrace it for the rest of our lives. The trick in making our living worthwhile is in focusing fully on the task on hand as an opportunity to leverage our time, talent and our temperament. There is no better example than the cheerful way a mother goes about her chores despite the children making the most unreasonable demands on her.

Many times the work we enjoy doing best is ‘doing nothing’ because then there are no targets set, no deadlines to be met and the icing on the cake is the fact that it takes very little effort. However, sooner than later, we are racked with guilt that we have whiled away our time, the miserable feeling of productive time having being squandered away and our inherent sense of responsibility prick us. We then put our nose to the grind not willingly but more as an obligation to be discharged and the resultant effort becomes work that is unavoidable. Yet if can reorient our thought process to view the effort as harnessing our resources to do what is essential under the circumstances, the time spent would seem to fly and the entire process would seem to be enriching and rewarding. E.g. Very few of us enjoy the process of filing our income tax returns because we see it as ultimately ‘giving to Ceaser’ what belongs to us. However if we can see it as an opportunity to better plan our finances and taxes we would eagerly put our heart and soul into it and ensure we don’t have to worry about the taxman’s ‘Damocles Sword’.

How does one cope with tasks that one despises, finds repulsive and would rather avoid given half a chance? The strategy to cope with such a situation is to first be fully aware that each and every individual does face this dilemma. The second is to accept the reality as it exists and not to make any pretence of ignoring its existence. The third is to avoid procrastination and take the bull by its horns so that we tackle the issue rather than spend futile hours speculating on how to bypass the unavoidable reality. By this three pronged strategy, we reconcile to the reality that there is nothing else that we must tackle than what is staring at us. Once we begin the task with earnestness and fortitude, we would relentlessly pour our energies into completing the task. The euphoria that we experience soon after we tackle our demons is the ecstasy of life.

Remember: It is your work in life that is the ultimate seduction. Pablo Picasso

Try this:

Assuming you are shifting to your new house, list out what excites you about it and what are those activities related to the shifting process that you dread most ? How would you cope with those tasks that you dread but cannot avoid or pass it on to anyone else?
What are those demons in life you would ideally love to avoid? (Here are a few pointers to help you reflect on various possibilities.) How would you use the learning fro, today’s post to tackle the demons and actually enjoy the process??

Exercise to lose weight
Making a list of resolutions and following it faithfully
Carrying work home
Having to sacrifice your favorite TV show (being shown live) to accompany your child to his/her best friends most (boring in your opinion) party

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com