Every Friday I’m summing up what you learnt in these last days of the #weekdaykickoff 🌊. Here we go!
Resist to drink coffee as a drug
You need the infusion of caffeine to be awake and kick-off your day. As a child and teen you didn’t need to. Why do you need coffee today? Think of why you take it every morning, throughout the day or in your „low“. Are you maybe out of juice or lacking motivation because what’s about to come in your day is not super exciting?
Remember the person you were and are when you are truly fascinated, losing a sense of time and space because the only thing that counts is what it’s in front of you. If you take this „all-in in the moment“ mindset things will start shifting, and you will discover what you truly enjoy — WHATEVER IT IS!
You don’t need coffee, your addiction does.
Make the problem a solution
There’s a strong and very popular misconception of a problem. Some people consider it a nightmare that haunts you. You can’t control whether you will dream badly or not. I suggest you tackle a problem from a more controlled point of view: See the problem as a little child that needs help. Crying and helpless it’s longing for the saving hand and warm, cosy place of comfort.
Your problem is in an unwanted situation, and it wants to find a way out of the dark. You’re the one who knows the way. You’re the only one who can guide the child out of misery. Your call for responsibility echoed through the night and arrived at your place sleeping in the morning. When do you wake up to save child?
Shut down the voices in your head
The inner monologue you’re having with your self — including devil, angel and all the creatures in between — is important for your self-reflection. You’re not schizophrene talking to yourself. You’re just aware that you need to have this conversation and therefore talk with and without moving lips.
Another voice in your head you invited yourself through modern media and music devices. Why do you listen to music on your morning commute? Do you need the detachment from your surroundings in order to think clearly? Is the world simply pissing you off so that what is out there is not your cup of coffee which is why you prefer to create you own mind-driven world?
I had a great conversation with Joe from New York City on Anchor how and when music is necessary while you’re doing other activities. For example, when I’m writing I sometimes use the compilations offered on musicForProgramming, and Joe has a piano music playing while he’s dancing ballet.
Long for the uncomfortable
There’s not instant reward for your diligence and effort, for your sweat, tears and sometimes blood you give. It can take time (years) until the reward shows up. People wanting to make it in Hollywood are working hard and being patient for even more than ten years to achieve their desired goal. And you give up after three months?
Hard work. Patience. Showing up every day for two years. If you laser-focus your efforts like you were on the court playing basketball, soccer or hockey you set the foundation for what will ultimately make you successful — whatever success means to you.
I’m currently filling my August with work. Two weeks ago I arrived in Berlin and I had no idea how I will continuously make money for my next months in Germany. When I shifted my search scope to cleaning households (I did it two years ago for a few months) I received two more offers for other freelancing job opportunities and today another offer arrived.
Coincidence? I’ve started not believing in coincidence anymore. I found out that being the person in charge for EVERY SINGLE DECISION in your life is sexier. Things happened because you hustled. There’s no better way to be proud of you — except when scoring a goal against the world’s best goal keeper Manuel Neuer!
The take-away for the weekend: Start your day with a natural dose of desire and willingness to work. You have two hands, intelligence between your ears and an achiever mindset that radiates from even far away. You tackle problems because you know they need help, like little boys and girls.
On your problem-solving road you laser-focus as you did when you were a child playing with LEGO. Mrs. Distraction will become Mr. Laser. Cool name, right?
You’ll long for the hard game, the tough road, the extra-sticky gum. Take it, chew it, then spit it or suck it. Have a fantastic weekend!
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This was episode 50 of the #weekdaykickoff 🌊 Every weekday (Mon-Fri). Also find me on Anchor so we can talk — literally talk from person to person!
Also published on Medium.