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How to Conquer the Overwhelm of Hard Work

April 14, 2016 by Doug Kramp Leave a Comment

Adapted from the 10 step guide by Ritu Rao, author of The Light Shift: 21 Simple Ways to Make Your Days Interesting, Get Un-stuck and Beat the Daily Grind 

1. Time will pass anyway: Whether you train for that marathon, write that book or start a business…or not, the weeks, months and years will pass. If you don’t want time/life to pass YOU by, you might as well get going. 

2. Don’t look at it all at once: Of course it will look big and impossible. The mountain always looks the biggest before you start climbing. Instead… 

3. Break it down: Br eak it down into the smallest steps possible. Keep downsizing until it star ts to feel doable and that sinking feeling goes away. 

4. See how others did it-part 1: You now have pr oof it is doable (ther efor e not impossible). Look at their journeys to success, not just how they seemed to achieve it overnight. Most (if not all) struggled, learned, and conquered obsta-cles. At some point, they were where you are now. 

5. See how others did it-part 2: While your path will var y, you can see what steps they took and get ideas you can apply. You can be creative but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. 

6. Focus only on the next few steps: The finish line or major milestone always seems far away. Try to focus only on the next few steps. When you get there, focus on the next few. 

7. Celebrate small wins: This is easy to disr egar d if you feel you’r e not progressing as fast or far as you want, 

8. Know that not everyone will do this: Har d wor k is intimidating, and many will give up befor e they even start. Remind yourself this is an advantage you have over everyone who chose not to do this. In running, it is said: DFL (dead last) > DNF (did not finish) >DNS (did not start) 

9. Have a plan for when you hit bottom: Because you will. Have a game plan in place: Reflect on why you’r e doing this in the first place. Have a go-to person/place where you feel “safe” to discuss how you feel. Distance yourself from those who are not supportive. Put uplifting reminders-like a meaningful quote-over your desk, bath-room mirror, or a go-to book. Keep taking action to prevent sinking deeper. 

10. Have patience: This might be the har dest step of all, because it r equir es faith. Things wor th having r equir e hard work, persistence and time. If they didn’t, we’d all have what we want and life would be perfect. Keep doing your best, and have patience. 

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