Effort and Growth
Before I turned 30, I didn’t have much consistent capacity for effort. As I understand it now, I had no reason to be proud of the things I was doing. This was a major obstacle to my ability to perform well and, consequently, to my well-being.
The Power of Reflection
Answering the simple question, “What makes me proud of this task I’m accomplishing?” can reveal much of what you need to stay motivated. At the same time, it can also reveal whether the task is something you should actually be pursuing.
While it’s important to find your answer to that question, it’s equally important not to judge the thoughts that emerge. Let them flow. Being aware of why you are—or aren’t—proud of the tasks you undertake in your daily life is highly informative. It brings clarity. Many of us feel lost because we constantly reject our thoughts, judging them before we’ve had a chance to examine them fairly. Even unpleasant thoughts can contain truth.
The goal is to get the full picture of why an activity makes you proud—or why it doesn’t. You might realize that you’re engaged in an activity that, on its own, doesn’t bring you joy. However, completing it is a necessary part of the journey you’re on—a journey that will lead to something you are proud of. It’s essential to recognize if you’re proud of the result of your effort.
The Many Paths To Be Proud
You can be proud of many different things because there are numerous positive things to accomplish. Some believe you should strive to stay on the path that brings you the most joy. While that’s a valid point of view, I don’t think we should limit ourselves to one goal.
Joy is a worthy aim, but so are other values like creating something you’re proud of, development, constructive accomplishments, enlightenment, safety, security, peace, family, affection, adventure, freedom, influence, autonomy, or service, among others. These can all be outcomes of your efforts, and each has the potential to improve your life.
The Underlying Reason For Effort
You don’t need to struggle with the question of why you’re making an effort. Whether the answer is joy, knowledge, wisdom, strength, or something else, these are just different expressions of the same underlying reason. The only true reason is that you’re trying to make life better, or at least not worse.
Asking the Right Questions
Acknowledge that you’re either already doing something or thinking about doing something that doesn’t yet exist. Depending on your perspective, ask yourself either, “What makes me proud of what I’m doing now?” or “What would make me proud if what I’m thinking of doing succeeded?”
Original Article, here.
Hope you enjoy!
by whatastep
1 Comment
At first, I was greatly doubtful about my decision however, thinking more about it, Yes, I feel proud even with my other shitty decisions