There's always a happy ending, in the long run.
My articles so far haven't focused on 'hard-work' — not only because it sounds 'hard', but conjures up images of a kind of 'toil'. Whether it's a sweaty physical activity or indeed the locked-away-in-a-room-to-focus kind, it seems a little too gritty. I'm sure people don't want to read about hard work. They like to read about triumph over adversity — the focus being on the achievement, reward, goal or redemption.
It's never really about the hard work bit of the story, maybe momentarily but only when contrasted with the little triumphs. I certainly don't want to read about the seriousness of the toil, but the fact remains that the only way to get anywhere with anything is to work hard at it. I'd much rather paint a meandering picture of infinitely rewarding daily activities that nourish the soul and involve no hard work at all. But that would be pure fantasy — all triumph over no adversity.
To be able to work consistently at something takes massive amounts of mental energy. To me, this is the most precious kind of power as it is often elusive. This is the energy that allows uninterrupted focus. It's laser-like and nurtures you towards a greater proficiency at doing whatever it is you are consistently doing. Progress isn't particularly hard if you have the mental energy, but what is hard is understanding that progress — indelible progress — happens over a long period. I always knew the time-scale for substantial growth was lengthy, but it's much longer than I thought. The gradual incline of the curve seems infinite — and as I am someone who sees himself as having very little patience — this gradual ascent looks like hard work.
The period after the initial rush of the novelty that is starting something 'new' and the bit before the appearance of any progress is where the real work is done. This is the most extended, slowest and most subtle gradient which provides very little in terms of gratification. Like a long, slow slog up a barely perceptible slope that doesn't feel like a slope. This is the part where I might tend to lose the will to carry on or even stop. This hard, tedious and seemingly infinite bit of the curve requires mental energy in; doing it, consistency trying to do it and doing it again. A tough ask when there is no tangible reward for the ego.
It would seem that if I am aiming at long-lasting growth, instant rewards are not part of the deal — when I went running last night my perception of the long hard slog subsided — here's the redemption bit:
Since I started running again, I have been more consistent. I set myself up with a distance that was within my limits, so it was easier to do every day. But a couple of nights ago it became 'too hard'. Not because it was too strenuous but because I was a bit bored with the repetitive nature of the run. I had embarked on my journey along the flattest part of the curve.
As I stepped out last night, I thought I'd take one step at a time and one breath at a time — quite obvious and quite comfortable — my focus was on making progress in a very measured way. I wasn't looking at the 'big black w/hole' of the full distance — I focused on each step by step and inhalation by inhalation. I didn't run any further, but the instant gratification from every step took the focus away from the self-imposed pressure of the finishing line. While I focused on my breath the 'hard work' of reaching the finish became unworthy of any of my attention. I ran a much quicker time than usual, by focusing more on the moment by moment progress — a more consistent awareness of actual progress came into view.
We sometimes tend to shy away from 'hard' hard work because we are programmed to do the things that bring us instant gratification. Hard work doesn't necessarily bring such instant rewards — or so I thought. Progress through the grinding monotony of the 'hard' bit is achieved through a focus on awareness and gratitude for the small increments as they consistently arise. In essence, if I am progressing with a clear focus on the seemingly small stuff — the curve still continues to rise imperceptibly — but it allows you to focus on the daily triumphs and this drives you forward. Learning is revealed through the joy derived from the consistency of doing the thing in the moment you are doing it and appreciating that progress is being made. Whether growth is evident or not it needs to be consistently worked at.
In my little way, I achieved a sense of reward from each stage, step, increment and a sense of achievement in knowing I had changed my perception of what I was trying to do. This is where the mental energy comes in. The right amount of mental energy focuses your mind and rewards you for having committed to doing the hard work — consistently.
The sometime snail-pace speed of growth can be discouraging, but when it leads to long term growth, it's less about self-flagellation and more about acknowledging the little triumphs which compound to create long-lasting change. The hard work starts when you focus and push harder to uncover more than you think you know about the obvious stuff — like the simplicity of putting one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.