Tag: Routine

Be a fanatic

Posted on by philipdodson
Japanese Characters by Philip Dodson (Oil on canvas board)

Life’s routines can overwhelm us and lead us down a path of repetition and a lack of sparkle.

Weeks, months, years even can drift by and often all we have done is the same, work, chores, the same places and the same people.

If, however, we have something that is a passion, a hobby, an interest, then that brings opportunity for new things, new experiences, new people, and it brings sparkle and joy.

In order for that to happen, you need to be a fanatic about something.

It could be art, music, walking, gardening, stamp collecting, bird watching, sailing, or whatever.

But having a mild interest won’t bring the magic, you need to jump in, you need to be fanatical about it to get the best.

Find something that you love and who know’s sometimes these fanatical pastimes become your life’s love and work.

Better than another whirr around the monotonous cog of a life of routine and conformity.

At some point everything becomes a grind

Posted on by philipdodson

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No matter what you are doing, at some point in that process, it becomes a grind.

A job becomes routine, the gym turns into a chore, cooking becomes boring, the same commute is dull and so on.

There are three things to consider.

One, spice things up a little, go to the gym at a different time of day or change the routine, go to work via a different route, cook something new or go out a little more. These essential tweaks help keep everything fresh for a while but they will not last.

The second thing, sometimes we have to just dig in, brave the grind, things often seem like a grind when we are struggling with the job or thing we are currently doing. So we have to tough it out for while, remind ourselves of our longer term goals and realise it takes hard work and commitment to get things done and reap the rewards.

Sometimes, just by looking at why we do things and re-inspiring ourselves, we can lift the gloom, ease the grind.

The third thing, we can give up and do something different. Sounds enticing, relieves the grind, we get the escape. However, the new thing you do will have a grind at some point.

We can not always keep doing something new, giving up, we have to dig in sometimes. When you do and you get through that tough period, there is often something better at the end, and the learning is invaluable for the ongoing journey of life.

Be patient, don’t give, dig in and stay determined to reach those goals. Re-inspire yourself with your long-term vision.

There will always be a grind at some stage, it’s how we choose to react that matters.