#7 Persistence despite Resistance – Finding your True Purpose

We all want to avoid doing things that make us miserable.

Yet avoiding them often takes the shape of prioritizing them.

“I’ll do this unpleasant thing first so that I can get to the fun stuff.”

Unfortunately, it seems to be a rule that the more unpleasant tasks you cross off your to-do list, the more unpleasant tasks appear on your to-do list.

Sometimes it makes sense to do the essential things first, even if that means you keep the unpleasant things on your to-do list.

This is not a free pass to avoid unpleasant things and only do something you like.

It’s about doing the things that matter, regardless of whether they’re pleasant.

It’s about coming to terms with the fact that you’ll probably always drown in chores and busy work to do, then doing the important stuff anyway.

Journaling question of the day:

Where are you prioritizing and attracting things that make you miserable instead of doing the work that matters?

Most people don’t see why you’re taking time out of your busy day to sit down and write until the book you were working on every day lies in front of them.

They don’t see why you run every day and eat clean until you set a personal best at the next marathon.

They don’t see the new product you’re working on until it’s developed so far that it helps them achieve their goals.

You’re the only one who sees the method to your madness.

And that’s fine.

Because you probably don’t see the method to their madness either.

We cling the most, not to our prized possessions we worked hard to obtain, but to the painful patterns that both hurt us AND keep us comfortable.

Some questions to ask yourself today:

Who do I want to be?

Which actions will turn me into the person I want to be?

Which actions STOP me from turning into that person I want to be?

Which of my actions, habits, and tendencies am I frustrated about, but simultaneously perpetuating?

Which painful patterns am I scared to let go of because they have been instrumental in making me who I am today?

Intentional living is about reminding yourself of what’s most important to you.

Reminding yourself that you can choose to be a writer, a runner, a musician, an artist, or a bon vivant.

Reminding yourself that you can choose to be kind to others.

Reminding yourself that you have a choice to act differently.

Reminding yourself that the past does not equal the future.

Reminding yourself that this, too, shall pass.

Reminding yourself that at any given moment, whatever reminder you need the most, you likely won’t think of yourself.

Reminding yourself that for this reason, it’s OK to get help and let someone else remind you with short daily notes.

And me, reminding myself that the act of writing daily reminders for you is the reminder I need to remember that I do, in fact, choose to be consistent, and I choose to be a writer.

Reminders upon reminders upon reminders that we will constantly get distracted, and we will always have the choice to come back to what truly matters.