surabhi called me hardworking, which is very far from the truth, but it made me think: i have started doing a lot of new things this semester, and i have absolutely no idea how i did. i'm sure i do, somewhere deep down, though, so i'm going to try to put it into words if it helps anyone out. i have been attempting, and failing, to get started on self-improvement multiple times over the past few years, like we all do, until the flint strikes successfully and the fire ignites. sometimes, you realise why clichés exist, but it's my job to make them sound like they're not. most of my good work exists simply as fruit of labour done with love, which i realise is an enormous privilege: to be able to call love successful is in itself luck of the utmost kind; to have passion be a stepping stone to the future is beautiful.
when it comes to work that is work, things i do not wish to do, i find it best to indulge in a three-pronged approach:
visualise the goal; what will i get when i finish the process? that is my long-term motivation.
think about the steps; what do i need to do first, so that i reach there? this is my short-term focus, and last,
distract, distract, distract. if the process does not appeal at first, take the bitter medicine route. pop it in something sweet, and swallow it whole, and make sure to grumble the whole way.
when it comes to work that has its small perks along the way, like being able to strum a small song to completion, revel in it! there's no fun in practicing an F for days, and just remember: there's no merit inherent to suffering. nobody will give you a prize, least of all your own self, if you suffer through the process. enjoy every single part of it you can, and there's no better intrinsic reward. and, the secret is: nothing feels as good as knowing you're improving yourself. sure, it hurts when you walk the day after legs, and sure, you feel like groaning every time you move an inch. but lie in bed that day, and breathe. you're just a little bit better today than you were yesterday. and that's how we grow.