Day 18 – Harsh, But True

It had already been a day full of effort when I found myself sitting at my desk, wanting to focus, but feeling mentally fatigued, it was only 4:30pm. I have been immersed in getting one thing after another done, all day long. One particular project was chewing up my bandwidth. I had to mentally pull back and look at the big picture, to organize my large list of action items within each of my top priority projects. With so much on my plate I wanted to prioritize and plan. Otherwise, I would not make progress on what is most important to my boss and the business. I’m just about 4 months into a challenging new job, and I want to succeed. My steep learning curve means I am not as efficient as I want to be. So the challenge is multiplied by my inefficiencies. The only answer is to just keep working through it. But, as mentioned, I was feeling fatigued, and therefore was not making much headway.

So, to give my mind a break I went to the gym for a quick 30 minute workout. As I focused on the physical I began to feel better. I tried to be in the moment and just lift the iron. As I rested between sets, I noticed a slogan painted high up on the wall. It said, “You don’t get what you want, you get what you work for.” Harsh, but true I thought. Wanting something helps you determine a goal. But, getting what you want takes work. I completed the last set on my triceps, headed back to my desk, put in a couple more hours. I gained some clarity on my priorities, prepped for an early morning meeting with a VP, and set up a meeting with my boss to validate my re-organized priorities. I put in the work.

The 365 Commitment is a contract you make with yourself to put in the work that is required to get what you want – for 365 consecutive days in a row. I’m 24 days into this mindset, this habit of working steadily toward what I want. So far, I’ve found a kind of resolve I did not have before. Will I get what I want? I have faith that I will 🙂

I hope you do too!

Ben Wagner (24)

Member 365 Commitment