The word ‘work’ usually conjures up feelings of dread and dismay. There’s work-work that sucks and you wish you didn’t have to do it, but then there’s work that’s not like work that still is hard but fun at the same time.
Peaches and Cream
They say, ‘do what you love, and you never work a day in your life.’ I can’t say I believe that’s true. There are still days when it’s going to be hard to get out of bed in the morning. It’s not always peaches and cream all the time, even when you love what you do.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Sometimes you’ve got to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and make yourself get out there and get your hands dirty. You’ve still got to dig in and do the work even when you don’t feel like it, especially when that work is your dream.
Where Motivation and Inspiration Flows
When you’re working on our dreams, the deeper you reach inside yourself, the more honest you are with yourself, the better the work will be. If you can get past all the internal resistance to where your motivation and inspiration flows, then the real work can come out.
You Are Not Your Work
One of the most important things to remember, though, is that you are not your work. Because so much of us is tied up in what we do, it’s easy to get our emotions and self-worth entangled in what we produce.
Love And Attention
For the longest time, I thought my identity was in my work. If you critiqued my work, you critiqued me, personally. Every criticism cut me to the bone and sent me into an emotional tailspin. Conversely, if I wasn’t working, if I wasn’t constantly producing something, I was less of a person and not worthy of anyone’s love or attention.
Work Does Not Define You
Eventually you discover that you’re a separate person from what you create. Through the continued support of friends, family and loved ones, you learn that your work does not define you. “Work is something you do, not who you are.” – Austin Kleon Show Your Work.
Sometimes we have work worth doing, but it may be hard to find the motivation to do it. Digging in and finding the motivation to keep going can be tough, but by buckling down, we can create some of our best work that way. Remember, the more you love the harder you work.
What do you define as work? What kind of work do you do that you don’t call ‘work?’ We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Skinny Grey Dog 