Getting Through Your Day

Some days can be exhausting. For many, most days are exhausting. We just think that it’s the way things are and plough along. Same thing, day in and day out. That’s life !

On one end of the spectrum things seem like they are exhausting because we are bored of it. It no longer excites us. The monotony carries over into boredom which carries over to exhaustion.

On the other end of the spectrum are the passionate ones. The ones who have “found” their passion. Who loves what they are doing. We are lectured endlessly to be this way. Never mind that no one ever tells you how to find your passion. But even passion fizzles out over time. What you were passionate about when you were 20 is probably not what you will be passionate about at 40. Even the most passionate writers suffer from writer’s block !

I think both approaches are flawed and just not feasible in the long run.

An approach that I find useful is to find one thing that excites you each day and let that drive your day. So you could be spending 90% of your day on something you consider boring, but within the day, find something that excites you and reserve the last 10% for that. The exciting thing could be a game you are looking forward to or a book you are reading at night or just a different part of your job that you really enjoy. Something like a pilot light that keeps you going and brings some meaning. This approach forces you to actually think about what you find exciting in your day.

For me personally, it’s seeking knowledge. It’s the true fountain of youth. I look forward to learning something new each and every day. We live in truly amazing times, with the knowledge of the world at our literal fingertips ! And this knowledge opens new doors which take me down lanes I’ve never been before. I get new ideas and try new things as a direct consequence of this new knowledge. It brings excitement, meaning and purpose.

My advice: Keep that pilot light going. Excitement, meaning and purpose will follow…eventually.