1419: The long-term pay off of the boring bits
If you need a reason and a nudge to do the seriously boring and annoying shit, today we're talking about the serious pay off!
Episode transcript:
Good morning, Daily Peppers and a very happy Friday to you. It is the end of the week, it is nearly the weekend and we bloody well made it. So. Two things I really value in my life are joy, joy and freedom. When it comes to joy, I love the little things. I really, really thrive on novelty and I usually get through boring shit by setting myself challenges and trying to make it a bit fun. And with the freedom part of things, I hate being told what to do and I really, really need flexibility. So when it comes to things like boring self care tasks, unless I've got a lot of energy to make them fun, I tend to struggle.
I find them boring, I find them a chore and often they feel like they work in direct opposition to my love of fun and freedom. But today I thought I'd share with you something I've been thinking about that flips that on its head and also makes it a bit easier. And that is by doing the boring shit, generally speaking, I increase my capacity to to have more fun and to have more freedom. For example, I am a night owl. I go through phases when I am excellent at revenge bedtime procrastination and I stay up way too late in the name of having gone down a really good rabbit hole and refusing to have a self imposed bedtime. But what I can tell you is after a couple of days I start remembering why the boring shit exists in the first place. Because the next day I do not have a huge amount of capacity or inclination for fun because I'm too fucking tired. And if anything I have less freedom because I am more limited in what I can do because I feel exhausted.
And I know I'm not alone in convincing myself that the boring stuff is just really tedious and annoying, which it is, and forgetting that it's actually important until I'm really feeling it. So this Friday's pep talk is a boring one, but an important one. And it is a firm but compassionate kick up the bum to do the boring shit that does make a difference and gives you more capacity to have more of what you want. That could look like what I'm planning on doing, which is getting a really decent night's sleep. That could also be picking up or putting a request in for repeat medication. It could be making that important appointment or taking a tiny step into figuring out something that's really been bothering you. I know for so many of us these are heavy lifts. We have a massive amount of resistance to doing them and they don't feel like they feed us in any way.
But sometimes there is a very real and very positive payoff. It might just come a little bit later and we've got to give ourselves some of that care that we so freely give to other people. So take this episode as your sign to go do the thing. Chances are it may actually be way less of a big deal and way less of a time suck than you thought it would be. If you're rewards motivated try and mix it with doing something nice and remember that as much as we wish they weren't, the boring bits are also part of building a sustainable life that you love and they often free up your brain and give you more capacity to enjoy the things you enjoy in the long term. So go do the thing. I can't wait to see you in your inbox on Sunday if you're signed up to my fabulous email community or back in your ears on Monday as always to help you start the day with a compassionate bang.
Episode transcript automatically produced by Castmagic.io
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The Daily Pep! is the rebel-rousing, daily podcast for couragemakers, creative, multi-passionate and unconventional women. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t get who you are or what you do, if you want reminders you’re on the right path (no matter how scary it feels), or you’re sick of being your very own worst enemy, this is the podcast for you.
Every weekday, your host - writer, coach and professional rebel-rouser - Meg Kissack helps you build a creative and wholehearted life, one day at a time. Through short and snappy insights, reminders and stories, The Daily Pep! is here to remind you you’re not alone, and that everything changes when you believe you matter. Each episode is short and snappy, designed to fit in with (or help you start) your habits and routines.
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