I wrote down this quote I heard somewhere – “Even what you are passionate about sucks 95% of the time”.
When you are pushing and working hard to make things happen, and work is work and problems come, even what you love isn’t fun much of the time.
Seems right to me. What do you think? Tell me with the orange comment button!
I totally agree. There are times that I am so stressed because of my business and then all of a sudden it is exactly what I want to be doing!!
I agree. The harder (less fun) the challenge is to accomplish, the better you feel when you accomplish it. So I guess we aim for things that are not a high percentage of fun. Good thing Think Daily is fun to read 🙂
Work is “work” and pushing is pushing. No way around that. We fantasize about what we could be doing in a luxurious manner when we are in the trenches (doing what we love) but when we are slow or not grinding and seeing dollar signs, we are frustrated just the same! It is all about keeping perspective and finding balance. I know my days are tipped way out of balance when I am busy, but I try to remain cognizant of it and look forward to extreme pleasure and down time as my motivator. ‘No pressure, no diamonds’ is really very accurate.
I think it’s more like 70% great and 30% lost in the fog. I have “Aha” moments all the time…..My thought is that the 95% sucks part comes from having unrealistic expectations of what others can/will do (I find myself continually frustrated by lack of immediate action by others on items I used to take action on daily/weekly) Then I look in the mirror and realize that I either have not communicated properly or have done so to the wrong person for that task. As entrepreneurs, if we are pushing the envelope, it is a difficult, rewarding learning experience.
Reminds me of listening to Mike Tyson. He speaks of training and how much it sucked for him. He hated it- the grind and the pain that of course laid the path to glory. We’re laying our path to glory, but if we don’t know what glory is for us…how do we know when we’re the heavyweight champ of the world!
I agree with Edward Krieger about the 70% good and 30% pushing you back. I think about have of that is based upon following through on people of programs to fulfill our expectations with the other being things that hit you unexpectedly
I agree 100%. In my younger days I was in to body building. I dispised the gym but loved the results and benefits. Business can be that way.
I half agree because my interpretation is that the quote references only the extremes. Learning to embrace the challenges and manage the mundane help me to continue to keep my passion in focus. Enjoy the journey!
Ha! Looks like I’m not the only one feeling this way today as I drive to this monster job :))) Larry you hit a nerve on all of us 🙂
To me, work is only “hard” work when I am whipsawed by distraction. What does that mean? Well I happen to love and am passionate about the various ‘jobs’ I have chosen; and so, waking up to them is vastly exciting and mostly challenging, the more intricate the challenge the more exhillerating is the opportunity. However, when my personal life is in disarray or someone I love is hurting and there is frustration because helping that person is not in yet in sight, then work can become a struggle — whipsawed by distraction makes me ineffective at what I love, my work. The same is true about the passion I have for my play time. Even here, play can be less rewarding with those same distractions.
New to me is the distraction of physical limitation and the reconciliation that the body may not respond as it has for so many years. The lesson and challenge here seems to be to discover new activities and to relish those that still bring me joy and keep the spring in my step!
Just re-read the quote again. My instant thought is that if it is sincerely true that what you are passionate about “sucks 95% of the time” – change what you are passionate about. That’s no way to live!
Hi Larry. I have given this one much thought. I do not agree. If it sucks 95% of the time then best you have a “New Day” experience. Sure, things will get tough along the way, but you must 95% of the time be happy to accept those bad things. Look at things differently. Stand back for the cold face. Examine your chosen direction, change if you are finding it so bad BUT, do not live a life of self-imposed misery.
What you CHOSE do must be fun, a challenging, and rewarding. My own life has been filled with “live sucks experiences” but, I chose daily to win, and that included making sure I was personally grounded to know that I would face the new day never having to look back over my shoulder.
Great perspective in all the comments.
Thanks John Sayour for your comments about distraction — that resonates.
It’s true that the push is often painful. And the push is constant.
I am working on moment by moment perspective. Being present. Keeping the long view. Finding the sparks of joy in the dozens of little things that DO work everyday… those keep me going.
If we can ride loose in the saddle, whether faced with challenges or rewarded by success, it only has to suck about 10% of the time. Letting go of judging — a “good” day, a “bad” day — gives us freedom to appreciate the mere fact of our ongoing efforts and perseverance. Seeing black and white can be exhausting. Recognizing we are doing our best every day offsets frustration. As you say, Think Daily. It’s not Judge Daily. Thanks for an excellent blog.
Enjoy the ride. What isn’t difficult at times. Raising children, marriage, self-employed, unemployed working for someone else. We are too focused on Sunshine and rainbows. Learn to enjoy the struggles and challenges and getting through them learning from them and your life will be so much fun
So true. Much struggle and effort for the limited amount of reward. You have to remain positive and optimistic even through the tough times. Until the race is won, don’t ever give up. Nothing is easy or luck. It takes hard work and you must use your God given talents to get ahead in this world. And it’s not all about all the stuff you accumulate as you won’t be taking it with you.
I don’t think I would appreciate the win as much as I do if it wasn’t for the 95% challenge daily. That 5% makes it all good though! :). Of course I’m not a quitter and I love to win eventually!
Its nice to know that I am not alone with these thoughts and feelings sometimes. what I try to do is keep focused on what my long term goals are and how I can make a difference. That seems to give me fuel for the grind.
How appropriate that this was the Think Daily. Today is one day out of the 95%. Always looking forward to the other 5%.