Five Things That Get In The Way

Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music. Angela Monet

What gets in the way?

I’ve been working on a big project for the past two months. Only that’s not really accurate. I’ve been fussing with it, working around the edges, talking about it. But every time I encounter an obstacle, feel stuck or aren’t sure where to go next, I manage to distract myself. Something else suddenly becomes more important.

Sometimes I think getting stuck is a signal that I’m going the wrong way. It’s like I’m trying to force something to happen and the stuckness tells me to look deeper at goals, motives, or tactics.

But this is a project I’m really passionate about. I think I have something important to say, and I want to communicate my ideas well. I’m open to the possibility that I’m on the wrong road, but that doesn’t seem right in this case.

So what’s getting in the way? What keeps us from the truly important work, the stuff that stirs our passions and makes us want to get up a little earlier and get to it?

Most of us struggle to find our true work. Seth Godin refers to “emotional artwork;” I call it THE WORK. However we name it, it’s a calling that seems to be our reason for being. But when we do find it, what keeps us from pursuing THE WORK?

THINGS THAT GET IN THE WAY

Intentional distraction. We keep adding more stuff, more self-imposed expectations about responding to messages and building networks and serving. Those are all important, and they need to be part of how we set up our lives, our workflow, the way we get through the day.

But if those aren’t THE WORK, we need to design our days so those important tasks get accomplished without distracting us from THE WORK.

External pressure. Like it or not, others have expectations of us. This doesn’t have to be sinister, it’s just reality. And the accompanying reality is that we don’t like to let people down.

I want to help, to contribute, to empower. I want to use the gifts God gave me in service. With that mindset, it’s easy to allow others to determine priorities. If I’m not careful, my identity gets tied up with expectations.

As with all things, the trick is balance. If the best way I can serve in the big picture is by doing THE WORK, then I need to make sure that’s the first priority. That doesn’t mean isolating myself in a cave—in fact, I’d argue that truly great work nearly always happens in a community. But it does mean saying no to good work when it gets in the way of THE WORK.

Feeling guilty. We seem to believe that we’re not entitled to do THE WORK. Why should I get to pursue my passion? Life’s about doing what I’m supposed to do, doing my job. Passion is for crazy artists and irresponsible children.

Adults have responsibilities, right?

But THE WORK isn’t about ignoring responsibility. It’s about accepting responsibility for what’s truly essential.

In The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss outlines a preposterous notion until you understand that he’s distinguishing work (the stuff we have to do but wish we could avoid) from THE WORK. He’s proposing that we can minimize work to make time for THE WORK.

Lack of self-discipline. Fact of life: you can’t do it all. Efficiency, long hours, and hard work are all good, but they can only accomplish so much. Living intentionally, doing THE WORK, requires setting priorities.

Unfortunately, it’s often easier to pay attention to the loud, the urgent, the short-term. Quicker feedback, instant gratification, or just checking something off the list become awfully tempting when THE WORK gets challenging and seems to be going nowhere.

In a similar way, it’s easy to lose focus by looking backward. How many books got sold? How many web site hits? How many people signed up or showed up? Rear-view metrics are another temptation that removes my focus from the difficult task of creating a new future by doing THE WORK.

Fear. What if I’m wrong? What if I can’t do it? What if nobody likes it? In my e-book called A Brief Guide To Accomplishing The Impossible (download it for free here) I wrote about an all-too-real place called The Land Of If Only, a horrible island ruled by worry and imagination of the worst possible outcomes.

Of course the worst possibilities are also the most unlikely, but their specter hides the achievable and the possible behind a curtain of imagined danger.

GET ER DONE

THE WORK is an incredible gift. It’s a joy, but it’s probably not easy. It’s exciting, but it’s probably draining. It’s vital, but probably not urgent unless you choose to make it your highest priority.

We each have to decide whether we’ll overcome the obstacles that try to prevent us from doing THE WORK.

What gets in the way of THE WORK for you?

The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. Mitch Albom