Learn To Love The Grind

The grind! This morning, as I picked myself up and started my morning routine, I would do anything to stay in bed. After Tuesday’s round of chemotherapy, I feel like I’ve just gone two rounds with Mike Tyson in his prime.

Working through the pain used to be an admirable trait in America. Now, people call it senseless, and even overly masculine. Why comes to mind? What changed?

Looking back at the last twenty or so years, our world has changed dramatically. It started with 9/11. Everything after that has been different. Attention has been poured onto social movements and what people believe is social justice.

There was once a more willing generation of young men and women. They were willing to get out there and earn what they wanted. There was no fear of having to go the extra mile to get more.

As I sip on a cup of Folgers, with my hazelnut creamer, I wish my desk was this organized. At 4:30 in the morning, I should be wishing I was asleep. But I’m lost in my thoughts. I’m already starting to grind out today’s missions.

I’ll have another cup, take a shower, get into my work clothes, and sign into my work system at seven. Fearlessly, facing the grind of today as my body feels wrecked from cancer, the treatments, and the overwhelming question of where are the rest of the grinders.

Are they a dying breed? Or has the world abandoned the ideal of working harder to succeed? From the different generations I’m exposed to, it seems to be the latter. Why do they fear or try to avoid the grind? A better question is how to get them to embrace the grind!

Embracing the Grind

The grind is different for everyone. It’s a different feeling, a different reality, and a different pursuit. The one thing that the grind is not is discriminating. Whether you finished college with a great GPA and took a high-paying job, or you barely squeaked by and wound up moving home with mom and dad, the grind is there for you.

The grind is a mindset that we all have to accept or reject. If you appreciate it you can experience the benefits of the grind more fully. It’s going to come with some highs and lows, but in the end, there is one common goal. To get you to where you want to be.

A basketball coach broke it down in a simple way. Coach Wheeler believed there were three parts to The Grind.

• Know what you want.
• Go after it.
• Don’t stop until you get it!

And that is the crux of the problem. It’s not that people don’t develop a picture of what they want. They lack the confidence to go after it. And many lack the tenacity required to not stop until they get it.

Lacking confidence in your ability leads to fear of failure. People develop a mindset that screams, “WHY TRY?” Sure, the world is a hard one to beat, but what effort are you putting into yourself to become better, to become someone who can beat the world?

We all have our limits, and they’ll be tested. It’s natural to lose motivation over time. When it happens, we have to examine our mindset. Being unmotivated happens to everyone, even when we are talking about things a person loves to do.

Being unmotivated is an interesting opportunity if you choose to take it on. It’s a great time to look closely at when you need to power through and when you may need to step away to avoid burnout, being overwhelmed or health-related challenges.

Ways of Conquering the Grind

The grind can be conquered, and it’s not as scary or harsh as some think. For those who are fearful or intimidated by the grind, remember that it’s part of life. Nobody ever succeeded by running from the reality of the grind. There are some ways of helping to overcome the daunting appearance it presents.

Start by setting clear and achievable goals. Break down your large tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks. When you complete one you have a sense of progress that builds confidence. Try writing down daily or weekly goals and track how you did.

Set aside time and celebrate the small victories. It’s important to recognize our accomplishments, even the minor ones. This will help you to believe you can handle more. Try keeping a journal of your achievements and then you have a record of what you’ve gotten done.

Ask yourself, what would you say to a friend in the same position? It’s important to be compassionate to ourselves when facing difficulties. Treating yourself kindly can reduce the feeling of pressure and we must understand that everyone faces struggles. It’s alright to take things one step at a time.

Work on developing a growth mindset. We need to see the challenges in front of us as opportunities to learn rather than obstacles. We all fail! Embrace failures as part of the learning process. Try changing negative thoughts. Instead of I failed, change it to I haven’t figured it out yet.

Be consistent. Confidence will grow when you take consistent action. Even if it’s not always perfect, doing something is better than overthinking or doing nothing. Try to commit to one task, every day, that helps you reach your goal. Even a small step can count.

Takeaways

The grind isn’t this daunting and scary thing that people have begun to make it out to be.

The grind, or grinding away at getting to the finish line, might as well be called hard work.

People are getting fed up with working hard to achieve their often mediocre existence, their work making someone else’s bigger dream come true.

Everyone has witnessed the villainization of the wealthy in the 21st century. It’s made people angry and disgruntled, and many think that becoming one of the wealthy is out of their reach. But, one should remember, that the wealthy went out and did what they were supposed to do. They tried to succeed, never gave up, and kept grinding.

That’s it and that’s all!

— Arnold Swarzenneger, Fubar