It’s an open secret that if it’s success you want to achieve in any area of your life, hard work is the key. As clichéd as this may sound, it’s a truism, and hard work is comprised of around 90% discipline. As diligent as you may be in staying disciplined and working hard however, it’s not something you can sustain 100% of the time en route to your goal.
There will be times when you don’t feel like doing what you know you need to do and there will be times when so many other factors come into play to distract you from doing the things you know you need to do in order to get to where you want to be. I have to repeat that discipline isn’t something you can sustain 100% of the time as this goes against the very basic laws of nature.
At some or other point(s) along the way you will have to take things a little easy and give yourself a refreshing break from all the hard work. It’s important to reward yourself for reaching milestones which would effectively be comprised out of little chunks of the bigger goal you’re trying to reach. This is a much more effective than going on an endeavour to get all the hard work out of the way in one continuous go, with the view that once it’s all done only then can you take it easy, relax and enjoy all the rewards.
Those of us who are pushing side-hustles in addition to something like your full-time job know just how hard it can be to try and operate in any other way that is different to that which is perpetuated in the corporate sector. Essentially, the corporate sector which perhaps extends on doctrines learned during one’s schooling years structures our lives in such a way that we are made to believe that hard work is something to be invested over a long period of time, while the rewards thereof are to be enjoyed once all the hard work has reached its climax.
This is why most people enjoy one vacation per year (or two, if they’re lucky), something which has become somewhat of an accepted norm. They don’t have a choice and they’re resigned to the circumstances around that singular annual vacation, such as the high prices everywhere because everybody is going on vacation.
You need to reward yourself every now and then just to keep the fire burning. Rewards don’t have to be particularly big as it’s more about the psychological effect they induce. Some of those lovely Christmas baskets earmarked for the festive season can be bought at any time during the year for example, with a treat pulled out to be enjoyed as a reward, every now and again.
This way you won’t be spending too much money (you’ll be spending a negligible amount) on the much-needed little rewards your spirit needs in order to keep the motivation to keep going. Never underestimate the power of these much-needed periodic rewards as part of the journey to reaching your set goals.
