Working When Work Isn’t Easy

This is an actual job "aid" from my STATS 747 class, Structural Equation Modeling.

Man, These Times Are Hard

Only fourteen days until the end of Spring semester, and I just realized I'm not going to be able to finish my school projects on time. [Deep exhale.] I can't seem to buckle down. I never want to work on them because, essentially, I have no idea what I'm doing. And as a PhD student, the feeling I get from my faculty is that they expect me to discover the resources I need on my own. I am feeling crippled and alone.

It's like I'm a blind wanderer.

And I don't know how legs function.

girl by Tomiokajiro

My Boy Scout training taught me to hug a tree in situations like these. But I'm afraid the tree in this analogy (aka: Netfilx) has done nothing but filled me with guilt and anxiety. I needed to figure out how to get my mind right.

The Plan

In an attempt to escape the hole I found myself in, I first identified my top resources for inspiration:

• I spoke with my family for encouragement.
• I studied the scriptures for motivation.
• I went to the temple, and prayed for strength.
• I even scoured the web for inspirational mindhacks.

I then recorded the most-helpful ideas here:

Family

• "If it makes you feel any better, everyone else probably feels just as lost as you do." —Mom
• "You can do it, Bry. We love you and believe in you, independent of what happens at school." —Sister

Scriptures

When Nephi acquired the plates of brass from Laban, it taught me that when temptations, distractions or obstacles stand in my way, first, I ought try to negotiate. (E.g., Do 2 hours of homework. Watch 50 minutes of tennis.) But if negotiations fail (i.e., lapse in self-discipline), I have to cut that obstacle out of my life in order to obtain that which is of a higher priority. I might not want to do it, but in the end I will feel justified in knowing that I made the better decision. (1 Nephi 3-4)

Temple

Every time I go the temple, it feels like diving into a refreshing pool on a hot day. I temporarily check my worldly baggage at the door, and when I come back, the bundle seems much easier to manage. As I keep my covenants, I know I will be shielded and protected from the Adversary.

Mindhacks

I scoured the web for articles on how to despise idleness and love steadfastness, diligence, and dedication. Here are some of the resulting productivity resolutions:

• I will decide what is important and prioritize it.
• I will decide what is the outcome will be, even before I start.
• I will start my productive work before I even feel ready to do it. I will not wait to feel ready. If I do, I will never be ready.
• Decisive behavior is productive. I will behave like I am right, even when I'm feeling unsure. I will no doubt myself. Doubt is the killer of a productive work.
• Research from the University of Pennsylvania has shown that grit is the characteristic linked most closely to success. (I could use some grit today.)
• My mind is a suggestion engine. When my mind tells me that my body is tired, it's a suggestion, not an order. A moment later, the thought might occur to you that me that by sticking to my schedule, I will respect the identity I am building. It is suggesting that I have the ability to finish this task, even when I don’t feel like it.
• Like professional athlete, I will develop a "pre–game" routine that allowed me to perform well, regardless of whether I was motivated or not. The routine will start with something easy, that is physical, and gets me moving towards my end goal. I will follow this routine every time so my mind instinctively knows, “This is what happens before I do ___.”
• There are 3 R’s of Habit Change: Reminder (the trigger that initiates the behavior), Routine (the behavior itself; the action you take), and Reward (the benefit you gain from doing the behavior).
• I will maintain perspective. My life is good and my discomfort is temporary. "I will step into this moment of discomfort and let it strengthen me."
• I will focus on small behaviors, not life–changing transformations.
• I will develop a routine that gets you going regardless of how motivated you feel.
• I will stick to the schedule and forget about the results.
• When I slip up, I will get back on track as quickly as possible.
• If I have a mind block, I will try making a mind map to get the ideas percolating.
• When inspiration does come, I will stop what I'm doing and record it. If I cannot write it down, I will use my iPhone to record some audio, or use whatever is available. I will not trick myself into thinking I will be able to remember it later. I won't.
• I will not be afraid to ask for help from a professor after putting in the work and am still stuck.
• I will reserve brainpower by not deliberating over trivial decisions throughout my day, like what to wear or what which brand of laundry detergent to buy. I will just make a choice and move on.
• I will learn to say NO to distractions and ignore them. The ability to show up everyday, stick to the schedule, and do the work — especially when you don’t feel like it — is so valuable that it is literally all you need to become better 99% of the time. This is what differentiates an amateur from a pro.
• I will do a bad draft, first. I will not go for the perfect one to begin with, because it is impossible to edit a blank page.
• To get the scholarly results I want, I need to fall in love with the (often boring and repetitive) process of reading and writing.
• Time is precious. I will treat it like it's my money, because it is!

Conclusion

"You must believe, boy. You must believe." ~Henry Jones Sr.

There will always be extreme moments in our lives that require incredible bouts of courage, resiliency, and grit; and this is one of those moments for me. But like Indiana Jones standing over the abyss, I must force myself to do something my instincts tell me is impossible. For in the end, I know the reward will be worth the effort.

So here's to the next two weeks. As I focus on my priorities and fearlessly leap from the metaphorical lion's head, I believe I will finish the semester with no (more) regrets. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that I am a social learner. (I miss USU. Those faculty practiced teaching/learning theories that I resonated with.)

Hope these ideas have been helpful to you on your path.