The first month of the second half of the year is almost over. And it will almost be a year since we started this little project. Out of the three of us, I am the one who is yet to produce a write-up. So here goes nothing.
An Excuse: To me, writing is like that one chore that you have been putting off for months only to find out that it actually only takes a few minutes to complete. In my long pursuit of finding the motivation to write, I came across an article about Schlep Blindness. And boy, did it explain why I had been consciously avoiding writing this task.
So, what is it? First used by Paul Graham in his essay from 2012, schlep is derived from a Yiddish word that means 'a tedious, unpleasant task.' In our extreme dislike of schleps, we unconsciously develop the aversion to this 'thing' that we want or have to do but find tedious. This unconscious aversion is what Mr. Graham calls, schlep blindness.
To be quite honest, I procrastinated all throughout college. If we didn’t have deadlines at work, I would often, if not always, put off any tedious task until I feel motivated by some unknown force. In the case of this essay, it’s the incessant begging reminder of my sister.
The Source of Motivation:
People have been picking up new hobbies since the lockdown started. Some have started baking, crossed shows or films off their to-watch list, learned how to paint, and the like. I too have also picked "some" things up. As of late, I have crossed four things off my to-do list (which may seem small but that's a lot for me.)
As a dilly-dallier, I couldn't wait for a source of motivation to come along. What I did was take a deep breath, say “f*ck it”, and made myself do it or to paraphrase the immortal words of a certain footwear company, “Just f̶*̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ do It.”
Some unsolicited advice:
Force yourself, in a sense.
If you’re putting off learning a new instrument, go order it online or go to the store and buy it. Having the physical reminder of what you've been putting off may give you a sense of urgency (that harmonica isn't gonna play itself.)
If it's writing a paper or a chapter of your fanfic, open your laptop, drink a ton of caffeine, and just force yourself to finish. You reward yourself with sleep (or something else like an episode of that fic's source material) afterward.
If the thing doesn’t have to be done right away like losing weight, give yourself mini-goals. Something like, "today I will burn 130 calories by doing 30 minutes of Zumba" or "I'll replace my instant coffee with a freshly brewed cup."
If it’s something that’s one and done like organizing your closet (just in time for the new season), make sure you set the time and get it done.
If these don’t work for you, welp, there’s nothing we can do about it, really. It may not even be healthy to force yourself into things you have an aversion to. This is a braindump website so all we can offer is dubious advice. If you're dedicated to getting over a particularly stubborn schlep, you may want to consider professional help.
But, if you needed a sign to do the thing you’ve been putting off, this is it.
Time to take that schlep blindfold off.
Happy New Year!
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