#234

Struggling for motivation and we’ve hardly started the year?

Me too.

I haven’t found my rhythm yet.

I’ve struggled with big things, little things, things that happened…

and things that haven’t (and probably won’t).

I know the quote.

“Nothing is good nor bad, but thinking makes it so.”

And still, here I am  - on the other side of it, making it so.

Is it motivation?

Rhythm?

Something else entirely?

Late last year, I came across an idea from Arthur Brooks that landed gently but stayed with me.

Don’t waste the suffering.

Instead of rushing past discomfort or trying to “fix” it too quickly, he suggests keeping a suffering list.

Failures.

Disappointments.

Mistakes.

Losses.

Write them down and then leave a few blank lines beside each one.

Come back later and ask:

What did this teach me?

Come back again and ask:

Did anything good come from this that I couldn’t see at the time

Something subtle happens when you do this.

The struggle stops feeling like wasted time.

It finds a place in your story.

And over time, you may even notice a quiet shift:

…you’re a little less afraid of failure,

…a little more open to discomfort,

…a little more willing to keep going.

Not because you enjoy the struggle but because you trust it won’t be for nothing.

So, if you’re low on motivation…

If your rhythm is off…

If it feels harder than it “should” this early in the year…

Maybe nothing has gone wrong.

Maybe this is part of the work.

And maybe the question isn’t how do I get out of this?

But instead:

How can I make sure I don’t waste it?

The result… you begin to be ok in looking forward to and welcoming failures, disappointments and struggles.