I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I’ve been trying to keep my head above water ever since I landed my new job.
And don’t get me wrong, it’s been wonderful not having to worry about the other trivialities of life. And there’s just something about losing time that makes you treasure it more.
Then again, I’m falling back to writing this post an hour before my weekly deadline zooms by, so that’s a problem I’ve been trying to address.
During times like this, though, I’ve found a new way to keep going. Sometimes I rely on sheer willpower to get me through my day. Other times I tap into my refusal of letting the haters win.
Then there’s the middle ground. The part where I conjure beliefs out of nowhere just to catch some wind in my sails. So basically lying to myself.
But hey, whatever works, works, am I right? So here are the lies I tell myself in order to do the things I don’t really want to do.
1. I might need to save someone someday
Okay, maybe this one’s a little extra. Still, you’ll never know when you might need to save someone who’s drowning, or carry an incapacitated person out of a burning building.
Plus, it’s not like I’m training my butt off just to save strangers. I have to take care of my own family too. Maybe I’ll need to rush a sick family member to the hospital. Or protect my children from a burglar.
And I can’t do any of the above if I’m not in decent shape myself.
So when another morning dawns and the last thing I wanna do is put on my trainers, I ask myself if I can live with not being ready for the inevitable. Because I’m not going to magically turn into a hero just because a crisis is abound.
2. I can’t disappoint those who believe in me
This is especially true for writing. I don’t want to put anyone on the spot, but if you’ve been supportive of my blog, then just know that this section is especially for you.
It’s people like you who inspire me through words like ‘you inspire me by continuing to write’. And that’s discounting the fact that you put out twice the amount of words I do.
Yet, because of your support, I somehow find it in me to pull a topic out of my butt and write that thing to completion.
I used to think it was harder to write when no one cared. It’s actually harder now I know that you do. Because now I have someone I can’t let down. So thank you. I think.
3. The pain’s going to come anyway
This is especially true when sticking to early wake-up times. I often wake up early and feel stupid for doing so. Why even torture myself? I can get the same amount of work done if I wake up two hours later.
But since my partner and I have begun trying for a baby, I figured that I start getting used to sleep deprivation. Wouldn’t want to deal with a lack of sleep after the baby arrives. That’d be too much pain to handle at once.
Besides, there are so many other nastier options when it comes to pain. Waking up early pales in comparison to getting cancer, for example.
So whenever I feel like hitting that snooze button, I tell myself that this is a good time to befriend hardship. Whenever I feel like staying on the couch instead of working out, I remind myself how it’s a good thing to get used to the pain now.
Like someone wise once said, “Make pain your friend and you’ll never be alone.”
Someday, I will be called upon to face the harder things, and I can’t expect to do that when I can’t even do the easy things during the easier phases of my life.
4. I need to be the person I respect
If I won’t listen to me, then I can’t expect others to. Having climbed the next rung of my writing career, I’ve learned that excelling in writing isn’t the only thing that matters when climbing the corporate ladder.
Today, I need to socialise, deal with clients, show digital competency, and perform blood sacrifices for the advancement of my career.
And I’m learning pretty quickly that I can’t take orders – at least voluntarily – from slobs who look like they don’t take care of themselves. Likewise, I also can’t expect others to want to listen to me if I don’t even take care of myself.
So for me, the only way to lead is by example.
Do I want to take the easy way out sometimes? Sure. But would I fall in line with that cowardly me? You be the judge.
5. I will write a bestseller someday
And finally, we come to the biggest lie I’ve had to repeat many a time. Mainly because there’s hardly any money when it comes to writing fiction in Malaysia. And also because we don’t really have a burgeoning literary scene.
But I’d doubted myself throughout my entire manuscript, and still I managed to get published. So it only makes sense that I keep lying to myself, because who knows what’ll happen?
This is the lie that keeps me focused on my goal. Without this, I’d so easily give up because otherwise it feels like I’m just playing at make-believe.
Plus, it’s pretty cool to get to say “I’m writing a novel.”
Whatever works, works
You know how placebos aren’t really placebos if they produce their intended effect? That’s this technique in a nutshell. Sometimes, you just gotta pick yourself up by your bootstraps and become your own cheerleader.
Sure, I may feel like a phoney sometimes, and in other situations, tapping into anger works a whole lot better than trying to maintain a level head.
But for the most part, I’ve learned that it doesn’t really matter what I do, as long as I get myself to do what I need to.
Which is why I’m turning the question back to you now. How do you get yourself to do the work? When all else fails but you still need to go on, what do you do? I’m curious to know.
In the meantime, I’m going to quickly hit Publish now because it’s almost midnight and I don’t want to disappoint you by missing a Tuesday post.
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Stuart Danker 
I’d love to hear your thoughts!