Last Monday, we had a fascinating conversation in our SLB Rebels Community. "I've felt completely unmotivated these past few days. I really had to force myself to go for a run. And then, of course, it started pouring with rain while I was outside. By the time I got home, I was soaking wet."
I think we can all relate to that first part. I've had days like that myself over the past few weeks. Suddenly there's no energy. No motivation. No fire. And that's exactly when one question pops up: Do I push through anyway, or do I simply skip it today?
And almost instantly, that familiar inner voice starts speaking up with its wonderful collection of limiting beliefs. "Pull yourself together." "Successful people always push through." "No pain, no gain." "You're just being lazy." Sound familiar?
As always, I'm not here to tell you what's right or wrong. I'd much rather lay out a buffet of ideas and let you decide which ones resonate with you and which ones you'd like to "taste." Of course, there are moments when it's absolutely worth putting your inner couch potato back in its place. And you've probably said this yourself before: "In the end, I was really glad I did it."
My question is simply this: How did you feel during the hour before that? "Honestly... not that great. I just gritted my teeth and got through it." Let's look at this from a slightly different perspective. Imagine you go for a one-hour run. You don't enjoy it today. You're tired. It's raining. Every step feels like an effort. So why do you go anyway? "Because I'll feel better afterwards." Fair enough.
That means you're investing 60 minutes in something that feels difficult just to enjoy perhaps ten minutes of feeling good afterward. And let's be honest. Two days later, are you still feeling amazing because you forced yourself to go running on Monday? Probably not. It reminds me a little of walking into a casino in Las Vegas. You put €60 into a slot machine and walk away with €10. Would you leave saying, "Wow... I really hit the jackpot today!" Probably not. So why do we celebrate exactly the same strategy in life? 60 minutes of frustration... for 10 minutes of happiness.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't about running. I actually love being active. It's about a much bigger question. Does success always have to feel like a battle? Or could the journey itself already be enjoyable? Maybe the more interesting question isn't: "Should I push through?" Maybe it's: "Why am I doing this in the first place?" Because that question applies to far more than running. It applies to your entire life.
How many people spend 46 weeks every year waiting for six weeks of vacation? They push through. They function. They live for the weekend. And eventually... they live for retirement. What if those other 46 weeks could already be extraordinary? What if you spent your days doing something that genuinely brings you joy? Something where work and life are no longer opposites. Of course, there will still be mornings when your energy is low. I have those days too.
The difference is this: The next morning, I'm genuinely excited again about the life I've consciously chosen. That's why I love a quote I heard some time ago: "Are you willing to give up something good to get something great?" That question has stayed with me ever since. Maybe that's the real question for this week. Not: "Should I push through today?" But rather: "What would be so great that it would make me excited to get out of bed every morning?" Because maybe life isn't about enduring as much as possible. Maybe it's about finding more and more things that carry you...instead of you constantly having to carry them... simply because "that's what people do."
From the bottom of my heart, I hope you discover more and more of those things in your own life.
