For a long time I didn’t really understand what hard work is. Most young people don’t but it’s really not their fault.
I’ve been an entrepreneur my whole life. It wasn’t by choice, it was just something that I was afflicted with really. Because of that, I knew how to work hard in one aspect of my life. I thought, like many, work hard at work and that will provide.
Working hard at work flexes one muscle — similar to doing only arm curls at the gym. Massive arms but the rest of your body isn’t balanced.
So, when I’m getting stuck or my arms are out-sizing my legs, I try something different. Different as in mostly back-breaking, blister-inducing manual labour.
There is something amazing that happens when you take your brain out of your comfort zone and put it to use solving a problem that you don’t normally come across. I’ve built a fence, a shed (the “Shed Mahal”), a 3-season room, a deck and countless other creations. Each time, I’ve learned a new skill and tested the elasticity of my brain and the endurance of my body.
My mind is focused on ANYTHING other than my work work. Maybe this is like a hobby but even a hobby starts to get repetitive after a while. Doing this kind of work brings 100% of my focus with it and is perfect for a short attention span as projects don’t last a lifetime.
Forget about learning yet another language in 30 days. Grab a shovel, start digging some holes and build something new.