Not quite accurate though. If you’re not motivated, there are things you can do to help that. Forcefully use will to do more meaningful things after work instead of the easy quick dopamine hit. It won’t be rewarding at first. But as your tolerance lowers eventually the amount of dopamine you get from the meaningful things will register. It’s like a drug withdrawal. As long as you keep doing the easy stimulating thing you won’t be able to feel motivated to do the harder less stimulating thing. Like Jocko says. Discipline eats motivation for breakfast. You have to force yourself off the drugs so that your projects can feel rewarding. And then You’ll be motivated to do the rewarding thing.
While I enjoy this channel, I would recommend that people take the advices given in this video with a grain of salt, especially if you are very young. Yes you should procrastinate less, yes you should work more and focus on getting better but you shouldn't ignore your social life and you should watch the good TV shows and movies. You need time to disconnect and you need time to see other things. That's how you sometimes get inspiration or ideas for your next project or on how to advance as a person. Just pushing yourself to work 24/7 is most likely a recipe for a pretty severe burnout, not matter how much you love what you are doing. Try to find a balance in your life and in the things that you do.
Totally agree! The journey doesn't need to be painful, you can work out and hang out with your friends and at the same time pursuit your professional goals.
I think they kind of touched that concept a little bit where Chris said it’s either passive learning or active learning (which you get from the seemingly slack-off experiences. and as Chris said in the last part the most important thing is conversion; converting those somewhat irrelevant things into relevant work someday) I’m sorry I’m bad at explaining eng is not my first language.
The issue here though is that people spend more time procrastinating than doing the project that they wish to do. I say wish because the moment you sit there and about to do the things that propel you to start doing the project you are planning to accomplish, motivation starts to diminish. As a result, you are more likely to procrastinate. If that makes you feel bad about yourself,then you have to do something about it. I think you know exactly when you should start doing and spend time resting. Perhaps, practicing daily meditation to keep yourself less distracted?
meh, the thing is that, this advice is useful BECAUSE people BY DEFAULT give priority to their social life and entertainment. I get what you're saying but you're thinking like the exception of the rule.
Totally agree! I was thinking the same. Giving up everything and only work will only lead to a burnout and in the end giving up a creative life entirely in the end. Having a balance between work and life is important. If someone is tired after work he or she shouldn't be pushed to work more. money wise. What you do need is a strategy not work more.
Here's my personal story about finding the time and energy to push something of meaning forward - I'm a full time graphic designer - 9 to 5, home around 5:30 every day. I play with my young kids until they go to bed at 8:30. Then from 8:30 to at least 1:30 I grind hard on RUclips - editing, answering emails and comments etc. I've been doing this for over 3 years, every day non stop. As I keep pushing it I get better at both jobs and they both get easier which makes it possible to push harder. It used to take me a whole week to edit one lousy video. Now I can produce and edit 3 in a week that I'm proud of. RUclips (for me) has has less than ideal monetary ROI, but it's allowing me to interact with my kids in a way that bridges both what I love to do for a living, and with the two people who I love the most in the world. motivation is easy with the right carot in front of you.
Six hours of sleep isn't enough. You're basically sacrificing your health for a youtube channel. Not worth it, despite how many people say that's the only way to get ahead.
@@lyreparadox Wow, I wrote that over 2 years ago. Well, I'm still at it, still get an average of 6 hours. When should I expect to experience ill health and what should I look out for?
Motivation comes and goes: you don't need motivation, you need a habit. Start small, five minutes of working every day, slowly expand that. You don't have to convince yourself to do that, it's just something you do, every single day. And yes, stop caring about results: trust better results will come if you put in more effort. It's an act of faith, but a needed one.
Also the sacrifice Chris talks about. Absolutely needed. Choose what are the things that are worth your time, and sacrifice the rest. Don't be a passive consumer, actively choose how you're spending your life.
This is so true! What works for me: I always have more personal projects opened - 1. Behance case studies, 2. Portfolio web redesign, 3. Generative art pieces, 4. Learning 3D… And then when I feel the urge to procrastinate, instead of going on Netflix, I just procrastinate on one of the other projects :)
I also have your voice inside my head. If not your voice at least part of your spirit, and I'm on fire baby. Everyday I do extra work after school. I just finished a whole project the other day the very same day I got the assignment. I see you and I raise you Chris Do!
I fully agree with Chris' comment about working an unfulfilling job. I spent a few years dedicating time AFTER my full time job in order to obtain more fulfilling work. There's no better motivator than being miserable at your current job... I've noticed that due to being very happy and fulfilled at my current job, my personal projects have subsided. The projects haven't STOPPED, but I don't feel the pressure anymore because I'm already doing the fulfilling work during the day. I've reached my goal. Now I have more time to spend with people I love and be more active in outdoor activities.
over the course of working from home - I've realized that unwinding can have a timer on it. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of our "unwinding time" stretching out long to the point where 4-5 hours have gone by and it's time to head to bed. When i started implementing a set amount of time for winding down after work (1-2 hours) it helped me really prioritize what that looks like and how to make it as quality as possible and not from a place of mindless activity. Once I was able to that, it opened my mind to what I can do that is in line with my personal projects after the set amount of time with unwinding.
This is the talk I need as a young adult. With all these distraction and all, growing up enjoy learning at the same time playing video games. I found myself doing time management and sticking to it does really works. Enjoying the process is what makes it as well. I know my time may not be yet but everyday I learn and try to engage on challenging myself and motivate by following you Chris and your team, gives me courage and hope to fulfill my dreams of becoming a web developer/designer and learn further in the field. Thanks for bringing this up and to you Chris on how you approach this kind of situation I'm having as well with other young adults.
I do got in this channel by searching up how to start my portfolio and I can tell it right away, that it was one of the most important discoveries I did this year so far! How it changes my mind of how I see things (How I should look at the way I'm willing myself into put my portfolio all together). Thanks for proportionate this content and for all the teaching and words!
I believe listening to this, the key thing to note is “life is short” and “know your priorities”. You do need to be willing to give up some of the things you like but man, I really do prioritize my health and my family. Success and money or impact is only an aspect of life. I never want to wake up at 80 and be divorced , have no relationship with my kids and yet, I am living in a mansion. That isn’t something I am giving up or willing to. But, I am willing to give up hours laying in bed scrolling instagram , hours watching Netflix , I can watch shows but, I need to prioritize and balance that properly. I will watch my movies ,I just will prioritize my goals first. Get that done, I have done the whole never watch TV thing and hustle for hours, I burnt out heavily 4 times in one year, I am never doing that again. Literally, never. I believe it’s all about priorities for me. Would have loved to see a woman be part of the conversation.
Aaron's words hit me real hard, I'm super pumped right now. Will start working on my small side project, which I have been delaying for the last couple of weeks. PS - I started watching this video while having dinner, and after dinner my plan was to play Fortnite but not anymore. It's a wastage of time.
Every time I get a little complacent with learning new skills be it photoshop, after effects or new design principles, I just go onto the futurs youtube, look up a video like this and it just helps remind me I didn't wake up to be mediocre. Thanks again, guys!
Just like Sharif we all have this kind of problem and I'm also facing this kind of problem right now but after listing all of your Ideas and suggestion I realized that giving time for your self to develop and update your self to achieve your target goal is very essential and Important...As I always Sayed Thank you all of you who participate in this video and I really want to give a special thanks for Chris Do, Aklog from East Africa, Ethiopia.
I'm 24, full time employee, mom and student. The Futur is inspiring me to get out of my comfort zone and align myself where I need want to be. Thank you!
Understand the point of Sharif, sometimes work gets crazy and fussy, and we just want to get home, chill and relax or hang out with friends, numbing our heads, but most of times (talking from experience), I get miserable, looking back and waste all that time not doing something productive and creative. Sure, we need to enjoy time with friends, we are social creatures, but like Chris said, we need to make some sacrifices to achieve something good in a long term, and committing, at least 10 minutes, them those 10 minutes will go to 20/30/40. Try using the pomodoro technique, it's been useful for me and my productivity. (Great topic by the way 👍)
I listened to the ending (19:00 afterwards) many times, super insightful! It cleaned my thoughts a little bit, thank you so much! I like this ending, finish strong with a concise summary.
It's all about creating new habits. And start small. Like every day put on your running shoes and step outside. Even if it's raining and you go back inside. Do it for a while every day and you got a new habit. Don't start and say I'm going to run at least 30min every day. The chance of failing is much higher. Same with art and business, draw 1 thing a day. Even if it is a plant in a pot. Or call 1 person a day that is in your business network, just to check up and stay first of mind.
This video seems really unique somehow. A bunch of young guys who you would expect to be just hanging out, but they have a very purposeful undercurrent in their conversation, and yet at the same time they're still hanging out. Very cool. :)
Chris Do, I may not have a lot of experience in the creative field, but I wanted to THANK YOU & The Futur for keeping me current to whats going on! Also thank you for helping me break those barriers I had in my mind, and showing me that it's possible to pursue a creative lifestyle!
Great video. Everyone hit the nail on the head. It's about making progress. Anyone who feels the way Sharif does should read or listen to the book "War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. You have to show up, don't wait for inspiration. You have to be okay with the work being the reward. It's about getting clear on what you want, and that can change over time once you gain more clarity but the process and making progress toward these things is the reward. Don't compare yourself to anyone else but the person you were yesterday.
Thank you for the suggestion. He's got a new audio series out now called "The Warrior Archetype", specifically in response to the COVID era. Very good listen if you're a COVID born artist like myself and need a few more voices in your head besides Chris Do ;)
WESTWORLD!!!!!! You just had to mention it. Really learnt a lot (passively) from that series about cinematography, and thank you Chris and the Futur about mentioning the importance of CONVERTING. Now let me go convert.
We don't have TV for 12 years now. We don't watch any main stream media if we are interested in something we do our research. Helps a lot to stay on track what matters
I agree with you Chris. What I've come to learn that if you want to achieve the things you want in life you must sacrifice. At times I use my weekends to work on my personal projects or explore futher into my hobbies. I like to things in chunks. It has helped me to really tap into to those creative urges. For me being bored is a no-go in my book. Once again, Chris great content as always.
Wow. There is a small thing that resonate the most with myself in this moment. For a long time almost through all of my 20's I was constantly picking the hardest way just for hardcore itself. It was like late teenage rage to push just because I can. This aproach almost burned me out. Even of I have interesting idea it is really hard to start just because I trained myself to struggle during the process. So after making a stop and redesigning my thinking process I came to this little thing. If you are focusing on getting fun from the process you are basically learning to live happy life.
I suggest doing after work exercise. I've found that after eight hours of working on the computer doing page after page of changes and changes of changes, the mental fatigue gets cleared away with some physical work. Repetitive motor activity is supposed to generate serotonin too. It's a mood elevator.
Over the lockdown, I've really started to strengthen and develop my web design skills. I recently picked up a full-time job and now that I have limited time during the day to work on my web design side projects, it motivates me to get more productive work done during my would have been free time. The Futur has helped me so much although I am still in the initial stages of developing my design career and business.
Great video. I love watching videos from the futu,you help me be inspired, and take the run with life. Thank you guys for everything you do in this channel, I hope you know how much you inspire others.
I had to unlike the video many times so I could like it again. Things that triggered it: - It's important to work towards big goals, but less important to achieve them as the growth and development you go through on the journey is a reward in itself. - Blend your passions with "work" to move forward your personal growth and enjoy your life at the same time. - Everybody wants things. How fast you get them depends how many resources - time and energy - you're willing to put into them. Everyone has the same amount of time, so you have to decide how you're going to portion yours, and achieving your goals usually means working on self-improvement and *sacrificing* time spent on relaxation and play. Commit now so you don't look back in 30 years and see nothing but a list of un-ticked boxes, mediocrity and broken promises. Invest in yourself. *Give up the things that you like, in exchange for the things that you want.* - When going to do a "difficult" task, commit to the just first step, and without that intimidation factor it will be easy to continue. - When you have a higher purpose, you can see your whole life through that lens and are motivated to always further it, whether that's through active work/learning or gathering fuel (technical and creative inspiration) from passive experiences. - Gathering isn't enough. To increase your income, you need to *convert* your experiences and notes into things that can be consumed by other people: reviews, analysis articles, videos, incorporating aspects into your personal projects etc. to increase your stock and indirectly, your wealth. *Produce.*
I just finnished my Bachelors degree and started a fulltime Job. After three weeks I was ready to leave because the work there just kinda drained my brain. I am much more energy and time efficient whilst working on my own from home. After experiencing this i started to kickstart my first self designed piece of furniture. And now that I have a real purpose to work towards at night, my day job feels a lot easier. I use it now more as my base to cover the jump into selfemployment then trying to make the day job my purpose. Huge Relief
That was fantastic. I love the baby step approach that you quoted Terry Crews on. And doing it for growth, not the end goal. If I were to add my 2 cents it would be realizing that our brains love routines. Try "getting started" for 30 days in a row. It will get easier after that. And you may want to use the pomodoro method for focus as well. Set the timer. That ticking sound keeps you on it. Oh and here's one weird thing I do as well. When I'm not motivated, I talk to myself as someone else who needs the "work" finished. A boss figure. And I'll do it in small steps. It could sound something like: "Alright Oskar. Now it's time to get serious. Get your act together. Let's start by opening Indesign. See? That wasn't so hard was it? Okay. Now. We're starting a new project in an A3 size. Exactly. Well done." ... etc. Sometimes this imagined boss figure is a prick but only when he needs to be. Mostly motivating and encouraging. And last but not least. Let music hypnotize you into doing it. Nothing can access our feelings more easily than music.
The boss figure in your mind idea is something I implement sometimes. I also like the quote “Do not do tomorrow what could be done today.” So to me motivation / discipline is a choice.
Thank you for giving up your six pack super abs for educating the masses! Yes, I ask myself on a regular basis "Do you want it enough?" It is a simple yes or no. If it is a yes then nothing about getting better at something/learning/doing your own project can be half arsed because you then simply don't want it bad enough.
This is great and I love what Chris is doing in these videos. Chris and the team are a great influence to me. . Something I want to comment listening to this great video for younger people is that I do that Chris would stop making comments regarding how much older he is compared to the young audience. In this video he made a comment saying that “he is still going through puberty”. It is just something I heard few times in his videos I wish you left out. Just my two cents. I love what you are doing Chris
At 53 it’s very hard to pivot to another career when so many people rely on your income. Still, I need to do it. I’m headed back to real estate photography and in two or three years, I’ll be back doing something I love.
Holy shit this is me right now. But weird enough, working at a full time job gave me much more motivation to do what I love after work compared to when I had all the time in the world and would barely draw. I started to read more books during transit about organzing my life, goals, motivation, even learning japanese with duolingo. I started using Notion to organize everything in my life. Slowly but surely I can feel progress happennig and it feels great!
this issue is so common...... The Futur, once again, thanks for the amazing content you're putting out there! I don't know where I would be if I haven't found this channel 4 years ago. You gave me so much self confidence and now that I'm almost done with the apprenticeship as a graphic designer I get private clients every week. Thanks, thanks, thanks!
Hey Chris, just wanted to say thanks in part to your amazing videos, I was inspired to start my own web design and SEO business (lighthouse digital). Whilst it's still early days yet, I'm already dominating my local area in the UK and have adopted many of the techniques and advice you've given meaning I'm already attracting larger clients than I can perhaps even handle! Just wanted to say thank you 👍
This hit home. I am that 41 year old that looked back and wondered I did and went back to school for graphic design. I'm behind in the game, but I'm still going to try.
Thank you for this amazing content. I agree that the sad reality is that mental exhaustion also comes from working uninteresting jobs that may only drain your motivation and confidence over time. I think being preoccupied with the daily grind makes people forget that.
I think this topic was covered succinctly and will help a lot of people, but there's a great big glaring omission which is that some wonderful people struggle to find any reserves within themselves to dedicate to personal growth or active behaviour due to long term physical or mental health issues. At the end of a day, sometimes at the start, you can feel like you have nothing left and no amount of breaking a task down makes it achievable. Unfortunately I think this is something that gets harder and harder to reprogram yourself from and I don't have the solution. I just thought it was worth writing down incase some poor viewer is sat there thinking about how inexplicably hard this advice is to take on board for them, I didn't want them to feel alone. I'm sure it's worth trying. I like the format of these videos and appreciate thefutur's content immensely, I would be interested to see if you could find someone respected at thefutur who can relate to explore this issue further but suspect, although common, it's ultimately too personal and a bit of an "I can't help you" thing.
I'll take the brainwashing! That was great. It took me around an hour to get through. I had to stop to take notes and reflect. THANK YOU SO MUCH! "Turning the THOUGHTS into THINGS!" Thank you for all the nuggets of knowledge you just dropped.
Hah the real answer took me by storm. After removing the employer from the picture, I felt all of my considerations for hustling and working hard materialise automatically. I guess the pressure from the everyday grind builds up and the only way to release it is for the universe to push you to a dark little place where you don't have any choice but to work. The difference is that everything that you produce is for yourself - all of the clients, all of the money, all of the time - it's in your control. So when you get used to working for yourself, it becomes much easier than having a job. You get used to it and gradually find new challenges.
I woke up at 40. I'm working double time making up for all the years of "playing". Take advantage of your time when you are young. I was always wanting to just chill with friends and party. Huge mistake that I can't fix. Time lost
Listen to this guy talk… do you really think there will come a point when he has enough money or has done enough work? No freaking way. This person is the type to be working hard as a billionaire at 95 years old so don’t listen to that take a break later bs it’s not real. My parents lived that way saving up for when they could retire and travel the world together… then my mom died. Use your life while you have it because tomorrow is not a guarantee. Would you rather die tomorrow knowing you spent the day hanging with your parents and loved ones… or die knowing your last day on earth was working on a logo for a useless company making artisan cat bandanas?
There's some really good stuff to think about here, and I truly agree with it a lot, but one should also realize that not everyone can be hyperproductive all of the time. Most people aren't - even the successful ones. Passion for something can go a long way, but even when doing something you love you sometimes need to take a breather, fill up your batteries and get inspired by doing something else. Even when you're extra-hype for what you do for a living, here is something like a work life balance that shouldn't be underestimated. If you can find balance in some other creative endeavor and moves you forward, awesome. Just don't feel bad, unworthy or not motivated enough when you simply need too unwind sometimes. Felt like saying this because feeling inadequate while trying and failing to go 100% all of the time can also lead down a dangerous road. As with everything, you need to find the right solution that works for you.
I was kinda in a burnout state not long ago because of not getting job and being unappreciate as a creative, thanks Chris and others for giving advice to us, really appreciate it! Have a good day everyone
been working full time and trying to side hustle for 8 years and its making me realy tired. I ended up cutting out a lot of my social life hoping it will pay off soon. im really numb now. i still sit down and go through the motions of the second shift but its harder now... i sit there and less comes out. i dont know what to do. the motivation is there, i still look forward to working on stuff when i get home but im physically very tired. and sad a lot of the time. i cant picture the future very well adn its hard to plan more then a week or so ahead. ive sought help in the form of a mentorship program and extra classes. its slow going but knowing that someone will notice if i dissappear helps me continue.
🔥🔥🔥 I think like Sharif, I struggle so much with looking at the big picture. Rn I just entered my second year and it has been very difficult, I'm not sure if I chose the right major, because everyone around me is continuing to progress while I fall behind. I can say that it is because they've got the natural talent to design and progress, but in actuality it becaus they put in the time that i don't, my goal for this year and going forward is to not see my work as just work that I want to put off but instead I want to learn to really enjoy the process. I'm only 19 soon to become 20 in a month, and I want to continue to grow and enjoy everything I do. so far I have been just enjoying my time at school, and having an open mind to everything. I will admit that the work is insanely difficult to balance but I have being growing to enjoy each little thing I learn. Honestly thank you guys so much for all the video you guys have been showing, I thought I was hopeless and have no way to progress. YOU GUYS GAVE ME HOPE THANK YOU SO MUCH^^
I have a full time job. I'm husband and father of a 20 month old toddler. I also commute almost 3 hours a day, round trip. I come home and need to spend time with my family, help my wife clean and feed our daughter then after playing with our daughter for about an hour after her dinner then get her to bed. After that, I have to make dinner for my wife and I, then it's close to bedtime 10pm. I am motivated to keep learning and designing passion projects but just need the time and I've tried on the weekends, just need to try harder without feeling burnt out.
This video is 2-year-old and it talks about such a well-known problem for up and coming creative people but for some problem I just saw it today haha. Probably what would make Sharif feel a bit better about his evening schedule is that he has to be intentionally aware of his routine and its function on his life. I don't think there's anything wrong with playing video games or watching a movie or God forbids, being unproductive once in a while after a hard day at work when your brain is fried, but one has to be aware that his leisuring has a purpose, that is to relax the brain so it comes back to an optimal state so it can perform when he needs it to work on personal projects. It works the same with working out and sleeping enough hours a day, both of which help optimizing the performance of one's body which increases the quality of one's work. It is hard to balance everything in life. But if one keeps his eye on his purpose, he will do okay.
You also have to acknowledge that some people don't work well under pressure, and requires a loose schedule. Free roaming, bored mind cannot be forced, and they produce some of the best ideas and thoughts.
Chris Do and his team do it again! Kudos to you all this was magnificent! I am about to hope on Adobe Creative Suite and edit, color, tweak and fine tune some old work.
This is such great advice. I would also advice to take another creative hobby if you are looking for some inspiration. I do several things I consider a hobby. I draw or doodle, I paint tabletop miniatures and occasionally I do some CSS/HTML illustrations or animations using codepen when I have free time. Pick hobbies that are different from your main work that you do every day but that you can still apply to your work.
I agree with the passive and active learning; everytime I read a book, multiple ideas charges within my brain when my purpose at the very beginning was to understand the book itself or listening to music for the sake of eargasm - not make an art for it. The problem I find with having a "strong purpose" is that it's too high in the hierarchy of thinking - you might know the higher purpose, but you lost the bridge to it. But being grounded with purpose keeps the vehicle going; for me, the "starting" phase is the hardest part everytime. And you really just have to start even if it would suck because creativity doesn't stem from a blank page but from a problem that sparks to create an output.
It really helps to set goals for yourself by accessing what's important to you. Do you want to be successful in your work, knowledgeable, a person others look up to. Do you want to have money? Everyone has a *reason* to set those goals. And then motivating yourself gets a lot more easier, and you can start building habits to support it. My friend can't find a cleaning/cooking lady for his home. It's a problem in the city, the good ones aren't available, because the demand is high and the supply very little (the best one are busy or have moved to higher paying cities). I watch day after day new job candidates arrive, work and then quit, and I think how they remind me of myself when I was younger (I'm 32). I was totally the same - working stuff without understanding the reason why I'm working, and then being unmotivated and lacking reasons to work on my own stuff. Then why was I a candidate for the job in the first place?! Total lack of reasoning and goals. And now I know that if I really have to start a completely new job, and only cleaning lady is available, I'll go there and give my best for the job, and consider it a serious business. I wish I had this approach 10 years ago.
"If you're not motivated, I can't help you."
Cold hard truth.
Not quite accurate though. If you’re not motivated, there are things you can do to help that. Forcefully use will to do more meaningful things after work instead of the easy quick dopamine hit.
It won’t be rewarding at first. But as your tolerance lowers eventually the amount of dopamine you get from the meaningful things will register. It’s like a drug withdrawal. As long as you keep doing the easy stimulating thing you won’t be able to feel motivated to do the harder less stimulating thing.
Like Jocko says. Discipline eats motivation for breakfast. You have to force yourself off the drugs so that your projects can feel rewarding. And then You’ll be motivated to do the rewarding thing.
While I enjoy this channel, I would recommend that people take the advices given in this video with a grain of salt, especially if you are very young. Yes you should procrastinate less, yes you should work more and focus on getting better but you shouldn't ignore your social life and you should watch the good TV shows and movies. You need time to disconnect and you need time to see other things.
That's how you sometimes get inspiration or ideas for your next project or on how to advance as a person.
Just pushing yourself to work 24/7 is most likely a recipe for a pretty severe burnout, not matter how much you love what you are doing.
Try to find a balance in your life and in the things that you do.
Totally agree! The journey doesn't need to be painful, you can work out and hang out with your friends and at the same time pursuit your professional goals.
I think they kind of touched that concept a little bit where Chris said it’s either passive learning or active learning (which you get from the seemingly slack-off experiences. and as Chris said in the last part the most important thing is conversion; converting those somewhat irrelevant things into relevant work someday)
I’m sorry I’m bad at explaining eng is not my first language.
The issue here though is that people spend more time procrastinating than doing the project that they wish to do. I say wish because the moment you sit there and about to do the things that propel you to start doing the project you are planning to accomplish, motivation starts to diminish. As a result, you are more likely to procrastinate. If that makes you feel bad about yourself,then you have to do something about it. I think you know exactly when you should start doing and spend time resting. Perhaps, practicing daily meditation to keep yourself less distracted?
meh, the thing is that, this advice is useful BECAUSE people BY DEFAULT give priority to their social life and entertainment. I get what you're saying but you're thinking like the exception of the rule.
Totally agree! I was thinking the same. Giving up everything and only work will only lead to a burnout and in the end giving up a creative life entirely in the end. Having a balance between work and life is important. If someone is tired after work he or she shouldn't be pushed to work more.
money wise. What you do need is a strategy not work more.
Jesus, it's amazing how this channel has an answer for almost EVERY QUESTION.
we try Bruno.
Here's my personal story about finding the time and energy to push something of meaning forward - I'm a full time graphic designer - 9 to 5, home around 5:30 every day. I play with my young kids until they go to bed at 8:30. Then from 8:30 to at least 1:30 I grind hard on RUclips - editing, answering emails and comments etc. I've been doing this for over 3 years, every day non stop. As I keep pushing it I get better at both jobs and they both get easier which makes it possible to push harder. It used to take me a whole week to edit one lousy video. Now I can produce and edit 3 in a week that I'm proud of. RUclips (for me) has has less than ideal monetary ROI, but it's allowing me to interact with my kids in a way that bridges both what I love to do for a living, and with the two people who I love the most in the world. motivation is easy with the right carot in front of you.
you are an awseome father and i like your content!
keep up the good work!
Six hours of sleep isn't enough. You're basically sacrificing your health for a youtube channel. Not worth it, despite how many people say that's the only way to get ahead.
@@lyreparadox Wow, I wrote that over 2 years ago. Well, I'm still at it, still get an average of 6 hours. When should I expect to experience ill health and what should I look out for?
Great to see you're still going
Motivation comes and goes: you don't need motivation, you need a habit. Start small, five minutes of working every day, slowly expand that. You don't have to convince yourself to do that, it's just something you do, every single day. And yes, stop caring about results: trust better results will come if you put in more effort. It's an act of faith, but a needed one.
Also the sacrifice Chris talks about. Absolutely needed. Choose what are the things that are worth your time, and sacrifice the rest. Don't be a passive consumer, actively choose how you're spending your life.
I was looking for this. I think building the habit is great as I cant hold on 24/7 onto this motivation train.
This is so true! What works for me: I always have more personal projects opened - 1. Behance case studies, 2. Portfolio web redesign, 3. Generative art pieces, 4. Learning 3D… And then when I feel the urge to procrastinate, instead of going on Netflix, I just procrastinate on one of the other projects :)
I also have your voice inside my head. If not your voice at least part of your spirit, and I'm on fire baby. Everyday I do extra work after school. I just finished a whole project the other day the very same day I got the assignment.
I see you and I raise you Chris Do!
I fully agree with Chris' comment about working an unfulfilling job. I spent a few years dedicating time AFTER my full time job in order to obtain more fulfilling work. There's no better motivator than being miserable at your current job... I've noticed that due to being very happy and fulfilled at my current job, my personal projects have subsided. The projects haven't STOPPED, but I don't feel the pressure anymore because I'm already doing the fulfilling work during the day. I've reached my goal. Now I have more time to spend with people I love and be more active in outdoor activities.
over the course of working from home - I've realized that unwinding can have a timer on it. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of our "unwinding time" stretching out long to the point where 4-5 hours have gone by and it's time to head to bed. When i started implementing a set amount of time for winding down after work (1-2 hours) it helped me really prioritize what that looks like and how to make it as quality as possible and not from a place of mindless activity. Once I was able to that, it opened my mind to what I can do that is in line with my personal projects after the set amount of time with unwinding.
This is the talk I need as a young adult. With all these distraction and all, growing up enjoy learning at the same time playing video games. I found myself doing time management and sticking to it does really works. Enjoying the process is what makes it as well. I know my time may not be yet but everyday I learn and try to engage on challenging myself and motivate by following you Chris and your team, gives me courage and hope to fulfill my dreams of becoming a web developer/designer and learn further in the field. Thanks for bringing this up and to you Chris on how you approach this kind of situation I'm having as well with other young adults.
I do got in this channel by searching up how to start my portfolio and I can tell it right away, that it was one of the most important discoveries I did this year so far! How it changes my mind of how I see things (How I should look at the way I'm willing myself into put my portfolio all together). Thanks for proportionate this content and for all the teaching and words!
Welcome to the Futur
I believe listening to this, the key thing to note is “life is short” and “know your priorities”.
You do need to be willing to give up some of the things you like but man, I really do prioritize my health and my family. Success and money or impact is only an aspect of life. I never want to wake up at 80 and be divorced , have no relationship with my kids and yet, I am living in a mansion. That isn’t something I am giving up or willing to. But, I am willing to give up hours laying in bed scrolling instagram , hours watching Netflix , I can watch shows but, I need to prioritize and balance that properly. I will watch my movies ,I just will prioritize my goals first. Get that done, I have done the whole never watch TV thing and hustle for hours, I burnt out heavily 4 times in one year, I am never doing that again. Literally, never. I believe it’s all about priorities for me. Would have loved to see a woman be part of the conversation.
"Wealth is your ability to convert knowledge and experience into equity and capital."
Thanks Chris, I needed that🙏 Sometimes being reminded is good...
Really needed this! thanks for bringing it up Sharif.
Awesome
Aaron's words hit me real hard, I'm super pumped right now. Will start working on my small side project, which I have been delaying for the last couple of weeks.
PS - I started watching this video while having dinner, and after dinner my plan was to play Fortnite but not anymore. It's a wastage of time.
Fortnite is/was/always-will-be a waste of time ;)
So relatable! I thought i was the only one who rewatched the same movies over and over again
Every time I get a little complacent with learning new skills be it photoshop, after effects or new design principles, I just go onto the futurs youtube, look up a video like this and it just helps remind me I didn't wake up to be mediocre.
Thanks again, guys!
Thanks!
Just like Sharif we all have this kind of problem and I'm also facing this kind of problem right now but after listing all of your Ideas and suggestion I realized that giving time for your self to develop and update your self to achieve your target goal is very essential and Important...As I always Sayed Thank you all of you who participate in this video and I really want to give a special thanks for Chris Do, Aklog from East Africa, Ethiopia.
I'm 24, full time employee, mom and student. The Futur is inspiring me to get out of my comfort zone and align myself where I need want to be. Thank you!
Yay!!!
Ok so I'm watching inspiring youtube videos for years now but THIS right here might be the best and motivating video I've ever seen
Awesome!!
Understand the point of Sharif, sometimes work gets crazy and fussy, and we just want to get home, chill and relax or hang out with friends, numbing our heads, but most of times (talking from experience), I get miserable, looking back and waste all that time not doing something productive and creative. Sure, we need to enjoy time with friends, we are social creatures, but like Chris said, we need to make some sacrifices to achieve something good in a long term, and committing, at least 10 minutes, them those 10 minutes will go to 20/30/40. Try using the pomodoro technique, it's been useful for me and my productivity.
(Great topic by the way 👍)
I listened to the ending (19:00 afterwards) many times, super insightful! It cleaned my thoughts a little bit, thank you so much! I like this ending, finish strong with a concise summary.
Best thing about your videos is realizing that I'm not alone having these problems
Wow it feels like i needed this.. Thank you so much!
Glad to hear.
It's all about creating new habits. And start small. Like every day put on your running shoes and step outside. Even if it's raining and you go back inside. Do it for a while every day and you got a new habit. Don't start and say I'm going to run at least 30min every day. The chance of failing is much higher.
Same with art and business, draw 1 thing a day. Even if it is a plant in a pot. Or call 1 person a day that is in your business network, just to check up and stay first of mind.
The advice from your dad really hit home. Glad you guys posted this today, it was very needed. Now I need to convert it.
Convert this spontaneous experience into action, it's really good synthesis and quick positive energy! Thank you Chris as always!
I can listen to this all day. Tons of things to take note here.. 🙏 thank you for all you do guys. You're awesome ❤
This video seems really unique somehow. A bunch of young guys who you would expect to be just hanging out, but they have a very purposeful undercurrent in their conversation, and yet at the same time they're still hanging out. Very cool. :)
That's so true, i feel bad when doing nothing and its make me feel worst, but i am so much happier when i am working on something even if its small
Always love Chris and his content and also everyone in the show! I am truly inspired!
Thank you 🙏
Chris Do, I may not have a lot of experience in the creative field, but I wanted to THANK YOU & The Futur for keeping me current to whats going on! Also thank you for helping me break those barriers I had in my mind, and showing me that it's possible to pursue a creative lifestyle!
You’re very welcome.
Great video. Everyone hit the nail on the head. It's about making progress. Anyone who feels the way Sharif does should read or listen to the book "War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. You have to show up, don't wait for inspiration. You have to be okay with the work being the reward. It's about getting clear on what you want, and that can change over time once you gain more clarity but the process and making progress toward these things is the reward. Don't compare yourself to anyone else but the person you were yesterday.
that's a good book.
Thank you for the suggestion. He's got a new audio series out now called "The Warrior Archetype", specifically in response to the COVID era. Very good listen if you're a COVID born artist like myself and need a few more voices in your head besides Chris Do ;)
WESTWORLD!!!!!! You just had to mention it. Really learnt a lot (passively) from that series about cinematography, and thank you Chris and the Futur about mentioning the importance of CONVERTING. Now let me go convert.
We don't have TV for 12 years now. We don't watch any main stream media if we are interested in something we do our research. Helps a lot to stay on track what matters
I agree with you Chris. What I've come to learn that if you want to achieve the things you want in life you must sacrifice. At times I use my weekends to work on my personal projects or explore futher into my hobbies. I like to things in chunks. It has helped me to really tap into to those creative urges.
For me being bored is a no-go in my book.
Once again, Chris great content as always.
Wow. There is a small thing that resonate the most with myself in this moment. For a long time almost through all of my 20's I was constantly picking the hardest way just for hardcore itself. It was like late teenage rage to push just because I can. This aproach almost burned me out. Even of I have interesting idea it is really hard to start just because I trained myself to struggle during the process. So after making a stop and redesigning my thinking process I came to this little thing. If you are focusing on getting fun from the process you are basically learning to live happy life.
I suggest doing after work exercise. I've found that after eight hours of working on the computer doing page after page of changes and changes of changes, the mental fatigue gets cleared away with some physical work. Repetitive motor activity is supposed to generate serotonin too. It's a mood elevator.
Over the lockdown, I've really started to strengthen and develop my web design skills. I recently picked up a full-time job and now that I have limited time during the day to work on my web design side projects, it motivates me to get more productive work done during my would have been free time. The Futur has helped me so much although I am still in the initial stages of developing my design career and business.
Great video. I love watching videos from the futu,you help me be inspired, and take the run with life. Thank you guys for everything you do in this channel, I hope you know how much you inspire others.
I had to unlike the video many times so I could like it again. Things that triggered it:
- It's important to work towards big goals, but less important to achieve them as the growth and development you go through on the journey is a reward in itself.
- Blend your passions with "work" to move forward your personal growth and enjoy your life at the same time.
- Everybody wants things. How fast you get them depends how many resources - time and energy - you're willing to put into them. Everyone has the same amount of time, so you have to decide how you're going to portion yours, and achieving your goals usually means working on self-improvement and *sacrificing* time spent on relaxation and play. Commit now so you don't look back in 30 years and see nothing but a list of un-ticked boxes, mediocrity and broken promises. Invest in yourself. *Give up the things that you like, in exchange for the things that you want.*
- When going to do a "difficult" task, commit to the just first step, and without that intimidation factor it will be easy to continue.
- When you have a higher purpose, you can see your whole life through that lens and are motivated to always further it, whether that's through active work/learning or gathering fuel (technical and creative inspiration) from passive experiences.
- Gathering isn't enough. To increase your income, you need to *convert* your experiences and notes into things that can be consumed by other people: reviews, analysis articles, videos, incorporating aspects into your personal projects etc. to increase your stock and indirectly, your wealth. *Produce.*
I just finnished my Bachelors degree and started a fulltime Job. After three weeks I was ready to leave because the work there just kinda drained my brain. I am much more energy and time efficient whilst working on my own from home. After experiencing this i started to kickstart my first self designed piece of furniture. And now that I have a real purpose to work towards at night, my day job feels a lot easier. I use it now more as my base to cover the jump into selfemployment then trying to make the day job my purpose. Huge Relief
That was fantastic. I love the baby step approach that you quoted Terry Crews on. And doing it for growth, not the end goal.
If I were to add my 2 cents it would be realizing that our brains love routines. Try "getting started" for 30 days in a row. It will get easier after that. And you may want to use the pomodoro method for focus as well. Set the timer. That ticking sound keeps you on it.
Oh and here's one weird thing I do as well. When I'm not motivated, I talk to myself as someone else who needs the "work" finished. A boss figure. And I'll do it in small steps. It could sound something like: "Alright Oskar. Now it's time to get serious. Get your act together. Let's start by opening Indesign. See? That wasn't so hard was it? Okay. Now. We're starting a new project in an A3 size. Exactly. Well done." ... etc.
Sometimes this imagined boss figure is a prick but only when he needs to be. Mostly motivating and encouraging.
And last but not least. Let music hypnotize you into doing it. Nothing can access our feelings more easily than music.
good points and tip.
The boss figure in your mind idea is something I implement sometimes. I also like the quote “Do not do tomorrow what could be done today.” So to me motivation / discipline is a choice.
Thank you for giving up your six pack super abs for educating the masses! Yes, I ask myself on a regular basis "Do you want it enough?" It is a simple yes or no. If it is a yes then nothing about getting better at something/learning/doing your own project can be half arsed because you then simply don't want it bad enough.
This is great and I love what Chris is doing in these videos. Chris and the team are a great influence to me. . Something I want to comment listening to this great video for younger people is that I do that Chris would stop making comments regarding how much older he is compared to the young audience. In this video he made a comment saying that “he is still going through puberty”. It is just something I heard few times in his videos I wish you left out. Just my two cents. I love what you are doing Chris
Noted
I listen to this while doing my art. It keeps inspiring me to do more. Thank you The futur for this free videos.
Awesome.
Same! Listening and drawing right now.
At 53 it’s very hard to pivot to another career when so many people rely on your income. Still, I need to do it. I’m headed back to real estate photography and in two or three years, I’ll be back doing something I love.
Holy shit this is me right now. But weird enough, working at a full time job gave me much more motivation to do what I love after work compared to when I had all the time in the world and would barely draw. I started to read more books during transit about organzing my life, goals, motivation, even learning japanese with duolingo. I started using Notion to organize everything in my life. Slowly but surely I can feel progress happennig and it feels great!
this issue is so common...... The Futur, once again, thanks for the amazing content you're putting out there! I don't know where I would be if I haven't found this channel 4 years ago. You gave me so much self confidence and now that I'm almost done with the apprenticeship as a graphic designer I get private clients every week. Thanks, thanks, thanks!
This is what I want to learn. Great work Chris. I really appreciate your effort and all the sacrifices you have been done for us.
I can 100% relate to this. What would I do without these videos? 🙏
Thank you for this! Been feeling so demoralised lately with Uni & I needed this!
Watched this a few times. It truly resonates with me. Brilliant motivational video.
That's probably my fav vid on your channel.
I just love listening to you guys talk. And sentences like "My brain is tired from thinking" are the icing on the cake.
haha
Remarkable how the Universe shines its Light on just the precise moment!!! Thank you Chris, and The Futur!!!
Hey Chris, just wanted to say thanks in part to your amazing videos, I was inspired to start my own web design and SEO business (lighthouse digital).
Whilst it's still early days yet, I'm already dominating my local area in the UK and have adopted many of the techniques and advice you've given meaning I'm already attracting larger clients than I can perhaps even handle!
Just wanted to say thank you 👍
Fantastic. Congrats.
This hit home. I am that 41 year old that looked back and wondered I did and went back to school for graphic design. I'm behind in the game, but I'm still going to try.
you are not behind in our eyes. you have just come upon your true calling. some people never find that Ginger.
Thanks, Chris. I really needed this. And huge kudos to Aaron too, man you're awesome.
What a great video, this definitely put stuff into perspective for me and opened my eyes to what I should be focusing on in order to achieve my goals.
Chris you are great, I will strive more. I'm thinking what I can achieve right now. I like to learn all the time.
Thank you.
Thank you for this amazing content. I agree that the sad reality is that mental exhaustion also comes from working uninteresting jobs that may only drain your motivation and confidence over time. I think being preoccupied with the daily grind makes people forget that.
Great video on pursing what you love while working a normal job!
What I’ve learned is taking action leads to motivation, not the other way around as so many believe.
Yes
This is excellent advice, and very impactful for my current situation. Going to start converting and hustle!
Glad to hear.
"Life is long but the amount of time you have to achieve something is short."
I have to CONVERT. Thanks for sharing this Chris and team.
I think this topic was covered succinctly and will help a lot of people, but there's a great big glaring omission which is that some wonderful people struggle to find any reserves within themselves to dedicate to personal growth or active behaviour due to long term physical or mental health issues. At the end of a day, sometimes at the start, you can feel like you have nothing left and no amount of breaking a task down makes it achievable. Unfortunately I think this is something that gets harder and harder to reprogram yourself from and I don't have the solution. I just thought it was worth writing down incase some poor viewer is sat there thinking about how inexplicably hard this advice is to take on board for them, I didn't want them to feel alone. I'm sure it's worth trying.
I like the format of these videos and appreciate thefutur's content immensely, I would be interested to see if you could find someone respected at thefutur who can relate to explore this issue further but suspect, although common, it's ultimately too personal and a bit of an "I can't help you" thing.
I really resonated with Mark about active vs passive work. That made a lot of sense to me and helped me further process Chris' daily creative process.
Great topic and excellent discussion! This was confirmation for me.
I'll take the brainwashing!
That was great. It took me around an hour to get through. I had to stop to take notes and reflect. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
"Turning the THOUGHTS into THINGS!"
Thank you for all the nuggets of knowledge you just dropped.
Hah the real answer took me by storm. After removing the employer from the picture, I felt all of my considerations for hustling and working hard materialise automatically. I guess the pressure from the everyday grind builds up and the only way to release it is for the universe to push you to a dark little place where you don't have any choice but to work. The difference is that everything that you produce is for yourself - all of the clients, all of the money, all of the time - it's in your control. So when you get used to working for yourself, it becomes much easier than having a job. You get used to it and gradually find new challenges.
This is exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you so much for such a great help.
I woke up at 40. I'm working double time making up for all the years of "playing". Take advantage of your time when you are young. I was always wanting to just chill with friends and party. Huge mistake that I can't fix. Time lost
Listen to this guy talk… do you really think there will come a point when he has enough money or has done enough work? No freaking way. This person is the type to be working hard as a billionaire at 95 years old so don’t listen to that take a break later bs it’s not real. My parents lived that way saving up for when they could retire and travel the world together… then my mom died. Use your life while you have it because tomorrow is not a guarantee. Would you rather die tomorrow knowing you spent the day hanging with your parents and loved ones… or die knowing your last day on earth was working on a logo for a useless company making artisan cat bandanas?
Thank you for doing this videos!
There's some really good stuff to think about here, and I truly agree with it a lot, but one should also realize that not everyone can be hyperproductive all of the time.
Most people aren't - even the successful ones. Passion for something can go a long way, but even when doing something you love you sometimes need to take a breather, fill up your batteries and get inspired by doing something else.
Even when you're extra-hype for what you do for a living, here is something like a work life balance that shouldn't be underestimated.
If you can find balance in some other creative endeavor and moves you forward, awesome.
Just don't feel bad, unworthy or not motivated enough when you simply need too unwind sometimes.
Felt like saying this because feeling inadequate while trying and failing to go 100% all of the time can also lead down a dangerous road.
As with everything, you need to find the right solution that works for you.
I was kinda in a burnout state not long ago because of not getting job and being unappreciate as a creative, thanks Chris and others for giving advice to us, really appreciate it! Have a good day everyone
been working full time and trying to side hustle for 8 years and its making me realy tired. I ended up cutting out a lot of my social life hoping it will pay off soon. im really numb now. i still sit down and go through the motions of the second shift but its harder now... i sit there and less comes out. i dont know what to do. the motivation is there, i still look forward to working on stuff when i get home but im physically very tired. and sad a lot of the time. i cant picture the future very well adn its hard to plan more then a week or so ahead. ive sought help in the form of a mentorship program and extra classes. its slow going but knowing that someone will notice if i dissappear helps me continue.
Chris, thank you for making an impact in my life!
This video changed my whole life in 4 minutes. Wizardry.
Alakazam!
We love you Chris!
🔥🔥🔥
I think like Sharif, I struggle so much with looking at the big picture. Rn I just entered my second year and it has been very difficult, I'm not sure if I chose the right major, because everyone around me is continuing to progress while I fall behind. I can say that it is because they've got the natural talent to design and progress, but in actuality it becaus they put in the time that i don't, my goal for this year and going forward is to not see my work as just work that I want to put off but instead I want to learn to really enjoy the process. I'm only 19 soon to become 20 in a month, and I want to continue to grow and enjoy everything I do. so far I have been just enjoying my time at school, and having an open mind to everything. I will admit that the work is insanely difficult to balance but I have being growing to enjoy each little thing I learn.
Honestly thank you guys so much for all the video you guys have been showing, I thought I was hopeless and have no way to progress.
YOU GUYS GAVE ME HOPE THANK YOU SO MUCH^^
Congrats! this is another incredible chapter guys, the wisdom of the content you teach young designers is priceless! love you guys!
Needed this so much right now. Thank you Chris and thefutur ❤️
I could wish I could’ve seen this a year ago, but I’m glad I saw this, I’m glad Chris published this, :,)
Welcome to the Futur
These guys just revealed me to myself.
That kid has a bright future. All the best to him.
This is a great video. I really needed this! Thank you so much! :)
I have a full time job. I'm husband and father of a 20 month old toddler. I also commute almost 3 hours a day, round trip. I come home and need to spend time with my family, help my wife clean and feed our daughter then after playing with our daughter for about an hour after her dinner then get her to bed. After that, I have to make dinner for my wife and I, then it's close to bedtime 10pm. I am motivated to keep learning and designing passion projects but just need the time and I've tried on the weekends, just need to try harder without feeling burnt out.
This is great! Thanks for all the reminders
This video is 2-year-old and it talks about such a well-known problem for up and coming creative people but for some problem I just saw it today haha. Probably what would make Sharif feel a bit better about his evening schedule is that he has to be intentionally aware of his routine and its function on his life. I don't think there's anything wrong with playing video games or watching a movie or God forbids, being unproductive once in a while after a hard day at work when your brain is fried, but one has to be aware that his leisuring has a purpose, that is to relax the brain so it comes back to an optimal state so it can perform when he needs it to work on personal projects. It works the same with working out and sleeping enough hours a day, both of which help optimizing the performance of one's body which increases the quality of one's work.
It is hard to balance everything in life. But if one keeps his eye on his purpose, he will do okay.
You also have to acknowledge that some people don't work well under pressure, and requires a loose schedule. Free roaming, bored mind cannot be forced, and they produce some of the best ideas and thoughts.
Love these bro starting my channel and brand soon studying in the den as right now👑🤘🏽👏🏽
Chris Do and his team do it again! Kudos to you all this was magnificent! I am about to hope on Adobe Creative Suite and edit, color, tweak and fine tune some old work.
Exactly what I’m going through, needed this! Thanks a lot.
This is such great advice. I would also advice to take another creative hobby if you are looking for some inspiration. I do several things I consider a hobby. I draw or doodle, I paint tabletop miniatures and occasionally I do some CSS/HTML illustrations or animations using codepen when I have free time. Pick hobbies that are different from your main work that you do every day but that you can still apply to your work.
I agree with the passive and active learning; everytime I read a book, multiple ideas charges within my brain when my purpose at the very beginning was to understand the book itself or listening to music for the sake of eargasm - not make an art for it. The problem I find with having a "strong purpose" is that it's too high in the hierarchy of thinking - you might know the higher purpose, but you lost the bridge to it. But being grounded with purpose keeps the vehicle going; for me, the "starting" phase is the hardest part everytime. And you really just have to start even if it would suck because creativity doesn't stem from a blank page but from a problem that sparks to create an output.
It really helps to set goals for yourself by accessing what's important to you. Do you want to be successful in your work, knowledgeable, a person others look up to. Do you want to have money? Everyone has a *reason* to set those goals. And then motivating yourself gets a lot more easier, and you can start building habits to support it.
My friend can't find a cleaning/cooking lady for his home. It's a problem in the city, the good ones aren't available, because the demand is high and the supply very little (the best one are busy or have moved to higher paying cities). I watch day after day new job candidates arrive, work and then quit, and I think how they remind me of myself when I was younger (I'm 32). I was totally the same - working stuff without understanding the reason why I'm working, and then being unmotivated and lacking reasons to work on my own stuff. Then why was I a candidate for the job in the first place?! Total lack of reasoning and goals.
And now I know that if I really have to start a completely new job, and only cleaning lady is available, I'll go there and give my best for the job, and consider it a serious business. I wish I had this approach 10 years ago.