One Apple A Day #339
Push or pull, what works better for you?
I realised that I am a pull type of person.
When I try to push myself into doing something, most of the time I fail.
I’m very good at finding excuses and procastinate.
I have the feeling that willpower is not one of my strengths.
Though, I pushed myself a lot even when the results were not coming.
All this effort led to shame and guilt.
“Why isn’t working? Am I wrong? Maybe I don’t want this strong enough?”
These are some of the typical questions popping up when I failed.
My father and my model was a strong-will man.
When he wanted something, he always made it happen.
Then at school, I can’t remember how many times I heard my teachers saying that I was talented but I didn’t put in enough effort.
I wasn’t pushing myself enough.
This weakness troubled me all my life. It made me feel wrong.
“Where am I going to go without willpower? What am I going to achieve if I can’t push myself to do the things I want?”
Reality is, I achieved something in my life.
How did it happen?
How did I make it happen?
Yesterday, thanks to my coaches I find a possible answer.
I’m not a “push” type of person.
I am a “pull” one.
Anytime I try to push myself into doing something, I struggle and I waste so much energy that often I give up before achieving anything remarkable.
But if instead of working hard and pushing myself towards something, I put my effort into creating an environment that pulls me in the direction I want to go, bingo!
I am like water. It’s hard to push me towards something. I am fluid and I slip everywhere. But if you create an empty space in front of me, I can’t resist. I leap into it.
It’s not about pushing myself.
It’s about shaping the space around me to pull myself in the direction I want to move.