When you’re really good at something, it can be easy to take it for granted. You probably assume that it’s just normal and everyone feels the same. If you are a gifted musician, playing a song is as easy as walking. Or if you love to paint, you can effortlessly pick up a brush and create something beautiful. But these skills are actually really hard for many people.
I’ve never been a very well rounded person. I’m either really good, or really sucky at things. In business school I almost failed accounting and finance. It was a miracle I made it through and pretty ironic that the University of Alberta recently featured me in their alumni magazine (humble brag)! Proof that numbers are not that important…just kidding. But, when it came to marketing I was top of my class. My report cards were completely lopsided. Good thing I became an entrepreneur!
When you are bad at stuff, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of trying to improve yourself. It feels like our society constantly rewards people who overcome obstacles. I’m a super fan of self improvement, but sometimes you also have to recognize who you are and what you want to do with your time on Earth. I don’t think it has to be such a struggle.
People often comment that I look like I’m always having fun. It’s probably because I am. Being happy and enjoying life is something that I take very seriously! I believe our time on the planet is extremely precious, and way too short to be doing stuff you suck at. Why not just improve what you are already good it?! When you do, more good stuff will naturally just flow in and opportunities will jump right in front of your face. I constantly focus on having as much fun as possible in every situation, and because of this it becomes my reality. It doesn’t have to do with where I am or what I’m doing, but more what I believe my situation is. If you choose fun you will have fun!
Since it’s summertime, there’s a butt load of awesome stuff going on. You might be feeling pressure to soak it all in and nasty FOMO can be at an all time high. To maximize your enjoyment, just pay attention to what feels natural and good in your body. Write out all the things you absolutely love to do and then just do those instead of trying to cram in everything else because the other kids are doing it. This will free up so much bandwidth in your mind, and you will instantly be more relaxed and happy.
This same principle applies to your business. Pay attention to what you enjoy doing instead of what you really dislike and want to put off. Instead of forcing yourself to improve the areas you are crap at, work on improving what flows naturally. When you do this so crazy stuff will happen.
You might be thinking, well how to I get the stuff done that I need to do but don’t want to do? Great question! You have 2 options; either get someone else to do it, or change your attitude. What I have found, is the stuff we put off doing actually doesn’t take that much time if you just go and do it! Plus, if you focus on doing what you enjoy, you’ll have so much more energy so doing the stuff you normally put off will take a fraction of the time.
I get caught up in negative little whirlwinds all the time. Writing this article for example. I’ve been traveling a lot and focusing on enjoying this glorious Vancouver summer, so sitting down to write has been something I’ve been putting off. I’ve convinced myself that writing a post is so much harder than it actually is, so in my head it has become this big task. But, the truth is I love to write, and as soon as I just sat down and did it I realized how simple it is.
Life comes down to deciding, focusing and doing. You can either do this with stuff you like or stuff you don’t like. The cool part is you get to choose. Enjoyment comes from aligning what’s in your heart with your actions. I know it’s super simple, but I know reminders vitally important.
I hope this will help you to enjoy the crap out of summer and your life! If you have any tips or comments I would love for you to share them below 🙂
