Embrace the thrashing

Productivity expert Charlie Gilkey shares a tip for making it through challenging projects

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of my Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is from my friend Charlie Gilki's new book,
Start Finishing, How to Go from Idea to Done. The
book is out this week. He suggests that we embrace

(00:24):
the thrashing in order to do our best work. Now,
what does that mean? Well, let me quote from Charlie.
He says that we're paradoxical creatures. On the one hand,
we all want to do our best work. On the
other hand, we often avoid doing it. This paradox only
makes sense when we acknowledge that there's a lot happening

(00:45):
in our inner landscapes that's keeping us from choosing to
do our best work, and that makes choosing an idea
that matters tricky. To pick an idea that matters, the
part of you that wants to thrive and do your
best work, we'll have to overcome the part of you
that wants to play at safe, be comfortable, and not
ruffle any feathers. And so Charlie writes, it's time to

(01:06):
embrace the thrashing that you're doing. Thrashing, he says, is
the term I use for this emotional flailing and metalwork
we do when we don't fully commit to our best work.
What's really going on is that we're working out our
own head trash, the fears, imposter syndrome, and sometimes unconscious

(01:26):
perceptions of our own inadequacies. When we're thrashing, we're like
the rocking chair that moves a lot but doesn't actually
get anywhere. The more an idea matters to you, the
moreal thrash, precisely because it's success or failure is deeply
important to you. Now. Thrashing in and of itself doesn't
sound like a particularly pleasant way to spend time, but

(01:49):
says Charlie, beware of the siren call of the easier idea.
If you switch to an easier project, you'll end up
thrashing anyway. You might finish it, but you won't nearly
as satisfied as if you finish the one you baild on.
Thrashing is a sign that you're doing something that matters,
and that you'll need to show up powerfully to get

(02:10):
it done. Charlie writes, I like this idea of embracing
the thrashing in general because it gets at a revolutionary idea.
When it comes to time. When people send me questions,
many are structured along the lines of how can I
make this challenging thing easier. Maybe someone wants to wake
up earlier and start a morning routine, or people are

(02:31):
looking for tips to get family dinner on the table
when everyone's hungry, or they're looking to survive plane flights
with little kids. We want to write that book we've
been thinking about forever, or we want to learn a language.
And certainly there are ways to make challenging tasks easier
or more pleasant, but they're never going to be a
total walk in the park. You never hear someone who's

(02:52):
written a book say, Wow, that was so easy. I
just sat down and wrote it and I didn't have
to expend much thought or energy at all. Instead, the
philosophy of embracing the thrashing means that just because something
is difficult doesn't mean we shouldn't do it. You can
accept some rough stuff because you know there's a payoff.

(03:13):
When I've interviewed people who travel frequently overseas with their
young kids, I've asked for tips on how to make
this more pleasant, But my favorite quote from one expert was, yeah,
I wish there was a way to do that, and
I love that answer. Her point was that, yes, those
eight hours in the air might be terrible, but you
know what it's worth it to travel and to create

(03:35):
those memories, and to share those memories with your children
and to make them citizens of the world. A little
thrashing in this case, maybe a literally thrashing toddler is
a small price to pay. So if you've got a
tough project and you find yourself thrashing, try to just
sit with that idea for a bit. Yes, this thing

(03:57):
you're trying is challenging, but are probably doing it for
a reason. As Charlie noted, thrashing is a sign that
you're doing something that matters. So be brave and march on.
In the meantime, This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and
here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

(04:25):
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod
that's B the number four then Breakfast p o D.
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Podcast at iHeart media dot com that Before breakfast is

(04:48):
spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I
look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a
production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I
heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H