Don't be a smartass, Just do the work

I've got two voices in my head: The Resistance (which Steven Pressfield talks about in his book Turning Pro) and Mr. Smartass.

The Resistance tells me to do what I want to do, instead of what I should do. If I'm sitting on the couch watching TV instead of working, the Resistance is telling me that it's okay—that it's okay to put off work and just relax for a while. It tells me that I can always catch up tomorrow, or even later today, so why not take a break?

The Resistance is the one that tells me not to start in the first place, and when I do start, Mr. Smartass is the one that tells me to take shortcuts, cheat, and do other "productive things." And as soon as I try to get back to your routine, The Resistance is there to tell me to stop.

I want to talk about The Resistance partner aka Mr. Smartass in this post.

We've all met Mr. Smartass at one time or another: He's the one who tells you to cheat on your diet today because you've been working out a lot lately. He's the one who advises you to tweak your workout plan instead of going to the gym, or who tells me to just read one more books on a subject instead of just starting.

He'll tell you to create long-term plans and goals in Excel instead of just trying and failing, or that it's okay to take shortcuts and optimize instead of grinding until you reach your goal. To download more productivity apps, read more productivity articles, and maybe watch that video on youtube titled “How i made 100K USD a year working from my bedroom”

💡 Mr. Smartass will lead you down a path where you feel like you're doing it all right, that you are productive. The thing is Mr. Smartass is a liar.

If you listen to Mr. Smartass, he'll make you unfulfilled and miserable for life! You've no choice but to ignore him or your life will be terrible forever.

Output is just as important as preparation, but mere preparation won't bring output. And as you can see The Resistance and Mr. Smartass are best friend.

But there are times when it's not best for us to be a smartass about our habits. Sometimes it's just better to stay mute, keep our heads down, and work toward our goals. Don't overthink it, don't try to be a smartass, and put on your AirPods. Run 5 km and don't cheat.

Staying smart may lead to more productivity, but it's important to sometimes dumb yourself down. Sometimes you can lose track of what's truly important

Sometimes you just have to stay dumb.