“Sometimes I’m afraid to write. While I love to tell stories, I occasionally freeze when I face a blank page. And I know I’m not alone. From the memoirs of famous artists and authors to discussion boards populated by blocked writers, it’s clear that, at one point or another, almost everyone struggles to overcome the sneaky creative fear author Steven Pressfield refers to as ‘resistance.’ Over the years, I’ve learned that (1) you just have to take a deep breath and get started, and (2) everything is easier once you have a first draft—no matter how bumpy it may be.”
Aytekin Tank, Automate Your Busywork (Page 103)
Archives
“To build a mindset that allows happiness in, you need to develop the quality of non-reactiveness. Life is generally uncontrollable and it is not possible to live without challenges, so eventually unwanted things and tough situations will appear. Being able to create space in your mind where you can recognize something as undesirable without reacting to it intensely not only helps you deal with it better, but it also keeps you connected to your peace. Not reacting literally allows peace to exist in your mind. The less you react, the more peace you have.”
Yung Pueblo
“I believe that when you remove malice from your heart, not only do you feel better, you look better. I think you lose your frown lines and your wrinkles lessen and your age spots disappear. I believe it’s better than Botox, extending grace. I do.”
Bevy Smith, TED Talk
“When you see someone having something that you believe you deserve, you take a note. You ask yourself a few questions. Is it something that you really want? Perhaps that person is better suited than you are for that. Does the universe — is the universe conspiring for you to have that? Really kind of try and be honest with who you are and where you’re at in life. Once you do that, you take a deep breath and you say, ‘Their wins have nothing to do with my worthiness.’ And then you’re ready to give a note. You go on social media, and you say congratulations. Or my personal favorite, you pick up the phone, like it’s the 20th century, and you say, ‘Congratulations, kudos, you did that, Al! You go, girl!’ You do all the things. Instantly you feel like a better human being because you have actually extended grace.”
Bevy Smith, TED Talk
“Whenever I get frustrated or feel things are moving too slowly, I think about Barcelona’s ‘unfinished masterpiece,’ the Sagrada Familia church, which was designed by Antoni Gaudí. Construction began in 1882, but only a quarter of the work had been completed when Gaudí died in 1926. Nearly a century later, more than 24 architects and 200 workers are laboring diligently to complete the basilica by 2026. Assuming the Sagrada Familia team meets its deadline, that’s 144 years of persistence.”
Aytekin Tank, Automate Your Busywork (Page 133)
“Know how to leave things alone, for if knowing how to refuse is one of life’s great lessons, an even greater one is knowing how to say no to yourself, to important people, and in business. There are non-essential activities, moths of precious time, and it’s worse to take an interest in irrelevant things than to do nothing at all.”
Baltasar Gracian
“Repetition is a neon sign that points to busywork. Manually composing and sending a variation of the same email every quarter is not the best use of your skills. Of course, this doesn’t apply to recurring work that requires creativity or strategy, like writing a monthly newsletter for your top clients.”
Aytekin Tank, Automate Your Busywork (Page 42)
“Technology has rapidly exacerbated the loneliness problem, with one study cited in the report finding that people who used social media for two hours or more daily were more than twice as likely to report feeling socially isolated than those who were on such apps for less than 30 minutes a day.”
Amanda Seitz