MONKEY WORK

November 23rd, 2018

Everything becomes monkey work,

After you’ve figured it out.

The only way to stay fresh, keep the brain growing, is to keep finding new things to do and figure out.

This is one of the best ways to get out of a slump.

It’s often touted as such limp and quaint statements as “take up a hobby!” after say, a particularly grueling break up or after retirement.

Often though there’s a lot of truth to this.  After a bad break up, one might rebound well.  Feeling new freedom and invigorated to try all sorts of new things.  (Though the more interesting question is probably why such a person didn’t go out and try these things while still in the relationship? 

Point being: we only hold ourselves back.  Unless you are literally in a cage, blaming someone else of that is a form of laziness.  A lack of courage really. 

What can be learned from this little pocket of human experience?

Say there is no big break up, or retirement or sudden empty nest.

Can something still be garnered from knowing of this phenomenon?

Yes.

Continually seek to do things that feel difficult.

The process requires figuring things out, rewiring neurons, flexing the brain.  Other areas seem to import the flexibility.   Courage in one area might spur courage in another area.  Virtuous cycles are born spinning off other virtuous cycles. 

So occurs that feeling when everything seems to be ‘clicking’.

What’s the key to the slump?  Climbing a mountain.  Figuring out something new; anything to get away from monkey work.  Or at least augment it with something the brain can chew on.

Sure, this can be a new hobby,

Why limit though?  Think bigger. Harder.  more.  difficult.

Raise the stakes and the payout just might be better than you could have hoped.