First, let me state: No, I’m not giving up. But this round in the deadline cave has been especially brutal, so I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind for a split second.
This past weekend, my computer froze in the middle of saving my document and the file got corrupted. Computers and I have long had a love/hate relationship, so I had a copy saved…
From 12 hours earlier.
Just past midnight, I was faced with the task of trying to recreate a day’s worth of work before I went to sleep. I knew that after I slept, I wouldn’t be able to remember all the missing pieces. I let myself have a five minute freak-out and then buckled down to do the work.
But this experience made me wonder about which things push us to the breaking point? And which things keep us going?
For me, this computer problem neared that breaking point. Losing a day’s worth of work when under deadline is not helpful for keeping on schedule.
Luckily, my stubbornness had something to say to that frustration. I’m also extremely blessed to have a supportive family who help me through the rough spots. It would have been much harder to bounce back from this computer issue without someone to listen to my venting.
Also, my work was much better after the day’s changes and I wanted to capture that improvement. So even though it meant staying up until 3 a.m., I fixed all those same issues a second time. By the end, I was happy that I’d succeeded in beating back those computer demons.
What pushes you to the edge of giving up (lack of time, rejections, something else)? What things help motivate and encourage you (a support system, wanting to prove something, finding successes wherever you can)? Share your experiences in the comments.
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