7 Grounds for the Grind

At the risk of admitting I sometimes sound like an old geezer (can a woman be a geezer?) I’m going to share part of a conversation I recently had with my husband. We were talking about some of the differences between young people and older ones, and even to me we sounded every bit like the older generation we’ve somehow become. One of the differences we noted was how eager so many young people are to believe the solution to something can come with the very first idea. Eureka, this is the answer! Five minutes of blood, sweat and tears and we have what it takes to crush whatever challenge we face.

But since my husband and I have seen how most challenges are really met after grinding work, how do we encourage youths to realize one idea might be only the beginning of the process, and not the end? That there is satisfaction in attaining something that included grind work?

This reminded me of how I used to be when I first started writing. I would have an idea and easily convince myself it was a good one. I’d go with it, writing by the seat of my pants as so many writers do, and I still do to some extent. Enjoying the process as if I were the story’s first reader.

Until I hit a snag. Very early on, I might abandon a project if the snag didn’t easily smooth itself out. Other times I might have kept writing anyway, convinced my original idea could still work despite any apparent weaknesses I might be sensing – only to give it up later when the weaknesses made me lose my passion for it.

And that’s where my inexperience showed. I was like a young idealist with high expectations. I had an idea and believed it would work…without any grind.

But with experience came the knowledge that few things really come that easily. I guess I didn’t want to believe writing could be a grind, because it didn’t seem like something so hard should be part of a process I loved as much as writing.

So I’m writing this blog today to submit 7 grounds for grind work. In other words, why we should embrace and not resist the grind part of the work we love – or maybe any work we’re called to do, whether we love it or not.

1) Grind work may have a terrible sound to it, but it’s a necessary part to almost every worthwhile endeavor. Prettier words for grinding would be: winnowing, polishing, shaping.

2) Grind work fleshes out more options, allowing you pick the best idea, which isn’t always the first.

3) Grind work can lead you to think of things you might not have considered, often taking your work to a higher level.

4) Grind work isn’t glamorous, but even glamorous jobs have grind work in it.

5) Grind work is often where the real learning, maturing and growing occur.

6) Grind work is sort of the “proof in the pudding” for those who are serious vs. those who are just looking for a diversion.

7) With few exceptions, excellence emerges because of the grind work.

I’m sure there are a number of other “grounds for grind work” and if you have any please share! Otherwise, I hope this helps brighten your Monday morning a little, especially if you’re facing the grind.