If you want to stop sucking at something, please take this medium-sized survey.
To stop sucking first means to understand “sucking.” Start with this question:
Is there something you do terribly, fairly regularly?
Ah, yes, “terribly” is the defining adjective. Here are some ideas about terrible:
- You feel really bad during and after doing it.
- You feel like you are wasting valuable time and attention.
- You feel like you have to do it, and you hate doing it.
- You have to relearn how to do it every time because you have no system.
- It makes doing something else that’s very important to you very difficult.
(“Terribly” could also include other people. If you love doing something, and someone else thinks you suck, take note, consider the consequences of your awfulness, and if you feel you aren’t making serious problems for someone else, try turning up the volume until they leave.)
And for me, David, take the survey.
If you don’t love doing what you suck at, here’s the obvious solution:
Stop.
Yes, I know you’ve heard this before, but there are very few things you actually have to do. Skipping wasteful meetings will rarely get you fired, especially if you show the more important work you are doing instead. Ignoring texts won’t lose you your true friends if they know how to get in touch when they really need you.
When you suck at something, you have to ask the question, what will happen if I don’t do it? If the answer is something big, like someone will die, I will lose my job, or the economy will collapse (again); or perhaps more commonly, if ignoring it makes something very important to you more difficult, then I suggest you…
Stop Sucking.
Right after you take the survey.
Here are some things that people tell me they want to stop sucking at:
- I’m so out of shape, I have no energy.
- I eat like crap.
- I have only the vaguest idea how much money I spend.
- I don’t get to my creative work till I’m all out of juice, if ever.
- I’m overwhelmed with email.
- I have too many things I want to do.
- I feel aimless.
- I can’t get my spouse to get with the program.
- I don’t feel supported in my goals.
You can see my list here.
I have plans to help you figure this stuff out. You’ll see some Stop Sucking posts in the near future. I need your help to do it well.
So, now, please take this survey.
Thank you.