Entanglements: Draining Willpower and Tenacity
“One week. It is just one week. I can miss it. No one would notice”
These were my words when I could not write a post last week. I felt so guilty and told myself to strive to never miss a week.
I had a pretty rough last two weeks. Rough but needed.
How did your week go? Have you had a tough week too?
Feel free to tell me here. No judgement zone.
During this period, I did not feel I was worth sharing knowledge or thoughts to people due to what I was going through.
It caused me to be mute, to not write and express myself like I love doing.
Nevertheless I am back 💃 and I learnt a very interesting word this week, ENTANGLEMENT 😉.
Gotten from the word, entangle.
I don’t know why that picture comes to mind every time I hear it, but this is one frustrating thing to deal with 😅
Entangle: cause to become twisted together with or caught in. To involve someone in a difficult or complicated situation that is hard to escape from
I found this so relatable because contrary to the reason for the word trending, I do believe we have all been in some form of entanglement.
Maybe not with a person per se, but with a situation, an action, an emotion, a certain period of time or maybe an addiction or habit.
Being entangled means going into a spiral that keeps you from doing what you really want or need. A distraction. Something you do because you feel some way that is contrary to your needs, wants, commitments and belief.
There is always so much going on in the world that it is so easy to get ‘entangled’ into things that do not necessarily meet the goal that you set. Losing sight of what is most important to you and deserves your most focus.
Here’s a quote I found interesting:
“It is not the outer objects that entangle us. It is the inner clinging that entangles us” -Tilopa
As a product manager, it is easy to get entangled into that new shiny technology or seemingly impressive feature you want to add to your product. But do you ask yourself questions like, does the customer need this? Does the data say this would improve our product? Does this only look good on paper but maybe not for our product? Is there a better, easier and cheaper alternative to achieving this?
Entanglement could mean focusing on the technology backing your product than the value you are bringing to your customers.
For non-product managers, it could be a person or thing or emotion that distracts you from achieving that vision or goal you set for yourself.
Taking myself as an example: Last week I missed a blog post. I had a goal set to have a certain number of posts before the end of July and due to being entangled in a web of low esteem and impostor syndrome I cannot meet that goal.
Sad but a huge learning.
This is one of numerous examples, perhaps for you it’s a really big entanglement or a really small one. Still, it is worth pondering upon.
What gets you entangled in a web of self-deceit? What feelings make you doubt yourself and twist and turn back and forth from who you really are and what you want to achieve? Who makes you get caught in and doubt yourself or the vision you have set?
Entanglements never cause good. They provide instant gratification but long-lasting regret if no action is taken to run from it.
You may be dealing with one now, maybe the product you are building, your startup, business, school work or future plans, even in your relationships.
Here is how you can get back to where you want.
Tenacity: the determination to continue what you are doing. The quality or fact of continuing to exist; persistence.
This word has a stronger feel to it than consistency. Do you feel it?
Like yes! I need to be tenacious. I need to keep pressing on to that goal. I need to continue to exist in the world, in the industry I am in, in my business, in my space. I need to make my mark!
It simply says I MUST NOT GIVE UP!
No matter what entanglements come my way.
Steps to build tenacity
1. Turn your ‘want’ to a ‘need’
Do you have a goal to achieve? Why do you want to achieve it? Maybe you want to find a cure to corona virus. Let it leave the want space in your head and let it become a need. Make it as important as the food, shelter or clothing you long for. Change your want to a need! Wants can be let go off, needs are required to live peacefully and fulfilled.
2. Let it be known
Write it down. Leave your head. For your ideas to become reality, you need to write it down. Legibly, visibly, sensibly. Find a post I wrote on this here.
3. Break it down and prioritize
Yes, you have big dreams, multiple dreams in fact. You need to break them down into simpler goals and give each their own importance. You cannot solve a problem if there is a more urgent need. Highlight your needs and how important they are to you and work at achieving them one by one.
4. FOCUS
Being tenacious requires FOCUS. To Follow One Course Until Successful.
You cannot do everything all at once, hence step 3. However, being focused on a particular need at once helps you achieve it faster. For example, the man or woman who cannot afford a meal a day would not be looking for how to solve world hunger, he must first find food to eat before solving the larger issue. Focus is the most important factor to execution and requires one very important skill, willpower
Willpower: control exerted to do something or restrain impulses.
It is synonymous with strength of purpose. You need to keep reminding yourself the reason why you do what you do. The lives you touch, the impact you currently make, can make and any other motive that drives you (money, fame, recognition).
There are so many things you can achieve in the world today by being tenacious. Do not get entangled in the things that do not matter or would not matter for temporary feelings.
Keep Being the Product!
Ajoke
