Effort

How does one develop staying power?

As we went through this week achieved higher and higher expectations at work to the point of making 2 submission and releasing 21 lots of material. Have to do it, have to get everything out. There is an incredible amount of focus and drive.

And then comes the day after, when everything is done. Suddenly the drive is gone and there is nothing but a drained sense of exhaustion.

I pontificated to Otis last night that I cannot really contemplate the idea of doing that over and over, having the same level of drive day after day. Certainly and not expect to have a life after work.

But is that really part of my own problem?

I can argue - perhaps successfully - that the incentives are not there. If I maintained that high level of drive - 13 hours a day, 5-6 days a week - lots would get done, but I'd have nothing to show for it; in fact, an argument could be made that I am merely setting the level of expectation higher for myself and my coworkers with no corresponding increase in money or ability to succeed.

On the other hand, if I applied that level of effort to anything - not just work - what would I be able to accomplish? Have I let the reality of my current work environment influence my ability to understand that success in anything is a result of persistent effort?

How do I pull my general output to the next level? What can I do to motivate myself?