How Hard to Push

I’m home from vacation and down with a cold. The laundry is washed and the mail sorted. Now I want to do nothing but read and sleep until the sniffles dry up.

Do you ever wonder how hard to push yourself? Grit involves the self-discipline to persevere now for future success. Delayed gratification is about putting off a pleasure now for the sake of a larger reward later. Skip that cake if you’ve started a diet. On the other hand, consider the workaholic business executive saving up toward a peaceful retirement of fishing and hiking. Why not fish and hike more now and retire with adequate but modest savings?

Surely it depends on the person, the situation, and the day. Too much stress is bad for blood pressure and the heart. Too little stress gets nothing done. I try to think “choose to” instead of “have to.” I’m happier with clean clothes and a clear desk, but I choose to wash dishes by hand rather than replace the broken dishwasher until I have more energy.

How do you decide how hard to push?