^ not working hard, but it is the climbing gym. note the turtle.

the past couple of days have been a productivity struggle. despite excuses, i could still try a bit harder. which is exactly what i realised when i went climbing today. several times on a challenging route i thought, yeah, this isn’t going to happen. i thought, i need to be stronger, i need more energy – when really the problem was that i was making these excuses instead of actually pushing myself. the same thing happens with essay-writing: i think i need a break, that i can’t think straight, and all these little distractions add up towards not completing the task. an important step towards productivity is to believe you can keep going. in the words of tiger cub sophia chua-rubenfeld: “if you think you need a break, you probably don’t.” ★