How to Fall in Love With Boredom and Unlock Your Mental Toughness If you want to fulfill your potential then you must practice a specific skill for a long time with remarkable consistency. Mastery is never an accident.

By James Clear

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on JamesClear.com

Whether we are talking about athletes, artists, or academics, the story is the same. If you want to fulfill your potential then you must practice a specific skill for a long time with remarkable consistency. Mastery is never an accident.

Somehow, top performers in any craft figure out a way to fall in love with boredom, put in their reps, and do the work.

Of course, whenever "experts" share stories about successful people they often leave out a key ingredient of the story. How, exactly, do top performers fall in love with boredom? Perhaps more important, how can you fall in love with boredom when you're trying to build a habit that you know you should do, but you don't really want to do.

Related: What I Do When I Feel Like Giving Up

Let me share two strategies that work for me.

How to Fall in Love With Boredom

First, there is very little hope for falling in love with a habit that you truly hate. I don't know anyone who legitimately dislikes an activity and somehow falls in love with doing it. It doesn't add up. It's very difficult to hate something and be in love with it at the same time. (Your ex doesn't count.)

Let's say you dislike working out, but you know it's good for you. If you want to fall in love with the boredom of going to the gym, then you have two options.

Option 1: Increase your proficiency at the task.

Even tasks that you are good at will feel monotonous some days, so imagine the uphill battle you're fighting if you are constantly trying to do something that you don't feel skilled at. The solution? Learn the basic fundamentals of your task and celebrate the small wins and improvements you make. With our workout example, let's say you purchase Starting Strength and learn how to do a proper deadlift or bench press. Practicing these new skills in the gym can be fun and making tiny improvements each week builds momentum. It's much easier to fall in love with doing something over and over again if you can look forward to making progress.

Option 2: Fall in love with a result of the task rather than the task itself.

Let's be real: there are some things that we should do that are always going to be a hassle. Running sprints might be an example. Very few people look forward to setting their lungs on fire.

Related: Stop Thinking and Start Doing: The Power of Practicing More

I find that I have more success in situations like these when I shift my focus away from the actual task and toward a result. Sometimes this is a direct result of the habit I'm trying to perform. Other times, it's a result that I invent. For example, you can make a game out of not missing workouts even if you don't enjoy the workout itself. Let's say you have done two sprint workouts in a row. Your goal is to fall in love with becoming the type of person who doesn't miss workouts. You're not worried about how you perform. You're not worried about if you're getting faster. You're not worried about getting six-pack abs or any other type of result. For the most part, you're not even thinking about the workout. Instead, you're simply focused on keeping your workout streak alive.

This is basically the Seinfeld Strategy applied to exercise. Your only goal is to "not break the chain." By shifting your focus away from the activity you dislike, you're giving yourself an opportunity to fall in love with the boredom of sticking to the streak (something you do enjoy).

The Power of Patience

I was speaking with a friend at the gym recently. He had decided to change his weightlifting routine despite making good progress with his old program. I asked him why. He made a few excuses before eventually saying, "Basically, I got bored."

It has taken me years to learn this lesson myself, but I'm starting to believe that a beautiful blend of patience and consistency is the ultimate competitive advantage. Success is often found by practicing the fundamentals that everyone knows they should be doing, but they find too boring or basic to practice routinely.

It's like making 120 sales calls per day. There's nothing sexy about it, but it works. You don't need to reinvent the fundamentals. You need to commit to them. Do more of what already works.

For useful ideas on improving your mental and physical performance, join his free weekly newsletter.

Related: This One Strategy Can Help You Stick With Your Good Habits Every Day

James Clear

Writer, Entrepreneur and Behavior Science Expert

James Clear is a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision making, and continuous improvement. He is the author of the no. 1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits. The book has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 50 languages.

Clear is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work has been featured in places like Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and on CBS This Morning. His popular "3-2-1" email newsletter is sent out each week to more than 1 million subscribers. You can learn more and sign up at jamesclear.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Devices

This Beginner Drone Can be Perfect for Taking Your Content Sky-High — Just $70 on Sale

Using intelligent obstacle avoidance and optical flow positioning, this drone is designed to help beginners with aerial photography and videography.

Business News

The man who married a hologram in Japan can no longer communicate with his virtual wife

The software that allowed the interaction is no longer supported and the man can no longer interact with the hologram with which he had a relationship for years.

Business News

Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez Award $50 Million Each to Eva Longoria and Admiral Bill McRaven

The Bezos Courage and Civility Award was established in 2021 to recognize those who "aim high, pursue solutions with courage, and always do so with civility."

Devices

Stay in Contact with This $39.97 Smartwatch

Tools for fitness tracking, communication, and more.