Diligence

We’ve been taught to do everything with diligence—study diligently, work diligently, and even play diligently(play with wholeheartedly). We believe that living with effort leads to success, leaves no regrets, and earns us the rewards of our hard work.

 

But what exactly does it mean to be diligent? Intuitively, it seems to mean not being lazy, fully immersing ourselves, and giving all our strength to what we do. If that's the case, then there are quite a few diligent people around us. Even those who didn't study hard as students often live with diligence when they enter the workforce or start their own businesses. Yet, not all of them succeed, nor are they all satisfied with their lives.

We already know that diligence alone is not enough. If working hard was enough to make us happy, there wouldn't be so many unhappy people in the world, because they could simply work hard and become happy. But diligence is often followed by frustration, and we might blame "luck and circumstances" when we see the success of those who haven't worked as hard.

 

Moreover, diligence can sometimes become a way to set limits on ourselves, a means of saying, "I did all I could; there's nothing more I could have done, and I have no regrets," instead of acknowledging the results of failure.

 

So what do we truly need? We need to do things willingly. Whether it's studying, working, volunteering, or playing, we should approach it all with a willing heart, without hesitation. The dictionary defines "willingly" as "in a way that shows that you are happy or eager to do something." If diligence is a sprint toward a goal, then willingness is about enjoying the journey toward that goal, rather than focusing solely on the destination.

Are you pressuring yourself to live diligently every day? Are you disappointed in yourself for watching YouTube, Netflix, or scrolling through social media meaninglessly? That disappointment comes from believing that you're not living diligently and that you're wasting your life.

 

When faced with something you have to do but don’t want to, try approaching it with the mindset of "I'll do this willingly" rather than "I need to work hard at this." Starting with the word "willingly" and repeating it once, twice, you may gradually realize that the task isn't as unpleasant as you thought.

 

 

 

Today, I did the dishes willingly, not diligently, for my wife.