Earlier this week, my son (who will turn 11 years old tomorrow) was lamenting how he simply couldn’t wait for Spring Break to start; it was all he could do to “slog” through this final week of school. The former child in me understands that he just “wants out”, and the adult in me wants to tell him, “It’s 5th grade, dude. Enjoy what you’ve got going on now!”

But aren’t we all like that sometimes? We look to the horizon and say “if I can only get there….”. I wrote a Thought Partner about this concept of “It Doesn’t Get Easier” last October. (I was told it was a good one so go check it out again.) 

The search for future happiness can be dangerous and elusive. The “I’ll be happy when” mystic loses luster when the when occurs, and the happiness still eludes. 

So how do you motivate yourself to “slog” through? And how do you keep yourself from becoming disillusioned when the happiness you think you seek doesn’t appear to be on its way? 

Well, I could give you some platitudes (and they would be good ones) like:

  1. Measure progress by small wins – Think first downs rather than touchdowns
  2. Don’t try to change people – Focus on what you control
  3. Choose to be happy about something – Your Zoom filter makes you look 10 years younger today
  4. Don’t worry about your smile – Make someone else smile

I mean, I could do that, but today is Friday, and maybe for some of you, like my son, you just want to get through the day. So, for you, I offer you a little laughter today.

When I responded to my son by saying he sounded like he was “Working for the Weekend,” he looked at me like I had three heads. When I doubled down and sang “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend” in my best 1980s Canadian rock band, Loverboy, impression, he really thought I lost my marbles. Do yourself a favor: crank this jam up this morning, sing into your hairbrush or spoon, and get yourself to the weekend. When I showed him this video, he couldn’t get over the outfits. Ah, what a time. Enjoy!

If you’re not an 80s rock fan, but you still need a little something to push you through the day ahead, another tried and true tactic is to find a quiet corner and scream “Serenity Now“. 

Sometimes, it’s okay to get yourself through the day; laughter can help light the way.