When things get tough, don’t take the easy way out

Have you ever had absolutely no motivation to do something? You know you need to do it, but instead of bucking down and getting it done, you contemplate every possible way you could get around it. You wrack your brain trying to figure out how you can possibly get around doing the task at hand. Whether you admit it or not, this happens all the time.

It could be something as simple as throwing your wrinkled shirt in the dryer instead of ironing it, or as complicated as dropping out of college and taking a job that you really don’t want just to get by. You’ve done it. I’ve done it. We’ve all done it. But why?

Because it’s just easier.

This stinking wallpaper

My boyfriend and I just bought a house and we literally began tearing things apart the day we got the keys. (We have decided that we watch entirely too much HGTV. He even called me Joanna at one point.) We wanted to make the home ours, and since we both still live at home for the time being, we have the time to renovate before we actually move in.

One of the many tasks at hand was taking down wallpaper. Now, this wallpaper was only on one wall (Not even the entire wall), and it still was a huge pain. For those of you who have had to do this for multiple rooms, God bless you. And for those of you who have never had to do this, God has blessed you.

We started out so optimistic. We went to Lowes, got the necessary tools to take down the wallpaper, and went at it full force. Tyler began spraying the walls with some sort of remover (We just listened to the worker at Lowes) and we started scraping away. Or so we thought.

As I’m standing there, rubbing the scraper against the wall, I’m noticing that nothing is happening. Nothing. I looked over at Tyler and noticed he was having the same result as me. This wallpaper did not want to leave its precious walls. Like, ever.

After what felt like hours (but actually probably 20 minutes) of scraping, we made a small dent in the wallpaper removal. At that point, we both wanted to take the easy way out.

“Do you think we could pay someone to do this?”

“Probably, why not?”

“Seriously, let’s pay someone. I’m over this.”

We wanted to give up, and we were willing to pay whatever we needed to get this stinking wallpaper off our walls. We were completely prepared to take the easy way out.

One of Tyler’s friends saw our struggle and suggested we use a steamer to get the wallpaper off. In fact, he offered to bring one over for us to use. Our eyes lit up at the sound of this, and the next day he brought over the steamer.

He placed the steaming device against the wall and I swear it was like we saw the gates of heaven open. (Dramatic, but seriously.) The wallpaper scraped right off. He finished removing it in the same amount of time that it took Tyler and I to remove a basketball-sized portion the day before.

And we didn’t even have to pay him (Aside from pizza and beer).

Use your resources

In this scenario, Tyler and I were lucky that we knew people who had the tools to help us. However, if this was not the case, then it would have been much more tempting to take the easy way out and pay someone to take it down for us. But even if we would have done that, it would not have been as rewarding.

There’s just something about taking a step back and admiring the work you’ve completed. In everything you do in life, not just in removing wallpaper (Or paneling or tile or flooring. Tyler and I are crazy, I swear).

When you’re working on something, whether it be a college course, a tough project at work or a two-mile run, you will be tempted to take the easy way out. You will want to find shortcuts so that you can get it done, and you might even want to give up, but that’s not the right choice.

You need to use the people, tools and skills that surround you to get the job done. Sure, maybe it’s too difficult to get the job done yourself, but you have the ability to reach out for help, so why not?

If you’re struggling in a course in school, seek out a tutor. I can almost guarantee that your school has the resources to help you. If you’re having a hard time with a project at work, reach out to your coworkers. You can get fresh ideas, and even just take a break to recharge. If you’re finding that no matter how hard you try you absolutely cannot run two miles, take a step back and have someone help you with a workout plan to get there.

There are always people, places and tools to help you accomplish what you need to get done. You just have to be open to it.

Don’t take the easy way out of difficult situations (I’m telling this to myself, too). Instead, buckle down, work hard and use your resources to get the job done. When you’re finished, take a step back and admire not only your work, but everything it took to get it done. I promise it will feel incredible.