Winston Churchill's advice on how to get rid of the boredom of adulthood

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

"Work like a slave, rule like a king, create like a god" - this statement by the sculptor Brancusi sounds like the life of Winston Churchill, "the greatest Briton in history." Read in this article how he managed to find his calling and reach heights in various fields of activity, to make life interesting and fulfilling.

Very often, growing up becomes synonymous with boring, monotonous work, because of which there is no time for interests and hobbies. The result of this "exchange" is predictable, but very sad: boredom, constant fatigue, anxiety and depression.

Unfortunately, many adults do not understand the real reasons for their depression and anxiety. They believe that fatigue comes from a large number of activities and try to focus on one activity, brushing aside all others.

Using the example of Winston Churchill, his life credos and advice, you can see that the point is not in the number of activities, but in their quality: more interesting work, responsibilities that satisfy you, and the ability to create something.

And now more about what the great prime minister advised and how he diversified his life.

Work like a slave: act and find your calling

Find a job that brings you pleasure (find it without digging)

Churchill divided the "sane, hardworking and useful" section of the population into two parts:

… the first for whom work is work and pleasure is pleasure; and the second, for which work and pleasure are one and the same. Most people belong to the first group and receive their compensation. Long hours in the office or in the factory are rewarded with livelihoods and the desire for various pleasures, which often take very simple and humble forms.

But Fortune's favorites are people from the second group. Their life goes on in natural harmony, they never get enough of the established hours of work. Every day is a holiday for them, and ordinary holidays, on which they cannot work, are perceived as an annoying hindrance that prevents them from returning to their vocation.

Now young people simply hate being in the first group and are eager to join the ranks of the second. But so far, all the advice on how to do this - to look around and find your passion before choosing a profession or life's work - is just idle chatter.

It is much better to seek your calling by completely surrendering to some kind of passion. It is not a fact that it will turn out to be your calling, but in this way you will rather find the way to it. Churchill did the same.

He developed a deep love for the English language and reading from an early age, which heralded a career as a writer. But other areas were not so easy for him - he had to try hard to keep up with other subjects at school, and instead of university, he attended the military academy.

His career as a writer did not start at an early age, but because of the real passion of his whole life - war. Churchill wanted to go to the front in any military conflict, and when he was not allowed to participate in battles as a military man, he got a job as a newspaper correspondent in order to still get into the arena of hostilities.

When the public liked his reports of what was happening, Churchill decided to write a book about his campaigns. And already in the process, he realized that the work of a writer brings him much more pleasure than a military career. Thus, he found his calling.

That is, Churchill did not sit at home, endlessly reflecting and looking for his calling. He was engaged in what captivated him and brought pleasure, and through this he found his real calling, and he is not alone.

Many people have found their life's work simply by trying what is interesting to them at the moment.

There is another cool way to find your calling, thanks to which Churchill found the second passion of his life - politics.

Instead of diving into himself, pondering what to do, he paid attention to the problems that existed around him. At that moment, the problem was the lack of a sufficient number of honest politicians with imagination. And he solved this problem by replenishing the ranks of politicians with his persona.

Finding current problems helps to start your own business. You find a problem and offer people a solution.

And more often than not, you begin to enjoy yourself not at the very beginning of your career or the path you have chosen, but already in the process of development.

The world belongs to those who act

When the work really takes you over, you don't notice the hours of hard work go by. And that's great, because without many, many hours of work, you will never achieve your goals.

In any field, you can find such "gurus" who promise you fast results in the shortest possible time. But all their tricks and methods will never lead you to something worthwhile. Yes, you can make some money with all sorts of hacks, but just a few hours a week are not enough to create something reliable, valid (and legal). This requires constant and hard work.

If you decide to create something worthwhile, be it your personal project or a career in a company, from time to time you will have to feel that you are incredibly tired, but cannot finish, because this is your project and you are interested in doing it. If you don't have such moments, you are doing something wrong.

Whichever area you choose, the primacy in it will always belong to the one who constantly acts, works and fusses.

Even the work you love still feels like work

It may be thought that if you love your job, then it is perceived as entertainment and you spend every day fun and easy. If sometimes this is not the case, then you just chose the wrong job. This opinion is fundamentally wrong.

Even if you get a lot of pleasure from work, it does not start to be perceived as constant entertainment.

Churchill always separated work and play, considering them two very different things. The work you love is still work, which means you don't jump out of bed every day in anticipation.

And this is normal, because pleasure and satisfaction are found not only in games and fun, but also in challenges with their abilities and overcoming difficulties.

Sometimes you even want to quit your favorite job

The fact that you love your job does not mean that you will never have the idea of “go to hell with it,” and it does not mean that you don’t want to quit it sometimes and try something else.

Sometimes the task of writing something was not so easy for Churchill, on the contrary, it was unbearably difficult. When he had his own column, Churchill used to get in a terrible mood and show bad character traits, and when the deadlines were also tight, the stress became simply unbearable.

The more your job suits you, the less often you feel these feelings and experience the moments when you want to run away and do something else. The bottom line is that there will still be such moments.

Look for opportunities in your spare time

If you are now in a business you hate (most of the time) and want to build a new career, start by looking for opportunities in your spare moments.

Churchill wrote his first book on three-hour breaks during his service in India. At the time, he was 23 years old, and all his military peers used this time to sleep or play cards. Churchill at this time remained alone and devoted his free hours to writing a book. The result of this decision was the beginning of his career in literature.

Many people started the same way: they devoted any free minute to a new interesting business, combined training or work in a company with work on their personal projects.

It is not necessary to give up everything and completely immerse yourself in the work that you consider your vocation. At first, it will be quite possible to combine it with other activities that are no less important at the moment.

Follow the routine

Churchill had a very strict daily routine that helped him achieve incredible productivity. Keeping your timetable and adhering to it will help you too, especially if you have enough tasks.

Concentrate

Churchill was incredibly productive, and not so much due to the number of hours he worked, but due to the highest degree of concentration. Lieutenant General Jan Jakob was simply amazed at his ability to focus on something:

When his mind is busy with a specific problem, he is constantly focused on it and no one can distract him.

Concentration helps you gain a clear vision and purpose. Don't do work for work's sake, always set a goal for yourself. Churchill always set himself tasks, like writing a thousand words a day to set deadlines. And during the war, as Manchester wrote, "his attention was directed only to Hitler, excluding everything else."

Know your goal clearly, plan your strategy carefully, carry out your plan - and the victory will be yours.

Rule Like a King: The Great Role of Leadership

It may seem that keeping the enthusiasm of youth in adulthood is possible only by avoiding obligations and responsibilities, remaining alone and living for yourself.

This approach has only one drawback: such a desire to preserve youth denies one of the important features of childhood - the need to influence reality, to change something in this world.

When a child is just entering childhood, he really likes to press the buttons of the switch that turns on the light. This is one of the first experiences when you influence something and feel your innate ability to change this world.

Growing up, people often forget about this ability and the satisfaction that comes from managing reality. We become spectators who don't influence anything.

But every person still has this desire, an itch, which can be soothed only in one way - to take on obligations, since obligations contain power.

If people refuse to commit and prefer to remain children, they continue to “flip the switch,” only now their switch is a computer mouse.

They can choose from menu items, but that's where their power ends. If the menu doesn't have enough options, all they have to do is complain about life. In the meantime, power, as strange as it may seem, bestows peace.

The leader, the one who controls the situation, is calmer than the one who simply obeys and is the follower.

Research has shown that a military pilot experiences less stress during flight, flying the plane on his own, and this is all because he is in control of the situation. Therefore, even if the responsibility that lies with you is high, there is more peace in your soul than those who prefer not to take on any responsibilities.

Thus, youthful energy is not conserved from avoiding commitment and responsibility.

The most pitiful adults constantly complain about the media, culture, politics, and more, and yet they think they can't do anything about it. The happiest people, on the contrary, take on colossal responsibilities and enjoy the opportunity to change something in this world.

Wherever you decide to become a leader - in your family, with friends, at work, or in a cultural setting - there are a few rules to keep in mind.

Refrain from sacrifice, do not regret hard work, do not look for dirty money and do not be afraid of ill-wishers. And all will be well.

Always be ready to lead

In 1930, when Churchill was already in his sixties, it seemed clear that his chances of ever becoming prime minister were nil. When a British delegation of deputies led by Lady Astor visited the Soviet Union and met with Stalin in 1931, he asked them about the political situation in England and especially about Churchill. “Churchill? Astor exclaimed with a scornful laugh. "Oh, his career is over."

When everyone else thought that Churchill could no longer be reckoned with, he himself was ready to serve and did not give up his dream - to become the head of Her Majesty's government. He watched Germany throughout the 1930s and never changed his position to please the general public.

Instead of changing for the sake of society, he just waited for the world to accept his truth, and it happened.

And when he finally took over the prime minister’s office, he felt that he was following “his destiny” and that “his whole past life was a preparation” for the tasks that now lie before him. Staying true to his convictions and monitoring Germany's activity over the previous decade, he could confidently say that he would be good in his post.

My warnings over the past six years have been so numerous, detailed, and now so horribly justified that no one can contradict me. Nor can I be accused of starting this war or wanting to prepare for it.

Winston Churchill

You are preparing to lead, not in the midst of the storm, but during the calm before it. Your family may be fine now and your business may flourish, but it may end someday. Are you ready to take responsibility, guide and lead?

Master the language

Words have tremendous power if you know how to control your speech. Powerful phrases and persuasive arguments well-constructed can literally change the world. Churchill argued that a person who speaks the language …

… possesses a power more powerful than that of the greatest king himself. He is an independent force in the world. Abandoned by his party, betrayed by friends, stripped of his post, he can still rule anyone with this formidable power.

Become an example for your subordinates

Examples have even more power than words. Churchill did not just talk to the people, he, as it were, walked the path of which he spoke. The strength of his moral standards was undeniable, and the strength of his character created an incredible effect. People could follow him to the ends of the world.

It doesn't matter if it's a father, a coach, a boss, or a spiritual leader - an example of a strong person who does the right thing is much more effective than hundreds of denunciatory speeches.

A leader who shows determination and courage does not even need passionate speeches for others to follow and do what he prompts them to do.

Be prepared for people to try to overthrow you

Do you have enemies? Good. It means that in your life you once defended something.

Winston Churchill

As soon as you realize that you are moving towards real change, critics will immediately appear who will try to denigrate you and overthrow you from the position of the leader. Just take these attacks for granted. This is a sign that you are really making a difference in this world.

Have the courage to face ingratitude

Don't expect people to thank you forever just because you did something good for them, even if there were many good things. People have a short memory for good deeds, they prefer to concentrate on the negative.

After Churchill led his nation through six years of World War II, in peacetime the British wanted a new leader. His friend Harold Nicholson once said: “It's human nature. When we get to the open sea, we forget how we clung to the captain during the storm."

But Churchill only brushed aside such thoughts of ingratitude. Yes, he regretted that his service was shorter than he would like, but he already did a lot of what he was going to do, and that was enough.

Create like a god: an integral part of life

To be really happy and healthy, a person needs two or even three hobbies. And they must all be real.

Winston Churchill

The secret to Churchill's incredible productivity can be considered a paradox, since it lies in the equally active and productive use of his leisure time.

Churchill discovered that this was the only way to achieve many hours of productive work a day. If he noticed that the results of his literary work were becoming confused and unsatisfactory, he simply switched to another activity. After a while, he could return to writing again, invigorated and ready for new literary exploits.

Churchill believed that, periodically engaging in various activities, a person perfectly trains his brain and fully rests.

There is no point in saying to tired "mental muscles", "I'll give you a good rest," "I'll go for a walk," or "I'll just lie there and not think about anything." The mind will continue to do the same. If he is weighing and measuring, weighing and measuring continues. If he gets upset, he will keep doing it. It is useless to argue with your mind in such a situation. One American psychologist said: "When you are upset for some reason, there is a kind of spasm of emotions: the mind has caught something and is not going to let it go." You can only gently try to hint at something else while the mind convulsively grips the subject of past reflections. And if this something is chosen correctly, if it really belongs to another area of interest, then the mind begins to gradually relax and recover.

For this reason, Churchill recommended that everyone have a few hobbies in order to find an antidote from "bother to death" and "bored to death" in stimulating games.

Choose your hobbies wisely

Despite the fact that Churchill called hobbies an integral part of full-fledged adulthood, he did not believe that you can choose them just like that:

A hobby is not something that can be quickly picked up in one day. Finding interesting things to do for your mind is a long process. You need to carefully choose your hobby and maintain interest in it.

Churchill believed that an interesting hobby is needed not only for those for whom work and play are incompatible things, but also for those who really love their work. The most important component in choosing a hobby, he believed, is the difference between the activity and the one that you were engaged in during the day.

There is no point in asking a laborer who has been sweating and exhausted all week to do sports on Saturday, like playing soccer or baseball. In the same way, you should not call a politician or businessman who has worked all week and worried about important things, work and worry also on weekends, but on another task or project.

Churchill also noted that, despite the great popularity of reading as a hobby, it is too similar to the daily activities of a person who earns a living by mental labor to provide him with enough contrasting impressions.

In addition, Churchill advised choosing a hobby in which both eyes and hands are involved - craft activities, since they are the best way to restore mental balance.

Again, this is especially true for mental workers, as manual labor makes up for the lack of this kind of occupation. In addition, it becomes possible to create something that is especially important for people whose work is not related to creativity.

And finally, Churchill was against the huge number of hobbies that some people take up just to enjoy a new or unusual occupation, and then abandon it. Discipline is important not only in work, but also in a hobby, because it sets the very way of life and thoughts.

Let's summarize:

Carefully consider the different activities and find the one that works best for you.
Make sure your hobby is completely different from your normal work activity.
Do your chosen business long enough for it to turn into the true love of your life.

Keep a variety of interests at the ready and break away from boring activities without regrets

Boredom was a threat to Churchill's peace of mind. Winston saw boredom as a waste of an already not-too-long life, and when he felt boredom approaching, he would take a “relentless break” and choose the more appropriate activity.

Any activity could be a cure for boredom: dictation of letters, fake singing of operas by Gilbert and Sullivan, or laying bricks in the garden on Chartwell … about the great past of England.

Modern adults sometimes get stuck in tedious activities, not even because they have not found an interesting hobby for themselves, but simply because they do not even suspect that they are bored.

In the modern world, where at any moment you can sit down at a computer or take a smartphone, we do not even realize that we are really wildly bored, and useless surfing is just a way to escape from boredom.

You are simply wasting time on useless distractions, and there is no time left for interesting activities. Therefore, the ability to identify boredom, ruthlessly interrupt and do something else is very important, in particular, and for freeing up time for worthwhile hobbies.

Delegate tasks if possible

Of course, Churchill's super-productiveness is not only due to his enthusiasm and concentration. He had a whole team of assistants who solved basic problems and thereby made room in his schedule for more important things. He did not clean his house, cook or go shopping.

Some people think that if you delegate your affairs to someone else, in other words, blame your affairs on others, this can change your character for the worse. However, an analysis of the lives of many great people shows that for the most part they knew how to delegate their affairs and very often used it.

After all, would it be of much benefit to the English nation if Churchill, instead of writing speeches on Saturday morning, raked the leaves in the garden?

In addition, outsourcing of day-to-day routines allows not only to devote more time to work, but also to find more time for hobbies, which, as we said above, are sometimes no less important than the work itself.

Yes, of course, most of us are not wealthy enough to pay people who will do all the routine things for us. But, perhaps, you can find money for some of them: pay for cleaning in the house and in the office, transfer some business to your employees and relatives.

Remember: you free up your time, which can be spent much more productively than cleaning the tiles in the bathroom.

Taking a decisive break from boring adulthood

Many adults are now bored, have little rest, and feel anxious and depressed. Churchill was prone to melancholy, but he managed to resist her attacks at the expense of work that brought him satisfaction, interesting hobbies and no less interesting responsibilities.

To combat bad moods, periods of boredom and idleness, Churchill always used the method of hard breaks. The bodyguard tasked with keeping an eye on Churchill once remarked:

He can start moving at any moment, without warning. If he comes across boring people during dinner, he will behave politely and tolerate them for a while, but then he will simply give up and leave. If the movie he is watching is boring, he will not force himself to watch it to the end - he will just get up and leave, no matter who he came to the session with, even with Mr. Franklin Roosevelt himself.

Sometimes it's time for a drastic break from flat and boring adulthood. Our jobs, responsibilities and free time can be difficult, stressful and challenging, but not boring.