Let's be try hards again

My try hard era dates back to year 7. I was the kid putting their hand up in class, taking on extracurricular activities, playing multiple sports, even studying. And, while I strung myself thin trying to be the best version of myself, I look back and quickly recognise they were the most stress-free moments of my life. But, as I’m sure with many kiwi kids, the try hard was slowly strangled out of me in favour of seeming cool. This was a big thing in high school, but now that we’re a bit more grown up, why can’t we go back to our try hard selves?!

To all you reading this, I’ve compiled a list of try hard activities to try hard at this week.

Wake up early:

As a night owl this was one of the hardest adaptations for me. For years I’ve sat envious of those put together fuckers who wake up at 6am, read, go to the gym and meditate all before I've opened my eyes. Against every bone in my body, I’ve been trying my best to wake up early, and it’s made a significant change to my productivity. Who knew having a regular sleep schedule makes you less tired!

Prioritise tasks:

Making a to-do list is a simple piece of advice, but actually knowing how to prioritise what you need to do is where the try hard really kicks in. As lazy creatures we often write up a to-do list, do the easiest, most comfortable activities first, pat ourselves on the back for doing a few easy tasks and then leave the rest for another day. This is a vicious cycle that I’ve been stuck in while writing this editorial. Instead of writing this on the Wednesday when it’s usually due, I’m here at 10:39 on a Sunday night giving you advice on how to be productive. In short, do the hard things first and give yourself enough time to do things well.

Don't fall for peer pressure:

Flat mates constantly busting into your room to chat about fuck all? It's time to set some boundaries! Now, not falling for peer pressure does NOT mean you have to neglect your social life. It is more about picking and choosing your times to socialise. I for one, have friends that hang out for long periods of time. This often leaves me behind in what I need to do. Finish your tasks before you hangout, don’t try to trick yourself into thinking you’ll actually do it afterwards.

Set yourself up for success:

Setting yourself up for success has made the biggest change on my try hard journey, and it's probably the easiest adaptation I've made. It’s all about giving yourself the most possible time during the week to do what you want to do, instead of being stuck stressed over little tasks. Setting yourself up can be as easy as meal prepping on a Sunday so you don’t have to worry about cooking during the week, or just getting your washing out on a sunny day. All of these tasks give you more time to do what you actually want to do.

At the route of not trying hard is the possibility of failure. People are more caught up with the fantasy of not trying and not risking the possibility of failure. It’s a matter of could’ve versus would’ve. When we were 15-year old’s trying to make it in a world of societal standards, not trying hard that had a purpose. Now that we aren’t losers, there is no excuse. If you want to relive the glory days, being a try hard is the way to go.