Most of life is repetition. It’s showing up again. Doing the same kinds of tasks. Solving similar problems. Getting slightly better at familiar things. Sometimes living inside that repetition, it can be hard to feel like anything is changing.

No one is more familiar with repetition than Sisyphus. In Greek mythology, Zeus condemns Sisyphus to push a boulder up a hill for eternity, only for the boulder to roll back down every time he nears the top. He is stuck in an endless loop of wasted effort that leads nowhere.

Day-to-day repetitions can feel similar. Waking up, working out, clocking in (or going to class if you’re still a student), getting home, going to bed, then waking up and doing it all over again.

It’s important to realize that we’re different from Sisyphus in a few key ways. For one, we get to choose our boulders. We can choose the things we care about, the challenges we take on, and the goals we are pushing toward.

The second key difference is that we can actually make progress. Day-to-day repetitions, small efforts, and the choices we make add up, gradually moving us toward the goals we’ve chosen to pursue.

These differences are what make life worth living. We don’t have to push a rock we didn’t choose. The effort we put in can move us forward. It’s easy to go through the motions without thinking about what you’re working toward, which is why it’s worth pausing and asking yourself what matters most.

When you take control of your boulder, it can give meaning to the mundane things in life. The work you do daily becomes meaningful because it’s building something you actually care about.

Take a moment this week to think about your boulder. Ask yourself if you’re pushing in the right direction, and if not, adjust.

See you all next week,
Nate