Musings on persistence

It's mighty hard to be productive, isn't it? I should be working on my application to graduate school, yet I'd rather do almost anything else. Nearly anything. Except perhaps put away the remainder of the grocers that still need to be cleared from the kitchen after this weekend. Or finish washing the dishes in the sink. Starting new projects is much more fun than finishing them, in the way that making a mess is more fun than cleaning it up.

But I suppose nothing that is worthwhile is easy. And I suppose that it is through persistence that things are acomplished. How many times (in my memory alone) has the LHC been in for repairs? It's now running like a treat, but that is only thanks to tenacity.

I was thinking the other day that I would truly like to say “no” to mediocrity, but (if I really face it) I'm a mediocre long-distance runner, a mediocre snowboarder, a worse-than-mediocre guitar player and as for my writing, let's face it I'm not going to win the Nobel prize for literature anytime soon.

So I reckon the only thing for it is to a.) accept that for the moment my abilities in many areas are decidely average and b.) work, work, work to improve. If I think grad school is a key step in that then I guess I ought to take a bite out of the task that would possibly grant me access. Fine then, here we go.