I have over 5000 hours in DOTA 2. Five thousand. That’s an insane amount of time to spend on anything, and I didn’t even think twice about it while it was happening. I just kept playing, game after game, because I wanted to.
So naturally I thought, okay, if I can grind that hard at a game, I can grind that hard at anything. Work, side projects, learning new stuff. Just apply the same energy, right?
Turns out… not really. I’ve tried to force myself to grind through things I don’t actually enjoy, and it just doesn’t stick the same way. With DOTA I never had to convince myself to play another match. With other stuff, I’m bargaining with myself after twenty minutes.
I think the difference is that the DOTA grind never felt like grinding. It was just playing. And when something feels like actual grinding, like you’re dragging yourself through it, that’s probably a sign that the “just push through” advice isn’t gonna work long-term.
Honestly, this post was supposed to have a bigger point. Something about how grinding is the secret to success or whatever. But I don’t think I actually believe that. I think grinding only really works when you don’t notice you’re doing it. And I haven’t figured out how to make that happen on command.
So yeah. Half-baked thought. That’s all I’ve got on this one.