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Have a powerful reason — when things get difficult, “because it sounds nice” or “to look good” aren’t going to cut it.
Start tiny, with a simple but unbreakable promise to yourself to do one small thing every single day.
Watch your urges, and learn not to act on childish whims.
Listen to your self-rationalizations, and don’t believe their lying ways.
Enjoy the habit, or you won’t stay with it longer than a week’s worth of sunrises.
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These words are from Leo Babouta, author of Zen Habits, a worthwhile blog I often find myself thinking about. They are from the post entitled "Self-Discipline in 5 Sentences" and while I sometimes find Babouta's writings a tad sanctimonious, so often the spirit behind the writing contains provocative truths. In this case, for me anyway, these 5 sentences are summing up what's lacking from my today as I bounce around, not really accomplishing anything, eating extra snacks, and generally feeling a malaise I'm finding hard to shake. And, it's totally because of a lack of self-discipline. Last night I stayed up later than I should have, watching the 3rd season of Dr. Who, then I slept in and didn't start out my day accomplishing anything for myself before the kids got up (a habit I cultivate with varying degrees of success, but one which is so fulfilling, the more I do it the more I want to continue), and I've been sleepy and unfocused all day.
Had I read these words yesterday, would I have thought to apply them? Or is it only in retrospect that they seem especially telling?
1. I did not have a "powerful" reason for staying up to watch a show on DVD. I could have stopped sooner and finished it some other day.
2. I broke the tiny promise to myself to get up early today, something I do most days- as in, I actually do get up before 6 am to accomplish things for myself, so doing it today wouldn't have been unusual.
3. Childish whims included staying up to watch a tv show, and today, I ate leftover Halloween candy, random snacks I found in the kitchen, and decided not to go for a run, more or less because "I didn't feel like it," not because I had any other reason.
4. My self-rationalizing self included silly lines like, "I deserve to stay up late sometimes, watching something I'm enjoying!" and "I feel fine (or actually, a bit sluggish). I can exercise tomorrow," and "A little sugar will help me feel better." Yeah, right.
5. Turns out, I enjoy many habits, and when I don't stick to them, I fell icky. Like today.
"Do better tomorrow" is too vague a promise, so instead I have several small promises, all of which, with self-discipline are absolutely accomplishable. Ha! Sanctimonious enough?
Had I read these words yesterday, would I have thought to apply them? Or is it only in retrospect that they seem especially telling?
1. I did not have a "powerful" reason for staying up to watch a show on DVD. I could have stopped sooner and finished it some other day.
2. I broke the tiny promise to myself to get up early today, something I do most days- as in, I actually do get up before 6 am to accomplish things for myself, so doing it today wouldn't have been unusual.
3. Childish whims included staying up to watch a tv show, and today, I ate leftover Halloween candy, random snacks I found in the kitchen, and decided not to go for a run, more or less because "I didn't feel like it," not because I had any other reason.
4. My self-rationalizing self included silly lines like, "I deserve to stay up late sometimes, watching something I'm enjoying!" and "I feel fine (or actually, a bit sluggish). I can exercise tomorrow," and "A little sugar will help me feel better." Yeah, right.
5. Turns out, I enjoy many habits, and when I don't stick to them, I fell icky. Like today.
"Do better tomorrow" is too vague a promise, so instead I have several small promises, all of which, with self-discipline are absolutely accomplishable. Ha! Sanctimonious enough?
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