I didn't make time to post on this blog yesterday, so I will have to catch up and do two posts today. This particular post is a reflection on the fourth day of my month of discipline. As the title suggests, all did not go according to plan.
Instead of moving on past Ben Franklin's first three areas of self-improvement: Temperance, Silence, and Order, I decided that Order posed enough challenge that I should spend an additional day on it. Order is my mount Everest, a fundamental flaw in my character. Rather than spend a few minutes each day to maintain order, I allow things to slowly slip into incomprehensible mess, putting off mundane chores always to tomorrow. It is one area of my life that I do not look sufficiently into the long term. It is a challenge that demands self-control, rigidly making myself tidy up each day until order naturally integrates into my daily routine.
I did make progress with order, taking care of things that I've put off, and tackling an area that I have always let lapse into a clustered mess of icons: My desktop. Order is about imposing organization, a heirarchy, where everything goes where it belongs and is easily found. While it seems silly, my desktop now makes me happy, where as before there may have been some implicit overwhelming sense of chaos.
The benefits of order are tangible, and I need to recognize that although I believe I do not need it, I in fact do. It is interesting that our self-models of various phenomena can be so wrong, and yet we can feel so certain about it; I was certain that order was something that would be a waste of time, that chaos suits me. And yet, after imposing just a small amount of order in my cluttered life, I can feel the goodness in order; my model was so wrong, and now I must fix it.
One of the aspects of successful people that I've begun to embrace is that of 'being a doer'. Planning is not enough, in order to be productive, one must produce. This tautology is powerful and is a mindset that I must adopt; too many times, I have ideas for projects but fail to follow through. No longer! And so, I put aside a few hours to become a published author; I'm producing a trivial book, but I hope that it leads to more substantial works later. Another principle I am embracing is that of baby steps (a la the classic film What About Bob); each baby step is a stepping stone to less trivial accomplishments.
However, today was not all roses; I fell back in productivity towards the end of the day. I allowed myself to be caught in a rut, to spend too much time on something undeserving. I also fell backwards when it came to Temperance, I went out for drinks with friends and lapsed into my old habits; had more to drink than I rationed myself, ate more than I should have. So today, I will redouble my efforts on that front; punish myself in a sense with a more restrictive diet in order to flex that all-important self-discipline muscle. Like any other muscle, repeated stress at manageable levels increases its strength.
Today I will be productive, set goals, and reach them. I will not move on to another principle of self-improvement yet, as it is clear that I have not fully embraced Temperance or Order yet.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Friend Test
I've designed a fairly stringent douchebag-filter so that I can spend my time conversating with pals that don't suck. The test is simple, and consists of only one multiple choice question:
When you hear the phrase 'make it rain' which of the following do you think of:
A) A frenzied ejaculation of dollar bills at a strip club
B) Silver Iodide
When you hear the phrase 'make it rain' which of the following do you think of:
A) A frenzied ejaculation of dollar bills at a strip club
B) Silver Iodide
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Day Three: Order
Yesterday was the second day, in this month of discipline; I believe I remained temperate in my eating and drinking and also tried to integrate Franklin's 'silence' concept into my day. I believe I was successful in elevating the level of conversation, especially during a tennis match; we talked about business ideas and possible collaboration rather than trivial tennis facts or our favorite players. It is a challenge to keep up a high level of discourse and not fall into the casual routine of the standard superficial talks from which we learn nothing.
Today is the third day in the month of discipline, which brings us to the most challenging (for me, personally) concept from Ben Franklin's 13 areas of self-improvement: "ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time." I am by nature a slob, but at the same time, I realize the value of order; I have never made order a proper priority although I know that it deserves to be one. Lack of order does hurt me: Sloppy experiments, forgotten obligations, and a growing to-do list resulting from putting off till tomorrow what might be done today, all are counter-productive and easily fixable.
So, today, I will clean my room, and make appointments for things I have put off. A quick stop at the public library netted a book entitled: 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organizing Your Life." Because I am but a novice when it comes to organization, I will rely on someone else's authority to bootstrap my learning.
One of the first interesting concepts in the book is that of 'unstuffing,' or simplifying by getting rid of unneeded, unused, or broken things. This appeals to me, because I would like to simplify my life, and reduce the amount of 'things' that I own; material things are nice, but they should not run or complicate my life. Hopefully I can put this into action, and perhaps more gems from this book will be detailed in later posts.
I realize that my problem when it comes to order, is that I frankly hate cleaning and organizing because I feel like it is wasted time and certainly not something that I am interested in. However, ultimately, it is productive use of time because in the long run it will lead to less wasted time on experiments, always having complete knowledge of my commitments, and a well-manicured to-do list. So, I must force myself into order until it is a habit, much like exercise, or reading.
The added benefit is that I will work-out my self-discipline muscle by forcing myself to be ordered (although I do not want to), which is the overarching purpose behind this month of discipline: Success follows from pursuing long-term goals at cost of short-term pleasure.
Today is the third day in the month of discipline, which brings us to the most challenging (for me, personally) concept from Ben Franklin's 13 areas of self-improvement: "ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time." I am by nature a slob, but at the same time, I realize the value of order; I have never made order a proper priority although I know that it deserves to be one. Lack of order does hurt me: Sloppy experiments, forgotten obligations, and a growing to-do list resulting from putting off till tomorrow what might be done today, all are counter-productive and easily fixable.
So, today, I will clean my room, and make appointments for things I have put off. A quick stop at the public library netted a book entitled: 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organizing Your Life." Because I am but a novice when it comes to organization, I will rely on someone else's authority to bootstrap my learning.
One of the first interesting concepts in the book is that of 'unstuffing,' or simplifying by getting rid of unneeded, unused, or broken things. This appeals to me, because I would like to simplify my life, and reduce the amount of 'things' that I own; material things are nice, but they should not run or complicate my life. Hopefully I can put this into action, and perhaps more gems from this book will be detailed in later posts.
I realize that my problem when it comes to order, is that I frankly hate cleaning and organizing because I feel like it is wasted time and certainly not something that I am interested in. However, ultimately, it is productive use of time because in the long run it will lead to less wasted time on experiments, always having complete knowledge of my commitments, and a well-manicured to-do list. So, I must force myself into order until it is a habit, much like exercise, or reading.
The added benefit is that I will work-out my self-discipline muscle by forcing myself to be ordered (although I do not want to), which is the overarching purpose behind this month of discipline: Success follows from pursuing long-term goals at cost of short-term pleasure.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Day Two: Silence
The first day of my month of discipline is finished, and I feel like I kept on track, although towards the end of the day, my resolve to be productive weakened. Today I'll endeavour to be better. A pop-science article I read earlier this month claimed that the way to make a habit stick is to focus not on the temporary minutia, but to look ahead a few months and see where you might be if you are successful. In other words, in order to stay motivated, remember the ultimate goal rather than the tiny steps along the way.
Yesterday I looked at Ben Franklin's first area of self improvement: Temperance; the idea is to maintain control of food and drink (or any temptation), to not over-indulge. After applying Ben's self-improvement tactics for only one day, it is easy to see why they are so effective; by narrowing in on only one aspect, it brings this aspect into focus, so that one is aware when the temptation is likely to strike, and how to combat it.
Today, I look at Ben Franklin's second area of self improvement: Silence. He introduces it like this: 'SILENCE: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.' I think the wisdom in silence is that it teaches you to value words, the vehicle of ideas. In order to be a wise man, one should concern himself with meaningful ideas, and thus meaningful words. But the temptation is to speak banalities, to stroke another's or your own ego, or to engage in pointless gossip.
In my own life, I am often alone when I am working, and am often silent. I've always been an introvert, although over the years I've strived to be more outgoing. While it would be tempting to say that I've mastered 'silence', I know that this is far from the truth. Sometimes I am tempted to gossip, or to reinforce others' ideas about themselves to ingratiate them to myself. My conversations with others should always be stimulating, should lead to learning and contemplation.
The problem is that in this age, stimulating conversation is the exception rather than the rule. Reality TV, celebrity news, and political shows that stress sound bites over debate are the dominant forms of mass communication. Sometimes, it is difficult to engage in a real conversation, but it does make me appreciate those who are willing to engage much more; the openness to an honest exchange of ideas seems to be declining in the general population. People seem to have deeply engrained ideas that they are unwilling to even question or discuss; hopefully I am not the same way.
This principle also applies of course, to writing as well as literal speech. If this blog is merely a masturbatory artifact and brings nothing of consequence to any potential readers, then I have failed. Rather than center solely on my own insignificant life, I hope that my struggles with discipline during this month can inspire others, or at least bring some wisdom to light that isn't immediately obvious. I endeavor to make my writing more salient to those who would read it, who would exchange their valuable time to digest these simple words.
Today, as I reflect on 'silence', I will critically judge my discourse, whether written or spoken, in order to improve it.
Yesterday I looked at Ben Franklin's first area of self improvement: Temperance; the idea is to maintain control of food and drink (or any temptation), to not over-indulge. After applying Ben's self-improvement tactics for only one day, it is easy to see why they are so effective; by narrowing in on only one aspect, it brings this aspect into focus, so that one is aware when the temptation is likely to strike, and how to combat it.
Today, I look at Ben Franklin's second area of self improvement: Silence. He introduces it like this: 'SILENCE: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.' I think the wisdom in silence is that it teaches you to value words, the vehicle of ideas. In order to be a wise man, one should concern himself with meaningful ideas, and thus meaningful words. But the temptation is to speak banalities, to stroke another's or your own ego, or to engage in pointless gossip.
In my own life, I am often alone when I am working, and am often silent. I've always been an introvert, although over the years I've strived to be more outgoing. While it would be tempting to say that I've mastered 'silence', I know that this is far from the truth. Sometimes I am tempted to gossip, or to reinforce others' ideas about themselves to ingratiate them to myself. My conversations with others should always be stimulating, should lead to learning and contemplation.
The problem is that in this age, stimulating conversation is the exception rather than the rule. Reality TV, celebrity news, and political shows that stress sound bites over debate are the dominant forms of mass communication. Sometimes, it is difficult to engage in a real conversation, but it does make me appreciate those who are willing to engage much more; the openness to an honest exchange of ideas seems to be declining in the general population. People seem to have deeply engrained ideas that they are unwilling to even question or discuss; hopefully I am not the same way.
This principle also applies of course, to writing as well as literal speech. If this blog is merely a masturbatory artifact and brings nothing of consequence to any potential readers, then I have failed. Rather than center solely on my own insignificant life, I hope that my struggles with discipline during this month can inspire others, or at least bring some wisdom to light that isn't immediately obvious. I endeavor to make my writing more salient to those who would read it, who would exchange their valuable time to digest these simple words.
Today, as I reflect on 'silence', I will critically judge my discourse, whether written or spoken, in order to improve it.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Day One: Temperence
This marks the first day of my month of discipline, in which I will attempt to form a long-term habit of self improvement and self control. So far, my temptations have been mild and for the most part, I have kept in control. A vice I have indulged myself is of checking my email and various news sites often as a means of avoiding work. This is something that I will have to limit, and I'm noticing is a deeply ingrained bad habit.
This bad habit is a good way to segue into the first of Benjamin Franklin's 13 areas of self improvement: Temperance. One of my key inspirations for starting this voyage of self improvement was seeing how it propelled Mr. Franklin to an incredibly productive life. Every week he would concentrate on bettering himself in one of thirteen areas, documenting and analyzing means to improve his performance.
Temperance is listed as the first of these areas, and is introduced thus:
"TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation."
Unfortunately for me, addressing temperance will be a painful step; eating and drinking are two simple pleasures that I find myself indulging despite my self-promises to the contrary. It is not that I am a drunkard or obese; in fact, I am in very good physical shape and do not often get drunk. However, I realize that sometimes I do not have the self control to deny a drink or stop myself from overeating.
While eating brings a simple pleasure, as does drinking, I should be able to transcend these simple base pleasures, these evolutionary artifacts from caveman days, and concentrate on more complex and ultimately more fufilling long-term goals.
Food brings pleasure because it is necessary to sustain life; we crave salty, fatty, unhealthy foods because such foods are rich in energy that was once hard for primitive man to acquire. In modern civilization where food is not in short supply, these desires are counter-productive. Although it might be delicious and bring me pleasure in the short term, eating an entire cheesecake is counter-productive towards my not being a gigantic tub of lard.
Drinking is a similar story; alcohol is merely a chemical that brings temporary relaxation, pleasure, and relief from thinking. It is merely a drug, although perhaps a mild one that can be responsibly used. Sampling diverse flavors and varieties of beers is an enjoyable hobby, and sometimes the relaxation that alcohol brings is an impetus to think through things in different ways or talk with friends about topics that ordinarily are not discussed.
I do not propose to abolish food or alcohol from my diet, the former for obvious reasons, the latter because I enjoy it too much, but to always feel that I have control over my desires and urges rather than letting the urges drive me. Because I like food so much, this is sometimes difficult, especially when I am around friends who indulge themselves more than I would like to. The smell of greasy pizza is enticing, and I must fight actively against my genes in order to avoid overindulging myself. Likewise when I am out at a bar with friends it is easy to continue drinking past the point I said I would limit myself to ('only two beers tonight') because I know that more alcohol will bring me short-term pleasure.
It is not the short-term, with which my base instincts tell me to optimize towards, but the long-term, which my analytical brain considers, that truly matter. Temperance, although introduced by Jefferson only in the scope of food and drink, can apply to any short-term goal which may hinder a long-term goal. For example, for me, I am aware that overchecking my email, or habitually checking news sites is a way to avoid work, which is necessary for my long-term goals.
So for the rest of today, and hopefully, for the rest of the month, I will institute a policy of temperance when I realize I am over-indulging a habit. The first two that I have recognized, checking my email and news sites, I will try to limit to only a few times per day. Perhaps by tomorrow I will find a way of quantitatively measuring how often I do these two things, so that I can ensure I am progressing towards minimizing them
This bad habit is a good way to segue into the first of Benjamin Franklin's 13 areas of self improvement: Temperance. One of my key inspirations for starting this voyage of self improvement was seeing how it propelled Mr. Franklin to an incredibly productive life. Every week he would concentrate on bettering himself in one of thirteen areas, documenting and analyzing means to improve his performance.
Temperance is listed as the first of these areas, and is introduced thus:
"TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation."
Unfortunately for me, addressing temperance will be a painful step; eating and drinking are two simple pleasures that I find myself indulging despite my self-promises to the contrary. It is not that I am a drunkard or obese; in fact, I am in very good physical shape and do not often get drunk. However, I realize that sometimes I do not have the self control to deny a drink or stop myself from overeating.
While eating brings a simple pleasure, as does drinking, I should be able to transcend these simple base pleasures, these evolutionary artifacts from caveman days, and concentrate on more complex and ultimately more fufilling long-term goals.
Food brings pleasure because it is necessary to sustain life; we crave salty, fatty, unhealthy foods because such foods are rich in energy that was once hard for primitive man to acquire. In modern civilization where food is not in short supply, these desires are counter-productive. Although it might be delicious and bring me pleasure in the short term, eating an entire cheesecake is counter-productive towards my not being a gigantic tub of lard.
Drinking is a similar story; alcohol is merely a chemical that brings temporary relaxation, pleasure, and relief from thinking. It is merely a drug, although perhaps a mild one that can be responsibly used. Sampling diverse flavors and varieties of beers is an enjoyable hobby, and sometimes the relaxation that alcohol brings is an impetus to think through things in different ways or talk with friends about topics that ordinarily are not discussed.
I do not propose to abolish food or alcohol from my diet, the former for obvious reasons, the latter because I enjoy it too much, but to always feel that I have control over my desires and urges rather than letting the urges drive me. Because I like food so much, this is sometimes difficult, especially when I am around friends who indulge themselves more than I would like to. The smell of greasy pizza is enticing, and I must fight actively against my genes in order to avoid overindulging myself. Likewise when I am out at a bar with friends it is easy to continue drinking past the point I said I would limit myself to ('only two beers tonight') because I know that more alcohol will bring me short-term pleasure.
It is not the short-term, with which my base instincts tell me to optimize towards, but the long-term, which my analytical brain considers, that truly matter. Temperance, although introduced by Jefferson only in the scope of food and drink, can apply to any short-term goal which may hinder a long-term goal. For example, for me, I am aware that overchecking my email, or habitually checking news sites is a way to avoid work, which is necessary for my long-term goals.
So for the rest of today, and hopefully, for the rest of the month, I will institute a policy of temperance when I realize I am over-indulging a habit. The first two that I have recognized, checking my email and news sites, I will try to limit to only a few times per day. Perhaps by tomorrow I will find a way of quantitatively measuring how often I do these two things, so that I can ensure I am progressing towards minimizing them
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Month of Discipline
Surprisingly, even writing for a non-existant audience can have tangible effect on one's life. The mere act of documenting the struggle of trying to implement an ambitious plan can influence the success of such a struggle. Even if the struggle fails, the documentation can reveal a fundamental flaw that the next attempt might address. So, here I declare the next thirty days to be The Month of Discipline.
While I've always internally tried to always improve myself, to dedicate myself to slow incremental progress in learning difficult skills, I've never really tried to objectively measure or track progress. This objectivity might be necessary to progress further in my mental journeys; I've noticed that rigid control of certain vices of mine are currently beyond my self-control. There are things I want to do, consciously, that I cannot will myself to do. I am occasionally a slave to my stomach, to my libido, to my laziness; I no longer am willing to accept this indenture, and so during the month of discipline I will attempt to strictly limit my excesses in all ways.
This simple blog will document my successes and failures as I strive for greater self-control and productivity in all aspects of my life for the next month. My new role model is Benjamin Franklin, who I am beginning to learn, was an amazing man from whom I have much to learn. His life was dedicated to self-improvement, I will write more about him during this month as I hope to draw inspiration from the exemplar he represents.
Sometimes it is best to start a new mental pattern with a corresponding physical change. A simple way to do this is with a radically new hair-cut. Although ultimately unconnected to the mental struggle, each time I look in the mirror I will unavoidably be reminded of the underlying purpose of this physical change and seeds of weakness in my mind might be swept away, replaced by a renewed sense of the immense long-term change in my life this single month may usher in.
While I've always internally tried to always improve myself, to dedicate myself to slow incremental progress in learning difficult skills, I've never really tried to objectively measure or track progress. This objectivity might be necessary to progress further in my mental journeys; I've noticed that rigid control of certain vices of mine are currently beyond my self-control. There are things I want to do, consciously, that I cannot will myself to do. I am occasionally a slave to my stomach, to my libido, to my laziness; I no longer am willing to accept this indenture, and so during the month of discipline I will attempt to strictly limit my excesses in all ways.
This simple blog will document my successes and failures as I strive for greater self-control and productivity in all aspects of my life for the next month. My new role model is Benjamin Franklin, who I am beginning to learn, was an amazing man from whom I have much to learn. His life was dedicated to self-improvement, I will write more about him during this month as I hope to draw inspiration from the exemplar he represents.
Sometimes it is best to start a new mental pattern with a corresponding physical change. A simple way to do this is with a radically new hair-cut. Although ultimately unconnected to the mental struggle, each time I look in the mirror I will unavoidably be reminded of the underlying purpose of this physical change and seeds of weakness in my mind might be swept away, replaced by a renewed sense of the immense long-term change in my life this single month may usher in.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Motivation
Each day is a new chance to start over, to get things right, to set in motion the way that we really want to live. Each day is a trial, a series of decisions that can be right or wrong. It is easy to do what is most pleasurable in the short term, but difficult to exercise the self-discipline necessary to do what is in one's long term interests. But it is those long term interests that truly matter; when I look back five years from now will I look back and wish that I did more? Will I wish that I had been stronger?
I am strong, but I falter. There are things I know I should do, but sometimes I am tired. I tire from the constant struggle to improve, to make productive use of the most precious resource: Time. Time waits for no one and cannot be bought for any price. Each second that passes will never come again and brings us one second closer to the inevitable. While some might say this outlook is morbid, it is also inescapable. Those who deny their mortality or refuse to at least consider the infinite span of time in which they will no longer be present, live very dangerously, because the implications of our short lifespan are so profound.
I don't know where I was before I was born, or where I'll be after I die. Or when I will die, for that matter. I strongly suspect that there is no afterlife, just because it is the simplest explanation of everything. So, I should live this life as if it is all that I have, and to make the absolute most of every moment that I have the privilege of enjoying. Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one; as Jubal once said: 'There is no safety this side of the grave." So, when I am tired, when I am weak, I will have to remind myself the quiescence of this unstable existence and redouble my efforts.
I am strong, but I falter. There are things I know I should do, but sometimes I am tired. I tire from the constant struggle to improve, to make productive use of the most precious resource: Time. Time waits for no one and cannot be bought for any price. Each second that passes will never come again and brings us one second closer to the inevitable. While some might say this outlook is morbid, it is also inescapable. Those who deny their mortality or refuse to at least consider the infinite span of time in which they will no longer be present, live very dangerously, because the implications of our short lifespan are so profound.
I don't know where I was before I was born, or where I'll be after I die. Or when I will die, for that matter. I strongly suspect that there is no afterlife, just because it is the simplest explanation of everything. So, I should live this life as if it is all that I have, and to make the absolute most of every moment that I have the privilege of enjoying. Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one; as Jubal once said: 'There is no safety this side of the grave." So, when I am tired, when I am weak, I will have to remind myself the quiescence of this unstable existence and redouble my efforts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
