That's Day 2. I didn't make progress yesterday, but I'm not going to restart the counter.
Wasn't I supposed to make anything since I've taken a decision that I'm going to change? Well, I didn't make any progress—except shifting my sleep a little yesterday to wake up at a different time and, hopefully, to finally fix my sleep.
Now what? I'm going to talk about one main, important thing for healing (this time I'll force myself to do something about what I'll write—because reflection alone isn't enough).
That thing is intention. You might think, "Yeah, I know my intentions. I know my why and that stuff." Well, your intentions might be wrong. It won't hurt to write them down because it will really drive you (it may not be the main drive, but a person needs to clear his intentions—that's the first step before doing literally anything).
What are the things I'm trying to do? I'll clear them.
I'm trying to overcome my addictions and fantasies. Why? So I can have clarity in life and do the things that would help me with my life, and I want that so I can feel in control of my own choices and not worship the own habits I hate.
Better academic grades. Why? So I can overcome my procrastination habits and actually focus on my major and career long-term. Well, a bad grade doesn't represent a bad life (neither a good grade representing a good life), but it's an element that we have to work for. One other reason is my family. They've paid and worked hard for my own lectures and books. I know I'm in a serious, bad situation . I also know that I've been saying that I'll finally get up and study for the past eight months or something. Side exams are in two days, and main exams are in two weeks. I have to wake up. I know.
Better health, self-care, and physical fitness. Why? So I can respect my own body and mind. That's a hard statement. Because I'm the last person when it comes to respecting one's body and mind. I've damaged my brain and my physical health. And I've made it comforting—I got used to that.
Well, if I kept going about the things I really want to do or change, the list would be huge (we all have that), and we don't want to get distracted by our own healing (or waking) process.
What now? I'll force myself to do a task and make sure I actually do it. This isn't some to-do-list kind of thing—a to-do list should have more than one task throughout the day. This is a crucial task.
Task One: Write down your priorities with their intentions. What are the things that you must do or are doing or are trying to do? And why did you decide that these must be done so that you can recognise your life? And for what or who?
Maybe you can write in the comments, in your own private journal, or in your digital notebook. The point is to take a step forward.
@passionateKite
Sustaining inspiration – a key factor in progress, may have a significant amount to do with how the progress is measured. For example, making a decision = progress. Spending a few minutes less time procrastinating = progress. Oh yeah, setting intention = progress. Even discovering the intentions aren’t helpful is progress.
Even tiny steps that are measurable, such as procrastinating for ten minutes less time, can help sustain inspiration. Maybe starting to study 20 minutes sooner can confirm progress, or reading an extra chapter.
“Trying to overcome addictions,” sounds a bit like a “soft” intention because the brain may interpret “try” as “try is enough to satisfy intention, so not succeeding is still good enough.”
Sense the power of commitment in saying, “I’m taking steps to overcome addiction.” One of the steps in overcoming addiction is to learn which steps are or are not effective.
Hmmm…. I can “force” myself to do a task, or I can change perspective, perhaps to include a larger context to the situation, then instead of forcing myself, I can actually want to do it.
Better health, self-care, fitness is a perfect activity to integrate with your inspiration and intentions. That’s because among other things, it clears the mind and helps with the thought process. It builds confidence. I think it can infuse a person’s day with positive energy. Many people report that even a small amount of aerobics on a regular basis is as effective as an anti-depressant. And yes, exercise can induce a person to feel “righteous!”
I believe that increased self-respect strengthens one’s commitment to their own intentions. If you are your own friend, isn’t it likely that you’d wish to be a faithful friend to yourself? Being a friend to yourself enhances your ability to be an effective friend to others.
Thanks for your posting, and inspiring me to be inspiring (hopefully).
Real thanks to your words. I appreciate your inspiring words. I hope you have a great day.
@passionateKite
I messed up a bit in the last posting. I should've said, "even if we discover some of the intentions aren't helpful, it's still progress."