Tag: willpower

Building a Sense of Self

Photo by Drew Coffman

Our identity morphs throughout our existence. At first, we change with every interaction and later we start to find a sense of self and align ourselves instinctively with people who share our values. By the time that sense of self kicks in, we might have consumed quite a few unfiltered beliefs. The challenge is building the sense of self while building a better you.

If you are like me and you had an interest at any point in life and you were swayed away from it without even realizing it, you’ll understand the power that other people’s believes hold on us. The paradox is that growing takes selective learning based on self-founded values. But to build these values, we need to explore and learn. Both processes happen in parallel. By being aware of this happening as much as we can, we can make a conscious decision on what the renewed foundation, the renewed self will be and how to build on it.

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What Can I Do to Make It Count?

Photo by Kevin Ku

Excitement and motivation have an expiry date on them. They are products of our thinking and our environment and can only be consumed within a certain time frame. We then move on to pure willpower and once that fades away, there are two options: a feeling of worthlessness and/or a built up desire to push through the process.

Regardless of the stage of the cycle we are at in life, to make every moment count means to stay present while being aware of the future implications of our decisions. We can only act now, but we have an understanding of the law of action and consequence that we must bare in mind. And although we cannot predict the future, we can ensure the highest success rate through decisions that might be uncomfortable in the now, to say the least.

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Say No to Distractions

Photo by Ashley Richards

Having set a goal, it’s time to clear the road ahead and focus on progress. How do you set a goal? It’s not an exact science. It takes introspection and a desire to face your dreams and failures to find a way to move towards success. If you’re stuck in a state of wanting but incapable to persevere, this piece on Adjusting Your Goals Makes Them Attainable might help.

Distractions play a great part in weather or not we will make progress. When we think of distractions, the internet may be the first thing that pops into your mind. And that’s certainly a key player, but we don’t often consider:

  • the news
  • unnecessary phone calls
  • shopping and wasting time on making decisions that have little impact in the long run
  • chit-chat, gossip and criticism towards others

A distraction is anything that will take you off the road that leads to your goal. More than willpower, we need better planning to succeed. Plan to avoid situations where distractions might occur and set the expectations low from those close to you when it comes to social activities. It doesn’t all have to be about sacrificing a good time for a productive time. Limiting distractions will not only help your progress, but turn a good time into a memorable time.

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Using Social Media Positively for Your Mental Health

We often think of mental health issues as being the result of great challenges in life, but that’s not always the case. We live in a time where Western societies thrive and all the basics needs of people in developed countries are catered for.

Many of us don’t seem to have figured out what’s next after the layer of basic comfort is being covered. Throw the distractions of the online environment in the mix – news, social media, forums – and we fail to address what we can do in the present moment to look after our wellbeing.

Passive Behaviour Leads to Depression

Intentions are great when weaponized through actions. In other words, keeping ideas in your head and not going through with them is detrimental to your mental health.

Exercise stimulates the release of happy chemicals in your brain – endorphins and dopamine to name a few. So all that time you spend using social media and thinking of what you should do, how you should behave brings zero value in your life unless you actually do it.

Use social media as a trigger for what you want to achieve. You can have a glance at people who are doing well in an area of life you want to thrive in and take one good, actionable idea from them. One tiny change – 7 minutes abs, 2 minutes stretch every morning, one jog around the block – can give you a glimpse of happiness that you’ll then find the determination to maintain it. You are stronger than you think you are.

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