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Set goal, don’t execute, feel bad

Cause and effect. Pattern recognition.

If I say to myself “I am going to do X” but I don’t do X, I feel bad.

If I attempt and fail, I’m not so sad. Or I’m sad in a better way. (Plus I gathered useful data from failing).

It’s intent and desire without any action that kills me.

The lazy solution: Never set goals, large or small. Do random, reactive shit instead. Human behavior propelled by Brownian motion.

Fuck that.

Constructive solutions:

  • Aim low. Set extremely modest goals.
  • Fewer goals. Set the goal of doing X, but don’t put too many goals on my plate at a time.
  • Do X, no matter what. Fierce concentration and determination and self-discipline.
  • Don’t be self-critical. Set the goal to do X, and if I don’t do X, FFS don’t kick myself in the fucking ass about it.

And the winner is . . . all of the above.

Aim low. “Do one push-up” instead of “go to the gym for two hours and be a Barbell God.”

Keep the task list short. Say no to more stuff.

Continue to be fierce, self-reliant, self-disciplined, focused. If it is an ancient virtue, treasure and nurture it. Build those mental muscles.

And don’t have self-critical opinions. Life is all a giant experiment, N = 1. I am the mad scientist and the lab rat. My mentors (Seneca and Marcus Aurelius) will guide me and remind me. Consult with them frequently.