Day 10: 30 day Challenges, Discipline and Self Image

Today I woke up at 11 AM feeling strong, energetic and motivated to work. Weekends feel so good after a long work week. 11 AM means that I had a really good night sleep, even thou, I went to bed at 3 AM I think I still made my 8 hours J. Woke up, showered, trained, had breakfast, finished the GRE prep and run out to Starbucks to get this blog post done.

Now, because I am currently doing 4 -30 day challenges (GYM, Blog Post, GRE, 1 hour reading) they take up about 50% of my free of work time of the day (I also have a 9–5 job). I even thought to start learning a new language for a while. But I think it might wait until I finish the first 30 days and decide to choose the new set of 4 -30 day challenges for next month.

The major reason I am doing them is because I believe in the long run creating the habit of sticking to things for longer period will benefit me immensely. To be completely honest, I think it was my weakest point for quite a while. I am usually pretty good at taking the first steps and I start really strong, then I slack of hereand there, until I make up some excuse and move to something completely different. Even though, most of my shifts were usually when I found something better and more useful, I think it can just be another trick that my brain plays and just another excuse to qualify myself.

That’s why it is really important for me to build the habit of taking continues action, create a strong willpower and be disciplined in the days I don’t feel it. I have realized that there are two main types of motivation: Extrinsic and Intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is something that is driven from outside world and you have no control over it. Let’s say, you watched an inspiring speech on YouTube and suddenly you feel motivated and pumped to start taking control in your hands, work hard and do something meaningful with your life. This usually lasts no longer than few days until you get back to feeling like a lazy dirt-bag again. :P

There is another type of motivation which is called intrinsic motivation. It comes from within yourself and is strongly connected with your Why, your internal values, belief systems and a greater goal. It is the Intrinsic Motivation (some call it motivation 2.0) that keeps us go for longer and gets us to the goal. It is possible to build the intrinsic motivation via strengthening the willpower, putting continues effort and being disciplined in the days you don’t feel like slacking off.

Most important thing is to remember that we are the set of Stories that we tell ourselves and the mental image that we build about us. If you tell yourself the story that you are someone who gives up too quick, lazy, unfit, not confident and not successful person you will remain as one forever. Certain positive external situations can change your state for only a short while but it won’t last and you will sooner or later return back to your default shitty state.

It is important to work equally as hard on the mental image about yourself. Every day you should tell yourself that “I am someone disciplined who continuously works on himself and who always follows up, finishes what he starts. I improve my skills to become more productive and confident person.” If your day is filled by thoughts of such and you put continues effort on becoming more disciplined, more skilled, and more productive person you will eventually raise your default state to a point of High Achievement. By then then even the negative external influences and situations will have less or no effect on who You know You are.