I struggle to keep going, I lack follow-through.
Got done with my big project (yay) but it could have been quicker. Want to not be tired from willing myself to do stuff.
good question. I adopted a rule I heard from some old guy I worked for years ago. he said anytime something, like a task, popped up that would take less than 5 minutes, he would just do it then or do it next.
its not some iron law or anything, but when prioritizing actions, taking care of the little items first or right as they come up seems to have some inertia to it and prevents a long list of lots of little things occupying and overwhelming the mind.
I also periodically make lists of action items, like when I close out my day/week so I can let them go and free my head up for whatever I’m actively doing.
Thanks! Got any good lists?
I guess working out is the most literal form of practicing self-discipline, and it tends to help people appreciate the importance of routine and goal oriented action too
I use Habit-Maker, it’s an app that lets you insert your own habits and time scales, and keeps track. Habits are the iron core of discipline IMO, if something becomes a habit it just isn’t difficult to will yourself to do anymore.
Do you have a link? I can’t find an app called “Habit-Maker” exactly
It’s Android only for now. Other apps do similar things though and can help.
Thank you!
I found keeping a journal helps.
Also just insisting on doing something everyday also helps. Like when I was trying to get in better shape I just started doing push-ups everyday, even if it was only like 10. Just gets you in the habit.
Do you get annoyed when friends try to keep you accountable to the things you said you’d do (for yourself)? Because I do but it might work for you
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Just do it mentality was part of what led to depression stuff sadly. The goals are good, thank you
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Anything cool I’ve ever done has been when I’m going to go do it with friends. I’ve tried a bunch of shit - I never willed myself to play piano, but lifting with my friends after school came second nature to me and it instilled a life long habit of exercise. You’re probably more clever with a larger canon than that 16 year old (from a distressing number of years ago) with more intention and more resources for where to go and how to do what you want.
Personally, I think that direction/end goal is important to keep in mind. Then, when you know what you want, you always think small. You’re not establishing a workout routine, you’re getting up from your office chair. You’re not about to go do your first leg day, you’re remembering where the keys are. I’d even put some fun stuff like your favorite music on the way there so by time it’s time to work, you’ve eased yourself into the idea that you’re switching to focus mode.
Adderall. Not even kidding. I’m pretty sure it is what most people use these days until they get settled.
I used a to do that, but it doesn’t really build discipline. I’d rather be able to not have to rely on it, especially because the needed dose turns me into a geeked out robot
I am going to say some kinda controversial stuff here, but psychiatrists are a bunch of absolute jokers who have very little idea what they are doing at any given time. That said, there is definitely something to better living through chemistry. If you are feeling like a geeked out robot, then you need to lower the dosage or maybe try another amphetamine like Ritalin.
I totally get what you are saying though, it’s a pain to have to use meds. However, most people do not, and never have had, long-term discipline, particularly of the kind that is supposed to be ‘good and natural’ for the Protestant work ethic. Most people, outside of their work, just tinker with things off and on.
No worries. I’ve got a good psychiatrist though and I get another ADHD med daily. It’s just methylphenidate that makes me a bit geeky. Lower dosages have no effect, so it’s either robot or not.
I don’t think I’ll ever get off meds and I don’t aim to. They help me with a lot of stuff. Just not the discipline and lack of follow-thru. Ritaline has been a crutch, but it’s not a viable long-term solution
That’s unfortunate. You should try those habit building apps though, I’ve heard they can work too.
I appreciate it
So you recommend the use of stimulants also to people who don’t have ADHD?
I used to dole it out to my friends during exam season. Worked wonders.
Not as much, but if you really need to concentrate on something like cleaning, reading, or coding stimulants absolutely help, and can help build a habit outside of use when used appropriately. If you don’t have ADHD I would recommend staying away from anything with XR (extended release), as it can basically keep you locked in all day.
However, there is absolutely a risk of addiction, and stimulant addiction (while usually not lethal if you are getting clean supply) can be devastating, as they can override the need to eat and drink and lead to a very unhealthy life style that will shorten your life.
Stimulants are the drug of the time, though. Meth is for the poor, Adderall and Ritalin for the yuppies, and cocaine for entertainers and the bourgeois.
override the need to eat
Yeah who needs Ozempic when you’ve got speed? I’m lucky I love food, so I eat even if I don’t feel hungry.
Usually on a Saturday or Sunday morning, I walk over to the coffee shop, get a coffee and something to eat, and I sit down with this little black notebook. I’ll take time to really think about what it is I need to get done over the next weeks (can be simple errands or goals like read 100 pages of a book). Then over the week I’ll take that notebook with me most places and reference it when I need to know what to focus on.
I use a notebook instead of a phone because I find it better to have something dedicated and not distracting for this purpose. The coffee shop thing is so it becomes something I enjoy and look forward to.
Works me for me at least.
Could be ADHD
I got ADHD, but that doesn’t make me a slave to my desires and impulses
Ok good that you know-- are your meds straight? Bc that’s been the key difference maker for me
They’re like the motto of striped cereal mascot. Grrrrrreat!
that is unfortunately what ADHD does until you find the right treatment or meds for it, it’s a debilitating brain disorder that ultimately affects your day to day ability to function. also everyone has different brain chemistry, so adderall might not help you while vyvanse or concerta or whatever might, and finding the right dosage can take time too
I gotta disagree pedantically. ADHD is only debilitating due to the world we’ve built, not inherently of itself
i agree our world makes it a lot worse, but i also dont see how being born with extreme dopamine defencies, a frontal lobe that doesn’t fully develop, and all sorts of other imbalances causing emotional disregulation wouldn’t at all be a problem under utopian solarpunk communism
i really feel like it’s one of the most misunderstood disorders. because the capitalists tell us work ethic = disciplined vs lazy mindset (irrespective of your class, support system, health, sense of belonging, brain wiring, chemicals, etc), people think it’s nothing more than being a little quirky/distractible, scrolling on tiktok for 5 hours, and that the harmful stuff can just be fixed through good habits. then you get a ton of people self-diagnosing (like 3/4 of the people at my uni who’ve told me they have it at), inspiring others to self-diagnose and further trivializing ADHD. or the painfully neurotypical person going "everyone’s a little ADHD
before starting meds + therapy this summer, i was consistently skipping eating and drinking because i was in hyperfocus, forgot, or felt like there was a wall in my brain preventing me from doing anything. i was going to bed at 6am everyday because my brain wouldn’t quiet down (my mom says i stopped napping by 2 years old). often, i’d stay up for 48+ hours from a hyperfixation. in high school, i started with high honors and skipping two grades of math. ended with mostly Ds and Fs, staring at a homework assignment for half an hour with racing anxiety and discomfort.
last year, my executive dysfunction got to the point even basic things spiraled me into task paralysis and felt almost painful to do. then i watched a markiplier video, describing how his untreated ADHD made him stare at the instrument he used to love playing in front of him. feeling like there was sandpaper rubbing against his brain, paralyzing him from even doing the things he loved. realized this was exactly the experience i had day-to-day. how everything could be set for me doing something, how i desperately WANTED to do that thing, but felt like a hostage to my own brain.
it’s a spectrum, but i don’t think my case is particularly extreme either, talking to others with the disorders and spending a lot of time on ADHD forums. this + therapy over the summer helped me realize ADHD was the root cause of my MDD, anxiety disorder, (most untreated ADHDers develop these), and a range of other issues. several studies found we live 8-13 years shorter on average, are 3x likely to have dementia, and only 5% of us graduate college. (most of these rates go down a good amount for the medicated.) a lot of these issues would be much less severe in a better, more communal world, but they’d still be issues that need treating
sorry for the essay lmfao i got a lot to say on this
Thank you so much, please don’t be sorry
The battle is within your own mind, and it’ll persist all your life, you might think you know how to get things going, but everyday is different, a different struggle everyday, but it’s okay, be forgiving & kind to yourself, it’s okay to go slow, when you’re taking your sweet time, there are a few more things also happening - you’re checking every angle, every aspect to make sure you didn’t miss anything, you’re letting the right solution come to you, you’re also not burning yourself out because life really is a marathon.
