No.1611
Many of us struggle with consistency in our lives, outside of the parts forced on us by obligation, such as work. Self improvement is never easy, but if we focus on small, consistent goals, we can make it.
I personally never really had many healthy habits, some more fundamental than others. I am going to start with a few simple ones, because I know from experience that trying to fix everything at once leads to burnout.
>Dental Hygiene
Simple as it sounds. Brushing and using mouthwash in the morning and evening, and additionally flossing at night. This sounds simple, and that's because it is. Yet I never did it consistently - there have been long stretches where I haven't.
>Reading 10 pages of a (non comic) book.
I spend hours and hours on my computer and phone a day, and it will be difficult to cut that down. But I also recently got an e reader, and I don't read a lot. Even on that device I tend to just read a bunch of manga, and manga's good and all, but I know that consistently reading more traditional books will help me in the long run.
>Listen to a new song a day
This is something that may seem weird, but I don't listen to music much. This comes naturally to many people but I always just spent my time watching youtube videos or doing other actions. I'm no good when people ask me if I know x or y song. Hopefully I can change that. At some point I'd like to progress this from "song" to "album".
>Drink tea/coffee
I am fortunate to have never particularly enjoyed soda, since i really don't like those carbon dioxide burps. But that means I tend to just drink a bunch of water, and there's nothing wrong with water, but I feel like tea could do me a lot of good for relaxing my nerves.
>Talk to someone new in a conversation I initiate
This is the hardest one by far. I really, really hate doing this, but I am also sick of being a wallflower at parties unless I know someone and I tend to get unhealthy attached to people in my life due to my few consistent connections. This even extends to talking on the phone, everything feels so much harder when you can't just backspace and rethink things like on a instant messenger. It doesn't matter how brief the interaction is or if it's "necessary". It's a start.
Post what you're working towards as often as you want - let us know your triumphs, your defeats, but most of all your commitment to improvement. We should all uplift each other.
No.1630
I made my first smoothie and drank it all, but unfortunately the blender's security mechanism is defect which makes starting it a pain in the ass so I'll have to return it. Looks like getting the new habit of smoothie instead of junk/soda will be delayed for a while... It tasted very good though.
>>1627>I can't just randomly approach people and ask them stuff right?In bars you definitely can with ease, it's where most people go to socialize and get drunk. I think it might be why so many people drink to be honest, it's just a simple way to meet people. Definitely not the healthiest way though, you can quickly end up with only drinking friends if you don't connect in some other way. Hobby settings are definitely the easiest way without being drunk though. It could be almost anything, a fishing spot, a car meetup, a hiking trip. Any simple basic question or statement is a good opener to gauge how open to socializing they are. "Catch anything?" "Oh is that a whatever car model?" "I'm gonna make a campfire and grill some hotdogs, would you like to join?" (bring plenty).
No.1654
>>1652Outline briefly the chief techniques. Thank you in advance.
No.1658
Does it explain what to do when you can't focus for the life of you?
No.1660
>>1652I don't know anything about it, but from your description it sounds like it's explaining old New Thought techniques. A lot of people into that practice self-hypnosis to achieve their goals.
No.1739
>>1611i have a daily schedule that i've been trying to stick to. i'm trying to get more sleep in and eat more food too. i noticed i'm more productive this way.
this reminds me, i really should get back to a cool science project!
>>1733seems good! but is chicken maki even sushi...?
No.1746
>>1739>but is chicken maki even sushi...?Does it matter if it isn't?
No.1767
>>1765It takes time to build a habit, eventually you won't have to remember anything, you'll just do.
If you want to meditate regularly you can do so at scheduled times and set an alarm for when to begin. If you then don't feel like meditating, it's probably the perfect time to meditate.
No.1775
>>1767Maybe. Kind of ironic since I spend so much time spacing out but that isn't quite the same thing.
No.1779
>>1765You don't have to remember it, it's okay to have something remind you.
No.1783
>>1779I know but when I set up an alarm before it often went off when I was doing something else and even if i remember to set another alarm it goes off to similar result.
No.1829
>>1821Time of day doesnt matter to me. I just am trying to build up certain neural connections in my brain. One goal is time dilation which ive read studies this should be possible. Since i literally lose so much time just blanking out or getting lost in dark places in my mind. I could try something like that.
No.2125
>Studying
I can't get myself to start, I feel like everything is pointless and I can't even do things I'm interested in just because I'm interested in them, everything is hypercompetitive and I'll be left behind. Everyone I meet that's into math and programming has been practicing since they were kids, with thousands of hours of experience over many years and here I am, doing basic math when everyone else has already got a degree and started working.
I know I shouldn't be comparing myself to others but it's hard not to, when I'm reminded of the gap between me and everyone else every time I look at a book and think about how little I've done with my life.
>Reading
I read some manga here and there, I read consistently for a while but it didn't last long, again I have issues getting started. I'd also like to write something just to do something with the various ideas juggling inside my head, I keep making notes of various "sketches" but nothing meaningful comes out of them because, just like reading, I can't even get started.
>Socialising
This one I feel like I'm beyond saving, I can't get close to people and I struggle to understand them in relationship to me, as an outsider looking at a group of people I have no trouble understanding their relationships/emotions etc, but as soon as I'm personally involved, I get so overwhelmed that there's no rational thought to be had, at most I can react and usually that reaction is just to get away as soon as I can.
I was hoping by getting deeper into studies and interests I would meet people I could talk to and befriend, but it really feels like everyone else has a place in the world in terms of friendships, with various connections in multiple directions with different people, and me having not a single one of them, when I manage to talk to someone for a while, I get reminded that they have others to talk to, to do things with, I don't, and sometimes that makes me talk to people I wouldn't talk to if I had a choice (which I do, but you know what I mean).
>Working out, regular sleep schedule, diet
The only good things that I'm consistent with, I don't do anything special, but it seems ok for now.
>Playing the guitar
Used to do it as a kid, never even got that good because I was always so inconsistent with it. It's been years now and I'd like to start again, maybe hook it up to a daw and make some more complex music.
This wasn't supposed to be a blog or a rant, I'll get to the point.
TLDR:
Struggling with getting started and being consistent, probably too much at once for me to handle.
I should probably focus on studying and reading, maybe leave one hour a day to practice the guitar.
Take a break from the internet to stop thinking about other people and getting influenced in ways that don't help me at all and contribute to my anxieties.
Take some time to think about what I care about and what I want to do, for myself by myself, so that I don't have to use an imageboard as a public diary, my bad.
No.2136
>>2125>Everyone I meet that's into math and programming has been practicing since they were kidsI know exactly how you feel, comparing yourself to others is something everybody does I feel, society is built this way, not being similar to others means you stick out. But you can flip that around, like what helps me is comparing myself to the right kind of people basically. For example I know someone who successfully changed to coding as a career at age 32 after being an electrican his whole life, or occasionally read about someone who is starting an animation carreer around that age. Comparing to the small percentage at the top can be really discouraging.
>I have issues getting startedFor me the beginning is always the hardest part no matter what, after i get through the first chapters of a manga or hours of a new video game it's getting easier, it's taking a while to get the gears running, and the sunk cost fallacy probably.