Game-killing drudgery.

[The Green Man]

These are just a few of my daily routines that get in the way of personal self improvement. Also included are some solutions I've found help in dealing with them. Feel free to respond with your own.


1. Work: To the guys out there who work their asses off for minimal pay, I feel your pain. I happen to be a bank teller, and after eight hours of counting money and dealing with smug, bitchy customers, going to sleep alone becomes (almost) as attractive as jumping in bed with a woman. Similarly, waking up at 6:30 AM isn't the greatest thing to look forward to when you're out partying or tying a few on at the bar.

Possible Solution: What I've learned to do is develop more personal energy to offset what my job syphons out of me. This involves a workout routine and a quick morning and evening meditation to clear my head.

2. The Internet: Yes, it is the greatest invention known to man. Yes, I'm on it right now typing to you. BUT, it cannot be allowed to get in the way of living a fulfilling life. Nowadays, if you fashioned your office chair into a toilet, you could technically avoid ever getting up from it again. The net is drastically improving human convenience and connectivity, but there are a many things it (at least this month) cannot offer you. Some important ones happen to be exercize, true life experience, and vagina.

Possible Solution: An active, well-managed lifestyle will prevent overuse of the net. I drag my lazy ass from laying in bed with my laptop (it should be a woman) and do something constructive. Simple enough.

3. School: College courses, like work, are boring and drain the energy of 5 orgasms; minus the pleasure. Adding insult to injury, several of my professors talk like Ben Stein proteges. Much like work, developing greater personal energy is necessary here.

Possible Solution: Lately I've been lifting and swimming laps in between classes to stay sharp and on my game. Vitamins, a good diet, and the occasional caffeine indulgence also help me deal with the drudgery.

4. Video games: I don't know about you, but I could exercize my thumbs until they have their own biceps. Halo 3 is basically digital crack for me. There are times where, if I don't somehow peel my eyes off Master Chief's crosshairs, workouts get rescheduled and healthy meals turn into cookies and milk with a side of Pringles. Lately, however, I've imposed some self-regulation in order to stay healthy and prevent myself from resembling an albino vampire.

Possible Solution: Turning it off takes willpower. Once you force yourself to consciously think of video games as a waste of human lifespan, they become much less alluring. I always have them around, but that thought creeps back into my head and I know when I must regulate.

[Ian Smith]

Great post Tim, something we all need to learn to do. Identify problems and find quick, effective solutions.

Here's one from me...

5. Comfort: In my journey of personal development, or life for that matter, I've found the following to be true. When I get comfortable in a situation, I tend to get lazy and lose focus. For example, I was getting comfortable with letting the time when I teach my yoga classes count as my own practice. I noticed I began to slack off, and my practice suffered, I wasn't getting any better and in fact I had begun to lose the edge I had. This can apply to any area of your lifestyle. Think about the last easy piece of ass you had around, you know what I'm talking about, the kinda-exgirlfriend or the butter-faced slut down the dorm you can slam on command. Did your social life and (variety of your) sex life suffer? I bet it did.

Possible Solution: Don't let yourself get to comfortable. Once you get the swing of a routine and get into the groove of things, throw something else in there to juggle. If you're at the gym and your hitting a plateau and not seeing any improvements, switch it up and get some new things in there while continuing to do the mastered techniques. If you've got a good daily schedule down, throw an hour of volunteering or another activity in there on a few of the days to make things more interesting. Adversity and challenges will stimulate your heart, body, and soul.

[Daniel Becerra]

Great read and straight to the point.

6. Lazyness: We all fall into lazyness very often. I'm talking about the laziness in which you know you should be working out or reading and you just don't. This is very damaging as it encourages to stay in your comfort level, which results in not only, not improving, but also you lose some skills.

Possible Solution: Some great active friends will snap you out of it. "Get the fuck up" from the homies may seem rude at times, but it gets me up and going. Add to that, some passions or hobbies. Drawing or writing something is at least enhancing your imagination to deeper levels.

[Alpha55]

Sweet post man, I like how you laid it out strait and simple. Kudos!

[BuddhaBill]

Awesome man...you have a way with words...the orgasm reference made me chuckle...

Good topic too...I find myself being distracted by video games a lot...and when you think about it...they do seem like a big waste of fucking time...

[Bob]

7. Decision Making: Making good decisions is an essential part of success in life. While we all choose to make bad decisions at certain times we have to know which ones to make and how to balance them.

Possible Solution: Think before you do. If you plan on going out to the bars when you work the next morning then drink a lot of water and take a nap before you go out. If you're going to be promiscuous then make sure to use a condom because the last thing you want is to make a life changing bad decision. It's a simple process to make good decisions but many people just don't take the time. All you need to do is say to yourself "If i do this then these are the negative effects I can have and if i choose to go through with then: A. should i really be doing this and B. if it is then how can i balance it.