Do you keep a schedule? Are you able to get done what you want to get done? Being disciplined is an art. It’s something we have to plan. That disciplined art starts with less.
I’m quick to admit that I lack discipline. I blog, write, practice music, and exercise. Those things take a certain amount of discipline. But when it comes to doing things in a scheduled and consistent manner, I suck. I do things in jumps and starts. Here’s why…
More Makes Us Less Disciplined
We’ve been raised in a culture of more. It starts when we’re kids. We want more toys, more ice cream, more sports cards. We dream of nice cars and big houses. These manufactured ideals stay with us. We’re continually surrounded with these images of more.
I’ve tried to break the habit of want. This blog is part of that attempt. Here’s the problem. The same mentality of more creeps into our productive journey. We start thinking like this:
- Produce more
- Get more followers
- Write more books
- Sell more stuff
- Generate more income
But it’s not so easy. In time we become disillusioned and begin to wander off the path. We return to our old habits. We start doing this:
- Watch more TV
- Buy more stuff
- Waste more time
- Surf more Internet
- Get less done
It’s a trap. It takes a disciplined mind to break out of that trap.
The Answer Lies In Less, Not More
I don’t know about you, but I’m already thinking about where my journey is going in 2017. I’ve decided that I need to practice discipline. That means writing in a scheduled manner. That means exercising with a determined set of goals. How will I make this change? By having and doing less.
Remove The Distractions
I’m going to start 2017 by removing distractions. I encourage you to do the same. Here are a few things that will help you get more disciplined:
- Watch less TV
- Spend less time on social media
- Stop aimlessly surfing the Internet
- Spend less money on things you don’t need
- Stop trying to produce more
In 2017, I’ll be posting a little less at Hip Diggs and at danerickson.net. But I’ll be focusing on researching and writing higher quality content. I’ll be working on keeping a consistent writing schedule. I’ll be focusing on networking with others who promote simple living. Most importantly, I’ll be wasting less time.
As always, I invite you to continue along on the journey.
