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Jan. 5th, 2020 09:16 am
I've found that one of the best things I can do in order to keep my habits is make an effort to do them first. For example, when meditating, it almost always goes better when I'm able to pick up my phone and sit immediately instead of being distracted by Twitter or...actually, just Twitter. It's frustrating mostly because I know that Twitter is NOT the first thing I should see in the morning before I've put my mind together, but the habit is strongly set. These days it's a bit of a crap shoot whether or not I look at it before my meditation app.
There are things I could do, I suppose, to make it more likely I'll use my meditation app instead of Twitter. Like open the app before I set down my phone for the night, or close the Twitter app. I'll have to try that -- what often ends up happening, especially during work days, is that I spend too much time breezing through Twitter and end up having to go before I can meditate. Being a bit more disciplined so that I'm meditating and journaling BEFORE I go to work would be the dream, and that's what I'm trying to hit.
My meditation has hit an interesting period, actually. I can focus my attention on my breath a bit more readily, and it's easier to notice when I'm getting distracted and put myself back on track. Even better, there are these moments of...absolute stillness where it's JUST me and the breath. I'm staring at the door to my room, and I can see the way the light reflects off the paint. I can feel the way the cool air hits my nostrils, and the allergens from the hay burn just a little bit. I can feel my weight on the base of my spine, the stretch of my leg muscles as they cross. It's really nice to feel completely present in that moment; there's a sense of quiet joy and contentment, being connected that way.
Taking that spirit, or striving for those moments off the meditation bench, feels like the right move. But it's not a matter of trying to...push yourself into it. It's more that you're just remembering to engage with only what's in front of you. We get so distracted, so often, thinking about what we have to do next while we're already doing something -- or taking our mind to some other place instead of where we are. It feels more like an acceptance of where you are and what you're doing. Just letting yourself be here.
I think I get what folks mean when they say it takes effort to be effortless. Our lives are not geared towards appreciation for what we have and what we're doing. We're encouraged to constantly think of the future or revisit the past, and so much dissatisfaction in our lives can be put down to trying to 'escape the now'. But there's a peace in accepting what's happening at any given moment, and doing your utmost to make the best of the present. That's the energy I want to take into 2020.
Since today is the start of the first full week of the year, I'll be really trying to lock down my routine, make sure that I'm doing the things that are most important right at the top. After this, I'll be preparing my week in the Bullet Journal, finishing up the first episode of my Patreon serial, and getting some laundry in. It should be another quietly productive day, and I'm cool with that.
There are things I could do, I suppose, to make it more likely I'll use my meditation app instead of Twitter. Like open the app before I set down my phone for the night, or close the Twitter app. I'll have to try that -- what often ends up happening, especially during work days, is that I spend too much time breezing through Twitter and end up having to go before I can meditate. Being a bit more disciplined so that I'm meditating and journaling BEFORE I go to work would be the dream, and that's what I'm trying to hit.
My meditation has hit an interesting period, actually. I can focus my attention on my breath a bit more readily, and it's easier to notice when I'm getting distracted and put myself back on track. Even better, there are these moments of...absolute stillness where it's JUST me and the breath. I'm staring at the door to my room, and I can see the way the light reflects off the paint. I can feel the way the cool air hits my nostrils, and the allergens from the hay burn just a little bit. I can feel my weight on the base of my spine, the stretch of my leg muscles as they cross. It's really nice to feel completely present in that moment; there's a sense of quiet joy and contentment, being connected that way.
Taking that spirit, or striving for those moments off the meditation bench, feels like the right move. But it's not a matter of trying to...push yourself into it. It's more that you're just remembering to engage with only what's in front of you. We get so distracted, so often, thinking about what we have to do next while we're already doing something -- or taking our mind to some other place instead of where we are. It feels more like an acceptance of where you are and what you're doing. Just letting yourself be here.
I think I get what folks mean when they say it takes effort to be effortless. Our lives are not geared towards appreciation for what we have and what we're doing. We're encouraged to constantly think of the future or revisit the past, and so much dissatisfaction in our lives can be put down to trying to 'escape the now'. But there's a peace in accepting what's happening at any given moment, and doing your utmost to make the best of the present. That's the energy I want to take into 2020.
Since today is the start of the first full week of the year, I'll be really trying to lock down my routine, make sure that I'm doing the things that are most important right at the top. After this, I'll be preparing my week in the Bullet Journal, finishing up the first episode of my Patreon serial, and getting some laundry in. It should be another quietly productive day, and I'm cool with that.
