I know I already wrote on this topic before but I feel like I need chizuk in this area and that is really one of the points of this blog: to be mechazek others in areas that I find I have trouble with. It isn't just about how much time I spend watching YouTube or doing other pointless things online, self control is about a way of life and it has to do with every decision we make throughout every day we are given.
I definitely think that taking things slowly in terms of adapting is an effective way to develop as a person. If you try to take on everything at once it will last 2 days (if you're lucky) and then you'll just give up. But at the same time you can't just take on one commitment for one week and then forget about it thinking that the one week will have a meaningful, lasting impact on your life. It's all nice and good to not waste time on YouTube for a whole week, but what good is that in the long run if that one week is the only time you take control and if that one area is the only area you take control in?
My suggestion: take on something meaningful new each and every week and don't let go of the commitment from the previous week. Just because you already did the YouTube thing for a week doesn't mean you should go back to watching videos for 5 hours a day the next week. Don't lose your grip on something that you had control over. Maybe loosen the grip, but certainly don't let go completely. And the new commitment each week might not even be in the same area as previous commitments. It may be a commitment to exercise a little bit everyday. Maybe to do 20 pushups before you go to bed everyday or to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal of the week. (Venishmartem es nafshoseichem is a mitzvah too.)
The idea is to show yourself that you can control your daily or hourly decisions. Humans are acting beings, not reacting beings. You may not be able to control the inputs, but it is up to you how you decide to act. Animals react to their surroundings based on the outside stimuli; humans choose how they are going to act based solely on what they choose to do. We choose to eat that extra piece of candy for dessert, to watch TV instead of going to the gym, to hit the snooze button another 5 times, or to open a sefer, run a mile, swim a few laps, do a chesed for someone else...
What will you choose tomorrow?
I definitely think that taking things slowly in terms of adapting is an effective way to develop as a person. If you try to take on everything at once it will last 2 days (if you're lucky) and then you'll just give up. But at the same time you can't just take on one commitment for one week and then forget about it thinking that the one week will have a meaningful, lasting impact on your life. It's all nice and good to not waste time on YouTube for a whole week, but what good is that in the long run if that one week is the only time you take control and if that one area is the only area you take control in?
My suggestion: take on something meaningful new each and every week and don't let go of the commitment from the previous week. Just because you already did the YouTube thing for a week doesn't mean you should go back to watching videos for 5 hours a day the next week. Don't lose your grip on something that you had control over. Maybe loosen the grip, but certainly don't let go completely. And the new commitment each week might not even be in the same area as previous commitments. It may be a commitment to exercise a little bit everyday. Maybe to do 20 pushups before you go to bed everyday or to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal of the week. (Venishmartem es nafshoseichem is a mitzvah too.)
The idea is to show yourself that you can control your daily or hourly decisions. Humans are acting beings, not reacting beings. You may not be able to control the inputs, but it is up to you how you decide to act. Animals react to their surroundings based on the outside stimuli; humans choose how they are going to act based solely on what they choose to do. We choose to eat that extra piece of candy for dessert, to watch TV instead of going to the gym, to hit the snooze button another 5 times, or to open a sefer, run a mile, swim a few laps, do a chesed for someone else...
What will you choose tomorrow?
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