Overcome Procrastination with Stoic Discipline
Intensity isn’t something one experiences; it is what one becomes. Else, all fails.
High-functioning individuals have an adamantine practice to overcome procrastination: they're always working, leaving little to no room to get lost in distractions that pass time quicker — what most people use to escape the ennui of monotonous work.
They find it easy to accomplish this feat because they have multiple important tasks to accomplish within the day, which they're ideally good at or have attained a level of proficiency in. They find the energy to push against fear, fatigue, and hesitation because they have many tasks bearing real consequences if undone, with limited time in their day. There’s immense pressure to make every minute count. So, intensity isn’t something one experiences; it is what one becomes. Else, all fails. Or stagnates.
One attribute of this type of person is they've opened themselves up to the demands of their life's tasks because they know how being excellent at a craft benefits them: it earns them respect, the pride of being relied upon, the position to get more opportunities, company with other elite individuals, the joy of fewer rules and the freedom of being under no one's mercy. Those who follow this path also get the advantage of transferrable skills, where creativity is sourced from more than one domain, making them more valuable and irreplaceable in what they do — an immutable law of self-marketing.
One objection to this lifestyle is one is always tired because there are no divisions of time into weekends, romantic getaways, and vacations. If there are, one still finds a way to make progress: extract some crucial information from a good book or article, practice a new skill, write a little to reach the daily word count. Of course, there’s time to relax and recharge, but that’s not the main thing, serving others is.
The idea of work is thus unattractive to individuals more sloped toward pleasure as they see work as a means to an end. Not a podium for self-growth and actualization. They abuse themselves to gain material goods in the vicious cycle of always wanting as if that's the only thing one was born for. The worst part is that in chasing these ghosts of happiness, they’re forever haunted by one depressing realization: they’ll never be satisfied.
Now let’s look at the contrast. There's a peculiar joy in working on one’s own project: recounting a good day’s work, seeing a two thousand word article complete after working on it word by word, uncovering the last page of a long book after months of reading 3-5 pages a day, seeing oneself in a five-year relationship after daily investment and dedication into being a good man, or being well connected after being kind, valuable and respectful to whom everyone meets. Thinking in like manner isn’t normal for investing in uncertainty borders on insanity. And as if the initial psychological capital wasn’t enough, it also needs long-term commitment, patience, and resource sacrifice — trading off what could be more spontaneous and fun. But on the bright side, it’s also invigorating and satisfactory as it creates durable and meaningful joy, which is much better than working on what will fade the next moment, disappointment always hovering.
Everything the wise man does serves a purpose, no time goes to waste. There's only continual movement, making progress, achieving a goal, and moving on, bathing in the exciting rhythm and flow of doing his duty. Through the relentless appetite for growth and conquest, one gets to a place where whatever time they get is a chance to progress, improve their dexterity, make fewer mistakes, expand their reputation, and enjoy controlling a part of reality through their skills. It even becomes an obsession when one sees the various possibilities and opportunities created by just showing up, doing the work for a few minutes or hours, being genuine and effortful, and repeating the process for as long as possible, especially if one considers their craft a lifetime practice.
Learning and practicing various skills on any given day is the holy grail of living an exciting life. Variety is the carrot to the stick, prompting one to wake up and live because they get to use various parts of their brain architecture and invoke various neurotransmitters during each activity: creativity, sociability, cognition, and strategizing, on a life-altering scale. In performing these activities to the best of one’s ability, life becomes invigorating, accompanied by a sense of agency to focus and get the most out of the day. Focus training and having strong boundaries with one’s time is thus an essential component of greatness and perpetual well-being.
Most people wonder if they'll ever get time to celebrate when working in like manner; it can feel as if one is always drowning in work, without time off, which can seem overwhelming and thus off-putting. But it's possible if one isn't using work as an escape and if they also deliberately schedule time for family, friends, and personal reflection.
Because life is more than ambition and achievement, it would be absurd to win and not have someone to come home to, share joy, and enjoy the spoils of war with. It's not that one can't do without companionship, but it adds another beautiful dimension in life to have someone worthy by your side, experience their admiration of you, share bits of banter, laugh, and grow together. Also, given that empathy and relaxation helps one get new ideas to execute, new paths to pursue, and mind-blowing insights, even relaxation becomes a part of the plan to reach newer heights. During those leisure times, it’s wise to have intermittent and short-lived celebrations, as one still has to get back to work, which can involve accounting for what one has achieved so far, seeing whether they're making progress in the right direction, with the right values, and not just working without an end in mind.
Some individuals have the propensity to always say yes to everything leading to an imbalanced life marked by drudgery bereft of freedom and fun. Following money isn’t a good idea, contrary to making a living where there's a deep connection to what one does and if it helps other people without hurting others. It's therefore wise to journal to ensure one doesn't lose the forest for the trees on unimportant matters as time is always expanding or contracting to pour up into physical and spiritual life, business, relationships, or wealth creation at any given day. Hence, a more fulfilling goal is living the best life possible at each moment through those various themes and fighting distractions with utmost aggression for as Seneca said, "If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable."
One can extend that metaphor toward time management, where it’s ineffective if one lacks a list of priorities contributing to an overarching goal. This primary aim has to be only one, at the expense of all else. Accordingly, it’s wise to work with one's strengths — what one, with love and patience, can hope to be great at doing one day. This goal also has to be terrifying enough to wake one up from a stupor and favor neuroplasticity. Fear, although it has acquired the reputation of prompting individuals to seek respite from what causes it, is a potent motivator if one learns to see through it, decipher reality for what it is, and act rightly despite it. For example, a novice can work with short timelines on intimidating and demanding projects, say three months (less or more), while seasoned people can aim higher and make this goal span over several years; it's also wise to get into the specifics of what one wants to achieve over a day, by writing down the tasks that will eventually feed into the strategic goal.
That practice makes greatness an achievable and exciting adventure.
It's easy to fall into the trap of what’s popular in the world, what pulls us into wasting time on trivial matters, blinded by the veil whose threads are a latticework of differing self-interests. Creating some distance between other people in real life or on social media and us is therefore in good measure because they won't overstep their bounds. One can achieve this respect by having high standards, strict boundaries, a routine, and calling out people when they do wrong. It's also good to question the essence of what most people think is fun and good because if one doesn't think, it’ll be hard to unfuck yourself. This idea doesn't mean criticizing and avoiding all what the masses deem interesting; some mindless enjoyment with good company can be invigorating. What’s wise is refining one's taste, being conscious of an indulgence, and delineating its role and limits. One may come off as snobbish, weird, and antisocial by acting in this manner, but as long as there’s respect and acceptance instead of judging others, it's a small price to pay for staying true to what one deems beneficial and best per experience, careful reflection of one's goals and circumstances and a myriad of other factors one might find themselves in.
When a man knows himself and what he wants, he’ll always be in control. No force can compel him to do what he doesn’t want. Not even God.
There's a lot one can do in a day and in extension — years, if one can strengthen their rationality, manage whimsical emotions, channel their overflowing energy into a purpose, be content in solitude, and be conscious about the distractions tempting them into unthinkingness, passivity, time wastage, procrastination. One can get all those conditional factors for excellence by serving in multiple duties. Always working.
A Stoic also recognizes it's human to enjoy life’s pleasures. What isn't cool is losing our self-respect, doing the wrong thing to get them, enjoying them at the wrong time or to the detriment of our health, becoming dependent and giving them too much power such that one loses their capacity for happiness when their appetites and desires are obstructed. Or if the courage for endurance in duty diminishes when we’re called upon by fate.
It's, therefore, a good idea to take stock of one's weak moments and time sinks, where the voice of reason rivals pin-drop silence, practice anticipating them, slow down, breathe, think about the value of what one is about to do and whether the ensuing actions declare strength or weakness.