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Ask HN: How do you remain disciplined and be your best self?

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21–30 of 33 posts

Re: Ask HN: How do you remain disciplined and be your best self?

#21
Start by making a few daily goals every MORNING.

Don't make it hard for yourself and don't make more than 3 goals. That is the first step to change your unproductive situation.

I have no idea about smoking because I don't smoke. But, perhaps like other habits, you can find the root cause and your real motivations. What it gives you? What is the real reason behind it? Then try to change it with a good replacement that can give you the same benefits.

Re: Ask HN: How do you remain disciplined and be your best self?

#22
Howdy!

I gave up drinking at the end of October because I felt it was keeping me from some life goals.

I basically txt my sponsor once a day.

Making it through Thanksgiving was kind of tough, but it's all good.

With the mixture of determination and accountability I've put in place, I know I won't go back.

Another benefit, using your beer money to do fun stuff for your kids is an awesome feeling.

Re: Ask HN: How do you remain disciplined and be your best self?

#24

Smoked on and off between 17 and 21. Took me about 8 months full of relapses to finally stop completely - psychological addiction was far harder to break than I first anticipated. In my case, I realised I had been self medicating for some mild pervasive anxiety without explicitly acknowledging it. Although smoking calms anxiety temporarily - it tends to exasperate it in the the longer term - creating a vicious cycle…

did you quit on your own? or did you seek a specialist to treat your anxiety. I think I am also self medicating because of anxiety. Like when I am sober after long day I am anxious for unknown reasons but after I smoke I get calm... yesterday I had a epiphany that I smoke because I don't really have any real long term hobbies. Only projects that I wnat to start or stuff that I want to learn... but everything is in a planning phase not in execution phase if you get what I mean.

Re: Ask HN: How do you remain disciplined and be your best self?

#25

Smoked on and off between 17 and 21. Took me about 8 months full of relapses to finally stop completely - psychological addiction was far harder to break than I first anticipated. In my case, I realised I had been self medicating for some mild pervasive anxiety without explicitly acknowledging it. Although smoking calms anxiety temporarily - it tends to exasperate it in the the longer term - creating a vicious cycle…

did you quit on your own? or did you seek a specialist to treat your anxiety. I think I am also self medicating because of anxiety. Like when I am sober after long day I am anxious for unknown reasons but after I smoke I get calm... yesterday I had a epiphany that I smoke because I don't really have any real long term hobbies. Only projects that I wnat to start or stuff that I want to learn... but everything is in a…

I didn't have access to a specialist in this case but I have used one in the past for something else and he was super helpful for me.

Just the act of vocalising all your thoughts to someone can bring a great deal more clarity to the situation.

Re: Ask HN: How do you remain disciplined and be your best self?

#27
Imagine your opinions are in a basket that you carry with you. If you find a better opinion or way of thinking, switch it out. That way, you’re always improving yourself, and you’re able to have civil discussion about topics because you don’t get offended when somebody doesn’t like your opinion.

Re: Ask HN: How do you remain disciplined and be your best self?

#30
If I was that age again (I'm 38 now) -- I would tell myself to: - Get into meditation. Meditate 10 minutes every day. - Go to the gym 3x a week. - Check out the NoFap movement - no masturbation and no porn. It requires self-discipline and believe it or not, gives your more energy and keeps you motivated (no joke). - Don't multi-task. Focus on one thing only. Multi-tasking is bad for your brain.

All of this boils down to building self-discipline.

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