I just finished writing a long blog post.
Before writing the post, I felt like checking blog stats, e-mail and all. But Instead, I stopped and went back to write. And now, I’m happy that I wrote it.
I didn’t feel like writing this either. I just opened up a text editor and started writing. And now, I’m happy that I’m writing this.
This is the habit I want to master on 2014. Do what you’re supposed to do, instead of doing what you want to do.
Instead of writing this, I wanted to modify my blog. I wanted to change the theme of my blog and check how it looked. I wanted to check my e-mail. I wanted to surf Reddit.
This is especially true while meditating. You don’t feel like meditating when you first start. You sit down and try to relax. After sometime, you feel the urge to stop. You feel the urge to do something else.
Instead of letting the urge take over you, it’s often wise to stay there. After sometime, you’ll feel comfortable doing it.
I think the best way to figure out what I’m supposed to do is by making a to-do list. But I’m yet to figure out the perfect workflow for that.
I usually do something when I really don’t feel like doing. And after sometime, I feel comfortable doing it. I’ve seen this pattern come up time and again. I really don’t like writing when I think about it. If I’m supposed to write an article, I just leave it for the next day. I keep on procrastinating until I don’t feel like writing at all.
It has happened a lot to me during the past. And now, I’m thinking of identifying the urge and doing what I’m supposed to do instead of what I want to do.
It’s always not too bad to do what you want to do. Doing what you want means following your heart – which can be a good thing. But usually we settle for comfort. We try to choose and settle for the easy task in front of us instead of working on hard tasks which matter in the long run.
Hence: Identify the urge, embrace it and do what you’re supposed to do, instead of what you want to do.