Building Self-control
Life is simply too good. Sometimes it’s too good to make us indulgent.
Or, please define good.
Shall I say happiness to make it more fashion?
When we feel good, most of the time, we are talking about short-term happiness. Like, I find my hat that I left in the arcade even after a week. I feel happy. Then I forget about it.
Long-term happiness, instead, is something you’re proud of or feel warm even you think back several years later. Like, your personal growth path, the friendships between you and your old friends, your love story.
As we all know, life is about balance. You can grow the overall happiness level. But at a given snapshot, you have to balance between short-term happiness and long-term happiness.
Your instinct will get you out of the situation when you’re not happy. Thus, we don’t talk about sadness.
That’s why we need self-control. It’s about happiness.
Then what is self-control and how can I get it?
I love metaphor. A simple answer is:
Self-control is like muscle. It can be trained.
So training self-control is like body building.
What is the secret of body building then?
Persistence
Yes, being persistent is important. First of all, if you don’t have faith in controlling yourself, you have already failed.
Never lose faith to anything you want.
What is the secret of body building again?
REST
It may sound counter-intuitive. But rest is very important in body building. Your muscle needs time to recover and makes itself stronger through rest.
Like body building, an important way to gain self-control is through rest. But this time, rest is a broader concept.
It’s being smart to know how and when to retreat, restore and gather your will-power, to use it next time.
Like what?
Like Meditate.
Like Walk Away.
Like Sleep.
Like Exercise.
Like Take a Shower.
Like Take a Break.
Like You Have More Awareness about What You Are Doing Now.
Like Realize You Are In Short-term Happiness Mode.
Build your self-control muscle. It is important.
Be smart building it.
