At the very beginning of 2014, filled with motivation and resolve, I decided to make a habit of journaling. I initiated the practice by utilizing a 31-day day challenge that I’d stumbled upon on the Art of Manliness blog. I stuck with it for eight days before skipping a couple of months.
Day 1: Start with answering the question of why you want to journal, and beyond that, why you decided to embark on this 31-day experience. Write out what you’d like to get from journaling.
Perhaps my expectations are unrealistic and this endeavor will fall to the wayside like the myriad of other attempts at self-improvement, but I am beginning this journal in an effort to self-actualize. It is my hope that journaling will make me more accountable for wasted days and that patterns may emerge that allow me to gauge the efficacy of my approach toward living. I believe that divulging my subjective affect toward the day may guide me in becoming a better man far more than an objective review of a to-do list. It may assist me in doing more with each day rather than doing more things in each day.
Today I read an interesting metaphor that resonated highly with my normal approach toward productivity. The metaphor stated that most men fill their jars with gravel and sand, leaving no room for the big rocks. Instead, if one places the big rocks into the jar first, the gravel and sand can be added wherever there are gaps. These men, those who focus almost exclusively on the gravel and sand, always appear to be busy and always complain that they don’t have enough time in the day for the things that really matter. A quick glance at any of my daily do-to lists would confirm my guilt in doing exactly this. There are so many days that I’ve accomplished a figurative and literal laundry list of household chores, yet neglected to study simply because there is no imminent test or deadline to be concerned with. Throughout the day, I constantly remind myself of how much more I’ll enjoy studying with a clean desk, clean floors, a clean fish tank, a clean kitchen counter, etc. I also tell myself that it will feel good to cross off all these items on my list, so I might as well knock out a bunch of little ones first. There is truth to this. If I ever do get around to studying, it is more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the majority of the time, I end up without enough room in my jar for a rock that size.
It is my goal, then, to focus on my more meaningful goals first. I start back at the DPT program next week, and this will force my hand regarding my studies; however, this should hold true regarding other aspects of my life. I may enjoy meditating more with a clean room, but there’s also a really good chance I’ll end up with a clean room and a cluttered mind.
