Fighting the urge of a new shiny toy
#32 - it's the last term of school
Hi there. How’s life?
I feel the need to put an introductory sentence before getting into the meat of my week, but maybe that’s unnecessary. Let’s cut to the chase.
Revision is coming along, not fully as intended but certainly making good progress. We’ve also been treated with sunny skies, albeit the temperatures haven’t found the ‘on’ switch just yet.
Highlight of the week: spending the weekend down in Reading with a family friend (who the blog has heard of before). Little kids can be so adorable yet difficultly persistent and annoying. I can’t wait to have some of my own and have my GCSE Patience taken. Sat here puzzled about what techniques I can use to study. The visit made me tweet this:
(follow me on there if you want to, not that I’m using it actively. But I’m sure you won’t regret it when I’m a world-famous blogger 😉)
This idea comes to you courtesy of my sister, except she doesn’t even know about it.
I couldn’t bring myself to pick a topic for today, not sure why. I looked through my list of ideas, wasn’t able to excite myself about it and even warmed up the cross trainer (which has been a statue for the last 2 weeks) to conjure up an idea based on what’s happened to me this week. Nothing.
Frustration gets the better of me. I walk away from my natural habitat, the desk, and go to the dining table, hoping to gobble down 2 more chicken nuggets to finish my fair share of five, that were bought on the way home. There’s only one.
Fury fills me “from the crown to the toe topfull”1. Steam spits out of my ears as my head becomes an oven. Adrenaline goes on a running race around my body. I storm to my mum, who’s feeding her little green ones, and wipe out all her plants, our house and the whole of the UK with flames from my mouth. THIS IS WAR!!!
No, let’s return back to Earth. I ask her, calmly, whether she took one. My dad wasn’t keen on having any, leaving just one culprit (you know who). I sigh, There’s no way she’s going to admit it. Begrudgingly, I walk back to the table to savour the solitary shot of chicken left. And then the light bulb: I know what to write about!
Story done; it’s lesson time - 👊 Giving in to temptation is weak, fighting it off is a success: Snapchat, the TV remote or even another chocolate. All these things are nice, and activate the brain’s feel-good hormones. There’s no need and no point in pretending these aren’t wonderful things that we want. But sometimes it’s important to resist these urges and think, “Is it rational for me to do this now?” This is difficult because the lure of the object is magnetic, attracting you to act against your better judgement.
But, if you convince yourself to battle hard with it, be a mature adult (even if you aren’t one yet) and win over it, you’re a champion. A legend. You’re the one with the power over your mind. Remember -
“You either control your mind or it controls you” - Napoleon Hill
Nir Eyal, the author of Indistractable, recommends the Ten Minute Rule. When you have an urge, you don’t say “No” - you say “Not yet”. Instead you ‘surf the urge’ for 10 minutes because often you end up not really wanting that thing that you craved. It doesn’t even have to be 10 minutes, it could be 5 (link)
I’ve found this with my studying this week. I think I have a (proper) attention span of about 40 minutes. Beyond that, my mind starts to lose focus and anything from thereon tends to be unproductive with my mind not fully engaged.
So whenever my mind has said “Enough, I’m getting bored” this week, I’ve done one of 2 things: either said “OK, we’ll continue this later.” or “Hang in there Adi (yes, I talk to myself in the 3rd person. Deal with it.) Almost there.” After all, good grades are expensive. The cost: your hard work.
When I’ve gotten past the temptation and successfully finished the task, I’ve said “Well done me, for sticking with it” because that’s what successful people do - keep going when the going gets tough (something I’ve internalised to myself) and then duly reward myself with another video on YouTube, a cricket article or a 5-minute break to be disappointed at there being nothing in the snack draw that appeals.
And that’s OK. In fact, it’s human. In a world where 12 hour Study With Me videos are glorified over and exhausted eye patches are worshipped, we need to maintain our sanity, even if exams are only 3 weeks away (I’m sorry, I tried my hardest not to mention it). Be kind to yourself, but also take control, be the powerful one - win the war with your mind.
It’s only human to be distracted and to desire things. It’s how we respond that matters. How will you? Feebly succumb to the might of a simple thought? Or encourage yourself to be strong, even brave, dare I say, and come out on top, both in life and in the mini-battle 🏆
Book of the week 📖
I’ve decided to press ‘Pause’ with this for a little while. Instead here’s a recommendation: The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teenagers. Asked my sister to read this over the holiday, you can guess what happened. And if you’ve got a few more wrinkles on your face higher score in the game of Experience, don’t miss out on the original version, written by his dad!
Podcast of the week🎙️
Radio Headspace: Don’t Cry Over Spilt…Chicken Soup
This show was a daily companion during the dreadful days of 2020. Paid it another visit this week.
Article of the week📰
The Climate Game - Can you reach net zero by 2050?
More of a game than something for your eyes to consume but loved it. Tough choices to make in our race to save the Earth.
Quote of the week💬
“Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit”. - Edwin Louis Cole
Let’s conquer our minds,
Adi
A reference to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Talk about “engaging with your studies”…