How to start a new life today instead of Monday?

“Today, I will rest, but from tomorrow I will pull myself together.” Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? There is even such a concept – “tomorrow man”. In a sense, we are all tomorrow. Starting Monday, we promise ourselves to go to the gym, start learning a foreign language, get rid of bad habits, etc. However, tomorrow is a day that never comes. Therefore, every tomorrow turns into today.

And our promises to ourselves (and sometimes to other people) are postponed for an eternal “sweat”. Is there a way to get out of this cunning, vicious circle?

4 tips on how to start living today and not put off until tomorrow

So, imagine that today is Monday – Day X. It’s time to keep your promises. What did you promise yourself there, by the way? I don’t want to start from scratch. Getting started is the hardest part of any venture.

Especially when it comes to overpowering yourself, changing something in yourself is not easy: we have to get rid of the habits we have grown together and get used to something new. Gradually, the new way of life becomes natural. But in the beginning. We are constantly tormented by the question: where to start?

And the truth is, which of us has not started a new life – certainly from Monday? This is a symbolic date – the beginning of the week. When it is challenging to get down to something, we attach a certain symbolism to everything. Monday is the first day of the new week.

And each of us must promise himself to start living differently from Monday. Perhaps that is why this day suffers so much from dislike? We make an effort on ourselves: we start learning English, quit smoking, open the season for a healthy lifestyle, buy a gym membership. How do these undertakings, tied to such a symbolic date, end? As a rule, absolutely nothing. At most, our promises remain in memory until Wednesday. And then everything is forgotten. A new cycle begins – of life and promises. It seems the time has come to put an end to this “bad infinity”!

Argue for yourself for every action you take

To begin with, we decided to figure out why this eternal “Monday cycle” is born. Is there a way to find solid ground for a new life? Such a way that our path to improving ourselves and the quality of our existence does not end on Wednesday. By the way, the term “bad infinity” was invented by the German philosopher Georg Hegel.

What is “bad infinity”?

Hegel pondered over this problem and coined the term “bad infinity” for it. The philosopher, thus, wrote about a complete process of change – of the same type and monotonous nature. Typically, these changes are not allowed by some end. It looks like an endless circle. Hegel compared this to a ball:

“This is a senseless endless rolling of the ball from one corner of the room to the opposite.”

Have you also encountered “bad infinity”? For some reason, we are sure that yes. However, let us return to the argumentation of our actions. Adults, as a rule, act consciously in their lives.

For example, if a person wants to get a big salary in the field of programming, then he will improve his qualifications. For example, read books by profession. The same goes for deliberate decisions to change occupation. For example, you are a teacher, and you want to retrain as a manager. What do we have to do? That’s right: take specialized courses, read more literature on management, consult with professionals, study the job market, etc.

If you feel that your health is weak, then what will you do? Most likely, take care of the correct diet, consult your doctor, and start exercising. All these are deliberate decisions related to the analysis of the situation and weighing the facts. What conclusions can we draw from this? If you want the efficiency of your activity to be higher, then it is worth, first of all, giving arguments “for” and “against” – for yourself. This will help you understand: should you do this activity? Maybe your laziness is just a rational excuse not to do unnecessary things.

Work on your discipline

Earlier, raising children was much stricter. So, since childhood, we have known several famous sayings: “Stretch your legs by clothes”, “Business – time, fun – an hour”, etc. In the end, let us remember the favourite phrase of our grandmothers: “There is no word” I want “, there is a word “necessary.

Have you encountered this? We are sure that definitely yes! Today, the approach to raising children has changed. Let’s remember Japan. It is believed there that children under six years old cannot be prohibited from anything.

This educational policy lies in the fact that after six years of age, the life of children becomes much more difficult. Learning begins, and the approach to children is more challenging. Discipline comes to the fore.

Indeed, the principle of rigid discipline is the root of truth. To reach your goal, you sometimes need to move forward in small steps. This is fine. More often than not, we witness situations where achievement results from hard work and prolonged effort. Money bags and crowns rarely fall on the head.

Therefore, it is worth considering: are you willing to adhere to discipline to achieve the goal? Let’s look at a specific situation in practice. Let’s say you decided to study English. What do we have to do? How not start your studies? How not quit this case the next day? The answer lies in self-discipline.

So, make it a rule for yourself: you devote 10-15 minutes to English every day. You learn new words, master new rules. Another situation: they decided to read a heavy and large book. For example, “War and Peace”. Today on the Internet, there are many memes about new books that we buy and put in a neat pile.

Indeed, how many texts did you start reading and not finish? Mass! So, to master the book to the end and not give up reading, give yourself a directive: read five pages every day. You will gradually get used to reading and expanding that framework. 5 pages, then 10, 15, etc. Any skill, including reading, requires training. Slowly increase your daily reading rate and only move forward!

Keep a diary

We have forgotten how to write letters and keep diaries. Today it is perceived as a kind of relic of past eras. However, most people don’t know how disciplined we are to keep a diary! The rule is: write every day, at least according to the proposal. Plus, you’ll get not only a self-discipline workout but a fixed history of your life. How will it be interesting to read your notes later and remember what happened, right?

Another question: which diary should be kept? As for external parameters, it can be both paper and electronic diaries. It’s great if you design your diary creatively: with drawings stickers, stickers, tabs, photos, etc.

Another way to record your impressions or chronology of events in your life is to take notes on your phone or write brief notes on the calendar. What to write in the diary? Yes, at first, it can be challenging to take impressions out of your head and put them into words.

But over time, you will learn to highlight important thoughts, record information and essential facts, and write reminders about upcoming events. Write about your impressions and plans. Pour out your aspirations, dreams, pain to the paper! A diary is not only a discipline but also a method of psychological recreation.

Learn to relax

This is the last tip – last but not least. The current way of life is rapid. Do you know whether there is rapid in filming or chess? This is a kind of accelerated rhythm, a way of life, a way to record facts and experience emotions. Events seem to be piling up on top of each other, and it’s hard to believe that there are 24 hours in a day. It seems that hours 5 so much time has accelerated.

We have little time, we do not get enough sleep, we are in a hurry all the time, and our affairs are becoming more and more.

Yes, indeed, people are in the mood for workaholism. A “philosophy of achievement surrounds us”. Going to social networks, we see that people endlessly visit some events, exhibitions, courses, travel, and, it seems, do not spend a minute alone.

However, this is only a first impression. In pursuit of excellence, we forget how important it is to rest and gain strength. After all, if you do not have the strength, you cannot count on reaching new heights. In addition, our inability to rest is associated with stereotypes. Take a nap on the couch? Loafer!

Although, what’s wrong with the fact that a person needs to relax a little? Workaholics generates this stereotype. They believe that rest is a waste of time. Mercantile spirit and pragmatism require us to benefit from every minute. If so, maybe you should remind yourself more often about the benefits of rest?

It must be remembered that rest can be different. So, people who are accustomed to benefit from every minute will blame themselves for watching a movie. Unless, of course, it is a documentary or any other educational film on weekends, such people will clean their homes, cook food, learn foreign languages, or exercise hard.

Because how can you imagine leisure time useless? However, the truth is that such activities are not conducive to relaxation. It may even be doing more harm than good because a person must have time when his brain and body are resting.

Every valuable resource requires renewal, restoration. If you think that rest is games or entertainment, then this is also a mistaken judgment. Such activities require remarkable mental concentration. The best rest for the mind is active, physical work. Trekking, hiking, long walks. It helps you relax and put your thoughts in order! Defocus your brain for at least an hour a day, so it is ready to be productive again.