Counter-intuitive technique for rapidly increased self-discipline
I want to share a powerful technique for increasing your inner potency, clarity, and discipline. It works quickly, and it works substantially (i.e. it’s not like a placebo or technique for self-repression). I’ll share with you what the technique is, how it works, and then I’ll take you through how to use it. If this post hits its mark, you should have an excellent day and week ahead of you.
Alright.
Embody That Which You’re Becoming
The big mistake that almost 90% of us make here is focusing excessively on aspects of ourselves that we dislike, disapprove of, and attempt to eliminate.
It makes sense from a certain perspective — for example if you want a clean room, you need to eliminate garbage and dirt. If you want pure water, you need to filter out all the contaminants. If you want to write a good essay then you need to edit out the mistakes.
BUT!
This logic doesn’t apply to a psychology. When we apply that logic to ourselves, it takes the form of “I’m going to scratch this mosquito bite in order to make the itch go away.” See? With this approach we both know it would make the bite — and the itch — worse.
We need to use a whole different kind of logic altogether. This is a powerful shift.
In order to cultivate more discipline, we need to embody that which we’re becoming. In a process that I’ll describe below, we need to stop staring at the qualities that we need to get rid of — and instead focus on the qualities that we wish to develop in order to continue the process of our growth and evolution.
The Unconscious Mind is Excellent and Embodying Things
What’s so rad about this kind of discussion is that the unconscious mind is excellent at embodying things. Way, way better than we give it credit for. It only truly becomes apparent when we use techniques like the one below and we realize how much difficulty we needlessly create by using our unconscious mind to generate more difficulty.
In fact, most of the work is done once we simply identify what the qualities are that we wish to embody. The trick is to look at the aspects of ourselves that we’re irritated/frustrated with and identify its opposite.
So let’s ask the question: what the hell is wrong with you? (LOL)
“I’m lazy” — — → then we’re looking for more motivation.
“I’m distracted” — — → then we’re looking for more focus and congruence.
“I’m confused” — — → then we’re looking for more clarity.
“I’m wasting time” — — → then we’re looking for more consistency, productivity, & flow.
So please take a moment to identify what qualities you wish to embody before proceeding to the next section. There’s no upper limit, you can add as many to the wishlist as you like.
Create an Intention to Embody These Qualities
All that’s required now is a firm intention.
Say aloud (i.e. with your voice) with any amount of sincerity: I hereby intend to experience my innate clarity now. You can of course exchange ‘clarity’ with anything else.
This technique applies to inner qualities that you’d use to create the external results that you want.
Here are a few different phrasings to try out:
It’s my intention to activate deeper levels of intelligence and wellness now.
I hereby invoke intense focus and consistency in myself now, it is done.
You can also try it like a question that you can explore:
What is the experience of being deeply, profoundly motivated?
What would it be like to begin the most consistently productive time of my life to date?
You can say them aloud, or write them out. Either works. For best results, do this daily for a week.
Summary
Here’s the TL;DR
The big mistake that we make is excessively focusing on the aspects of ourselves and our lives that we wish to get rid of.
This is a mistake because by pointing our attention there so much, we’re also pointing our creativity to it and generating more of the problem for an ongoing treadmill effect.
Identify the qualities that you’d like to embody in yourself.
Write or state aloud your intentions to embody these qualities now.
Notice how it feels immediately to do this, and notice the results that ensue over the upcoming 24 hours.
Create a daily practice of this to really start turning things in an excellent direction for yourself.
Let me know how it goes!
Brent
