Motivating myself to do something more constructive.

thewalkindude

I feel there is plenty of constructive things i should be doing. Examples would be, reading about Buddhism, meditation, and working out.

Problem is after a lame day at work i just want to lay on the couch and watch tv or surf the web.

Perhaps i should just start forcing myself to do these sort of things? I also have issues with sticking with something for an extended period of time. Sometimes i get bored with it or i see something else that looks more fun to do.

SkyLotus

I feel that way quite often! But a majority of the time, I think it's better to fight the part of ourselves that resist, and do something for our betterment. For example, I was being incredibly lazy and doing anything to avoid my homework, but now that I have it done, I feel better! I also try and reward myself, so I think about it like, "If you finish your homework, you can read your sutras, take a bath, and relax!"

mithril

Sometimes it helps just telling yourself that you can lay on the couch but can't turn on the TV, or sit at the desk but not open up a browser, for 5 minutes.

When i do this sometimes i just realize that what i was about to do makes no sense and get motivated to do valuable things instead =] Its easy to waste days watching TV or browsing the net; but when you just wait 5 mins you rather not "waste so much time", that is not doing anything for the 5 minutes, and actually begin doing something that seemed impossible to get to a moment ago. Im not advising you do meditation, that already "has to be done". Just wait in whatever place or position you are or want to be, but don't proceed to turning on the true time wasters.

Epicurus

One word. Mindfulness. It really takes the edge off "practice". You can do it any time, any where, in any situation.

thewalkindude

One word. Mindfulness. It really takes the edge off "practice". You can do it any time, any where, in any situation.

Could you link me to a website or book i could buy to learn more? I have tried to learn about mindfulness but every source i have found made it seem very complex. They way people speak of it i dont think it is that complex.

fivebells

Today I got obsessed with this game, American Dream. You trade "stocks" named after cheesy music and movie stars, and try to make money flipping them as their prices fluctuate. You use the profits to buy furniture for your house, and when you have enough of it, your boss comes over for a party, has sex with your wife, and gives you a stock tip which you can use to great success in the next round of trading. The objective is to raise $1M. How's that for constructive?

sndymorn

I feel there is plenty of constructive things i should be doing. Examples would be, reading about Buddhism, meditation, and working out.

Problem is after a lame day at work i just want to lay on the couch and watch tv or surf the web.

Perhaps i should just start forcing myself to do these sort of things? I also have issues with sticking with something for an extended period of time. Sometimes i get bored with it or i see something else that looks more fun to do.

I was quite like this but I changed.
When I realized that I would flit from project to project and never finish ,I asked myself why. I came to the conclusion that I had ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder. Now, I self -diagnosed so I am on no meds. I simply , and this is many years now, decided I had this condition. I do not care if I really do.
Because I have ADD , I must deal with its symptoms: inability to stay on task, wandering thoughts and the like. I decided that if I could not stay on one task , I must have three or four going at the same time. So that is what I do. I told myself I needed to be able to switch from one goal to another because I knew I was not the type to finish one thing and go on to the next. I gave myself permission to flit from project to project (not in the work/career realm so much but I am my own boss) and this has allowed me to be much more productive.
I , an ADD sufferer, must , if I want to accomplish anything in life, do many projects simultaneously.

Spaceless

I feel there is plenty of constructive things i should be doing. Examples would be, reading about Buddhism, meditation, and working out.
Problem is after a lame day at work i just want to lay on the couch and watch tv or surf the web.
Perhaps i should just start forcing myself to do these sort of things? I also have issues with sticking with something for an extended period of time. Sometimes i get bored with it or i see something else that looks more fun to do.

Life of beings in the western paradise of Amitabha watches life shows or surfing 10 directions, reading, meditation and working out, social interactions as well, but these activities are inherent joys and serenity, possessing wholesome compassion and wisdom of bliss in emptiness.

nibbuti

Hi thewalkindude. It's a good idea to drop the passive conditioning via tv. But if I were you I'd drop two things: not only the watching tv, but also the having to do something constructive. Because all constructed things will pass, dwell diligently in the moment, follow your obligations with mindfulness and start and finish every day with dhamma study and meditation. This will take away sloth and torpor and give back energy, joy and tranquility, as a basis for further practise.

formermonkJohn

cap, that's fine if your a monk, but most of us have to do something constructive to make a living, imagine if the buddha had set out not to do anything constructive, where would we be now.......

nibbuti

cap, that's fine if your a monk, but most of us have to do something constructive to make a living, imagine if the buddha had set out not to do anything constructive, where would we be now.......

Hi former monk John. There is a misunderstanding. I didn't say drop all worldly obligations, like work, school and family (just returned from work myself). I said drop 'having to do something constructive', that is, let go of constructing something that is not you, here, now. The expectation to do or be something special is very common in our time and place. In fact, it is so common that some regard doing or being something special as an obligation in itself and feel guilty otherwise. But it's a hindrance for practise. So let go of it. Of course, a little common sense here doesn't hurt.

Epicurus

One word. Mindfulness. It really takes the edge off "practice". You can do it any time, any where, in any situation.

Could you link me to a website or book i could buy to learn more? I have tried to learn about mindfulness but every source i have found made it seem very complex. They way people speak of it i dont think it is that complex.

The way I went about it was to watch a couple of videos on youtube by Jon Kabat-Zinn, really. You're right, it's not at all complex. I see it like this.....imagine you are in a really crowded bar, with people talking and music in the background. But people talk so loud the music....is barely recognizable. Still, there's this thing you can tap into....to pay close attention, to try to decipher what song is playing. In those couple of seconds where you are paying attention to the music alone....that's you being mindful. Being mindful IS paying attention. Zoning in on one thing.

The way I like to think about it is....try to ask the question (well don't make a habit out of it, since your mind is supposed to be empty ) - HOW does it feel/sound/look/etc?. HOW does it feel when I step on the concrete floor, HOW does it feel when I breathe in/ out.....etc etc

That's a queue for your awareness to take hold. For a second you experience emptiness...and you become one with the sound or sight or feeling...It's just like meditation, only you do it 24/7 with every and anything really.

As counter-intuitive as it might sound...after a while you DO feel certain insights rising up due to paying attention to things. Insights you wouldn't have before usually. At least, that's my experience.

federica

I feel there is plenty of constructive things i should be doing. Examples would be, reading about Buddhism, meditation, and working out.

Problem is after a lame day at work i just want to lay on the couch and watch tv or surf the web.

Perhaps i should just start forcing myself to do these sort of things? I also have issues with sticking with something for an extended period of time. Sometimes i get bored with it or i see something else that looks more fun to do.

Ask somebody to take your TV for a month, and your computer too.
Then find something constructive to do, because you have no alternative.

Epicurus

^You can always just do nothing. I'm a testament to that

pearl

You could try working out while you watch tv. Think of simple exercises like push ups, sit ups, squats, and stretches you can do in front of the tube. You could even watch a dharma video while you work out.

Thao

I feel there is plenty of constructive things i should be doing. Examples would be, reading about Buddhism, meditation, and working out.

Problem is after a lame day at work i just want to lay on the couch and watch tv or surf the web.

Perhaps i should just start forcing myself to do these sort of things? I also have issues with sticking with something for an extended period of time. Sometimes i get bored with it or i see something else that looks more fun to do.

Sounds like me. I have made myself get up in the morning and meditate and do my Buddhist lesson early as well. Then I get to working. But you have to put in an 8 hour days, and getting up early may be difficult but worth it. When I am finished working in the yard in the afternoon i am almost too tired to read or meditate, but i make myself meditate. i think surfing the web is the worse culprit to studying. i only came on here to answer an email, and here i am writing an answer to people's posts. ha. i bet you don't get tired of surfing or watching t.v. in other words, you said that you get bored and find other things to do, but do you get tired of t.v. or surfing the web? i never do. so i would say limit your time with each.

shanyin

My favorite quote:

"So if you decide not to make use of the opportunities that you have, not to try to live your life in a helpful constructive manner, you look back and say why did I bother living?"