0 In the Presence of Temptation

_22.6.2021_ Anything can be a temptation. Temptation is anything that distracts someone from his traction or goal. If my goal is to write one thousand words article, anything other than that is distraction. It includes reading, checking my phone, going to toilet, eating, watching YouTube, and so on. Normally distraction seems more interesting than the goal. It often comes from inside and hard to be recognized. It can be boredom, tiredness, depression, all kinds of feeling that stop us from doing the work. It always present all the time like a predator who is ready to attack any time. It's hard to be killed because it offers pleasure and good feeling. It asks you to take a rest, to feel comfortable and happy at the time. Temptation is the greatest seducer and liar that hide inside the mind. It's easier to kill the enemy in the form of a monster than in the form of a beautiful goddess. I learn this a lot from the story of Ulysses. There is no way that a normal mortal man can resist the temptation of the Sirens. Ulysses made an agreement with his own future self. He asked his armies to tie him on a mast and must not release him no matter what he would do or say. That is how he successfully resisted the temptation. I know I can copy his method. So far I don't do it, but I know it will be very effective to do so. People often overestimate their ability to resist temptations and they fail miserably and keep failing. Today's temptation is not less seductive than the Sirens. People even think that it's what they want, to be tempted and stay being tempted. One is always choosing and choosing wrong. Smart phone is the greatest temptation for me now, and for everyone else. I just turned off my smartphone because while writing this, I'm also constantly checking Facebook, instagram, Whatapps, and YouTube. This is crazy. They got me. It's normal to check them all the time. No wonder so many people fail to achieve their goal even if the goal is just to exercise for one hour or to write an article. Behind these apps there are engineers and experts whose job is to make the users keep on line using the apps. Most people become the victims who do not even realize that they are being used by the apps. Time is the most valuable resources one can possibly have, and it is spent for nothing on those apps. I like reading and I have read thousands books. I'm confidence that I have clear mind, but still I am hooked by those apps. What about those people who do not read at all and always follow the general opinions? It seems that they are doomed. At the same time, I can't turn my phone off most of the time because I work as online English and Mandarin teacher. Internet is my workplace. So I can only turn my phone off when I need to focus and finish some work offline like writing this article. When I was working as a teacher in a school several years ago, I used Facebook all the time, always on and always checking how many people like my status and pictures I uploaded there. Now I am better. I focus better and I read more books. This temptation will always be around me because my work, my friends, my memories are there. I can't just delete it and lose everything. I know it's better that way but the feeling of lost aversion keep stopping me from doing so. So in short, I always lose to temptation. The best way not to be tempted is by removing the temptation from the very beginning. When I turn off the phone, the temptation is much less alluring. What should I do is to focus on the current task whatever it is. It's good to have a schedule and make the progress by making a report every single day. It's better in a written form like a daily note or diary. I easily forget what I really want to do if I do not make the written commitment. On the internet, information comes and goes in the speed of light. I consume hundreds of new information everyday which mostly unrelated to my dream or goal. It crowded out my brain attic and causing distraction all the time. I need to meditate for at least one hour a day to practice focus and concentration. So far I don't do that. I keep consuming those junk information and I don't see no sign of lessen the habit. I'm addicted. I know this and I need to end my addiction soon. I use pomodoros occasionally and I think it's very useful and I will use it again every day. I know my priority and should keep on the track. For now I need to improve my focus by meditation, my health by exercising, my thinking by reading, and my wealth by working as hard as I can. I need to make a schedule and follow the schedule religiously. I know that I'm getting better at self-control compare to several years ago. I'm making slow progress. Today is my chance to be better than yesterday. Writing like this keep me on my track and remind me to improve myself and watch the progress. The most useful techniques I know so far are pomodoros and Ulysses contract. Writing every morning helps me a lot as well. I will do this forever. Now I am a writer. It's ok if no one reads my writing for now. I believe if I keep writing like this, in less than ten years I will become much better writer. The ability to sit down every day and write is difficult. So many painters do not paint, writers do not write every day. Actually it's the best and fastest way to improve the skill needed to be successful later.