Navy Seal guide to succeeding.

Eric Barker has offered another excellent batch of self-improvement advice, this time on the importance of grit. Here is the conclusion to his link-rich article: Purpose and meaning. It’s easier to be persistent when what we’re doing is tied to something personally meaningful. Make it a game. It’s the best way to stay in a competitive mindset without stressing yourself out. Be confident — but realistic. See the challenges honestly but believe in your own ability to take them on. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Grit comes a lot easier when you’ve done the work to make sure you’re ready. Focus on improvement. Every SEAL mission ends with a debrief focusing on what went wrong so they can improve. Give help and get help. Support from others helps keep you going, and giving others support does the same. Celebrate small wins. You can’t wait to catch the big fish. Take joy where you can find it when good times are scarce. Find a way to laugh. Rangers, SEALs, and scientists agree: a chuckle can help you cope with stress and keep you going.

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Lack of human connectedness as the cause of “addiction”

This article at Huffpo argues that addiction cannot be found as internal chemical hooks, but rather as a symptom of human boredom and isolation:

The rats with good lives didn't like the drugged water. They mostly shunned it, consuming less than a quarter of the drugs the isolated rats used. None of them died. While all the rats who were alone and unhappy became heavy users, none of the rats who had a happy environment did. At first, I thought this was merely a quirk of rats, until I discovered that there was -- at the same time as the Rat Park experiment -- a helpful human equivalent taking place. It was called the Vietnam War. Time magazine reported using heroin was "as common as chewing gum" among U.S. soldiers, and there is solid evidence to back this up: some 20 percent of U.S. soldiers had become addicted to heroin there, according to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Many people were understandably terrified; they believed a huge number of addicts were about the head home when the war ended. But in fact some 95 percent of the addicted soldiers -- according to the same study -- simply stopped. Very few had rehab. They shifted from a terrifying cage back to a pleasant one, so didn't want the drug any more.

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How to stop procrastinating

I don't know whether I'm a typical procrastinator. I avoid unpleasant and difficult tasks by doing difficult tasks that I enjoy. I'm not a time-waster, but the effect is the same: I repeatedly struggle to get finished with projects that I deem to be the most important. I paused my "modified" procrastinating for a moment and decided to post on this summary by Eric Barker, who consistently does a good job of posting on self-improvement topics. The take home is this, but do check out the article, which is filled with useful links:

  • You don’t need more willpower. You need to build a solid habit that helps you get to work.
  • Getting started is the tricky part. Turn that habit into a “personal starting ritual.” It can even have some fun to it as long as it signals that in a few minutes, it’s time to get cranking.
  • The most powerful habits change how you see yourself. Think about what makes you feel like someone who gets things done and make that a part of your starting ritual.
  • Eat chocolate with friends. Maybe not literally, but it’s a good reminder that you need both rewards and a support network to build rock solid new habits.
Here's one other excellent article by Eric Barker, along the same lines: How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips. I do like the idea of scheduling EVERYTHING, and not simply making to-do lists. Point two of the list below is also golden.
  • To-Do Lists Are Evil. Schedule Everything.
  • Assume You’re Going Home at 5:30, Then Plan Your Day Backwards
  • Make A Plan For The Entire Week
  • Do Very Few Things, But Be Awesome At Them
  • Less Shallow Work, Focus On The Deep Stuff

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How to make better decisions

Eric Barker's summary: The five step process for making better decisions: Maintain a feeling of control over your situation. Emotional preparation. Consider how things could be worse. Monitor your breathing. Controlled empathy. Ask “What advice would I give my best friend in this situation?”

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