Life
Mastering Self-Control:
The Key to Getting What You Want in the 168 Hour Week
Part One
by Kevin Hogan
With the release of The 168 Hour Week: Living the Life You Want 24/7, just three weeks away, I knew you would appreciate some of the answers to the problems of why "Time Management" can't work (at least not in the sense used by the people who currently teach it).
Then I want to show you some of the things that cause this to be the case. I mean it seems like it should be simple enough.
Schedule stuff.
Do what is on the schedule.
But, that's not real life and it doesn't work...in fact...almost never and absolutely never for extended periods of time.
There are two broad categories of "reasons" why this is the case.
Most of the reasons are "outside of the Self," (In other words, "they aren't your fault) but there are a few things which fall into the absolute MYSTERY of why people can't control themselves....and then show you how to actually pull off what very few others...can do!
In the last 20 years, "self-regulation" has become one of THE things to study in Universities all around the world. Self regulations is the study of what it takes to be in CONTROL of the SELF.
I other words:
* If you don't want to be fat you should be able to choose to be skinny...but it doesn't quite work that way.
* If you want to save for retirement you should just be able to do that...but it doesn't happen.
* If you want to exercise because your LIFE depends on it, you'd think you'd have the motivation....but...no.
* If you want to do anything to make your life better it would just seem simple enough to put it into your daily planner and do it...but that isn't the case because the brain doesn't work the way the guru's tell you that it does.
Self Regulation is:
"...those processes, internal and/or transactional, that enable an individual to guide his/her goal-directed activities over time and across changing circumstances (contexts). Regulation implies modulation of thought, affect, behavior, or attention via deliberate or automated use of specific mechanisms and supportive meta-skills."
Karoly (1993)
There IS a definition...so why the HECK can't people control themselves?!
We're learning more and more about what really works and what doesn't and as always, my job in life is to give you the inner scoop as to which is which. (In plain English, not academic jargon, if that's... okeedokee with you.)
Self-control is the ability to make decisions about how and when we express our thoughts and feelings, and which of our impulses to act on.
It's about driving your own brain as you would a car. This is what you want to have happen:
- You think of where you want to go.
- You head out in that direction.
- Stuff happens along the way (like detours, road construction).
- You take actions to either wait for the road to open (next year) or take a newly planned detour now.
- See if you're getting there using the route.
- Get there.
You did it quickly and completely because of self control.
Sounds pretty darn easy...
And it's rare that it happens.
Why Can't People Control Themselves?
Why do people find themselves completely unable to reroute their plans, control or direct their frustrations toward changing their behaviors to get to their destination, and instead.... get somewhere, which is right next to nowhere?
It's because few people ever learn to self-regulate.
In this article, I will use this term and self-control interchangeably. In coming weeks we'll tease out the differences, but I don't want to get stuck in the nuances because that's yet another way of self-sabotaging...trying to be perfect. Trying to spell every word wright...right? Most people can't get past wright, to actually live life.
Trying to never end a sentence with a ...umm...what was it you're not supposed to end a sentence WITH?)
Exactly.
We don't care.
Spend time thinking about what to end a sentence with brings you how much fulfillment? Money? Happiness?
Zip.
Starting this moment forward, you and I self-regulate. You and I practice self-control which DOES bring fulfillment, money and happiness.
You and I don't care whether the detour sign spells DETURE wrong. You and I care about USING the actual detour route to GET to where we WANT TO GO while everyone else walks around trying to find someone to tell that DETURE is spelled wrong.
Self-control is an every day, life-long process, which starts from TODAY and (I hope) continues for the rest of your life. In this article I'll point out how to keep in check all self-destructive and irrational behaviours.
What are the benefits of mastering self-control? And just HOW do you make it happen??!
You can do it...probably...: Page | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 
Kevin Hogan
Network 3000 Publishing
3432 Denmark #108
Eagan, MN 55123
(612) 616-0732
Photos appear under license with Stockexpert.
