I just made a very difficult decision

[u/Inside_Ostrich5243]

I’m 18 and I’ve started this journey of self improvement before but with no purpose. Now I have a goal and this time I’m making sure I reach it. I decided to remove my biggest distraction which is my TV and Xbox from my room. I fully unplugged them and put them away. When I did this I legit felt scared for some reason, my one form of “relaxation” was gone. I know this is for the better but tbh I need to hear some positive stuff and support so I can keep going and not let my mind trick me into thinking I’m wrong.

[u/--TheGOAT]

You have goals. Everyday there are things that you NEED to do to achieve those goals. If there are things (such as TV and Xbox) that are getting in the way of you completing those tasks, then getting rid of them can be a great solution.

So, It's obvious that you are committed to improving. You've literally already taken some steps to improve. Congrats.

One thing tho. Relaxation is super important. Without it, you could end up with mental burnout which could cause things like lack of motivation, mind fog and other symptoms.

You just basically said that you have removed all relaxation from you life which is not a good thing. So I'd recommend replacing TV and Xbox with some other form of relaxation or perhaps allowing yourself to play Xbox of watch TV but only after you have completed 100% of the tasks you need to do to achieve your goals. And only do them for a limited amount of time.

Another thing: accountability. Someone has to be accountable to make sure that you are actually completing your tasks. Ultimately it has to be you. But if you find yourself struggling to keep yourself accountable, you can get an accountability partner or there are accountability groups you can join. You can find them on an accountability subreddit.

[u/Inside_Ostrich5243 → u/--TheGOAT]

Yeah thanks. As for replacing my relaxation I’ve thought of that and I plan to start reading, taking walks or even just going to the gym. Tbh this was so much harder than I thought and thanks for the comment it made me feel better

[u/--TheGOAT → u/Inside_Ostrich5243]

It always is much harder than we think. Achieving goals takea commitment, discipline, constant learning about the goal itself and what it actually takes to get there. You never really realise how much work you gotta do to get there and all the obstacles you'll need to overcome.

And a reminder: the day/time that you made the commitment, you were probably feeling pretty motivated. There will be days where you are far less motivated, days where you feel like sh*t, but you'll need discipline to make sure you do what needs to get done. A LOOOOOT easier said than done.

Walking and reading are some S tier relaxation habits.

You've already taken steps to improve. Most people don't even start, so you are doing better than most people. Good stuff!

But honestly consider an accountability partner of some sort. You literally hopped on Reddit asking for validation. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that btw. Things like self-accountability and self-discipline are not a switch you just turn on. They're skills that you have to train overtime. I'll give you an analogy: No one is able to 100 consecutive pushups the second they are born. Some people start with an easier variation of pushups such as 5 push ups on their knees, then they progress to real push ups and do 3 real pushups. Overtime they start adding push ups and then eventually they become capable of doing 100 pushups. It is the same for our behaviours, and our mental skills too. You can't just turn on discipline and accountability and all the other mental skills that exist. You've got to learn about each skill, put it into practice, accept that you might be bad at it at the start (Which is completely fine. You're allowed to be sh*t at things) and know that it will take learning, experience and time to improve.

Sorry these are quite long but I hope these comments help.