Another three months, another check-in. Here we go with the same questions as usual:

What was good?
What wasn’t so good?
Goals for the months ahead?

Let’s do it.

The Good

1. Novel Experiences

Close friends of mine will know that a fair amount has happened in the last few months, not all pleasant. I got diagnosed with atypical pneumonia (largely resolved, thankfully). I felt betrayed by a close friend. I’ve forced myself to study and work out when I didn’t really want to (more on that below).

All of this has been fertilizer for growth. Though these experiences were by no means extreme, they were uncomfortable enough to force me out of my comfort zone. And when one is forced to adapt, they often get better.

Here’s to more challenges. Onwards and upwards.

2. Consistency/Accountability

In February, I expressed frustration at my partner for my lack of YouTube videos. I felt like posting more was something I wanted to do but couldn’t muster the discipline to. After some discussion, we entered into an agreement which was this: either I post one YouTube video a month or I have to pay her $200.

Since the agreement, I haven’t missed a video (February, March).

Due to this raging success, I’ve found myself entered into more agreements such as:

• Do 50 Anki cards a day or pay $50;
• Spend <2 hours per day per week on the iPhone or pay $200;
• With a $120 upfront payment, perform 120 sets of upper body workouts at the gym to get $1 back per set.

I used to severely underestimate the power of accountability. It’s easy to think that you’re good enough on your own; that you’re disciplined enough to do what you’re supposed to do, when you’re supposed to do it.

But in times when you’re feeling lazy and just want to be a bum, it’s nice to have someone (and some money) pushing you on. These have been some of my most productive months in my life.

The Bad

1. Procrastination

Despite what I just wrote about accountability, I do find myself slipping into this delusion that I have more time than I really do. This leads to me rushing to do things that I well could’ve done earlier.

For example, these posts are posted close to midnight because I rush to edit them. My last two YouTube videos were posted near the end of the month, having procrastinated on filming. Most of the Anki cards I do are done in the last hour of the day.

The danger with all this is that it gives the illusion that you have time. If I apply this psychology to life generally, I might squander these precious years and hours I have today. As Seneca wrote, the whole future lives in uncertainty: live immediately.

It would be good to build more of a hour-by-hour calendar – something that tells me what I need to do and when to do it by. I used to do this practice more in undergraduate but my neuroticism levels have been frighteningly low this year. Perhaps it’s time to bring it back.

Goals

1. Two YouTube videos a month;
2. Make daily plans;
3. Keep up my accountability challenges.