I’ve slipped on some of the progress I’ve made in regards to my health earlier this year, by eating better and drinking less. Due to lacking self control I knew that I would need. When I decided I was going to allow myself to give into some of these comforts, I made a few rules. I told myself this would require discipline, it would require stamina. There will be moments you will be tired, stressed, angry and hungry. Additionally, I would need to keep HALT in mind. I first encountered the expression HALT while reading the book “The Alcohol Experiment”. The term is used quite often in addiction settings. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. It is a reminder to check in with yourself before making decisions. Who hasn’t made a poor decision while being hangry?
Revisiting Forgotten Resources
Nevertheless I am here now, slipping on my own rules giving into the comforts that I know lead to an undesired path. As I wrote about my frustration with the lack of discipline I’ve shown, I thought if I only had some tools I could use. I kept thinking to myself “discipline is the way”. But that was not right, I looked behind me on the book shelf and there was “Discipline is Destiny” by Ryan Holiday.
This book is chock-full of ideas to improve and practice temperance in your life. (Ironically enough, HALT is also referenced in this book.) As I go through my notes, I am reminded that my body keeps score. I make decisions each day not just about what I eat and drink, but how much sleep I get, and who I let into my life. The things I take in through my eyes and ears. Every day, my body is logging my choices and sometimes it’s clear what their outcome is immediately. Other times it is not until much later that I realize what was happening or rather what had happened. The decisions have an impact on who I am, how I feel and what I look like.
Anyone who has ever tried to break a habit, create a new one or do something hard, like losing weight, knows it takes work. You start out and the road looks long and hard. It is a long grind. It takes making the right daily decisions, having the discipline to get where you want to go.
The Power of Books
I’ll close with this. George RR Martin has said ” A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives once.” Someone, somewhere has had the same struggles that I have struggled with, someone has written about it, someone has done a bit of the hard work for me. Look for it, use it, refer to it, study it, use what you have.
Don’t just read the books. Write in them, mark them up, dog ear pages, really use them so that you get the most out of these tools. Write your notes in a common place book to refer to. Reflect on them in the future; for moments like the one I described above.
Although this is a routine for me now, I still forget to utilize all that is available to me. Which is why I need to allow room in my life to think about it. To give space for the tools to resurface themselves. Take the pause because it is everything.