Create Structure When You’re Floundering
Create Structure(ˈstrəkCHər) When You’re Floundering(ˈfloundər)
By Leo Babauta
The best of intentions(inˈtenCHən) often flops(fläp) around without some kind of structure.
You might decide you’re going to change your diet(ˈdī-it) and lose(lo͞oz) some weight(wāt), but when mealtime comes around, you just eat the same kind of food and still get too full from eating too much. Or you decide you’re going to procrastinate(prō-,prəˈkrastəˌnāt) less and be more focused, but then after a short success, you start going to your usual(ˈyo͞oZHo͞oəl) distractions(disˈtrakSHən). You start exercising(ˈeksərˌsīz) but then get lazy(ˈlāzē) and fall off the habit(ˈhabit). You start waking early but then have a late night or two and the whole house of cards comes crashing down.
We start with great intentions, but the harder ventures(ˈvenCHər) cause us to flounder around. Then we repeat that: start with good intentions, flounder around. Over and over again, until we feel hopeless(ˈhōplis) to change anything or start to nourish(ˈnə-riSH,ˈnəriSH) a deep sense(sens) of inadequacy(inˈadikwəsē).
What can we do to change things? It’s not you, it’s your method(ˈmeTHəd).
If your current method of change isn’t working (start with good intentions and then flounder), you have to try a new method.
Unfortunately(ˌənˈfôrCHənətlē), there isn’t just one perfect method. But there is one thing you can do to vastly improve your method: add some kind of structure.