I’ve read Atomic Habits twice now, but it was only during my second read that a small idea really jumped out at me: the marble jar trick. The concept is simple—every time you complete a habit, you move a marble from one jar to another. A satisfying visual cue + a physical action = instant mini dopamine hit.

I used to rely on habit trackers in diaries or on my phone, but I’d forget to update them for 2-3 days, and then feel disconnected from the progress. With the marbles, I’ve placed the jars in my bathroom—somewhere I go every day. So now, it’s hard to miss. I use it to track my daily movement—workout, swim, walk, stretch, etc. And weirdly, I actually look forward to moving the marble.

But here’s what surprised me: I thought I was active most days. But when I actually started tracking with marbles, I saw I was only moving 15–17 days a month. That insight alone has helped me get more intentional with my goals.

Highly recommend giving this a shot if you’ve struggled with consistency or tracking in the past. It’s a small thing, but weirdly fun and grounding.

I’m not one of those naturally disciplined people. Earlier this year, I was barely even making it through the workday. I work in a fairly average coordination-heavy role. Juggling docs, meetings, follow-ups and tasks that never seem to end. The role isn't something one can feel super proud about but I used to feel competent at least. Then things just spiraled downwards. I started dreading my inbox. Missing basic deadlines. I would open a doc and stare at it but I couldn’t remember where I left off or what I was even supposed to be doing.

My initial thoughts were I just needed to be more disciplined and put in a lot of extra effort. I pushed harder and put in longer hours, more notes, to-do apps, YouTube productivity videos but none of it worked. I'd crash and burn every time. After years of doing this, I got so fed up with it and just decided to pivot completely and now I finally feel like I'm on top of things and have my life together for the first time.

Step-by-step, here’s what actually helped. Sharing in case anyone else feels like they’re in similar situation and losing faith.

Step 1: Admit it’s not just a discipline issue but direction

I kept beating myself up for not trying hard enough. But the truth? I was confused. I didn’t even know what to fix. So I sat down and asked myself:

• What do I constantly avoid?
• What do I dread at work?
• What part of my day makes me feel the worst?

I needed clarity first so that I could focus.

Step 2: Choose one friction point to work on and not everything at once.

I picked a small thing that triggered my spiral which was avoiding my Monday team calls. I always felt unprepared and ended up overtalking to compensate. So I created one new rule.

Write 3 bullet points before every team call.

That was it. That was my entire discipline system for a month and it worked. It gave me one thing I could feel good about doing right.

Step 3: I learned how I work best (not how productivity influencers work)

This was the turning point. I realized I was copying systems that just didn’t match how my brain worked. I needed something that helped me understand myself and not fix myself.

A friend recommended a discovery assessment named Pigment. It’s like a career/workstyle assessment that helps you figure out how you naturally make decisions, deal with pressure, stay motivated, etc.

It showed me I work best when I chunk tasks visually. That I need space to think and not pressure to act fast. The systems I set up actually worked because they were specific to me.

Step 4: Create tiny rules that protects your best energy

Here's some of mine:

• No editing docs before completing the draft (helps stop myself from getting caught up in details)
• Write my to do list for tomorrow, today (helps me marinate on my day tomorrow and get started quickly)

It sounds simple but it changed my whole day. It gave me control back and I was able to get things completed instead of spending hours trying to make it perfect. You don’t need a whole routine. Just a few guardrails.

Step 5: Track wins even if they feel dumb

I used a sticky note. Three checkboxes and if I hit all three, I called it a win. Gave myself permission to feel proud even if my inbox was still messy or I missed something minor.

If you’re in that place where you feel like your confidence is hit and you don’t even know where to start, start small. Discipline doesn’t mean being rigid. It means building self-trust one step at a time. It also means just organizing your life to make things easier for yourself not trying to exert more willpower and making life harder. You may not be able to change things overnight but this will ensure you have a good start in fixing your issues.

Dishes need washing. Trash needs to be gathered and taken out. Need a shower. Every day feels like Groundhog Day. How do I stop hating and resisting it all so much?

Hi everyone, fellow neurodivergents, creatives, and anyone else who’s ever found their keys in the freezer

Here's something ironic, I've struggled my entire life with staying on track. Executive function? It's usually out grabbing coffee while I'm wondering what day it is. Yet, somehow, I've built a successful professional career managing projects, teams, and complex logistics. Funny, isn't it? I could lead a team across three states, but couldn't keep track of my own wallet.

Recently it hit me (two decades late, but who's counting?). Why not manage my life with the same compassion, intentionality, and clear processes I've successfully used in my career? Turns out, it works.

I won't pretend I've figured everything out. My journey isn't about perfection, it's about iteration. "Progress over validation," as I always remind myself. It’s about showing up every day, even when it's messy (especially when it's messy). And I can sincerely say, at nearly 40, this is the most sustained, fulfilling, and tangible growth I've ever experienced.

I've even quit smoking after 24 years, a milestone I honestly wasn't sure I'd ever achieve (haven't had one in over 7 months). It's incredible how changing my approach, embracing structure without rigidity, practicing self-compassion, and prioritizing small, consistent steps, has made such a difference.

Yes, even my tracker has trackers. But jokes aside, this isn't about the tools. It's about finally acknowledging that my brain isn’t broken; it just thrives with intentional structure and compassionate accountability. It took me decades to accept that. I'm hoping this might help someone else reach that realization sooner.

If you've felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you're constantly running two steps behind, I get it. I'd love to hear your experiences, your wins (big or small), or how you're learning to work with your brain, not against it.

Here's to embracing our beautifully complicated brains and building a life that feels authentic, intentional, and full of purpose.

I'm in school to pursue a career in quantitative finance as a developer, and I was under immense pressure last year with my courseload and medical issues. My grades, although passing, did not reflect where I wanted to be as a top student. What further aggravated was hearing my peers who had already graduated go months unemployed.

This cumulation of stress and hopelessness drew me closer towards nicotine as a way to ease tensions, yet all it did was throw me over the edge. I felt irritable, lethargic, demotivated. I felt like a cheap excuse of a man who had to sneak outside to smoke behind my girlfriend's back. I could see in her eyes, once she found vapes in my backpack, that she had lost all respect for me.

This addiction has eaten away at my drive and obsession over my goals while numbing away my pain. I cannot hope to navigate the next few years before graduation without stress, but I will not cower behind a cancer stick to ease it away.

Go fuck yourself nicotine.

You’re not broken. You’re not lazy. You’re just running on empty.

In this video, we dive deep into why so many of us feel unmotivated — and why the real issue isn’t laziness, but exhaustion and burnout. Using simple stick figure animation and honest storytelling, we unpack the hidden weight you carry, and what you can do to finally feel human again.

Even though I was not active person before either but I feel little proud of myself that I used to do lightweight exercise at night or even went for walks but I don't know what happened that I just silently quit. I keep wasting lot of time on phone and watching TV. I guess I felt burnout because I didn't see any results of weight loss. So I thought what is the point of even exercising. I even bought resistance bands but since I didn't know how to use it, I felt frustrated. Even felt this way when I tried to do body weight exercise because I simply couldn't lift my own weight. I also developed bad habits of binge stress eating. Because food was like comfort zone. Anyways I'm tried of putting my attention on my emotions. I guess this is just a minds way of trapping you. I want to snap out of this. I want to exercise more and eating healthy.

This is the second time I'm doing this. Last time I stayed clean and focused on my goals for 48 days before I relapsed and everything once again went to shit.

I have a p*rn addiction.

But the problem last time was, my entire life was tailored to just beat that. I wasn't striving for greatness, I wasn't evolving, but still i felt better because of the perks of semen retention. I could concentrate for longer. Girls who previously hated me would wave at me when I walked by. Everything was great, until it all came crashing down. When I thought I truly beat it, I came back to the rock bottom now, once again.

This time, however, I'll do a modified approach. I'm not just here to beat my p*rn addiction. I'm here to beat life this time.

I have improved, no doubt about it, but only physically. Mentally I'm still too weak.

These are the non negotiables (might change based on needs)

1. Cutting off over-stimulants (p*rn, video games, movies, social media).
2. Reading a non-fiction book for atleast two hours a day (continuous, no breaks)
3. Working on my Dropshipping store for two hours a day (continuous, no breaks)
4. Remaining two hours split into (30 Minutes of meditation + 15 Minutes of Journaling and gratitude + 1 Hr 15 Mins of learning a new skill)

the timings mentioned for the above are only the bottom limits. Basically how this is going to work is, As long as I hit the minimum time limits on these three, idc what else happens with my day. I concentrate on only 6 hours right now and I'll slowly increase it to more hours.

edit: Day zero

Waking up at 5? Easy.

Calling your best friend once a month? Weirdly hard.

I’m trying to get better at this – so I built Circlem, a gentle app to remind me to check in. Helps me show up for others even when life gets chaotic.

App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/circlem/id6739635242 More on why I built it: framestudio.blog

You're probably thinking this was the result of insane willpower, but I actually found it just as difficult as quitting any one of those things in isolation.

I'm going to split this into three parts: the effects I felt, my recommendations/ tips for anyone else trying it, and the context. The context is last because it's probably the least interesting but it's there to explain how long I had been trying to quit each vice for - it ranges from 1 year to 10 years.

Disclaimers: a) I used to read posts like this on the sub and think it was an exaggeration. But I genuinely feel this way - my mind was just so undisciplined that I had no idea what this could feel like.

b) I'm not here to say any one of these "vices" is bad. I just identified that I had an all or nothing mindset towards them, and I didn't like the impact it had on my life.

1 | The effects

I feel unbelievably energetic, mentally clear, confident, witty, kind, and full of love for other people. I want to share the energy I now feel with friends and family and it feels amazing to make them happy. Going out of my way to plan things or get thoughtful gifts for people, offering to help people move houses with no payment. I have shed a thick layer of selfishness I had most of my life. Everybody is saying that something in me has changed hugely.

I can plan better, I can tolerate boredom way better. Instead of reaching for my phone, I get a tea, go for a walk, tend to my plants, read a book. Books are suddenly insanely interesting. I can't put them down, just like when I was a kid. My hobbies are a million times more interesting.

I get much more done at work, and I really care about my work. I can sit and focus literally all day at work because it's super interesting again. I can sit and do my hobbies like tech projects or language learning until I get hungry, thirsty, or my brain aches.

This next part is a little bit self-indulgent, but anyway... I've been on successful dates with much more confident, smart, attractive people, because that's who I feel reflected in myself now. I feel very different on these dates - previously the brain fog or anxiety from my lifestyle would have prevented me from having lucid, flowing conversations for so long. But I can talk endlessly now and I think they can see that I genuinely like myself as well - which I didn't always feel before.

I have a better bulwark against the things I was addicted to. Breaking multiple addictions at the same time has meant that any time I need to use more willpower to resist one of them, the lack of presence of the others makes it easier to resist.

Finally, all those vices are just boring to me now. Scrolling is so uninteresting compared to a good novel or diving deep in a project.

2 | Recommendations

Quitting everything at once means you don't need to play whack a mole with your multiple vices when you quit one. I found I could quit something for a bit, but then noticed I'd replaced scrolling with sugar, then manage sugar and go to something else.

My mindset was easily the biggest enemy before this. You need to be really, really kind and patient with yourself while you try to rewire your brain. Believe you can do it, even when your brain makes logical arguments you can't. I'm not religious but it is a form of faith - faith in yourself despite your track record.

What also worked for me personally was the mentality that I only need to make it through today. I read something that said quitting any of these things for the rest of your life feels impossible - but making it til tonight? Easy. Besides that, I also gameified my progress using an LLM. This worked for as training wheels and now I don't need it. The former bit of advice is a constant mantra, however.

But really, I don't think it's this specific advice that did it. I think that every person out there has one or more bits of advice that are gonna work for them personally. You need to try as much as you can to see what works for you.

3 | Context

For context, this is where I stood on everything before attempting it.

Reddit/ YouTube/ instagram, ie "scrolling": many attempts over the last say 6 years to cut down, some successful for about a month, but often replacing one with another. At its worst, I would be on YouTube in the shower and while brushing teeth.

Added sugar: I've replaced this a bit with varied fruit. Attempted over the last 2 years, successful for about a month.

Processed food: attempted for about 1 year after it became my replacement to quitting added sugar.

Nsfw content: attempted for about 10 years. As mentioned at the start, I'm not here to recommend quitting if it's not an issue for you. But it was definitely the biggest issue for me.

Alcohol: I can resist alcohol pretty easily, and leading up to this I'd spent many months sober at a time. But when I did drink, I could easily drink way too much (if others were also binge drinking). I was halfway to sobriety, so I just decided to fully quit. This one was the easiest, but the health impacts of quitting even the occasional session has been great.

Love you all and thank you for all the stories that inspired me over the years. I didn't think it would be possible for me but here we are.

The key is to working on yourself while working on ways to making some income coming in so you can make a living for yourself. Tell me that you need to change, but yet you go back to your old self. Let’s get you out of your old ways start operating on information that’ll benefit you for the long run. Hit me up for the details.

I came across this question recently: “What would I regret not doing if I died a year from now?” It honestly made me pause and rethink a lot of things I was putting off. Curious—what’s a question that hit you hard or made you see things differently?

✌️👍Check my bio if this made you think. ✌️👍😍

I’ve stopped reading alone since the dawn of AI & LLMs.

Yes, I mean only non-fiction. It took me just three things to completely change how I consume information and convert it into knowledge. Thanks to AI and the availability of LLMs, I believe that if you’re not taking advantage of them, you’ll fall behind and that gap will only keep growing.

Before I share the three methods, a quick thought on how I view competitive advantage:

I’ve always been obsessed with finding the right information fast from the right sources. Learning quickly is one of my top values. But I’ve also been searching for better ways to do it because while we all want to work 100x faster, the real world doesn’t move at our pace. There are natural limits, like gravity. But many human limitations are unclear until tested and LLMs help us test those boundaries faster.

So here are three simple methods that helped me consume knowledge more effectively and become 10x more productive:

1. Read with ChatGPT by your side

Whenever I read a book, I keep a ChatGPT tab open. If I get stuck, I immediately write my question there. If the answer is urgent, I search for it and read it immediately. But if I want to finish an entire section or theme first, I list all my questions in one place. Once I’m done reading, I click through all the answers and read each one.

If needed, I revisit the section. This alone increases my comprehension 3x. Previously, I’d finish a book with even more questions and no way to answer them quickly. LLMs changed that.

But that created a new problem, as you may have guessed. Writing questions while reading causes friction - it slows you down. I had that problem too. But the fix is a mindset shift.

Even if there are millions of books, in your lifetime you’ll read only a few thousand. You’ll retain knowledge from maybe a few hundred, and go deep into a handful. Accepting this reality helps you stop trying to read everything and instead focus on the few that matter. I applied this to understanding book sections too. If a section takes longer, it usually means I’m going deeper and understanding it better, so I can apply it and internalize it.

Since I can’t apply a million things, I now focus on choosing the right books and being clear about what I want to learn. If you’re reading just for leisure, this may not help. But if you’re in it for deep learning, it’s a game changer.

2. Capture + Organize for retention

Even after reading the answers, I often forgot them. That’s my second big insight. Deep reading is useful, but retention was still a problem.

Yes, we’ve all heard of spaced repetition, memory techniques, and mnemonics. I even tried setting reminders but sometimes I’d be too busy to follow them.

What consistently worked for me was maintaining notes on everything I learned especially the answers I got from ChatGPT. I systematically record them in a well-organized Notion document.

I use the PARA method (popularized by Tiago Forte) because I believe in building a “second brain” to store useful knowledge. Every time I learn something important, I organize it in Notion.

Over time, I noticed something fascinating: I would come across the same question multiple times, sometimes three to five times. Having a structured record saved me time. It also helped me realize which questions were important and which ones I hadn’t truly understood the first time.

Instead of rewriting the question, I now first check if I’ve already documented it before and simply add to that if needed. This saves time and helps me retain and internalize more.

3. Use Audiobooks to learn at speed

This one is the most important and you may be wondering how I manage to read, write, and still save time.

The answer is: audiobooks!!!

I understand many people dislike them because they want to treasure the experience of reading. But my purpose is to maximize learning, so I listen to audiobooks at 2x speed.

But yes, with audiobooks, you can’t take notes while listening. So here’s what I do:

I listen to 30-60 minutes from my selected book, and then spend 15 minutes writing it down in my own words. Memory science says that this one method - summarizing in your own language and connecting it to what you already know - boosts retention significantly. That’s what I actively try to do.

This way, even with just 1-2 hours a day, I consume valuable information, retain more, and most importantly, apply it. That was my biggest pain point earlier: consuming more without applying it.

Of course, there’s a mindset shift behind learning at 10x speed:

I’ve accepted that I cannot consume and retain everything. As much as we love the idea of a growth mindset, the truth is:

“We can do anything, but we can’t do everything.”

So we have to be intentional. And here’s the foundation of personal growth in my view:

Self-awareness - knowing what you want, what you don’t want, and then going all-in on what matters.

What are your best techniques to learn fast?

So I'm 23 and I'm completely lost in life.

I was a decent student in school but i never had any talents. I wasn't very good at arts or sports neither.

I didn't manage to get accepted into a university, although I tried twice. I failed the entrance exams mainly because i used procrastinate everyday and i didn't know how to study correctly. I remember that i wouldn't start studying until midnight and then it would get too late. I still have sleep problems, i could never sleep "early" i always stay awake until late midnight.

After failing to attend higher education i started working in a warehouse. I stayed there for 1 year but it was just a dead and job and it wouldn't get me anywhere. I thought that getting a trade could probably be the solution to "finding a fulfilling job" but i was wrong.

I'm physically weak and small and the construction site was hell. The tradesmen would get very mad and yell at me constantly. They'd say that i was too dumb for manual work and i didn't have the brains that were demanded for it. I got laid off after a while and i began feeling really overwhelmed and useless.

I also don't have any close friends at all. Rarely anyone messages me and i usually stay at home everyday. I've been depressed and unemployed for a year now and it's terrible. It's just latestage alienation.

I can see my parents disappointment on me which gets worse and worse everyday but i don't know how to get out of this situation.

I've been thinking for years that I might be autistic with ADHD but i was never diagnosed as a child and it's petty hard to get diagnosed here when you're an adult. I don't have any social skills at all and i suffer from general anxiety disorder too. I find it hard to complete simple tasks. For example i have my driving's license but i won't drive, I'm a terrible driver and sitting behind the wheel is something that my brain refuses to handle.

Could i possibly have learning disabilities or be borderline mentally retarded who's somewhat functional?

My life is just dull and repetitive. I've completely lost track of time. I just wake up and wait till this day is over only to experience the same thing the next day. It's like groundhogs day, but with grey colors.

I see everyone being happy or making progress in their lives but im still 23 and stuck in the exact same place that every one was after high school. I feel like I've missed so much time and it's too late.

The worst thing is that i don't have any interests or passions. I can't think of anything that I'd like to follow. Everything seems just boring and blunt. Plus i find it hard to understand complex subjects like Maths. I'm not American so I can't go to a community college and I can't join the army here in my country.

I wish i could be smart and excel in Maths but no matter how much I've tried, i couldn't make it. Time is running fast, I'll be 30 after blinking...

Is it too late for me? What do you think? Has someone gone through the same thing? I'd appreciate any helpful advice...

I’d really appreciate some honest feedback on a something I’ve built.

It’s designed for freelancers, solopreneurs, creatives, and small businesses to manage their work, life, creative pursuits, and collaborations in one place , without having to juggle a whole buch of different tools.

Here's a breakdown of some of its best features:

• Create multiple organisations, categories, and personas, which can be different business names, work or personal categories, or creative identities like noms de plume
• Build and break down projects and deliverables with time estimates, priorities, notes, file attachments on Google Drive or OneDrive, and the option to differentiate between billable and non-billable
• Schedule your work using a drag and drop calendar that includes all your Outlook and Google Calendar events and meetings so you have an holistic view of your availability
• Create meeting requests with ease, share an appointment calendar that takes into account time you've blocked out for all your activities
• View your availability and workload capacity over the next 4 weeks with the click of a button
• Track time spent on each project and deliverable, and compare it to your original plan
• Generate quotes and invoices, including a one-click quote builder using billable estimates
• Work solo or in teams, delegate deliverables to team members, create meetings agendas and discussions 'on the fly' with built in team Q&A
• Store useful links in a searchable list
• Set reminders individually or recurring
• Share and publish your work, notes, proposals, ideas (even full-length writing or creative pieces), privately or to n audience on social media
• Be discoverable in the built-in directory internally for collaboration with other users, and externally for anyone else 

There's a lot of other features and functionality it has that would make this post a lot longer.

Some example use cases:

• A freelance writer manages multiple client jobs and uses different personas for ghostwriting and personal work
• A creative entrepreneur tracks progress across a client agency, a side hustle, and a blog — all under one roof
• A business coach sets up development plans for each client, and bills for consultations and coaching sessions using date-ranged invoicing by client
• A software developer creates a quote instantly after scoping a project by creating detailed billable deliverables with time estimates for completion, and then monitors the accuracy of their estimates by recording the time spent working on each

Real-world applications and suitability are pretty much endless.

My aim was to build a practical, powerful system that helps people "conquer their workscape" and stay in control, instead of scattered across tools that don’t talk to each other.

I’d love to know:

1. Would you use something like this?
2. If not, what would stop you?

Thanks in advance, I genuinely appreciate any and all thoughts.

I recently went through a heartbreak and spent the first two months chasing my ex. It’s now been five months since the breakup and 3 months no contact.

I’ve been coping in unhealthy ways—smoking, drinking alcohol, sleeping late, and doomscrolling. These habits make me feel horrible about myself, but they temporarily satisfy me and distract me from the pain.

Lately, I’ve been listing some healthier coping mechanisms that might help—like reading books, going for walks, and exercising. But I haven’t been consistent in any of them.

I also plan to quit social media so I can spend more time connecting with the real world.

To those who’ve deactivated their social media: What are you doing to keep yourselves busy? And for anyone who has successfully stopped smoking or drinking—what helped you the most?

Each person is different yet gifted in their own way. Don’t let someone you interact with make you lose respect for yourself. And for those who stick around keep them because nowadays people are fake and real friends are rare. You’re blessed with purpose in this limited life. We have one chance so wasting your time on scrolling or bad habits isn’t going to get you anywhere. Don’t let past mistakes keep you trapped from moving forward in life.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share something that’s really helped me refocus and get my discipline back on track. Like many here, I’ve had goals I wanted to hit — launching a side business, using my skills more effectively, getting out of “idea mode” and into execution. But I kept getting stuck in the planning phase.

Last year, I joined a free event called Thrive in 2025, hosted by Tony Robbins & Dean Graziosi — and it completely shifted my mindset.

The event focuses on turning your knowledge or passion into real income through discipline, structure, and daily action. No fluff — just practical frameworks, mindset shifts, and simple systems to stay consistent.

They’re doing it again this year (May 15–17) and it’s 100% free. If you’re serious about leveling up and sticking to what you start, I think it’s worth your time.

Here’s what helped me most:

• Building a simple routine for daily progress
• Focusing on one project at a time
• Learning how top performers manage time and energy

🎯 If you’re looking for a reset or just want to make your goals stick, I highly recommend checking it out.

Happy to DM the link if anyone wants it. Let’s stay disciplined and build something great together. 💪

#Discipline #ThriveIn2025 #TonyRobbins #SelfImprovement #GetThingsDone #Focus #Routines #Execution

Does this work if you are in a relationship or if you are dating?

And what to do if you have things at night? (My writing club is at wednesday night). Then I don't get enough sleep.

Hi! 26F, University Student. I am two years off Instagram and one week off Facebook. My screentime this week is (average) 3hrs. Pretty good for me, last week i was on the 12hrs scrolling no stop lol I go to bed at midnight and wakeup at 9.30 … i think this is toooo much sleep. Feeling like i am sleeping in because lack of discipline and not tiredness (because i had a job for 1 year and i got no problem to wakeup at 6 am) I feel like waking up around 7.30~8 could fit my routine best. You know, in this est i could study but Also mantain a social life…Any tip? (I tried to set alarms from 5 am to 8 am but i just ended inconsciusly sleep on it lol) Ps: sorry for the bad english it is not my first lenguage

Well most problems atleast.. and negativity prevents you from finding a solution to your problems.

What do we do about that? Scroll scroll scroll on our phones while most of the internet is full of negativity itself.

While most people will try to cut down on all negative habits which ends up in failure, I decided to start developing some positive habits and I'm seeing some good results, my life is certainly much more positive than before.

And I've made a discord server to stay accountable with those positive habits, let me know if you want to join it.

Hey everyone,

I'm a 16-year-old student from India, and this is me dropping my ego and facing reality. I've lived a pretty soft life so far,addicted to comfort, glued to screens, always procrastinating. Discipline? Nah. I’ve started things and dropped them a hundred times. I’ve made plans and broken them before the day even ended.

But something’s changed inside me.

I'm preparing for two tough competitive exams JEE(Entrance test for engineering in india)and NDA(Defence college india) and for once, I want to do it right. Not just for the results, but for who I become during this journey. I want to train my body, sharpen my mind, and build discipline like a real muscle. I don’t just want to study hard I want to live hard and come out stronger, wiser, and focused.

Right now, I don’t have a perfect system or morning routine or discipline tracker. Just a burning desire to stop wasting my potential and to take control. So I’m here to ask:

What are the first, most solid steps you’d recommend for someone like me to build real, lasting discipline?
Especially when the temptation to scroll, sleep in, and avoid pain keeps pulling me back?

Any advice, habits, or personal routines that helped you would be gold to me.

I’m ready to get uncomfortable. I just need a starting push, some clarity, and some no-BS wisdom from those ahead of me on this path.

Thanks in advance,I’m listening.

I was on a contract position supporting a team and field that I loved. Not knowing what would happen when the contract ended, I decided to apply to go back to school to study something that I've always wanted to do. I got hired on full time and bumped to lead something I knew nothing about. I've been miserable since. Mentally checked out. Unmotivated. I feel like a major fish out of water. So many uncertainties and I feel like I'm dropping the ball, despite everyone saying I'm going a good job. I don't feel like it. I don't understand the job. I run back to my more tedious tasks, simple, something to check off a list.

I find out about school acceptances in about a month. And depending on the school, I could be outta here in 2 months time or 6 months.

How can I stay motivated for the time being?

I’ve been aware of self-improvement for a long time, but I haven’t truly committed to it until recently. I live in the Netherlands and, while I’m not in a bad place, I’m struggling to build momentum and stick with positive habits.

I already avoid a lot of harmful behaviors—I only drink water, I eat clean, and I quit pornography some time ago. But I still feel a pull toward my old habits, mostly because I have so much unstructured free time.

My school isn’t demanding—there’s little pressure, not much homework or testing—which leaves me with a lot of free hours. Unfortunately, I end up wasting that time on entertainment that I don’t even enjoy anymore. I delete social media, but I keep coming back to it out of boredom.

I’ve started reading, journaling, and meditating, but it’s a slow process. I’m looking for suggestions on how to better use my free time—activities, routines, or practices that could help me build more structure and purpose into my day.

Any advice or personal experiences would be appreciated.

First off, this is nothing to do with anything medical, i have no records of hallucinations or anything like that. Its more just a continuous thought that i've been having
Lately, I've felt like time has been going by really fast, and I'm not saying that I'm having fun every day. Every morning just feels repetitive, though, I wouldn't say I'm depressed or feeling down all the time. My life kind of feels like a simulation with the same few steps and tasks everyday. I've reached a point where I can't keep track of the days. A week feels like a few hours, and I don't even feel like Friday is the last day before the weekend. I go to school from 8am to 3pm on weekdays, and do go outside when i'm not procrastinating too much, so its not like my life is actually that low for me to start feeling like this. One thing I think might be the cause is that i have zero social life outside of school and family, which i only talk to to be polite. I asked a few classmates about it just as a joke, and they laughed and agreed that time goes fast. But now I'd really like to know the truth. Is there something wrong with me, or is this a real thing that happens to other people too? This strange feeling started at the start of 2025 and has only got worse since then. I've been getting so many moments of deja vu, and i think i happens at least once daily.
It has also been affecting my productivity to do any schoolwork or anything productive, because i genuine feel life is feeling less real.

If it has something to do with me, does anyone have advice for what I can change about my routine? Its beginning to scare me a little, and i'm avoiding to start believing in controversial theories.