Self-Discipline for Tedious, Boring, and Difficult Things

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” —Carl Sandburg

the more immersed you are and the fewer distractions you indulge in, the quicker the work goes and the less tired you feel.

None of us can control the fact that there are some annoying tasks and obligations we’re required to do in life, but we can control how we do those things and the way we think about them.

Being engaged in deep work can feel great—and procrastinators are sometimes surprised by just how much they can do once they’ve gotten started. But resist the temptation to do just five more minutes, even if you’re feeling really engaged.

he entire system falls apart if you’re muddling through your work with half a brain or thinking about all the things you’re going to do while you’re supposed to be relaxing.

“Time is the coin of your life.

Let’s take a closer look. Things that are (usually) not under your control:

• Other people’s actions and choices
• Random external events
• The laws of physics
• The finiteness of time
• Natural biological limits
• And, for most people, the fact of

I’m going to try to convince you that laziness and a lack of discipline productivity is not really even a result of too little effort—rather, it’s a result of unfocused, inelegant, poorly organized effort.

when you’re tired, refresh yourself, and return to the task.

When you use time intelligently, there is always enough of it.