The biggest mistake is to criminalize non-consistency because everything we criminalize becomes a boomerang.
Many people believe that the inability to be constant, a very common characteristic and in fact a universal plague, is the cause that prevents people from learning new habits, studying or learning a trade and getting a job.
Record this phrase: “If we criminalize our own incosntancia, we sabotage ourselves.” From my point of view, I believe that it is precisely the criminalization of inconstancy that is the real cause of our lack of constancy.
In fact, we forget that day follows night, that good weather follows bad weather, that work follows rest, and that constancy… is necessarily followed by tiredness. And we end up labeling discouragements and interruptions in practice as a lack of constancy!
In short, you cannot expect total constancy from yourself, otherwise you will become blocked, discouraged and give up your practice. To want to be 100% constant is to brutalize one’s own organism.
Everything we criminalize with our judgments becomes a boomerang.
All the things we do not accept end up turning against us, just like the absurd and obsessive thoughts that become so because we criminalize them to the point of not wanting to have them.
Inner struggle is caused by not accepting difficulties
All difficulties are caused by not accepting them, by not accepting something or someone, including metaphysical or psychological aspects such as lack of constancy, whatever.
So what should you do if you find that you are inconsistent or undisciplined? You simply have to forgive yourself and “gently” resume the activity you have interrupted for whatever reason, as we do during meditation when we lose the thread.
A new habit requires commitment and sacrifice
When learning a new habit, one must be aware of the difficulties one faces, which are indeed daunting.
But of course they are. New activities are exhausting and demanding, especially if one expects to learn them quickly and smoothly. In these cases, the body cannot keep up a fast pace and forces us to slow down in various ways.
In the case of excessive physical training, for example, the unconscious even goes as far as self-sabotage. Everything is always difficult at the beginning and you have to take note of it.
Two to three months to automate tasks
Learning a new habit requires two to three months of repetitions, exercises, training, deliberate practice and many difficulties to overcome. After that, the automatic phase is reached and practice becomes easy and enjoyable. So the difficulties are only at the beginning.
We are very good at the things we have been doing for a long time and we are clumsy at the things we are doing for the first time.
In this two to three month period of conscious practice, breaks and rest play a very important role. But it is precisely in this initial, exhausting and stressful phase that we forget to take small, relaxing breaks, which makes the learning period even more difficult and desperate.
In general, even when studying and working, breaks are indispensable.
Some speak of breaks of 10-15 minutes every 40 minutes of activity, others every 60-90 minutes. During the break, the mind rests and relaxes and we can be perfectly focused and fresh for the next 40-90 minutes. If, on the contrary, you do study marathons of many hours in a row, you learn little and get very tired, and because of the loss of attention, you also make many mistakes.
In conclusion, I advise you not to worry about interruptions or discouragement and not to call yourself fickle or undisciplined, but to set up scheduled breaks and a few days of rest if necessary, to be always fresh, focused and motivated to the maximum.
