Combining study and self actualization

[Marinus]

Hi guys, I'm a student and I struggle to combine self actualization and studying for college. I think it's because doing proper elf actualization work looks like studying for college, especially, because I study applied work & organisation psychology. I have some parallels with self development, like positive psychology. 

So I want to ask you some tips too be better at combing the two. Currently I have a morning routine of breathing, western yoga and meditation. Besides this I only watch videos to gain knowledge. Doing this makes me tired and stressful.

[Sahil Pandit]

@Marinus A good addition to this, would be creating a Common Place Book if you haven't already. Researching topics and understanding them from a variety of different perspectives is gonna help to build your big picture understanding. These would be great to start since you're in college. (Myself included) 

Leo has videos on what i mentioned if you haven't watched them. 

[Hellspeed]

Go only with breathing meditation, skipping the outside knowledge about self-actualization. 

Do breathing while you rewind your lectures from class. 

[Marinus]

@Sahil Pandit fortunately I have one, but lately I haven't used it as much. I also use a common place book for my lectures. 

10 minutes ago, Hellspeed said:

Go only with breathing meditation, skipping the outside knowledge about self-actualization. 

Do breathing while you rewind your lectures from class. 

Can you explain what you mean with the second sentence, I don't think I understand it correctly. Why do advice to skip outside knowledge?

Thanks by the way!

[Sahil Pandit]

@Marinus

Here is some of the journal topics if you're interested  

[Marinus]

@Sahil Pandit Thanks I copied the link in my common place book, that's a lot of traps, good work.

[Equanimitize]

I don’t see a duality with self actualization work and studying for college. In fact I see it as one in the same.

You can do self actualization work everywhere, whenever, and how ever you like. 

All it takes is a deep drive to love thyself, accept thyself, and grow thyself. 

If you’re talking about what specific  techniques you can do, that’s a different sort of question.

if you’re tired for whatever reason look in to optimizing diet, rest, and exercise. 

Hope this helps.

 

[aurum]

@Marinus

I don't see the problem. Can you be more specific?

[Marinus]

@aurum Basically self-development and studying is very similar in workload. Doing all this stuff is stressful with distraction as a result in order to reduce the stress. I want to find a way to combine the two without being stressed, it is very tiring. At the moment my self-development is easy and not of high quality, like listen to videos and introspection here and there. At the moment college is my priority and my second year is a lot more work then a year ago. Besides everything I take care of my self entirely , like cooking which takes time. I'm always very hard on myself and it feels like wasting time to struggle with not doing enough self-development work. 

I don't want self-development to result in stress, but happiness. 

[Equanimitize]

4 hours ago, Marinus said:

I don't want self-development to result in stress, but happiness. 

The actual self development work can be stressful, such as strong determination sitting, speaking your truth and setting boundaries even when your voice shakes, doing breathe work, doing shadow work and shining light on your inner psyche. If it was not stressful everyone would be fully developed capable human beings.

However, the result of your personal development should not bring you more stress. The result should be less stress and and more durability. 

 

[aurum]

5 hours ago, Marinus said:

@aurum Basically self-development and studying is very similar in workload. Doing all this stuff is stressful with distraction as a result in order to reduce the stress. I want to find a way to combine the two without being stressed, it is very tiring. At the moment my self-development is easy and not of high quality, like listen to videos and introspection here and there. At the moment college is my priority and my second year is a lot more work then a year ago. Besides everything I take care of my self entirely , like cooking which takes time. I'm always very hard on myself and it feels like wasting time to struggle with not doing enough self-development work. 

I don't want self-development to result in stress, but happiness. 

If you want out of stress, that only happens by you putting in the work. It doesn't matter if it's tiring, I'm tired all the time. Do the work.

 

[Joseph Maynor]

You can do both and should do both.  I run my own business and do this work.  But I'm also super organized too.  You gotta appreciate being organized, it's not something that just comes naturally.  The more organized you are, the more you'll get done with your time.  Organization is like a measure of density.  People that are highly organized are much more dense than people who suck at being organized.  There's more stuff in there and more stuff comes out of there.  

What you want to do is learn how to make yourself a daily schedule and learn how to manage your daily tasks.  Aim to become a highly organized person.  Yo, I think I'm organized, but I've seen people that are way more organized than I am.  So, it's something you that can work on for the rest of your life and keep improving.  

• Weekly goal list
• Weekly accountability report
• Weekly progress report
• Daily schedule/ daily routines
• Current task list
• Large paper calendar to write in deadlines
• Organized room and office

Edited October 14, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[CreamCat]

13 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Weekly accountability report

What is this? Does weekly progress report not make you accountable?

[Joseph Maynor]

55 minutes ago, CreamCat said:

What is this? Does weekly progress report not make you accountable?

My progress report is a different thing from my accountability report.  The weekly accountability report tracks the weekly goal list point by point.  The weekly progress report is a narrative paragraph that is written at the end of the week summarizing the results of the week and putting those results into the whole context of my overall mission moving forward.

[CreamCat]

2 hours ago, Joseph Maynor said:

My progress report is a different thing from my accountability report.  The weekly accountability report tracks the weekly goal list point by point.  The weekly progress report is a narrative paragraph that is written at the end of the week summarizing the results of the week and putting those results into the whole context of my overall mission moving forward.

I already have something like weekly accountability report. I think I can implement weekly progress report by attaching it to weekly accountability report.

I think you should simplify things a bit. To me, the weekly goal list is the weekly accountability report because the list is a checklist. The weekly progress report would be just a paragraph or two next to the weekly goal list.

Edited October 14, 2018 by CreamCat

[Equanimitize]

2 hours ago, Shiva said:

 

I'm struggling with the same thing. You only have a finite amount of energy every day. Studying consumes a lot and self-actualisation also. Studying seriously for university already depletes like 90% of my energy and time.

So, I try to have entire days planned either for studying or self-actualisation, but not mix the two.

 

Understand, I would just focus on one practice and try and make it ingrained into your brain housing group. Just focus on Meditation, or if you’re not happy with your body just focus on your diet for 3-6 months let that be your priority, etc. 

An easy way to categorize personal development is personal and professional. You’re working on your professional by going to school, so with personal development look for your biggest opportunity for growth. In other words what thing is holding you back at this point in time. 

Just looking from the surface from what you said energy, maybe an option would be how to optimize your diet. Or learn how to learn most efficiently and effectively-there’s several courses on this. Sometimes we spend more time then is needed on a given task where we have diminishing returns, this may be a good place to start. Look into time blocking and work/rest cycles.

In other words sometimes more is less and less is more. 

Hooe this helps

[DavidK]

I found being a student and doing personal development work a very easy and natural combination! 

I found drawing up a time table very helpful and would study in two hour slots followed by a "break" of personal development.

Meditate, Study, exercise, study, lunch, study, reading, yoga, dinner. 

It was very difficult but I had no social life so had nothing better to do hahah

I also noticed that each activity would build up momentum of motivation: been so productive motivated me to be more productive. 

Edited October 14, 2018 by DavidK

[Equanimitize]

@DavidKRight on, I found working in a toxic work environment and personal development to be a great combination too. Not so natural and not very easy, but there can be a lot of growth. Its all about being an alchemist turn shit into gold.