Working hard almost all the time

[Mart]

Recently I've been thinking about getting a philosophy degree at a university. I'm also studying applied psychology in order to learn more about human nature and work on my coaching skills. Applied psychology is a full-time program over here in The Netherlands. There is an option to do both studies. You can get a degree in philosophy in 4,5 years instead of the usual 3. I'm thinking about combining this part-time philosophy study with my full-time applied psychology study. It is definitely possible to combine these two, but it would mean that, outside of the 10 school-free weeks each year, i will be studying for about 50 hours a week for the remaining three years of the applied psychology study. Next to these 50 hours i will be working for another 10 hours each weak, exercising almost every day, doing my practices every day and also attempting to read a book every month. In short: i will be grinding it out 7 days a week for quite a while. I'm not sure if this is the move. I will have to sacrifice some time to work on developing myself in different ways than studying. I do think this will have a lasting benefit on my life and future career. I want to become a coach that helps people live a better life in these modern times, with all these distractions, addictions and other unhealthy, unconscious stuff. 

I'm not asking anyone if i should or should not do this. All i'm curious about is experiences of people really pushing it in their life-purpose for a couple of years at a time. I'd like to hear some opinions about building up some real work-ethic by doing something like this. Maybe there are some folks out there a little older than me (i'm 20) that have spent a significant amount of time in their youth studying and working on stuff. Have you regretted spending this much time in X way? Would you rather have spent more of this time just being free, enjoying life by just relaxing and being conscious of the beauty of it? Which sacrifices you have or have not made do you regret right now?

Thanks for reading. Hope to hear some stories or opinions. 

[ajasatya]

@Mart From personal experience, you'll be fine if you manage to allocate some time in your weekly schedule to silence the mind and recharge your batteries. Of course I'm not talking about crutches like playing videogames, drinking alcohol or smoking weed. I'm talking about genuine yogic practices that will cleanse your thoughts and alleviate the tensions in your body. If you're able to do that, the outcome will be a stronger version of yourself, which, alone, is worth a thousand times more than the material/intellectual outcome if your hard work.

In other words, find your internal source of energy and channel it. Do it.

[CreamCat]

1 hour ago, ajasatya said:

Do it.

Taking a shower is a good spiritual practice, too.

Do you recommend kriya yoga specifically?

Edited June 2, 2019 by CreamCat

[ajasatya]

13 hours ago, CreamCat said:

Do you recommend kriya yoga specifically?

Yes. Or Kundalini Yoga or even Hatha Yoga (if you find a good teacher).

In my case, I take part in two Ayahuasca ceremonies every month. That's more than enough .

[UDT]

@Mart you dont know until you started. Push if you want to let god speak trough you. Stop comparing yourself to "peers" or the cultural story of what youre supposed to do at what age, total class-trap programming. Peak of the pyramid doesnt want you to wake up, become stromg. Just go, if youre priorities change, then change your circumstances. 

[Mart]

@Winter @ajasatya thanks, that’s insightful. It’s all about being able to enjoy it most of the time. If i do this i will make shure to have a good practice going. Currently i like doing WHM, pranayama and very slow yogic breaths. I also practice self-inquiry. Would you reccomend any other practices that would benefit me under these circumstances besides the ones i mentioned? I appreciate the response. 

@UDT that’s very true. It’s a trap to think your life should be a certain way, definitely have some work to do on that. Thanks for your encouragement. 

[ajasatya]

1 hour ago, Mart said:

Would you reccomend any other practices that would benefit me under these circumstances besides the ones i mentioned?

Some form of warming+stretching...

[Lynnel]

8 hours ago, ajasatya said:

In my case, I take part in two Ayahuasca ceremonies every month. That's more than enough .

Sorry but how the hell are you integrating them so fast ?

[ajasatya]

3 hours ago, Lynnel said:

Sorry but how the hell are you integrating them so fast ?

Good question. I offer no resistance thus I change very quickly. Also, I come from a background of disciplined meditation habits (Zen/Yoga), so it's not like I'm exploring a completely unknown territory.

[CreamCat]

11 hours ago, ajasatya said:

I take part in two Ayahuasca ceremonies every month

Damn, bourgeois. How much does attending a ceremony cost?

[ajasatya]

20 minutes ago, CreamCat said:

Damn, bourgeois. How much does attending a ceremony cost?

Let's not hijack this thread. I'll answer this question here but if you guys want to know anything else, open a thread and summon me there or just send me a PM.

I don't pay anything. I am part of a society in which we cultivate the plants, we gather them and we brew the drink ourselves. We share the costs involved in the process because we have to maintain a space where people consume electric energy, water, food etc. And about the spaces, we build them ourselves as well. There is no profit involved.

Again, if you want to know anything else, start a new thread or send me a PM. It's not like I'm inviting anyone or promoting anything either. We're only allowed to invite close friends that we know in person. I decided to say this so that you guys can become aware of the fact that non-monetized ways of consuming Ayahuasca exist.

[CreamCat]

@ajasatya How hard do you work? How do you work hard? Tell us your secrets.

Edited June 4, 2019 by CreamCat

[ajasatya]

11 hours ago, CreamCat said:

@ajasatya How hard do you work? How do you work hard? Tell us your secrets.

My biggest trick is having huge visions for mankind. I want to use my mathematical skills to reforest the planet and mitigate world hunger. One thing that I found out is that egotistical motivations vanish too quickly and altruist motivations last forever.

I work with Artificial Intelligence / Data Science. I work/study at least 10 hours everyday. If I want to solve complex problems, I need to master the basic bricks (Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probabilities and Statistics). New algorithms, heuristics, techniques, technologies and results arise everyday, so catching up requires a strong commitment.

But those are my long-term goals. The path that I plan is paved with lots of short-term goals, which dictate what exactly I need to do in every moment.

[CreamCat]

17 minutes ago, ajasatya said:

I work with Artificial Intelligence / Data Science.

You could easily use that to create surveillance softwares used to surveil employees or truck drivers.

Edited June 4, 2019 by CreamCat

[CreamCat]

30 minutes ago, ajasatya said:

I work/study at least 10 hours everyday.

Working/studying at least 70 hours a week? You are like Elon Musk.

30 minutes ago, ajasatya said:

One thing that I found out is that egotistical motivations vanish too quickly and altruist motivations last forever.

How childishly selfish is my motivation? Any other tricks?

Edited June 4, 2019 by CreamCat

[ajasatya]

2 hours ago, CreamCat said:

How childishly selfish is my motivation? Any other tricks?

What motivation? The one related to surveillance? It doesn't sound selfish but it doesn't sound like a vision that is high enough either.

Another trick is: make sure that you're working at your peak. Challenge yourself. Take your learning capabilities to its limits.

[CreamCat]

6 hours ago, ajasatya said:

What motivation? The one related to surveillance?

My motivation is not related to surveillance. I don't like surveillance. My motivation is to become a legend in my field, be inspired by others, and inspire me and others through my work. It is also to turn my life into an art.

6 hours ago, ajasatya said:

Another trick is: make sure that you're working at your peak. Challenge yourself. Take your learning capabilities to its limits.

Good advice. But, it is easier said than done. When distractions hit you with full emotional force, all theories go out the window.

Once upon a time, I pushed myself too hard, and I cried because it felt like dying. Afterwards, a huge ego backlash consumed me.

It seems I have to push through death. Or, my motivations and techniques are screwed up. Perhaps, I shall learn to not push myself too hard.

Edited June 4, 2019 by CreamCat

[ajasatya]

2 hours ago, CreamCat said:

Good advice. But, it is easier said than done. When distractions hit you with full emotional force, all theories go out the window.

It depends on the discipline of the mind. What you said doesn't apply to me. If I'm doing something that challenges me, it's very hard for me to stop. In fact, I have to be careful because I even forget to drink water and eat due to strong focus.

[CreamCat]

1 hour ago, ajasatya said:

What you said doesn't apply to me. If I'm doing something that challenges me, it's very hard for me to stop. In fact, I have to be careful because I even forget to drink water and eat due to strong focus.

The same applies to me. But, I often find myself working on challenging things that I shouldn't bother myself with.

[Aeris]

I m reading two books currently.

all the answers for most of the questions are there : REALLY clear in thoses books,

 

Robert_Greene_Mastery

Anders_Ericsson_Robert_Pool_-_Peak__Secrets_from_the_New_Science_of_Expertise

I was already aware of most teaching in there, but that's good to reframe and read more consciously !

 

why some people can work 150 hours a week without having needs to go for others activity, kind of answered totaly.

 

ajasatya, your work seams very interesting. good luck with this, you're right about your own empathy.

I probably looks devils and red, but most people here believe they are at a higher mental dev that where they really are, including myself.

but not everyone is led to this path, for me being a bridge from orange/green to yellow/turquoise/coral through music and art is more my path.

it's hard to push people to go into the dark night of the soul as my own LP haha

 

I had to abuse, drugs, alcohol, and everything to just see the groundlessness of my habits. I still do drugs and shit, but I m not really addicted to it, maybe I still want to do weed. That's my toxic point and I probably have others, but everyone has pro/cons to his personna and have still work to do on whole the tiny fragment of ego backslash.

 

I just tended to abuse aswell, leaning and achieving ( especially video games, that looks like simulation of real others worlds experiences, pure psychedelic life view )

, sooo I just abused everything to the point that life purpose work is the only pleasure remaining meaningful now.

 

and having balance in my "humans affair" like having sex and calmness is part of the job at doing the LP.

Balanced life is the way

 

but enough talk, I m gonna bed

Edited June 5, 2019 by Aeris