Rhythm to Prevent Blues

Beneficial activities aren’t always fun.

I tell myself and others, don’t do stuff you hate. But if you follow this, it won’t result in always having fun.

Doing things you value and even love does not feel fun much of the time. It’s hard work. It’s fulfilling. It’s worth it. But it can drag.

The way to overcome feeling like you want to run away from the struggle isn’t through introspection. It’s through rhythm.

If you create unbreakable habits and structures you abide by no matter what else happens, it builds a natural rhythm to your days and weeks. Flowing with a rhythm is easier than making one up at all times.

You can dance to the beat of your own drum, but also routinize that drum so it’s not different every moment. Otherwise you leave yourself too much room to think about what to do; too much opportunity to be tempted by activities that are fun in the moment but lead you towards a life you hate. This makes it easier to get down when your highest value activity isn’t exciting.

Rhythm is the best way to break the blues.