Disclaimer: This site does not contain professional medical advice. This information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of medical advice. The use or reliance of any information contained on the site is solely at your own risk.

As young men, we often find ourselves struggling to maintain productivity in a world filled with distractions. It’s all too easy to get caught up in activities that provide instant gratification but ultimately hinder our progress.

Whether it’s porn, weed, alcohol, video games, or fast food, many of us can relate to the daily struggle of choosing these over our responsibilities. We’re not alone in this battle.

I don’t blame a single one of them, either. With life getting more complex and getting a place to stay becoming even more of a financial strain, it’s easy to see how escaping from all of that is just a natural conclusion for a lot of us. “Why deal with life when I could be having fun instead?” Even I do this. Quite often, actually.

We all know that this never does anything good for us. It only perpetuates terrible habits and makes things worse for ourselves in the long term. Suddenly, time flies by, and you miss out on sleep, you’re not focusing on eating right, and it may even dip into super essential things.

So, how would we assist ourselves or other men in stopping their addictions?

There are many strategies to overcome addiction, and while it’s not easy, it’s definitely possible. One approach that I’ve found particularly effective is…

Direction

Direction (in this instance) involves helping the young man understand what he truly wants out of life (A.K.A. a dream). Then, he should have them take steps to further what he wants to accomplish.

“How would this work? Surely this isn’t as easy as it would seem, or you would say?”

To answer the second question, no. It isn’t going to be easy. Pursuing a dream or a want will always take something out of you, whether your time, money, or energy.

To answer the first question. Unlike an addiction, a dream will sustain your very being. It will keep you going and focused even when things are dark for you. It will fulfill your life even when you feel nothing will.

Like when you make a meal for people you like and they tell you it tastes good, even through all the effort, you feel like what you did was worth it. It puts more of a skip in your step and makes you joyous about what you did today—almost like you could rest easy because of it.

How Do I Find My Direction?

People are multifaceted creatures that (more than often) don’t even know what they need, genuinely want, or believe that they can’t get. So it’s always a simple task to understand what people want.

But I can start by asking some simple questions.

What do you see yourself doing with your life? Would you see yourself perfecting a skill? Do you want a big house filled with family, friends, and children? Do you want to play video games all day? Do you want to become extremely fit?

When you ask yourself these types of questions, it makes it easier to understand your true goal in life. Then, when you understand your direction, you can start to do the things that you really want and not have to rely on cheap tricks to get your brain to feel good and keep yourself distracted.

I could write a long and comprehensive list of the many different ways you can set goals to help you find your direction or purpose in life but to make things simple, I have comprised a little worksheet to give a little bit of insight into how you should go about setting your goals in accordance to you as a person.

You can download the worksheet here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f5aShmNRZj2GIJmuRxMazSIn4dpcU_z_fhwzEPzisWA/edit?usp=sharing

Potential Problems

While finding a path in life may seem straightforward, there are bound to be some problems. So here is some advice if you happen to encounter problems when finding your direction.

“Should I really do this goal?” If you have thought it through thoroughly, yes. The hardest part about goals and understanding where you want to go in life is taking the first step in going down a path and then sticking to it. If you have thought of your path and really think of it as something you want to do or a good idea, then starting it and repetition go a long way.

“What if I don’t want this goal later? What if I want to turn to a new direction?” Humans live very transformational lives. You will never have the same priorities when you are 20 and turn 40. It just isn’t going to happen. But the beauty of it is that all of the information and skills that you acquire by doing something will translate in some way later down the line. Suppose you are doing a customer service job. In that case, you learn how to talk to people (albeit in a certain way), which you can then use what you have learned when you start a business, do another job with a similar service, teach your skill to others, or even just enjoy the experience that you have while doing it.

“What if I don’t have any goals that I want to do?” That’s completely fine! You may be having a rough time knowing what you want or not being interested in anything. If you want to pursue something, the best thing to do is go out into the world and start exploring. It can be your town/city or just surfing the internet. Eventually, you are bound to strike some inspiration.

“What if I am too anxious to start my goals?” Just start it. Seriously. I know it sounds obvious; I know that it sounds hard. But you will never start if you don’t take the first step. You can also make things as easy as possible, even make a habit. For example, if you want to work out in the morning but are having trouble just getting going, leave your shoes by your bedside so that you can hit the gym the moment you get out of bed. Our brains are designed to want the easiest possible thing with the least amount of resistance. The less effort you have to make before starting an activity, the more you want to do it.

Hopefully, this has been helpful to you!

If you are struggling and want to work on your goals together, you can obtain my services here: https://paperbell.me/max-claunch.

Do you have something that you would like me to cover? You can contact me on this website’s contact page!

Have a good day!