I want YouTube, the news cycle, and work emails to dictate my life

I want YouTube, the news cycle, and work emails to dictate my life.

I want them to point, and I will run.

Wait: of course not! The opposite is true.

That said, I have certainly learned that if I don’t set an intention myself, YouTube, the news cycle, and work emails will do that for me.

And I likely won’t be aware of that.

I feel dumb even writing the following sentence but here we go: I write out what I’m going to do before I do it, even if it’s as simple as “put the trash bag in the trash can.”

Because whatever I write out, I end up following through on about 95% of the time.

I don’t want to go to the gym.

So, in the morning, I write out “I will get in the car and go to the gym at 12:30pm.”

Then, when 12:30pm rolls around, I magically have far less resistance than normal. And I go to the gym.

I don’t want to rake leaves.

So, in the morning, I write out “I will put on my shoes and rake leaves at 5pm.”

It’s 5pm: I put on my shoes. I go rake the leaves.

Why? Because of something we’re all insanely good at: inertia.

We’re primed to just keep on doing the thing that’s already in motion.

Something algorithmic or hungry with profit motive will gladly set my intentions for me.

Or, I can set them myself.

YouTube, the news cycle, and work emails can buzz off.

I’ve got a life to live, and I’m not going to let them dictate it.

So I’ve arrived at another daily principle: I will set my intention, or my intentions will be set for me.

It's been helpful to me, and hopefully to you too.