Modernity is both a curse and a blessing. The fast-changing times have caused huge differences between the younger and older generations.
The technologically abled generation is moving forward at the speed of the light, whereas the older generation is worried about the moral and spiritual corruption of the youth.
It’s a conundrum that keeps stretching the generation gap, and a day will come when there will be no reconciliation.
This problem often keeps my 101-year-old dadaji(grandpa) up at night. He doesn’t believe there’s a degeneration of values in today’s youth, but the mere fact that like most generations, we’re misguided albeit on a higher level.
But he believes that’s what you get after rapid modernisation. Here is his simple advice on becoming more focused human beings who can contribute to society.
Motivation through Instagram is a farce
Motivation takes a backseat when you’re a soldier on the front lines protecting your brothers in arms from the foreign.
Your country’s safety becomes the only goal that guides you to do unspeakable things that you never knew you could do.
The oath to protect and serve the country rings clear in your head, so you do everything without waiting for motivation.
If you have lived the majority of your life with this thought process, then scrolling on Instagram in hopes of gaining motivation to face the day will sound like a berserk concept.
Yet most of us waste hours on social media looking for videos that can fuel our passion and make us want to take action.
Motivational videos are a flawed concept that can boost your dopamine level for a short while, but it will plunge if it's not supported by real work that leads to tangible results.
Short video addiction is found to hurt intrinsic and extrinsic learning motivation , and it can negatively impact mental well-being.
Binging reels on Instagram in the name of motivation will lead to the opposite effect, as you will end up wasting your time and focus.
It’s the one habit that gets on grandpa’s nerves every time he catches my siblings or me scrolling mindlessly on our phones.
He believes technology has pushed us into a technological age where equality is not a far-fetched ideology.
If used correctly, technology can put an end to the social and religious divide, but most of us waste this resource scrolling through reels, which ends up harming our mental and cognitive abilities.
Real motivation can only be sparked through action. One small task in the morning will keep you motivated throughout the day rather than scrolling reels for hours.
So, start your day by ticking off a task on your to-do list to maintain high motivation throughout the day.
Here’s what you can do:-
Start your day with a simple task that you can easily complete. Do it for a week daily, then switch to a moderate-level task.
It will prevent you from indulging in the biggest productivity killer — your phone.
Action is the only way to maintain consistent motivation, so start your day with a small task that eliminates scrolling.
Discipline over motivation
One task in the morning will motivate you to have a productive day. But depending on motivation alone will not help you toil through the day.
Getting distracted is the easiest thing in the world right now, and motivation is an exhaustable resource that will bring you to square one after a few hours.
So, relying blindly on motivation will hamper your productivity. The only way you can ensure optimal output is through discipline.
And army men know more about discipline than anyone else. My grandpa believes in following a strict daily routine that propels him to live a meaningful life.
Action helps you stay motivated in the long run, but you need discipline to follow through a routine that can induce productivity and focus.
A structured day will protect you from the evils of choice overload, which will further prevent mental fatigue that often becomes a roadblock in the way of productivity.
So, follow the advice of my dadaji and follow a doable routine that you can maintain in the long run.
Start small but be strict about the easy tasks that you plan to do daily; it will build discipline, and make sure to have time bound goals to create urgency.
Here’s what you can do:-
Make a chain of small activities that keep you busy and disciplined. Follow a balance of moderate and easy task that ensure compliance.
Following a hobby that you want to become proficient at, which requires regular practice, can build discipline.
So, pick a hobby you have always wanted to learn to become a more disciplined human being.
Upgrade your knowledge diet
Your output is solely based on the input. You create according to the content that you consume.
Dadaji is the most grateful person I have met; maybe that’s the reason he celebrated his 100th birthday last year.
But the one thing that he’s most grateful for is the internet, it’s no less than a miracle for him. He loves googling things, even the ones that he’s already aware of.
As an avid reader, the Internet has opened a lot of options for him. He’s always sending us the links to new blogs and pages he finds online.
Knowledge has never been so accessible in his lifetime, so it pains him when he sees the kids using this marvellous invention on crass content.
Your productivity is heavily dependent on the content that you consume. Mindless scrolling exhausts your brain with multiple dopamine shots.
The junk content diet impacts mental health and wrecks your focus and productivity in the long run.
Dadaji is a big supporter of technology as it can put everyone on the same pedestal, as never in history have the socially oppressed classes had the same access to education.
But most people are wasting this golden opportunity by seeking their 15 minutes of fame rather than education themselves.
This never-ending chase of fame will make you a victim of cringey content and stupid trends that will hamper your productivity in the long run.
So, increase your cognition by consuming good-quality content rather than chasing short-lived trends.
Here’s what you can do:-
You create what you consume, so improve your content consumption by reading quality content, as you’re more likely to remember written format than reels.
Take full advantage of the internet by learning more about your interests rather than falling for short-term trends.
Find creators in your niche. If you don’t find anyone, then become one.
Conclusion
Productivity springs from your interest. But it’s impossible to be motivated daily without discipline.
So, form a daily routine that supports better content consumption to protect your time from the killer effects of technology.
Dadaji believes the easiest way to improve anything is by removing the shortcomings.
So, become a little far-sighted and delete the habits that don’t work in your schedule.