Positive Discipline and Negative Discipline

[Redbugdave]

For me, what keeps me on track each day is my list. I make lists. I make tomorrow's list of what to get done the evening before. For some reason, having that little piece of paper in my pocket, looking at it, and crossing off my chores gives me the drive to get them done. And it helps when you are over 50 and can't remember what you were supposed to do in the first place.

Now...just where did I put my list...I just had it...Ohhh no! Now, I can't find my list!!! The day is shot...

 

[Alan]

Now...just where did I put my list...I just had it...Ohhh no! Now, I can't find my list!!! The day is shot...

Another to add to this thread (unless I have forgotten that it is already there )

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

I replied to this but the post disappeared ...

I find these two things necessary, but really different in how easy or difficult they are to do.
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The diet requires what I think of as negative discipline, the ability to say no to things that I have decided are not good.
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Positive discipline is being sure I do things that I think are in my interests, or are the way I should behave, but are not easy to do.

Sometimes I think it weird that it's easier to avoid harming myself by not doing something then it is to help my self by doing something. Inertia plays a big part. Not doing something requires only thought. Doing something requires overcoming basic Newtonian physics: a body at rest stays at rest. It is easy to put something off until tomorrow because tomorrow surely I will recognize the value of what needs to be done.

The only method I've ever used to consistently overcome the lack of positive discipline was to say, out loud, something a former girl friend said to summon up positive discipline: "I don't have to feel like doing something to do it."