Set Life Rules to Become More Productive

While it might seem nice to live a life completely outside of any structure or rules, I’ve realized that life somehow works the opposite way.

Freedom seems to be built within structure and organization.

I recently came across this article by Craig Ballantyne from Early to Rise (one of my favorite blogs) and it sparked some thoughts.

When I was younger, I wanted nothing but to be free from rules, schedules, and structure. I wanted to be free from school, sports, and any rules anyone had for me (like needing to ask to go to the bathroom, something I still eye-roll at the thought of).

However, I learned as an adult that rules are what makes freedom. When you don’t have rules, you just roll with the punches and life becomes complicated.

I can’t say I have any specific rules set in stone yet, but I’ve realized the need for them after, once again, staying up until the wee hours of the morning scrolling through various social media sites. One rule will absolutely be no technology in the bedroom. It’s simply too easy to keep watching something when you have that option. (And with Stranger Things season 2 right around the corner, it would be so tempting to just binge that for a whole night.)

The problem is, so many of us follow the rules that others place on us. Friends want us to stay out until 2 AM even though we know we shouldn’t. We keep checking our phones every few minutes to see if there’s a new post on social media when you know you should be working and building your dreams.

When you have rules, you know what you can and can’t do. If you get in bed every night at 10 PM during the week, then you know that’s your rule. You can easily say no to that text at 9:30 PM from your friends asking to meet up. Sure, you might break your own rules now and then, but it keeps it simple.

I’ll update again with rules I set for my own life, but it’s just an idea I had to pass on.