On the shift from consuming to do
I consider myself a very curious person with a well-trained mind; this gives me plenty of resources when it comes to problem-solving. In fact, I sometimes feel I have a knack for clear thinking, even across widely different fields.
The issue is that, more often than not, I end up "drowning" in all that information. I understand it and can explain it... but I struggle to turn it into actual practice, to truly integrate it into my daily life, as the Stoics advocated.
I know the principles and how they are supposed to be applied. While reading, I get excited, "Wow, I’m going to implement this" and I tell myself that the key is consistency, taking it one step at a time. Yet, within hours or days, I slip back into my old habits, finding it difficult to truly maintain and integrate the new ones.
That’s why my question isn't really about the teachings themselves, but about their practical application. Has anyone else experienced this and successfully broken the cycle? What techniques or fundamentals did you use? What obstacles did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?
I’ve tried using habit trackers, but they just end up sitting there as unused files. I’ve tried keeping an evening journal, but the habit fades after a few days or weeks. I’ve been trying to break this inertia for years.
I want to achieve what Marcus Aurelius once said: "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."