I’ve been trying to consistently wake up at 5:45 every day.  I’ve also been trying to minimize my screen time. I’ve also been trying to work out every day.  I’ve been trying to improve my skill set in filmmaking. Do you get what I’m saying? I try to build a lot of habits.

It’s not like I don’t have anything better to do.  I could definitely put more effort into my school work.  I’m not getting paid for building these habits, either, and I’m not even getting any recognition for it, except for when teens ask me, “Why would you do that to yourself?”

That’s a good question. Why do I do this to myself?

I’ve always been curious as to where this motivation comes from.  YouTuber, Casey Neistat, loves climbing mountains. He points out in one of his videos that he’s never happy while he’s climbing a mountain, but it’s the feeling of completion that he’s looking for.

“As human beings, you have this desire to do something,” Neistat says, “whether that sense of completion is getting to the peak or clicking upload…”

Wantagh High School Band Teacher, Mr. Aviles, has built a habit of cycling on a regular schedule.  His reason for starting this habit is to stay healthy, and to say that he can do it. “It’s definitely part psychological, and part physical,” he says.

This is the case with my habits.  I love the feeling of accomplishment that I get when I do something that isn’t exactly easy.  It’s important to build your own self-confidence, because, in the real world, other people won’t always build it for you.  Starting these challenges has been a way to build confidence in myself.

Waking up at 5:45 every day is the furthest thing from easy, but it starts my day off right.  It gives me a boost of confidence every morning. Staying off of my phone is a lot more difficult than it sounds, but it makes me feel better about myself if I have the discipline to not use it.  Making films is easier said than done, but I love to look back at something that I made.

So, it’s not because I’m getting any sort of immediate gratification, but because deep down, I know that I’m doing something that isn’t easy.  The fact that I’ve been able to start these things because I want to start them boosts my self-confidence, and not because it’s the easiest thing to do.