Funny, I just wrote a similar post about the method I use to counter similar challenges: I ask myself: Would I do it tomorrow? If the answer is yes, then I do it. It get me to see past any current laziness, fears, or urges.

"Since you're here, chances are you read my stuff"

Wrong. I am here by a great chance, actually. About an hour ago I was on Google and moping about how my birthday is in exactly 24 hours. I will be 21. Am I excited to be 21? You better believe it. Am I excited for my special day where I was born into the world 21 years ago? No way. But not for the same reasons that you stated in your post 7 years ago, which is what brought me here in the first place. That is another story altogether, though. Once I realized that that post was written 7 years ago, I didn't believe that anyone in their right mind would be able to keep a blog up and running for over 7 years. Heck, I can't keep a blog going for 2 weeks! I soon found out that I was wrong. Not only am I impressed by your self-motivation, but I am also impressed by some of the things that you write about, along with being incredibly jealous that you're living my life of traveling around and writing. Honestly, I never post on other people's blogs. There is one reason, and one reason only as to why I am posting now, and that is because of your picture. Machu Picchu. You've got to be kidding me. Not only did you relate to me on many different levels through your writings, but you are also at Machu Picchu, the very place I was exactly 9 months ago. The very country that changed my life for the three months that I was there. Ultimately, what I have to say is thank you. Thank you for sharing and keep on keepin on.

(posted publicly at Tynan's request, because private emails are SO 2011) I appreciate your ideas on habits, Tynan. But it still seems like you're contradicting your earlier ideas about reaching 80-90%. Many habits simply aren't that important. Besides, how do you forget to do something that's genuinely important? I build up self-trust by doing what's important. If it's busy work or doesn't serve a goal function, I usually end up procrastinating it. That's why I barely play video games anymore, and why I only go on dates with girls I actually like (for awhile I'd go out with ANY woman who'd show me the time of day). I also clean on a less-frequent basis (but still enough to avoid being disgusting or hazardous) and defer a lot of other little things. If not this one, then a better one will be along shortly. If SETT completely fails, it's not the end of the world. You can already live off of what you've produced thus far, and you've already contributed to the world. Some experiments don't work -- and it's still a success, in the same way Edison discovered numerous ways that a light bulb won't work. If not this one, the next one. Don't tell me you're becoming afraid to fail.

This is exactly how I feel every time I start something new. I try to reassure myself that if it doesn't pan out the way I had hope then I could just ditch it and start something new, something better, something that I'm sure I could put more effort towards.

It rarely happens this way. Determination and the ability to follow through with your convictions is just a skill like anything else. Next time won't be any different to now, so may as well make whatever is going on now, the best you can do.

My immediate reaction was to disagree with your friend when he mentioned that he distrusted himself, to say that it was not a valid reason to stick with his current endeavor and I was disappointed when you took that as a profound lesson. But then I reminded myself: "Who is wise? One who learns from every man" (Mishnah - Avot 4:1). I've learned a lot from the people with whom I most disagreed. And you do make a good point with this post. Thanks for hammering that home.

Great post Tynan.

From neuroscience we now know that humans don't have free will. Everything we do and think is a product of genes, environment and previous events. This tells me that self-awareness and building healthy habits is the only opportunity we have to feed into life's feedback loop, and create a brighter future for ourselves. 

Tynan, I'd love to hear how you feel the illusion of free will relates to your principles and way of living?

Love the new site, Tynan!

Why are you traveling?

I agree with the commenter who said "if not this one then a better one". Too often people settle for mediocrity, because of their lack of faith that there is something better, or because they don't want to make the effort and take the risk to go and find it. I've heard it said that each and every one of us comes across something like half a dozen people who are our soul mates, over our lifetime. However, finding Mr or Ms Right beats a mediocre marriage any day. 

I very occasionally forget to brush my teeth at night, but I've never had a problem going back to the habit of it the next day. The feeling of hairy teeth is enough to send me back to the bathroom. 

If you ever fail at SETT it won't really be a failure but a setback on your road to making something better still :)

This is pretty much the same principle that I applied to get myself to exercise consistently. I used to always quit exercising, so I decided that I couldn't trust myself. On March 4, 2012, I committed to exercising every single day, and I have kept up with it since then (almost 8 months so far). I simply refuse to give myself a choice about whether to exercise or not. Every single time we give ourselves a choice about whether or not to do something, we give ourselves the opportunity to decide *not* to do it. Eliminating that opportunity can be very powerful.