Fix your focus with Greek gods, automation and love.

The Greeks believed art was created where the gods Apollo and Dionysus come together.
Where rationality and irrationality merge.
I believe they can teach us a lot about self discipline. How? listen up.

Since the beginning of modern philosophy our culture has put rationality on a pedestal. Thinking we could conquer any problem with our mind.
And I've got to give it to them, we've send people to the moon through our Apollonian rational thinking. (See what I did there? Apollo)

But.
Tell me why so many people are struggling with self discipline - yet they all have the ability for "rational" thinking?

I think the way out of this struggle is this;

Automation and love.

Let me explain..

Remember system 1 and system 2 from Kahneman?
It turns out that things that were effortful can become effortless through practice.
Take writing for example.
This was once a rational and conscious practice.
It became less and less conscious because you started to understand the rules and integrated them.
Here's the fun part; Writing didn't become less rational. The reasoning and rules of writing just became automated.
What was Apollonian is now Dionysian.

Now for the Love part.

When you practice and automate your skill, the following experience might occur to you; that Apollonian, rational, structured, goal oriented, emotionless side of you might rise up. And you will love it.
Don't expect any butterflies in your belly.
Don't expect your heart skipping a beat.
It's colder than that.
It's a clear, focused, rational state of mind.
And something inside of you will feel attracted towards it.
You can't explain it because it's not the warm emotional state you associate with love.
It's clear, rational love.
What was Apollonian is now Dionysian.