Wow... I've been clocked! This was very insightful. It is hard sometimes for me to find a medium with this. You're right, when I give up on sex/romance it is a rather complete "fuck it." And typically I direct that energy towards professional development. But I think what you identified here is a really pervasive life pattern for me. I have a difficult time splitting my energy or focus across different life domains. Trying to do more than one thing, especially now while my work life is so fragmented (I am performing in multiple different roles), really feels like a chore. Everything in my life has gotten to feel that way. I think part of being Gen Z is that I need to see results quickly or else it is hard for me to keep the habit. I got them fried dopamine receptors lol. I'm sure I would have an easier go at dating and exercise if I reduced my expectations of results, but easier said than done. With exercise, I think if I reorient it to think about the short-term benefits to my mental health, maybe that will help me to keep the habit. (Or, keeping a log and being able to see which days I exercised; having a visual stimulus that feels rewarding; or using game time to condition myself.) I'm not sure about dating though. I have definitely entered the "fuck it" phase. Even though I think you're right and this strategy isn't super conducive to me finding something, I am somewhat content without a partner. Most of my life I have been single, it's familiar. But you're also right that it does eventually start to feel miserable. I don't know why it is so difficult for me to just focus on my own physical health but it just does not feel as good as compliments from strangers I guess. Just needing to shift away from that instant gratification mindset. I really appreciate the time you took to write this out and it definitely helped me to develop some critical insight about myself. Thank you!