At the beginning of my practice of Nichiren Buddhism I struggled to do gongyo. Morning gongyo or evening gongyo it didn't matter, I'd rather get straight to the daimoku. I've heard that the action of doing gongyo is to praise one's life. If so, why did it feel such a chore to praise my life? Growing up I hardly got praise from my parents so as an adult words of affirmation don't do much for me most of the time. Now as a Buddhist I praise myself at least twice a day.
It's not a struggle anymore, but when I decide to do gongyo I don't think I'm conscious that I'm about to praise my life. I wonder if I was mindful of that what effect it would have on me.