012 • Understanding discipline
Everyone wants improved discipline.
We have vices that we wish we didn’t, and we all too often find ourselves let down by the comfort-seeking, narrow-minded parts of our brains.
To ensure progress, we have to use the trait of discipline to improve our habits and put ourselves in challenging situations.
Because without challenge and failure, we cannot learn and grow.
So, how does one build discipline?
First, we must understand the root of discipline, motivation and willpower…
Motivation - want, whether for an action, an object or something else. Most are motivated to scroll on social media. Most are not motivated to stand under a cold shower. Both release dopamine. One source is more comfortable to tap into than the other, hence you’re motivated to scroll social media more often than you take cold showers.
Willpower - this is what you use when you go against your innate motivation. You have to use willpower to take a cold shower in the morning rather than lying in bed and scrolling Instagram, because the latter is easier, even though it’s not good for you when deliberate cold exposure is.
Discipline - the act of using your willpower to go against your motivation. A disciplined person is someone who constantly challenges the motivation to pick the easy option when they know that the tougher option is the right thing to do.
You don’t have to remain disciplined on the same thing forever though…
The power of habit will help you out.
After a period of consistent discipline, the activity that you previously required discipline for becomes habitual, and it takes more motivation to get it wrong than it does to get it right.
Discipline’s no longer required.
People who’ve trained in the gym for years feel terrible if they miss too many sessions. People who learn to meditate consistently look forward to the activity.
You don’t have to be the world’s most successful person to be the most disciplined.
Some of the most disciplined people in the world right now are those juggling multiple jobs to provide for their loved ones. They’re those hitting the gym 7x a week and eating cleaner on their new fitness journey.
They’re the ones going the furthest out of their way to challenge their limits. Directed well, this will lead to the most success in the future.
You must continue to challenge yourself, because naturally, if you employ discipline, your life is going to improve. You might become tempted to step off the gas, but you have to continue to discipline yourself or you’ll feel unfulfilled.
Like there’s more you’re capable of.
Discipline - the act of using your willpower to go against your motivation.
So how do you best implement discipline to improve your life?
I watched a YouTube video recently that made a brilliant suggestion…
Pick one thing that you want to stop doing and one thing that you want to start doing.
Disregard all other areas of discipline you might want to focus on, targeting these two as a priority.
Make sure you succeed in executing (or not executing) the chosen activity every single time you must, whether daily, weekly or at some other interval.
You don’t have to use discipline once the behaviour becomes a habit, and it’s at this point you can choose a couple of new behaviours to focus your willpower on executing.
Slowly (changing your habits takes time), you’ll improve your life, getting closer to the person you want to be.
Start as soon as possible. Two activities. One you’re cutting out and one you’re starting.
Succeed at these two every day at all costs. You’ll be surprised at the progress you’ll make.
Don’t fear failure. Embrace it when it comes (because you will fail from time to time) and don’t let it get you down. Tap into that willpower and keep working.