Self-Discipline
By: Tony Soulage
Tags: Lifestyle, Self Improvement, Habit Building, Self Discovery, Discipline

Q: In your opinion, is self-discipline a trait or a skill? Why?

A: Trait: genetically determined characteristic. Sounds a bit cynical, would you not agree? If we were to leave self-discipline at that, it would be similar to pushing ourselves into the quicksands of helplessness, as the inability to change our character into something better is hopeless. We are marvelous beings and we have all the potential in the world to break old thought and action patterns with new, stronger, healthier, lucrative and beneficial habits.

Buddhist Monk Running Eight Steps On Wall. Credits to Getty Images ©

Self-discipline is not only a skill, it’s a habit. In itself, it’s a habit resulting from the continuous application and dedication towards effective habits. It is something we learn along our journey of experiences, shortcomings, failures, conversations, setbacks and adversities. The amount we learn from success is, dare I say, negligible compared to that provided through defeat. We accumulate the lessons and turn them into keys for success.

If change was not possible, there wouldn’t be any awe inspiring success stories of our modern world: people with tremendously turbulent histories of alcohol and drug abuse, poor homes, broken families, failures in education, physical limitations who have grown beyond these stigmas and taught themselves the art of self-mastery.

So, how does one walk towards the light of self-discipline? With baby steps, of course. You can’t expect yourself to break chains of paradigms you have been mesmerized by your entire life: it’s simple, but not easy. Here are, in my opinion, the steps leading there:

Awareness: a conscious decision of wanting to change and become more disciplined by knowing the amazing benefits of this way of life. You will become a better person if you first decide to, and second, believe you can too. Research: knowledge truly is a powerful tool. You’ll need plenty of it, from books, tutorials, podcasts, videos, seminars, advice, anything really you could get your hands on. You’ll study the mind and its behavior. So it’s really the mind studying itself. Application: ideas never built fortresses. Only working hands have. If you never implement the knowledge you have spent hours and days to amass into the library of your brain, you can’t really blame anyone or anything on your shortcoming in your constructions of the fortress of self-discipline. Practicality over anything. Keep it simple, sleek, elegant and start applying it. Time management tips, waking up early, sleeping early, working out, eating healthier, getting sun and fresh air, eliminating toxic friends from your inner circle, avoiding unfruitful series, movies, and music, keeping a journal or diary of the upcoming day and designing it in the morning. Consistency: to start is one thing, but to pursue is wholly different. Always start working when you least feel like it and stop right at your peak before you burn out the candles at both ends. Remember your why (it’s important to have a strong why driving you), focus on the journey and the process of becoming a better person rather than throwing in entitled expectations as to how things should be for you and the results you’ll reap. Keep your goals and plans simple and organized enough to sustain them. Roller-coaster: we are a beautiful, harmonious agglomeration of endless atoms and entities glued together with the power of a matter made by the universal stardust itself: the soul. It is okay to not be okay on some days, to fail, to take a day off, to feel too tired, to have a faux-pas, to have missed a bullet point on your to-do list. The important matter, like in meditation, when you are distracted and come back to the breath, is to not beat yourself up but rather to realize this is part of the process and soon return to your rhythm and harmony.

As you can see the paragraphs involving implementation and action-taking are the longest for a reason. Respect the grind. I believe us all to be wonderful beings who have yet to discover the true powers of our minds and souls. Never throw away your chance of becoming a better You even in the darkest, hardest, most dastardly and arduous days. The idea is to struggle on, not to suffer in. Struggle, don’t suffer. Discipline requires pain. Best of Work! (not luck. F that.)