The Power of Discipline: How to Build a Successful Career as a New Developer
Tags: beginners, career, programming, developer
Published: 2023-05-01 16:44:56

Today I will write about the concept of discipline which is the only answer I have to the questions I often get asked such as "How do you manage to do so many things and not get tired?" and "How do you motivate(!) yourself?". If you are curious about what discipline means as a term you can look it up on Google but this is not that kind of article. I will talk in detail about the foundations of my discipline how I established them and the role of discipline in success.



### Discipline and Motivation


Speaking for myself motivation only helps me in 2-3 hours of my day at most. Without the discipline I have I would only be able to work for 2-3 hours a day which is not enough in my opinion. Motivation is like a fair-weather friend; when you need it on bad days you can't find it. Discipline is like a family; it takes your hand and pulls you up whenever you need it. Furthermore, I think that discipline is the most valuable gift you can give yourself, and you are the only one who can give it. If your family is not rich, if you don't have powerful relatives, influential acquaintances or an uncle in the palace then you have to work hard. Stop using excuses that can only convince 5-year-old children such as "I can't find the motivation within myself", "I want to work hard but it doesn't work", "I don't have time" or "I don't know how to work". No one cares about what you are going through, how you feel, or why you can't do something. People are interested in what you have accomplished and achieved not in your excuses and failures. Look around you, have truly successful people in their lives using these kinds of excuses? Did they achieve success by hiding behind these excuses?

I would like to talk a little bit about countries and societies that are famous for their discipline and success in this area. What are they doing that we are not? What are we missing? Let's take a look.

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### German Discipline


I wanted to put Germans who are well-known for their discipline and hard work, in the first place. What's the concept of German discipline that we often hear about? What are its foundations? How did Germans acquire this discipline? Let's start by answering these questions.

This concept emerged in Germany during the industrial revolution and the process of industrialization when Germany was believed to differ from other countries in terms of work discipline. German discipline derives its roots from the Protestant ethic that emerged in the 19th century. In Germany Protestantism was adopted as a moral doctrine that emphasizes the importance of work ethics and seriousness. Martin Luther taught that work was a way of serving God and that work was a valuable asset for humans. This idea contributed to Germany's industrial power in later years and formed the basis of German discipline. German discipline emphasizes following hierarchies and rules in the workplace coming to work on time, completing work on time and working efficiently. Additionally, Germany's success during the industrial revolution and the process of industrialization emphasizes the importance of German discipline and is therefore considered a key to economic success.

The fundamental reason why Germany is a highly developed country in every field is the discipline possessed by Germans.


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### Asia Countries


I don't want to overlook the Asian countries that have echoed around the world with their achievements and work. What is the secret of the Asian countries that have become the apple of the world's eye, especially in technology and other fields? I will address this question by quoting from the book "Outliers" that I recently read which also discusses how discipline is applied to young people in these countries.

The concept of discipline in Asian countries has a rich history dating back thousands of years. Throughout this history, the concept of discipline in Asian cultures has been shaped by various factors such as philosophical and religious influences, family and social ties plus economic needs.

Philosophical and religious influences have had a significant impact on the understanding of the discipline in Asian cultures. Confucianism and Taoism in China, and Zen Buddhism in Japan are philosophical and religious movements that encourage a disciplined way of life. Confucianism emphasizes values such as respect, obedience, and responsibility in social relations while Taoism emphasizes harmony with nature and a balanced lifestyle. Zen Buddhism on the other hand, encourages individuals to control themselves through practices such as meditation and mental discipline and to lead a disciplined life.

In addition, the strong ties between family and society in Asian cultures are also an important factor in shaping the understanding of the discipline. Hierarchical structures within families and societies encourage values such as respect, obedience and hard work. Respect is shown to the authority of parents within families and responsibility is expected from an early age such as taking on tasks family business managed by the elders.

Another factor shaping the discipline culture in Asian cultures is economic necessity. A disciplined and orderly work style is necessary for success in areas such as agriculture and industry. Therefore employees are expected to work in a disciplined manner in the business world and respect and discipline rules are applied in the workplace.

Families teach their children to lead a disciplined life and disciplined behavior is also encouraged in school. The education system in Asian countries has a structure that encourages students to work in a disciplined manner. Students are trained to follow strict study schedules and work in a disciplined manner. They are expected to go to school early in the morning and study for long hours. Therefore, students learn the discipline of work in school and aim to be successful by working in a disciplined manner.

This cultural structure contributes to the development of successful and disciplined individuals in Asian countries. I will end the section on Asian countries by sharing a few quotes from the book Outliers which I enjoyed reading.

> No one who can rise before the sun and work for 360 days a year will fail to make his family rich.

> Working hard for no purpose is like a punishment.

> If you work hard enough, put yourself out there, and use your brain and imagination, you can shape the world as you desire.

> There's no meal without sweat and blood.

> A lazy man dies freezing in winter.

> If a man works hard, the land won't be lazy either.

> They had to give up a part of their identity to be successful in what they were doing.



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### My Discipline And Its Foundations


I wanted to include this section at the end because it may not be very important at least not for the reader.

During my high school years, I knew nothing about discipline except for its dictionary definition. I wasn't doing anything to study or improve myself. When I started studying computer programming at university everything changed for me. This was the turning point in my life. I wanted to succeed in my studies, be better than my peers, do something in the industry, have a network and most importantly be the best in my field. I made friends with people who had similar goals and pushed me constantly. We went to the library after classes studied until late in the evening and then went out to have fun. When the schools switched to online education I was idle for a while but then I established a routine of working from home, volunteering for internships, writing articles, and developing new projects. I am still working on this routine. I spend my entire day working on articles, projects, startup tasks and internship tasks then I spend my evenings doing what I want such as reading or watching something. Having a discipline that suits you is valuable. This is how I work but it may seem like too much for you so you can start with a lighter pace. Create a discipline based on your limits.