Discipline as a Lifestyle

5:30 AM. That alarm clock is going off Monday morning at 5:30 AM, and every weekday following, and you are getting your ass up and starting your day Joe. That, amongst other goals, is what I am holding myself to in the New Year. Not only is 5:30 AM wake ups the only way I can get a decent workout in during my busy weekdays but the gym before work is also a great way to kick start my day and most importantly, begins my day on a note of intense discipline: just the way I like it. 5:30 AM alarm, get up, get my workout gear on, MAKE MY BED (discipline), and brave the cold to my car as I start my day earlier then most others. That 5:30 AM alarm is about more than waking up early to start my day at the gym and on the right foot to (hopefully) jump start myself ahead of my competition: that alarm is symbolic of intense discipline which I strive to live my life by.

There are so many different rules and principles to success that it is difficult to pinpoint one as the cardinal rule. Whether it is success is business, personal lives, or professional endeavors, you could go crazy studying and implementing these rules. Lately however, I am heavy on the belief that discipline is what will ultimately set me apart from my peers and competitors in the pursuit of my dreams. Very few people, from what I have observed and suspect, will sacrifice the majority of their weekend days to pursue their dreams; or tiredly work towards their dreams in the 2-3 hours they have after their day jobs release them during the week to pursue a better life for themselves. Now maybe this “workaholism” and borderline obsession is more detrimental to my health then I want to believe however, I like to think of this drive and work ethic as more of a competitive advantage for each and every one of us that possesses it.

The issue with a lack of discipline is that it eventually catches up to us. If we know that our dreams, goals, and end states we desire will take time to achieve then OF COURSE we will have to be patient. That’s undeniable. Anything worth achieving in life WILL inevitably take a lot of time and work. More importantly however, in order to ACTUALLY have any hope of achieving our loftiest goals and dreams in life, we will have to be intensely disciplined to our work and daily, consistent routines at some point or another. For me, the consequences of NOT remaining disciplined are just far too deadly for me to not want to remain disciplined. I have said it before, and I will say it again: I am far more motivated by the depths of misery and despair in life then I am the highs of victory and success. And when I am undisciplined, I start slipping closer towards those depths of misery and despair. The late great Jim Rohn once stated: “we all must suffer one of two pains. That of discipline or that of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs TONS.” It truly is not THAT difficult to wake up early every day and go to the gym however, the consequences of not doing so (blowing up, getting out of shape, and the detrimental side effects of that lifestyle) are just far too lethal for me to not want to get out of bed.

The great thing about discipline, that we may or may not realize, is that most of us working adults are ALREADY quite disciplined. For those readers who have full time jobs, have completed or are en route to completing their college degrees, or stay consistent to a daily or weekly exercise routine or diet, you have already implemented a degree of discipline into your lives. What I am imploring however, particularly if you are not completely satisfied with all aspects of your life, is that you take your personal degree of discipline to the next level. Go the extra mile and commit to a life of complete and strict discipline. Cut out a night of weekday or weekend drinking and replace that time with going to the library, the movies, or your local coffee shop. Read 10-15 extra pages a night instead of watching Netflix or playing video games. Cut out an extra dessert or two a week (this one is tough for me…). Whatever a “disciplined lifestyle” might look like to you, commit to it for one month and then reflect on the pros and cons of such a lifestyle. If you don’t find it to be beneficial hey, fair enough. It certainly is not for everyone. However, if similar to myself you find the way of a disciplined lifestyle to be extremely beneficial and addicting, it may just change your life.

I could go on and on about discipline, how to remain disciplined, why it is so important and blah blah blah however, ironically, upon initially concocting this article, I was still extremely hungover from the night priors’ drunken festivities (discipline slip up). See?!?! Look at the detriments of just ONE undisciplined night! A poor initial performance and lack of top-notch output. Not something I like out of myself EVER. Nevertheless, I will leave you all with this: discipline sets you free. In my popular speech “In Pursuit of Dreams” I mention discipline as the 5th principle needed when pursuing and ultimately achieving our loftiest personal and professional dreams in life. I am starting to truly believe that (amongst other factors/components) discipline is what sets apart those who ultimately achieve their dreams in life from those who never do. So, give it a shot. Commit to a life of intense discipline and watch how your life slowly transforms for the better.

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