Discipline

Do things you don’t like doing for a long time without getting any reward.

It originates from Latin disciplīna. Meaning “instruction, teaching, training.”

Discipline is all about:

1. the absence of reward
2. spotting and doing things you don’t like
3. enduring that for an extended period of time

What this really means

People who don’t bullshit themselves will understand that:

• If you like it, it’s not discipline.
• If you do it once or for a short period of time, it’s not discipline.
• If you get rewarded, it’s not discipline.

It’s okay to do stuff you like, it’s okay to do stuff only once, and it’s okay to get something for doing the thing.

But don’t call this discipline. Don’t bullshit yourself.

Your body can tell the difference, and your subconscious will know it too.

The Question We Need to Ask

To operationalize this even further, we need to ask ourselves:
How many times can I do this punishing event in a row without getting a reward?

This way you get to a number. You get to something real.

• 100 reps?
• 1000 reps?
• 10000 reps?

You won’t know until you do it 100 times, 1000 times, or 10000 times.

Now you need to go prove yourself to yourself and do even more reps.

You need to promise something to yourself and never break that promise... otherwise you’ll know.

The Deeper Truth

The thing about discipline that explains why a lot of people want this character trait so badly is that it is scarce.

To witness true discipline, you have to discipline yourself.

To see somebody training hard at 5 a.m., you need to train hard at 5 a.m. too.

When you are not disciplined you can only see the result of other people’s discipline.

Undisciplined people see other people’s abs. Disciplined people see other people doing sit-ups.