Without self-discipline there is no mastery — of anything. Of course, I am talking here about self-discipline in the realm of long term mastery of your own Health, Fitness, Personal Energy and overall well being.
Self-discipline is the key to overcoming such Health and Fitness detractors as boredom, distraction, lethargy, inertia and excuses (“It’s too hot.” “It’s too cold”. “My finger hurts.” “I just don’t feel like it this morning.”)
Self-discipline comes from deep inside. It’s what makes you get up and out to the gym, or go for a walk or a run, or stick with anything for the long term where boredom or distractions try to take you off the path to mastery.
Good health and fitness practices call for a long term commitment — as in forever. Once you get over the initial “high” of starting something new and achieving short term, often immediate progress, boredom steps in, right alongside the initial plateau and the Homeostasis I wrote about two weeks ago. The novelty wears off and it can stop you cold. Suddenly going to the gym or getting up early to go for a run seems like an endless chore rather than an activity you do for the simple benefit and joy of. . . just doing it. It’s easier to do nothing rather than start. Self-sabotage sets in and destroys the momentum you have built.
Unless!
You reach deep down into yourself and pull up that mindset that says, “go do it anyway.” “Get up you jerk. You know you’ll feel better all day.”
Webster defines self-discipline as, the disciplining or controlling of oneself, one’s desires, actions, habits, etc.” The operative word, of course, is “self”. As an adult, you are responsible for your own actions. Not your doctor. Not a personal trainer. Not a nutritionist. Not your spouse. Just you.
Self-discipline is a practice too. The more you exercise self-discipline, the more you will continue. And when you approach your goal, it will take self-discipline to stick with whatever you are doing to keep from backsliding, and staying with it for the long term.
Motivation and self-discipline go hand in hand. They feed on one another. The next time you say, “I don’t feel like exercising today”, reach into yourself and do it anyway.
Thank you for reading.