My Jiu Jitsu coach challenged me to post myself doing 25 push ups each day for 25 days to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental health. I thought it was a good cause so decided i would support the endeavour and i would do it… tomorrow.
Tomorrow took 4 days.
There are things i have achieved by grinding out the workload involved in the commitment and there are things i have started and stopped. I am not sure if I understand Self Discipline.
In an article called, Self Discipline Benefits and Importance By Remez Sasson, he states,
‘One of its main characteristics is the ability to reject instant gratification and pleasure, in favor of some greater gain, which requires spending effort and time to get it.’
I like the definition of the characteristic but it does not tell me how to develop self discipline. Upon reflection I belief I have applied self discipline when i have a clear goal in mind. The clarity of the gol or end point is is more than words on paper, although that is a very crucial first step. The clear goal has been the end point with a visualisation of the accomplishment as live footage that plays in my mind. I think that is what makes the difference. The visualisation is built on all my senses and is associated with a passion that is greater than the enticement to stop, avoid or procrastinate the stepping stones towards the end goal.
While researching this article I found a YouTube clip by Will Smith – called SELF DISCIPLINE – Best Motivational Speech Video (Featuring Will Smith).https://youtu.be/ft_DXwgUXB0 He defines Self Discipline as Self Love.
Part of my career included working in the fitness industry. I regularly attended Les Mills each morning for my own fitness and also visited many fitness clubs in a professional capacity. We have all heard the catch cry, ‘No Pain No Gain’. On the back of that maxim i have seen many people commence a fitness regimen and try to do too much.
Amidst the passion of achieving the end goal may i suggest we use some wisdom to temper the excitement of the new ‘self ‘ or circumstance we see at the imagined destination. We need some wisdom and self love to moderate our enthusiasm and start at a pace on whatever venture we have chosen, that is sustainable.
I think this is the element of self discipline we need coupled with self love. 50% of people who join a gym never attend more than one session. This may be because they started too hard, trying to evoke too much change in too short a time.
Perhaps this is Self Discipline. To have a passionate visualization of the end point and then with self love, care and wisdom we commence the wisley chosen steps and size of steps on our journey.