Stop Thinking You’re Not Disciplined Enough (Do This Instead)

Photo by Thao LEE on Unsplash

Your success is not reliant on whether or not you are disciplined enough.

Discipline isn’t the main ingredient for success--it’s a limited resource. What truly matters is building habits and routines so success becomes automatic. As a finite source, you have to use it sparingly. Like a booster. Meanwhile, you're steeped in a changed identity, and the things you do to improve your life are automatic.

Habits and routine are at the core of your activities, which means discipline is about automating decisions, not forcing them.

You are aware that you must implement environmental design to aid in making success easy and failure hard.

While knowing you have to try and fail fast, repeatedly, and for an extended period before you notice any real change. The people around you will see it, but you won't see it just yet. You'll have to do something mind-blowing with your skills, otherwise, you're just focused on the building.

Being this greater version of yourself will take constant effort, but if you follow these three steps, you'll be in a much better position.

Step 1: Remove friction between you and your goal

This juice here is simple.

When you're not using discipline as a boost, you're relying on the design of your environment and your ability to make the habit you want to adopt so easy to do that it would feel stupid not to do it.

This idea is fundamental.

What it means is if you can deduce a habit into something that takes you 1-2 minutes, or an action you can take, and one day it will be automatic, and you'll do it for longer.

Right now, you should be concerned with starting and nothing else.

Figure out a loose vision you want for yourself. Something you've desired for so long, and it's just eating you up inside, that you haven't taken any action on.

Now minify it.

What is the simplest form of that habit you can do that gets you started?

Step 2: Create automatic triggers

A trigger is something you already do, an existing habit.

Conversely, an automatic trigger is when you take a new habit and link it to an existing habit.

For example, when I wanted to write more, I usually would write after reading. Linking them together so that if I do one, I'll automatically move into the other.

The level of your creativity will encourage a lot of positive change.

Nothing more needs to be said.

Step 3: Change your identity, not your behavior

Most of the rules in the game of life are chalked up to your perception and perspective.

Instead of thinking you have to be someone with more discipline, you consider yourself someone who writes--a writer.

Understanding the fundamental idea that people act in alignment with their identity, not the things they wish they could be. Dreams are vague ideas of what the future could be. But when you decide to become a version of yourself that brings you joy and purpose, the universe will deliver.

Remember, I'm a writer because I write. I'm a software developer because I develop software. I'm a singer-songwriter/producer because I've written and produced a few songs. I am an entrepreneur because I made my first dollar online that wasn't from close friends or family.

If you take the same beliefs about yourself in the things you do regularly, you'll find this whole game we're forced to play isn't that difficult.

Quick Recap: Do This Instead

Step 1: Remove friction between you and your goal. Make good habits stupidly easy to start. For example, if you want to work out, sleep in your gym clothes so you're already ready in the morning.

Step 2: Create automatic triggers. Tie new habits to existing routines, also known as habit stacking. I've spoken about this in my previous issue, "5 Steps to Build Lasting Habits and Break Bad Ones." For example, do you want to meditate daily? Attach it to brushing your teeth, so you always meditate right after.

Step 3: Change your identity, not your behavior. Instead of "I have to be disciplined," start thinking: I am a disciplined person, I am someone who never misses workouts, or I am someone who reads every night." People act in alignment with their identity. Shift the way you see yourself.

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