If I understand it, Pavlina’s not saying be a masochist, he’s saying find a way to challenge yourself to get more comfortable with doing the things that are necessary.

What if I had incredible discipline, worked really hard, but didn’t like it?

I like the results, but not the processs. If i were to give myself over completely to Self-Discipline I’d never like the process, would I?

Lying in bed late feels good. Having a clean house feels good, but cleaning the house doesn’t feel good.

So something has to happen to change the process of discipline, or it never pays off, does it? Otherwise, you’re always working on something that’s unfinished and not enjoying any of it.

I’ll re-read the chapter on hard work in case I misunderstood.

Steve Pavlina’s excellent six-part series on self-discipline might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Welcome to the eighteenth edition of The Carnival Of Education. Here we have assembled a variety of interesting and informative posts from around the EduSphere that have been submitted by various authors and readers. As with other editions, those ent…

Sometimes I’ve asked myself — is all this self discipline even worth it?

Yes, it’s worth it.

What if I fail to accomplish my goal in my set time frame?

If you still want the goal, extend the time frame. It just means your estimate was wrong.

What if it turns out I’m going after the wrong thing and so I’ve “wasted” all this time going down the wrong path (perhaps years depending on the goal)?

Better to discover you’re on the wrong path sooner rather than later. Sometimes you have to explore several wrong paths to even find the right one. Bill Gates abandoned Traf-O-Data, a company he ran for a while before giving up and starting Microsoft.

Also, the time isn’t fully wasted because you’ll undoubtedly learn something along the way, and you’ll grow stronger too, making yourself more prepared to handle the right path when you find it.

Life is about the journey, not the end result. Don’t be afraid to explore multiple paths to see where they take you and what you learn along the way. The worst thing you can do is to stand still and do nothing.

What if external influences cause my goal to be impossible?

Let it go and set a new goal. Or tackle those external influences to make the goal possible.

What if my morality comes into conflict with what it takes to succeed at this (think, Andrew Fastow & Enron, and your typical company with a Wall Street presence)?

Do you consider Enron a success? I don’t.

Success is a journey, not a destination. Your values and morals are part of that journey.

One of my goals was to find a path where there would be minimal conflict between serving myself and serving others. I wanted both of those arrows to be pointing me in the same direction. This required me to paint a picture of success that was fully congruent with my values and ethics, which is something I feel I’ve accomplished.

What if the effort it takes causes me to have to push away significant others or friends?

This comes down to values. Read the two-part article series Living Your Values for more info on that. If your friends are incongruent with what’s most important to you and it’s clear that isn’t going to change, dump ‘em. Be loyal to your highest and best self, and surround yourself with people who can support you in that role.

Are you saying that consistency ie building a rhythm, is the important thing in building self discipline?

I have suffered the last 3 years from lack of concentration, to the extent, I said working 5 minutes an hour on what is important as is good, as long as I do it consistently every hour.

I will put into practise starting with a lower goal and consistently meeting it, then raising the bar.

Thanks
Harish

What if I fail to accomplish my goal in my set time frame?

What if it turns out I’m going after the wrong thing and so I’ve “wasted” all this time going down the wrong path (perhaps years depending on the goal)?

What if external influences cause my goal to be impossible?

What if my morality comes into conflict with what it takes to succeed at this (think, Andrew Fastow & Enron, and your typical company with a Wall Street presence)?

What if the effort it takes causes me to have to push away significant others or friends?

Etc…

The list goes on and on. Some of these issues are imaginary and some are real, but all can be overcome I think. That’s the breakthrough that has to be reached for some (like myself) to realize that the self discipline is even worth it in the first place.