Absolute Discipline

[Michelle]

I love this quote: I think there’s some connection between absolute discipline and absolute freedom. - Alan Rickman

The more disciplined I become, the more I recognize how true that statement is.

In general I would describe myself as fairly disciplined. To me this means that I have more discipline than most people, but not yet as much discipline as I would like or feel is necessary to truly excel at what I want to do.

To those of you who are very disciplined: What do you think is required for "absolute discipline". How did you go from being rather disciplined to exceptionally disciplined?

[Erki]

One thing that keeps me from being very disciplined is that I think that discipline means rigid daily schedules which I don't really like. I feel that this would prevent me from doing something something just out of wham, just because I'm in the mood. I think a lot of people feel that discipline keeps the fun away, and I think that I also feel so...

Gotta do some more thinking.

[Michelle]

Yes, I think that is what scares me, too. I fear if I impose a too difficult schedule upon myself that part of me will rebel and I won't be disciplined at all. And perhaps I am thinking too idealistic but I don't want discipline to be a chore. I want to find joy and happiness in being very disciplined. It should feel natural/organic.

[Vincentboucher]

suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regrets

[Alchemiss]

Interesting topic. I tend to rebel against discipline also although people have always told me I'm very disciplined. For me, the secret is routine. I don't have to will myself to do things or make myself do things or even decide whether I'm going to or not. If it is my routine, I just do them, and yes, in a sense, it is freeing. I'm not claiming I've done this in all aspects of my life but where I have, the shift is dramatic! At the moment, I'm doing this with meditation, cardio exercise, strength training, and certain hours where I don't eat. I was also doing it with writing fiction for a while. My challenge is to not overload the routine, making it impossible to maintain.

[Shamou]

Being disciplined does not mean that you have to do everything right... it simply means that when you make a commitment to yourself... you keep it... period...

In other words... a disciplined person is not a saint... but someone who keeps his/her word... and, no excuse...

.

[Jes]

I'm not in the least bit disciplined (well, maybe moreso than my friends ... but they're all potheads). But that quote is true.

I find that I was most disciplined when I was making the most money. It's so easy for me to manage things when I don't have to worry about cost. Not that I was careless with my money back then, but now I have to micromanage every penny I make and budget absolutely every expense otherwise I'll go broke. When I could purchase things on a whim (oh, that $30 office supply will REALLY enhance my productivity!), I got a lot more done. Because I didn't have to slow everything down and find the best price and yada yada.

An example: I just started a small business, and that's great, but I'd be able to get so much more done if I just had the money to hire a manager for this task, or a lawyer for another, etc. There's one project I'm working on now, and it's going to cost around $5k. And I KNOW that if I allow the budget for the project to be the full $5k, it'd be easy to get done. BUT, if I pennypinch and spend another month researching prices and people, I can probably do the project equally as good for $2500. That means another $2500 for marketing. But what a friggin' headache it is to do all that pinching! I could have the project done TOMORROW if I just had the extra cash!

Ugh.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Jes

I could have the project done TOMORROW if I just had the extra cash!

Ugh.

If you had enough cash... you would not even have to work... ergo... no need for discipline...

But, having enough discipline to do what needs to be done is what separates the men from the wimps... the successes from the failures... and the winners from the losers...

Just remember... no pain... no gain... it's true for me... and it's also true for you... so, get your hands out of your pockets... and get to work...

Good luck to you... and thanks for sharing...

.

[learningtogrow]

Jes, Read Bustin Loose From the Money Game by Robert Scheinfeld.

[frogcat]

"Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. "

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

"The U.S. is a great country. You can live the way you want there; you can be a self-made person. But sometimes, when all our energy goes into progress, acquisition, and productivity, it leaves a huge emptiness in the heart."

John O'Donohue

"Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. "

Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

[Jes]

I couldn't agree more, Shamou. Sometimes I wish I could get the training of the Marines, without the whole killing/being killed thing.

learningtogrow, I'm a little skeptical of that book. It does seem like an interesting read, though. Some people say it's a little contradictory. Still worth the read?

[Ree]

I think it's dependent upon the type personality you are. I can't remember my Meyers Briggs categories, but I'm definitely a disciplined, detail-oriented person. My husband is my opposite in the Meyers Briggs, so we make a great team. He sees the big picture and I see the details.

Because I love organization and discipline, including self-discipline (my kids say I would make a good drill sergeant I have to work at being spontaneous and doing things on the spur of the moment. So while you have to work at disciplining yourself to do the things you ought to do, I have to work at busting out of my routine and doing things just because.

[SerbianSausage]

SELF DISCIPLINE:

One of my favourite things!

Self Discipline isn't making your whole life into something resembling prison or military life where every second is planned and accounted for, but is simply making a commitment to do something (usually the same thing day in day out) and to keep it. No wimpy excuses.

That separates the 95% of average from the 5% of exceptional folk. If it was easy everyone would be disciplined and successful but we all know that that isn't true - only around 5-10% of people manage it consistently.

Steve's 30 Day experiments are the best example of building self discipline. You build a habit by doing it every day until it becomes effortless. I really think this is one of the great techniques - and these "experiments" nearly always yield tangible results.

Cases in point
Savings: I made a commitment in late 2005 to save 10% of my after tax income. I get paid monthly so had to pay myself every month; difficult to do the few first months but now it's effortless. Also, I found that as I started to save I actually got better at making money. This year I have had several paychecks between $8,000 and $10,000 (after tax) and putting away $800-1,000 in savings hasn't fazed me. Result: about $18,000 in savings which earns $90 per month in interest through my ING Direct Savings Maximiser.

Keeping Tidy
As a teenager and growing up in a very untidy home, I had terrible habits of not washing dishes and of leaving things lying around - amongst other things. After reading a Jim Rohn article again in 2005 about self discipline, I resolved to wash up immedately after a meal and to hang my suit up as soon as I got in from work - for 30 days. Formerly I would drape it on a chair or over a bed. Well......now I literally can't imagine NOT washing up or hanging up my clothes. The very thought of not keeping my house in good order sends shivers up my spine!

Coffee:
This was very tough. After trying about 7 or 8 times, I managed to give up coffee on 6th June 2006 and I have not touched any since. This has to be one of the hardest things I have ever done. I only had 2 espressos per day, but I was very addicted; I know this because when I tried to stop - my body would shut down and I would get pounding headaches. However, I couldn't bear the thought of being a slave to the bean for the rest of my life so held on and after about a week the withdrawal subsided. Now I sleep so much better, have consistent energy throughout the day and have even greater self discipline that I can apply to other endeavours.

I would encourage anyone to get disciplined. In fact, self discipline coupled with proper use of thought control/visualization is the only technique that has ever given me any meaningful results. I have no interest in "feel good" books or anything like that; the extent to which your external reality changes is when techniques and your own application of them is really put to the test.

Just get it done!

[The David]

I think that---for me, anyway---self-discipline has a lot to do with just constantly doing something. It is easy for me to lose hours doing nothing productive at all, just because I am evading something I know I should. Staying in a near-constant state of motion, even if it's just low priority tasks at first, puts me in a more disciplined mindset and I find that I enjoy what I'm doing. When I am inactive, sometimes even the thought of work is tiring. I forget that just starting a task can be energizing. Becoming uncomfortable with inactivity or passive activity was the first step.

[Anya]

SerbianSausage wrote:"I would encourage anyone to get disciplined. In fact, self discipline coupled with proper use of thought control/visualization is the only technique that has ever given me any meaningful results. I have no interest in "feel good" books or anything like that; the extent to which your external reality changes is when techniques and your own application of them is really put to the test."

Hi SerbianSausage,

Could you please explain more on you last thought. "Disciplining my thoughts" is the biggest challenge that I am facing right now. I would like to get more advise from people who have mastered it or working on it. Any words are welcomed! (I am aware that meditation is one of the solutions...)

Thanks in advance!!!

[Master X]

YOU WANT DISCIPLIN ILL SHOW YOU DISCIPLIN WATCH THIS VIDEO !!!!!!!!!!!!!

YouTube - USMC drill instructor ass chewing

[The David]

Originally Posted by Master X

YOU WANT DISCIPLIN ILL SHOW YOU DISCIPLIN WATCH THIS VIDEO !!!!!!!!!!!!!

YouTube - USMC drill instructor ass chewing

I'm assuming it is more inspiring when you are the one being yelled at?

On the other hand, the song that starts at the beginning is one of my top favorites.