Don't Just Say!

Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most. - Abraham Lincoln

It feels like there is nothing more difficult to master, in this world, than discipline. This comes as no surprise because discipline appears to be a very important ingredient in the lives of very successful people all over the world. Many times people claim that one's environment has a lot to do in determining whether they become successful or not but it seems that discipline might arguably be of more importance.

Your environment could be the most fantastic on planet earth which could in turn spur you to dream big and get excited, you may even have all the tools you need at your disposal but without discipline, you will be unable to fulfill those exciting dreams. Dreams are very easy to conceive; just start to say anything you want and that's it. Just say! You don't have to move a finger to say something, it's one of the easiest things to do.

Remember at the beginning of every new term/session in school when you draw out your reading timetable and design your notebooks with a few motivational quotes, ready to be the best this time around? Remember how awesome you start out, trying to take down all notes, not missing any classes and assignments? Now how long do the excitement and enthusiasm usually last for? Why do you think that happens?

What about New Year's Resolutions? Same story!

Same with staying fit, eating right, living good, staying loyal, and almost every other thing on earth!

Discipline, in this context, refers to your ability to stick to an already laid out plan and operate within the confines of that plan. It is never enough to just have dreams because dreaming doesn't make things happen; doing does. It, however, feels like the human nature will rather take the easy route than undergo any activity that will bring the slightest form of rigor. This is why it is only the few who decide to go outside the norm that ends up being different from the pack.

On Steemit, it is very easy to see announcements of new projects popping up in all corners but they seem to die out with the same speed they came up with. I believe it is mostly down to a lack of discipline. Remember that discipline is expected to be in the discussion only after a plan has been well crafted.

I started to figure all these out a little while ago and oh boy am I very guilty! The revelation and understanding can be more heartbreaking for a dreamer who has constantly had big dreams but always failed to actualize any of their dreams. Staying disciplined might just be a step in the right direction.

On This Journey To Discipline

Baby steps are required. Like with almost everything else, the basics have to be mastered before we can then move on to bigger things. This topic is very personal to me and I intend to see how far I can really go. So being disciplined can start from little things like setting a specific time to get out of bed every morning, a time for breakfast, and basically just sticking to your goals.

So it seems the first step to take will be to set some goals/targets for yourself. At this beginning stages, these goals/targets should most likely be habits you intend to form and make a part of you. Your list may or may not look like this;

• Wake up by 4a.m
• Read/study a book for 1 hour
• Share your thoughts/write a post on Steemit
• Call/check up on at least two friends/family
• Listen to a podcast
• Attend dance class
• Pray/meditate
• Cook/eat healthy foods

How To Stay Disciplined

I really do not know how to stay disciplined but I kinda believe in milestones and rewarding progress so in that case, I will be setting out with very small tasks/goals and staying disciplined with those will be enough motivation to move up the ladder. So I'll just say that you should start small and grow from there. You don't want to bite more than you can chew and then defeat the whole purpose. You need to be able to build that confidence and belief that you can do it; at least do it for your subconscious mind. This will mean that your goals shouldn't be vague but as specific as possible. Break down the big goal into smaller chunks and try to avoid being overwhelmed.

How To Not Stay Disciplined

Yes, I know a lot about this one! There are quite a lot of ways you can go about this and I promise you that they are all super easy to pull off.

• Making excuses: this is one very easy and subtle way to drift away from the path to discipline. That moment you're supposed to go to bed by 10pm but don't want to stop talking to boo because you think it'll make them sad.

• Lazying around: sometimes your body just wants to chill. Afterall, you really can't afford to kill yourself and skipping the routine for "just today" wouldn't hurt. Well, you'll say the same "tomorrow" and the day after, and on and on.

I'll stop at those two.

Over To You

So hey, smart you, what do you think? Do you mind sharing any tips to help stay disciplined and focused? Or are you like me trying to figure it all out? What areas of your life will you like to work on and improve?

---

Don't Just Say, Do!

---

All images are from pexels