Not motivation. Not consistency. Not even inspiration. Discipline is what pulls the cover from above you every morning. To cut up an apple for breakfast. To board the train for work.
Time is not currently on my side. I've returned to full-time employment, am training for a marathon, and (if I'm lucky) only have half of the weekend to relax. Finding the time to create longer, more researched pieces is intricate, and I don't want to exhaust myself in the attempt.
So it's time for some innovation. Communicating ideas with fewer words. Right to the point. Smaller bite-size pieces that you and I can both manage.
I don't believe I've scrolled through a social feed without seeing a post oozing ‘inspiration’ and ‘encouragement’ – like it’s just as simple as liking the post, you know? We may get a burst of energy from these posts, but to do what? That one task we’ve been putting off? To finally sign up for the gym? No. To be as disciplined as the claim in these posts.
But is it possible? Can I be so self-disciplined?
In the moment, unquestionably. You don’t need to find any more energy. The expertly crafted ad with its punchy animations and large fonts, paired with 180 bpm music has you THUMPING. So why aren’t you getting up?
Acting on those feelings is vital. Because they will inevitably fade. So many times I’ll be getting ready for bed and I begin to think about going for a run. The flawless strides, each step coursed with energy, gliding down the highways. I become invigorated and plan to utilise this energy in the morning.
Sadly, I am merely a battery. My vitality does not persist and depletes. Upon waking, I am groggier and less energised about going for a run in rainy weather.
So should I have run the night before? Yep. Even if it was just 10 minutes around the block.
Instead, I just fizzled.
So far, I’ve just gone through the motions of motivation / enthusiasm / hype / whatever you want to call it. However, discipline… oh boy. That’s another level.
Discipline is not going for a run. Or acting on increased vigour. It's about consistency. Discipline is the long-term approach. A 10-minute run will feel right for the moment, but you can’t wait for motivation to strike you for it again. You need to be disciplined enough to pursue it, even if you’re not as enthusiastic about it. The goal here isn’t to run for 10 minutes; it’s larger. Perhaps an hour? Maybe two? Discipline will get you there. Motivation will not.
I decided almost a year ago that I would release something every month. It’s so easy just not to do something. But then you look back and wonder why you just didn’t do the work. What if you had done it? Where would you be now? With my increasingly coloured calendar, I considered not releasing anything this month. That is my brain defaulting back to the short-term. This project is about the collection, not the month-to-month. A series of letters that illustrate my thoughts and ideas. Not contributing to that would be missing the point of all of it.
“Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn't matter. Cold or warm. Tired or well-rested. Despised or honored.” - Marcus Aurelius
Do the right thing for you. Sometimes that means hitting snooze. Let yourself rest. Sometimes it means lifting those covers off and doing the hard work.
Discipline is just a series of “doing the right thing”.
“Right” will always be a subjective answer, and everyone will have their own opinion. But trusting your intuition seems to be a rarer trait today. Many seek validation from others, whether in their appearance or jobs and question themselves more and more.
But maybe you just need some practice with your intuition; that’s fine. There are plenty of things where doing the “right thing” has slightly clearer answers.
One example is public transport. I have reservations about how Victoria runs their systems, but there are rules. I pay my way. Not because I want to, but because I can. And if I can, at least that keeps the system alive for those that can’t.
We’ve all seen people hop on the train, tram or bus and not pay their way. Our judgement kicks in – if they can afford to, they should. If they can’t, they shouldn’t.
And even with a slightly clearer answer, “right” still looks mismatched. It will always be subjective, and there’s nothing we can do about that.
Stay safe, and pass-it-on.