Embracing Discipline

       I’m sure you’ve heard those phrases that are kind of cliché but sound good if you hear them in a great song. One of them is certainly "the eyes are the window to the soul". Well, I've decided to take the artistic liberty of coining my own phrase: "One’s behavior is the window to their character”. Not a lot of words rhyme with character, so it might be a challenge to build those lyrics into a song, but it still gives us something interesting to talk about.

One thing many people struggle with is discipline. Today, we’ll discuss why trying to improve one’s discipline is a worthy pursuit and if there is a way to improve it.

First, it’s important to remember that discipline is just a tool, not the end goal. Like any tool, it can be wielded to do good or bad things. Taking over a foreign country may challenge your discipline, just as much as pulling an all-nighter watching YouTube does, but that does not mean that those are the wisest of pursuits. Discipline without a goal is like shooting an arrow without setting up a target. You will always miss. Getting one’s priorities straight and setting that target is the first step to discipline.

Part of setting up priorities involves answering the question of what is important and why one wants or needs to do something. Wrong priorities will end up with the arrow hitting the target only to find there was no value in hitting it in the first place. Many things we see as important are very individual. Caring for a dog or children, building a business, helping others, working on patience and humility…all these things can be priorities for different people. Essentially, it is just important to recognize that time is fleeting, and by choosing to set one’s mind to a certain matter, value is being ascribed to that action. As that time passes and we cannot carry it with us, we can only own the consequences of the actions we took.

This brings us to the most challenging part where it seems so easy to fail: Taking action. Getting off the couch, starting a workout, stopping procrastinating, continuing studies.... this is where all the diligence in preparation could finally come to fruition, but so often, we stall. What now?

Let’s refer back to that opening line. Not the “eyes” one, the “one’s behavior is the window to their character”. Our actions, decisions, and behavior speak volumes about who we are.

I like to keep this one thing in mind: My character is reflected in my behavior.

When making a tough decision, when stuck between temptation and discipline, I try to remember that the road I take reflects who I am and determines who I will become should that behavior repeat.

You are faced with a decision. Run the options through your mind. Write them down if you need to. Which option will you choose? Who do you want to be?

Falling from discipline is a decision, albeit one that doesn’t seem to happen consciously and is often chauffeured by a wave of emotions. Taking a step back, seeking clarity of mind, and thinking about the fork in the road or writing down your options allows you to stay intentional in the heat of the moment.

This does not mean always working or studying, or always doing what’s hard. It does mean being intentional and it does mean doing what is right.

This leaves us with one more question: Why is it so difficult to be disciplined? A poem that one of my friends wrote hits the nail on the head. Here are a few lines:

The fall from discipline isn’t an obvious danger,

It is kind, restful, and respectful of your every need,

Masquerading only as a moment of laxity in an endless wealth of time.

…lack of discipline is a lie filled with false promises.

A life without a few meaningful targets set up is a waste, and a person without the discipline to fire a few volleys toward these targets is stagnant.

There is honor in taking up this fight that so few dare even to acknowledge.