It is a scam.
The good discipline that I will speak to you about, of self-esteem in action, may tire your body and mind, but it will never exhaust your spirit. They are different things, think about it. Every task requires that you rest at some point, but when it is well oriented, it does not demand quitting or abandoning it. When you understand this, you understand how life operates. My life philosophy does not entail using strength, but rather being guided by inner power.
Can you be disciplined in all you do? No, of course not, only in that which you are passionate about, that which is your priority, that which you love. Being disciplined in what you detest is masochism, a sad self-flagellation. That is why you may have heard many personal development authors insist in the importance of dedicating your life to that which you love to do. Why? Because they know you will never be disciplined in that which you do not love!
What has been said: train the muscle of discipline, use it daily, and recover over the weekend; that way, you will develop the Superpower of Champions. Discipline has the power to give you everything.
How do I Apply It?
When you simplify your trivial decisions, you reserve mental energy and time for those that are important. Will, concentration and focus. You are a laser, and you move at light speed. You get more results, quicker.
Less is more.
Less decisions, more time and more energy available.
More discipline, less wavering.
When you simplify decision making, you automate processes. For example, where and what you have for breakfast. Decide now, and then become your choice, in an automation in which there is no coming back to think until a new order is given.
For what? To pass to focus in another detail in your life, another, more important, detail. A habit like this prevents you from spending time every morning thinking about what to eat, and where. In my case, I have two types of preestablished breakfasts: regular mode and intermittent fasting mode. Once I decide in what mode I am starting my day, the rest is already part of a protocol.
Even though it may seem trivial, it is the sum of many trivial decisions, such as that one, taken daily, that exhaust your mental energy. Remember that we said that you have a daily reserve? And that, once spent, bad decisions are made...
More examples, in my case:
I always have the same thing for breakfast, even if I am staying at a hotel.
I establish different supplement packages for the morning, afternoon and evening.
I use a single brand of shoes, that I buy online (I have no need to try them on).
I always dress in the same color, and buy the same pieces, from a single brand. I only use jeans, for their versatility. Because I know my sizes well, I can buy everything online.
I always start my day the same, exercising at home: a strength and stretching routine.
I always get out of bed at the same time: at six in the morning, it does not matter the day nor the hours I have slept. I made that decision years ago, and I am still applying it.
I finish my day with the same ritual or routine actions to close the house and get ready for bed.
I assign a maximum of three relevant tasks per day and start with the most complex.
I set a limit of work hours per day, which makes me more productive.
I do not accept any proposal or project that does not resonate with me.
I do not usually answer the phone, although I do return calls.
I only demand of myself to take a new step every day, but I do not accept anything less.
I reinvent myself every year, professionally, at least once.
I simplify my work every year, adjusting it to the Pareto principle.
I chose to increase my income by at least 25% every year.
I set a goal of writing at least one book per year, minimum.
I research nutrition to hack my performance, my health and my biology.
etc.…
All these decisions become programmed micro-routines, mini-habits, and make me free up time to center on other, more relevant, things. By simplifying my decisions, they are already made, and I can focus on priorities.
That is how people of high-performance act and, despite it appearing boring at first, when you try it, you will regret not having started automating your trivial decisions before. And no, it is not an automatic life, dehumanized nor robotic... Changing decisions for habits and mini-habits will lead to a full a satisfactory life.
“You will never change your life unless you change something you do every day.” John C. Maxwell
Look at how I organize myself:
What will I wear today? For me, that is not a problem, I decided it years ago.
What will I do today? That which is most significant and valuable. I flow.
What will I eat today? Food selected with a criterion to not poison my body.
What is my objective today? To be happy and not drag myself toward any objective (to not need anything). That is success.
What is my sole decision for today? To wake up every time I fall asleep in the Matrix.
How much will I write today? One thousand words.
How much will I read today? As much as I can.
My objective is to have less objectives. My decision is to make less decisions.
Give this idea a couple of turns in your head, until you discover how much stress you can rid yourself of. Stress kills as often as a highway. And, meanwhile, keep chipping away at whatever it is that constitutes your contribution to the world. The philosophy of the mini-habit, do a little every day, is part of my philosophy. Yes, it resonates with me, as much as Kaizen’s philosophy does: little, constant improvements. To achieve greatness through small actions.
My advice: if you’re not doing well, apply yourself 100%, with discipline; if you’re doing wonderfully, apply yourself 200%, with double the discipline. There is nothing more fleeting that success. And never forget, that which drove you to success, discipline, is the only thing that will keep you in it.
The Kryptonite of Discipline
If you have read or watched movies about Superman, you will know that his power was annihilated by a green mineral: Kryptonite. Humans too have an Achilles Heel, a weakness that sabotages a standard of superior results. Identifying it and avoiding should be our task.
Additionally, any self-respecting superhero has antagonistic
