Become a force to reckon with

Discipline is an internal force you use to direct what you do, what you don’t, and how.

A strong internal force of discipline helps overcome other persuasive internal forces like fear, ego, and laziness. It also defends against the ocean of external forces fighting to steer your life.

That’s right. Both internal and external forces influence your thoughts, decisions, and actions. Both affect what you do, what you don’t, and how. The most powerful external forces are obedience to authority, compliance with rules, influence of social dynamics, and persuasion from marketing & advertising.

Two things you must understand about the relationship between internal and external forces in your life:

1. When your internal force of discipline is not strong enough, you will not move yourself into productive action. Your success or fulfillment becomes dependent on external forces, some of which may be in your best interest, most of which are not.
2. When your internal force of discipline is not strong enough or willing to take control, outside forces take the steering wheel of your life.

Outside forces are sneaky and strong. They’re sneaky because we don’t realize how often or how heavily they nudge our thoughts, decisions, and actions. They’re strong because even when we recognize their influence, we struggle to break free from their grip. You cannot stop external forces from pushing on you. You can only choose which forces you listen to and follow.

At any given moment, one force rises above the rest. One force becomes the deciding force, the force that takes command, makes the decision, and forces the action. One force will always be the strongest, pushing you into what you do, what you don’t, and how you do it. That force will come from within you or from outside of you.

All things being equal, the strongest force wins. If social pressure is a stronger force than your courage to face rejection, then social pressure decides what you do, what you don’t, and how. If your courage is the stronger force, then it decides.

If your discipline is stronger than your impulse, then your discipline decides what you do, what you don’t, and how. But if comfort, fear, or familiarity are stronger forces, then they decide.

Discipline is your force. How strong is yours? How strong do you need it to be for your journey ahead?

Event + Response = Outcome. Do the work.