Yesterday’s message — focus on being disciplined rather than staying disciplined — struck another nerve. Because I appreciate and listen to you as a reader, I’m going to be disciplined and give deeper insight. This topic deserves more attention. Even I underestimated how many people are crippled by it.
What’s the difference between total commitment to discipline for 12 minutes vs 12 hours vs 12 months? The workload imagined and the energy required.
If I challenged you to be 100% disciplined for 12 minutes, you would do it, because you can do anything with discipline for 12 minutes. It’s good self-awareness practice. I do it all the time as part of training myself.
If I challenged you to be 95% disciplined for 12 hours, you could do it, because you know it’s all you’d have to do. It may be difficult but it feels doable and you can act on it.
If I challenged you to be 90% disciplined for 12 months, you’d likely doubt it, because you picture everything you’d have to do. It may be doable but it feels too difficult. Plus you can’t act on it because you can’t put 12 months of discipline into 12 hours.
A great, but exhausting, first week of discipline rewards you with . . . 51 more weeks to go! That feels too defeating for too many people. It’s why people don’t sustain commitments they start even with the best intentions.
Here’s my question Friend . . .
(your thoughts will shape the rest of this week’s messages, so reply to this email with your answers):
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Have you experienced this?
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In what situation or with what important goal?
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What happens in your mind and behavior?
Embrace the chase. Do the work.
Share your thoughts