One trait I correlate strongly with accomplishment is discipline.
When I look at people who are really at the top of the game, most of them are very disciplined about certain things within the domain which they achieve.
I’ve been thinking a lot about leveling up my own sense of discipline lately and wanted to share a few things I’ve found helpful in cultivating and maintaining this virtue.
Start With An Anchor
I think one thing that really helps is to have a discipline anchor early in the day. By anchor, I mean something you can count on to consistently experience a victory and check the first box to signal to yourself that you’re the one running your day.
Most days my anchor is a workout. I …
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Fact: Any decision that requires self-control drains your energy.
Not buying ice cream I just saw in the deli = -1 energy
Writing this post instead of cruising facebook = -2 energy
Going to the gym instead of drinks = -3 energy | +5 energy tomorrow
Regardless of the choice I make, so long as I’m struggling with temptation, I’m exerting energy.
As our energy diminishes, so does our willpower because it requires energy to exercise self-control. Think it’s coincidental that people eat sweets, skip the gym, or overindulge in alcohol at night vs. the morning? It’s partially because a day of decision making causes the tides to fall in our energy reservoir. And when we lack energy, we opt for the path of least …
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This post is part of my Weeklongs Project.
The first week of this project I wrote about my experience getting rid of 5 things a day. In the spirit of shedding materialistic tendencies, a reader Brandon Rennels suggested I put a sticker on my wallet that forced me to think about the necessity of my purchases.
I took his advice and ordered some “Do You Really Need This” stickers from Zazzle. Over the past 2 weeks, I’ve had one on my credit card and the inside of my wallet.
I never buy myself “things” like clothes or gadgets. Most of my discretionary income is spent on experiences like going out with friends or skillshare classes. I also make some what I …
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